iRun ISSUE05 2015

iRun.ca ISSUE 05 2015

“IF YOU’RE NOT RUNNING FOR SOMETHING, YOU’RE JUST

CHASING THE WIND.”Boston winner Wesley Korir headlines the iRun 2015 Salute to Charity Racers

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2 2015 ISSUE 05 iRun.ca 3

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Mike Savage

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FOUNDER Mark Sutcliffe [email protected]

GENERAL MANAGER Ben Kaplan [email protected]

ADVERTISING SALES Sabrina Young [email protected] 416.617.4375

MANAGING EDITOR Anna Lee Boschetto [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITOR Priya Ramanujam

STAFF WRITER Megan Black

CONTRIBUTORS Andrew Chak, Krista DuChene, Rick Hansen, Rick Hellard, Karen Karnis, Patience Lister, Joanne Richard, Erin Velois, Ray Zahab.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & DESIGN Tanya Connolly-Holmes [email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Jamie Dean Regan Van Dusen

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Darren Calabrese

ILLUSTRATOR Chloe Cushman

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Solana Cain

iRun is a publication of Sportstats World

CEO Marc Roy [email protected]

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YOUR DESTINATION FOR AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

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16 YOUR BETTER HALFSport Chek and Fitbit come together on a killer half marathon training program and introduce fun ways to win zippy prizes!

32 “I HAVE ALMOST NEVER HAD A RUN WHEN I HAVEN’T HAD TO STOP TO WRITE A LYRIC DOWN.”Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabbara on his marathon training, ultimate playlist and the inspiration he finds in his running shoes.

38 BOTTLE FULL OF BANFFThe Banff Half Marathon might just be our country’s most gorgeous 21K. Anna Lee Boschetto takes in the sites and the suds.

TABLE OF CONTENTSFOUNDER Mark Sutcliffe [email protected]

GENERAL MANAGER Ben Kaplan [email protected]

ADVERTISING SALES Sabrina Young [email protected] 416.617.4375

MANAGING EDITOR Anna Lee Boschetto [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITOR Priya Ramanujam

STAFF WRITER Megan Black

CONTRIBUTORS Andrew Chak, Krista DuChene, Rick Hansen, Rick Hellard, Karen Karnis, Patience Lister, Joanne Richard, Erin Velois, Ray Zahab.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & DESIGN Tanya Connolly-Holmes [email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Jamie Dean Regan Van Dusen

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Darren Calabrese

ILLUSTRATOR Chloe Cushman

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Solana Cain

iRun is a publication of Sportstats World

CEO Marc Roy [email protected]

Canada Post PublicationsPM42950018

Sportstats 155 Colonnade Rd. #18Ottawa, ON K2E 7K1 (Canada)613.260.0994

GET iRun's DIGITAL EDITION FREE: GO GREEN and get all the same content ... and more!

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YOUR DESTINATION FOR AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

5607 Hazeldean Road | Ottawa | 613-831-3604203 Richmond Road | Ottawa | 613-792-1170shop online at bushtukah.com

OTTAWA’S MULTISPORT DESTINATION• NEW FALL FOOTWEAR, CLOTHING AND 2016 BIKES IN STORE NOW!• NEW FALL FOOTWEAR, CLOTHING AND 2016 BIKES IN STORE NOW! NEW FALL FOOTWEAR, CLOTHING AND 2016 BIKES IN STORE NOW!• SWIM • BIKE • RUN

DESTINATIONDESTINATION• SWIM • BIKE • RUNEVERYTHING YOU WILL NEED.

20 HEART AND SOLEThe runners and organizations that are changing the world, and three easy steps to get immediately involved.

RUNNER WITH A CAUSE Boston winner Wesley Korir defends his title while working in Kenya’s Parliament and running the Kenyan Kids Foundation from St. Clements, Ontario, with his wife.

28JUST DID IT: WESLEY KORIR CROSSING THE FINISHING LINE AS THE VICTOR OF THE 2012 BOSTON MARATHON. CREDIT: FAYFOTO/BOSTON

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iRun to prove to myself that I can overcome any obstacle. — Christine Dorcin, Ontario



STARTLINE

iRun because it grounds me. — Stacia Loft, Ontario



I’m just coming off of a busy spring racing season, having run three

events in four weeks. The only problem is, I haven’t done any racing. Between a couple of pace-bunny gigs and a run just for fun, I’ve been slacking off on the speed work. Now that I’m ready to get faster, I don’t even know where to begin.

Enter the time trial. In general, a time trial is when you do a run at the hardest effort you can sustain for the entire chosen distance, just to see how fast you can do it.

Nikki Reiter, coach and biomechanist with Run Right Gait Analysis Service in Kelowna B.C., has her athletes do time trials early in the season to shake off the cobwebs and set training paces. “It’s a great way to test fitness levels without the stress of racing,” she says.

Canadian Half Marathon Champion Kip Kangogo says his coach, Rick Mannen, has him run time trials fairly often, saying he’s given a distance with specific splits to hit. He does them at the end of his training day. “Once

I can run comfortably over the distance, then the next step is to up my pace,” says Kangogo, adding, “I run at that pace until the same level of comfort is achieved.”

Jennifer Perrault, author of Mind Games on iRun.ca, also recommends time trials at the start of your training program. “Time trials fall into the category of race simulation and are an important tool for elite athletes to have in their toolkit,” she says. She

adds that when coaches work with their athletes to increase intensity and pressure in training, it doesn’t feel foreign during the most important race of the year.

Perrault, a mental training specialist in Calgary, Alta., says they can benefit recreational athletes as well. “Time trials can be a great way to

see progress if you’re new to running, or if you are working towards a fitness goal,” she says.

“You can do a time trial to get a baseline, and then do another one after eight weeks of consistent training,” says Perrault. “Keeping a training log or running journal can help you gauge where you are and set realistic expectations.”

Kangogo agrees. “I would recommend time trials to recreational

runners once in a while so that they can evaluate how their training and fitness is coming along, and this will improve their race times,” he says.

So how do you do a time trial? Reiter recommends choosing a route that’s between three and six kilometres. Warm up thoroughly – Reiter has her athletes do the same

warm up for a time trial as they would do for an interval workout or race.

But how fast do you run? Figuring out your pacing takes a bit of trial and error – there’s really no wrong way to do it because there’s no pressure in this simulated situation.

“The whole point of the time trial is to experiment with the pace so we can better predict pacing and effort in workouts and a future race,” says Reiter. She

recommends taking your result and putting it into the pace calculator at runsmartproject.com/calculator to determine your training paces. Remember: all of this training will be worth it when you hit your PB!

Karen Karnis writes the Endorphin Junkie blog on iRun.ca.

HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR TOP SPEED To run a PB this fall, you first need to establish your race pace. And there’s no better way to do that than run a time trial. With the help of Kip Kangogo, Karen Karnis explains how to get faster and make the most of your next practice run.

KIP KANGOGO, 2015 CALGARY MARATHON. PHOTO BY DAVE HOLLAND

THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF RUNNING A TIME TRIAL

Sure, a time trial is no walk in the park. But it’s an essential tool for figuring out your fastest possible pace for racing. Here are 10 reasons to run a time trial. 10. They’re a great way to figure out your target training paces.

9. Does racing psych you out? Use time trials to build confidence.

8. You don’t have to wait for a race in order to test yourself.

7. Practice makes perfect – you can use them to get the hang of proper pacing.

6. Use time trials to find the edges of your comfort zone, then lean into them.

5. Step well outside your comfort zone, and learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

4. Practise blowing up – because you never know how hard you can go until you’ve gone too hard.

3. You can make it a team sport – plenty of running clubs host organized time trials so you can get some advice from people who know what they’re doing.

2. It’s motivating to track your progress and measure the results of your training over time.

1. Kip Kangogo says they’re cool!

“You can do a time trial to get a baseline, and then do another one after eight weeks of consistent training. Keeping a training log or running journal can help you gauge where you are and set realistic expectations.” — JENNIFER PERRAULT, AUTHOR OF MIND GAMES ON iRun.ca

iRun because it keeps me happy. — Jane Widdecombe, Ontario



Summertime is a great time to be a runner, but it’s not without its hazards. (Bald scalp, anyone?) Please allow us to introduce you to a colourful cast of running characters and find out how to feast, fuel and flourish when the weather gets hot. By Joanne Richard

IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT, THEN GET OUT OF YOUR SNEAKERS

iRun because there is no such thing as a bad run. — Jason Bungay, Nova Scotia



STARTLINE

LISA TAMATIAthlete, coach, motivational speaker Runninghotcoaching.com CHRIS KOSTMANUltra athlete, race director for Badwater Ultramarathon Badwater.com DEAN KARNAZESEndurance athlete, speaker and best-selling author Ultramarathonman.com

DR. CHRIS MILBURNRacer, ER doctor with part-time practice in sports med Cape Breton Regional Hospital, NS JIM WILLETT Endurance adventure runner and personal trainer coachrunjimmirun.blogspot.ca/

CAST

You won’t see this sweaty cast seek shelter from the

elements. Hot or cold, they all run to extremes and in extremes. But heat really ignites their passion and training. So take in their words of wisdom and stay safe when the heat threatens to set your running shoes aflame.

iRUN: What does your hot weather training look like?

DEAN KARNAZES: I run in my big, puffy winter ski parkas to help elevate my core temperature. I also do

sets of sit-ups and push-ups inside the sauna at the gym. I get some funny looks doing these things, but I can take the heat…

LISA TAMATI: It’s all about taking the heat! Preparing for a desert race like in Death Valley or the Gobi Desert or the Sahara, I run with extra clothes on and with a backpack if I’ll be carrying one during the race, and I’m in the sauna a lot too in the few months leading up to the event.

DR. CHRIS MILBURN: Here in Cape Breton I relish the few days that hit 30 plus so

I can get out on the bike and/or run in the heat of the day. Rather than avoid the heat I embrace it and try to acclimatize to it, so I try to go in early afternoon or suppertime.

CHRIS KOSTMAN: I live in Southern California, which is a desert unless you’re at the beach, so I can heat train about two-thirds of the year outdoors. Right now I’m getting ready for the Hamptons Marathon in NY on Sept. 26, and then the Badwater Presents Mustang Trail Race, an eight-day stage race in Nepal.

iRUN: When did the heat catch up to you?

KARNAZES: In the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile race across California’s Death Valley in the middle of summer—the hottest place on earth! The first time I ran it, I passed out along the roadside at mile 78, severely dehydrated and electrolyte depleted.

TAMATI: My hottest race was also the Badwater. But my worst experience was running a 333K nonstop race in Niger, one of the poorest and most dangerous countries on

OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTO BY RON JONES / BADWATER.COM ©ADVENTURECORPSTHIS PAGE: LISA TAMATI’S IDEA OF A “HILL DAY,” PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF TAMATI.

iRun because it makes me ...me. — Anna Turner, Alberta



earth. An hour into the event food poisoning hit with a vengeance and I was vomiting and hit with severe diarrhea. The heat, the relentless wind and the violence in my stomach from eating bad goat meat all added up to one hell of a miserable journey that lasted 222K and 64 hours before my body gave up the ghost and I had to stop at one of the check points and call it a day.

MILBURN: I ran the Terry

Fox 10K in Hamilton a couple of weeks after arriving from Cape Breton to attend school, nearly died, and finished in about 43 minutes. I was running 35 to 36 minutes for a 10K. It was a great lesson in the importance of acclimatizing before your race.

KOSTMAN: In my second Race Across America (bicycle race), it was over 38 degrees every day, sometimes 110 to 120. It

was absolutely brutal and not fun. I prefer racing in the cold.

