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After the Crash Two Trail Runners’ Cross-Border Bond

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Running Redemption Gabriel Jarquin on PRIDE, IDENTITY and SELFBELIEF

Avoid the Dieting Trap

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september & october 2021 volume 14, issue 6

30

58

42

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

Running Proud

4

Editorial

Body Work

Gear

Growing up in Kitchener, Ont., Gabriel Jarquin was teased and bullied for being too feminine. But he was a fast runner, and the track became his safe place. In university, he tasted freedom – but after one successful track season, excessive partying won out over training, and over the next few years, he spiralled into addiction. In his 30s he started running again, which led to finding a community of runners who helped him rediscover (and embrace) who he had been all along.

By Madeleine Kelly

5

What’s New

15

50

6

Run in Focus

The Fix Diet Culture

8

The Warmup

16

10

Great Strides Shared Runs of Quebec

Exercises

By Jon-Erik Kawamoto Stair Workout

Fall Shoe Review 16 New Models and Updates

58

Wireless Listening Earbuds for 2021

60

Club Scene Prefontaine Run Squad, Montreal

61

Reviews Mud, Rocks, Blazes

62

Back Straight Jacquie Jacobs, Toronto

64

Crossing the Line Running’s Identity Crisis

30

Food 12

What Makes a Marathoner?

For some first-time marathoners, the experience is rewarding enough that they fully embrace the distance. But for most, the process of becoming a marathoner is gradual, and it may be years before they get the urge to try again. One thing is true for everyone: each marathon teaches new lessons, and the happiest marathoners are the most committed students.

By Andrew McKay

20

38

14

Runner’s Kitchen Casseroles

By Kim Doerksen RECIPES Chicken Pot Pie Casserole, Tuna Noodle Casserole, Chicken Enchilada Casserole Fuel Station

By Rachel Hannah Marathon Nutrition

The Science of Running

By Alex Hutchinson How to Taper

22

One Workout Hacking the Marathon

23

Training Zone Heart Rate Training

Places 26

Canadian Trails Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Alta.

Kindred Spirits Shannon Penway was a successful mountain and trail runner who had represented Canada and raced internationally. On a beautiful day in September 2017, while cycling to Washington state’s Mount Baker with three others, she was suddenly lying on the highway with a head injury.

The random stranger who witnessed the crash happened to be not only an off-duty firefighter whose skill and experience saved her life, but a veteran trail runner, like herself. As she recovered, they formed a friendship based on gratitude, concern and their mutual passion for the sport.

By Shannon Penway

2 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

Correction In the July & August 2021 issue’s Shoe-In (p.7), the photo accompanying the Asics Hyper Speed is of the Asics Magic Speed, and vice versa. We regret the error.

Andre Morgan, Courtesy, Brice Ferre

42

2

Endorphin Pro Your edge on race day.

saucony.ca

editorial

ON THE COVER GABRIEL JARQUIN is a Toronto runner and the experience director for Toronto’s Pride and Remembrance Run, now in its 25th year. A member of the Parkdale Roadrunners, Jarquin raced the 2019 Boston Marathon, where he ran a personal best of 2:43:39. For more on Gabriel Jarquin, see p.30.

PHOTO Robert Duron

It’s a marathon, not a sprint O

ne of the most challenging aspects of publishing a bimonthly magazine is that, despite advances in printing tech, we still operate with ridiculously long lead times. It means that, by the time we go to print, the track-and-field events in Tokyo will barely have started, but by the time you receive your copy, the Olympics will be over and the Paralympics about to begin. (And it explains why there are no Olympic results in these pages, but you can get all those stories on our website, canadianrunning.ca.)

The risk is that, if something major changes in a story we’re covering in the meantime, we might have egg on our faces when the magazine comes out. But it also liberates us, giving us a chance to delve into the deeper, more satisfying stories that aren’t making headlines, but that are every bit as timely and inspiring to runners: stories like that of Toronto runner Gabriel Jarquin, who, after long periods of darkness and disenchantment, now finds himself in a position to inspire others in lgbtq and running communities across Canada (p.30). Or trail runner Shannon Penway, whose terrifying bike crash on a Washington state highway could have had tragic consequences, but instead led to a warm friendship with her rescuer (a fellow trail runner) and his family (p.42). Or

Andrew McKay, who, over many years of trial and error, experimentation and hard experience, came to think of himself, not only as a runner, but a marathoner (p.38).

