IMPACT Magazines Running Issue 2022

CANADA’S BEST SOURCE OF HEALTH & FITNESS INFORMATION

THE RUNNING ISSUE

impactmagazine.ca

MASTERING the

MARATHON TRAINING PLANS

for Every Distance

NATASHA WODAK National Track Champion Olympian Marathoner Follow us

RUNNING IN THE

METAVERSE

11 STORES - 65 SPORTS - 7000 PRODUCTS DECATHLON.CA

FIND YOUR ENERGY FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS

CONTENTS Cover photography by Todd Ducan

Features

18

38 Mastering the Marathon

Since discovering the marathon distance, Natasha Wodak is running some of the best times in her life

48 The Mourning Run

How running helps grief and loss

67 2022 RACE SOURCE GUIDE

Our annual calendar and featured events to keep you running and racing all year

Inside Every Issue FIRST IMPACT

FITNESS

FINAL IMPACT

TRAINING

WORKOUT

FOOD & NUTRITION

16 Running in the Metaverse

104 A Unique Running Companion

20 Make it Dynamic!

24 Strength for Running SPORTS MEDICINE

90 A Pain in the Butt 92 Foot Core for Runners 96 Seeking the truth behind running injuries IMPACT PICKS

18 Physio Gadgets Every Runner Needs GEAR

58 2022 Road Running Shoe Review AT H L E T E S W I T H I M PAC T

42 Running for Safe Water 44 Aristotle’s Story 46 The Octogenarian Record-Breaker TRAINING PLANS

28 Eight Weeks to a Faster 10 Km 30 A Guide to Running a Half-Marathon in Under Two Hours 32 20 Weeks to Your Marathon PB 34 12 Weeks to Your First 70.3

6 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

94 Yoga for Runners

36 On your Mark, Get Set, Go!

54 What’s all the Buzz?

98 No Egg-Eggs Florentine 100 Grandma’s Vegan Pasta Sauce 102 Muesli and Cashew Yogurt Parfait

46

24

38

48

102

58

44 IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 7

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4 The Samsung BIA is a body analyzer that uses bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) technology to track body composition based on weight, body fat, body mass index (BMI), skeletal muscle, body water, 1

Reach Your Goals Samsung has also added new technology to its Galaxy Watch4 Series smartwatches that analyze body composition4, giving users more insight into their wellness progress. This tool reads your basal metabolic rate and your body’s ratio of water, fat and muscle in just 15 seconds. You can also set body composition goals to help you reach a specific weight, body fat percentage, or skeletal muscle target. Your wellness can be monitored from your Galaxy S22 Ultra5 using the Samsung Health app which will send you tips and reminder notifications for added motivation. You will have a ton of insights at your fingertips, so you can work to reach specific goals from sleep patterns to your basal metabolic rate.

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and basal metabolic rate (BMR) measurements. This feature and related software are not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease.

If you have any questions about the Samsung BIA or a medical condition, contact a medical professional.

Availability of this feature may vary by market.

5 Galaxy S22 Ultra sold separately.

6.

The number of combinations available may vary depending on the country or region in which the Galaxy Watch Design Studio is available.

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THE RUNNING ISSUE VOLUME 31, ISSUE 3 A leader in the industry for over 30 years, IMPACT Magazine is committed to publishing content provided by the best experts in their fields for those who aspire to higher levels of health and fitness.

VANCOUVER • CALGARY • TORONTO PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Elaine Kupser elaine@impactmagazine.ca GUEST EDITOR Louise Hodgson-Jones corsa.communications@shaw.ca ART DIRECTION & GRAPHIC DESIGN Spindrift Design Studio Inc. hregehr@studiospindrift.com VP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Janet Henderson janet@impactmagazine.ca VP PARTNERSHIPS & MARKETING Rhyan Pietromonaco rhyan@impactmagazine.ca COPY EDITOR Tom Lundteigen LEGAL COUNSEL Gregory Forrest PRINTING DISTRIBUTION

Mitchell Press Media Classified Streetbox Media

CONTACT IMPACT Magazine Head Office

2007 2nd St. S.W.

Calgary, AB T2S 1S4 403.228.0605 ADVERTISING

advertising@impactmagazine.ca

SUBSCRIPTIONS $45 for one year, or $70 for two years (includes GST) impactmagazine.ca/subscriptions WEBSITE www.impactmagazine.ca SOCIAL impactmag impactmag

10 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

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IEVE

MENT IN PU

BL

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© 2022 Impact Productions Inc.

CH

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The opinions expressed in IMPACT Magazine are the writers’ and not necessarily those of the publication. IMPACT Magazine advises you to consult your physician if you do not follow a regular fitness program. All content is the property of IMPACT Productions Inc. and cannot be reproduced in any form without written consent of IMPACT Productions Inc.

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CONTRIBUTORS BRUCE DEACON Bruce Deacon is a two-time Olympian in the marathon (1996 and 2000). He has won the Coaching Association of Canada Coaching Excellence Award as well as the 2018 BC Athletics U20/Senior Coach of the Year Award. He is President of Run Fast Consulting Inc., in Victoria, B.C. where he provides advice and program support for organizations such as Athletics Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee.

BRUCE DEACON

RUN FAST CONSULTING INC.

CHRISTINE FELSTEAD Christine Felstead, from Toronto, ON, pioneered the Yoga for Runners concept in 2001. She teaches on-line yoga classes and workshops and offers Yoga for Runners retreats. She has produced two best-selling Yoga for Runners DVDs and a six-episode educational series. The second edition of her popular Yoga for Runners book was released in 2021.

YOGAFORRUNNERS

CHRISTINEFELSTEAD WWW.YOGAFORRUNNERS.COM

SHONA HENDRICKS Shona Hendricks is Head of Athlete Success at CoachParry.com in Pretoria, South Africa where she has helped hundreds of recreational endurance athletes achieve their goals. Her passion is in running/triathlon and she has completed multiple marathons including New York and Berlin and four Half Ironman distances.

COACHPARRY

SHONA HENDRICKS WWW.COACHPARRY.COM

ASHLEY LEONE Ashley is a sports dietician and the owner of Gazelle Nutrition Lab in Toronto, ON. She provides nutrition advice and plans to athletes and every day active people alike. Her goal is to help fuel your inner athlete and put good sense back into eating.

GAZELLENUTRITION WWW.GAZELLENUTRITION.COM

GRAHAM MCKERRELL Graham McKerrell is a commercial and sports photographer in Calgary, AB. His passion for photography and the outdoors comes through in everything that he captures. A captivating intensity, infectious exuberance and constant drive to deliver his best work are striking features of his personality. He believes that traveling and meeting bright, talented passion pursuers is the greatest inherent benefit to working with the outdoor community.

MCKERRELLPHOTOGRAPHY

GRAHAM.MCKERRELL.9 WWW.MCKERRELLPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

ADRIAN MONTI Adrian Monti, from Brighton, England, has been a qualified journalist for more than 25 years.

He is a regular health writer for the likes of the Daily Mail, Mirror and Express. A keen and experienced runner himself, he is also a long-established contributor to the leading sports title Runner’s World as well as Men’s Running and Women’s Running.

ADRIAN MONTI

ADRIAN MONTI

CONTRIBUTORS Jason Ball, Keiran Baird, Connie Beaulieu, Michelle Clark, Scott Cruickshank, Bruce Deacon, Christine Felstead, Danyael Halprin, Lisa Harvey, Shona Hendricks, Gord Hobbins, Louise Hodgson-Jones, Robert Huckle, Maria Koutsogiannis, Russell Lagesse, Ashley Leone, Coleman Malar, Mark McCormick, Doug McNish, Adrian Monti, Mel Pauuwe, Jo Perry, Scott Simpson, Marissa Tiel, Jessica Natale Woollard, Cal Zaryski PHOTOGRAPHY Emma Arsenault, Canada Run Series, Canmore Rocky Mountain Half Marathon, Matt Cecill, Pam Doyle, Todd Duncan, Keylight Photography, Maria Koutsogiannis, Trudie Lee, Sorina Lucas-Steele, Graham McKerrell, Platinum Racing, Gord Weber

12 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

MEMO

“As we run, we become.”

J

ust like our readers, we at IMPACT always look forward to our annual Running Issue. It’s even more special this year as we slowly emerge from over two years of cancelled race events and a plethora of virtual events, and return to in-person events. We celebrate all who have fought to keep their races alive, and those who have continued supporting Elaine Kupser, Publisher them by participating virtually. & Editor-In-Chief This is the year to lace up your elaine@impactmagazine.ca running shoes and get back out there again. To help inspire you, we have once again published our Annual RACE SOURCE GUIDE in this edition—one of our favourite ways to support the race community each year—I encourage you to support these events with your participation.

If motivation is what you need to take on a new personal running challenge, then look no further.

Our expert coaches have provided us with training programs for every athlete, and our Canada’s Top Fitness Trainers have some workout advice that will help you cross the finish line with ease!

We’ve had the privilege of featuring some incredible runners on our past covers. This edition is no exception with Olympic Marathoner, and world-class track champion, Natasha Wodak. Hot off the Boston Marathon after coming in 19th place overall, and

DIGITAL EDITION

– Amby Burfoot

third in her age division, we couldn’t be prouder of showcasing this outstanding Canadian athlete and wonderful human being.

Our Athlete with IMPACT features are particularly captivating this issue. Bravo to Veronique Bourbeau, who is running 13,000 kilometers in the African Run Project; Aristotle Domingo who has overcome unimaginable health challenges—and thrived; and Florence Barron, an 84-year-old running dynamo (and absolute sweetheart) that will leave us all in the dust.

I have been inspired by the indomitability of the human spirit after reading all three of their stories.

I would also like to highlight a very special story we have featured this issue on running through grief.

Many of us have suffered a personal loss in these recent, trying years, including myself. I lost my father unexpectedly in December of 2020. It is still surreal to me, even as I write this, and although I’m not yet ready to talk about it at length, I can say that reading the tremendously personal stories our five contributors shared comforted me greatly. I felt my own experiences in their words. I hope they will warm your heart too and confirm to you, as they did to me, that we are not alone in our sadness. What is most inspiring is that we all have access to the profound experiences running can provide. Turning to running can help us process our grief as heartache envelopes us in an unimaginable way. Running allows us the distinctive alone-time that we need to process; it aids us in moving on, little by little, literally and symbolically. Thank you, Adrian Monti and each contributor who trusted us with such moving stories.

Didn't get your hands on a favourite edition of IMPACT? Or maybe your best friend secretly borrowed it from you? No worries. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and digital edition online at www.impactmagazine.ca.

14 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

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FIRST IMPACT

The Tattshoos emit cool special effects as runners overtake one another on the Tikal Mayan Ruins 5K in Klocked’s metaverse.

Running in the Metaverse Transform your run into an augmented experience

BY DANYAEL HALPRIN EPLAY DIGITAL INC. Danyael Halprin is a freelance writer from Calgary, AB, who will be competing in the 10K at the Maccabiah Games in Israel in July. @DANYAEL

DANYAELHALPRIN

L

et’s go for a run… in the metaverse.

Thanks to a new app you now can run in the real world while powering your avatar across 50+ virtual courses.

The app—Klocked—is brought to the metaverse by ePlay Digital Inc, creators, and publishers of augmented reality (AR) sports and entertainment titles for mobile games. Choose your running route or race in one of numerous international locations, such as the Boston Common, the London City Marathon, Toronto Beaches, go for a run in your own area, and then replay it back with your avatar running on the course you’ve chosen.

While running you can hear the breath and footsteps of passing competitors, the tempo matching/boosting Weav music, pace reports, and announcements of upcoming landmarks, such as Le Louvre in Paris. With the setting selected, other Klocked runners can teleport to your

16 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

avatar to “join” your run.

“The video experience is cool, but we want runners to think of Klocked as an augmented reality audio experience,” says ePlay CEO Trevor Doerksen of Calgary, who is competing in the upcoming BMO Vancouver Marathon and pacing the Calgary Marathon.

That its games take users outside is one of the differences between ePlay and its competitors: Peloton, Zwift, and Facebook’s Supernatural. The app is best optimized with real-time virtual races.

The audio program on your headphones begins 30 minutes pre-race with a run coach psyching you up for the start.

You are also given updates on your division placement. “I can’t tell the ages of the people around me,” says Doerksen, 52.

“I have no idea who’s coming up behind me and then when the half-marathoners join the marathon, I don’t know who’s in what race.” Once Klocked starts forming

relationships with race events it aims to integrate all the race’s timer data to notify you of your competitors’ information, Klocked and non-Klocked.

“It will tell you the pace you need to increase to move up a place, or to hold your place,” he says. With today’s souped-up carbon-plated runners this feature again brings the level playing field into question: will being privy to the other competitors’ stats give Klocked users an unfair advantage?

In the app store, users can buy virtual tattoo-style sneakers—Tattshoos—as a nonfungible token (NFT), exclusively designed

by American artist Chris Clemence. When you overtake runners, the shoes emit special effects and feature slo-mo replay in the post-race highlight reel.

While you can never replace the actual live racing experience, AR running may be of interest to runners and the metaverse curious.

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IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 17

IMPACT PICKS

Physio Gadgets Every Runner Needs EDITOR’S PICKS

I

GRAHAM MCKERRELL

njury prevention and recovery tools have become synonymous with running and training. This collection of physio gizmos will help you say goodbye to pain and hello to more time to doing what you really love—running.

HotRock

OrthoCanada

This foam roller provides intense heat and therapeutic pressure for simple and effective pain relief. It increases blood flow to sore muscles and joints to help accelerate recovery. Reap the benefits of fast-acting heat and effective deep tissue massage to relieve sore muscles after a long run.

This rolling muscle massager was created by an athlete who was tired of suffering from sore muscles. The handheld foam roller helps relieve sore muscles, muscle knots, cramping, spasms and stiffness. It is a quick and effective method to myofascial and trigger point release.

$250 CAD | www.hotrockcanada.com

$42.95 CAD 18" | $48.95 CAD 22" | www.orthocanada.com

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Wave

WAVE SOFT TISSUE RELEASE TOOL This all-in-one myofascial release tool is the ultimate muscle scraping and soft tissue release tool. It incorporates massage surfaces with IASTM and Guasha Edges to effectively treat myofascial pain.

Excellent in helping treat and maintain fascia for injury prevention and maintain good tissue quality. $79.95 CAD | www.fitter1.ca

OrthoCanada

ACUBALL

If you are experiencing tension in your glutes, quads or neck, this heatable ball is known for its therapeutic effects for central nervous system relaxation by stimulating blood flow to muscles that are tense and stiff. It helps relieves pain, muscle and fascia tightness, stiffness, and trigger points caused by injury or repetitive strain. $29.95 CAD | www.orthocanada.com

18 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

OrthoCanada

THERA-CANE PRESSURE POINT MASSAGER Used by athletes who suffer from muscular pain, this product makes it possible to self-apply pain-relieving deep compression directly to hard, knotted trigger points even in the hardest to reach muscles between your shoulder blades. Only a few minutes work on one or two troublesome points is sufficient. $50.95 CAD | www.orthocanada.com

RAD

NEURO BALL The all-in-one design combined with Naboso’s patentpending technology stimulates thousands of nerves in your feet. Split it in two for stationary exercises that let you work both feet simultaneously or use it for rolling techniques all over the body. It’s just the right density to ease muscles in the feet and calves. $29.95 CAD | www.radroller.ca

Fitterfirst

FOOT ROLLER Designed to hit the pressure points on the foot, foot rollers aid in the body's natural healing ability. Using them relieves pain and stiffness from plantar fasciitis, prevents plantar fasciitis, and reduces foot pain and inflammation. Relieve tension through massaging nerve endings and targeted pressure point release—great for recovery after a run. $19.95 CAD | www.fitter1.ca

Fitterfirst

SLANT BOARD Slant boards are effective stretching devices for performance enhancement and injury prevention, and great for recovery and ankle mobility for runners. These adjustable incline boards are designed to target and stretch the calf, arch, hamstring and hip muscles. $229.95 CAD | www.fitter1.ca

ThermaWedge

THERMAWEDGE DEVICE ThermaWedge® has been clinically studied and endorsed by physicians and therapists for treating plantar fasciiitis and Achilles tendon injuries. It combines all the recommended treatments in one device to reduce pain, enhance mobility, and improve foot and ankle strength. $59.95 CAD | www.fitter1.ca

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 19

WORKOUT

Make it Dynamic!

A proper warm-up is essential for your performance & injury prevention

BY CONNIE BEAULIEU, CSCS GORD WEBER GORDWEBER Connie is one of Canada’s Top Fitness Trainers 2022, and is the owner of S.W.E.A.T® Inc. & founder, ACTIVATE Academy in Ottawa, ON. CONNIEBFIT

W

hether you’re heading out for a long run or bike ride, a fitness boot camp or an obstacle course race, a dynamic warm-up is an essential component to your workout and shouldn't be overlooked.

While many people prefer to dive right into their main activity or exercise, it’s important to prepare your muscles and joints in their full range of motion to prevent injury and increase your overall performance.

Unlike a “stretch and hold” method, a dynamic warm-up involves movements that allow the body to gently prepare for more intense activity and provides increased mobility. These dynamic stretches and movements gradually help increase the range of motion at a joint, warm up the muscles and increase blood flow. It’s also a great time to mentally prepare for your workout.

A dynamic warm-up should never be overlooked, and it may be the missing link to your favorite activity or workout. If done correctly, a dynamic warm-up should gently move the body in various planes of motion, as well as prepare the body for all angles of movement.

It is certainly more complex than jumping jacks and a jog!

You can spend as little as three to five minutes doing dynamic stretches or up to 10 minutes for a deeper practice.

No matter your age or fitness level, a dynamic warm-up is essential.

Start with a light cardio activity like a brisk walk, marching or short jog for 60-90 seconds and then integrate large, full body movements. These dynamic movements should involve various combinations of joints, like those listed below.

20 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

1

STANDING STAR REACH & TOUCH

Perform 10-20 reps or 10-30 seconds Stand tall with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width and your arms by your side. Inhale deeply and reach for the sky.

Arch your back slightly by lifting your chest (and opening your hip flexors) and exhale as you reach your right hand down, touching your left foot. Repeat on the other side.

2

WALKING LUNGE & REACH DOWN

Perform 10-20 reps or 10-30 seconds Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, step forward into a lunge as you reach down and touch your front shin or ankle. Round out through the spine.

Repeat the other side. ➝

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 21

3

ALTERNATING SIDE LUNGE & SPINAL TWIST

Perform 10-20 reps or 10-30 seconds Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, step to the right by placing all your weight into your right heel. Let your left leg collapse and twist your torso to the right. Step back to the centre and repeat on the other side.

4

HIGH LEG SWINGS + HIP ROTATION

5

WALK LUNGE SIDE REACH & KICKBACK

Perform 10-20 reps or 10-30 seconds per leg Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, step forward with your left leg and swing your right leg up high. Lower to the ground and follow with a big hip rotation by lifting your knee up and draw a large circle. Stay on the same side for 10-20 reps (or 10-30 seconds) and then switch legs.

Perform 10-20 reps or 10-30 seconds per leg Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, step your left foot forward into a lunge as you extend both arms overhead and gently tilt your body to the left (side reach). Return the arms and torso to the centre as you step your right foot forward while kicking your heel to your glute. Walk forward by alternating each foot.

22 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

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WORKOUT

Strength for Running Becoming a strong & powerful runner

BY MARK MCCORMICK JONATHAN DESCHENES DACHENE_ Mark is one of Canada’s Top Fitness Trainers 2022, and is the owner and founder of MMC Fitness in Edmonton, AB. MMCFIT

A

MARKMCFIT

s a runner you know how important it is to have proper leg strength and power.

Strength for runners is about building strong, lean muscles, keeping muscle mass down while maximizing strength. As the duration of any run or race builds you want the power in reserve to carry you through to a strong finish.

Building strength as a runner is often confusing. You likely don’t want to be sore from lifting, or gain muscle mass in fear it will slow you down. You want to run and the thought of strength training inside, in a gym, well, that’s probably not what excites you about running. If you’ve been running for any amount of time you know how important it is to minimize your risk of injury. Strength training does just that.

To become a better, stronger runner you really want to become a stronger athlete.

Strength training is another piece of your overall run-training plan. The following four exercises can be a simple way for you to build strength specific to running faster, with more power and developing a more efficient stride. So, lace 'em up and let’s build some power!

1

GLUTE BRIDGE TO ECCENTRIC LEG CURL

Develops hip extension and builds strength through hamstring lengthening for injury prevention.

2-3 sets of 8-10 reps • • • • •

Using a set of gliding discs under your heels, lay on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground.

Pressing your feet down while contracting your glutes, raise your hips to form a straight line from knees to shoulders.

Try to maintain level hips throughout the movement.

Slowly extend your legs and slide your heels along the floor for 3-4 seconds till straightened.

Return legs to bent knee starting position.

2

HEX BAR DEADLIFT

Develops the posterior chain, allowing for greater use of higher loads to build maximal strength.

3-5 sets of 4-6 reps • • •

•

• •

•

Stand inside the hex bar with feet about shoulder-width apart.

Lower your body by squatting down to grasp both handles firmly.

While engaging your lats rotate your inner elbow forward and hold a slight chin tuck.

Lift your hips up and back to create a slight stretch in the hamstrings (this is the starting position).

While maintaining a neutral spine, push your feet into the ground.

Allow your hips to travel forward at the top while contracting your glutes, keeping your pelvis in a neutral, level position.

Begin lowering the bar to the ground by hinging at your hips and bending your knees, again keeping a neutral spine. ➝

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 25

3

DROP JUMPS

Develops increased groundreaction time. A variety of step heights can be used.

3 sets of 6-8 reps • • •

•

•

Stand on top of an elevated surface, bench, step or box.

Step out and off the box, dropping to the ground.

Upon both feet landing, immediately spring off the ground as quickly as possible.

Both the drop down and jump up should be at a forward angle, not vertical.

Speed of contact reactivity off the ground is key for enhancing speed and force development.

4

BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT

Helps increase neuromuscular coordination and your ability to produce single-leg power.

2-4 sets of 6-8 reps •

•

•

•

•

26 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

Standing three “foot” lengths in front of a bench or elevated surface, place one foot on the bench behind you.

Keep feet inline, core engaged and weights at your sides.

Bend the front knee while lowering to the ground, gently touching the ground with the opposite knee.

Your torso should be at the same angle as the shin of the front leg.

While pressing into the ground with the front leg drive upward quickly, using the back leg for support only.

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TRAINING PLANS

Eight Weeks to a Faster 10 Km A simple training plan for runners of all levels

BY GORD HOBBINS CANADA RUNNING SERIES Coach and owner of Gord’s Running Store in Calgary, AB. GORDRUN

T

his simple training plan has you running four days a week with core and stretch sessions on rest days.