WILLETT: The Gobi March is the hottest race I’ve been in. It’s a six-stage race and by day four, which is an 80K day, it was pushing into the high 50s. I was having trouble keeping water down and I’m convinced the only reason I made it through was because I stumbled upon some locals picking cantaloupe—they happily shared some with me. iRUN: Should you actually stay out of your runners if you can’t take the heat?

MILBURN: Don’t avoid it; embrace it! Research says that heat training is beneficial, similar to altitude training.

TAMATI: Get in those trainers and get used to it or at least get better at it. I’m hopeless in the cold so I have been taking on challenges in the Himalayas and am planning on a 100-miler in the Antarctic. Don’t give up just because you aren’t good or particularly suited to something!

KARNAZES: Listen to everyone, follow no one. I prefer running outdoors with thick clothing on. Experiment to find what works best for you.

WILLETT: You have to slowly build up your tolerance to the heat. It can be very dangerous if you’re not used to it.

iRUN: What’s your melting point?

TAMATI: Well, the top temperature was 57 degrees and that was literally like being fried in an oven—the temperature radiating from the road in that case was close to 95 degrees Celsius so the shoes took a complete hammering and ended up being like concrete.

KARNAZES: For me, the hotter the better. Beyond Death Valley, I’ve run in baking hot sand in the Sahara when temperatures were cresting 50 degrees, and that was challenging. But I loved every step of the way!

MILBURN: At some point it does become so hot that it is hard to dissipate

heat effectively—probably around where air temperature matches body temperature, 37 degrees or so. I’ve run in 39 and found that difficult. It’s still possible, but you sure won’t go as fast in those hot temperatures.

WILLETT: As long as I go into a race prepared, I’m usually able to cope fairly well. But I’ve been throwing up or have run out of water, and that can get pretty scary. iRUN: If you can’t beat the heat, how can you join it?

KARNAZES: Keep your skin cool by wearing arm coolers and calf-coolers and a protective hat. Keep your internal body cool by drinking cold liquids and chewing on ice. Put ice under your cap to keep your head cool. Wear moisture-wicking technical fabrics to help regulate skin temperature.

MILBURN: Train as much as you can during the hottest part of the day—it will feel awful at first, but you’ll get used to it after a few weeks. In a race, use any cold water/ice at aid stations

ABOVE: PHOTO BY RON JONES / BADWATER.COM ©ADVENTURECORPS. LEFT: NO SHIRT, GOOD SHOES, NO KIDDING, DR. CHRIS MILBURN GOES THE DISTANCE, PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MILBURN. OPPOSITE PAGE: JIM WILLETT TACKLES THE DESERT RATS STAGE RACE FROM GRAND JUNCTION TO MOAB, UTAH. PHOTO BY GLEN DELMAN.

iRun because it makes me feel free. — Jess Gibson, Ontario



STARTLINE

and get as many clothes off as possible (while still being socially acceptable.)

KOSTMAN: Use a sauna or run on a treadmill in lots of clothing and a rain jacket. We have a how-to article on our website badwater.com/university/heat-training-in-the-sauna.

TAMATI: Take a good quality electrolyte tablet like Endurolytes from Hammer Nutrition—not electrolyte drinks with lots of additives, flavourings, chemicals and sugars. Get your electrolytes out of balance and you can die, get hyponatremia, have a massive drop in performance and hit the wall—or all of the above.

WILLETT: Keep your core temperature down. Dump water on your hat and

clothes—I’ll even put cold water down my shorts. Cover your neck. Run at a slower pace than normal. Find shade if you can. iRUN: What’s the thrill of running in extreme heat? KARNAZES: Thrill? Who said anything about this being thrilling? It’s nothing but torture. That’s why I love it!

TAMATI: Sure torture is part of it, but I think it’s about pushing your limits—that’s the thrill. Finding out what you can achieve. About reconnecting with nature at its most brutal and surviving somehow. iRUN: How does the heat impact performance? Should you forget about

a PB if you’re racing in the sun?

MILBURN: Medically, the heat will slow you down. Period. Doesn’t matter how fit you are, or how acclimatized to the heat you are. Personal bests will come in cooler temperatures, probably five to 15 degrees. iRUN: Is there any adversity worse than heat, like storms, ice, hail balls, freezing temperatures?

TAMATI: Oh heck, yes, give me heat any day in comparison to freezing, icy storms when you’re wet. For that stuff, try out my Northburn event (160K ultra mountain run in New Zealand). It’s often freezing, hailing, sleeting and stormy as well as being hot at times.

KARNAZES: I once ran a marathon to the South Pole, the coldest place on earth, and that presented a whole new set of challenges. When it’s minus 40 degrees outside you have to be careful, but for you Canadians that’s just a normal day of running…so what am I complaining about?

iRUN: OK, last question for all you tough guys. A desert marathoner versus an arctic marathoner—who’s the better athlete?

MILBURN: The better runner is the faster runner head-to-head in the same race.

KARNAZES: I think someone who runs in either of these conditions is unstable and should

seek counseling. In fact, my appointment’s in half an hour so I’ve gotta run…

WILLETT: We’re all a little crazy, in the best possible way. Any extreme temperature race is tough, and often it’s the same athletes doing both.

KOSTMAN: Both extremes of temperature offer their own challenges. We’ve had athletes compete in winter races in January and then the Badwater 135 in July, but without fail, everyone always says that the Badwater 135 is the toughest race of all.

TAMATI: Anyone running is a hero in my book. Joanne Richard is a frequent iRun contributor. She wrote our Sleep Guide this fall.

iRun because it makes everything right. — Wendy Dunlop-Walker, Manitoba



FEET, DON’T FAIL ME NOWBEN KAPLAN, COLUMNIST

Two weeks ago I was on my way to pick my kids up at

daycare and I ran into a friend, giving it. He had on a yellow bandana, yellow tank top from the Chicago Marathon, and his tattoos were blazing. I was jogging, loping, thinking about other things. He was RUNNING. We looked like different species. Man, I thought, channeling When Harry Met Sally: “I’ll have what he’s having.” Then and

there I reached a decision: I’m not too old to PB. I can and will train for a fall marathon. My fastest days are in front of me. I’m all in. Let’s go.

I’d been on the fence about ever racing again. I’m 41. My kids are almost 2 and 4. I’m tired. I’m busy. I’m middle aged. I don’t want to get injured. I’m trying so hard in every aspect of my life; do I want to make running another thing that I’m working at? Can’t I run lazy laps around

my neighbourhood, listen to Paul Simon, and leave my watch in a drawer? Besides, I ran the Ottawa Marathon without racing. I went slowly at the beginning. I had no finishing time in mind and, when pushed, thought I might do it in something like 3:45. I hadn’t been training, I’d been teaching a clinic and believe me when I say I had more burgers than bananas since the fall.

I loved running Ottawa. I gave out more

HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGERStaring down lethargy, fatherhood and overall exhaustion, Ben Kaplan decides to laugh in the face of middle age and train for an October PB

high fives than the Pan Am games mascot and had the most drastic negative split of my running career—turns out, with people cheering on a beautiful day after a warm-up, I can still drag a 3:15 from my lazy bones and retire in good enough shape afterwards to catch a plane to Toronto and put my children to bed. Why not run that way all the time? Why risk life and limb when it will only change my time, at best, by 15 minutes and one second? My mind was made up. Chris McDougall, my running hero, the Born to Run guy, stopped racing. He told me that as a dad and an author in his 50s, he’s happy that he’s even running. Why run Fartleks when you can count your blessings on a summertime afternoon?

When I saw my buddy, the reason became clear: he was having FUN! It’s fun to train, to be on a mission, to have a goal and to push yourself beyond where you’ve been before. It’s fun to hurt. It’s fun to struggle. It’s fun to improve, to try things, to eat more bananas than burgers and practise discipline. And guess what? When I saw Chris again in Toronto, when he had a new book to promote and we got to talking, he told me that he too was reentering

racing! Curiosity had got the best of him. What is the most he could give?

And so now I’m three weeks into training with my buddy in the yellow bandana. On our first week, we did mile repeats, then 20K, with a negative split at my half marathon pace for the final 10. Last night we ran 30 kilometres. I’m batting 75% at reaching the target performances. It’s awesome. Running paths that I’ve been on hundreds of times have become racetracks. My watch is again my best friend. It’s helpful to have a partner when you begin seriously training. No way I could push myself like we’ve been pushing on my own. And this guy’s tall, crazy long strides to take us out of the gate fast enough to reach split times. Also: so far, no injuries to report.

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM) is the first marathon I ever ran, back in 2009. I’ve done nine since, including one in Jerusalem. The fastest I ever ran one is 3:00:19, last year at STWM. I thought that was as fast as I was ever going to do it. But you know what? It isn’t. Not even close. I’m dusting off my racing shoes and changing baby carrots for chips. I’m back, as they say, in the saddle again.

It’s going to be so much fun.

EYE ON TOMORROW: BEN KAPLAN TACKLES MILE REPEATS IN PREPARATION OF BREAKING A 3-HOUR MARATHON. PHOTOGRAPH BY SOLANA CAIN.

Ben Kaplan is the General Manager of iRun and the author of Feet, Don’t Fail Me Now

FOLLOW @iRunningBen

READ his blog on iRun.ca

RUN WITH him in Toronto on Wednesday nights along the Lakeshore!

iRun because I want to eat more! — Guy Leblanc, Ontario



ERIN’S TECHERIN VALOIS , COLUMNIST

L et’s be honest here: It’s easy to lose focus on your training

plan. We’ve all done it. The start of the running year is new and exciting, but it’s hard work to keep that momentum going. Especially when the kids are out of school, the cottage beckons and long runs are interrupted by trips to the pool. Now that we’re in the swing of summer, here are some apps (and one important tool) that can keep you on track during those hot summer months when you want to be shoving ice cream in your face on the patio. (So instead you can shove ice cream into your face on the patio AFTER your evening run. Obviously.)

THE MILESTONE PODGreat things come in small packages, and look no further than the Milestone Pod. It’s light and discreet—barely noticeable when attached to your running shoe. The Pod will keep you honest as you push through your summer workouts—the data provides a comprehensive look at your progress. Don’t get me wrong, I like the run trackers already on the market, but I appreciate the precision of the Milestone Pod. It starts

counting when you move. I’m always doing this awkward dance with my iPhone when I stop and start other mileage apps.

Also, here’s a secret: I hate breaking in new running shoes. And as summer begins, it’s only a matter of time until my shoe disintegrates mid-race. Even worse, I always get into this terrible situation when I trudge into the running store because I’m starting to feel some pain in my shins and the salesperson holds up my shoe to show me how worn the tread is. But with the Milestone Pod, I know the total mileage of my shoes and I can actually use logic (I know, right?) to figure out when to get that next pair.

KEEPING IT EXCITINGSo, we’ve figured out how to make tracking your run a little more thrilling...but now we need to focus on the run itself. At this point in the year, it’s easy for boredom to set in: All your friends are talking about sitting outside after work, and then suddenly that evening 5K looks a little less exciting. How about a little reverse psychology? Bit Timer is an app that will make you regret putting on your shoes—at least, when you first try it out. You can

APPLE OF MY EYE PADRunning the Ottawa Marathon, I forgot I was wearing my Apple Watch. For one of the biggest tech launches, this sounds like a backhanded compliment, but I mean it as a compliment—like your sneakers, the last thing you want to think of when racing is tech. The Apple Watch is positively forgettable! It gives detailed readings of pace, heart rate and distance, and is the most accurate tools I’ve worn into battle. A luddite, I hardly have the thing working to its full capabilities—it could probably launch a missile; frankly, I just want to track distance and pace—but what I needed I received, full stop. I could even see my heart rate. Then there’s this: when not racing I still dress as if I’m 30 minutes away from my next half marathon. Pair the Apple Watch with florescent shorts and T-shirt and suddenly, you’re the best dressed in the room.