Training advice is timeless, and in this, our marathon issue, you’ll find it in abundance. We have a marathon training workout from new Canadian 50k record holder Chris Balestrini (p.22), some tips on slowing down your recovery runs and long runs (which has all kinds of benefits for endurance runners) from Alberta ultrarunner and coach Chantelle Erickson (p.23) and some outdoor, plyometric stair-climbing routines to benefit quad strength, power generation and running economy from our regular strength coach, Jon-Erik Kawamoto (p.16).

The federal government recently announced that fully-vaccinated people returning to Canada from elsewhere must still provide a negative covid test before f lying and upon arrival, but will no longer have to quarantine – good news for those brave enough to travel to fall marathons in Boston, Berlin, New York, Chicago or London. Hats off to all of you, and be sure to watch our website for those results.

Anne Francis, Editor @CanadianRunning

4 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

ONLINE runningmagazine.ca Visit for breaking running news, features, product reviews, recipes and your favourite writers.

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Contrary to popular (i.e., non-runner) belief, running is not bad for your knees. But for runners with previous injuries from sports that actually do wreck your knees (like skiing, snowboarding or hockey), good news: Stoko, a Vancouver-based company, has created a high-tech compression tight that’s actually a knee brace.

Traditional knee braces are cumbersome, and always seem to be either uncomfortably tight or slipping down the leg – and they’re difficult to wash. The K1 Tight’s support comes from 36 metres of cable embedded in the stretchy, breathable knit fabric that’s adjusted for each leg separately via control knobs on the outside of the waistband. The tights provide just as much fully adjustable, alldirectional stability as a traditional knee brace, supporting a full range of motion, with medical-grade compression to boot. Plus, they’re machine-washable.

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RUN IN FOCUS

From the 2018 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon PHOTO MATT STETSON

6 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

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the warmup

Hassan, Gidey break women’s 10,000m world record twice in three days

o

n June 6, the world looked on in wonder as Dutch superstar and European record holder Sifan Hassan lapped multiple athletes to shave more than 10 seconds off the 10,000m world record in Hengelo, Netherlands. Her time was 29:06.82. Two days later, on the same track, Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey broke the record again, by close to six seconds. Gidey’s new record stands at 29:01.03, pending ratification. (The previous record stood at 29:17. 45 and was set during the 2016 Olympic final by gold medallist Almaz Ayana of Egypt.)

THE WARMUP American champions receive doping bans and miss Olympics In mid-June, the track world was rocked by the news that in December 2020, double American record holder and 2016 Olympian Shelby Houlihan had tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and was secretly serving a suspension while appealing her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (cas). The news only became public when the cas ruled against Houlihan, who claimed the positive test came from a food truck burrito. Houlihan was now banned from the sport for four years and would miss not only the Tokyo Olympics, but the 2024 Olympics in Paris, as well.

Walmsley wins third straight victory at Western States 100

Sha’Carri Richardson at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials

Two weeks later, 100m Olympic Trials winner Sha’Carri Richardson tested positive for thc, the active ingredient in marijuana, and received a 30-day suspension, which also took her out of the Olympics. In the wake of her suspension, many have questioned prohibiting marijuana in competition (according to wada rules), since it is not widely believed to be performance-enhancing. Jenna Prandini, who finished fourth at trials, was selected to replace Richardson on the U.S. roster for the 100m.

