to the Future

Always on the run Pace Yourself, by Culture Athletics

What is the secret to choosing and maintaining a sustainable RACE pace?

cultureathletics.com

Putting in the work to really know yourself and the distance you’re running. Pay close attention to your pacing in your tempo runs and other longer workouts. Ideally you can lock down a pace that’s challenging, but is something you can settle into and hang onto for as long as needed.

“Settling in” to the pace is the important part. You want to be able to run the pace without it feeling too strained (especially early on). This will depend on the distance of the race and your goals. There’s also great indicator workouts—such as the Yasso 800s, two fast laps around a track followed by one slow lap, repeated eight times—that can be a useful tool for finding that sweet spot as well.

Always on the run The Running Community, by Boutique Courir

How do I connect with the running community?

Runners are welcoming and running brings together people of every shape, every neighbourhood, and every size—without judgment. The running community is not only for top runners, we’re all about diversity. And with so many new runners getting into the sport, we think the running community as a whole only gets better. The benefits of belonging to a community, in addition to the summer barbecues, is the sharing of information: our groups talk about running routes, new shoes,

“Human beings are designed to pursue what we believe in and when I’m helping others I believe I’m helping myself because I don’t want to wait for change to happen,” he says. “I want to give people who look like me and come from where I come from a template to address the things we need the most—right now.”

Kickback, which recently moved into its office space, has grand designs and the kids in the park talked about seeing it expand not only across Canada, but also around the world. After seeing Los Angeles and wearing their ASICS on the Santa Monica Pier and in the LA Marathon, the guys see no reason for Kickback mission to be completed within their own lives. Inspired by Burger, their goals of lifting up the kids behind them are the same.

“We’ve all watched Jamal and the biggest thing now for all of us is to show the next generation that if you take things seriously, anything can happen,” says Badhasa. “We want the kids behind us to be better than us, that’s Kickback philosophy: we want them to surpass us on every level.” boutiquecourir.com fun races, and training advice. Running is ultimately done alone, but the group makes the sport more fun. Like a team. Look at the independent run shops in your city, our groups meet Sunday mornings, but there’s plenty of groups all over, even around the world! Here in Montreal, we regularly welcome runners (of all levels!) from France. I really think, especially after COVID, the running community is very important and, when the weather is tough, when it’s cloudy or rainy and your bed is calling, there’s nothing like the running community to move you forward. It’s good to have a network of friends to kick your butt.

Sandra Genua says her type 2 diabetes diagnosis didn’t come as a surprise. “My family has a history of diabetes and while pregnant with my first born, I became pretty stationary and I knew at some point I might be impacted,” says Genua, an avid hiker who today says she feels better in her 50s than she did in her 30s, even with her diabetes. “I think my diagnosis was a wake-up call and the reason I participate in Lace Up to End Diabetes every year is to raise awareness and funds to destigmatize diabetes, and help find a cure.”

Every September, Diabetes Canada holds their Lace Up to End Diabetes event. The national celebration—which brings together 1000s of athletes, runners, walkers, cyclists, mothers pushing strollers and everyone in between—raises money and awareness to fund education, support services, advocacy and diabetes research that could lead to the next big medical breakthrough. With a tracking app to help participants on their fundraising quest to reach either a fun 30-day or 100-kilometre challenge, every distance and dollar make a difference in the lives of people living with diabetes or prediabetes.

Maggie Stewart, who participates every year in the Lace Up to End Diabetes challenge—inspired by Aven, her 5-year-old grandniece who was diagnosed with type1 diabetes last December—believes more Canadians should be involved with the excellent program. “By getting involved with Lace Up to End Diabetes and Diabetes Canada, I’ve learned more about type 1 diabetes and want to get the message out there about the challenges surrounding this condition,” she says. “It’s important to not only make life easier for people who are living with diabetes, but also to find a cure.”

Diabetes Canada will be active this spring at races in Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg and registering participants for their Lace Up to End Diabetes campaign all summer long. Visit laceup.diabetes. ca for more information on the various ways to participate, including corporate teams looking to take part in important charitable work.

Sandra Genua has already begun fundraising and says she wants to recruit as many Canadians as possible to join her on her run.

