Learning to run

So you’d like to start running Here’s why it’ll be a great experience!

By Fiona Trip Bushtukah Great Outdoor Gear

IT SEEMS A BIT OF A CULT, this running thing. The Ottawa populous has embraced its beautiful surroundings and run with it. At any time of day, there are runners out there taking in the crisp autumn air. Whether it is in Gatineau Park, along the Riverside pathway, down along the canal or out along the Western Parkway, running is well past the start line.

The past several years has witnessed a surge in running participation. Involvement is growing–both in recreational running and for those bent on competition. What has driven this increase? It’s simple really. Most people are looking for something that’s easy to do, does not require a great monetary outlay and can fit into any schedule. Running is it.

Running will improve your fitness, health and social life, if you go about it the right way. If you are not inclined to go to a gym (which can be daunting), running is the logical thing to do. After all, you can just step outside the door and all you really need is a good pair of running shoes. The journey begins as you train slowly and build up time on your feet.

How do you start? For those new to running, and those not so new, a run program can provide the much-needed motivation to get you started and keep you going. It’s that goal-setting thing. Program leaders supply us with knowledge. It can be as simple or as detailed as you want. They pass along information on a variety of topics: cross training, nutrition (always a favourite), running form, shoe selection, running in hot and cold weather, hill training, and speed training, to mention

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a few.

At the starter level, there is a great deal of camaraderie. Almost all participants are at the same starting line and heading towards a common goal. Classes generally follow a running/walking program that gradually increases the runner’s endurance. Clinics are often aimed at a race event, which provides a goal to motivate the group. Runners enjoy their own excitement and accomplishments, and share in those of the entire group.

Many outlets in the area offer clinics for new runners. For some, large numbers can be intimidating and the beginner may get lost in the crowd. A smaller group can allow for more individual attention and still offer the support of others. It also gives the coach a greater opportunity to become more acquainted with each runner.

When choosing a running program or clinic, consider your goals, the size of group that gives you a comfort level, the amount of time you can commit to your training and location. Also consider what is available for you after you complete a level. Will you be ready to jump into the next level or is a period of transition required to build endurance before the next level? Is there a transition level program available to you or are you left to “fend for yourself”?

There are a few other things for which you should probably be prepared. You will find that your eating habits may change as you become a little more conscious about what goes into your body to fuel you for running. Water will become a main staple. You may lose interest in regular clothing, opting to check out the running gear (which will serve double duty as your cross-country ski gear). Your dress watch may be a little more difficult to follow. Your posture will improve; you will have more energy and could become less of a couch potato. Your family will question how you can go outside in winter wearing just a fleece and shell, but you will and you will be warm. You will find it easier to get up in the morning and in fact may be up and running, and back before the kids are out of bed. Of course that can vary depending on the age of your children–if they’re teenagers, you could run a marathon before they crawl out of bed on the weekend.

Whichever way you choose to approach it, running will be a lifestyle change that you can control and do at your own pace. There are lots of us out there and there’s sure to be someone or some group ready to run with you. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting out the door, but no matter what the pace, it will be faster than sitting on the couch. Go for it!

About the author: Fiona Trip has been coaching and teaching runners for three and a half years, from the beginner level to the marathon level. She works at Bushtukah Great Outdoor Gear where she will soon be starting a series of run clinics geared for the starting runner, taking them to the National Capital Race Weekend.

Get airborne with the bunny hop

By Matt Staneland Wilderness Tours Resort

LOGS, ROOTS, ROCKS, and other riders. What do these words all have in common?

They’re all objects that mountain bikers find lying on the trail in front of them. If they’re small enough, in some cases you can just ride over them. But often this results in every mountain biker’s least favourite four-letter word, the dreaded “endo!”

So how do you avoid endo-ing? What’s the secret of riding over smaller objects that continually find their way onto most popular mountain-biking trails? That’s easy, you bound over them with what’s called a bunny hop.

Bunny Hopping Basics: Easy Rider

Bunny hopping is a skill that every mountain biker should master. By knowing how to hop over objects, you can ride trails more quickly, safely and smoothly. Even if you can’t clear the object completely, by following the steps outlined here you’ll ride over obstructions blocking your path with less risk of painful tumbles.

Here’s how to begin practicing the bunny hop. Find an object eight to 10 centimetres high (swimming pool noodles are great). Place it in an open field. Practice hopping this object until it poses no challenge. Once you can clear it with ease, gradually increase the size of the object. Again, practice until you can hop over the object without difficulty.

When you’ve mastered the bunny hop in a safe, controlled environment, you’re ready to try it out on the trails.

Step 1: The Setup

Approach the object at about a jogging pace. Stand up with your pedals level. Crouch down, bending your elbows so they’re almost bent at 90 degrees, and bend your knees so that your butt is just

Ottawa Outdoors Fall

hovering above your seat. Keep your head up, focused on your point of take-off. Depending on your speed, this can be anywhere from 15 to 30 cms in front of the object.

Step 2: Getting the Front Tire Up

As you approach the take-off point you’ve chosen, quickly shift your weight backwards until your arms are fully extended. Simultaneously, drive your feet down and forward. This action will help raise your front tire high off the ground, and compress your rear tire (or rear suspension if you have it). This will help you with the next step.

Step 3: Getting the Rear Tire Up

As soon as your front tire is directly above the object, shift your weight forward again. Draw the handlebar into your chest, point your toes down and concentrate on your feet. Pull back and up on the pedals, sucking the bike up to your body and over the object. (If you have clipless pedals, this action is much easier to execute.) All you have to do is pull up with your feet, and the rear tire will become airborne.

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Step 2

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Practice this with flat pedals so you can learn the proper way to get your rear tire in the air. This will make your bunny hops smoother once you go back to clipless pedals.

Step 4: The Controlled Landing

Clear the runway! You’ve followed all of the steps correctly, and now you’re a confident, airborne mountain biker hurtling through the air with near-reckless abandon. Oops! How are you going to land your machine safely?

Well, here’s the good news. Landing is the easiest part. Just keep your head up, looking for the next opportunity to bunny hop. Suck up the impact of landing with your arms and legs.

Set Your Sights Higher

Before heading for your mountain bike, let’s recap the four essential bunny hopping steps. First, set up the jump. Second, shift your weight back. Third, suck the bike up. Fourth, make a controlled landing.

Mastering the bunny hop will not only open up a lot more adventure trails to you, but it will make you a safer, more proficient rider. It is the most basic mountain bike trail skill. Even if you can’t completely clear an object, by following these steps you’ll be able to ride over it with much greater safety.

Good luck, and keep the rubber side down.

About the author: Matt Staneland is a professional mountain biker and river guide at Wilderness Tours Resort in Beachburg, ON.

Wise Rules of the Trail

• Always wear a helmet. Don’t let it ride back on your head, exposing your forehead. This just invites disaster. • Never trespass on someone else’s property. • Leave wildlife alone. Give animals a wide berth. • Bring a good trail map, and know where you are at all

Photo by Jonathan Hayward.

Josh Mead of Ontario face plants into his tire as he crashes during the Senior Men’s Elite downhill competition during a National Mountain Bike Championship taking place in Camp Fortune, QC.