— Ben Kaplan

set up a variety of tabata intervals, customized to the time you need and it provides helpful chimes to tell you when to rest or start up again. I do a lot of tabata in groups—but I struggled to duplicate the effort on my own with a custom drill. Your legs will thank you. Eventually. We promise.

SETTING A

BETTER PACEThere’s no better time than August to breathe new life into your workouts, and you need to start with the summer jam. Tempo Run is a $2.29 app that matches your playlist to your running pace by categorizing your songs based on their beats per minute. Your music is sorted into 10 different categories, with a 1 defined as a walk, and 10 being incredibly fast. Besides the fact I am guilty of making playlists that are too short, this helps me get into the right pace for a variety of workouts. When I listen to the same batch of songs, I find that I keep running

the same kind of interval. I struggle to slow down on my off days (I’m really bad at taking it easy) and this app allows for me to mellow.

WATCHING

WHATYOU EATYou don’t need to be a doctor to understand that the food you eat is just as important as your training. But I get lazy in the warmer months—I want to eat everything terrible. A food diary can complement your other workout records. I use MyFitnessPal. It’s especially useful because it reminds you to eat, which is a necessary evil when it comes to intense training. And if you’re feeling sluggish, you can go through your data and present a detailed account of your energy intake to pinpoint the issue. This can be especially useful if you’re a female distance

runner and you need to monitor your iron

intake based on diet.

Erin Valois is the executive producer of digital at the National Post.

GIZMOS, GADGETS AND GEAR

iRun because it makes my days so much better. — Ron Thurlow, Saskatchewan



GOOD FOODPATIENCE LISTER, COLUMNIST

When the weather’s so hot you could

boil a Gatorade on the pavement, appetites and energy levels can

plunge. But for many runners, the show must go on no matter how high the thermostat rises. Fuelling your body to run during a heat wave means more than your standard pre-, post-, and on-the-run fare. Your nutritional strategy must adapt to the heat—making hydration, carbs, cooling foods and replenishing nutrients essential.

DRINK-UPHydration is always important, but at high temperatures it becomes your number one priority and must begin well before your run. Expert recommendations published this year in Sports Medicine suggest drinking six ml of water per kg of body weight every two to three hours. In other words, make sure you begin each run sufficiently hydrated. “You can stay hydrated by drinking water, milk of your choice, real juices, herbal teas and appropriate sports drinks,” says B.C.-based dietitian Patricia Chuey, a.k.a “The People’s Dietitian”. “You can also hydrate by eating a variety of watery fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, berries, lettuce, celery, peppers or tomatoes.”

REPLENISH ELECTROLYTESRunning in the heat of summer is sweaty business—meaning you’ll lose water and electrolytes. A key part of maintaining hydration is replacing these electrolytes, especially sodium. If you don’t, your blood sodium concentration can fall below 135 mmol/L and lead to the dangerous condition hyponatremia. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you make up for sweat loss by upping your sodium intake when exercising for more than one hour. You can do this by adding 0.5-0.7 g/L sodium to your running bottle. If you are a salty sweater or suffer from muscle cramps, you can increase this to 1.5 g/L and also boost the salt content of pre- and post-run meals.

COOL YOUR CORECramps, dizziness, and disorientation are symptoms of heat exhaustion and pushing yourself too hard. To keep your core temperature down, try switching your on-the-run beverage for an iced slurry. Researchers at the University of Newcastle discovered that when triathletes drank a mid-run ice slurry while training in hot conditions, they improved their running time more than triathletes who drank a room temperature beverage.

FUELLING TIPS FOR THE HOT WEATHER RUNNER

WHOLEGRAIN PESTO PIZZAThe fresh, wholesome ingredients in this Mediterranean inspired pizza provide a healthy way to fuel your energy and appease your appetite when the weather is hot.

INGREDIENTS:1/2 tsp honey3/4 cups warm water1/2 tbsp baker’s yeast1/2 tbsp olive oil1/2 tsp salt1 1/2 cups whole grain flour1/4 cup additional flour1/2 cup traditional pesto1 large tomato, sliced1/4 cup pitted black olives, chopped1 cup grated mozzarella cheese1/2 cup chicken breast, diced (optional)

DIRECTIONS:In a large bowl, dissolve the honey in warm water and sprinkle with yeast. Allow it to sit until foamy (about 10 minutes). Mix in salt, olive oil, and wholegrain flour until a dough forms. Transfer to a clean and floured surface and knead until all of the additional flour has been incorporated into the dough. Lightly coat the surface of dough in oil by gently turning it in an oiled bowl. Cover with a clean cloth and let stand for two hours.Set oven to 425 degrees F. Place dough on a greased baking sheet and roll outward into a thin, even circle using a rolling pin. Spread pesto evenly on surface, then top with tomatoes, olives, cheese, and chicken (optional). Cook until crust is a light golden and cheese has melted (approximately 15 minutes). Serves two.

CARB-IT-UPJust like running fast, running in the heat increases your effort and shifts your metabolism to favour readily available energy. This means you burn through more of your carbohydrate stores (i.e. muscle glycogen) and less of your fat. A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that blood sugar levels were 28% higher in men cycling at 40 degrees C than at 20 degrees C, showing that more carbohydrates are metabolized in hotter conditions. When it’s hot, include plenty of quality carbohydrate-rich foods in your pre- and post-run meals. This will help sustain your training efforts and replenish depleted glycogen stores in preparation for your next run. Great carb-rich options include steel cut oatmeal, fresh fruit, hummus, wild rice pilaf, and quinoa salad. But don’t forget protein. “Ideal energy-sustaining meals and snacks include both protein and carbohydrate,” says Chuey. “Crisp, cold salads loaded with in-season vegetables topped with a skewer of prawns, lean meat, chicken or tofu makes a great lunch or dinner.”

FIGHT OXIDATIONThe added strain of hot weather running increases oxidative stress and inflammation in your body. A study published this year in Journal of Thermal Biology found that running at 30 degrees C and 75% humidity increased oxidative stress significantly more than running at 10 degrees C and 40 % humidity. Antioxidant-rich

foods, such as fresh berries and leafy greens provide a delicious way to fight this stress while fuelling your run.

WHET YOUR APPETITEWhile some people are happy to lose their appetite in hot weather, the inability to eat makes it harder to fuel your run. When you’re having trouble, focus on simple, fresh meals that are easy to prepare and appealing. “Keep a cooler in the car or in your travels when you can. Even a crisp, ice cold handful of raw carrots, snap peas, cherry tomatoes and pepper strips with a yogurt-based dip can hit the spot, but much more so if crisp and cold than if left to be warmish in the summer heat,” says Chuey. “Bean salads of multiple legumes and vegetables are also excellent choices.”

GO EASYIf you’re struggling with the heat, limit your caffeine and alcohol intake. These can aggravate dehydration and make heat exhaustion worse. “Be aware that coffee and tea, whether consumed hot or cold in an iced tea or slushy iced coffee version, suppress appetite,” says Chuey. “Keep portions small and avoid drinking these and then not eating anything for long periods of time.”

With the right fuelling strategy you can conquer hot weather running—no sweat!

Patience Lister is a food scientist and natural health product researcher. She writes frequently about health and nutrition at iRun.ca. Her website is patiencelister.com.

iRun so I can play hockey! — David O’Brien, Ontario



I always tell people that when I met my husband he tricked

me. He was and still is handsome: a strong jaw line, tanned skin, dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and muscles over top of muscles. On our first lunch together, he told me that he ran a lot. What he forgot to leave out was the fact that his running a lot involved him participating in events titled “The Death Race” or “Lost Souls,” which are runs that the racer tries to complete within 35 hours. Each race is 100-plus kilometers run on trails that most people find challenging to hike.

By the time that Devin had asked me to crew his first Canadian Death Race, I had already fallen in love.

Needless to say I was a little nervous about taking on the challenge, not quite knowing what to expect and having little desire to take part in something that has death in the title.

At this point, I’d never walked past a finish line for a road race, let alone a Death Race. The air was electric. You could feel the nerves and anticipation that the runners and their supporters had.

Devin prepared me for what would happen

LOVE IN THE TIME OF TRAIL SHOES Elise Featherstone, wife of a Canadian trail legend Devin Featherstone, columnist, reports on the highs and lows of watching your loved one run the Canadian Death Race

throughout the day. He gave me an estimate of how long it would take him to get to each station and what I would need to bring to him in terms of food, supplement and water.

I was ready. After Devin took off

and blew past the start line, much to my surprise, I ran into a couple that I knew who were cheering on their brother. They were surprised at the times that I had been given to make it to each station. Their brother had attempted the 125K race last year, but couldn’t finish due to early onset of hypothermia. This was Devin’s first—and he planned to run it fast.

I made it to the first station about five minutes prior to Devin’s arrival.

What I learned from that last station is that you cannot get there after the runner. They will disown you from their support crew instantly.

Lucky for me, I made it just in time to fill up

“I started envisioning my boyfriend being eaten by a bear.”

some water bottles and throw in some electrolytes. A quick check in, and they’re off again.

This is what happens throughout the day. They come, they go—you wait. You prepare what they’re going to need, drive to the next station they are going to come through, wait some more for the runner’s arrival. And then finally they show up. Your heart sinks a little because they have at this point ran 50K and you legitimately feel tired and sore for them.

They take off, some people stay, you watch people throw up/pass out/cry. You leave and don’t say anything in fear of offending them.

Because of the length of this run, and some of the distances in between I actually worked out and saw a full-length feature in a theatre.

My heart started skipping a beat when it was midnight and I heard the announcer say that Devin was about to enter the last section. Remember, these people are running over 100K. I almost pass out when I have to run 100 feet.

With the distance that was left, and the speed that Devin was running, I calculated that he should be at the finish line by 2 a.m.

At 1 a.m., it started drizzling, but I couldn’t go inside. I was way too excited thinking that Devin was going to be finished any minute. Other than being the person who delivered food and water, I was also the person who was in charge of taking the picture when he was crossing the finish line.

I couldn’t miss this. If I did, not only would I be kicked off the team as crew, but I’m pretty sure I’d be kicked off the team of girlfriend.

So I waited, and waited, and waited some more. By 3 a.m., I was getting nervous. It might have been the rain, or my chilled bones, or the fact that I had almost been up for 24 hours but I started envisioning my boyfriend being eaten by a bear or goat, or a prisoner that had escaped from the jail who thought it would be smart to impersonate one of the runners after bringing them to an unjust death.

At 4 a.m., I saw him. He was “walk-jogging” to the finish line. I sprinted over as quickly as my frozen legs would take me. As I shouted words of encouragement to him, Devin picked up the pace. He was crossing the finish line! He did it. After 18 hours of ruthless terrain, he crossed the finish line. Tears of joy welled up in my eyes.

I ran to him, kissing his cheeks. I’ve never known a moment of so much pride. (Of course in all my excitement I forgot to take a picture).

Although the day was long, I learned something. Sometimes the best accomplishments aren’t the ones that you do—instead, they are through the accomplishments of the people surrounding you.

With Devin’s influence, I was inspired. I started slowly, and still move quite slowly in comparison to my now-husband, but I’ve run in three 10K races and have even tested my luck on a trail run. Passion really is contagious.

iRun because it connects me to the universe. — Scott Prokopetz, Ontario

OPEN TRAILSDEVIN FEATHERSTONE, COLUMNIST



Follow our program and win a fitbit Surge!

Details at iRun.ca!

THE ULTIMATE HALF MARATHON TRAINING GUIDELots of pages of our magazine are about the joys of running, a few are devoted to its challenges, but none, thus far, have been dedicated to how to do it—specifically, how to train for a race. Enter our Sport Chek fall half marathon training program. The key elements are consistency, running outdoors, and making slight improvements—run a little bit, then run a little bit more (don’t quit!) and you can rock your half in October. Below, Goran Miletic, Sport Chek’s national training specialist, tells you how you can find a new half marathon finish line in ten weeks and check out iRun.ca to win your fitbit Surge and get 5K, 10K and marathon training plans!

