Innholdsfortegnelse for Trail Special 2023 i Canadian Running

I particularly love trail running in winter. And I’m fortunate that there are easily accessible singletrack trails near my home in Toronto. The snow muffles all sound, the absence of leaves reveals great views across the Don Valley and the constant undulation is the perfect antidote to my winter running funk. It’s a weekend treat, since the trails are too far from work for a lunchtime jaunt, and I don’t feel safe running trails in the (dark) early morning by myself (even with a headlamp). There are other considerations. I’m never very far from civilization, and I’ve been fortunate not to encounter anything more dangerous than the odd fat-bike rider or unleashed (but friendly) dog. But there’s a first time for everything. I know a woman who broke her fibula…

Men have relatively stable levels of sex hormones from day to day, but women’s levels of estrogen and progesterone fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle. A typical cycle is 21–35 days, and can be split into two phases: follicular (from day one of your period until ovulation occurs, approximately two weeks later) and luteal (from ovulation until your next period). Both estrogen and progesterone levels are low early in the cycle, but as ovulation approaches, progesterone remains low while estrogen starts to rise. During the luteal phase, both estrogen and progesterone levels are high. These hormonal fluctuations have physiological effects beyond those associated with reproduction, and these fluctuations result in physiological changes that may have a bearing on nutrition choices across the cycle. Resting metabolic rate Resting metabolic rate refers to…

What’s more fun than speedwork and hill training? Doing them both in the same workout. Trail runners are a little crazy to begin with, so if you’re not already one, here’s an intro. Most running workouts focus on either speed or hill intervals. The idea behind this workout is to bridge the two exercise types into one workout. This will prepare you for the varying terrain you’ll come across at most trail races. Don’t have a trail nearby? You can still perform this workout on the road, but you’ll need to find a decent hill (10 to 15 per cent grade) for part of the workout. For the first part of the workout (16 minutes of one minute fast, one minute easy), you’ll want to find a flat, non-technical trail…

It’s May, 2022 when I first meet Ihor Verys. We are both running loops at the inaugural B.C. Backyard Ultra in Salmon Arm. Sporting a blue baseball cap with UKRAINE on it, the Chilliwack-based 28-year-old is smiling and friendly. Tall, with powerful legs, he runs with a metronomic gait, appearing completely relaxed even after 24 hours—the point at which I drop out, having achieved my goal of 100 miles. Other athletes, aware that the previous fall, he won the very challenging Finalyson Arm 100K on Vancouver Island—his first ultra—are clearly in awe of him. Verys won again in Salmon Arm, with 39 “yards” (6.71-km loops, run every hour until only one person is left)—i.e., a total of almost 262 km over a 39-hour period. His win earned him a spot…

Growing up in a musical family on the south shore of Montreal, singer-songwriter Léa Sanacore, 32, was inspired to run by her mother, who would often run take the family’s rambunctious Labrador puppy for 10-km runs in the early morning. Léa also participated in Terry Fox runs at school. Her parents taught her to play fiddle as a young child, and she later picked up guitar; she began her career covering songs by Joni Mitchell and James Taylor at bars and coffee shops, and eventually she started to write her own songs. 2013 was a big year for Sanacore: she and her father, Denis, performed their song “Here, Now and Then” in the film The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (who is also known for the…

I love the solitude of trail running, but experience has taught me I am rarely alone in the woods. I used to provide my family with fictitious road loops when when they asked about my route for the day. They worried about “strangers” on the trails of the wild west coast. Most of the time, I run too early to encounter other people. It’s just me and the critters awake at dawn. During a family discussion about wildlife encounters, my father-in-law said, “If you see one animal on the trail, remember that many more are watching you!” I am a heavy-footed runner and thump through the trails, breathing laboriously and occasionally tripping over exposed roots and rocks. Animals will definitely hear me before I hear or see them. Still, I’m…

Re: Sports med experts editorial January & February 2023 I am a 57-year-old man, and I have been running for decades. You name the injury, I’ve had it! I just wanted to thank you for writing that important editorial. All runners need to read this, especially those who have been given (with all the best intentions) professional advice to quit running. I was given that advice from my physician following a chronic Achilles tendon injury. She said because of where my injury was, and given the lack of blood flow in that area, that I needed to find another form of exercise (I was 52 at the time). After getting over my grief, I conceded to her advice and quit running—that is, until I shared my story with an older…

We see you out on the trails—training diligently, stowing your snacks and hydration packets and preparing for anything that comes your way. But what do you do when you’re out in nature and it calls? Turns out, urinating or popping a squat isn’t as simple as just pulling over and dropping trou. Luckily, our expert, avid trail runner and strength coach Meghan Burrows of Markham, Ont., knows a thing or two about this: she’s been perfecting her technique for the last six years. “Most recently, I had the pleasure of using outdoor bathrooms during the Canadian Death Race 125K ultramarathon relay at 20 weeks pregnant,” she says. Read on for her advice to relieve yourself of the uncertainty. Feeling nervous? Burrows has some real talk for you: “You’re out there…