And on July 2, 100m hurdles Olympic gold medallist Brianna Rollins-McNeal lost her appeal of a fiveyear ban imposed for a missed drug test in Jan. 2020 and for tampering with doping control. (She had also served a previous ban in 2017.) In a New York Times interview, McNeal disclosed that the missed test occurred while she was recovering from a pregnancy termination. Gabbi Cunningham, who finished fourth at trials, was selected to replace McNeal on the U.S. roster for the 100m hurdles.—CR

8 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

Kevin Morris

On June 26, U.S. ultrarunner Jim Walmsley of Flagstaff, Ariz., won his third straight victory at Western States, crossing the finish line of the iconic 100-miler in Auburn, Calif., in 14 hours, 46 minutes. The race was cancelled in 2020 due to covid; Walmsley first won in 2018, in 14:30:04, breaking the course record, and in 2019 he lowered it again, finishing in 14:09:28. (While extreme heat prevented him from breaking the record yet again this year, his sub-15 performance was still an hour and 20 minutes ahead of second-place finisher Tyler Green, who finished in 16:11:02.

Drew Holmen rounded out the podium in 16:23:09.)

Beth Pascall of the U.K. topped an international women’s podium consisting of herself in 17:10:42 (seventh overall); Ruth Croft of New Zealand in 17:33:48 (ninth overall) in her first 100-miler; and Ragna Debats of the Netherlands in 17:41:13 (10th overall). Kat Drew of Vancouver was the top Canadian, finishing 53rd overall, in 23:45:30.

Support Canadian Running Become a Member ܰ‫ڂ ڂڂ‬Special deals from the biggest brand names ܰ‫ڂ ڂڂ‬Online versions of Canadian Running ܰ‫ڂ ڂڂ‬Content from all of our issues in one convenient place ܰ‫ڂ ڂڂ‬Access to a library of training plans for beginner, intermediate and advanced runners ܰ‫ڂ ڂڂ‬Additionally, every week you will receive an exclusive email to let you know about what’s new in the members area

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great strides

Running with a Purpose How Quebec runners share the joy of running with disabled adults

By Annie Gélinas

10 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

Anne-Josee.Beaudoin

A

n innovative program in Quebec is providing opportunities for designed for running, with a front wheel that turns for easy manoeurunners and people with physical challenges to share the joy verability – like a jogging stroller, but capable of carrying an adult. In of running and to feel part of a tight-knit community, with the help 2018, another group started up in Quebec City. of a special wheelchair developed in that province by engineer and At the designated meeting spot, runners and riders of all ages and entrepreneur Philip Oligny. backgrounds are matched up and set off running together. “I never The Courses Partagées (Shared Runs) began in Sherbrooke in 2016 miss one,” says Danielle Harvey, who has enjoyed her rides in the as a series of regular outings during which runners push outdoor Kartus chair from the beginning. “For me, it’s all about speed. The enthusiasts with physical challenges in the Kartus wheelchair, faster, the better!”

great strides

The Quebec City group purchased five Kartus chairs, which took a considerable amount of hard work and fundraising support from the local community, since it’s a high-tech piece of equipment priced at $4,000.

Members of the organizing committee also reached out to local not-for-profit organizations working with people with reduced mobility to spread the word about Quebec Shared Runs. Through mutual connections, word-of-mouth and social media, attendance at the weekly runs slowly grew.

Participants now hail from all over the city, some using their own mobility scooters, others pre-booking adapted transport to get to the meeting point. When more than five runners show up, they take turns pushing the strollers, swapping every 20 to 25 minutes. Sometimes there are two runners for each chair.

In 2019, several running duos even took part in the Quebec City marathon events, some completing a 5k race, others participating in the 10k and one duo completing the half-marathon. The organization hopes to be able to join in more organized races again as races resume post-pandemic. “It’s all about breaking isolation,” says Catherine Carrière, a runner and member of the organizing committee in Quebec City. “But for me, it was also about giving a purpose to my running.”

People of all running abilities are welcome, and if a runner is struggling on a hill, for example, others will step in to help, with two people pushing together. “Hills can be a bit of work, both going up and coming down,” says Carrière.

The Quebec City group is now in its third year. Gatineau was added to the list in 2020, and outings are planned for Montreal as well. If you’re based in Quebec and would like to share in the fun, check out the Courses Partagées de Québec Facebook page for more information and the schedule.

Annie Gélinas is a Quebec City-based lifestyle copywriter and avid half-marathon runner who has covered events in Europe, North America and the Middle East.