Find or create a routine that gives you about 10 minutes’ worth of exercises with each of the three core areas: abdominals, hips, and hamstrings respectively. For stretching focus on the areas, you use when running, starting from the ground up such as Achilles, calves, quadriceps, hip flexors, hamstrings, and gluteus maximus (glutes).

When stretching keep it comfortable. An example of a comfortable stretch would be when we get up after a good night’s sleep and you give a good yawn, extend your arms and it “feels right.” How long do you hold a stretch? This depends on how tight or loose you may be; somedays it may be a matter of 20 to 30 seconds to feel the gentle “feels right” stretch and other days you could return to an area two to four times.

FORM is very important in this plan.

This means focusing on efficiency only!

Not speed or heart rate but training yourself to run. Focus on relaxing the muscles that are not needed to propel

28 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

GORDS.RUNNING.STORE

you forward - hands, arms, shoulders, even your feet and legs when they’re in the swing phase of your stride. Stay tall with your chest upright and open, arms swinging forward and back while thinking smooth without bouncing up and down.

•

TIPS •

• •

•

Easy runs and optional days are only if you feel good and can run easy! Save your energy for the faster and the long slow distance workouts.

Long Slow Distance (LSD) is also run at an easy (talking) pace.

Hilly runs and hill repeats make you stronger and help prepare you for speed work. For hill repeats, look for lengths of 300 to 600 metres and a gentle enough slope in which you can maintain a strong upright running form. The uphill is the workout, and the downhill is the rest period.

Tempo runs are at an intensity in which your breathing feels laboured, but also controlled enough so that if you had to, you could always run faster during the workout.

•

•

•

Intervals should be run at your fivekilometre race pace - based on your most recent finish time. The goal is to maintain this pace as closely as possible and only add 15 seconds segments to the rest periods if needed to accomplish the pace goal. If you run five kilometres in 21:40 your average pace is 4:20/km which will translate to a 1:44/400-metre or 3:28/800-metre goal pace for the intervals.

Hill repeats, tempo and interval runs should be preceded and followed up with a 10-15-minute warm-up and cool-down run.

The five-kilometre time trial is only necessary if you feel you need to gauge your progress and this could be a local run, or if you have an accurately measured course to use as your benchmark. Use the result to do any fine-tuning to your program if needed.

80/20 Rule. 80 per cent of the time be good about following the program and 20 per cent of the time be human; you’ll miss the occasional workout as life happens.

E I G H T- W E E K 1 0 K M T R A I N I N G P L A N WEEK

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

SUN

1

Core & Stretch

30 to 45 min hilly run

Optional

4 to 6 hill repeats

Easy 30 min

Core & Stretch

¾ to 1 hour LSD

2

Core & Stretch

45 min FORM

Optional

6 to 8 hill repeats

Easy 30 min

Core & Stretch

1 to 1 ¼ hour LSD

3

Core & Stretch

45 min hilly run

Optional

4 x 800 m repeats at 5 km pace, rest 60 sec.

Easy 30 min

Core & Stretch

1 hour LSD

4

Core & Stretch

45 min FORM

Optional

4 x 800 m repeats at 5 km pace, rest 60 sec

Easy 30 min

Core & Stretch

5 km trial or 1 to 1 ½ hour LSD

5

Core & Stretch

15 min Tempo run

Optional

10 X 400 m repeats rest 30 sec

Easy 30 min

Core & Stretch

1 hour LSD

6

Core & Stretch

45 min FORM

Optional

6 x 800 m repeats at 5 km pace, rest 60 sec

Easy 30 min

Core & Stretch

1 to 1 ½ hour LSD

7

Core & Stretch

45 min hilly run

Optional

12 x 400 m repeats rest 30 sec

Easy 30 min

Core & Stretch

1 hour LSD

8

Core & Stretch

30 min FORM

Optional

4 x 400 m repeats at 5 km pace, rest 90 sec

Easy 30 min

Core & Stretch

10 KM RACE

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 29

TRAINING PLANS

A Guide to Running a Half-Marathon in Under Two Hours An achievable training plan for runners of all levels

BY LISA HARVEY PAM DOYLE 1992 Olympian - 10,000 metres, three-time World Outdoor Track National Team Member, eight-time World Cross Country National Team Member, multiple Canadian medalist at distances from track to the marathon, in Calgary, AB. LISARUNSWIM

R

unning under two hours in the half-marathon is an achievable goal for many runners. In this gentle half build you will be guided through a 12-week training plan where the goal is to run four days per week with the remainder of the week for cross training, strength, and flexibility exercises. Before beginning this plan, you should be comfortable running two to three times per week at a pace faster than 7:00/km. Listen to your body and modify your training to avoid injuries.

The plan consists of a workout (Wednesday), long run (Sunday), two easy runs (Tuesday/Thursday), and an optional cross training day. Running by effort at the beginning is key to determine the running pace that feels best for you. The long run should be done at a comfortable pace that you could maintain for an hour or more, this is called Long Slow Distance (LSD). Think about controlled breathing, relaxed arm swing, low knee lift, and feet touching the ground lightly with each stride. Some long runs are just a run whereas others have half-marathon pace sections embedded. Easy runs are shorter runs during the week where you are running 1530 seconds faster than your long run. The workouts are a chance to practice race paces and good running form. They consist of a warm-up, strides, intervals, and warm down.

30 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

COACHING TIPS • • • • • •

Be patient – follow the plan and use the off days to rest Believe in yourself – use positive self-talk to get you through tough training Flexibility – adjust the plan to fit your work/life schedule Running shoes – wear shoes that are supportive and feel good on your feet Maintain flexibility and strength – short sessions throughout the week will help you avoid injuries Switch up running routes and surfaces – flat, hilly, paved, and trail

LEGEND STRIDES – Accelerations to practice faster leg turnover and good running form (good posture, knees driving forward, arms bent).

On an 80-100 metre flat stretch of pathway or grass, think about starting at an easier pace and finishing fast.

HMP – Half-Marathon Pace (5:42/km or under if your goal is to run under two hours) NEGATIVE SPLIT – Run at your long-run pace for the first half of the run and then increase to half-marathon pace for the second half.

1 2 - W E E K H A L F - M A R AT H O N T R A I N I N G P L A N WEEK

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

SUN

1

Off

3 km

3 km + Strides

3 km

Strength/ Yoga/ Core

Cross training - 30 min ride, elliptical, swim

5 km

2

Off

4 km

4 km + Strides

4 km

Strength/ Yoga/ Core

Cross training - 30 min ride, elliptical, swim

6 km

3

Off

5 km

5 x (1 min fast/1 min easy), 15 min warm-up and cool-down

5 km

Strength/ Yoga/ Core

Cross training - 30 min water run, ride, elliptical

7 km

4

Off

6 km

4 x (3 min at goal 10 km pace/ 2 min easy jog between), 15 min warm-up and cool-down

6 km

Strength/ Yoga/ Core

Cross training - 45 min ride, elliptical, swim

8 km with last 4 km at HMP

5

Off

7 km

2 x 7 min at goal 10 km pace/ 2 min easy jog between, 15 min warm-up and cool-down

7 km

Strength/ Yoga/ Core

Cross training or easy 5 km run

10 km

6

Off

8 km

2 x (5, 4, 3 min) descending 90 sec jog, 3 min set rest, 15 min warm-up and cool-down

8 km

Strength/ Yoga/ Core

Cross training or easy 5 km run

13 km - negative split with last half at HMP

7

Off

5 km

12 min at 10 km pace, 5 x 30 sec hills fast - easy jog back to start, 15 min warm-up and cool-down

5 km

Strength/ Yoga/ Core

Cross training or easy 5 km run

15 km

8 km

Strength/ Yoga/ Core

Cross training or easy 5 km run

18 km - 4 km easy, 2 x 5 km at HMP with 2 km easy between, 2 km easy cool-down

8

Off

9 km

4 x 1 mile at 10 km pace, 15 min warm-up and cool-down

9

Off

10 km

6 min at goal 10 km pace, 4 x 1 min fast, 6 min at 10 km pace, 15 min warm-up and cool-down

9 km

Strength/ Yoga/ Core

Cross training or easy 5 km run

22 km

10

Off

10 km

5 x 1 km at goal 5 km pace, 3 min easy jog rest, 15 min warm-up and cool-down

10 km

Strength/ Yoga/ Core

Cross training or easy 5 km run

19 km - 8 km easy, 8 km at HMP, 2 km easy

11

Off

8 km

6 x 800 metre or 3 min at goal 5 km pace, 2 min easy jog rest, 15 min warm-up and cool-down

8 km

Strength/ Yoga/ Core

Cross training or easy 5 km run

15 km

12

Off

5 km

3 x (3, 2, 1 min) 1:1 work to easy jog, 3 min set rest, 15 min warm-up and cool-down

4 km + Strides

Off

4 km + Strides

RACE DAY

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 31

TRAINING PLANS

20 Weeks to Your Marathon PB Maintaining consistency in your schedule will help achieve your goals

BY MELISSA PAAUWE MATT CECILL VISUALS Coach and founder of We Run the World Coaching, Inc. An elite-level runner earning top-ten finishes nationally in both the half-marathon and marathon distances from Calgary, AB. PUPPYMAMARUNNER

WERUNTHEWORLDCOACHING

I

f you are someone who has ran marathons before but is looking to achieve a new personal best, this is the plan for you. This 20week plan assumes you can already comfortably run three to four times per week, and your long run is at least 15 kilometres.

In my experience, the keys to success in any marathon-training plan is consistency and getting those long runs in. Keep the easy runs as they are intended to be run: easy. And save your mental and physical energy for those tough workouts on the schedule.

I recommend following the schedule as closely as possible.

However, if scheduling changes need to be made, ensure you are not running hard days back-to-back and that you are not doing speed work the day following your long run.

The goal of any training plan should be to get you to the start line healthy. Marathon training is hard on the body and pulling back, every so often, is just as important as building. My intermediate plan is designed with build weeks and recovery weeks, so you make recovery intentional. Listen to your body and take care of it while you move through this training block.

32 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

LEGEND 10 KM – 10-kilometre race pace HMP – half marathon pace MP – goal marathon pace, i.e., if you want to run a 3:30 marathon, your MP target for workouts is 5:00/km.

RPE – Rate of perceived exertion with 0 being no effort and 10 being max effort. Easy runs should be run at an RPE no greater than 5/10.

Take them slower if you feel fatigued. The key for these runs is to build your aerobic fitness and should not be run fast. Keep the easy days easy and the hard days hard!

STRIDES – pickup in pace of 50-100 metres but not an all-out sprint.

Jog for 60 seconds between each stride.

2 0 - W E E K M A R AT H O N T R A I N I N G P L A N WEEK

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

SUN

1

Rest

15 min easy, 8-10 x 1 min at RPE 9, 1 min recovery, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

45 min easy

60 min easy + 6 strides

Rest

15 km easy

2

Rest

15 min easy, 6-8 x 1 min uphill at RPE 5-6, downhill at MP, rest 30 sec, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

45 min easy

60 min easy + 6 strides

Rest

18 km easy

3

Rest

15 min easy, 2 x 2 km at HMP, 3 min recovery, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

45 min easy

60 min easy + 6 strides

Rest

20 km easy

4

Rest

60 min easy + 6 strides

Cross train or strength

45 min easy

60 min easy + 6 strides

Rest

15 km easy

5

Rest

15 min easy, 4 x 1 km at 10 km pace, 2 min recovery, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy

Rest

8 km easy, 6 km MP, 4 km easy

6

Rest

15 min easy, 2-3 x (3 x 1 min uphill at RPE 6, easy downhill, 3 x 15 sec uphill at RPE 10, easy downhill), 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy + 6 strides

Rest

22 km easy

7

Rest

15 min easy, 2 x 2 km at HMP, 3 min recovery, 2 x 1 km at 10 km pace, 90 sec recovery, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy + 6 strides

Rest

25 km easy

8

Rest

60 min easy + 6 strides

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy + 6 strides

Rest

18 km easy

9

30 min easy

15 min easy, 5 x 1 km at 10 km pace, 2 min recovery, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy

Rest

10 km easy, 8 km MP, 4 km easy

10

30 min easy

15 min easy, 6 x 300 m uphill at 7-8 RPE, 30 sec rest, MP downhill, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy + 6 strides

Rest

27 km easy

11

30 min easy

15 min easy, 5 x 1.6 km at HMP, 3 min recovery, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy + 6-8 strides

Rest

30 km easy

12

Rest

60 min easy + 6 strides

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy + 6 strides

Rest

22 km easy

13

45 min easy

15 min easy, 15 min at HMP, 3 min recovery, 5 x 1 min at RPE 9, 90 sec recovery, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy + 6-8 strides

Rest

8 km easy, 2 x 5 km MP, 1 km recovery, 6 km easy

14

45 min easy

15 min easy, 4 x 1.6 km at HMP, 2 min recovery, 2 x 1 km at 10 km pace, 90 sec recovery, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy + 6-8 strides

Rest

32 km easy

15

Rest

60 min easy + 6 strides

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy + 6 strides

Rest

24 km easy

16

45 min easy

15 min easy, 10 x 500 m at 10 km pace, 90 sec recovery, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy + 6-8 strides

Rest

5 km easy 8 x (1 km, 1 km) alt MP,20 sec slower, 5 km easy

17

45 min easy

15 min easy, 3 x (3 x 20 s uphill at RPE 9, 60 sec jog downhill, 10 min at MP, 2 min recovery), 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy + 6-8 strides

Rest

34-36 km easy

18

30 min easy

15 min easy, 10-12 x 1 min at RPE 9, 1 min recovery, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

Rest

20 km aerobic

10 km easy, 10 km MP, 2 km easy

19

30 min easy

15 min easy, 8 x 2 min at 10 km pace, 90 sec recovery, 15 min easy

Cross train or strength

60 min easy

60 min easy + 6 strides

Rest

18 km easy

20

Rest

15 min easy, 20 min at MP, 15 min easy

60 min easy + 6 strides

Rest

30 min easy + 4-5 strides

20 min easy

RACE

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 33

TRAINING PLANS

12 Weeks to Your First 70.3 How to gradually build from a sprint and Olympic triathlon to a half-Ironman

BY JASON BALL PLATINUM RACING Coach, triathlete from sprint to half-Ironman, completed 10 Ironman, owner Body Dynamics in Victoria, B.C. BDHQ

A

BDHQ.CA

n Ironman 70.3 or half-Ironman involves a 1900-metre swim, a 90-kilometre bike ride, and a 21.1-kilometre run. This program is designed for someone who has completed some sprint-distance triathlons, and Olympic-distance triathlons and who now wants to take on a half-Ironman. This plan assumes that you can swim 1200 metres with rests, bike two hours comfortably, and run 60 minutes without stopping. You will be training six days a week, sometimes two disciplines in a day. This program will take time and dedication to complete, but people who use a training plan are twice as likely to succeed in completing their goals.

This program is a gradual build—you are not doing full training on day one.

You need to train your body so that by the end of this program you can complete each of the half-Ironman disciplines. The half-Ironman will take anywhere from

four to eight hours to complete. It is a great stepping-stone to the Ironman if that is a goal for you, like the progression from a half-marathon to a marathon. The halfIronman is one of my favourite triathlon distances to race. It is just the right distance to test yourself.

NUTRITION TIPS You need to really focus on your nutrition in your training so that you know what you must do in the race. Following a well-designed training plan will get you to the start line, but a solid nutrition plan will get you to the finish line. Your body is an engine, and you must keep that engine fueled. My recommendation for nutrition would be: • Swim - take a gel every 20-30 minutes before the swim • Bike - The bike is where you will take in most of your fuel. It is easier to consume calories on the bike and your body absorbs them best while you are riding. You can take in fuel through sports drinks, powders, solid foods like potatoes or a sandwich, but do this in the middle of your ride.

The 60-90-minute rides should be sports drinks and water. You should take in between 250-400 calories per hour.

• Run - Take in water, sports drinks, gels, or gummies. Stay away from solid fuel as your heart rate is elevated and your body will have trouble absorbing it.

LEGEND CD - Cool down WU - Warmup Pull - Use a pull buoy R - Rest TT - Ride in time-trial (aero) position on your triathlon bike HM - Half-marathon

1 2 - W E E K 7 0. 3 T R A I N I N G P L A N WK MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

SUN

Run 45 min, 10 min WU easy pace, 8 x 30 hill sprints on a steep hill, 1 min downhill recovery, easy run rest of time

Swim 1200 m swim comfortably in the pool or in the lake with a wetsuit

Bike 60 min hill work, 30 min WU, 3 x 6 min hard uphill, recover downhill, CD rest of time

Run 60 min, easy run on flat road.

Bike 90 min steady on a hilly route

1

Off

Swim 1500 m, 100 m swim, 100 m pull, 200 m swim with fins, 10 x 25 m fast with 25 m easy recovery swim (any stroke), 2 x 200 m pull with 1 min R, 200 m CD

2

Off

Swim 1500 m, 500 m WU, swim/ kick/swim/kick/swim 100 m each 8 x 100 m with 10 sec rest after each 100 m, 200 m CD

Bike 60 min Just ride steady Run 15 min off the bike

Run 45 min hill work, 15 min WU, 15 min hill repeats, 15 min CD

Swim 1750 m swim in lake in a wetsuit

Run 70 min, easy run on flat road.

Bike 90 min with hill repeats, 30 min WU, 5 x 6 min uphill; steady rest of time

3

Off

Swim 1750 m, steady in the lake with a wetsuit

Bike 75 min Just ride steady Run 15 mn off the bike

Run 50 min, 15 min WU, 20 min hill repeats, 15 min CD

Swim 1750 m, 500 m WU, 10 X 50 m hard effort, 10 sec recovery between intervals, steady rest of time

Run 75 min, 20 min WU, 30 min at HM-race pace, 20 min easy

Bike 90 min hill repeats, 30 min WU, 6 x 6 min uphill, steady rest of time

4

Off

Swim 1500 m, steady in the lake with a wetsuit

Bike 60 min Just ride steady Run 15 min off the bike

Run 45 min hill work, 15 min WU, 15 min hill repeats, 15 min CD

Swim 1500 m, 500 m WU, 500 m at race pace, 500 m CD

Run 45 min, easy run

Ride 60 min comfortably, run 15 min off the bike

Off

Swim 1900 m in the lake, 500 m WU, 5 x 100 m at race pace, swim relaxed rest of time.

Bike 75 min, 30 min ride steady, 30 min at race pace, 15 min CD, run 15 min off the bike

Run 60 min speed work, 15 min WU, 3 x 1000 m 80% effort, easy run rest of time

Swim 1900 m, 500 m WU, 7 x 100 m hard effort, 10 sec recovery between intervals, 6 x 50 m hard effort, 5 sec recovery between intervals, easy rest of time

Run 80 min, 30 min WU, 30 min at HM race pace, 20 min CD

Bike 90 min speed work on flat road, 30 min WU, 5 x 6 min hard effort, 2 min easy between intervals, 30 min CD, run 15 min off the bike

Off

Swim 2000 m, 600 m WU choice, 2 x (300 m pull, 30 sec R, 200 m swim fins, 20 sec R, 100 m swim, 30 sec R), 200 m CD

Bike 75 min on rolling hills, 20 min steady, 3 x 10 min at 80% effort, 2 min easy ride between intervals, CD rest of time

Run 60 min speed work, 15 min WU, 4 x 1000 m at 80% effort, easy run rest of time

Swim 1500 m, swim at the lake, just swim steady

Run 90 min steady and comfortable

Bike 150 min rolling hills, 30 min WU, 6 x 6 min hard effort in TT position, 2 min easy between intervals, easy rest of time, run 15 min off the bike

7

Off

Swim 1600 m, 500 m WU choice, 3 x (200m pull, 30 sec R, 200 m swim fins, 20 sec R, 100 m swim, 30 sec R), 200 m CD

Bike 90 min, 30 min WU, 30 min hill repeats, 5 min uphill hard effort, easy ride ride rest of time, run 15 min off the bike

Run 60 min speed work, 15 min WU, 3 x 1600 m at 80% effort; easy run rest of time

Swim 2000 m in the lake, 500 m WU, 1000 m at race pace, 500 m steady swim

Run 90 min steady and comfortable

Bike 120 min, 30 min WU, 5 x 10 min hard effort at 80% in TT position, 3 min easy between intervals, run 20 min off the bike

8

Off

Swim 1500 m, steady in the lake with wetsuit - 500 m comfortable swim, 500 m race pace, 500 m comfortable

Bike 60 min, 15 min steady, 15 min hard, 15 min easy, 15 min hard, run 15 min off the bike

Run 45 min, just run easy and steady

Swim 2000 m in the pool, 500 m WU, 5 x 200 m with buoy, 20 sec rest between intervals, 500 m easy

Run 60 min, if you can, run part of the course of the race course you will be doing

Bike 90 min, 30 min WU, 45 min hilly route, hard uphill, recover downhill

Run 60 min speed work, 15 min WU, 2 x 3,200 m at 80% effort, easy run rest of time

Swim 2200 m at the lake.

Practise your transtion from swim to bike. Get out of the water and out of your wetsuit as quick as possible.

Get into your bike gear

Run 45 min easy

Race-day prep: Bike 150 min, 45 min WU, 60 min at race pace, 15 min steady, run 60 min off the bike, practise bike to run transition

5

6

9

Off

Swim 2000 m at the lake steady and comfortable

Bike 90 min flat, 30 min WU, 3 x 15 min race pace, 3 min easy between intervals, run 15 min off the bike

10

Off

Swim 2500 m in the lake, 500 m WU, 3 x 300 m race pace, 1 min easy between intervals, easy rest of distance

Bike 90 min, 15 min WU, 60 min hill repeats, 15 min CD, 15 min run off the bike

Run 60 min speed work, 15 min WU, 5 x 1000 m at 80% effort, easy run rest of time

Swim 2000 m at the lake, practice getting out of your wetsuit as quickly as possible

Run 75 min, 15 min WU, 30 min at HM race pace; 15 min CD

Bike between 100 km and 110 km steady, run 30 min off the bike

Off

Swim 2000m at the lake swim steady and comfortable

Bike 90 min, 15 min WU, 3 x 15 min hard, 3 min easy between intervals, run 15 min easy off the bike

Run 60 min speedwork, 15 min WU, 8 x 800 m 90% effort, 2 min easy between intervals, CD rest of time

Swim 2500 m at the lake swim comfortably

Run 90 min, 15 min WU, 5 x 10 min at race pace; 1 min easy between intervals, 15 min CD

Ride 310 min between 90 km and 100 km, run 20 min off the bike

Swim 1000 m, swim at the lake, steady in the morning run 30 min in the afternoon

Swim 20 min, bike 30 min, run 20 min.

Check in bike and get your gear ready for the next day. Eat and drink well. Try and get a good night sleep.

RACE DAY

11

12

Off

Swim 1500 m in pool, 500 m WU, 10 x 50 m above race pace with pull buoy, 500 m CD

Bike 60 min steady, run 15 min off the bike

Run 30 min easy

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 35

TRAINING

On your Mark, Get Set, Go! Improve your running efficiency by including sprinting in your workouts

BY BRUCE DEACON Two-time Olympic marathoner, Two-time winner Coaching Association of Canada Coaching Excellence Award, sport consultant in Victoria, B.C. BRUCEDEACON

RUNFASTCONSULTINGINC.

