Innholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2021 i Canadian Running

As I write this, I’m about 10 days out from being allowed to start running again after arthroscopic knee surgery. My injury has prevented me from running for the better part of a year, and the fact that it’s the middle of January doesn’t dampen my excitement a bit. My biggest takeaway from this experience was that running injuries require the attention of an experienced sports medicine professional. (Another doc had told me that my injury would heal without surgery, which was not quite true. He also told me – I kid you not – that running would ruin my knees.) This issue’s cover story by Andrew McKay on how our bodies change as we advance through life has particular resonance for recreational runners like me, who dabbled in the…

Music and injuries People have strong opinions about running with headphones. Some runners wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without them; others feel they create a safety hazard, because you’re less aware of your environment. Back in 2007, the governing body for running in the United States banned headphones in races, both for safety reasons and to prevent runners from getting a competitive edge. After widespread pushback, the rule was relaxed for non-elite runners the following year. A recent study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology offers a new twist on the debate: under certain circumstances, researchers from the University of Sassari in Italy argue, running with music might increase your risk of injury. If you can’t hear your footsteps properly, they suggest, you lose the ability to…

Kirsten Fleming was in San Diego, trying to find a flight home to Calgary after a trip with her girlfriends from high school, when the reality of the pandemic sank in. “My husband told me I shouldn’t go,” says the executive director of Run Calgary and the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon, “but I went anyway. I was a dummy, in retrospect. Our biggest concern was, am I going to have to isolate for two weeks when I get back? “Then on Mar. 12 – the day after the nba announced it was suspending games – we suspended registration. Suddenly I was on the phone with all our major brand partners, my board of directors and our sponsors. We were crafting communications for all the platforms and our newsletter while I was…

Saucony Skyrocket $40 Low to medium support XXS to XL Calypso Coral, White, Black For runners who want something affordable, don’t need a lot of support and are happy with an unstructured bra, the Skyrocket is perfect. This high-necked racerback bra from Saucony fits snugly and looks great on its own on warm days. The fabric is 89 per cent recycled polyester and 11 per cent spandex, the antimicrobial fabric is “unstinkable,” and you can wear it for the sweatiest runs with full confidence. Nice and simple, with no fussy straps or gewgaws, this is a no-nonsense run bra that gets the job done. Puma Exhale Studio Bra $65 Low to medium support XS to XL Ensign Blue, After Dark For runners who don’t need a ton of support, the…

Bravey Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas By Alexi Pappas Penguin Random House My Mother’s Daughter A Memoir of Struggle and Triumph By Perdita Felicien Doubleday Canada (Pre-orders until March 30) When runner, filmmaker and writer Alexi Pappas read Variety’s review of her first film, Tracktown, the day after it premiered at the L.A. Film Festival, she was dismayed by its reference to her “flat chest and freakishly gnarled feet.” Of course, her chest and feet are not unusual among Olympians in the 10,000m, but for this critic, the casting was a little too authentic. (Pappas played the main character. Other critics were less unkind.) Pappas is not your average runner, writer or filmmaker, and though she has many fans, she also has detractors who are uncomfortable with…

Sometimes, as adults, we crave kids’ menu dinner items, like hot, crispy chicken tenders, creamy, delicious mac and cheese, quesadillas, cheese pizza and spaghetti (and pancakes for breakfast). These dishes still elicit as much excitement as they did when we were five. We’ve given a few of these classics a fresh twist, to make them a little more nutritious for runners, and even more delicious. Crispy Chicken Tenders and Homemade Caesar Salad Ingredients Crispy Chicken Tenders1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbsNon-stick olive oil cooking spray1 tsp salt1 tsp black pepper1 tsp onion powder1 tsp paprika1/2 tsp garlic powder1/4 tsp cayenne pepper2 large eggs2 tbsp milk1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 2. Spread breadcrumbs in an even layer on a large baking sheet.…