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 11

Food

Craving a Casserole Casseroles are a great way to use up leftovers and cram a lot of nutrition into one dish

By Kim Doerksen

C

asseroles may seem like a throwback to the 1950s, but their simplicity and balanced nutrition make them an excellent – and timeless – choice for busy runners.

We’ve revitalized old-fashioned favourites, like tuna noodle casserole, revamped the classic chicken pot pie casserole-style and revisited a personal childhood favourite, chicken enchilada casserole. All three recipes are sure to refuel, warm up and satisfy even the hungriest runners.

Ingredients Filling L cup butter, cubed 1 ½ cups fresh mushrooms, sliced 2 medium carrots, sliced ½ medium onion, chopped O cup red pepper, chopped N cup all-purpose flour 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup milk 4 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed 1 cup frozen peas ½ tsp salt

Biscuit Topping 2 cups all-purpose flour 4 tsp baking powder 2 tsp sugar ½ tsp salt ½ cup cold butter, cubed M cup buttermilk

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 2. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms, carrots, pepper, and onion; cook and stir until tender.

3. Stir in flour until fully blended, then gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until thickened.

4. Stir in chicken, peas and salt; heat through. Transfer to a greased 11x7-inch baking dish.

5. For biscuit topping, in a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cream of tartar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk; stir just until moistened.

6. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 8–10 times. Pat or roll dough to ½-inch thickness and cut with a floured 2.5-inch biscuit cutter. Place over chicken mixture.

7. Bake, uncovered, 15–20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

NOTE: Uncooked biscuits from the grocery store are a quick-fix option if there isn’t enough to make from scratch.

12 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

Kim Doerksen

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

food

runner’s kitchen

Tuna Noodle Casserole Ingredients 12 oz. farfalle pasta 4 tbsp unsalted butter 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 3 cups whole milk 1 ½ cups frozen peas O cup red peppers, sliced ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese One 6-oz. can or jar solid white tuna in oil, drained and flaked Freshly ground pepper ½ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Cook the farfalle pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt 3 tbsp of the butter.

Add the onion and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the farfalle pasta, frozen baby peas, sliced peppers, Parmigiano cheese and tuna, then season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish, or 4 individual gratin dishes.

4. In a small skillet, melt the remaining 1 tbsp of butter. Add the panko and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the panko over the casserole and bake for 10 minutes (5 minutes for individual gratins), or until bubbling.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole Ingredients 4 chicken breasts 1 large onion, chopped 4-oz. can chopped green chilies 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 1 cup mozzarella, shredded 3 flour tortillas 2 tbsp oil 1 cup salsa 1 can (10 oz.) mushroom soup

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. In a pan, heat oil and brown on mediumhigh heat.

3. Add the onion and cook until softened, approximately 3 minutes.

4. Add the green chilies, soup and half of the cheese. Cook slowly until cheese melts.

5. Line a lightly greased casserole dish with half of the tortillas.

6. Cover the tortillas with ½ cup salsa, then half the chicken mixture. Repeat.

7. Top with remaining cheese, then bake for 50–60 minutes.

Kim Doerksen is Canadian Running’s food writer, a coach with @mile2marathon and an elite runner in Vancouver. runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 13

food

fuel station

Fuelling for the Marathon What’s in Your Tank?

By Rachel Hannah

Y

ou’ve just signed up for a marathon and can’t wait to start training. You’ve put a lot of thought into how to periodize your training so that you peak on the day of competition. But has the same level of detail and thought gone into your fuelling plan? Nutrition can have a huge impact on your performance, both during training and especially on race day.

Your body stores carbohydrates in the form of glycogen in your muscles and liver, but in a limited supply. During endurance events of over 90 minutes we start to run out of these important energy reserves if we don’t take in carbohydrates while racing. (This, or insufficient training, is usually the reason first-time marathoners “hit the wall.”) Therefore, you should map out a plan well in advance to help you perform at your best.

Sports Nutrition

Our bodies need sugar to keep going once our glycogen stores have been used up. Sports nutrition products like drinks, gels and chews are a convenient and portable way to obtain sugar during a long run or race, and at some races, gels are available at water stations. It’s useful to experiment with different brands and products on your long runs to find out which f lavours and textures you enjoy and that your stomach tolerates well.