M

ost of us know the benefits of running long and incorporating tempos in workouts. But we are now understanding that there are huge benefits in including short sprints. Who would have thought that tearing along at full speeds would help you run a faster 10-kilometre or a better marathon?

No doubt your running coach or sport scientist often drops the “energy system” term into a conversation. If you are like most recreational runners, you nod your head knowingly, while trying to piece together what is actually meant. So let me give you a bit of a primer to help you bluff your way through those awkward moments.

If you are running a 10-kilometre or a marathon, almost all your energy needs are met aerobically. This means that you are using oxygen to access the carbohydrates and fats needed to meet your energy demands.

If you start to run faster and your energy demands exceed what can be provided by the oxygen that you can suck into your lungs, then you start using the anaerobic energy system. Now you start producing lactic acid and your body uses this for fuel.

Of course, lactic acid also makes running much harder and typically you can’t maintain this intensity for long.

What rarely gets spoken of is the alactic energy system. Think of it as sprinting that eight to 10 seconds to catch the bus.

You are running really hard, but it isn’t

36 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

long enough to be anerobic. Recreational runners almost never incorporate this into their training, but elite runners do.

One of the key reasons why you ran your last personal best is that you became more efficient. You trained hard and your body adapted to use less oxygen to run at a set pace. Often runners will do hard tempo sessions at race pace or increase their running volume to become more aerobically fit. This leads to improved running economy. But what if you could sprint your way to better running economy?

Sprinting full out for short durations (alactic training) engages your muscles in ways that relatively slower running doesn’t.

The intensity of these sprints forces your body to recruit more muscle fibres and your neuromuscular system to become better at sending messages between your muscles and brain resulting in more explosiveness.

Over the course of multiple alactic sprint workouts, you train your body to generate more power for each stride. This lets you get a longer stride without increased effort. Your running economy improves in a relatively short period of time.

Ready to give it a try? Here are two great sessions to include in your weekly routine for eight to 12 weeks. You will find that because the duration of the sprinting is short, that you recover quickly. Ideally, you don’t do these sessions on tired legs.

SESSION #1

After a good warm-up jog, run four sprints up a steep hill. Each should be no more than eight seconds and should be run at 95-98 per cent effort. It should feel that you are running close to full out. It is important to get three minutes rest between each sprint. This allows you to be fully recovered so that you can be as explosive as possible for the next sprint. Add one additional hill per week until you get to 12 x eight-second uphill sprints.

RUN LIKE A SPRINTER Here’s some form tips that will help distance runners sprint faster: •

SESSION #2

Stop mid-run at a local track or flat stretch of road or pathway. Run two to three sprints lasting 10-12 seconds at 80 per cent effort to help warm up. Then run four sprints lasting six to eight seconds at 95-98 per cent effort. Take a full three-minute rest and add one sprint every week until you are doing 10 sprints.

Various studies have shown significant improvements over a variety of measures

in as little as two to six weeks. But consider keeping sprinting as part of your weekly regime. The athletes I coach rotate these two sessions every two weeks year-round.

The great thing about this training is that it can easily be added to your regular training regime and even be used as part of a longer workout.

Short sprints will help improve your running efficiency. They will also add a bit of variety to your training.

•

• •

Run tall! Focus on good posture and keep your chest (centre of gravity) slightly forward of your hips.

Sprinting requires a more aggressive arm action than longer distances. Keep your arms bent at 90 degrees and allow your hands to swing up above your chest.

Land on your toes and not your heels.

Sprinting requires a higher knee lift than running a 10-kilometre. Now is not the time for a shuffling stride.

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 37

Mastering the Marathon Since discovering the marathon distance, Natasha Wodak is running some of the best times in her life

BY LOUISE HODGSON-JONES LOUISEHODGSONJONES

TODD DUNCAN LOUISEHODGSONJO

IMPACT guest editor, communications and event specialist in Victoria, B.C. MAKEUP/HAIR: FARRAH SANEI CLOTHING: ASICS

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he is strong, competitive, and focused with her sights set on more Canadian records, preferably in her ‘newfound’ distance—the marathon. At 40 Natasha Wodak is in the prime of her running life. Her 13th place finish in the Tokyo Olympic Marathon in 2021— 2:31:41—capped over 18 months of intense training which saw her set a (then) new Canadian HalfMarathon record in Houston in January 2020 (1:09:39) and in December run a 2:26:19 in the Arizona Marathon Project.

At the time IMPACT went to press Wodak had just completed the Boston Marathon finishing in 2:35:08, 19th overall and third in her age division. She is looking ahead to another major marathon in the fall, potentially Berlin. And that is just the beginning, she says.

The former 10,000 metre track champion enjoys marathon training and has taken to it like a duck to water. “I enjoy the challenge and how different it is than training for track,” she says.

The Arizona Project was just her second marathon, her first was in Toronto in 2013. She reflects at that time with mixed emotions and admits that, despite a credible 2:35 finish, things didn’t go well.

“It was a difficult time for me, I was going through a divorce, my training wasn’t going well, I wasn’t in the right place mentally or physically and I felt broken.” She got injured—a tear in her pelvis followed by planta fasciitis. “I was turned off the marathon.”

Despite this setback she knew she wanted to try another one, but the timing wasn’t right. She set a Canadian record in the 10,000 metres in 2015 sending her to the 2016 Olympics in Rio. ➝

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The former 10,000 metre track champion enjoys marathon training and has taken to it like a duck to water.

“After the Olympics I thought maybe I could give it another try but then I had surgery on my foot and then qualified for the World Championships in London in 2017.” The 2018 Commonwealth Games came after that. “It seemed there was never a right time.”

Until the Arizona Project came along.

Her former coach, Olympic Bronze Medalist Lynn Kanuka, knew Wodak had it in her to run another marathon. “In the back of her mind she'd always thought she may try another marathon, and that idea began to grow as we thought about what to focus on next. I definitely saw her potential there. There was no doubt in my mind she could run faster but it wasn't going to be easy. She has a history of injuries, and we knew we needed to be careful about how we progressed with the volume. So, we talked about it, and planned it, and our constant communication about how she was feeling almost daily was really important as we evolved her sessions.”

Everything fell into place, and she had a great race. “I had a great marathon build and a great team. I am addicted now! I like the whole marathon vibe.”

From an early age growing up in Surrey, B.C. Wodak enjoyed running, entering her first road race with her dad at eightyears-old. She realized she was good at it and joined the school cross-country team, although she also enjoyed other sports. Running led her to a scholarship in in the U.S. but after 18 months she transferred to Simon Fraser University in Vancouver.

Running a combination of track and road races led her to being picked for the National team in 2011.

It was at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, in Stanford, California in 2015, where she set the 10,000 metre Canadian record (31:41:59). She enjoyed both track and road. “Running 25 laps around a track is mentally challenging but I enjoyed it and it translates well into road for a 10-kilometre race or a half-marathon.”

After the Arizona Project all sights were on the Olympics with the marathon event being run in Sapporo, Japan. Her Team Canada support team, led by her current coach, Trent Stellingwerff, acclimatized Wodak and her teammates—Malindi Elmore and Dayna Pidhoresky—well.

“Fortunately, we had a hot summer here so I would pick the hottest time of day to run and practised with gels and hydration.” She would also run with Elmore who lives in Kelowna. But the key was getting to Japan two weeks before the race and following the race plan.

“I needed to be realistic. If it was 30 degrees, then I knew I would not run a PB. By accepting that and following through with the training plan, I knew I would have a good run. If you go out conservatively and do all the things you are told to do—pour water over you before you get hot, put ice down your chest—then you will have a good run.

I probably took water and ice 25 times and I got it done.”

Stellingwerff became Wodak’s coach in the fall of 2021 after four-and-a-half years with Kanuka. After guiding Wodak through many events, including a gold medal in the 2019 Pan Am Games in Peru, Kanuka decided to step away from athletics but is still vested in Wodak joining her on some training runs when she is in B.C. “I'm her "#2 Coach now but #1 in her heart," she says. “I do feel as if I have two coaches,” says Wodak.

When Kanuka decided to retire they both discussed who would be a suitable candidate to replace her and agreed that Stellingwerff would be perfect. As a sports science specialist with the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, in Victoria, B.C. he accompanies athletes to World Championships and Olympic Games. They both made it an easy transition.

“I immediately talked to Lynn and Natasha to understand how/ where they felt their successes came from, and where there were opportunities. There are still a lot of training elements still in Natasha’s program from Lynn, but I’ve also put my own fingerprint on tweaking training a bit too,” he says.

Wodak had some high-volume training in the run-up to Boston.

How is the training different from her days on the track? “The overall volume and cross-training per week are the same, but we’ve switched to a 10-day cycle, instead of seven days, and have included longer/ harder marathon specific workouts for this build. She has adapted and handled it all brilliantly,” adds Stellingwerff.

A typical week for Wodak is twice-daily workouts. “I would do a 90-minute fartlek in the morning and strength training in the afternoon and sometimes an elliptical in the evening, or a double run. There are usually two things going on during the day whether it’s chiro, massage, strength training or running.” She is enjoying the challenge and likes that Stellingwerff is trying new things.

They both know that adequate recovery is important in marathon training. And Wodak doesn’t want a repeat of the injuries she incurred in the past. “I try not to get wrapped up about mileage and having a number at the end of the week. If I am tired then Trent will back off the training but then if I feel good, we will push forward.”

Wodak looks forward to her rest days when she spends time with Oliver and Elliot her two-year-old cats. Calling herself the ‘crazy cat lady,’ for eight years she has volunteered at a cat shelter in Vancouver, VOKRA. “I would have more cats if I could, but my partner isn’t as crazy about them as I am.”

In the meantime, Wodak will continue her phenomenal rise in the world of marathoning. Both of her coaches say that she could continue competing for many years. “Tash is absolutely in her prime right now. At this moment she is the fittest she has ever been and now has experience she can draw on for the marathon—it's not "new" anymore. She knows what it takes. She loves the training, and she knows how tough she will need to be to push through when it's necessary,” says Kanuka.

Stellingwerff agrees: “Age limits in sports are continually being redefined with “new” data by the likes of Natasha, and Malindi and others, showing that if you are a smart athlete, and wise with your body, and open to adapting training away from structures and cycles that work with 20-year-olds, you can have a very long and productive career.”

Wodak can’t quite believe that at 40 she is getting faster. “I am going to continue to run until I slow down. Why wouldn’t I?”

I am addicted now!

I like the whole marathon vibe.

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PERSONAL BESTS 1500 m - 4:15.27 - Harry Jerome, Vancouver, B.C. 2018 ​3000 m - 9:00.8 - Time Trial, Burnaby, B.C. 2020 5000 m - 15:29.47 - Portland Track Festival, Portland, OR, 2018 10,000 m - 31:41.59 - Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, Stanford, CA, 2015 - Canadian Record ​5 km - 15:36 - St. Paddy's Day 5K, Vancouver, B.C. 2019 8 km - 25:28 - Pioneer 8K, Saanichton, B.C. 2013 - Canadian Record 10 km - 31:58 - Ottawa 10K- Ottawa, ON, 2015 Half-Marathon - 1:09:39 - Houston Half Marathon, Houston, TX, 2020 2nd fastest all time in Canada Marathon - 2:26:19 - The Marathon ProjectArizona, 2020 - 2nd fastest all time in Canada

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Inspiration Issue I 41

AT H L E T E W I T H I M PAC T

Running for Safe Water

My life mission is to bring clean water to most people on this planet and the first stage is Africa.

How Veronique Bourbeau’s epic African Journey will impact hundreds of communities

BY LOUISE HODGSON-JONES LOUISEHODGSONJONES

MATT CECILL VISUALS

LOUISEHODGSONJO

IMPACT guest editor, communications and event specialist in Victoria, B.C. CLOTHING: FRONTRUNNERS/SAUCONY/ASICS

V

eronique Bourbeau exudes passion and commitment when she talks about for her latest adventure—the African Run Project. Her face lights up, talking animatedly as she describes why she is running 13,000 kilometres across 19 countries in the African continent from Alexandria, Egypt to Cape Town in South Africa. Quite simply, she wants every country in this vast continent to have safe, drinkable water and she will run—and walk—until this goal is reached. “The number of people dying for lack of clean water is insane,” she says.

She is looking to be the first woman, and only the second person to take on this remarkable task.

Bourbeau, 49, is from Quebec but recently lived in Singapore where her husband works. Covid brought her back to Canada and Victoria where her son lives. She is partnering with Tanzania-based NanoFilter to provide 1000 filter kiosks for each country. NanoFilter is a water filtration technology that uses a combination of sand and nanomaterials to remove 99.9 per cent of contaminants from water.

“Once a kiosk is installed, local entrepreneurs—usually women with children to support—can afford to sell water in reusable containers at rates as much as 10 times cheaper than bottled alternatives all without creating additional waste,” she says.

Each kiosk is $250 US which Bourbeau feels is an achievable goal for her. She is actively fundraising and seeking corporate sponsorships, and as soon as she has secured funds for herself and her support team—her ‘Thirst for Life’ crew—she will start her journey which she hopes will be in August. During her journey she will talk to schools in communities as her crew installs clean water kiosks along the way.

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She will face many challenges during her quest, from difficult terrain and extreme temperatures to cultural differences and political instability. But she is taking it all in stride. “It will be hot but that is fine I run well in warmer temperatures. I am more wary of Sudan and Egypt where I might have to have security. It can be tricky running in Muslim countries so I am not sure what to expect but I will have appropriate clothing like head coverings.” There is also the growing instability in Ethiopia. “If I worry about all of these things I will never start,” she says.

One thing she is in control of is her training bringing a vast experience in long distance running. She only started running in 2008 on a treadmill, until she felt comfortable running for 45 minutes outside. Her first marathon was that same year, the

Marathon des Deux Rives in Quebec. She has since completed many races and what she calls adventures.

She has run the 250-kilometre Sakura Michi Nature Run in Japan twice, in 2015 and 2018, finishing in 35 hours and 34 hours, respectively. In 2016, again in Japan, she ran 3010 kilometres in 72 days averaging a marathon a day. In 2019 she was the overall winner in the 444-kilometre Coast to Coast ultra marathon in Malaysia, completing it in 98 hours. “I am the race record holder and was 10 hours faster than the previous record,” she says proudly.

Bourbeau’s current training is a combination of long runs and walks gradually building up to 120 kilometres a week. Her trainer is Dr. Tim Noakes, the acclaimed South African author of Lore of Running. He will also be her doctor and nutritionist in Africa.

“He says that if I put in more than 12 hours a day run/walking I will put my body at risk. So, I will base my run on what I did in Japan which was a marathon a day.”

Why Africa and why safe water? A journalist for 15 years, Bourbeau was volunteering in Senegal and living with a local family who had no access to clean water. “They walked miles to get their water. This prohibited their kids from going to school as they had to help. I was safe as I had a pill, I could use to purify the water, so I asked myself why as a Canadian was I safe and not this family?”

Her African adventure is just the beginning, she says. “My life mission is to bring clean water to most people on this planet and the first stage is Africa.”

To follow Bourbeau’s African journey go to veroniquerun.com

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 43

AT H L E T E W I T H I M PAC T

Aristotle’s Story Double amputee Aristotle Domingo has overcome incredible challenges in his life. Today he is an inspiration and advocate with thousands of followers.

BY SCOTT CRUICKSHANK EMMA E. ARSENAULT A writer covering all levels of sport for more than 35 years on websites and in magazines all over Canada, from Calgary, AB. SCOTTLCRUICKSHANK

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BYCRUICKSHANK

D

uring the darkest of days, Aristotle Domingo paid attention to his wardrobe. Fashion choice, however, had little to do with trends.

His priority was to wear clothes that effectively covered up any sign of his affliction. Even through the summer months, he would pull on long pants to ensure his leg braces weren’t visible. And full sleeves were the answer to keeping his scarred arms out of sight.

“I was ashamed,” Domingo says now. “You’re in your 20s, you’re supposed to be in the prime of your life, you’re supposed to be having the best time. And here you are with a disability, with scars to hide so people don’t judge you.”

“Who’s going to want this person? Who’s going to accept you in the world?”

Dressing defensively was only part of his grim routine during what he describes as “15 years of lull.”

A bout of sepsis—a body-wracking infection that produced an excruciatingly painful aftermath—had forced him into a monotonous existence. “Waking up and dreading the day, going to work with a foggy head because of medications, coming home, not wanting to do anything because I just want to take my leg braces off, then going to bed and waking up and doing the exact same thing the very next day.”

All of which is a far cry from Domingo’s life now.

His fortunes changed course, resulting in a startling transformation. These days, it’s hard to imagine a more dynamic person than Domingo.

A double amputee since 2019, he runs and golfs and cycles. He plays, and introduces others to, wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball. He excels at parathrowing events such as discus, shot put, javelin. He founded the Amputee Coalition of Toronto, a peersupport group encouraging active lifestyles. He hosts a weekly podcast, The AmpuTO Show. In 2020, he was named the ParaSport Ontario Ambassador of the Year.

The 46-year-old’s growing list of acting credits includes an appearance on the television show The Handmaid’s Tale. And Domingo is literally the poster boy for the Scarborough Health Network Foundation— everywhere are life-size photos of the man promoting healthcare. A fitting association given that Centenary Hospital was the setting for two of his plot twists.

That is where he had been rushed in 2001 after collapsing in the hallway of the family home. Sepsis nearly killed Domingo, then 25, putting him in a coma for three months, in a hospital bed for more than a year, in leg braces for what would feel like forever.

The Scarborough hospital is also where he initiated his dramatic about-face. In 2016, tired of the endless

complications, broken by the bottomless agony, he told medical staff he was eager to explore the last resort— amputation.

The standard warning was issued: “You can’t grow it back. Once we cut it off, that’s it.” Domingo did not care.

His left leg, below the knee, was amputated in January 2017. Post-operation, he looked down and felt relief.

“It was like getting rid of a ball and chain. Amputation freed me from my disability.” He remembers thinking: “This is a definite, tangible new chapter. What do you want to do now? This whole new world just opened up.”

Despite a modest goal initially, “walking two blocks without crying,” he decided to celebrate his freedom from pain by entering a road race. While still in hospital, he signed up for a local five-kilometre race, which alarmed his healthcare team. But Domingo dug in. ”It was a selfish thing,” he says. ”I just wanted to run this one race to prove to myself that I can do it. I don’t care if I walk it, if I jog it, if I run it.”

Five months after amputation, he joined thousands of runners in the start zone. He finished. Two years later, he underwent the procedure on his right side and six months after surgery, he completed another fivekilometre race.

The sense of accomplishment is always overwhelming. ”Like, ‘Wow, I want some more. What else can I do?’”

In addition to ongoing devotion to the limb-loss community, Domingo continues to run. Three times weekly, minimum. “My form of meditation,” he says.

“I’m troubleshooting my life. It’s when I get into my Zen mode.”

All these years later, fashion remains a serious consideration, but there has been a telling evolution in wardrobe choice. Domingo wears shorts daily. That way, everyone can get a load of his matching prostheses.

“It’s to show pride in what you’ve accomplished as an amputee, ‘Look at me, I’m walking. I’m doing the things I love.’”

Sleeves are short, too. During a Zoom chat the other day, he raised his arms to the laptop camera to offer a better look at his sepsis scars. Then he tugged down the collar of his T-shirt—emblazoned with the slogan: “Life Without Limitations”—to reveal the hole in his neck where he’d had a tracheostomy.

While Domingo prefers to look forward, there is no denying the remarkable journey on display. From coma patient—his family had been given the option of pulling the plug—to inspirational role model to, well, who knows what.

“For me now, it’s, ‘What adventure can we go on next?’”

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 45

AT H L E T E W I T H I M PAC T

The Octogenarian Record-Breaker Age is no boundary for Newfoundland runner Florence Barron

BY COLEMAN MOLNAR TRUDIE LEE Canadian writer and journalist. Find him wherever there’s sunshine and Wi-Fi, from Vancouver, B.C. LIETCO

CLOTHING: DECATHLON CANADA

T

here are few runners on the island province of Newfoundland who draw as much fanfare as Florence Barron.

It’s perhaps not surprising that the crowds cheer so enthusiastically when she runs by, because Barron is precisely what you look for in a role model athlete: disciplined, ambitious, talented, kind, and dominant amongst her peers. In short, an inspiration.

And at 84 years old, she’s very fast, too.

“There’s no one for me to beat” says Barron, commenting on the local competition within her age category. “So, I’m just running for the joy of running.”

Indeed, Barron moves with an efficient and considered stride, and wears the casual expression of someone who’s enjoying the journey as much as she is looking forward to the destination.

The St. John’s resident discovered the sport at age 59 after a lifetime of activity—cycling, swimming, skating, skiing, often with her five children—when she signed up for the province’s oldest and most well-attended event, the Tely 10 Mile Road Race, on a whim.

“I thought, ‘well, I can do aerobics for a couple of hours, so I guess I could go and run that race with everybody else,’” she says.

“Without a bit of training, I went, and I ran the ten miles and got the first-place trophy for my age.”

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I thought, ‘well, I can do aerobics for a couple of hours, so I guess I could go and run that race with everybody else.

She admits that she was sore after that first Tely 10, and the year after, too, when she again won her age category with little to no training leading up to it. But things got more serious the year after when Barron signed up for running lessons at a local running store. “I was doing everything wrong,” she recalls. “I was wearing the wrong shoes. I didn’t know how to stretch or eat or how to train, so the lessons were wonderful.”

Barron has since updated her gear and technique, and joined several local athletic groups that offer running-oriented training programs. Today, she blends running, weight and bodyweight training, and yoga into her weekly activities.

She’s also padded her list of victories and titles. Over the years, Barron has set and beat times not only at the beloved local Tely 10, but also at one of the Atlantic’s toughest events, the Cape to Cabot 20K, a grueling and intensely hilly jaunt from Cape Spear to Signal Hill in St. John’s, culminating in a mile-long climb. And there are many others.

On the nearby French island of Saint Pierre, for example, Barron ran a 25 kilomtetre event and won, setting a record that she’d return to top the following year.

Then, when she turned 80 the year after, she was invited to return to compete as the oldest racer to lace up for the event in its 35 years. “They had me on TV in France and everything, because I technically have three records there,” she says.

Barron’s talent and youthful energy is a boon not only to her sport, but also to her family and community, as she has spent much of her decades in Atlantic Canada volunteering with various organizations. In 2014, the Canadian Red Cross bestowed its highest honour, the Order of the Red Cross, on her for over 50 years of volunteer service.

“We are so truly proud of her and all of her accomplishments,” says Lana Nielsen, one of Barron’s daughters. “She has always inspired us to go after our dreams, be respectful and be the best possible us we could be. I’m so blessed to call her my mother.”