INSIDE YOUR TRAINING PROGRAMSteady Aerobic Pace/Steady state: intensity under your anaerobic threshold, which could be about 85-90% of MaxHR. Comfortably hard feeling. So in other words, faster than jogging, but slower than racing pace.

XTrain: when it comes to cross training, whether it’s the bike or the pool, it’s important to work your body just below the threshold. Start off at a comfortable pace to get the body warmed up then begin to hit a higher rate of fixed exertion for the next few minutes.

Hill Workouts: whether it’s a 50m incline or 100m incline, a hill is a hill, an opportunity to push your anaerobic threshold; in other words testing your body can withstand your lactic acid restrictions. It strengthens tendons and ligaments, reduces the risk of injury and improves overall running form. While these exercises do increase strength and muscular power, they do it in isolation of your running, focusing on individual joints and small sets of muscles.

BIKE: INTERVAL TRAINING

• Turn the dial up and power through for 30sec on/1min off, 6-8 times.

• Once these sets feel a little easier (week 3-4), power through an added 30sec and take less of a break dialed down.

SWIMMING: INTERVAL TRAINING

• 10-20 laps of the pool with 10 sets of easy swimming for warm-up, strict focus on comfort and technique.

• five sets of six laps. Swim four laps steady and two laps easy. This is an endurance set, your goal is to maintain similar effort across all of the repeats. Use each of the easy two laps swims for recovery, and take as much time as you need between efforts.

WHO IS GORAN MILETIC?Goran Miletic is the National Training Specialist for all Footwear and Tech accessories for both Sport Chek and Atmosphere. His work ranges from developing courses and Canada-wide training camps, to coordinating and educating advisers on Sport Chek’s in-suite gait analysis.

Goran’s education and experience in running and athletics started at the age of 11 when he joined his first running club and slowly developed into a track athlete with his specialties ranging from 400 m – 800 m distances. He received his education on Human Kinetics from the University of Alberta as a student athlete and former captain of the Golden Bears Track and Field Team.

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RACE DAY!

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MARATHON MOMKRISTA DUCHENE, COLUMNIST

It’s been 11 weeks since running my 2:29:38 marathon in

Rotterdam, which gave me the standard for the 2016 Olympic Games. And I think I can finally say I have recovered. Normally it wouldn’t take nearly this long to recover from a marathon. After all, it was my 11th marathon so I guess I should know. Physically, recovery wasn’t too bad. I had a minor pull in my right hip, which hindered my training for the national 10K championship in Ottawa, and so that ended up being just a fun season finale. But emotionally, I needed much more time to recover. As more time passed and the further removed I became from my Rotterdam performance, the more I realized its significance.

I was incredibly grateful and needed

time to fully appreciate everything that happened. Making the Olympic standard on my first attempt, just 11 and a half months after fracturing my femur, while being fully mentally prepared for three attempts, was something I would not take lightly. I wanted and I needed to smell the roses—figuratively and literally—the ones from my coach, husband and children. The time was well deserved and necessary, to let it soak in. And I certainly was not going to jump into too much training or racing, too soon, for no reason. I have clearly proven that I am the type of athlete who does well, starting from scratch. From nothing. After three babies and a broken leg, I knew what my body and mind needed. After racing the 10K while

waiting to provide my sample for doping control with Linsday Carson, she suggested that we do a cool down together. On any other occasion, I would have taken her up on the offer. But I was done. Done. Done. So I politely declined her offer. Instead, I enjoyed a quiet walk alone back to the hotel, had some dinner with speedsters Lanni Marchant and Natasha Wodak, enjoyed a hot shower, got into my pyjamas and savoured a scrumptious chocolate bar while visiting with my roommate, Catrin Jones, who would be running the marathon the next morning. I too was going to have an early start because I was again going to take part in the marathon broadcast.

In the downtime after Ottawa, life was busy at home. The day after my return, Jonathan left for a

AFTER QUALIFYING FOR THE OLYMPICS Krista DuChene put everything she has into making Canada’s 2016 Olympic marathon team. So what happens to a professional racer after she sees her dream come true?

week of work. Then I left for Calgary, the day after he got home. Talk about two ships passing in the night!

I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend in Calgary, providing the national half marathon broadcast for Athletics Canada at the Calgary Marathon and spending time with our seven-year-old son who went with me, and Jonathan’s family, which included a gorgeous afternoon in Banff.

In the last eight weeks I have averaged a mere 60K of running and 10 hours per week training (running, pool, bike) with the usual weight-training and preventative maintenance routine. I had some sort of speaking engagement or media commitment every day since my return from Calgary and attempted to keep up with the usual housework and busyness

that comes with a dog and three active kids. Of course, I have certainly included a wide variety of sweets back into my diet, something I enjoy after every marathon. From warm chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream to carrot cake and pecan squares from Sweet’s Bakery, I have almost had my fill. Not sure I will get one of my Aunt’s butter tarts this time, but I will, no doubt, end with another peanut buster parfait, before commencing another marathon build.

After reading about my Rotterdam recovery, it should come as no surprise that I have decided to forego running for Canada at the Pan Am Games (Toronto in July) and World Championships (Beijing in August). Deciding not to compete for my country was certainly difficult. But attempting to train and compete so soon would risk injury and jeopardize competing my best at the 2016 Olympic Games. Most marathoners run two quality marathons per year and I am definitely one of them. So I continue to recover and enjoy my off-season while slowly building my mileage and balancing my other areas of life before getting back at it again.

Krista DuChene holds the second fastest female marathon time in Canadian history. Racing the Canadian Half Marathon Championships, DuChene finished the course on a broken leg. She took second. Her website is KristaDuChenerunning.blogspot.com.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RICHARD WITTAKER

iRun because I am a warrior! (at heart). — Jacinda Sullivan, Nova Scotia



Canada Army Run is one of the country’s fastest growing races and probably one of the most spirited events in the world. Benefitting Soldier On and the Military Families Fund, this 5K and half marathon event has grown from 7,000 participants in 2008 to its current incarnation, featuring 27,000 participants who run, walk and roll in support of the nation’s troops. The course winds through Ontario and Quebec, and past Canada’s Parliament buildings, the Rideau Canal, and Rideau Hall. To the left is a map of the course and some photographs of race day. iRun will be there, and we are looking forward to lacing up to show our support. To register for the event on September 20, visit ArmyRun.ca.

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UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWAUNIVERSITÉ D'OTTAWA

CANADIAN WAR MUSEUMMUSÉE CANADIEN DE LA GUERRE

REPÈRES SUR ROUTE

5K and 1/2 Marathon CoursesParcours du 5 km et du demi-marathon

A VIEWER’S GUIDE TO THE CANADA ARMY RUN



TRAVEL

Canada Army Run is one of the country’s fastest growing races and probably one of the most spirited events in the world. Benefitting Soldier On and the Military Families Fund, this 5K and half marathon event has grown from 7,000 participants in 2008 to its current incarnation, featuring 27,000 participants who run, walk and roll in support of the nation’s troops. The course winds through Ontario and Quebec, and past Canada’s Parliament buildings, the Rideau Canal, and Rideau Hall. To the left is a map of the course and some photographs of race day. iRun will be there, and we are looking forward to lacing up to show our support. To register for the event on September 20, visit ArmyRun.ca.

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UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWAUNIVERSITÉ D'OTTAWA

CANADIAN WAR MUSEUMMUSÉE CANADIEN DE LA GUERRE

REPÈRES SUR ROUTE

5K and 1/2 Marathon CoursesParcours du 5 km et du demi-marathon

A VIEWER’S GUIDE TO THE CANADA ARMY RUN



RUNNING FOR A REASONWe run to feel free, burn stress, eliminate waistlines. But in droves, we’re also hitting the streets to raise money for a worthy cause. Herewith, the first annual iRun salute to the charity racers, those who know that we can only really achieve a personal best when the long run is about benefitting more than ourselves.By Anna Lee Boschetto and Megan Black

iRun because it helps my lungs stay strong. — Helene Desormeau, Ontario



CHARITY SALUTE

Participants at Red Bull’s Wings for Life World Run this May in Niagara Falls helped raise a global $4.2 million Euros for spinal cord research. All of the money raised was donated to the Spinal Cord Research Foundation.

RUNNING FOR A REASON

iRun to compete with myself. — Gerald Losier, New Brunswick



“Aim for the moon and pick up a few stars along the way.”

Heart disease only furthered Wes Harding’s commitment to Team Hoyt

THE CAUSE: Team Hoyt Canada has brought the inspirational running legacy of father Dick and his son Rick Hoyt to Canada. Having competed in over 1,100 running events, this father-son duo have changed the face of sport, creating new opportunities for individuals with disabilities to compete in both running and triathlon races. With the goal of ensuring that no person is ever left on the sidelines, Team Hoyt pairs athletes of differing abilities in endurance events. To Team oyt, whether you’re a novice runner or sub three-hour marathoner, they embrace and celebrate anyone and everyone who is willing to try. All athletic riders experience the whole package, from picking up their bib number to crossing the finish line together to receiving a medal. Team Hoyt is the ultimate celebration of community and teamwork.

THE RUNNER: From “couch potato” to Ironman in four years, Wes Harding lives by the mantra “anything is possible.” After watching the Hoyt’s Ironman documentary, 40-year-old Harding embarked on a lifelong dream of running the Boston Marathon. Two years into his journey, after suffering a heart attack at the finish line of the YMCA 10K Bridge Run, Harding discovered that he was born with heart valve disease. He continued to run over time to find that the effects of his valve disease have begun to reverse. Today, Wes is the President of Team Hoyt Canada and has run in Boston with the Hoyts for the past five years. “Gather up that courage to make your first step,” he says, “because there is never that perfect moment to begin.”

Sarah Jamieson, founder of Moveolution, who runs to bring awareness to mental health, at-risk youth, girl’s leadership and first responder health/PTSD. When she started 10 years ago, she wanted to raise $1 million. Today, with the support of CARE Canada, Jamieson has surpassed $2 million in her charity runs (and accumulated enough miles with her team to circle the globe—twice!). “It all started with a CARE Canada walk called ‘Walk In Her Shoes,’ then a memorial run for my mom, supporting mental health and domestic violence and grew from there,” Jamieson says. “I’m a middle of the pack runner and I’m cool with that. Daily activity, technology and charitable giving are the next wave of giving back.”

Sky’s the LimitRobyn Baldwin approaches her Multiple Sclerosis like anything she encounters on a race track— as another obstacle to overcome.

Robyn Baldwin is fit, fast and ferocious. When she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) last December, it was Baldwin’s “no excuses” attitude combined with her fighting spirit as an obstacle course racer that made all the difference. “My trainer and I both looked at MS as another obstacle to get over,” explains Baldwin, adding that overall, her diagnosis has helped her become a better athlete, by being increasingly in tune with and aware of her body.

ON BEING AWARE: Having connected with marathon and ultra runners diagnosed with MS, Baldwin believes that raising awareness is as important as fundraising. “When someone as healthy as me can have MS, people begin to realize that it can really happen to anyone,” says Baldwin, adding that many people aren’t aware that more Canadians are diagnosed

with MS than anywhere else in the world.

PERSONAL IMPACT: With Race for the Cure, Baldwin and her Alpha Obstacle Training

crew are aiming to raise $10,000 for the MS Society. Along with their race fee, runners are asked to donate $25, the cost of a few coffees, for a week, making it a reasonable amount that will add up. When she was first diagnosed, Baldwin says the MS Society was an incredible source of information, one that she continues to rely on today for support.