The Mechanics of Downhill Running How to prepare for and execute descents in trail races Halfway through my first mountain trail race, I was ready to start celebrating. We were approaching the high point of the King of the Mountain race in the remote Australian town of Lithgow, and I was tucked right behind the leader, feeling relaxed, ready to turn back down the hill and head to the finish line. The hard part was over: it would be, quite literally, all downhill from there. Then it all went south. As we headed back down the rocky trail, the leader rocketed away from me even though I was running as fast as I could safely go. Soon other runners started to stream past me, and by the time we reached…

In 2019, Jazmine Lowther, now 30, won her first ultra—Tackle the Toad, a small 50K in Nelson, B.C., and it was a portent of many excellent performances to come. In April 2022, Lowther commanded attention across North America by winning the Canyons 100K in California (in a one-second course record). An injury kept her from cashing in her golden ticket to the Western States Endurance Run, but in August she finished fourth at UTMB’s CCC, a 100K race from Courmayeur, Italy, to Chamonix, France. She is now sponsored by The North Face. 1.  How did you get into trail running? In high school, I played soccer and was involved in dance, and in university I ran casually to keep fit, but became obsessed with rock climbing. In 2019, I signed…

Most trail runners eat real foods, rather than just gels (though gels are handy in a pinch). Using ingredients you can pronounce, sugar (to restore glycogen stores) and items like oats and nut butters that fill you up, these delicious treats fuel you on the trails and are also great after your run, with coffee. For me, the recipes also evoke wonderful memories—date bars (or matrimonial bars, as my mother and grandmother call them) remind me of being a kid, covered in crumbs; Barb’s Magic Cookies are from a former landlord, who used to leave these at our door for my roommate and me before races; and banana nut bars are the commute-friendly version of the pancakes topped with bananas and chopped nuts that my mum used to make. Date…

Strengthening the often-neglected muscles of the toes, feet and ankles can significantly improve running performance and prevent injury. Improving foot and lower-leg strength has been linked to better balance for running on uneven terrain, jumping ability (think leaping or hopping over roots and obstacles) and running speed. Add this foot and lower leg routine to your week to improve your trail-running ability and experience this year. The Routine  Do exercises 1 to 3 twice weekly after a run, and exercises 4 and 5 daily, before or after a run. You’ll need a balance pad or couch pillow and a mini-band or long circular band that you can anchor around a stable object. Exercise 1 Inversion Calf Raise Stand with your feet on the edges of a balance pad or couch…

In trail racing, runners’ level of preparedness quickly becomes evident. You may be fast, but can you climb? How strong is your downhill performance? Is it possible to arrive well prepared for a trail race with a substantial elevation profile, even if you live and train in an area of low elevation? The physiology for climbing revolves around your glutes, hamstrings, calves and posture, and for descending, it’s about the quadriceps, ankle and hip stability. Training these muscle groups and joints will be key to your confidence when racing on trails. Here are some tips for improving your chances for a strong performance. Increase your training volume If you live in a region with low elevation, you can offset this by increasing your volume. Varying your workouts between speed/hills, easy…

If you’re intrigued by the idea of spending more time in nature, want a more full-body version of running or you want to give your body a break from all that asphalt, trail running is the answer. It’s also just plain fun—that’s why more and more pro road runners are making the shift from pavement to dirt. 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden recently made the shift to the trail. Greek-American track and marathon runner Alexi Pappas also recently popped into her first ultra on dirt. For this article, we spoke to Canadian superstars Marianne Hogan (former track-runner-turned-UTMB-silver-medallist) and Reid Coolsaet (Olympic marathoner-turned-trail-runner) for their insights on how to transition from road and track to trail. We also consulted Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run. First published in 2009,…

We Can’t Run Away From This By Damian Hall Vertebrate Publishing, 2022 In this book, ultramarathon runner and recent winner of the U.K.’s 268-mile Spine Race, Damian Hall, walks a tricky tightrope. He acknowledges that we runners probably see ourselves as more in tune with the environment than most, but he’s here to warn us that our hobby is a significant contributor to the global climate crisis. That said, this meticulously researched book is impressively free from accusations about individual choices. Hall’s opprobrium is reserved for the greedy corporations that insist on profits above all else. “We shouldn’t feel guilty for existing,” he says. “It’s not our fault that we live in a system so reliant on fossil fuels.” This book respects its reader, and the end result is compelling…

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