Innholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2020 i Canadian Running

This time last year, I was in New York covering the NYC Marathon, and I was fortunate enough to run in Barcelona, Boston and Los Angeles in 2019. Little did I know that there wouldn’t be an NYC Marathon – or any mass-participation races – in 2020. Or that it would be the last time I would leave Ontario for at least a year. I’m not complaining – I’m fortunate to have a job and a healthy family. But the world has changed, and the onus is on us to reflect these changes in our pages. This month, Andrea Hill reflects on how the pandemic has affected the world of running. In addition to our regular winter shoe review and holiday gift guide, we have three-time Olympian Rosey Edeh profiling…

No fancy equipment or heavy weights are necessary for a good strengthening routine, but a suspension trainer system (like the very popular TRX) is a great tool. This workout targets the major running muscles (quads, hamstrings and glutes), core and pelvic stabilizers – and your posture and running performance will benefit accordingly. The workout is composed of three pairs of exercises. Take a brief moment of rest between exercises in the same pair and take 60 seconds’ rest between sets in each pair. Take two minutes’ rest before the next pair. PAIR A A1 Single Leg Bridge to Row FOR: Gluteus maximus, rhomboids, trapezius SETUP: Set the handles of the TRX trainer to stomach height. Sit on the ground or floor, holding the handles, with your knees bent and feet…

When the first snow arrives, many runners will have hung up their running shoes or switched to indoor training. I used to as well, but really wished I had the guts to face the freezing Quebec City weather. I finally bit the bullet and joined a winter running club, only to come back from my first outing overheated because I wore every piece of clothing I had. While venturing outside during the colder months could seem best left to the more seasoned athletes, a little preparation can help running enthusiasts of all levels master the cold and snow. Here are some pro tips to stay warm, injury-free and motivated enough to crush winter workouts. Keeping Warm The most confusing part of training outside in winter is knowing what to wear.…

Should you take electrolytes during a long run? The thing about a long run is, if you think it helps, it probably does. It’s such a long slog, with myriad elements impacting your performance, that anything that makes you feel better will help you get through it. But the conventional wisdom – that you need to replenish the electrolytes you lose via sweat – has been under fire for decades, and the science on it is questionable at best. Recent studies indicate confusion around what’s actually happening – just because your body is excreting salt, for example, doesn’t mean you have a shortage of saline in your body. Similarly, despite what some people believe, you don’t get hyponatremia (a dangerous condition resulting from drinking too much water) from electrolyte loss…

BOOKS Fauja Singh Keeps Going By Simran Jeet Singh, Illus. by Baljinder Kaur Penguin Random House $24 With a foreword by Fauja Singh himself, said to be 109 years old, this sweetly illustrated children’s book tells a story of resilience, achievement and what it’s like to run the Toronto Waterfront Marathon at 100 (which he did, in 2011). The Athlete’s Gut By Patrick Wilson, PhD, RD Velo Press $33 Everything you ever wanted to know about why you so often experience gastro distress on the run, how the digestive system works and steps you can take to minimize the discomfort. Girls Running By Melody Fairchild and Elizabeth Carey Velo Press $26 For the young women runners in your life: a primer for middle- and high-school girls about their powerful, changing…

Managing Editor Anne Francis anne@runningmagazine.ca Senior Editors Alex Hutchinson, Kevin Mackinnon Contributing Editor Christopher Kelsall Staff Writers Madeleine Kelly, Ben Snider-McGrath, Dan Way Photo Editor Matt Stetson matt.stetson@gripped.com Copy Editor Amy Stupavsky Art Director Warren Wheeler (Roseander Main)layout@runningmagazine.ca Production Artist Warren Hardy Web Development Sean Rasmussen Digital Operations Dmitry Beniaminov Publisher Sam Cohen sam@gripped.com Editorial Director David Smart dave@gripped.com Advertising & Sales Andre Cheuk andre@gripped.com Account Managers Joel Vosburg joel@gripped.com Lorena Jones lorena@gripped.com Circulation Manager Robyn Milburn robyn@gripped.com Social Media Nikita van Dijk nikita@gripped.com SUBSCRIBE Send $22.95 (1 year) or $39.95 (2 years) to Canadian Running magazine, PO Box 819 Station Main, Markham, ON, Canada L3P 8L3 or call: 1.800.567.0444 SUBMIT Manuscripts, photographs and other correspondence are welcome. Please contact Canadian Running magazine for contributors’ guidelines, or see them on…

Root vegetables are integral to Canadian winters, and winter fruits are bursting with citrusy flavour. Combine the sweet citrus with the depth of root vegetable flavour, and the pairings are delectable. These recipes are great as individual courses, but pair well in their flavour palate and time commitment for a Sunday post-long-run get-together with your bubble. Slow Cooker Beef Ragù with Pappardelle Ingredients 2.5 lb. (1.2 kg) chuck beef or other slow-cooking beef cut, cut into four equal piecesBlack pepper to taste3 tbsp olive oil3 cloves garlic, minced1 onion, diced1 cup carrots, diced1 cup celery, diced28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes3 tbsp tomato paste1 cup full-bodied red wine (merlot or cabernet sauvignon are good choices), or substitute with beef broth/stock1 1/2 cups beef stock (use only ½ to ¾ cup if…