The community seems to share the sentiment, as evidenced by the cheering section present at Barron’s races. “Oh my gosh, they’re just terrible,” says Barron, referring to her vocal roadside supporters.

“They’re just out on the road—and they know me here now—and they’re going crazy. I go, ‘oh, stop it! Stop it!’.

But the public isn’t likely to stop supporting Barron until she slows down.

And she doesn’t have any plans for that just yet. With her dedicated activities and God-given genetic fortitude, she’ll keep on running. “I don’t really plan on getting faster. I just want to keep and maintain what I have,” she says. “As long as I feel good and I can go out and run comfortably without having any issues, that’s what it’s all about.”

Barron is currently gearing up for another season of races. You can find, and cheer, for her on the roads and trails of Newfoundland.

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 47

The Mourning Run How running helps grief and loss

BY ADRIAN MONTI An experienced runner and a longestablished contributor to the leading sports title Runner’s World as well as Men’s Running and Women’s Running from Brighton, England.

ADRIANMONTI

ADRIAN MONTI

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I

t is a sight which many of us will be familiar with at races, be it mass participation marathons or even at a summer fun run.

It’s that runner with a loved one’s name and image on their running top, usually accompanied by poignant words about a life which often ended far too early. In the starkest way possible, it tells onlookers the reason why that person is lining up to run their race.

Maybe in the past that runner has been you.

In many ways, it’s a heartening sight.

It shows that someone who has suffered a devastating loss can now mark or even celebrate that lost life in a positive way, be it by running, fundraising, increasing awareness of a cause or a combination

of all three. It also shows they are moving forward along this well-trodden road and are dealing with their loss.

Inevitably, we all have to face the death of someone important to us, with grief being a very natural response.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2019 there were 285,270 deaths in the country.

Between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, there were 307,132, a rise of over 21,000 due in part to the pandemic (in Canada the total Covid-related deaths as of April 1, 2022, was over 37,900). This means more of us than ever will have experienced a recent bereavement.

How we deal with loss is very personal and of course there’s no right or wrong way. But during the late 1960s, Swiss-born psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross put

Grief for a loss is because there is a hole in someone’s life and exercise can fill that gap.

forward the ‘stage theory’ idea, outlining the typical pattern of how we grieve following a bereavement and has since gained considerable traction. Although not everyone experiences each of these or in the same order, she said common stages include denial, anger, bargaining (struggling to find meaning from a loss), depression and acceptance.

Any of these stages can have a huge impact on our emotional and physical well-being, says Dr. John Wilson, a visiting research fellow at UK’s York St John University and experienced bereavement counsellor.

“A typical sequence of grief begins with acute pain and a sense of disbelief, followed by a numb phase which may last for a few weeks or months,” says Dr.

Wilson, who also wrote The Plain Guide to Grief. “This phase can be helpful because it means the person is protected from the worst of the emotional pain while they get used to the reality and enormity of their loss.”

He says it can often be during this phase that people turn to exercise as a way of distracting themselves.

“Running is a great way to distract or occupy our thoughts from the intrusion of grief, but it has more benefits than being just a distraction,” says Dr. Wilson.

He says extensive ongoing research shows how exercise can increase the levels of positive chemicals in our bodies and brains which can be in short supply when we are low or working through grief. He points to our four so-called ‘feelgood’ neurotransmitters which include dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and the body’s own natural opioids which help relieve stress and pain: endorphins.

“If you get out for a run and hit a time or distance, the reward will be dopamine flooding your brain while just being outside in the daylight with others will boast your serotonin,” Dr. Wilson says.

“Meanwhile oxytocin is the love drug and will be released if you run with a group or friend, and endorphins will make you feel good if you really push yourself.”

“There’s evidence they work together and increasing one will increase the others too. There is no doubt that running, especially with others, will boast all four and lift your mood.”

Being physically active can also provide an additional coping mechanism. A study published in the Journal of Public Health in 2020 looked at how almost 140,000 Germans over a 19-year period dealt with adverse life events including bereavements.

The research found that those who had always exercised more—especially men—seemed to cope better more quickly following a loss.

Matt Brown, Mental Performance Coach with Edgeschool.com, based in Calgary, AB says that exercise is proven to be better than medication.

“The American Psychological Association concluded years ago that exercise is a more effective anti-depressant

than anti-depressant medication. But to me, it’s very simple. What takes something from being an idea in our heads to an emotion is that it triggers a response in our bodies; we literally feel our emotions physically. So, it stands to reason that the processing those emotions should also have a physical element.”

“For the emotion to run its course it has to pass through us somehow, be it anger, frustration, or in this case grief. Some people need to talk, cry, yell, or write it out. Others may sing, dance, or paint it out. But it can also be run out, lifted out, or even walked or hiked out. But adding to the effectiveness of exercise as way of processing grief is the neurochemical boost that it provides. It can counteract the crippling decline in mood that accompanies grief, allowing for a kind of upswing, and ultimately a resilience and reaffirmation of life.”

Dr. Clare Stevinson, a senior lecturer in physical activity and health at Loughborough University in England, agrees that exercise could play a key role in coping with grief.

“Grief for a loss is because there is a hole in someone’s life and exercise can fill that gap,” she says. “Although many other activities can fulfil this purpose, importantly exercise is not passive, with the likes of running requiring considerable physical effort. Also, it does not need to be distraction as it may need your full attention as you are developing mastery— a new skill to become good at—and can restore confidence which can diminish following loss.”

“To counteract negative emotional reactions to loss, running can restore feelings of competence if you begin to run faster or further for example. This can bring back pleasure in your life, again something which may be lacking while mourning.”

Grief is clearly a complicated road to navigate. Although no one claims running will provide all the answers, for many it can have a positive effect during one of the most painful periods of our lives.

Re-printed with courtesy Adrian Monti, Runner’s World UK. ➝

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 49

FIVE RUNNERS SHARE THEIR PERSONAL STORIES AFTER SUFFERING A LOSS 1

Russell Lagesse, Calgary, AB

I

n 2020, my wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I made the decision to leave my job to become her full-time caregiver. She fought hard and I took care of her until the end. Taking care of her was the most enriching experience of my life.

I felt so alone and was determined to work through the grief in a healthy way in the months to come. I set a goal of summiting 50 mountains in 90 days and achieved it.

During a hike I saw a woman running up and down the mountain and was in awe. I wanted to try running! I remembered that my late wife always told me I had runner’s legs and didn’t know what she meant, so I decided to find out. On February 26th, I walked into a running store, purchased runners, and was told about a run group that was gathering in a few days. I joined that group and ran 16 kilometres with three other people who had run marathons. I had no idea what I was doing running 16 kilometres of pavement on my first run attempt!

One of the runners mentioned that she had a running coach help her prep for a marathon and it got me thinking. Being so

2

Cal Zaryski, Calgary, AB

H

i Dad… I love you and miss our weekly conversations. I know this week has been really difficult for you. Fight as hard and long as you can until you are at peace.

Please know that I am forever grateful for your love and support. I am who I am because of you, Mom, and my siblings. I’m very sad to realize that our time together is coming to an end and can only hope that you know I am so grateful to have had you as a father. Dad, you taught me how to persevere and never give up, which has been instrumental to my business and athletic accomplishments. Thank you. Rest when you can and think of peaceful memories and

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new at running, I didn’t want to develop bad habits, so I looked into coaching. I discovered We Run The World Coaching and applied and to my surprise, they had a huge team of people that welcomed me with open arms. I began to follow their runs on Strava and messages in WhatsApp. It opened my eyes to a whole new world.

These were people who run all the time, challenge themselves and encouraged each other. I am an encourager by nature, and these were my people!

It was the first time since losing my wife that I felt like I belonged somewhere, with a running community that feels like family. I began to feel freer on my runs and exhilarated by pushing myself and appreciating the encouragement from the team. Running has given me a new sense of purpose, one that had been missing since I lost Jan. She would be so proud of me and happy for me right now. My first half-marathon attempt will be in Calgary on May 29th (13 weeks from the day I started running). As it turns out, she was right, I have runner’s legs and my journey of grief has led me to discover that I have more than just a love for running. I have discovered, I am a runner.

thoughts. Cherish your visits from Lorraine.

I will miss you very much. Us kids will take care of each other until it is our time to join you and Mom. After a brief conversation with my brother urging him to text Dad to say goodbye, I was on foot to my favourite trail. My energy was drained, and my emotional health was brittle but with each step forward, I used forward movement to shift to thoughts of gratitude and the realization that death is part of living. My familiar trail and love for running was my personal tool for coping and closure. Like the process of building fitness, my grief would need countless steps to dampen my heart break and feeling of isolation.

Michelle Clarke, Toronto, ON

3

N

othing prepares you for the phone call that no one wants to get, and nothing will prepare you for what happens next. My father who hours before was a healthy and independent 81-yearold had a massive bilateral stroke. In the days that followed we hoped for a miracle but knew we had tough decisions to make.

For the next four days, running was the furthest thing from my mind. Full of guilt I questioned, why should I be able to run, when my father can’t even move? Instead, I cried but now my grief was taking a toll on my family.

My best friend and coach are both Finnish, and the Finnish are a strong and practical people. They believe deeply in a thing they call SISU*. Both were the only ones brave enough to give me the tough love chat which was exactly what I needed to get back to running; to get back to myself. I was taking up a lot of space and wasn’t leaving room for anyone else to grieve. I needed to find my “SISU” and show my family they didn’t have to worry about me on top of everything else. Cutting out running cold turkey was like a junkie suddenly quitting heroin so if I was going to get through the hardest time of my life, I needed my daily dose of “medicine” that running gave me.

The first day I ran looked more like walking and crying but it didn’t have to be perfect. One thing runners are great at is setting goals, so every day, I promised myself to run a few more steps before I let the tears take over. After my second run I realized what role running would play in my life these next few weeks. It would be my time to cry my eyes out, scream at the sky and have as many breakdowns as I needed so when I got back to my family, I could help them. My dad took his last breath on February 13th with all of us there beside him, and immediately I felt a piece of me was missing.

Now more than ever I needed space, and without needing to be close to home, I ran further. I cried so much during those runs as

Two months before my father’s death, he and I had a long and emotional discussion about vaccinations and the pandemic. He elected not to get vaccinated, and his views were in stark contrast to mine. He held many questionable beliefs from the internet. After a heated debate, we did not speak to each other for weeks.

Saturday, January 16, my father became another victim of our global pandemic. Running provided me with the time I needed alone to process what had happened. I needed to deal, not just with what happened, but also the “why.”

I waded through my feelings of loss and guilt as my legs ate up the trail and my lungs offered that familiar running tingle.

Running will, and has always been, my choice for dealing with stress and anxiety.

As I get older, running is an opportunity to be alone to process my thoughts about life— my life and the hundreds of people who are close to my heart. Of course, not all my running is solo. When I run with clients and friends, my daily struggles vanish into each breath and short sentence replies. When running is no longer an option, I will choose the slower, but equally effective discipline of walking.

I’m not exactly sure how others cope with the sudden death of a parent or loved one but running certainly continues to minimize my destructive emotions and helps me trigger feelings of gratitude and attach meaning to life. ➝

I listened to his favourite songs and started brainstorming the bits and pieces that would eventually eulogize the life of the man I called Dad. There’s still a lot of grieving to get through and people keep reminding me the emptiness will never go away, you just get better at living with it. The waves come and go, and I try not to fight them. I don’t think of running as something that healed me because healing is so much more complex but running gave me the space to navigate grief and the strength to unpack a 47-year relationship with my father. *SISU: Strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.

Running will, and has always been, my choice for dealing with stress and anxiety.

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 51

4

Robert Huckle, Calgary, AB

I

n late 2019 I lost both my parents to cancer, only weeks apart. Although my parents lived in England, we were extremely close never running short on conversation. During their illnesses and after their deaths, my stress levels were extreme to say the least. I remember in

Jo Perry, Kamloops, B.C.

I

found out on November 11th 1997 that nothing can prepare you for your worst day. A cold feeling will strike you deep down in your chest, stop your breathing, and radiate outwards for a long time. I was a young mom, with twin daughters (age one) and my dear mom had sunk into a coma. Seven days later I was told that my mom had died. Seven days later, with massive snowflakes coming down, and massive tears streaming down my face, I was out running. It was the morning of her funeral. Running was the only thing I could do to get through that day, and the days that followed.

I was wrecked for months, by the grief and the trauma of it all. My mom had taken her own life, the result of dealing with depression her entire life. I was experiencing depression for the first time.

It hit me like a freight train and I began to comprehend depression and anxiety in a way I hadn’t before. The other discovery was running—and walking—outdoors was my healing place. Some days, there was more walking than running. Some days

52 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

2020 making a list of the items causing me major stress. I remember COVID-19 didn’t make the top five, that was my life back then. I began running in earnest after my parents passed as it distracted me, if only for a short time, from my pain at their loss.

I found solace in running.

I needed a goal to focus on. I had only run a couple half-marathons but set my sights on an ultramarathon. The problems with this goal was I had never run a marathon and I didn’t want to run a marathon distance while training. The ultramarathon was something I needed to do for me; the marathon distance I wanted to save and run my first with a friend.

I wanted to do an ultramarathon with only a few months of training, and I was lucky to find a trainer who built me a custom ultramarathon training plan.

After several hundred kilometres of training, in November 2020 I ran my

I had to stop, bend over because the sobs were suffocating me. Then I would stand up and keep moving. Running moved the emotion out and I was able to breathe again. Ten years later, I lost my dear Dad. Eighty days straight I ran, walked, and cried. Each time was a little easier. I came to understand how running could be a healthy release valve, how it cleared my energy and healed my mind, body and soul.

Running also brought both my parents with me. I feel them deeply when I run now and especially at races, where emotions are potent.

Grief is hard. Very hard. Life brings us to our knees sometimes. In 2020, when my twins were 14, we went through a very challenging divorce. This was grief in another way, and it pained me to my core, and also my two daughters. He left us, moved away and we were abandoned to cope by ourselves. Once again it was movement that helped us move through.

That was the year we took up skiing as a family. The air, snow, energy and movement brought us close. We healed.

This is how I feel about running—it is my best friend and I go to it in all of life’s

first 50 kilometre ultra marathon in honour of my Mum’s birthday.

During this training I found my next goal, which I continue with to this day—to run two half-marathons a month. Since August 2020, I have met this goal, and often exceeded it when training for my second ultramarathon, which I ran in 2021.

Getting back to running after taking a break can be really hard so I tried to minimize the breaks when possible. I concentrated on being on top of my nutrition, used the time to catch up on podcasts, and got my run in, regardless of the distance. I was never a runner before losing my parents but in April 2022 I ran my 55th half-marathon.

This is just the beginning. In 2022 I’ll try for another ultramarathon, probably a 50 km, and the David Goggins 4x4x48 challenge—run four miles every four hours for 48 hours; so basically 48 miles spread over two days on limited sleep.

5

inevitable joys and heartbreak. When I am tired, I run and I am invigorated. When I am angry, I run and I am calm. When happy, I run and I feel connected. When confused, I run and am clear. And when I grieve, I run and I am healed. Movement is Change.

This journey led me to pay it forward, developing a charity run that has raised over $1 million dollars for local charities— www.boogiethebridge.com—and the theme is Movement is Change.

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IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 53

NUTRITION

Caffeine can be used as a tool for sports performance both during and after activity.

What’s all the Buzz?

The science of caffeine and sports performance

BY ASHLEY LEONE Sports dietician and owner of Gazelle Nutrition Lab in Toronto, ON. GAZELLENUTRITION

N

ational Hockey League (NHL) players are rumoured to love coffee, ultrarunners and triathletes have an affinity for Coke, and bodybuilders often swear by their pre-workout drink. But no matter the source, caffeine is often an essential part of an athlete’s routine thanks to its performance-boosting qualities.

Caffeine’s ability to promote sports performance has long been recognized.

Caffeine was listed as a banned substance by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1984 and by the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA) in 2000. Caffeine

54 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

was subsequently removed from the list of controlled substances in 2004. But, even when it was a prohibited substance, caffeine was allowed in reasonable quantities. For example, only caffeine in amounts equivalent to more than four cups of coffee in the hours before an event may have tipped the scale.

Given caffeine’s rocky history in elite sport, it is not surprising that many athletes use caffeine with equal parts hopefulness and trepidation; hoping it may provide a critical performance advantage and hesitation about the potential side effects.

Research regarding caffeine and exercise is evolving, but the evidence for its benefits is better than that of most other sports performance aids.

HOW DOES YOUR BODY RESPOND TO CAFFEINE?

Caffeine is a naturally-occurring chemical rapidly absorbed by the body and predominantly broken down in the liver.

Within 15 to 45 minutes of consumption, caffeine enters the bloodstream and interacts with the body’s cells. Once absorbed, caffeine appears to primarily work by stimulating the central nervous

system to elevate mood, vigilance, focus, alertness, and metabolism. Caffeine also seems to act directly with muscles to benefit muscle contraction.

Response to caffeine’s effects varies between individuals. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others and may experience unwanted side effects upon consumption. Side effects may include anxiety, difficulty sleeping, shakiness and headaches.

It’s also essential to consider whether you metabolize caffeine slowly or quickly.

Slow metabolizers break down caffeine more slowly than fast metabolizers. For this group, caffeine may only mildly enhance performance or may not help at all. On the other hand, fast metabolizers will enjoy a significant performance boost.

The rate we absorb caffeine is due to a mix of genetic and environmental factors. How can you tell if you’re a slow metabolizer? The easiest way is to try caffeine before or during practice to see if it helps or hinders your activity. You can also purchase a nutrigenomics test to see if you are likely to be a slow metabolizer of caffeine.

WHAT ROLE DOES CAFFEINE PLAY IN EXERCISE PERFORMANCE?

Caffeine appears to enhance performance in a wide range of activities.

Caffeine improves performance across endurance, high-performance and strength-training activities.

In addition to the physical benefits, caffeine provides enhanced focus and cognitive performance. It is important to note that exercise on its own can improve mental performance. Therefore, pairing an appropriate serving of caffeine can complement the natural boost generally achieved through exercise.

How much is too much caffeine?

According to Health Canada, a moderate caffeine intake of 400 milligrams, or three eight-ounce cups of coffee a day likely does not pose any health risks. However, if you generally tolerate caffeine well during your daily tasks, continued moderate caffeine consumption should not hinder your athletic performance.

found that caffeine had a positive effect on prolonged exhaustive exercise lasting up to two hours. Specifically, caffeine has been found to improve endurance performance by two to four per cent when taken in a dose of three to six mg/kg body mass, or 200-400 milligrams of caffeine for a 150-pound (68-kilogram) person.

The benefits of caffeine can be paired with carbohydrates to boost your preworkout fuel. Research has found that caffeine may enhance the absorption and usage of carbohydrates during exercise.

When you combine caffeine with glucose, it produces enhanced activity compared to just glucose alone.

Your source of caffeine is another element to consider, as coffee may not be your optimal source. Research suggests that caffeine consumed in a dry form enhances endurance performance more explicitly. For example, athletes may use caffeine pills, caffeine gum, or caffeine in products like pre-workout formulations or sports gels to dose their caffeine more accurately. Before considering supplementation, always speak with a sports dietitian, doctor, or other sports professional.

Recovery: Balance caffeine timing with exercise, refuelling, and sleep to optimize exercise recovery. While many people worry that caffeine acts as a diuretic and ➝

On the other hand, avoid caffeine if you are sensitive to it and experience unwanted side effects.

HOW TO USE CAFFEINE AROUND EXERCISE

Timing, dose, and tolerance are essential factors to consider when using caffeine. It takes about 15 to 45 minutes for caffeine to have a stimulating effect on the body. As such, many athletes take caffeine in the 60 minutes before their activity. However, research has found that caffeine is most helpful in the later stages of exercise once fatigue has set in. As such, you may want to save your caffeine for the last third of your marathon, or, split your total dose and take some right before your event and some near the end.

When dosing caffeine, consider that its half-life is about four to six hours, meaning that it takes this length of time for half the caffeine to clear your bloodstream.

Therefore, when considering integrating caffeine into your exercise routine, timing is essential.

Before and during a workout: The long-lasting positive effects of caffeine are significant, as someone who ingests caffeine before a morning workout may still reap the benefits in the afternoon. In a study observing the relationship between caffeine and performance, researchers

CAFFEINE CONTENT IN COMMON SOURCES FOOD / BEVERAGE

SERVING SIZE

CAFFEINE CONTENT (MG)

Brewed coffee

250 mL (8 oz)

80*

Espresso

1 standard serving

107*

Black tea

250 mL (8 oz)

27*

Dark chocolate

60 g

10-50

Coca-Cola

375 mL (12 oz)

49

Red Bull energy drink

250 mL (8 oz)

80

PowerBar caffeinated sports gel

40 g sachet

25

*Caffeine content ranges widely in coffee and tea depending on the brand, the way its made and the size of the cup.

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 55

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contributes to dehydration, the evidence does not support this in the context of a regular diet with an adequate fluid intake.

Further, caffeine does not directly change sweat rates, water loss, or affect fluid balance.

Sleep is a critical element in overall exercise recovery. Caffeine may interfere with sleep if you use it too close to bedtime.

While caffeine timing for optimizing sleep may vary between individuals, many sleep experts recommend refraining from caffeine 10 to 12 hours before you plan to go to sleep. As long as you are mindful of this, you can effectively integrate caffeine into your exercise routine.

WHICH ATHLETES USE CAFFEINE?

Several studies looked at the prevalence of caffeine use amongst different athlete groups in the years following caffeine's removal from the WADA prohibited list.

Caffeine is a popular sports enhancement agent across athlete groups, but some use it in more significant quantities. A 2011 study found that endurance-sport athletes tended to use more caffeine. Triathletes, cyclists, and rowers had the highest urine caffeine concentration and gymnasts had the lowest. In addition, they found that older athletes were inclined to use more caffeine and that there were no gender differences in caffeine use.

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56 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

The perfect amount of caffeine needed to provide you with energy, but no unpleasant side effects is difficult to define. When considering using coffee to fuel physical activity, it is vital to recognize how your body tolerates caffeine before adding it into your exercise routine. It is also important to note that if you tolerate moderate doses of caffeine well, anything additional would not likely provide any other benefits.

Caffeine may be the key to enhancing your sports performance. If you are mindful not to over-stimulate yourself with excess caffeine, research supports the many benefits of using this stimulant.

Just remember to practice your nutrition before game day! Tailor your caffeine to your individual needs and tolerance to get the most benefit for your sport.

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2 0 2 2 ROAD RUNNING SHOE REVIEW Here are some of the top road running shoe models for race day PHOTOGRAPHY: Graham McKerrell MCKERRELLPHOTOGRAPHY

O

nce again we’ve gathered some of the best runners from across Canada to review the top brands to help you have the best experience pounding the pavement this year.

They’ve put in hundreds of miles to bring you this in-depth review that has everything you’ll need to find the best shoes for your needs and budget.