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iRun because it makes me a better father and husband. — Jason Evans, Newfoundland



“Running with TNT was such an amazing experience. I had never thought of running for a charity before, but when I ran my first Nike women’s marathon I saw all these people on course in purple T-shirts and was intrigued by what it was. A few months later over Twitter my local TNT chapter and I started communicating. I fell in love with TNT. I no longer had to train alone, but rather I was training with an amazing group of women who were all running for the same cause. Knowing my fundraising dollars were going towards helping someone with cancer—a disease that has affected my family—and knowing that with each step I was making a difference made each kilometre worth it.” — TIARA FOLKES, CALGARY

Tackling the Big CColleen Curtis enlists family and friends in her work with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and Run for the Cure

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, Colleen Curtis wanted to do something that would give her a positive focus as she went through her treatment. In her first year, she managed to rally family and friends and registered her Run for the Cure team of some 50 runners and walkers. “Going through treatment I felt out of control, and isolated,” she explains, “but having this team made me feel connected to my own life with something that was really important and empowering.”

WHAT IT MEANS: As a patient, Curtis has witnessed the difference that every dollar makes. It’s a difference that she says goes beyond important medical research and to the heart of personalized treatment. “Over the past six years, I’ve seen changes in support offered to the whole family, in dealing with the psychological aspects of women with breast cancer and taking more of a team approach to treatment.”

Hero’s JourneyColin Arnott runs for the Heart and Stroke Foundation Camp BUCKO (Burn Camp for Kids in Ontario) and to pay homage to his brother Ken.

When Colin Arnott’s brother Ken passed away suddenly as the result of a stroke, the Pickering firefighter knew he wanted to do something in his brother’s memory. An accomplished trail runner whose record for the Seaton Soaker 50 kilometre distance still holds, a race was obviously going to be a special tribute to a runner’s memory.

BEST PART: “For me, it’s giving back to the medical profession and the community,” explains Arnott. As a firefighter, he doesn’t see burn victims after a rescue. Designating Camp BUCKO as one of the charities of choice offers emergency workers (including Arnott) the chance to have an additional impact in the lives of these children.

REMEMBERING KEN: Having run ultra marathons including 100-mile events together, Arnott continues to honour and pay tribute to his brother. In May, Arnott ran the 100-mile distance at the Sulfur Springs Trail Race in Burlington, Ontario wearing the bib his brother had worn the last time he ran the event.

CHARITY SALUTE

iRun to eat dark chocolate and drink red wine! — Michelle Kennedy, Ontario



“I run for Lung Research because when you can’t breathe, nothing else matters.”Meet Kelly Munoz, and the charity that recognizes one brave little girl

At age two, Kayla Baker was diagnosed with Undifferentiated Sarcoma. After years of extensive chemotherapy, including a left-lung transplant, Baker passed away in 2014. Today, through the Kayla Baker Research Award, her story brings awareness to organ donation through Baker’s love and dream of running.

In 2007, Kelly Munoz participated in the Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon’s “Asthma Challenge” for the Lung Association, which introduced him to Baker and her tragic story. Since then, Munoz’s involvement in the cause has been a passion project, reminding all runners that finding a cause that you personally resonate with is the greatest gift of all. “I run for Lung Research because when you can’t breathe, nothing else matters.”

Many times I have considered the huge impact running has had

on my life and wondered how different my life would have been without it. It has led me to many of my closest friends, my university, my husband, and most recently my home in Kenya.

During my high school years I won the Canadian Junior Cross Country Championships. This earned me the attention of U.S. universities. I accepted a track scholarship to attend the University of Louisville. I had a successful university career, reaching nationals in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. I also set school records in 800m and 1500m.

In 2012, both my husband Wesley and I had dreams of going to the Olympics, but we were facing different hurdles. I’d placed third at the Canadian Olympic trails in the 5K, but was almost 30 seconds off the qualifying time that I needed. Wesley was well under the Olympic qualifying time of the marathon, but was one of many Kenyans who had made the time. Neither of us competed at that Olympics, but it appears God had other plans for us during that time. Through a chance encounter, Wesley heard of a group of medical students whose medical trip to Kenya was going to be cancelled because of security threats in Mombasa. Wesley offered to have them come to a health clinic in his village to treat patients. This unexpected trip became the first of many trips with volunteers from the United States and Canada coming to serve in Wesley’s constituency in Kenya. This past

April with the help of two of the nurses and one medical student we were able to send a 12-year-old boy with his father to South Sudan to get heart surgery. Winning a race is a great feeling, but that doesn’t compare to the feeling of changing lives.

When my husband Wesley told me he wanted to stop running and go into politics I couldn’t understand it. He had won the L.A. marathon twice and had several top five finishes in Chicago, including a personal best. He had also won the Boston marathon that spring. He was in the best shape of his life and yet he still felt like something was missing.

We had a very comfortable life in North America. Yet, Wesley could not forget where he came from and the poverty that existed in Kenya. He was willing sacrifice his running career for a cause that he believed was more important—helping to improve the lives of his people back home. In 2013 Wesley was elected as an independent member of parliament in Kenya. He is still competing actively, but has since found a greater purpose for his running.

Wesley and I founded the Kenyan Kids Foundation in the U.S. in 2010 to provide high school scholarships. More recently Kenyan Kids Foundation Canada was formed so that our Canadian friends and family could be involved in and support our work. The main goal of both foundations

“Winning a race is a great feeling, but that doesn’t compare to the feeling of changing lives.”Tarah Korir reflects on her life, so far, in and out of her running shoes.

is to empower Kenyan families to become self-sufficient.

I am passionate about our charitable work in Kenya, because I live alongside these people and see how hard they work and the potential they have to succeed if someone is willing to make an investment in them. The hardship of running a race is nothing compared

to some of the challenges people in Kenya face day to day.

Both Wesley and I feel that running is a platform for us to share our story and our vision for helping the people of Kenya. When we visit North America we take

part in various fundraising activities to raise awareness

and financial support for our foundations. We hope that other runners will be inspired to help us empower Kenyan families. It is not about how fast you run or how often, but about why you run and who or what you run for. Our pastor from Louisville once told us that we should invest not in this life, but in eternity. The way to do that is not by investing in selfish pursuits or material things, but by investing in other people.

In the same way that training in a group helps runners achieve their running goals, we hope that the same collective power can help us reach our charitable objectives. The support of other runners inspires us to keep working hard.

Though not everyone has the ability to be an elite athlete and have the platform that Wesley and I have been given to promote our cause, everyone has a cause they can be passionate about. If your friends and family see you running a race to support that cause, they can be inspired to help you achieve your goal. Wesley often has said that running is his talent but that leadership is his purpose. I think we have each been given specific talents and we can choose to use them selfishly or to benefit others.

Tarah Korir is a former winner of the Yonge St. 10K and Harry’s Spring Run. She’s currently training for the marathon.

iRun not to find the remote for the TV. — Keith Harrison, Ontario



1,620,000,000Amount, in US dollars, that race events raised for charity in the United States in 2014

38 Amount, in millions, raised solely through the Charity Challenge

at Scotiabank-sponsored marathons in 2014, for more than 400 charities nationwide

100,000Number of dollars that charity runner Joe Mauko hopes to raise for cancer research

8Number, in hundreds of thousands, of registered Canadian charities that can

benefit from the fundraising and awareness-raising support of runners

82 Number of charities participating in the Scotiabank Vancouver

Half Marathon and 5K Race

2Number of hours, in billions, volunteers contribute each year to charitable

organizations in a variety of capacities

2012 Year that the first Color Run was held

RUNNING FOR A REASON:

By the Numbers 1.2 Amount, in millions, raised

by the Army Run for Soldier On and the Military Families Fund

70 Pounds lost by Joe Mauko, since he began running for charity

100 Runners at the 2014 Mississauga Marathon

who fundraised as part of Team World Vision

5.8 Amount, in millions, raised by the Canada Running Series in

2014, supporting more than 330 charitable organizations nationwide

$80Amount, in millions, raised by One Fund

Boston, a charity created to help victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings

600 Number of charity runners that participated

in the 2014 BMO Vancouver Marathon

890,000Dollars raised for charities at the 2014 Banque du Scotia Montreal 21K

5,000,000Number of Britons who ran for charity in 2013

1988 Year that the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

launched Team in Training

875,000,000Amount that Team in Training has raised since lacing up their first shoe

3 MILLIONDollars the Color Run has raised since it began in 2012.

2009 The year National Running Day kicked

off, encouraging runs everywhere to show their passion for the sport.

800,000 number of registered Canadian charities that can benefit from the fundraising and awareness raising support of runner.

2 BILLION Number of hours volunteers contribute each year to charitable organizations in a variety of capacities.

1 Number of people it takes to make a difference

CHARITY SALUTE

iRun because I feel great when I’m done! — Karen Morgenweg, Ontario



“On race day it was super emotional, I thought a lot about Rose and shed a few tears on the way. My daughter and sister ran with me and Rose’s husband followed us digitally, so it was incredible to have his support.”

The Mylan Relay for Hope is a cross-Canada relay to raise funds and awareness for Canadians and people worldwide who are living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS. The relay started on April 21, 2015 in St. John’s, Nfld. and ends mid-October 2015 in Hope, B.C. – and consists of 35 dedicated runners divided into teams. Each team will be responsible for running the distance in its province, before the team in the next province can begin its westward journey.

Why run for charity? Jeff Dyer is the executive director of Accessible Housing, a charity associated with the Calgary Marathon. Here he gives us his three best reasons why charity running is the best way to cross your next finish line.

1 BOOST YOUR MOTIVATION: Marathon running is difficult and you need a lot of different motivators

that will last you through four months of training. No question, you’ll have increased pressure when you fundraise for a run, but that can be what you need to get out the door.

2 COMMUNITY SPIRIT: People perceive runners as being isolated, but when we are philanthropic,

we can not only make a difference, but we become part of a bigger community. Although personal running goals are important, running for a charity gives you the opportunity to make an impact that can be farther reaching than achieving a PB.

3 MAKE THINGS RIGHT: Align yourself with a cause that breaks your heart, something that you feel

needs to change. When you approach non-profit organizations, letting them know you’re interested in fundraising, it can be incredibly motivating for the staff and volunteers involved, knowing there are other people who will support the work they do.

ON THE ROAD, FROM LEFT: AMANDA KNEBEL, ROBYN WRIGHT-BAKER AND CAREY AHR.

CHARITY SALUTE

iRun because it energizes me! — Michele-Marie Beer,Ontario

A runner uses the BMO Vancouver Marathon to raise funds for the Canadian Mental Health AssociationIRUN: Why did you choose the Canadian Mental Health Association? DEBBIE HALL: When I registered for the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon, I thought this was a way to honour my friend Rose who had taken her own life last November.

IRUN: What impact did this connection with a charity have on you as a runner? HALL: Rose was an incredible runner. Over the past six years, almost every race I ran, it was her, myself, and our teenaged daughters. So having this connection to CMHA really inspired me to train hard and aim for a personal best.

IRUN: Why was awareness raising as important as fundraising? HALL: Even runners, really good ones like Rose can get depressed. We really wanted to raise awareness about mental health, and help to eliminate that stigma. It’s shocking how well people can hide depression and we should all be talking more about this.

IRUN: Will you continue to run in Rose’s honour? HALL: We’re thinking about running a half marathon in San Diego, which was the last race that Rose ran. Even though the Canadian Mental Health Association isn’t a charity with the race, we’ll be fundraising and bringing awareness about the organization to runners at this event.