“I hope my journey will influence others to consider both their own lifestyles and all of the Canadians who are currently living with diabetes,” Genua says. “Getting involved with Lace Up to End Diabetes and Diabetes Canada has been a game-changer for me and it’s inspiring to make measurable progress to improve my health. I’m feeling super pumped because right now I know Diabetes Canada is recruiting the entire country to help them continue to accomplish really big things.” tanding outside a downtown Toronto park in their gray Kickback sweatshirts, Abel Berhane, Badhasa Ibrahim Abbas and Jamal Omar are an antidote to the pessimism that can sometimes threaten to swallow us whole. They radiate energy and not only look forward to their next races, but also look forward to their lives’ potential—through the mentorship and opportunities of Kickback program, the guys say they feel empowered to take on the world.

For more information on Diabetes Canada and Lace Up to End Diabetes, please see laceup. diabetes.ca and learn about how you can help change the world, today.

“To others, Kickback might look like an organization, but to me it’s like a family,” says Berhane, 18, of the non-profit organization supported by ASICS that he says is changing his life. “We might live in parts of Toronto that aren’t particularly privileged, but Kickback has opened new doors for me and allowed me to believe in what’s possible, and that motivates me to keep doing good, because suddenly there seems like more options.”

Options, as runners well know, are all about freedom—the chance to grow and achieve, experiment and experience new things. At

Kickback, a non-profit, volunteer-run community initiative that photographer, activist and youth worker Jamal Burger started at 27-yearsold in Regent Park, the team has fostered a youth culture where kids can come for a run club or play basketball, and receive real world applications for achieving in life. Abel, Badhasa and Jamal, recently back in Toronto after experiencing—via Kickback—the LA Marathon, say they appreciate the camaraderie of their in-person social network, but also the encouragement and tangible professional help. Like anybody, all they want is the chance to succeed.

“If any of us are ever like, ‘I want to try something,’ there’s immediately thirty people at Kickback offering advice and willing to roll up their sleeves and help with the work,” says Jamal Omar, 22, who took all these pictures and started at the program as a student and now works as a Kickback adviser part-time. “If you’re applying for school and need a reference letter or want to talk about professional options, there’s this whole team of people standing right beside you.

I never had that before and, for real, it means the world.” shop.bushtukah.com

To Jamal Burger, comments like that are music to his ears. Kickback Run Club, like the basketball pickup games, are meant to give its members a positive afterschool outlet. But that’s not enough. Burger wants his kids to have every opportunity—opportunities disproportionately ladled out to the more affluent parts of town—to prosper: personally, professionally, in business and in life.

“Everyone wants to make their lives better, but when you don’t have guidance or opportunities that leads to rash decision making and the police system is waiting for us, which makes it ten-times more likely we won’t get hired for that new job,” says Burger, co-founder of Tier Zero, a growing Toronto-based strategy, production and design firm. Burger, who comes from Regent Park where Kickback is based, is a self-made success story who got to the top and decided to pull up as many people as he can. He’s fueled by the success he sees in the kids that he helps.

What do I need to buy to get racing?

If it’s shoes you’re after, It’s best to try them on after a longer walk, run or in the afternoon when your feet have had a chance to swell a little. One foot is typically a bit bigger than the other so trying on both shoes is recommended and catering towards the larger foot. A shoe is only as comfortable as the sock and insole you use with it. A proper fitting socks can provide more cushion, support and breathability. Don’t forget about the reduced risk of blisters when using a synthetic or merino sock vs cotton. If blisters are an issue, think about using an anti-chafe stick or ointment. Proper fitting shorts or tights should not ride up or slip down. Many customers are loving the 2-in-1 short. These styles typically provide a bit of compression for the thighs and have extra storage. Sticking with a Merino or synthetic material like polyester/spandex will continue to help with moisture wicking and breathability. Many women say the most important piece of gear they use is a well-supported running bra. This can transform your workout by reducing unwanted movement; finally, GPS watches can give you more analytics than most people could fathom. Hydration packs are a staple and sunglasses and hats work as amazing UV protection—but also provide great style.