Consider the ‘Drop’

This is the difference between the heel and the forefoot measurements, or in other words, how much your toes ‘drop’ below your heel.Why is this important? Because a higher drop can lead to more heel striking and also transfers some strain away from the lower leg and up towards the knee. A lower drop will shift the load further down to your calf. Check with an expert, choose what feels comfortable to you and take into account your running mechanics and history of injuries.

58 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

2022 ROAD RUNNING SHOE REVIEW

adidas

Ultraboost 22

$250 W 11.7 oz. | 10 mm Drop

www.adidas.ca

adidas

Ultraboost 22

$250 M 10.2 oz. | 10 mm Drop

www.adidas.ca

These shoes are comfortable out of the box because of the stretchy knit upper and max-cushioned sole, but they’re not great for wide feet.

After a short run, the narrow toe box left me with sore baby toes, plus the plastic midfoot panel rubbed and caused a blister on the inside of my foot. I also found them quite slow and clunky. If you have narrow feet, I’d recommend for recovery runs or as a lifestyle shoe for everyday wear. Fit is true to size.

A good looking shoe that will be with you for the long haul. Sitting on a thick bed of Boost foam, the shoe has a soft, yet springy feel, with a good responsive ride despite being one of the heavier shoes I’ve run in in a while. The single piece, knit upper made from recycled materials was incredibly comfortable and it held my foot in place well. A good shoe for easy miles and that you can wear for walking around town.

JULIE HAMULECKI, Toronto, ON – Ultrarunner coached by husband Adam Takacs, runs on the national 100K team and currently holds the Canadian Women’s 100 km road record.

ADAM CAMPBELL, Squamish, B.C. – Lawyer, endurance athlete happy in the mountains on foot, bike, rock and skis.

Asics

Asics

GEL-NIMBUS® 24

$210 W 8.8 oz. | 13 mm Drop

www.asics.com

GEL-NIMBUS® 24

$210 M 10.2 oz. | 10 mm Drop

www.asics.com

A comfortable shoe with cushioning and support under foot—good for long runs. The upper is soft without seams and very comfortable. The tongue is stretchy and sits perfectly in place without bunching up or moving around. It is light and offers lots of cushion. Great for neutral or under-pronating feet with nice cushioning; no clunky feel and has a nice snappy toe-off. This is a go-to running shoe for longer runs and happier feet!

The Gel Nimbus 24 has new FF Blast+ foam in the midsole, which makes it a super soft trainer with a versatile ride. The upper has also improved this year with thin mesh sock-like fit, which also lightens the shoe. This is a great everyday trainer, but I personally felt it was too soft and negatively impacted the stability. If you like a plush, soft, maximal cushy shoe, you’ll love the new version.

GRACE HIOM, Kamloops, B.C. – Ultrarunner, trail race host with a passion for health and fitness hoping to run the Western State 100-Mile Endurance Run.

BLAINE PENNY, Calgary, AB – Competitive master’s runner with notable accomplishments including 3 x Canadian Ultramarathon Champion, 6 x Guinness World Record holder and winner of the 2015 Wings for Life, North America.

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 59

2022 ROAD RUNNING SHOE REVIEW

Brooks Running Ghost 14

$170 W 9 oz. | 10 mm Drop

Brooks Runing Launch 9

$170 M 8.2 oz. | 10 mm Drop

www.brooksrunning.com

www.brooksrunning.com

This has always been a reliable and comfortable training shoe, and this version did not disappoint, feeling smoother and more comfortable than previous versions. This neutral shoe provides the perfect amount of cushion for longer training runs, but also has great feedback when running and no extra bulk in the shoe. The smooth transition while running was great and the fit around the heel and toe box felt just right. And the bonus; Brooks has produced a shoe using recycled material in the upper.

This is a shoe you want to wear. The Launch 9 is light, responsive, and versatile. It is well ventilated yet provides solid protection from the elements when needed. Brooks has created a shoe with race performance that offers a surprising amount of comfort and support at a reasonable price. Oh yeah and it looks great, which if we are being honest, is super important. Go get it.

CATRIN JONES, Victoria, B.C. – 50 km, 50 mile and 6-hour Canadian record holder.

NATHAN BODEWITZ, Calgary, AB – Founder and head strength coach at Peak Fitness YYC. He is an OCR athlete, all around mountain guy, and proud dad.

Decathlon

Decathlon

Kiprun Ks 500

$95 W 8.4 oz. | 8 mm Drop

Kiprun Ks 500

$95 M 9.9 oz. | 8 mm Drop

www.decathlon.ca

www.decathlon.ca

The KS500 is a neutral entry level running shoe, with a price point that makes it accessible to everyone. This shoe runs narrow with a close fit around the heel and ankle, which would suit someone with narrow feet or who likes a snug feel. The shoe is on the stiffer side, which made for a slightly firm feel when running, and for the price point, this is a basic and well-intentioned shoe to get people up and running.

Putting on the Kiprun KS500’s I knew I was ready for the road. The fit is excellent with solid ankle support. A wide toe box eliminated any pinch point and during the sessions there were no hot spots. This is the shoe that will allow you to build your confidence as you train for your next marathon. The promotional material says that they are good for 1000 kilometres which is a huge plus. Stability, grip and comfort are key for me and this shoe has them in spades.

LUCY SMITH, Victoria, B.C. – Elite athlete in distance running, duathlon and triathlon for over 30 years, coach and motivational speaker.

MARTIN PARNELL, Cochrane, AB – Endurance runner, fundraiser, adventurer and author, six Guinness World Records in endurance events, summited Mount Kilimanjaro in 21 hours.

60 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

2022 ROAD RUNNING SHOE REVIEW

HOKA KAWANA

$155 W 8.4 oz. | 5 mm Drop

HOKA KAWANA

$155 M 10 oz. | 5 mm Drop

www.hoka.com

www.hoka.com

HOKA offers a smooth ride every time. While these shoes out of the box look ’thicker’ than traditional shoes they do not run like that. They feel smooth and light underfoot. This is a recovery shoe and it’s been helping my legs recover on easier runs between hard efforts. The only reason for the slight decrease in score is the fit. I’m traditionally a 10 but these shoes fit big; I would size down a half to a full size in the future.

The Kawana are incredibly comfortable and look fly. They’re a new design by Hoka, offering a moderate stack height perfect for day-today road training. They features HOKA’s unilateral SwallowTail design with a relatively firmer midsole. They are incredibly responsive, with a neutral footfall. The shoes helped me run smoothly and easily into the start of my high-mileage spring base build-up. These will be an excellent choice for racking up miles on the road.

SASHA GOLLISH, Toronto, ON – 2015 bronze medallist, Pan Am Games; running roads to the trails and recently breaking World Masters Record in the Indoor Mile - now a Masters World Record holder.

IAN MACNAIRN, Calgary, AB – Trail runner; guy with a doctorate in ultrarunning community.

Mizuno

Mizuno

Wave Inspire 18

$180 W 9.1 oz. | 12 mm Drop

Wave Inspire 18

$180 M 10.6 oz. | 12 mm Drop

www.mizunousa.com

www.mizunousa.com

The Mizuno Wave Rider 18s was a pleasant surprise! They felt a bit tight at first but that only lasted a few minutes. Great cushioning but enough stability and I've used them on both road and trail. Lots of room in the toe box, and snug fit for narrow heels. It felt like there could have been a little more cushioning under the toes and forefoot, but that is my only complaint!

This cushioned, high drop, moderate stability, daily trainer is one of few available in the market. Full-length ENERZY foam returns a firm responsive ride while an updated seamless upper provides exceptional fit. The double wave-pattern heel plate delivers subtle stability that after one run is unnoticeable. A great shoe for longer runs on tired legs.

AMY PUZEY, Invermere, B.C. – 2 x Team Canada member at the World Mountain Running championships, mother of six.

ANDREW RUSSELL, Saanichton, B.C. – 2019 Vancouver Island Race Series Champion, 2019 Finlayson Arm 50k Champion and course record holder, 2018 Finlayson Arm 28K Champion and course record holder.

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 61

2022 ROAD RUNNING SHOE REVIEW

New Balance

Fresh Foam X 1080v12

$199 W 8.3 oz. | 8 mm Drop

New Balance

Fresh Foam X 1080v12

$199 M 10.3 oz. | 8 mm Drop

www.newbalance.ca

www.newbalance.ca

These shoes are like a pillow for your feet! Incredibly comfortable out of the box, the soft Fresh Foam has a nice bounce and slight rocker, so they are still surprisingly responsive. The hyperknit upper is stretchy, and the toe box is roomy, and yet my feet feel hugged in place without any pinching or slippage. These new 1080s are definitely going into frequent rotation for my long easy runs and recovery days.

These are the perfect shoes for the post-pandemic supply chain blues.

The flexible upper made of recycled material and responsive Fresh Foam outsole, provides a plush, cushioned ride right out of the box.

The fact that they are made in North America will hopefully mean that they are easier to find in your local retail run shop or online.

ARDEN YOUNG, Calgary, AB – Dentist and elite ultrarunner with multiple podium finishes on both the road and trail.

JACOB PUZEY, Invermere, B.C. – Winner of the Calgary Marathon 50K Ultra, 4x (consecutive) Canadian Ultramarathon Champion, and run coach with numerous national championship titles.

Newton

Newton

Gravity 11

$185 W 7.2 oz. | 3 mm Drop

Gravity 11

$185 M 8.6 oz. | 3 mm Drop

www.newtonrunning.com

www.newtonrunning.com

This minimal drop shoe fits like a glove with a very flexible upper offering both performance and comfort. The underfoot plate allows for fluid loading to make it a great lightweight training shoe for both workouts and racing. The bonus is it biodegrades 75 per cent faster in a landfill due to its eco-friendly materials.

The stand-out feature of the Gravity 11 is the sole, which incorporates lugs under the forefoot to provide a bouncy and cushioned stride while maintaining ground feel. This is a lightweight trainer although it is more expensive than other comparable shoes and does not feel as quick. I found it to perform best on tempo or steady runs on the road or smooth gravel trails. The upper fit true to size and was comfortable and breathable.

KAREN HOLLAND, Kimberley, ON – Avid trail runner and ultrarunner who holds the Bruce Trail FKT with her next focus on racing the 2022 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run.

LOGAN ROOTS, Courtenay, B.C. – Road, trail, and mountain running enthusiast who enjoys crushing big mileage, ego-altering workouts and running just fast enough to qualify for elite entry.

62 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

2022 ROAD RUNNING SHOE REVIEW

On

Cloudvista

$169 W 9.9 oz. | 7 mm Drop

www.on-running.com

On

Cloudvista

$199 M 8.1 oz. | 6 mm Drop

www.on-running.com

The Cloudmonster is a happy medium for easier, longer runs where a balance of cushioning and responsiveness is required. The shoe features large CloudTec elements, the largest of any in On's line-up, that provide the ultimate amount of cushioning and bounce with every stride. Fit-wise, the shoe runs small so it's recommended to size up.

They kept my legs feeling fresh, and I enjoyed the sensation of the rocker, especially in the final miles of longer training runs.

The latest addition to the On Cloud line has a big name, but the ride is not as beefy as you might expect. With a double layer of CloudTec support underfoot, it feels lighter, smoother and more agile than your average maximum cushioning shoe. Due to the unique technology, you get firm comfort rather than soft and squishy support. The tread is barely there, so it eats up harder surfaces with a minimum of fuss.

LISSA ZIMMER, Vancouver, B.C. – An elite marathoner with a 2:42 PB set in 2016 and trail runner with a goal of racing a 50 kilometre one day.

KEITH BRADFORD, Calgary, AB – Elite masters runner, coach and crisis communications consultant who has worked with athletes at multiple World Cups, World Championships and Olympic Games.

Puma

Puma

Velocity Nitro 2

$150 W 8.7 oz. | 10 mm Drop

ca.puma.com

Velocity Nitro 2

$150 M 7.2 oz. | 10 mm Drop

ca.puma.com

I logged over 1000 kilometres on the roads (and treadmill) this winter in this shoe. The Nitro foam midsole felt plush and flexible underfoot.

It was a game changer for me providing a soft and comfortable landing on the roads. It had a really nice balance of comfort, flexibility, lightness and cushioning. The upper was durable and flexible with good breathability and the tread had good grip over snow and fine gravel paths. I plan to keep it in my next rotation of shoes.

Out of the box I loved this shoe! The velocity Nitro 2 felt lively, fast, cushy and lightweight. The Nitro infused midsole on EVA really hits the mark, and whilst the ride is not quite comparable to many carbon offerings, it's not far off, and won't break the bank! The upper is plush, with an adequate toe box and the outer provides great grip on wet pavement and smooth trail. A really fun and lively shoe, ideal as a daily trainer that provides outstanding value. Perhaps fits a little large.

EMILY SETLACK , Trenton, ON – Canadian marathoner & mountain runner

ANDY REED, Canmore, AB – Sport medicine physician, mountain ultra trail runner, numerous podium finishes in mountain ultras throughout North America.

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 63

2022 ROAD RUNNING SHOE REVIEW

Saucony Ride 15

$169 W 7.8 oz. | 8 mm Drop

www.saucony.com

Saucony Guide 15

$169 M 9.5 oz. | 8 mm Drop

www.saucony.com

These shoes were a dream come true for a runner with plenty of foot issues. I have arthritic feet and a Haglunds deformity on my heel, and when I put these on, I had no pain at all. I could wear them all day! Lots of support and room for my toes, but a supportive heel cup. I found them light and cushioned, an incredibly smooth ride!

This shoe is light, comfortable and stable. It has a relatively high heel stack that provides good cushioning. My favourite training shoe has been the Saucony Triumph, so the fit seems familiar to me although the toe-box feels slightly bigger. The tongue and upper are soft and comfy.

I wore these for a speed workout and they were smooth, agile and responsive. I’ll definitely be buying more of these shoes.

AMY PUZEY, Invermere, B.C. – 2 x Team Canada member at the World Mountain Running Championships, mother of six.

MYRON TETREAULT, Calgary, AB – Former national water polo champion, and a national age group champion in swimming, running and triathlon

Skechers

Skechers

GOrun Razor Excess

$200 W 5.9 oz. | 4 mm Drop

GOrun Razor Excess

$200 M 7.5 oz. | 4 mm Drop

www.skechers.ca

www.skechers.ca

The Razor Excess is incredibly light for the amount of cushioning it packs. As a non-plated shoe it still provides great bounce and spring while performing all different types of workouts: hard, fast intervals; tempos; and steady longer runs up to 30 kilometres. I suggest double knotting the laces to decrease their tendency to slip, but overall it’s nice to have a shoe that can go fast, and feel stable all at the same time.

This is a legitimate “nothing to it” light, well-built, running shoe for your faster days. Designed with a durable mono-mesh and polyester knit upper that holds its form and fits well and results in having a sleek and not overly broad toe box. To sweeten the mix the Razor’s light carriage rides over a foam midsole that cushions a fast forefoot strike and quick turnover well. This midsole is separated from the road via a coating of Goodyear-produced rubber that provides durability and grip to the shoe.

MANDY GILL, Vancouver, B.C. – Ultramarathon runner (road and trail), health expert and international keynote speaker, and IMPACT Top Vegan Athlete.

PETE ESTABROOKS, Calgary, AB – One of Canada’s foremost fitness experts, ultrarunner and coach is happiest when running in the mountains.

64 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

2022 ROAD RUNNING SHOE REVIEW

Topo Athletic Fli-Lyte 4

$170 W 6.9 oz. | 3 mm Drop

Topo Athletic Ultrafly 3

$190 M 9.6 oz. | 5 mm Drop

www.toposthleticcanada.ca

www.toposthleticcanada.ca

An excellent lightweight and comfortable shoe choice to get in some summer miles. The Fli-lyte 4 has a very wide toe box allowing your foot to move and expand naturally, while the heel fits snug and laces have no problems staying tied. I prefer the 3 mm drop and soft cushion for shorter faster runs, but the outer seems durable for longer runs and different weather conditions as well. Simple, comfortable, affordable, and effective.

A comfortable shoe, it has everything you expect and want from a minimal drop road shoe (5 mm) but still lots of cushioning. It holds your foot nice and snug, is supportive and solid around the foot and ankle.

The sole is light enough to give you a quick response under foot yet sturdy enough to handle some gravel or light trail if you find yourself on a mixed path. Recommended for anyone looking for their next road shoe and like a wide toebox.

RACHAEL MCINTOSH, Calgary, AB – Retired Team Canada Track and Field athlete turned recreational road and trail runner.

PHIL HIOM, Kamloops, B.C. – Lifelong runner with a goal to continue to complete qualifying races for the Western States Endurance Run Lottery.

This lottery ticket will be achieved at Lost Soles Ultra Race in Lethbridge, AB.

Vivobarefoot

Vivobarefoot

Primus Lite III

$261 W 8.8 oz. | 0 mm Drop

www.vivobarefoot.com/ca

Primus Lite III

$261 M 8.8 oz. | 0 mm Drop

www.vivobarefoot.com/ca

I tested this shoe during a high intensity workout of cardio mixed with some heavy lifting. I instantly found the minimalist sole provided the stability I needed for lifting while my foot did not feel restricted. Being so close to the ground allowed me to grip with my feet so I did not feel off balance. The versatility of the shoe also worked well while doing cardio intense exercises during my workout. This holds up to my level of training and intensity. I highly recommend it.

This ‘do it all’ shoe blurs the line between support and freedom of movement. From CrossFit to the half-marathon this shoe has the ability to bring you back to your natural way of moving. My balance and proprioception since wearing these has improved immensely. Never before have I noticed the incredible difference between running on gravel compared to asphalt. This shoe has given me so much feedback it's completely changed the way I think about footwear and my feet.

ISSY WATSON, Victoria, B.C. – Obstacle Course Racer, high-intensity athlete, Guinness World Record Holder (most chest to ground burpees in one hour) who is always looking for the next level challenge.

KRIS MAHLER, Canmore, AB – Professional ski cross racer currently competing for Team Canada on the World-Cup Circuit; 2 x World Cup Winner and ranked top 15 in the world IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 65

2022 ROAD RUNNING SHOE REVIEW

Xero Shoes Zelen

$189 W 6.5 oz. | 0 mm Drop

www.xeroshoes.com

Xero Shoes Zelen

$189 M 7.8 oz. | 0 mm Drop

www.xeroshoes.com

These shoes deliver exactly as promised. They have maximum flexibility, minimum cushion and pure freedom of movement. The rubber outsole provides adequate protection from debris, and I was able to run with a natural stride without concern for bruising my foot on a rock. These shoes have a wide forefoot and secure heel. My only complaint was that I could feel the outer seam on the upper, so I had to wear socks with the shoes instead of going barefoot.

I'm a big fan of minimalist running. I took them out for a light seven kilometres where the shoes felt comfortable, followed by 25 kilometres on varied surfaces and they performed well. On both runs, I had the minimalist sensory feeling in my soles but didn't have issues on any surface, from pavement, to hardpacked tails, to gravel roads. They are roomy in the toe box but did not hug my feet. Amazing for casual running, walking, or wearing all day but not for speedwork/racing.

JOANNA FORD, Calgary, AB – Ultramarathon runner with a passion for running long distances in the mountains.

JED GRIEVE, Victoria, B.C. – Proud father and husband, and long-time distance runner who is always working to be competitive in his age group.

TRAIN WITH US • One-on-one online run and nutrition coaching

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66 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

PeakRunPerformance.ca

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IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 67

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68 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

Live May 29, 2022

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www.oakbayhalf.com 70 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

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2022 RACE SOURCE GUIDE

MAY 2022

Start

End

Location

May 28 May 28 Run and Walk to Remember

Altona, MB

May 1

May 1

BMO Vancouver Marathon

Vancouver, BC

May 28 May 28 XMan Montreal

Sutton, QC

May 1

May 1

Mississauga Marathon

Mississauga, ON

May 28 May 28 Rocky Mountain Soap Run

Canmore, AB

May 1

May 1

FOODFARE – Winnipeg Police Half Marathon

Winnipeg, MB

May 28 May 28 Conquer the Coulee

Medicine Hat, AB

May 1

May 1

The Teanaway Trail Run

Cle Elum, WA

May 28 May 28 Run Bike Run BLITZ Duathlon

Calgary, AB

May 1

May 1

Toronto Marathon

Toronto, ON

May 28 May 29 Lake Windermere Aquathlon

Invermere, BC

May 1

May 1

The Ranney Gorge Run

Trent Hills, ON

May 28 May 29 Ottawa Spartan Super 10K & Sprint 5K Weekend Calabogie, ON

May 1

May 1

Get Shit Done 5km, 10km, 21km

Calgary, AB

May 29 May 29 CIBC Run for the Cure Calgary

Calgary, AB

May 1

May 1

Demi-Marathon Lévis

Lévis, QC

May 29 May 29 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend

Ottawa, ON

May 1

May 1

Edmonton First Responders Half Marathon

Edmonton, AB

May 29 May 29 Envision Financial Run for Water

Abbotsford, BC

May 1

May 1

First Responders Half Marathon

Calgary, AB

May 29 May 29 Oak Bay Half Marathon

Victoria, BC

May 1

May 1

Dirty Feet Kal Park 50

Vernon, BC

May 29 May 29 Blackwell Dairy Fun Run

Kamloops, BC

May 4 May 4 Women’s 4 Hour – Mountain Bike Relay

Oro Station, ON

May 29 May 29 Saskatchewan Marathon

Saskatoon, SK

May 7 May 7 The Cumby

Cumberland, BC

May 29 May 29 Dairy Capital Run

Woodstock, ON

May 7 May 7 Red Deer PCN Women’s ALOHA Fun Run

Red Deer, AB

May 29 May 29 MS Walk

Multiple Locations

May 7 May 7 Medicine Hat Massacre

Elkwater, AB

May 29 May 29 SUDBURYROCKS!!! Marathon

Sudbury, ON

May 7 May 7 Physio Fit Run

Winnipeg. MB

May 29 May 29 Centaur Subaru 21.1K

Calgary, AB

May 8 May 8 Sport Chek Mother’s Day Run, Walk and Ride

Calgary, AB

May 29 May 29 Run For H2O

Vancouver, BC

May 8 May 8 Peach City Runners Blossom 10 & 5 Miler

Penticton, BC

May 29 May 29 Calgary Marathon

Calgary, AB

May 8 May 8 5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Terwillegar Park Edmonton, AB