ALS SOCIETY OF CANADASupporting people with ALS and investing in research for the futureAls.ca

ALZHEIMER SOCIETYSupport families and individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementiasAlzheimer.ca

AMNESTY INTERNATIONALGlobal awareness and action for human rights violationsAmnesty.ca

ASPERGER’S SOCIETY OF ONTARIOSupporting the Asperger community and raising awareness of Asperger SyndromeAspergers.ca

ASSAULTED WOMEN’S HELPLINEOffering free, anonymous and confidential 24 hour telephone and crisis support for assaulted womenAwhl.org

ASTHMA CANADAEducation and awareness to help Canadians achieve symptom-free AsthmaAsthma.ca

AUTISM SPEAKS CANADAFunding global research to causes, prevention, treatments and cure of autismAutismspeaks.ca

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB (Walk This Way)Helping young people discover, develop and achieve their best potentialBgccan.com

BRAIN TUMOUR FOUNDATION CANADASupporting brain tumour patients, survivors and family members Braintumour.ca

CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETYOffering support and information to cancer patients, their families and caregiversCancer.ca

CANADIAN DIABETES ASSOCIATIONSupporting people affected by diabetes through information, research and educationDiabetes.ca

CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETYPrevent and protecting children from child abuse and neglectTorontocas.ca

CHILDREN’S WISH FOUNDATIONGranting wishes to children diagnosed with life-threatening illnessesChildrenswish.ca

DIABETIC CHILDREN’S FOUNDATIONSupporting diabetic insulin-dependent children dealing with Type 1 DiabetesDiabetes-children.ca

DOCTORS WITHOUT BOARDERSNurses and medical professionals providing aid to solve world health issuesDoctorswithoutborders.org

EPILEPSY CANADAEnhancing the quality of life for persons affected by epilepsy through research and educational supportEpilepsy.ca

HEART & STROKE FOUNDATIONPreventing and saving lives affected by heart disease and strokeHeartandstroke.com

LOVE-LEAVE OUT VIOLENCEReduce youth violence and build non-violent communitiesLeaveoutviolence.org

LUNG ASSOCIATION OF CANADACanadian organization fighting for healthy lungs and healthy airLung.ca

LYMPHOMA CANADAEmpowering patients and the lymphoma community through education, support and researchLymphoma.ca

MD SOCIETY OF CANADAProviding support and resources to those affected by neuromuscular disordersMuscle.ca

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY OF CANADAProvide information, support and resources to Canadians with MSBeta.mssociety.ca

PARTICIPACTIONPromoting and ensuring physical activity as a priority on the national agendaParticipaction.com

PRINCESS MARAGET CANCER FOUNDATIONRaise and steward funds to deliver research, teaching and care at the Princess Maraget HospitalTheprmcf.ca

RIGHT TO PLAYGlobal organization, using the power of play to educate and empower children and youthRighttoplay.com

TORONTO HUMANE SOCIETYPromote the humane care and protection of all animals and to prevent cruelty and sufferingTorontohumanesociety.com

UNICEFLong-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countriesUnicef.ca

UNITED WAY TORONTODedicated to creating opportunities people need to improve their lives and build a better futureUnitedwaytoronto.com

USC CANADANationally promote family farms, strong rural communities and healthy ecosystemsUsc-canada.org

YMCA CANADABuilding and supporting healthy communitiesYmca.ca

Lace up. Give back. Live better. An index of charities closely related to running that work with the big races as a means of generating charitable funds. This is just a fraction of the organizations that are out there. Find one close to your heart, and contribute to the cause.

iRun to prove to myself that I can overcome any obstacle. — Christine Dorcin, Ontario



COVER STORY

“IF YOU’RE NOT RUNNING FOR SOMETHING, YOU’RE

JUST CHASING THE WIND.” On the run with Kenya’s newest, fastest member of Parliament as he works both on his split times

and the economic disparity in his country.By Richard Warnica

On March 4, 2013, election day in Cherangany

Kenya, Welsey Korir, the reigning Boston Marathon champion, went for a run. He pulled on a pair of grey Nike sneakers. He loped down a red dirt road. He turned into a polling station, went inside and voted for himself. When he was done, he jogged back out and kept on running.

At pace, Korir, who is now 32 years old, looks almost mechanical. His limbs move with a repetitive chug. It’s compact and fluid, like a metronome, the only variation in every stride the ripple of his quads when his feet hit the ground. Ron Mann, his collegiate and professional coach, believes Korir was “born to be a marathoner.” He has the perfect body, the unflagging pace. But for Korir himself, running has never been the end

goal, it’s just his way to get at bigger things.

In a four-year stretch beginning in 2008, Korir went from a successful ,but unheralded NCAA runner to one of the most famous marathoners in the world. He won the second marathon he ever ran, in L.A. in 2009. He won that race again in 2010. He finished second in Chicago in 2011 and then, in a remarkable come-from-behind performance in 2012, he won Boston, the biggest run of them all.

Months later, at the peak of his fame and in the prime of his athletic life, Korir quit training full time, moved back to Kenya and embarked on a madcap bid for a seat in federal Parliament. “Practically, it didn’t make a lot of sense,” says his wife, Tarah Korir, who was born and grew up in Ontario. But “practical” has never really been in Korir’s vocabulary.

On a recent evening at a sports bar in Toronto,

Korir unfurled his remarkable life story. He was at The Contender for a showing of Transcend, a 2014 documentary about his triumph in Boston and subsequent political bid. With his wife and father-in-law by his side, he unspooled his narrative of unlikely success fueled at every stage by his feet.

Korir was raised poor in rural Kenya. He ran all the time as a young boy, but at that age he never dreamed of running professionally; it was mostly just a way of getting around. “My mother used to send me to market and she would time me,” he said.

In high school, running became more of a fixation, but only because it offered him a way out, literally. Korir attended boarding school, his tuition paid by a local priest. Racing was one of the few ways he could get off campus on the weekends. Back then, he never trained, but he always won. “I used to beat

everybody,” he said.After graduation, Korir

moved away from his village and, for the first time, started putting in serious miles on a track. He had no illusions of becoming an Olympian or a professional. But he thought he might be good enough to get a scholarship to the U.S. “If there was no opportunity of me coming to America, I don’t think I would have continued to run,” he said. “But when I looked at it, I had to get out of poverty, and for me to get out of poverty, I knew I had to get out of Kenya.”

With the help of Paul Ereng, a Kenyan gold medalist in the 1988 Olympics, Korir earned a scholarship to Murray State, a small school in Kentucky. A year in, Murray State eliminated its track program, so he transferred to Louisville, a Division I NCAA powerhouse.

In college, Korir was a good, but never great,

5,000 and 10,000 metre runner. He worked two jobs all through school, as a maintenance man, and a bat engraver at the Louisville Slugger plant. He only kept running, he said, to keep his scholarship.

At the bar in Toronto, I asked him if he actually enjoyed running. “I like it, but it’s not really that fun,” he replied. “I honestly have to force myself most of the time to get out.” If someone had offered to pay his tuition in college, he would have walked away from the track in an instant.

When he graduated, with a degree in biology and a minor in accounting, Korir thought about medical school, but he eventually applied to do his MBA. He was set to start that degree in January 2009, when his college coach, Ron Mann, convinced him to give running one more shot.

“We all knew his best days of running were

iRun to feel alive. — Joseph Camilleri, British Columbia



“In college, I used to run to keep my scholarship. In Kenya I used to run to get to America. Now I run to keep those kids in school.”

PHOTOS BY DARREN CALABRESE.



COVER STORY

going to be ahead of him, in marathon,” Mann says in Transcend. But Korir wasn’t convinced.

He registered for the 2008 Chicago marathon as an amateur. With no qualifying times, he started five minutes behind the professionals, with all the weekend warriors. Remarkably, he still caught all but five of the elites. He crossed the finish line in sixth place, but with the fourth fastest time, good enough to earn him a $15,000 payday.

At that point, Korir began to believe. Still working full time as a maintenance man, he started training in earnest as a marathoner in his spare time. He shocked the field in L.A. that spring to win a massive $185,000 payday. The next year, while on his honeymoon, he won L.A. again. That second win set him up for Boston in 2012.

It’s hard today to separate the Boston Marathon from the

Boston Marathon bombing. The event will be forever clouded by that attack in 2013. And yet, there remains nothing like Boston in the running world. There’s no race bigger, no better profile or tougher annual field.

None of that was on Korir’s mind in 2012, though. He tells the story today with a kind of practised cadence.

He’s clearly done it many times before. He arrived in Boston out of shape and still recovering from a bout of typhoid fever. In his warm up, he felt a pain in one leg and seriously considered dropping out. “Coach was like ‘just run a half,’” he said. “It will look bad if we don’t start.”

Making matters worse, the course was unseasonably warm

that day, a scorching 32 degrees at one point in the race. Despite the heat, Korir kept with the lead pack for about half the race. When a small group broke off, though, he let them go. “I was thinking about finishing safe,” he said. “That’s what I was thinking, just finish safe.”

And then a remarkable thing began to happen. He started passing other runners. He didn’t speed up. He didn’t skip his water breaks. But when the rest of the field began to flag, he just kept going. “I realized, you know what, these people are dropping like chickens,” he said. “And I was passing them one by one.”

He only moved into first place in the last 800 metres of the race. You can see the moment in Transcend. “It was the finish line of the Boston Marathon,” he says in the movie. “But it was the beginning of my next life.”

For the vast majority of the world, that next life would have followed a predictable pattern. A man who grew up poor suddenly becomes rich and famous. He has a young wife and a baby and the opportunity to earn rich appearance and prize fees for years to come on the marathon circuit. So of course, after one more race, in which he set a personal best time, Korir did the logical thing: He stopped training and instead dropped six figures of his own cash to take on an influential government incumbent in the home country where he hadn’t lived full time for a decade.

And remarkably, he won. He shouldn’t have. That’s not how this normally works. He ran as an independent against a

man personally endorsed by the top echelons of the Kenyan leadership. He met his campaign staff on Facebook. But days after he cast his vote that morning in March 2013, he was officially named the new MP for Cherangany.

Six weeks later, having barely trained for the past several months, Korir returned to Boston to defend his title. He was up against the best marathoners in the world, men running 100 miles a week in training while he barely scratched out 30, even after the election. Midway through the race, he fell off the lead pack. He looked set for a certain finish deep in the weeds. And then, just as he had a year earlier, as he has throughout his entire life, Korir came back. He chased down runner after runner. He crossed the finish line in fifth place, a result perhaps even more remarkable than his win, considering the circumstances.

Today, Korir juggles running with fatherhood, politics and his charitable foundation, which provides educational opportunities to Kenyan children. That last, is the reason he’s still out there, he said, still putting in his miles instead of getting fat like the rest of his colleagues in government. “In college, I used to run to keep my scholarship. In Kenya I used to run to get to America,” he said, “Now, I run to keep those kids in school.”

In April, he went back to Boston. Despite working fulltime as an MP, he finished in fifth place, one more time.

Richard Warnica is a feature writer at the National Post.

iRun to inspire others. — Mark Kerr, Ontario



In early 2007, Charlie, Kevin and I were over halfway across Africa

on our 7,500K run across the Sahara Desert. We had already been through so many communities along the way and were learning not only about the amazing culture and people of North Africa, but we were also getting a visual of the seriousness of the water crisis going on in this region of the continent. While running through these remote towns, we visited with community leaders.

We were there to run. But more importantly, we were there to learn. We spent many days with Tuareg people, learning about the connection of water to life.

It was incredible learning how important, how vital, clean water is to the fabric of any

sustainable society. The foundation of the community and its people is pride, and from water comes the capability for not only survival, but independence and the capacity to thrive. Local economies desperately relied on potable water to remain buoyant. From livestock to basic crops, clean water is needed.

We were getting an education as we ran through the Sahara not only about water, but about the ready access we had at home in comparison. We take so much for granted. We simply turn our taps on at home and voila—water appears! Not so in the arid Saharan vastness. Every drop is precious, and accounted for.