Races don’t always go to plan, and sometimes it’s just not your day. But sometimes it’s because you’re overlooking one or more of the basics that make training effective. Here are five ways to avoid sabotaging your training. Keep a training log If you’re following a training plan, great. But do you also keep a training diary or log? This will give you a clear picture of how your last training cycle went and can offer valuable clues to explain a disappointing performance (such as an injury or illness). Without this information, you may be lacking a complete picture of why you didn’t meet your race goal. Make note of your weekly volume, your pace during workouts, any rest periods, how you felt during your run and factors like weather,…

Drafting 101 The most obvious benefit of running behind a pacer is that you don’t have to think about how fast to go. Want to run a 3:30 marathon? Tuck in behind the 3:30 pace leader, turn your mind off and run. But ever since Eliud Kipchoge’s elaborately detailed assaults on the two-hour marathon barrier began in 2017, runners have started to pay more attention to another benefit: reducing the effects of wind and air resistance. While these effects are more noticeable at 2:00 marathon pace than 3:00 or 4:00 pace, tucking in behind someone else on a breezy day can help at any pace. But where, exactly, should you tuck? In a recent issue of the Journal of Biomechanics, French researchers led by Fabien Beaumont of the University of…

For most of her life, Alicia Anderson hated running. She remembers being forced to run in high-school gym class and despising it. When she graduated, she never imagined she would run again. But then the COVID-19 pandemic happened, and almost everything changed – including her feelings about running. Before the pandemic, Anderson, who lives in Dalmeny, Sask., stayed active by playing volleyball and lifting weights in the gym. Neither was an option when indoor facilities closed in March to curb the spread of the coronavirus. For the next month or so, Anderson, 31, didn’t exercise much, and by the end of April, she was so desperate to be active that she decided to run, even though she didn’t expect to enjoy it. “Honestly, it was because it was free. I…

Under Armour HOVR Phantom 2 Coldgear Reactor Designed for: Roads Category: Neutral Men’s: 327 g (11.54 oz.) Women’s: 262 g (9.24 oz.) Drop: 9 mm $200 The Phantom 2 Coldgear Reactor is a striking-looking shoe with an insulated upper that’s best for your short, fast, cold winter runs in the city – runs where you need warmth, weather resistance and a performance outsole that keeps you on your feet in sub-par conditions. The full-length HOVR midsole makes the shoe comfortable and springy, while the external heel counter helps keep you solid within the shoe. The chamois-like sock liner means the shoe feels super-comfy right when you step into it. The soft, high collar has pull tabs at the heel and tongue, which make it easy to get on, and all…

Endurance running is a demanding sport requiring, at times, near-constant fuelling and refuelling. Athletes need to eat significantly more during intense training periods, and this may be at odds with their desire to reach their perceived ideal body composition. The desire to perform well is not limited to competitive athletes, and counting calories in the misguided belief that a lighter body always means faster race times is not limited to female athletes. While some runners’ performance may occasionally improve with weight loss, most will perform better by maintaining a healthy weight. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to weight and body composition. Runners who want to (or have been advised to) lose a significant amount of weight should consult a sport dietitian, sport medicine doctor and mental health…

If you’ve recently bought a smartwatch or fitness wearable, you may have noticed that it monitors your HRV, or heart rate variability, and you might be wondering what that is. This metric isn’t new, and apps have been around to test it for several years, but in recent months, trackers such as Whoop have brought HRV further into runners’ collective consciousness. Unlike heart rate, which counts your beats per minute, heart rate variability refers to the time between heartbeats and how much that changes from beat to beat. That variability is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, which monitors physiological stress, making it a good measure of all your stressors, from training and lifestyle combined. For runners, especially Type As who often push until they’re overtrained and maxed out, understanding…

With most races cancelled this summer, the new currency among elite racers and adventure-seeking recreational runners became fastest known times (FKTs) on trails. When runners can’t race, they can still try to set wickedly fast times on well-known trails, especially those that usually require a few days of hiking to complete. And Canada boasts plenty of those. “Having an extra little bit of motivation, especially in the pandemic with no race goals, was great,” says Hilary Spires, a Vancouver-based ultrarunner and host of the Trail Running Women podcast, who recently tackled B.C.’s Juan de Fuca Marine Trail with fellow Vancouver transplant Katie Mills for an unsupported women’s team FKT of 7:06 in July. “To have a time-based goal that we were trying to get under was something to work toward:…

When Filsan Abdiaman of Toronto raced the Diez Vista 100K in Port Moody, B.C., as her first ultramarathon in April 2018, it represented a breakthrough in her life. In recovery from a persistent eating disorder, she had always found running therapeutic, and she conceived this first ultra as the celebration of a piece of therapy homework: writing herself 100 letters of love and encouragement. And the fact that she felt inspired to keep going in both her recovery and her running journey, despite missing one of the race’s cutoff times, made it feel like a victory. “I went through so many emotions,” Abdiaman says. “I was ecstatic. I was happy. I cried for all the times I binged and did horrible things to my body. I celebrated all my achievements…

Running in Lethbridge is anything but lonely. With one of Alberta’s largest and most well-established running communities, the club associated with the Runners Soul store boasts hundreds of dedicated members. Lethbridge runners are known as some of the friendliest around, and it’s no surprise they keep coming back for more, since the biggest benefit of joining the club is the lifelong friendships made. In 1995, club founder Ron Bain created a solid foundation that has brought together community members who otherwise may never have had a reason to cross paths. Current owners Shawn and Erin Pinder have created a unique club culture that values competition and education equally, and the club welcomes recreational as well as elite runners. Shawn, a competitive swimmer, and Erin, a physiotherapist, encourage the club’s runners…