May 29 May 29 Cowichan Crusher Gravel Fondo

Lake Cowichan, BC

May 8 May 8 Sporting Life 10K

Toronto, ON

May 29 May 29 SUBARU IRONMAN 70.3

Victoria, BC

May 9 May 9 Barcelona Marathon

Barcelona, Spain

May 29 May 29 Oak Bay Half Marathon

Victoria, BC

May 14 May 14 5 Peaks Trail Running Series

Golden Ears, BC

May 29 May 29 Run for Water Fun Run 5K 10K

Abbotsford, BC

May 14 May 14 Edmonton Gorilla Run

Edmonton, AB

May 29 May 29 Ottawa Spartan Trail

Calabogie, ON

May 14 May 14 5KM Route La Clinique Du Coureur

Lac Beauport, QC

May 29 May 29 Union Trail

Medicine Hat, AB

May 14 May 14 Canadian 10,000m Championships

Burnaby, BC

May 29 May 29 Half on the Head Marathon

Wurzburg, Germany

May 14 May 15 Spartan Toronto Sprint & Super Weekend

Toronto, ON

May 31 May 31 La Course de la Releve

Dolbeau, QC

May 14 May 14 2022 lululemon Pacific Distance Carnival

Burnaby, BC

May 14 May 14 Lakou Backyard Ultra

Parkland County, AB

Start

End

May 14 Jul 16

Olympic Pen, WA

Jun 1

Jun 30 Ride Don’t Hide

Multiple Locations

May 15 May 15 Windermere Marathon

Spokane, WA

Jun 1

Jun 30 Run–Walk and Wheel for Dystonia 221

Toronto, ON

May 15 May 15 Westwood Lake Triathlon

Nanaimo, BC

Jun 1

Jun 30 Life Cycle

Everywhere, AB

May 15 May 15 Run Around The Square

Goderich, ON

Jun 3

Jun 11 Expedition Canada

Penticton, BC

May 15 May 15 Leading Edge Physiotherapy RunWild

St. Albert, AB

Jun 3

Jun 5

Whistler Half Marathon

Whistler, BC

May 15 May 15 Sasamat Mudskipper SwimRun Challenge

Belcarra, BC

Jun 4

Jun 4

Wine Capital of Canada Triathlon

Oliver, BC

May 21 May 21 Great Wall Marathon

Huangyaguan, China

Jun 4

Jun 4

Moon In June Road Race

Burlington, ON

May 22 May 22 Toronto Women’s Half Marathon/5K/10K

Toronto, ON

Jun 4

Jun 4

The Banff Jasper Relay

Banff, AB

May 22 May 22 Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon

Halifax, NS

Jun 4

Jun 4

Pelee Island Winery Half Marathon

Pelee Island, ON

May 22 May 22 Woody's RV World Marathon

Red Deer, AB

Jun 4

Jun 4

Roundup Run

Red Deer, AB

May 22 May 21 Chris Walker Memorial Giants Head Grind

Summerland

Jun 4

Jun 4

Vertical Slam Ultimate Challenge

Taylor, BC

May 27 May 29 Rocky Mountain Soap Women's Run & Walk

Canmore, AB

Jun 4

Jun 4

Victoria Goddess Run

Victoria, BC

May 28 May 28 Ottawa 2K 5K 10K

Ottawa, ON

Jun 4

Jun 4

Run Red Deer Roundup Run

Red Deer, AB

May 28 May 29 SulphurSprings Trail Race

AncAster, ON

Jun 4

Jun 4

Oliver Half Iron & Aquabike

Oliver, BC

May 28 May 28 Run for Water 10K and 25K Trail Races

Abbotsford, BC

Jun 4

Jun 4

5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Whitemud Park

Edmonton, AB

May 28 May 28 Blackfoot Ultra

Sherwood Park, AB

Jun 4

Jun 4

Twelve Mile Creek Half Marathon

St. Catharines, ON

May 28 May 29 Cycle Canada Century Ride

Toronto, ON

Jun 4

Jun 4

Hungry Half

Kelowna, BC

May 28 May 28 Survival of the Fittest

Squamish, BC

Jun 4

Jun 5

PDX Triathlon at Blue Lake

Portland, OR

May 28 May 28 Terroir Run

PE County, ON

Jun 4

Jun 5

Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon: San Diego

San Diego, CA

May 28 May 28 The Jack Ride

Caledon, ON

Jun 4

Jun 4

Be Fearless Trail Marathon, 21k & 11k

Squamish, BC

May 28 May 28 Boyne Book It Fun Run

Carman, MB

Jun 4

Jun 4

Pelee Island Winery Half Marathon

Pelee Island, ON

May 28 May 28 The Limberlost Challenge

Waterloo, ON

Jun 4

Jun 4

Vertical Slam Ultimate Challenge

Fort St John, BC

May 28 May 28 Mud Hero Toronto North

Toronto, ON

Jun 5

Jun 5

Footstock

Cochrane, AB

May 28 May 29 Lake Windermere Aquathlon

Windemere, BC

Jun 5

Jun 5

Manulife Heart & Stroke Ride for Heart

Toronto, ON

Gravel Unravel

72 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

JUNE 2022

Location

I was diagnosed with ALS on August 23, 2021.

Since that time, what has really affected me are the connections that the ALS Society of Alberta provides.

And especially aaer two years living through a pandemic, I am reminded how truly important human connection is.

The support groups provide so much knowledge and assistance, and I appreciate hearing other peoplesʼ assi experiences and perspectives.

ALS can be a disease of isolation, especially in recent times.

But the ALS Society of Alberta has provided that human connection through it all, and that is perhaps what I appreciate most.

Please join me at Bettyʼs Run for ALS on June 12th, where we can once again gather as a community and support each other as we face and fight this disease together.

Sunday June 12th, 2022 Start Time @ 9AM North Glenmore Park Register and learn more at

bettysrun.ca

Neill Fearnley

Betty’s Run Ambassador

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 73

East Kootenay, British Columbia

JUNE 11-12 Saturday & Sunday

Earn your WASA Sunday Standard Triathlon WARRIOR Shield Standard Aquabike Tri x2

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Sprint Triathlon Sprint Duathlon TriKids • QUALIFIER for WORLD TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS (Sprint/Standard) in SPAIN/GERMANY 2023 • Host for the 2022 BC SPRINT TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP

74 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

(Sprint & Standard)

Register @ www.rmevents.com

RIDE THE HIGHEST PAVED ROAD IN CANADA WITH US A TRULY EPIC EXPERIENCE. SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022

ENTER TRANSROCKIES.COM

A TWO-DAY FUN-FEST!

TRAIL RUN, MOUNTAIN BIKE OR BOTH.

A Kick-Ass Bike Race Saturday, Mountain Mule Trail Run on Sunday, and the Little Donkey Kids Race too. Race either day, or both days for the Iron Donkey Challenge.

The beer garden is back this year too!

JUNE 25 – 26, 2022

ENTER TRANSROCKIES.COM

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2022 RACE SOURCE GUIDE

Jun 5

Jun 5

Run Apart for Down Syndrome

Burnaby, BC

Jun 22 Jun 25 Yukon River Quest

Whitehorse, YK

Jun 5

Jun 5

Subaru Triathlon Series Milton

Milton, ON

Jun 22 Jun 26 ITU World Triathlon Montreal

Montréal, QC

Jun 5

Jun 5

WBYO’s 5ish Fun Run

Winnipeg, MB

Jun 25 Jun 25 Suntrail Pure Grit Trail Race

Wiarton, ON

Jun 5

Jun 5

221 RBC Race for the Kids

Vancouver, BC

Jun 25 Jun 25 Kona Marathon

Kona, Hawaii

Jun 5

Jun 5

Gutsy Walk for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada

Multiple Locations

Jun 25 Jun 26 Woody’s Triathlon

Red Deer, AB

Jun 5

Jun 5

Dirty Feet Trail Run

Kelowna, BC

Jun 25 Jun 26 MultiSport Canada Rose City Triathlon Weekend Welland, ON

Jun 5

Jun 5

Tool Shed Duathlon

Airdrie, AB

Jun 25 Jun 25 Fork in the Road 5K

Uxbridge, ON

Jun 5

Jun 5

Beat Beethoven

Kingston, ON

Jun 25 Jun 25 Minotaur SkyRace

Crowsnest Pass, AB

Jun 5

Jun 5

Course des Pompiers

Laval, QC

Jun 25 Jun 25 Slay The Dragon Trail Running Race

Vernon, BC

Jun 5

Aug 28 Brain Gains Run for Neurogenisis

Various locations

Jun 25 Jun 25 Subaru 5i50 Sprint Triathlon

Mont-Tremblant, QC

Jun 6

Jun 6

Reebok Ragnar Relay Niagara

Cobourg, ON

Jun 25 Jun 25 Rundle’s Revenge

Canmore, AB

Jun 6

Jun 6

Ravenna Run the Ravine

Seattle, WA

Jun 25 Jun 25 MS Bike Airdrie to Olds

Airdrie, AB

Jun 10 Jun 11 Sadownik Miles for Smiles 1-24 hrs

Fort St John, BC

Jun 25 Jun 25 X Warrior Challenge

Multiple Locations

Jun 11 Jun 12 Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer

Multiple Locations

Jun 25 Jun 25 Kananaskis 100 Mile Relay

Kananaskis, AB

Jun 11 Jun 11 5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Rattlesnake Point Rattlesnake, ON

Jun 25 Jun 25 Woody's Triathlon - Kids of Steel

Red Deer, AB

Jun 11 Jun 11 5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Canmore

Canmore, AB

Jun 25 Jun 25 Gran Fondo Badlands

Drumheller, AB

Jun 11 Jun 11 Wetaskiwin Triathlon

Wetaskiwin, AB

Jun 25 Jun 26 TransRockies Rundle’s Revenge

Canmore, AB

Jun 11 Jun 12 Conquer the Canuck

Cambridge, ON

Jun 26 Jun 26 Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K

Vancouver, BC

Jun 11 Jun 12 Survivorfest Running Event

Sherwood Park, AB

Jun 26 Jun 26 IRONMAN 70.3 Mont-Tremblant

Mont-Tremblant, QC

Jun 11 Jun 11 Mud Hero Ottawa

Ottawa, ON

Jun 26 Jun 26 Mudskipper SwimRun Challenge

Penetanguishene, ON

Jun 11 Jun 11 Run Sage Creek

Winnipeg, MB

Jun 26 Jun 26 Huronia Open Water Swim

Penetanguishene, ON

Jun 11 Jun 11 Tri for Evan

Calgary, AB

Jun 26 Jun 26 Boxing Day 10 & 4 Mile Runs

Hamilton, ON

Jun 11 Jun 11 Relay For Life

Calgary, AB

Jun 26 Jun 26 Kal RATS Sprint Triathlon

Vernon, BC

Jun 11 Jun 11 North Sun Ultra

Edmonton, AB

Jun 26 Jun 26 Vancouver Half Marathon

Vancouver, BC

Jun 11 Jun 12 TRi KiDS Triathlon Series - Burlington

Burlington, ON

Jun 26 Jun 26 Big Little Run

Guelph, ON

Jun 11 Jun 11 Run, Walk & Ruck for Mental Wellness

Regina, SK

Jun 11 Jun 12 Wasa Lake Triathlon

East Kootney, BC

Start

End

Jun 12 Jun 12 Tour De Grand

Cambridge, ON

Jul 1

Jul 1

Canada Day Road Race

Multiple Locations

Jun 12 Jun 12 Victoria Youth Triathlon

Victoria, BC

Jul 1

Jul 1

OFFICIAL CANADA D’EH RUN™ 5K 2022

Amherstburg, ON

Jun 12 Jun 12 Jungle Adventure Run and Spring ARK Fest

Burlington, ON

Jul 1

Jul 1

Canada Day Run & Walk

Regina, SK

Jun 12 Jun 12 Betty’s Run for ALS

Calgary, AB

Jul 1

Jul 1

Diamond Valley Splash

Turner Valley, AB

Jun 12 Jun 12 Mudskipper SwimRun Challenge Welland

Welland, ON

Jul 2

Jul 2

The Limberlost Challenge

Lake of Bays, ON

Jun 12 Jun 12 Welland Open Water Swim by Canaqua Sports Welland, ON

Jul 2

Jul 2

TransRockies - Highwood Pass Gran Fondo

Longview, AB

Jun 12 Jun 12 Dirty Feet Mtn Bike Race

Kamloops, BC

Jul 3

Jul 3

Tynehead 5/8/12 Hour

Surrey, BC

Jun 17 Jun 17 Longest Day Road Race

Vancouver, BC

Jul 3

Jul 3

Great White North Triathlon

Stony Plain, AB

Jun 17 Jun 19 Branch Out Bike Tour

Invermere, BC

Jul 3

Jul 3

Okanagan Trestles Tour

Penticton, BC

Jun 18 Jun 18 5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Mt. Seymour

North Vancouver, BC

Jul 8

Jul 17

Flapjack 15

Multiple Locations

Jun 18 Jun 18 CFB Esquimalt Navy Run

Victoria, BC

Jul 8

Jul 10

XTERRA Quebec

Québec City, QC

Jun 18 Jun 18 McLennan’s GRIT 12-hour Ultra Trail Run

Summerland, BC

Jul 9

Jul 10

Sinister 7 Ultra

Crowsnest Pass, AB

Jun 18 Jun 19 Subaru Triathlon Series Guelph Lake I

Guelph, ON

Jul 9

Jul 9

Kincardine Women’s Triathlon

Kincardine, ON

Jun 18 Jun 19 Tour du Lac Brome

Knowlton, QC

Jul 9

Jul 9

Knee Knackering North Shore Trail Race

West Vancouver, BC

Jun 18 Jun 19 TriGator for Kids

Elmira, ON

Jul 9

Jul 9

Summit 700

Blue Mountain, ON

Jun 18 Jun 18 Chinook Classic Triathlon

Chestermere, AB

Jul 9

Jul 9

Young Hearts Triathlon

Invermere, BC

Jun 18 Jun 18 Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon

Kelowna, BC

Jul 9

Jul 9

Summer Epic 8 Hour

Oro Station, ON

Jun 18 Jun 18 Nevada Half Marathon

Lake Tahoe, CA

Jul 9

Jul 9

Mud Hero Alberta

Calgary, AB

Jun 18 Jun 18 McLennan’s GRIT 12-HR Ultra Trail Run & Relay Summerland, BC

Jul 9

Jul 9

Reggie Ramble Gravel Grinder

Warkworth, ON

Jun 18 Jun 18 San Lorenzo River Marathon

Santa Cruz, CA

Jul 9

Jul 9

Summit 700 presented by Salomon

Blue Mtns, ON

Jun 18 Jun 19 TransRockies Golden 24

Golden, BC

Jul 10

Jul 10

Rotary Club of Vancouver Bike-A-thon

Vancouver, BC

Jun 18 Jun 18 “Run To The Farmers’ Market” Half Marathon

Millarville, AB

Jul 10

Jul 10

XTERRA Victoria

Victoria, BC

Jun 19 Jun 19 Manitoba Marathon

Winnipeg, MB

Jul 10

Jul 10

The Midsummer 8K

Kelowna, BC

Jun 19 Jun 19 Banff Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K

Banff, AB

Jul 10

Jul 10

Big White Peak Challenge

Big White, BC

Jun 22 Jun 22 La Uitshaui Le Defi Chaley Robertson

Mashteuiatsh , QC

Jul 10

Jul 10

Heart of the Rockies Open Water Swim

Invermere, BC

Jun 22 Jun 22 Sunshine Salutation

Redmond, WA

Jul 10

Jul 10

Heart of the Rockies Gran Fondo

Invermere, BC

76 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

JULY 2022

Location

9th Annual

JUNE 18,

2022

MILLARVILLE

TO THE FARMERS’ MARKET

START: Oilfields Arena, Black Diamond at 7:30 a.m.

FINISH: Millarville Farmers’ Market, Millarville Racetrack A Half Marathon, two person half marathon relay and the COBS Cinnamon Bun Run (8 miles) are all point-to-point near Calgary, finishing at the Millarville Farmers’ Market, southern Alberta’s largest outdoor market.

Enjoy a morning of running, shopping, music and great food.

EXCELLENT SWAG: A unique, hand-crafted finishers medal fashioned by a Farmers’ Market vendor and a commemorative wick t-shirt.

ENTRY FEES: Half Marathon - $80 starting April 1, $90 starting June 1 Half Marathon Relay - $140 starting April 1, $160 starting June 1 COBS Cinnamon Bun Run 8-Miler - $70 starting April 1, $80 starting June 1 *free shuttle service pre- and post-race for runners

Check out our “Run 4 A Cause” charity program: millarvillehalfmarathon.com/run-4-a-cause

78 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

July 24, 2022

Race The Greatest City In The World!

The Verizon New York City Triathlon is the nation’s premier urban triathlon, with a course that wraps through some of the busiest streets of Manhattan. This epic race includes a 1.5k swim in the MHZ[ J\YYLU[ /\KZVU 9P]LY H R YPKL \W [OL [YHMÄJ MYLL /\KZVU Parkway into the Bronx and back, followed by a 10k run across [O :[ ILMVYL ÄUPZOPUN PU [OL OLHY[ VM *LU[YHS 7HYR

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NEW for 2022 | Official Duathlon Run, bike, run through the Big Apple beginning with a TPSL Y\U MVSSV^LK I` [OL ZHTL IPRL HUK Y\U JV\YZLZ HZ the International distance triathlon.

2022 RACE SOURCE GUIDE

Jul 10

Jul 10

Stampede Road Race

Calgary, AB

Aug 3

Aug 3

Family Ice Cream Run #2

Winnipeg, MB

Jul 10

Jul 10

IRONMAN 70.3 Muskoka

Huntsville, ON

Aug 5

Aug 5

Digby Scallop Days Fun Run

Digby, NS

Jul 10

Jul 10

Prospera Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan

Penticton, BC

Aug 5

Aug 7

Fat Dog 120 Trail Race

Manning Park, BC

Jul 11

Jul 11

Carkeek Warmer

Seattle, WA

Aug 6

Aug 6

Bruce Peninsula Multisport Race

Wiarton, ON

Jul 12

Jul 12

Welland Mudskipper SwimRun Challenge

Welland, ON

Aug 6

Aug 6

Tour de Lavender

Sequim, WA

Jul 13

Jul 13

Le Tour du Lac Labrecque

Labrecque, QC

Aug 6

Aug 6

Bruce Peninsula Multisport Race

Wiarton, ON

Jul 15

Jul 15

The Barking Frog Summer Night 5K

London, ON

Aug 6

Aug 6

Union All Terrain 2022

Elkwater, AB

Jul 15

Jul 16

Fraser Valley Trail Races - Manning Park

Manning Park, BC

Aug 7

Aug 7

Subaru Iron Girl Canada Women’s Triathlon

Grimsby, ON

Jul 16

Jul 16

5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Cypress Mountain West Vancouver, BC

Aug 7

Aug 7

SAGELANDS Half Iron, Triathlon, Duathlon

Osoyoos, BC

Jul 16

Jul 16

Across the Lake Swim

Kelowna, BC

Aug 8

Aug 8

Summer Eddy

Kenmore, WA

Jul 16

Jul 17

Broken Goat

Rossland, BC

Aug 8

Aug 8

Helsinki Marathon

Helsinki, Finland

Jul 16

Jul 16

5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Albion Hills

Albion Hills, ON

Aug 8

Aug 8

Camarillo Marathon

Camarillo, CA

Jul 16

Jul 16

5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Goldbar

Edmonton, AB

Aug 13 Aug 13 Mud Hero Montreal

Montréal, QC

Jul 16

Jul 16

Soup 2 Nutz

Vernon, BC

Aug 13 Aug 13 Iron Legs Mountain Races

Bragg Creek, AB

Jul 16

Jul 16

St. Clair River Run

Sombra, ON

Aug 13 Aug 13 Louisbourg Race Through Time

Halifax, NS

Jul 16

Jul 16

Middle Fork Trail Run

North Bend, WA

Aug 13 Aug 13 Summerside Open Water Swim

Summerside, PEI

Jul 16

Jul 16

VFAC Summerfast 10K

Vancouver, BC

Aug 13 Aug 13 5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Chickakoo

Chickakoo Lake, AB

Jul 17

Jul 17

SUBARU Triathlon Series

Grimsby, ON

Aug 13 Aug 14 MS Bike

Multiple Locations

Jul 17

Jul 17

Dirty Feet Trail Run 5km, 10km, 21km

Vernon, BC

Aug 13 Aug 13 Rock the Quarry

Goshen, IN

Jul 18

Jul 24 Hustle for the House Virtual

Calgary, AB

Aug 13 Aug 13 I Love Regina Run & Walk

Regina, SK

Jul 23 Jul 23 Mud Hero Manitoba

Winnipeg, MB

Aug 14 Aug 14 Wooly Bully Races

Amherst Island, ON

Jul 23 Jul 23 Tour de Whatcom

Bellingham, WA

Aug 14 Aug 14 Mont-Tremblant Half-Marathon

Montréal, QC

Jul 23 Jul 24 MultiSport Canada Bracebridge Triathlon

Bracebridge, ON

Aug 14 Aug 14 Columbia River Fitness Festival

Vancouver, WA

Jul 23 Jul 23 5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Bowmont Park

Calgary, AB

Aug 14 Aug 14 Not Since Moses

Five Islands, NS

Jul 23 Jul 24 Bluewater Triathlon and Duathlon

Brights Grove, ON

Aug 14 Aug 14 Mudskipper SwimRun Challenge Summerside

Summerside, PEI

Jul 23 Jul 23 Buckin’ Hell

North Vancouver, BC

Aug 14 Aug 14 Subaru Triathlon Series Owen Sound

Owen Sound, ON

Jul 23 Jul 23 Elk Valley Ultra 50km & Relay

Fernie, BC

Aug 14 Aug 14 Wild Rose Womens Triathlon

Calgary, AB

Jul 23 Jul 24 MS Bike Grand Bend to London

Grand Bend, ON

Aug 14 Aug 18 TransSelkirks Run

Revelstoke, BC

Jul 23 Jul 23 Rugged Maniac Obstacle Race

Calgary, AB

Aug 17 Aug 17 La Course Endurance du Fjord

La Baie, QC

Jul 23 Jul 23 The Range Cravel Cycling Classic

Claresholm, AB

Aug 20 Aug 21 MultiSport Canada Toronto Island Triathlon

Toronto Island, ON

Jul 23 Jul 23 Toronto Carnival Run

Toronto, ON

Aug 20 Aug 21 Squamish 50

Squamish, BC

Jul 23 Jul 24 ITU World Triathlon Edmonton

Edmonton, AB

Aug 20 Aug 20 Lewiston Ultra Moose Mountain

Bragg Creek, AB

Jul 23 Jul 24 Spartan Red Deer Sprint & Super Weekend

Red Deer, AB

Aug 20 Aug 21 Pinawa Multisport Festival

Pinawa, MB

Jul 23 Jul 23 Sylvan Lake Open Water Swim

Sylvan Lake, AB

Aug 20 Aug 21 Wilderness Traverse

Dorset, ON

Jul 24 Jul 24 Toronto Triathlon Festival

Toronto, ON

Aug 20 Aug 21 Black Spur Ultra

Kimberley, BC

Jul 24 Jul 24 Nova Scotia Marathon/Half Marathon and 10K

Barrington, NS

Aug 20 Aug 21 MS Bike Ottawa to Cornwall

Ottawa, ON

Jul 24 Jul 24 XTERRA Conquer the Crater

Sudbury, ON

Aug 20 Aug 21 Dirty Feet Heartbreak 100K, 50K & Relay!