Wells are the lifeblood, and when the wells run dry, so does the

community.Our 111-day journey

had many lessons, but three stand out in particular:

1. Through running I was able to learn about a culture, and a situation, that’s important and that I was previously oblivious about.

2. We’re all capable of doing extraordinary things and are able to exceed limits we sometimes build around ourselves.

3. With running, we can have a voice, or a message, and we can affect positive change! You just have to make the choice.

When I returned from the Sahara I knew I wanted to get involved

111 DAYS ON THE RUN IN NORTH AFRICA Ray Zahab learns about appreciation and gratitude after spending three months in the desert and exploring the world with his feet on the ground.

with water initiatives and use my running to contribute. As a proud Canadian, I joined the board of a homegrown water charity called the Ryan’s Well Foundation and volunteered. I also joined Run for Water and helped organize an annual fundraiser called the Run for Water Ultra, which is a fundraising effort for water projects in Africa.

Still, I knew I wanted to engage with young people and find a way to create free running adventures for youth and model them on the “Running the Sahara” experience of learning about yourself and learning through adventure.

That’s when impossible2Possible was born!

Since the Sahara, I’ve done multiple expeditions all over the world, all in support of impossible2Possible or i2P. It’s what inspires me and drives me to keep going. I love the challenge of making it to the South Pole or running 2,000K

across the Gobi, but at the end of the day, it’s truly about supporting my passion for i2P.

Making a difference through your running doesn’t necessarily mean being able to raise tons of money. Raising awareness for a cause you are passionate about is just as valuable. Volunteering your time is another great way to help out! You’re a runner. Use your passion for good.

Volunteering your time is another great way to help out. Races from Vancouver to Montreal now feature valuable charity components and everyone benefits (including the runner) when runners chip in. Investigate. What stokes your passion? You’re a runner. Use your passion for good.

Ray Zahab is the founder of Impossible2Possible, which educates youth through adventure training. An ultra marathoner, public speaker and author of Running for My Life, Zahab is an iRun contributor. His website is RayZahab.com.

RUNNING IS MY TEACHERRAY ZAHAB, COLUMNIST

We were there to run. But more importantly, we were there to learn.

iRun to connect with my higher self. — Jeff Martin, Ontario



MUSIC

“I HAVE ALMOST NEVER HAD A RUN WHEN I HAVEN’T HAD TO STOP TO WRITE A LYRIC DOWN.”

Q) When did you first get into running, why? A) I began running beside my grandfather at about nine. He started his family a bit late into his life and determined exercise was to be his fountain of youth. It was. He lived into his 90s still swimming 50 laps a day the week he passed away.

Q) You’re a skinny guy. Why run? What does it help you with? A) It’s true that my frame is thin, but as with anyone, exercise makes you stronger, healthier, more centred. Running is my exercise of choice for many reasons beyond any weight maintenance program. First among the benefits I get from running is a period of time dedicated to this simple hard wired action that allows me to find a ‘centre’ for my mind, for the day to come or the one that has gone by.

Q) And in your art? A) Professionally, running is paramount to my lung

capacity and massively improves my ability for breath control, which is paramount for singing well, and singing for a very long set, and even more importantly being able to sing, basically, every single day of the year for eight hours a day.

Q) Tell me about your current training. How often do you run, how far? A) I’m currently on tour so my training is daily, as always. When on the road the distances I choose are tied to the region I’m in. Weather I’m under. Demands of the day. Same as every runner. My short runs are chosen on days when I know the heat during the show will be preclusive (I should point out that singing and performing on stage combine for an additional cardiac workout at a high level). I need something in the tank. On those days I will do two miles (then I really do three) early in the day, perform the show at night, then I’ll take my

Singer Chris Carrabba, who records as Dashboard Confessional, tells Ben Kaplan about his marathon training, favourite theme song, and a run across North Carolina that ended up restoring his faith in mankind.

bike out for a light ride and try to work all the lactic acid out of my body. Off day runs are five to seven miles. One day of run and voice rest combined a week. The most boring day.

Q) Your album titles are perfect for running—The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most and So Impossible—sound good for folks attempting their first races. Do you find inspiration in your running shoes? A) I really do! I have

a song that I wrote while training (I wasn’t running at that moment) for a marathon. The song is called “Reason To Believe”. I’ve been honoured by some really incredible runners and athletes to be told that that is their hump song. I’ve almost never had a run where I haven’t had to stop to write a lyric down. That is telling, to me, of just how much resistance you carry in your mind that falls away so simply when your feet have one simple task to complete.

Q) Ever write a chord progression or lyric on a run? A) Every run.

Q) You’ve taken time off, left Dashboard and come back. Does the running help keep you calm, keep you focused, keep you grounded?A) I think you are talking about all of us. I believe in calm. I also believe it is faster than me! I need to run or I never catch it!

Q) And sorry for being rude, please, take me

PHOT

O BY

DAV

ID B

EAN

iRun to become a stronger person — Jason Cotnam, Ontario



up to date with your music and the band: what’s cooking this summer and beyond? A) Dashboard is back after a hiatus and I don’t mind telling you that the response has been a wonderful shock, both in sales and unrestrained positivity and euphoria of the crowd.

Q) You have another band too, right?A) Yeah, my other band Twin Forks is growing and is an absolutely joy-based experience. You want some Twin Forks music free? E-mail [email protected] and use the subject line iRun.

Q) That’s awesome, thank you. Who’s on your running playlist? A) My two beat-the-wall songs are both by Constantines—”Draw Us Lines” and “Hard Feelings”. Fugazi has never missed a running mix of mine: “Bed For The Scrapping”,“Waiting Room (duh)”, and “Margin Walker.” Hot Water Music is heavily represented. Also: two singer songwriters that I love make it every time as well: Patty Griffin and Cory Brannan.

Q) Can you make us a running playlist of your tunes? How about a five-song medley that would take us through the final 3K of a race?A) Of my songs? I’ve never thought about it really. Here goes nothing. “Back to you” (Twin Forks)“Stolen” (Dashboard Confessional)“Can’t Be Broken” (Twin Forks)“Reason To Believe” (Dashboard Confessional)“Vindicated” (Dashboard Confessional)

Q) Tell me about your greatest run, was it a race? Was it back home? A) I had run a half and thought I had hurt my knee badly. I had visited specialists and there was no damage to be found. I would later learn it was my hip and am working through it. Long story short I found myself with time for a short run in North Carolina and before you know it I had run 15 miles. One direction. The freedom from pain was joyous, but then I got a taste of the running community that I love so much. I saw a small shop and walked in. I explained the run I had done, that I had taken no wallet. That I meant to do a short one. I asked if they would mind if I waited there to see if the hotel had a shuttle. Instead they bought me lunch and drove me back and came to the show that night. Instant community.

For more on Chris Carrabba and Dashboard Confessional, including summer tour dates, see DashboardConfessional.com.

匀倀伀刀吀匀吀䄀吀匀刀䔀匀唀䰀吀匀䰀䤀嘀䔀䘀伀刀䔀嘀䔀刀

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iRun to inspire and save others. — Michelle Mabe, Nova Scotia



RACECALENDAR

THERE’S NOWHERE THAT YOU CANNOT GO

From the deserts of Badwater to the oceans of Maui, the world is a racetrack for a runner and your ticket to ride is a good pair of shoes. Check out our picks for events across the country and, indeed, races that are happening all over the world. So lace up your shoes and take a picture, we’ll publish your adventures on iRun.ca.

iRun because it’s what makes me. — Alicia Chiesa, Ontario



[ WEST ]

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2THE BRICKYARD BEAST 10 ROAD RACEGABRIOLA ISLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIABRICKYARDBEAST.COM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8ANNUAL LOOP THE LAKEINVERMERE, BRITISH COLUMBIALOOPTHELAKE.BC.CA

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6VANRACE, 15-30KVALEMOUNT, BRITISH COLUMBIAVANRACE.CA

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12MOUNT ROBSON MARATHONVALEMOUNT, BRITISH COLUMBIAMOUNTROBSONMARATHON.CA

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13BLUE HERON HALF MARATHON, 5K, 10K CRESTON, BRITISH COLUMBIABLUEHERONHALFMARATHON.CA

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TRAIL RIVER RUNPORT COQUITLAM, BRITISH COLUMBIA TRIOEVENTS.CA/TRR

[ PRAIRIES ]

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9MOOSE MOUNTAIN MARATHONARCOLA, SASKATCHEWANFALL.SUPERIORTRAILRACE.COM/RACE-INFO/MARATHON/

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16YORKTON CHARITY ROAD RACEYORKTON, SASKATCHEWANTHEHEALTHFOUNDATION.CA

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23EDMONTON MARATHONEDMONTON, ALBERTAEDMONTONMARATHON.CA

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6SPRUCE MEADOWS RUN SERIES SUMMERS GONECALGARY, ALBERTASPRUCEMEADOWS.COM/RUNSERIES

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12DINO DASHCALGARY, ALBERTAATHLETICSALBERTA.COM/EVENTS/DINO-DASH

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12FIT FOR MOTION HALF MARATHON BARRHEAD, ALBERTABARRHEAD.CA/EVENTS/FITFORMOTIONHALFMARATHON

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12EDMONTON GORILLA RUNEDMONTON, ALBERTAEDMONTONGORILLARUN.CA

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13DINOSAUR VALLEY MARATHONDRUMHELLER, ALBERTADINOSAURHALF.COM

[ ONTARIO AND QUEBEC ]

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1DEMI-MARATHON DE ISLE-AUX-COUDRESISLE-AUX-COUDRES, QUEBECWWW.VERTLERAID.COM/DEMIIAC/

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2MUSKOKA ROCKS ROAD RACEMINETT, ONTARIOMUSKOKAROCKS.CA

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15NIGHT RACEOTTAWA, ONTARIONIGHTRACE.CA

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23GOODLIFE FITNESS CITY CHASETORONTO, ONTARIOGOODLIFEFITNESSCITYCHASE.CA

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29TORONTO WOMENS TORONTO, ONTARIOTOWOMENSRUN.COM/KM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29COURSE TROIS 2 1 GOMONTREAL, QUEBECTRISOMIE.QC.CA

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5NIGHT RACETORONTO, ONTARIONIGHTRACE.CA

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6LES COURSES DU 30KM DES RIVES DE BOUCHERVILLEBOUCHERVILLE, QUEBECCOURSES-BOUCHERVILLE.CA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11NIGHT RACEMONTREAL, QUEBECNIGHTRACE.CA/MONTREAL-SEPTEMBER-11TH-S13940

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TORONTO 5KMTORONTO, ONTARIOTORONTO5K.COM

[ EAST ]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7EMERA MARATHON BY THE SEA RACE SAINT JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICKMARATHONBYTHESEA.COM

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9AGE OF SAIL MARATHON PORT GREVILLE, NOVA SCOTIAAGEOFSAILMARATHON.CA

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9EMERA MARATHON BY THE SEASAINT JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICKMARATHONBYTHESEA.COM

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18BEEN THERE RAN THAT MARATHONYARMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11MARITIME RACE WEEKENDEASTERN PASSAGE, NOVA SCOTIAMARITIMERACEWEEKEND.COM

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13HAMPTON 5 MILERHAMPTON, NEW BRUNSWICKHAMPTONRIVERRUNNERS.CA

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TIM HORTON’S FOUR FATHERS HALF MARATHONAMHERTS, NOVA SCOTIA

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18CAPE BRETON FIDDLER’S RUNCAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA

iRun because I want to find focus. — Kyla Kryski, Ontario



[ U.S. ]

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8CRYSTAL LAKE TEAM MARATHONWISCONSIN, MICHIGANEVENTS.BYTEPRO.NET/ CRYSTAL-LAKE-MARATHON