Are you hoping to perform well in your next 5k or 10k race? There are many ways to increase aerobic capacity, but I have found that high-volume, controlled, sub-maximal aerobic intervals have greatly increased my endurance in the last few months, leading to new PBs in both the 10,000m and the 5,000m. I believe they can benefit anyone looking to PB at any distance from the 1,500m to the half-marathon. The goal is to run a high volume of fast running by splitting that distance into short-to-medium intervals with very little rest. For a beginner, it might mean 3 km to 6 km of volume; for an intermediate or advanced runner, aim for 8–12 km. You should aim for a rhythm somewhere between your half-marathon and 10k race pace. Intervals…

Unless you’ve experienced it, it’s really hard to describe the pressure of a national cross-country championship when the title is on the line. It’s different if your team is simply looking for a good day – say, a finish in the top five. To win gold requires sterling performances from everyone on the team. There’s no room for anyone to have a bad day. Even if you might have a stress fracture. Even if you are the world’s best Para triathlete, with four world titles to your name and a Paralympic silver medal earned when you were only 19. “He’s the glue of the team,” Calgary coach Doug Lamont says of Stefan Daniel. “He got us through the tough times.” In November 2019, Daniel lined up at the U Sports…

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Canada’s Wodak and Preisner shine at The Marathon Project On a chilly December morning in Chandler, Ariz., 88 pro runners lined up to run in the first-ever Marathon Project, organized by naz Elite coach Ben Rosario and sports agent Josh Cox. Martin Hehir was the first to cross the finish line, in 2:08:59, and Sara Hall won the women’s race in 2:20:32, less than a minute off Deena Kastor’s American record, only 11 weeks after her second-place finish at the London Marathon. Natasha Wodak and Ben Preisner were the first Canadian woman and man across the line, Wodak in 2:26:19 (the second-fastest time ever run by a Canadian woman) and Preisner in 2:10:17, good enough for ninth place in his first official marathon. Both have now run Olympic-qualifying times and…

Let’s call it the Ed Whitlock effect: today’s runners, some inspired by the ageless Canadian wonder who continued to set records well into his 80s, are striving to get faster at older ages. There’s no shortage of inspiration to be found. If Whitlock’s not your taste, how about West Vancouver’s Olga Kotelko? Kotelko didn’t take up track and field until she was 77 – and in the next 18 years she set 34 world records, including 15 after turning 95 (not long before she died, in 2014). When she was examined by McGill University researchers at age 91, Kotelko’s muscle fibres showed less decay than you’d find in most 65-year-olds. Alas, this isn’t an inspirational story about how you can overcome the greatest of challenges with genetics, a little gumption…

Puma Deviate Nitro BEST NEW MODEL Category: Neutral Men’s: 268 g (9.5 oz.) Women’s: 218 g (7.7 oz.) Drop: 8 mm $200 Puma is a well-established brand in the sports world, but the new, maximalist Deviate Nitro (one of a suite of shoes using the brand’s innovative midsole cushioning material) proves it’s serious about running (as does their recent signing of marathoner Molly Seidel and steeplechaser Aisha Praught-Leer). With a thin mesh upper, an embedded carbon composite plate and a 32 mm nitrogen-infused midsole, the Deviate is a very springy, propulsive shoe designed to take you through long training runs efficiently and with less wear and tear on your legs than a non-plated shoe. For runners accustomed to the feel of better-known plated shoes, the Deviate has a similar pop…

Kim Smith grew up in a competitive family. “I was always very competitive in school, achieving outstanding academic and athletic awards,” Smith says. “It’s just something that is part of my being.” Smith’s running journey began in elementary school, where she ran track and field, and continued in junior high, where she ran cross-country. Smith says she was drawn to running because it was a sport that everyone could participate in – even tall, awkward kids like herself. She consistently performed well at races. When she reached high school, Smith’s focus shifted to competitive swimming, and for the next few years, running went on the back burner. She got married and had four children, and at 32, she got back into running. “I wanted to do something for me, and…