Kamloops, BC

Jul 24 Jul 24 Chinook Classic Gran Fondo

Calgary, AB

Aug 20 Aug 20 Ryder Hesjedal’s Tour de Victoria

Victoria, BC

Jul 24 Jul 24 Nova Scotia Marathon

Barrington, NS

Aug 20 Aug 21 TRi KiDS Triathlon Series - Niagara

Port Colborne, ON

Jul 24 Jul 24 New York City Triathlon

New York, NY

Aug 20 Aug 21 Wilderness Traverse

Parry Sound, ON

Jul 24 Jul 31

Multiple Locations

Aug 21 Aug 21 Servus Edmonton Marathon

Edmonton, AB

Jul 25 Jul 25 La Course de la Traversée

Roberval , QC

Aug 21 Aug 21 Calgary Women’s Run

Calgary, AB

Jul 29 Jul 31

Saint John, NB

Aug 21 Aug 21 2022 Servus Edmonton Marathon

Edmonton, AB

Jul 30 Jul 30 IRONKIDS Calgary

Calgary, AB

Aug 21 Aug 21 Annapolis Royal 5K

Annapolis Royal, NS

Jul 30 Jul 31

The Lucky Triathlon Festival

Woodland, WA

Aug 22 Aug 22 Interlaken Ice Cream Dash

Seattle, WA

Jul 30 Jul 31

Canadian Death Race

Grande Cache, AB

Aug 22 Aug 25 Gravel Royale

Panorama, BC

Jul 30 Jul 31

Jack and Jill’s Downhill Marathon

Boise, ID

Aug 26 Aug 26 XTRAIL Mont Sutton

Mont Sutton, QC

Jul 30 Jul 31

Backyard Ultra - Dirty Feet Beat The Buzzer

Sun Peaks, BC

Aug 27 Aug 27 Prison Break Race

Rawdon, QC

Jul 31

Jul 31

Ironman 70.3 Calgary

Rocky View, AB

Aug 27 Aug 27 5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Whistler Blackomb Whistler, BC

Start

End

Aug 1

Aug 1

Aug 3

Aug 3

CAN Fund #150Women Virtual BE EPIC Run Marathon by the Sea

Aug 27 Aug 27 MS Bike Eastern Townships

Mauricie, QC

Location

Aug 27 Aug 27 MultiSport Canada Wasaga Beach Triathlon

Wasaga Beach, ON

Dartmouth Natal Day Road Race

Dartmouth, NS

Aug 27 Aug 27 Sioux Narrows Swim Festival

Sioux Narrows, ON

La Petite Patte Jeannoise

Métabetchouan, QC

Aug 27 Aug 27 Mud Hero Nova Scotia

Halifax, NS

AUGUST 2022

80 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

26th Annual

CANMORE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALF MARATHON 10KM & 5KM

SEPTEMBER 11, 2022

w w w. c a n m o r e h a l f m a r a t h o n . c a

82 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

2022 RACE SOURCE GUIDE

Aug 27 Aug 27 Seattle Marathon Summer 5K/10K

Seattle, WA

Sep 17 Sep 18 Tough Mudder Toronto Weekend

Toronto, ON

Aug 27 Aug 27 Gruesome Twosome 22K, 11K & 5K -

Aldergrove BC

Sep 17 Sep 17 XMan Québec

Lac-Beauport, QC

Aug 27 Aug 27 Back-Country Trail Run & Mtn Bike Race

Elkwater, AB

Sep 17 Sep 17 Under Armour Eastside 10K

Vancouver, BC

Aug 28 Aug 28 Cobequid Trail Run

Truro, NS

Sep 17 Sep 17 Beaver Flat 50

Saskatchewan, SK

Aug 28 Aug 28 Subaru IRONMAN 70.3 Canada

Penticton, BC

Sep 18 Sep 18 Canada Army Run

Ottawa, ON

Aug 28 Aug 28 SuperPower 5K: Run Walk Fly

Toronto, ON

Sep 18 Sep 18 Swamp Donkey Adventure Race

Falcon Lake, MB

Sep 18 Sep 18 Okanagan Rail Ride

Vernon, BC

Location

Sep 18 Sep 18 Run Bike Run BLITZ Duathlon

Kannaskis, AB

SEPTEMBER 2022

Start

End

Sep 3

Sep 3

Subaru Triathlon Series Guelph Lake II

Guelph, ON

Sep 23 Sep 25 Marathon Beneva de Montréal

Montréal, QC

Sep 3

Sep 4

TRi KiDS Triathlon Series - Milton

Milton, ON

Sep 24 Sep 25 Tobermory Trail Race Weekend – Run The Edge

Tobermory, ON

Sep 4

Sep 4

Fast Days of Summer 5000

Kelowna, BC

Sep 24 Sep 24 Fall Epic 8 Hour

Oro Station, ON

Sep 4

Sep 4

Love is Love Mile

Calgary, AB

Sep 24 Sep 24 Big Hurt Multi-Sport Race

Port Angeles, WA

Sep 4

Sep 4

Walk in the Park

Kamloops, BC

Sep 24 Sep 24 Melissa’s Road Race

Banff, AB

Sep 4

Sep 4

Kauai Marathon

Koloa, Hawaii

Sep 24 Sep 24 Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race

Cumberland, BC

Sep 6

Sep 11 TransRockies Singletrack 6

Fernie, BC

Sep 24 Sep 24 The Lone Wolf Last One Standing

Fernie, BC

Sep 8

Sep 8

Calgary, AB

Sep 24 Sep 25 Ultra Paine

Puerto Natales, Chile

Sep 9

Sep 10 The Weekend To Conquer Cancer

Toronto, ON

Sep 24 Sep 24 Castle Alpine Trail Race

Pincher Creek, AB

Sep 9

Sep 11 Finlayson Arm 28K/50K/100K

Victoria, BC

Sep 24 Sep 24 Moran Constitutional Relay

Orcas Island, WA

Sep 9

Sep 10 Klondike Road Relay

Whitehorse, YK

Sep 24 Sep 25 Shuswap Ultra

Salmon Arm

Sep 9

Sep 10 Lost Soul Ultra

Lethbridge, AB

Sep 24 Sep 24 Rum Runners Relay

Halifax, NS

Sep 9

Sep 11 Triathlon Esprit de Montreal

Montréal, QC

Sep 24 Sep 29 BCBR Gravel Explorer

Penticton, BC

Sep 9

Sep 11 Ultra Trail Harricana

La Malbaie, QC

Sep 24 Sep 25 River's Edge Ultra

Parkland, AB

Sep 9

Sep 30 The Ultra Night Run

Multiple Locations

Sep 24 Sep 25 Tobermory Trail Race Weekend – Run The Edge

Tobermory, ON

Sep 9

Sep 11 Kidney March

Calgary, AB

Sep 24 Sep 24 Big Hurt

Port Angeles, WA

Sep 9

Sep 11 GMS Queen City Marathon

Regina, SK

Sep 25 Sep 25 Berlin Marathon

Berlin, Germany

Sep 10 Sep 10 5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Canmore

Canmore, AB

Sep 25 Sep 25 Dirty Feet Drifter 25 km Trail Run

Kamloops, BC

Sep 10 Sep 10 5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Heart Lake

Heart Lake, ON

Sep 25 Sep 25 Treherne Run for the Hills

Treherne, MB

Sep 10 Sep 10 Patagonian International Marathon

Puerto Natales, Chile

Sep 25 Sep 25 Run the River Fall Challenge

Edmonton, AB

Sep 10 Sep 10 Kootenay Gran Fondo

Cranbrook, BC

Sep 25 Sep 25 Chicago Half Marathon / 5K

Chicago, IL

Sep 10 Sep 10 RBC Gran Fondo Whistler

Whistler, BC

Sep 25 Sep 25 Run the River Fall Challenge

Edmonton, AB

Sep 10 Sep 10 Tri-Diva Tri Women’s Triathlon

Strathmore, AB

Sep 25 Sep 25 Vancouver Spirit Run

Vancouver, BC

Sep 10 Sep 10 GOAT Run (Great Olympic Adventure Trail Run) Port Angeles, WA

Sep 25 Sep 25 Treherne Run for the Hills

Treherne, MB

Sep 10 Sep 10 Cancervive

Calgary, AB

Sep 25 Sep 25 Wild Run

Calgary, AB

Sep 10 Sep 11 Best in the West Triathlon Festival

Foster, OR

Sep 30 Oct 1

Haliburton, ON

Sep 11 Sep 11 30 km des Rives de Boucherville

Boucherville, QC

Sep 11 Sep 11 Canmore Rocky Mountain Half Marathon

Canmore, AB

Start

End

Sep 11 Sep 11 Kitchener Kids with Cancer Run & Walk

Kitchener, ON

Oct 1

Oct 2

Oakville Half Marathon

Oakville, ON

Sep 11 Sep 11 Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope

Multiple Locations

Oct 1

Oct 1

5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Weaselhead

Calgary, AB

Sep 11 Sep 11 Welland Canal Open Water Swim

Welland, ON

Oct 1

Oct 1

Sea 2 Sky Gravel Fondo

Squamish, BC

Sep 11 Sep 11 Constantine Yorkville Run

Toronto, ON

Oct 1

Oct 1

X Warrior Challenge Hurt Locker

Barrhead, AB

Sep 11 Sep 11 Dinosaur Valley Half Marathon

Drumheller, AB

Oct 1

Oct 1

Live Love Run 21K/10K/5K

Langley BC.

Sep 16 Sep 22 BC Bike Race

North Vancouver, BC

Oct 2

Oct 2

SSQ Quebec City Marathon

Québec City, QC

Sep 16 Sep 18 Golden Ultra

Golden, BC

Oct 2

Oct 2

5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Devon

Devon, AB

Sep 16 Sep 17 Kettle Mettle Gravel Fondo

Penticton, BC

Oct 2

Oct 2

Fernie Half Marathon

Fernie, BC

Sep 17 Sep 17 Paradise Valley Trail Run

Woodinville, WA

Oct 2

Oct 2

London Marathon

London, England

Sep 17 Sep 17 East Side 10K

Vancouver, BC

Oct 2

Oct 2

CIBC Run for the Cure

Multiple Locations

Sep 17 Sep 17 Oasis ZooRun

Toronto, ON

Oct 8

Oct 8

Wandering Moose

Kelowna, BC

Sep 17 Sep 17 Under Armour Eastside 10K

Vancouver, BC

Oct 8

Oct 9

Long Beach Marathon & Half Marathon

Long Beach, CA

Sep 17 Sep 18 Appletree Marathon, Half & 5K

Vancouver, WA

Oct 8

Oct 9

Grizzly Ultra Marathon & Relaly

Canmore, AB

Sep 17 Sep 17 Chase The Coyote Trail Race

Mono, ON

Oct 9

Oct 9

Royal Victoria Marathon, Half Marathon & 8K

Victoria, BC

Sep 17 Sep 17 Freaky Creeky 50

Vernon, BC

Oct 9

Oct 9

Valley Harvest Marathon

New Minas, NS

Sep 17 Sep 18 Lake2Lake Ride

Vernon, BC

Oct 9

Oct 9

Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Chicago, IL

Sep 17 Sep 17 Sheep River Road Race

Okotoks, AB

Oct 9

Oct 9

IG Wealth Managment Alzheimer Walk & Run

Calgary, AB

Beat Beethoven

84 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

Storm the Trent Haliburton OCTOBER 2022

Location

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 85

Distances: 25, 50, 75, or 110 km

Join us for a beautiful ride through Banff National Park!

SEPTEMBER 10 2022

CANCERVIVE 100% of funds raised go to Wellspring Calgary, a charity offering free programs & services for people living with cancer - including their caregivers and families.

cancervive.ca

86 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

RVM-March18Ad.pdf

1

2022-03-11

4:11 PM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Join us for the Royal Victoria Marathon. Victoria, BC. October 9, 2022.

Marathon

Half Marathon

8K

Register today at: www.runvictoriamarathon.com Use promo code IMPACT2022 for a 10% discount. Expires July 1, 2022.

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 87

2022 RACE SOURCE GUIDE Oct 9

Oct 9

Lisbon Marathon

Lisbon, Portugal

Oct 9

Oct 9

Yeti Marathon

Khangsar, Nepal

Oct 11

Oct 12 Survivorfest Running Event

Sherwood Park, AB

Oct 14 Oct 16 Prince Edward Island Marathon

Charlottetown, PE

Oct 15 Oct 15 Penticton Beer Run

Penticton, BC

Oct 15 Oct 15 Run the Peninsula Larry Scott Trail Race

Port Townsend, WA

Oct 15 Oct 15 Wintergreen Ekiden Relay Race

Bragg Creek, AB

Oct 15 Oct 15 Whistler 50 Relay and Ultra

Whistler, BC

Oct 16 Oct 16 Amsterdam Marathon

Amsterdam, NL

Oct 16 Oct 16 Edge to Edge Marathon

Ucluelet, BC

Oct 16 Oct 16 Lachine Bonneville Half Marathon

Montréal, QC

Oct 16 Oct 16 Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Toronto, ON

Oct 22 Oct 22 Mochas and Marshmallows Night Run

Calgary, AB

Oct 22 Oct 22 Spartan Ontario Trifecta Weekend

Blue Mountains, ON

Oct 22 Oct 22 Toronto Women’s 8K/5K

Toronto, ON

Oct 22 Oct 22 Light the Night

Multiple Locations

Oct 22 Oct 22 Mochas and Marshmallows Kids Run

Calgary, AB

Oct 22 Oct 22 Napa Wine Country Marathon

Napa County, CA

Oct 23 Oct 23 Peak-2-Peak Adventure Run

Burlington, ON

Oct 23 Oct 23 Cowichan Autumn Classic Run Now Wine Later Duncan, BC Oct 23 Oct 23 Niagara Falls International Marathon

Niagara Falls, ON

Oct 28 Oct 31 Dash of Doom

Calgary, AB

Oct 29 Oct 29 5 Peaks Trail Running Series: Mansfield

Mansfield, ON

Oct 29 Oct 29 Run Red Deer Halloween Half

Red Deer, AB

Oct 30 Oct 30 Frankfurt Marathon

Frankfurt, Germany

Oct 30 Oct 30 Scary Run Half Marathon, 10K & 5K

Washougal, WA

Oct 30 Oct 30 Le Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes Nice-Cannes Cannes, France

REGGAE MARATHON

NEGRIL - JAMAICA

SUNDAY DEC 4, 2022 www.reggaemarathon.com e:racedirector@reggaemarathon.com T:876 967 4903

88 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2022

Start

End

Nov 5

Nov 6

Hamilton Marathon ROAD2HOPE

Location Hamilton, ON

Nov 6

Nov 6

15 km au pied du Mont Saint-Hilaire

MSH, QC

Nov 6

Nov 6

Carkeek Cooler Trail Run

Seattle, WA

Nov 6

Nov 6

New York City Marathon

New York City, NY

Nov 6

Nov 6

Two Cities Marathon

Fresno, CA

Nov 6

Nov 6

Istanbul Marathon

Istanbul, Turkey

Nov 11 Nov 11 Stuff Your Stockings Adventure Race

Calgary, AB

Nov 12 Nov 12 Redlands Big Bear Marathon

Redlands, CA

Nov 13 Nov 13 Athens Marathon

Athens, Greece

Nov 13 Nov 13 Last Chance Half Marathon & 10K

Calgary, AB

Nov 13 Nov 13 Raid the Hammer

Ancaster, ON

Nov 13 Nov 13 Dune Marathon

Merzouga, Morocco

Nov 19 Nov 19 Ravenna Refresher Trail Run

Seattle, WA

Nov 20 Nov 20 The Fat Ass Trail Run

Batawa, ON

Nov 26 Nov 26 Seattle Kids Marathon

Seattle, WA

Nov 27 Nov 27 Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon

Seattle, WA

DECEMBER 2022

Start

End

Dec 1

Dec 12 The 12Ks of Christmas

Location Calgary, AB

Dec 3

Dec 3

Gunner Shaw Memorial Cross Country

Vancouver, BC

Dec 4

Dec 4

Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K Negril Jamaica, FL

Dec 10 Dec 10 Santa Shuffle

Multiple Locations

Dec 10 Dec 10 The Big Elf Run

Vancouver, BC

Dec 11 Dec 13 MS Bike Leduc to Camrose

Leduc, AB

Dec 17 Dec 17 San Diego Holiday Half Marathon

San Diego, CA

Dec 18 Dec 18 Seward Solstice Run

Seattle, WA

#CHOOSETORUN

October 16, 2022

Register now at torontowaterfrontmarathon.com

SPORTS MEDICINE

A Pain in the Butt Piriformis Syndrome is a common complaint among runners but can be treated successfully

BY KIERAN BAIRD High-level runner and trail explorer, physiotherapist at Saanich Physiotherapy and Sports Clinic, Victoria, B.C.

BY SCOTT SIMPSON Two-time B.C. road-racing series winner, Canadian 10,000-metre champion, physiotherapist at Saanich Physiotherapy and Sports Clinic, Victoria, B.C. SA ANICHPHYSIO

90 I Running Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

T

he piriformis is a small muscle, but it holds a reputation for being a big pain in the behind! This thin, triangular muscle lies deep in the buttocks, beneath the much larger gluteus maximus.

The piriformis, in concert with other deep hip muscles such as the gluteals, help us to both rotate and stabilize our hips. For runners, these muscles act like the keel or rudder of a boat, countering rotation and lateral forces to keep you moving efficiently over your feet.

There are a lot of anatomical structures surrounding the piriformis, including blood vessels and nerves. The sciatic nerve (which “sciatica” refers to) runs through the buttocks and down the leg, just behind the piriformis. In a small percentage of people, the sciatic nerve runs directly through the piriformis.

“Piriformis syndrome” involves pain in the buttock, sometimes accompanied by sciatica (pain, sensory changes or weakness that radiates down the leg). Frequently, sciatica from the piriformis is confused with sciatica from the lower back. While sciatica affects approximately 20 per cent of people over the course of their lifetime, true piriformis syndrome is a relatively rare cause of sciatica, accounting for about seven per cent of cases. People with piriformis syndrome often have difficulty with tasks involving force transmission through the pelvis (running, stair climbing, or even sitting). Runners may experience symptoms of piriformis syndrome after a significant change to their running load.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

These regions all depend on each other to absorb shock and propel us forwards efficiently.

Exercise Progression

After severe symptoms settle, exercise for piriformis syndrome should focus on strengthening the hip, pelvis, and core muscles. These regions all depend on each other to absorb shock and propel us forwards efficiently. There is particularly strong evidence to support strengthening the hip abductor and external rotators.

One case study on a basketball player with Piriformis syndrome focused on progressive exercise in three phases, with excellent results. The first phase focused on muscle isolation, the second was based on weight bearing exercise, and the last focused on dynamic loading such as running, jumping, etc. (See exercises related to running below). The athlete went from having 9/10 pain after playing basketball to 0/10 pain within weeks. After 52 weeks there was no recurrence of pain.

Changes to Running Dynamics

Research has shown that increasing stride rate (the number of times a runner’s feet hit the ground in a minute) by even 10 per cent reduces peak stress on the piriformis muscle by an average of 14 per cent. This can be an easy way to reduce stress on the piriformis, while returning to running.

Soft tissue Management

Massage and/or dry needling (IMS) can loosen taught bands of the muscle, helping to restore the proper extensibility of the muscle and release myofascial trigger points that may be present. Neurodynamic stretching or “flossing” has also shown good research support; this exercise can help limit compression of the sciatic nerve in the piriformis area.

EXERCISES A good starting point would be to complete two sets of the following, twice daily. They should not cause pain.

Stretch-band sidestep: Isolation (Phase 1)

Place a looped stretch band just above both knees. Bend hips and knees softly but keep

posture upright. Step to one side, keeping some tension in the band, and pointing the feet forwards. Reverse direction once you reach the end of your space, or after 20 reps. Start with one minute. Level up: place the band around the calves or ankles.

3D taps: Weight-bearing loading (Phase 2)

Stand on one leg, with a soft bend in the knee. Reach your non-standing leg out directly to the side, gently tapping the ground at the end of your reach. Return the foot to centre, then reach out to tap diagonally backwards (45 degrees), and finally straight behind you. Avoid letting the standing knee fall inwards and try to keep an even pressure throughout your standing foot. Aim for 12-15 taps on each side. Level up: add a band around the knees.

Quick feet: Dynamic loading (Phase 3 and cadence)

Set a metronome to 180 beats per minute (easy to find on YouTube). Softly run on the spot or move forward slowly, matching your arm swing to your feet. Try to keep an upright posture and aim for one minute of continuous motion.

Piriformis syndrome can slow runners down temporarily, but we have research on our side to keep us moving forward! After settling the pain, we can progressively build strength and stability in the tissues around the hips to “steady the ship.” By building tissue resilience and perhaps increasing cadence, you can become more efficient as a runner. Through better efficiency you can prevent injury and run faster with wind in your sails.

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 91

SPORTS MEDICINE

Foot Core for Runners

Runners follow their training plans religiously, some even incorporating strength programs, but should we be training our feet?

BY SHONA HENDRICKS Marathon and Ironman competitor, strength and conditioning specialist, head of Athlete Success, and the Female Athlete Programme at coachparry.com in Pretoria, SA. COACHPARRY

SHONA HENDRICKS

A

s runners we are constantly being told that strength and conditioning is important.

It’s been drilled into us for years.

“We need to be doing strength training to prevent injuries” “You’re going to become a better runner if you strength train” All those statements are correct. The scientific literature is very clear on this and as a result we focus on the following areas, which are specific to running and running mechanics—hips, pelvic stability, hamstrings, glutes, perhaps some lower limb and of course the core. But what about the feet? Have you ever heard someone tell

92 I Inspiration Issue I IMPACT MAGAZINE

you to do mini “bicep-curls” for your toes?

Probably not! And why not? We spend the entire time during our sport on our feet and yet it is the most neglected area of the body we aim to condition.

I worked with an elite female South African ultra-endurance runner who went to Iten in Kenya for a training camp, where most of the best marathon runners in the world train. In one of her hour-long sports massages after a heavy week of training, the sports massage therapist spent 20 minutes working on her feet. She asked the therapist why she wasn’t spending more time on her hamstrings or glutes, and the therapist replied with a somewhat obvious “because we are runners.” When my athlete told me about this, it was like

a lightbulb moment for me! How do we, as runners, not spend more time on our feet and so the research began!

WHAT IS FOOT CORE? My research led me to a well documented area of the foot, the intrinsic muscles, but this happened to be more for the elderly with the focus around preventing falling. But slowly there was more and more research which was coming to the fore around how this could also be useful for active people and in particular runners, to help prevent specific lower limb injuries.

What exactly is foot core? To understand this, let’s explain the core of the trunk first.