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9HUMBOLDT BAY MARATHONEUREKA, CALIFORNIA HUMBOLDTBAYMARATHON.COM

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16KAUAI MARATHONKAUAI, HAWAIITHEKAUAIMARATHON.COM

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16PIKES PEAK MARATHONMANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADOPIKESPEAKMARATHON.ORG

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16AMERICA’S FINEST CITY HALF MARATHONSAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIAAFCHALF.COM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22CHEESEHEAD HALF MARATHONHILBERT, WISONSINCHEESEHEADRUN.COM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22SEATTLE MARATHONSEATTLE, WASHINGTONSEATTLEMARATHON.ORG

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3DISNEYLAND HALF MARATHON WEEKENDANAHEIM, CALIFORNIARUNDISNEY.COM

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6KAUAI MARATHONPOIPU BEACH, HAWAIITHEKAUAIMARATHON.COM

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGHEST LEADVILLE MARATHONLEADVILLE, COLORADOJOINGECKO.ORG/INFO

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12SALMON MARATHONSALMON, IDAHOSALMONMARATHON.COM

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13BOZEMAN MARATHONBOZEMAN, MONTANABOZEMANMARATHON.COM

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13SKAGIT FLATS MARATHONBURLINGTON, WASHINGTONSKAGITFLATS.SKAGITRUNNERS.ORG

[ INTERNATIONAL ]

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9ETHIO TRAIL MARATHONABIJATTA, ETHIOPIAETHIOTRAIL.COM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15HELSINKI CITY MARATHONHELSINKI, FINLANDHELSINKICITYMARATHON.FI

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22HELAGS MARATHONLJUNGDALEN, SWEDENHELAGSMARATHON.COM

SUNDAY, AUGUST 30MANDELA DAY MARATHONHOWICK, SOUTH AFRICAMANDELAMARATHON.CO.ZA

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5DINGLE MARATHONDINGLE, IRELANDDINGLEMARATHON.IE

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12MARATHON DU MEDOCMEDOC, FRANCEMARATHONDUMEDOC.COM

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12NEVIS MARATHONSAINT KITTS AND NEVIS, WEST INDIES

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13MARATÓN DE QUITOQUITO, ECUADORWWW.MARATONDEQUITO.COM

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13MUNSTER MARATHONMUNSTER, GERMANY

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19OSLO MARATHONOSLO, NORWAY

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19SCOTTISH HALF MARATHONEDINBURGH, SCOTLANDSCOTTISHHALFMARATHON.COM

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26PATAGONIAN INTERNATIONAL MARATHONPATAGONIA, CHILE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27BAXTER’S LOCK NESS MARATHONINVERNESS HIGHLANDS, UNITED KINGDOM

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27BMW BERLIN MARATHONBERLIN GERMANY

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27PZU WARSAW MARATHONWARSAW POLAND

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3KENYA WILDLIFE MARATHONTAITAN HILLS WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, KENYA

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4BELFIUS BRUSSELS MARATHONBRUSSELS, BELGIUM

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18TCS AMSTERDAM MARATHONAMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24YUNNAN QIUBEI MARATHONQUIBEI, CHINA

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23MUDGEE MARATHONMUDGEE, AUSTRALIA

SUNDAY, AUGUST 30CHEVRON CITY TO SURF MARATHONPERTH, AUSTRALIA

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19SURREY BACCHUS MARATHONSURREY, UNITED KINGDOM

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27IKANO ROBIN HOOD MARATHON & HALF MARATHONNOTTINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM

RACECALENDAR

For more information, click iRun.ca

Join author and iRun Founding PublisherMark Sutcliffe and adventure runnerand iRun Runner-in-Chief Ray Zahab

as they talk running and welcomeiRun contributors and other interesting

guests with the best advice onnutrition, training and reports

from great race experiences acrossthe country and beyond.

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in Ottawa or on the web at Team1200.com

TheRunningShow

in Ottawa or on the web at TSN1200.ca

www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com

iRun with purpose. — Paul, Radcliffe, Ontario



www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com



TRAVEL

I’m awestruck. Even as the mountains gradually come into

view in the open, clear blue skies during my hour and a half drive from Calgary, it wasn’t until I walked up Banff Avenue, that I was taken by the town’s picture postcard views. Situated within Banff National Park, the town of Banff is enveloped by the Canadian Rockies including notable Sulfur Mountain, Cascade Mountain and Mount Rundle. And although it’s short in elevation, Tunnel Mountain is popular among locals and tourists (myself included) for quick runs and hikes, taking you to the summit in about 30 minutes. From Banff’s iconic bridges to the Bows River Valley to the

Upper Hot Springs to the views from the gondola up Sulfur Mountain, you can’t possibly take a bad photograph. In fact, it’s the endless span of blue skies, punctuated with crisp white cumulus clouds that attract more than three million visitors each year.

The night before the Banff Marathon, I’m reviewing the park’s Response Plan. With the possibility of wildlife sightings including grizzly bears, there’s a part of me that regrets not picking up bear spray earlier in the day. At the same time, with a race route that weaves through Banff National Park, it’s the opportunity to see caribou, elk, big horn sheep or mountain goats along the racecourse that is a major draw for

runners. Speaking briefly with the marathon race director Paul Regensburg earlier in the day, it’s clear that he’s also excited for runners to experience the full route.

Part of the fun of building a vacation around a race is about experiencing the destination like a local, and that means enjoying the food. At 9:30 p.m. on a Friday in June, the sun is still shining brightly, offering plenty of time

EVERYTHING’S BETTER IN BANFF Mountain climbing, music festivals, food, and a marathon in Canada’s first National Park. By Anna Lee Boschetto

for capturing Instagram-worthy photos, not to mention sampling from the incredible eatery menus. With more than 130 places to dine and drink, many of which are owned by chefs who offer up menus of seasonally available, locally sourced foods, Banff’s food scene is as expansive as its mountain views.

While you might expect menu offerings to include Alberta beef (and many do) unexpected bistros such as Nourish, offer vegetarian menus with a healthy number of vegan options and at Toque Canadian Pub, servers will breakout board games for young families allowing parents to enjoy the restaurant’s quirky Canadian inspired menu and perhaps enjoy one of the signature creations from the restaurant’s Cesar Bar.

On race day, the mountain views keep me motivated as the use of headphones aren’t permitted for safety reasons; you’ll want to hear the approaching wildlife. Although elevation changes, contrary to what some runners might believe, hills aren’t part of the course. Instead marathoners, half marathoners and 10K runners continue to experience the naturally captivating beauty of Banff, winding along the legacy trail, up the iconic Bow River Valley Parkway towards Lake Louise, then loops back into the centre of town.

Unlike my experience during other races where I’m hyper-aware of my pace, I’m basking in the quiet serenity of the Vermillion Lakes. At the

14 kilometre mark of the half marathon, I find myself increasingly aware of the natural rhythm of each stride. Maybe it’s the realization that it’s unlikely I’ll be chased down by caribou or bears during this race, but in my ease of movement it seems as though I’m finding myself at one with nature.

Although runners don’t have their personal playlist pumping on the racecourse, Banff’s Performance in the Park, an annual two-day music festival held during race weekend, is an opportunity for runners (and non-runners) looking to chill out and unwind prerace. Incorporating performances from a range of musical genres this year, Performance in the Park featured rap, folk and rock from artists such as k-os, The Rural Alberta Advantage and Hannah Georgas. With on- site barbecues, and mid-afternoon to early evening performance times, it’s also a family and runner-friendly way to spend time in the park’s Cascade Gardens.

At a time when big city races are a go-to for runners, for many of us a run in the park might be just what we need. Whether you’re trekking your family or running solo, the sense of community, one that extends well beyond race day in Banff, will keep you enthralled and engaged. And the town’s distinctive picturesque beauty will have you wishing that every race day could feel this natural.

Anna Lee Boschetto is iRun’s managing editor. She writes frequently about travel, beauty and health at iRun.

“I find myself increasingly aware of the natural rhythm of each stride.”

PHOT

O BY

PAM

DOY

LE

iRun because I was made to run. — Pierre Lafontaine, Québec



Thank you everyone running for somebody else.




SPECIAL ISSUE

Thank you everyone keeping alive the memory of Terry Fox.

Thank you everyone participating in the amazing road races across the country.

Thank you everyone supporting Canadian track and field athletes.

THANK YOU We’re all in it together. Here’s to finding new finish lines.


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We get into running to transform our own lives. But

it isn’t too long before we discover that we can change others as well. And turning a run into a fundraising effort isn’t just good for the soul, it makes you a better runner.

It’s not clear exactly how much money is raised for charity by Canadian runners every year, but it must be in the hundreds of millions. That’s an enormous contribution to the community from the nation of runners, unrivalled among amateur sports.

But running for a cause doesn’t just create a social benefit, it also does something good for the runner, beyond the joy and satisfaction of helping others.

When you run to achieve a personal goal, you face the pressure of performance. When you add a bigger objective, like funding cancer research, your own goals become secondary. And that often makes them easier to achieve. Like many other things in life, running is best when it’s about more than just you.

You become more likely to test your limits, stare down your fears and confront the risk of failure. An altruistic goal deflects attention away from your personal goal and gives you cover for

Mark Sutcliffe is the founder of iRun and the author of Why I Run: The Remarkable Journey of the Ordinary Runner.DOWNLOAD the iRun Podcasts: iRun.ca LISTEN to iRun | The Running Show: TSN1200.ca FOLLOW him on Twitter: @_marksutcliffe SEE excerpts of his book: WhyIRun.ca

MY PERSONAL BEST

stepping outside your comfort zone. In simple terms, if you don’t run a personal best, you can still tell everyone you raised a lot of money.

When you run for a reason, you might aim higher. Earlier this year, when I raised money for the local United Way campaign, I promised to run one kilometre for every $1,000 donated. The fundraising effort gave me an excuse to try going beyond a marathon; I eventually ran more than 51 kilometres. Last year I read about a British runner planning to do seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, to raise money to fight multiple sclerosis. “I am absolutely terrified, but I am also very excited,” he said.

Beyond going farther, your commitment is stronger. When we set goals, it’s easier to let ourselves down than others. But when we involve others, we feel an obligation: it’s not just a goal, but a promise. That creates extra incentive for every training run.

In some cases, when you run for charity, you’re joining a group, like Team in Training or Team Diabetes, that supports you and

to which you feel responsible.

The first time I trained for a marathon, I initially gave myself an out: if the training didn’t go well, I would do the half-marathon instead. But then I forced myself into sticking with the longer distance by turning it into a fundraiser for the local hospital that had treated members of my family. Once the donations started coming in, my mentality about the race changed: I had to run the entire marathon.

Charitable causes have also created many runners who would otherwise never have arrived at the start line. I’ve met many runners who trained for their first race specifically because they wanted to contribute, usually because of a personal connection to the cause. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but a few got hooked on running and have been doing it ever since.

Running and charity have become linked inextricably and both are better for it. There are plenty of altruistic reasons to run for a cause, but what makes it a perfect combination is the fact that the runner gets something out of it too. A marriage is created between personal development and altruism, between achievement and generosity.

There are plenty of unselfish reasons to turn a run into a fundraising effort, but you shouldn’t overlook the selfish ones too. You won’t just become a better person, but a better runner as well.

To become a better runner, I became a better person. Why my best finish wasn’t just about me.

WHY I RUNMARK SUTCLIFF, COLUMNIST

iRun to stay fit. — Lesia Luciuk, Alberta




Astronomer, currently seeking to uncover the mysteries of dark matter in the New Ride 8

Michelle Collins

FinDSeEk sHalL Universe.in

the plaCE your

and YoU

Be A SeEkEr > F inD YOUR sTROng

See her story at saucony.com/findyourstrong


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