Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2024 i Canadian Running

David grew up in London, Ont., and ran his first track race in Grade 6: “I ran the 800m on a whim, in high-top basketball shoes,” he says. “It went as well as anyone would’ve expected—i.e., poorly. I decided to stick to basketball, and cut my track career short at age 11.” He didn’t really think about running again until his university days. David joined us as The Shakeout Podcast’s producer and host in October 2023. He adapted to the role so smoothly, and seemed so good-natured and affable, that it’s hard to imagine he was once beset by anxiety and took up running as a potential remedy. “Trying to balance school, work and internships felt overwhelming, so I started researching natural ways to combat anxiety,” he says. Over the…

Fartlek, which is Swedish for “speed play,” involves injecting your workout with varied paces that can range from a easy jog to an all-out sprint. Fartleks are a staple of my training; I’ve used them to prepare for both collegiate cross country and on the track as a steeplechaser. The purpose behind these workouts is to maintain base aerobic strength, which has been important for me year-round. Since the speeds are flexible, our team uses them both as introductory workouts in the early fall and deep into the track season as a way to ensure we maintain our strength as we transition to sharpening workouts on the track. One particular fartlek we do quite often is called 3,4,5,4,3,2,1. This ladder workout can be done on the roads, grass or track,…

Of all the running injuries, the most worrisome among my running peers involves the Achilles tendon. Discomfort in the back of the ankle may take many forms and can be notoriously slow to heal, requiring a variety of approaches. In Greek mythology, the great warrior’s mother dipped the infant Achilles in the River Styx to make him invincible—but she held him by his heels, which didn’t get dipped (hence the expression). The myth lives on in running, as “Achilles issues” are not to be trifled with. However, with prevention, good guidance, diligent rehabilitation and a lot of determination, runners can return to form and stave off recurrences. Chiropractor Dr. Elna Johnson of the Optimal Performance Clinic in Burnaby, B.C., explains that Achilles injuries can be broken down into three main…

When Brian McLean and his wife bought a home in Picton, Ont., in 2019, it was partly because they wanted to be part of the Prince Edward County Marathon. That chance came this year (the race’s 21st year), when, after 20 years of organizing the marathon, the previous race directors, Mark Henry and Lynne Ellis, decided it was time to move on. The point-to-point race is relatively flat, with a few rolling hills, and scenic—with bustling villages, picturesque wineries, gorgeous beaches and lake views. The marathon starts in Wellington, and the half starts just outside Sandbanks Provincial Park, which has for decades attracted campers and beach-goers. All races finish in Picton. McLean, himself a veteran marathoner, has race directorship in his legs; for the last 25 years, he has helmed…

People often start running to drop a few pounds. Hopefully, they fall in love with it, move beyond the number on the scale and continue running for its many other benefits; but for many people, it’s impossible to decouple running from the weight-loss goal. When done correctly, running can help people struggling with excess weight to shed pounds—and continuing to run can be effective way to keep them off. But the subject of running and weight loss is fraught with mythology. We delve into some of the problems with the weight-loss approach to running, including what actually works, what definitely doesn’t and how to keep running as part of your life, regardless of whether you lose weight. Myth You can run a marathon PB while dropping 10 pounds You can…

A friend once gave me a wonderful gift when she counselled, “Never leave home without your running shoes.” Initially, I balked. “When I go away, it’s my chance to take a break from exercise!” I said. The instructive friend was also my boss at the time. When she sent me to Boston for some professional development a few months later, Jo-Anne reminded me to pack my running gear. So I did, and it has been such a gift—to explore places new and old while running. I will never forget the July morning when I headed out from my room at Boston University, only to be slammed with a stifling heat and humidity I had never felt before. I jogged through the streets, eventually ending up on a dirt track that…

A fitness slider is a fantastic piece of fitness equipment that takes its origin from the traditional furniture slider. A foam upper with a slippery plastic base, a furniture slider is convenient, transportable and can provide a unique training experience. This is a workout you can do in the comfort of your own home (or a hotel room, if you’re out of town). Build resilience and stronger running muscles with this challenging but simple workout. THE WORKOUT Exercise 1 The Multi-Lunge: Reverse Lunge, Crossover Lunge & Lateral Lunge TARGET MUSCLES Quadriceps, hamstrings, groin and glutes HOW Stand with a fitness slider under your right foot. Slide your right foot behind you and lower your body toward the floor to perform a reverse lunge. Stay tall, gently touch your right knee…

In a structured training program, every run has a purpose. Hill workouts build strength. Sprints improve fast-twitch muscles. For marathon runners, the weekly long run builds endurance and mental fortitude. With a multi-hour run on the training calendar, it can be tempting to double up and drop some of your workouts into the effort. But commingling efforts can actually do more harm than good. You will find coaches who approve of combining the weekly long run with faster paces, but Lynn Kanuka is not one of them. Kanuka, an Olympic medallist and former coach of Canadian marathon record holder Natasha Wodak, is adamant that the long run has its own very specific purpose. “It is the longest run of the week, and it stands alone,” she says. “It’s meant to…

Sawyer Nicholson was a world record holder for more than a day before she realized it. The Grade 7 student from Stouffville, Ont., had returned to school on Monday morning after an exciting weekend. She’d attended a track-and-field banquet with her friends on Saturday night, then travelled to Niagara Falls, where on Sunday she beat more than 400 other runners—most of them adults—to win the 5K race outright in a personal best time of 17 minutes and 28.1 seconds. She was in pretty high spirits, when suddenly her teacher was asking her to go to the office. “I was like, Oh my gosh, is this going to be the first time I get in trouble?” recalls Nicholson, who turned 12 in November. When she got to the office, she was…

Xact Energy Fruit Bars Xact Energy Fruit Bars are made from natural fruit pulp and pectin, provide instant energy, make a delicious pre- or post-race snack or race fuel and come in five flavours (we especially love the maple!); each bar packs 25 g of carbohydrate, and the e-beet and blackcurrant flavours also have 50 mg of naturally-sourced caffeine. $59 per box of 24 Xact Protein Wafer Xact Protein Wafers are a deliciously satisfying for post-run refuelling, assuming you like chocolate (and who doesn’t?). They come in three regular flavours (coconut, chocolate and vanilla) and three plant-based flavours (lemon pie, banoffee pie and cinnamon cookie); each bar packs 15 g of protein. $81 per box of 24 NEW NamedSport Total Energy Fruit Jelly A non-sticky alternative to gels, Total Energy…

As we get older, our bodies lose muscle mass and absorb some nutrients less well, and these changes can alter our nutrition requirements; other changes, such as a decreased sensitivity to taste and smell, may affect our food preferences. Whether you’re a veteran of the sport or taking up running for the first time, it’s important for older runners to know about these changes and how they impact our bodies’ nutrition needs. Hydration With aging comes impaired temperature regulation, such as reduced sweat production, thirst sensation and fluid intake. As a result, older athletes are at greater risk for dehydration and heat stress. Since fluid needs are dependent on environmental conditions and other factors, there are no specific fluid requirements for athletes. Regardless of age, fluid requirements will differ depending…