The “core” as we know it as runners, is

essentially all the muscles in the trunk that surround the spine, this includes muscles at the back and not just the abdominals. The core is made up of local stabilisers, essentially smaller muscles that stabilise the hip but do not produce a large amount of movement. And larger global movers, the bigger muscle groups, which are responsible for the main amount of movement. Think smaller muscle groups— stabilizers. Larger muscle groups—movers.

When the smaller stabilizing muscles are weak or are not recruited appropriately, the larger muscle groups will essentially take over to ensure movement occurs.

This causes the foundation to be unstable and somewhat misaligned which causes abnormal movement patterns. This can lead to a variety of overuse or other types of injuries. These smaller muscle groups will then just continue to be weak and lazy, and we have to essentially teach or train them to work in the right sort of way, so the bigger muscle groups don’t just take over.

Your foot works in the exact same way. The smaller muscle groups are the stabilisers of the foot which allow for a more stable range of motion and control, and the bigger muscle groups around the lower limb control the main movement of the leg. If we don’t work on those smaller muscles, they become lazy, and the bigger muscles just override them. This causes imbalances and the risk of injuries around the lower limb. Injuries such as shin splints, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, bunions, toe pain and many others.

However, here is the key where I believe foot core becomes as important as working the core of your trunk. The body works as a chain, and if there is a weak link somewhere in this chain this may present at the source or may present further or lower up the chain as a different type of injury. As an example, when you have poor glute strength the body compensates, and this will often be the cause of your knee pain. The way this all works in the body is known as the kinetic chain. And the same is true for the foot. If there is weakness and lack of stability in the foot the body is going

to compensate in some other way, and you may find you have knee or hip pain (as an example) and not just a lower limb injury.

THE FOOT WHILE RUNNING The intrinsic muscles of the foot are responsible for the stabilization of the foot.

These muscle contract eccentrically during the stance phase of running (think about when your foot arches). Before shortening at the propulsion phase of the gait, the arch recoils with the plantar fascia. It is here where those intrinsic small muscles of the foot are vital - providing flexibility, stability, and shock absorption to the foot, whilst partially controlling pronation.

This is all a very scientific and fancy way of saying that the intrinsic muscles of the foot are responsible for: • Power absorption of the foot.

• They act as protectors of the plantar fascia.

• They facilitate the way your foot transfers force from the ground back into the body.

THE SCIENCE There was a study done on 118 recreational runners divided into a control group (no foot-core training) and an intervention group (foot-core training) over a 12-month period where they were assessed every three months.

The group that did not receive the footcore training (control) were 2.42 times more likely to experience a running related injury within the 12-month study period than participants in the intervention group.

This study showed that they were able to reduce the risk of injuries within four to eight months of training the foot core.

I would recommend adding some footcore work to your training regime two to three times per week. It doesn’t need to be long, 10 to 15 minutes per session will suffice. So, if you’re already doing strength training do this at the end of your strength work. Or do these exercises before you go to bed every night. It is a combination of strength and mobility, so these are excellent exercises to add to your schedule to help keep you injury free and make you a better runner.

FOOT CORE EXERCISES Toe Crunches 15-20 reps x 3 Tips: Lay a towel out in front of you.

Using your toes, crunch the towel closer to you. Lay the towel back out and repeat. Keep all toes open and extended trying to reach as far as you can with your toes.

Cautions: Keep foot flat, ensure to use all toes and extend out as far as possible.

Calf Raise 10-12 reps x 3 Tips: Stand up straight facing a wall or supportive surface. Place a tennis ball between both heels. Gently squeeze the ball together evenly with both heels. While maintaining this squeeze, slowly rise onto the balls of your feet.

Your knees should be straight. Control the movement as you lower back to the starting position at the same steady speed and repeat.

Cautions: Keep your knees straight throughout the whole movement.

Ensure the pressure is on the ball of your feet.

Calf Raise (Toe extension)

10-12 reps x 3 Tips: Stand up straight facing a wall or supportive surface. Place a rolled-up towel under your toes so your toes are fully extended. Slowly rise onto the balls of your feet in this position. Your knees should be straight. Control the movement as you lower back to the starting position at the same steady speed and repeat.

Cautions: Keep your knees straight throughout the whole movement.

Ensure the pressure is on the ball of your feet.

For more exercises visit coachparry.com and their YouTube channel: COACH PARRY

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Inspiration Issue I 93

FITNESS

Running Strong and Long

Adding simple mobility exercises can help reduce injury and improve performance

BY CHRISTINE FELSTEAD HOUSE OF BONAS Yoga instructor, offering running for yoga classes, workshops and retreats and best-selling author of Yoga for Runners in Toronto, ON. YOGAFORRUNNERS

YOGAFORRUNNERS

R

unning is a fabulous sport that invigorates the body and mind, perhaps explaining why it is one of the most popular sports worldwide. But it is common for running goals to be derailed as runners face the greatest risk of sustaining an injury during their running careers. Injuries cause stress, discontent, isolation, and even injury depression, which explains the propensity to try to run through them.

Some runners are lucky enough to run a lifetime and hang up their running shoes when they choose to. However far too many stop running because their bodies give up, falling into the ‘I can’t run anymore’ camp. Chronic pain and repeated serious injuries put an end to the sport they once loved. For some this can be after a short time of running but more commonly it happens after years of running. The high risk of injury is due to the repetitive nature of running, overusing some muscles and underusing others. Areas of muscular weakness are glutes, upper body, back and core.

Joints create movement and healthy joints are strong and mobile to move through their full ranges of motion (ROM). Consider the hip joint, a ball-and-socket, multiaxial joint permitting a wide range of motion. Running, walking, or climbing stairs, offers a limited range, in one plane only, contributing to the common ‘tight/stiff hips’ ailment.

Failure to move the joint through all the ranges will impair overall mobility of the joint and contribute to muscle imbalances that put the body at risk of injury. This same principle applies to all 250+ joints in the body. Moving joints through their specific ROM is beneficial for

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running as well as moving with ease through life’s daily activities.

Given that the number one reason people say they run is to stay healthy (Running USA’s National Runner Survey) it is worth examining what that means. It is outside the scope of this article to examine all aspects that comprise a ‘healthy’ body. However, it is safe to say that in addition to running free of pain, other daily movements should also be pain-free. For example: • • • • • •

Get out of bed and walk upright without pain.

Walk (or run) up and down stairs easily and without pain.

Get up and down from a seat without pain.

Sit and get up from the floor easily.

Reach overhead and hold weight without restriction.

Have the agility to move in unexpected ways, as in quickly stepping aside to avoid running into something.

To have longevity in the sport they love, runners would be wise to develop a smart plan to mitigate the risk of injury. Adding movement variability and including exercises that target multiple planes of movement should be part of weekly programming. This will help reduce the risk of injury and improve balance, stability, and athletic performance.

Here are three poses/exercises that will build strength in muscle groups that are commonly weak in runners, glutes, hamstrings, and core.

POSE/EXERCISE

1 Basic Squat TIPS To lower, press hips back and keep knees over ankles.

Keep torso upright instead of leaning forward. Lower slowly, pause, press into feet, and drive up through the hips to straight legs. Repeat 3 sets of 10 reps.

BENEFITS • Strengthens knees that supports the quads, hamstrings, glutes, ankles, and core

2 Glute Bridge TIPS Supine with feet hip-distance apart, arms by side or reaching up. Press feet to the floor, curl tailbone into posterior tilt and lift the hips while keeping lower-back ribs on the floor. Allow lower back to relax. Hold for several diaphragmatic breaths, repeat other side.

BENEFITS • Strengthens glutes and hamstrings • Relieves lower-back pain

3 90/90 Lunge Hover TIPS Kneeling position with front and back leg at 90 degrees.

Stack shoulders, ribs and pelvis, drop tailbone to bring pelvis into posterior tilt. Curl toes under on back foot and, without leaning forward, lift knee to hover, aiming for one inch off floor.

BENEFITS • Strengthens glutes, hamstrings, and core • Mobilizes toe joints

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 95

RUNNING

Seeking the truth behind running injuries

A study of 23,000 runners leads to more mystery than answers

BY JESSICA NATALE WOOLLARD Writer, teacher and communications professional in Victoria, B.C. JRWOOLLARD

GRAHAM MCKERRELL

R

unners seeking a magic bullet to prevent injuries will have to keep searching.

A study published in the Journal of Athletic Training in September 2021 sought correlations between running-related injuries and training parameters—such as distance, duration, frequency, intensity— and changes to training regimens.

To the disappointment of runners everywhere, the research provided no eureka moments.

The study was led by Jean-Francois Esculier, a medical professor at the University of British Columbia and leader of research and development at The Running Clinic, based north of Québec City.

The team examined 36 studies featuring 23,000 adult runners.

Results were underwhelming, if not unexpected: there is no clear connection between injuries and training circumstances.

None of the professionals we spoke with were surprised.

Rob Hasegawa, a chiropractor at Good to Go Sports Therapy in Victoria, B.C., specializes in running injuries and has

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worked with athletes of all levels.

“The more years I’ve been in practice, one of the most common things I do when someone asks me what I think they did (to get injured) is shrug my shoulders,” he says.

“There’s just so many variables… It can be anything on any given day.”

Calgary’s Cal Zaryski, owner of CriticalSpeed.com, agrees, saying “We can’t hang our hats on one or two metrics (like heart rate). It’s just a mathematical model.

The reality is the human body is way more complex than that.”

Zaryski is a high-performance athlete as well as a coach. In 2021, he won both the Ironman 70.3 World Championship and the XTERRA off-road triathlon—his tenth in the latter—for his age group.

Sometimes, the cause of an injury is obvious, he explains, remembering a sore ankle he developed after running barefoot on sloping sand in Maui. Other times, issues “come out of the blue,” he says. “A little ache or pain, or some issue that’s starting to brew. It accumulates. It’s just too complex to figure out the cause of certain things. The key is to catch them before they become an injury.”

The clear message from the study, Zaryski says, is that training prescriptions need to be dynamic, to adapt to each individual’s situation any given day.

One way to ensure dynamism in training is to work with a coach.

Bruce Deacon, two-time Olympic marathoner and running coach in Victoria says having a good coach can help avoid injuries, but there’s a caveat: the runner needs to provide the coach with enough information and feedback to make critical training decisions.

“The value of your money, of your investment (in coaching), is only enhanced when you’re open, honest and trusting with your coach. Let your coach know, ‘I didn’t sleep well, I feel a little niggle in the back of my throat,’” he says, noting that coaches need to know about mood and mental and emotional stress, too. “A coach needs all the information to keep you healthy.”

Ultimately, the takeaway from Esculier’s study is that runners need personalized care to be at their best. Every runner is unique, so unique that the variables that lead to running-related injuries are too broad and too complex to reveal

Avoiding injuries can seem more like art than science.

4 TIPS TO MITIGATE INJURIES

straightforward causes and effects.

So how do we continue to train—to challenge our bodies to get stronger, faster, and more resilient—while also avoiding injury?

“We all want to know how much change we can introduce (without causing injury),” Deacon says. “I agree with the (study’s) premise that the more you change, and the more quickly you change it, the more likely you are going to get hurt.” “(Avoiding injury) becomes more art than science,” he adds.

For Hasegawa, who sees thousands of injuries in his practice, the responsibility for keeping healthy lies with the athlete.

“No one knows you better than yourself.

We have to let go of our ego and be really mindful,” he says. “You have to take responsibility for this. Not your coach, not me. You have to wear this yourself.”

Hagesawa adds: “If we could be more mindful all around to all the different things that are happening in our lives, I think we’d be better off.”

Could mindfulness be the key to avoiding running injuries? Perhaps the magic bullet has been within us all this time.

1

SELF-AWARENESS FOR SELF-PRESERVATION

2

CHANGING FOR GOOD

3

REST, RECOVERY, REBUILD

4

CARE TEAM

If you’re mindful of how you’re feeling, mentally and physically—and, if you’re honest with yourself—you’ll be more likely to catch issues before they develop into injuries.

“We have to let go of our ego,” says Rob Hasegawa, chiropractor at Good to Go Sports Therapy.

“Running as a group is social, but it creates injuries because people don’t listen to their body.

They want to stay with the group until they can’t, unfortunately, until they get injured.”

With self-awareness and maturity, you’ll come to recognize your limits and know when to push and when to rest.

“No one knows you better than yourself,” Hasegawa says.

Whenever you change something in your workout—your shoes, the running surface, the distance—you’re increasing the potential of injury as your body adapts. Change your training routine thoughtfully and carefully to avoid stress that may lead to injury.

On the other hand, change may also be part of the solution. “There’s always going to be changes to your [training] program because of a little ache or pain, or some issue that’s starting to brew or accumulate,” athlete and coach Cal Zaryski says. “The message here is you have to make it so things can change consistently, never be locked in.”

Rest can work in your favour. “If we give our body enough rest, we actually get stronger,” running coach Bruce Deacon says. “In an unrecovered state, all kinds of vulnerabilities come up.”

Runners might become more vulnerable to twisting their ankles, or muscle soreness could lead to a change in form resulting in injury.

The amount of rest needed depends on the individual and their goals.

Assemble a team of coaches and health-care professionals to help look after you and keep you well. Work with people you trust to care for your health, both physical and mental.

“Your moods affect your physiology, and therefore, they affect your vulnerability to injury and sickness,” Deacon says. “Happy runners are healthy.”

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 97

RECIPES

No EggEggs Florentine It’s time to get excited about this classic recipe again!

RECIPE BY DOUG MCNISH NICOLE AXWORTHY Executive vegan chef, consultant, author, educator, activist and father from Toronto, ON. DOUGMCNISH

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DOUGLAS-MCNISH

Y

ou work hard. You deserve to indulge in a brunch fit for royalty this weekend. If you don’t happen to have a fairy godmother to magically whip this up for you, follow my easy recipe for eggs Florentine glazed with my plant-based hollandaise sauce.

The sauce is so lush and creamy you wonder how you ever functioned without it.

Makes 2 servings

INGREDIENTS Tofu • • • • • • • • •

3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. black salt, more for serving ½ tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. garlic powder ¼ tsp. ground turmeric 1/8 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper ½ lb. (225 g) medium-firm tofu, sliced lengthwise into 4 pieces 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Spinach • • • • •

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 4 cups tightly packed chopped spinach 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves ¼ tsp sea salt

For Assembly • • •

1 English muffin, toasted 1 hothouse or beefsteak tomato, cut in 4 slices 1 cup hollandaise sauce

DIRECTIONS 1. In a bowl whisk together the nutritional yeast, flour, black salt, onion powder, garlic powder, turmeric, and pepper. Coat the tofu well in the mixture.

2. In a large frying pan, preferably nonstick, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Cook the tofu until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and wipe the pan clean.

3. In the same pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

Add the spinach and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the garlic powder, thyme, and sea salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

4. To assemble place 2 halves of the English muffin on each of 2 plates. Place one-quarter of the spinach mixture on top of each muffin half. Top each with a slice of tomato, a sprinkle of black salt, and a piece of cooked tofu. Pour about ½ cup of the hollandaise sauce over the tofu on each plate. Serve immediately.

Hollandaise Sauce

A classic hollandaise sauce made from oil, flour and plant milk.

Makes 1 ½ Cups

INGREDIENTS • • • • • • • • •

½ cup coconut oil or melted vegan butter 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/8 tsp. ground turmeric 6 Tbsp. dry white wine, such as Chardonnay ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 cups unsweetened almond milk 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 tsp. black salt

DIRECTIONS 1. In a large saucepan, combine the coconut oil, flour and turmeric over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly 3 to 5 minutes until the raw flour cooks out.

2. Stir in the white wine and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and forms a paste, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and bring to a simmer.

3. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in a cup of the almond milk and use a whisk to remove any lumps.

4. Return the pot to medium, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in the nutritional yeast, mustard and black salt. If the final sauce has any lumps, add it to a blender and blend for 30 seconds to make it smooth. Serve immediately or allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Nutrition facts per serving Calories 1,092; protein 20 g; fat 46 g; carbs 26 g.

Excerpted from The Classics Veganized: Over 120 Favourite Comfort Food Recipes for a Vegan Lifestyle by Doug McNish. Copyright © 2020 Doug McNish. Published by Penguin Canada ®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 99

RECIPES

Grandma’s Vegan Pasta Sauce This sauce is loaded with the flavour you love without the need for meat

T

his perfect vegan pasta sauce recipe was inspired by my Greek roots and family using healthy, plant-based ingredients and tastes so damn good! You won’t have to spend forever in the kitchen making this sauce as it takes only 25 minutes.

Just compile all your ingredients and get ready to cook and marry all the flavours. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and spicy.

Makes: 1 Large Jar

RECIPE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIA KOUTSOGIANNIS Recipe developer & food blogger at FoodbyMaria in Calgary, AB. FOODYBYMARIA

FOODYBYMARIA

INGREDIENTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 small red onions, diced 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tsp. cumin ½ tsp. sea salt 1 Tbsp. dried basil 1 Tbsp. dried oregano 1 Tbsp. dried cilantro ¼ tsp. cinnamon Dash of ground cloves 1 vegetable stock cube or 1 tsp. vegetable stock paste 2 red tomatoes, chopped 1 400 ml can Roma tomatoes 1 cup baby sweet peppers ¼ cup fresh parsley 2 sprigs fresh oregano ½ cup water 1 cup pasta water

DIRECTIONS 1. To a large saucepan add your olive oil and heat for 30 seconds.

2. Add onions and garlic and sweat down for 5 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.

3. Add all spices and vegetable stock. Stir for 2 minutes.

4. Add tomatoes (canned and fresh), pepper and fresh herbs. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

5. Using a fork smash up your tomatoes and ensure the sauce is soft. Add ½ cup water and stir until combined.

6. Let your sauce cool for a few minutes, then put into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

7. Serve hot with a pasta of your choice or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition facts Calories 518; protein 8 g; fat 43 g; carbs 24 g.

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IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 101

RECIPES

Muesli and Cashew Yogurt Parfait Perfect for an easy breakfast, snack or dessert!

NICOLE AXWORTHY RECIPE BY DOUG MCNISH Executive vegan chef, consultant, author, educator, activist and father from Toronto, ON. DOUGMCNISH

DOUGLAS-MCNISH

D

on’t let the seeming simplicity of this dish fool you—it’s packed with flavours and textures that are sure to wake up your senses and please your palate. The silky-smooth yogurt is made with creamy cashews and pairs perfectly with the nutty homemade muesli. Top with fresh berries for extra bursts of flavour and a sweet morning meal that will definitely put a smile on your face as you start the day.

Makes 2 or 3 servings

INGREDIENTS Muesli • • • • • • • •

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats ½ cup raisins ¼ cup raw walnut halves ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds ¼ cup raw pecan halves 1 tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. sea salt

Cashew Yogurt • • • • • • •

1 cup raw cashews 2 ½ cups water, divided ¼ cup maple syrup 1 ½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract probiotic capsule (optional; see Tip)

Softened Berries • • • • •

½ cup frozen or fresh strawberries ½ cup frozen blueberries 2 tsp. maple syrup 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

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DIRECTIONS 1. Muesli In a medium bowl, combine the oats, raisins, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pecans, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until well combined.

2. Cashew Yogurt In a small pot, combine the cashews and 2 cups of the water.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Drain the cooking water and discard.

3. In a high-speed blender, combine the cooked cashews with the remaining ½ cup water, maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and the contents of the probiotic capsule, if using. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy.

4. Berries In a small bowl, mix together the strawberries, blueberries, maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla. Set aside in a warm place so that the berries can defrost, about 30 minutes. Using the back of a fork, gently press on the berries so they release some of their juices.

5. Assemble In parfait dishes or glasses, start by filling each dish one-third full with the yogurt. Add about ¼ cup of the berries, followed by about ⅓ cup of the muesli.

Repeat until the dishes are full and serve immediately. Store leftover muesli in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Store leftover yogurt and berries separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Tip: Adding a probiotic capsule (make sure it’s vegan!) to the mixture adds some of the beneficial bacteria that traditional yogurt has. If you want to take this a step further, leave the bowl of yogurt, covered with a kitchen towel, on the counter in a warm place for 24 hours so that the bacteria can grow. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition facts per serving Calories 750; protein 19 g; fat 42 g; carbs 81 g.

Excerpted from The Classics Veganized: Over 120 Favourite Comfort Food Recipes for a Vegan Lifestyle by Doug McNish. Copyright © 2020 Doug McNish. Published

by Penguin Canada ®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved

IMPACT MAGAZINE I Running Issue I 103

FINAL IMPACT

A Unique Running Companion Meet the ultra-endurance athlete whose training pals are goats

BY MARISSA TIEL

KEYLIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY Award-winning freelance journalist, photographer, and outdoor adventurist in Vancouver, B.C. MARISSATIEL

Shanda Hill and her four-year old goat.

MARISSATIEL

R

unners have long kept animal companions. Most common are trail dogs; ultra runner Chris McDougall runs with his rescue donkey Sherman; then there’s Vernon, B.C.’s Shanda Hill and her run buddies—her tribe of goats.

When Hill initially got the goats she hadn’t planned on running with them but found them to be excellent training partners. The 40-year-old ultra-endurance athlete had five goats before she moved in with her partner and doubled the pack.

There’s now Yoda, Wicket, Spirit, Sparky, Hudson, Gonzo, Thumper, Bucky, Huck, and Chewie. All are Nigerian dwarf goats, except for brothers Gonzo and Hudson who are half LeMancha.

The goats join her on some short runs: “nothing too crazy,” she says. Hiking and paddle boarding at nearby Kalamalka Lake are also activities they enjoy together. “It

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may seem unique,” says Hill, “but to me, my goats are kind of like dogs.”

Yoda is the oldest—now four years old—and very special to Hill. He joined her in 2018 alongside his brother but after the sibling was killed by a cougar, they developed a tight bond with Yoda going everywhere with Hill—from home to landscaping work and joining her on some training sessions.

“The beautiful thing about goats,” she says, “is that they’re pretty hardy, they’re really sure-footed and you know they’re never going to bite anybody.”

Hill and the goats are regular fixtures along the Okanagan Rail Trail. She says they can be quite stubborn and know their limits. “They’re very independent and they’re very strong-willed,” she says, “so when they decide that they’re tired they will literally wait for somebody they

can follow like a herd, and they will turn around and go back with that person.”

Hill is the first Canadian to complete a double deca triathlon—20 Ironmandistance races in 28 days but this summer she has decided to stay closer to home and run trail races, including the Freaky Creeky 100 in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park and the Dirty Feet Heartbreak 100 in Kamloops.

Yoda may have to do some catch up, however, at his peak he was running between 10 and 12 kilometres with Hill, but he has put on a few pounds in the off season and so will start with some hikes and—just like any athlete—build a training base.

It has been said that two of the best ways to stick to a training program are to do it with pals, and to make it fun. As Hill kicks her own training into gear, she certainly has both of those covered.

© 2022 ASICS Corporation. All rights reserved.