Note that our stomachs don’t cope well with high concentrations of sugar, which can cause gastrointestinal distress, but the gut is very adaptable/trainable. By consuming a high-carbohydrate diet and frequently using carbohydrates during sustained and hard efforts in training, you can train your gut to digest more while running. The amount of carbohydrate you should take per hour will vary depending on how fast you’re running.

Carb up For most people, a good goal is to take on 45–60 g per hour. Again, use your Carbohydrates include sugar, starch and fibre, and they’re found long runs to experiment with fuelling frequency. For runs of more than in plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes) and 90 minutes, start fuelling at about 45 minutes in, and plan to take in carbs dairy products. We need carbohydrates in the largest amount, and f luids every 5–6 km. since they are the main source of energy (glucose/glycogen) to fuel our activity. They also promote optimal brain and muscle Hydration function and help regular blood sugar levels.

Fluid intake is individual and varies depending on many factors, including heat and humidity and your sweat rate. A general guideline is ½–1 cup Any time you will be training or racing for 90 minutes or more, every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise, but you should experiment in you should be taking in carbohydrates, to help: training to see what works well for you. It is highly recommended to use » maintain blood glucose concentration a sports drink, such as eLoad, Maurten, Skratch Labs, Tailwind or sos, » maintain high rates of carbohydrate oxidation that will replace electrolytes lost through sweating and to provide easily digested carbohydrates for training and racing. » reduce liver glycogen breakdown » reduce glycogen breakdown in the muscles during running For one-to-one support and a customized plan for race day, consider » delay onset of fatigue reaching out to a sports dietitian for help. » improve endurance capacity and performance Rachel Hannah, RD, is a five-time Canadian champion, a Canadian Marathon Athletes are at higher risk of developing Relative Energy Championships silver medallist and a Pan Am Games bronze medallist in the maraDeficiency in Sport (red-S) with endurance events and with thon. She is a full-time registered dietitian at the University of Guelph’s Health and an increase in mileage. Be sure to increase carbohydrate intake Performance Centre and her own virtual private practice. She can be reached at on workout and long-run days, when your body needs it most. rachelhannahrd@gmail.com.

14 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

Body Work

body work

the fix

Running Away from Diet Culture Tips for curating your social media

By Brett Basbaum

D

iet culture is nothing new. I was born the same year as Kate Moss, and spent my formative years idolizing waifs and trying every diet. I have a vivid memory of tagging along with my mother to a calorie counters’ meeting, where the women weighed in, then sat in a circle on folding chairs and “passed the piggy.” If you had gained weight since the last meeting, you had to deposit a toll in the neon pink piggy bank.

Over the years, I’ve avoided fat, then shifted to fear sugar, bread and carbs in general. I started running in my 30s – ostensibly to improve my mental health, but it was secretly driven by the goal of losing weight. I now shudder to think how many times I ran under-fuelled.

U.S. anti-diet and intuitive eating author and dietitian Christy Harrison describes diet culture as “a system of belief that equates thinness to health and moral virtue, promotes weight loss as a means of attaining higher status and demonizes certain ways of eating while elevating others.” But while the explosion of social media has created even more platforms for diet-culture messaging, it also offers the unique opportunity to curate the content we consume.

In 2021, by choosing which accounts to follow (and, perhaps more importantly, which to avoid or unfollow), runners can

use their social feeds to reinforce positive messaging that will help them reach their running goals in a healthy and sustainable way.

I sought advice from three registered dietitians, all of whom are runners active on social media with anti-diet messaging, to get their best advice on making your social feed work for you. American Kristy Baumann and Canadians Dee Muszynski and Stephanie MacNeill all make a living helping athletes fuel for their best performance.

“Most runners we see on Instagram are lean and thin, giving us an idea that runners don’t come in different body sizes,” says Muszynski. MacNeill points out some pervasive myths about runners’ bodies, such as that lighter is faster and that you must be thin to win, and recommends staying away from accounts that talk about “clean eating,” label foods as good or bad, or push restrictive diets. Baumann’s simple advice is to “unfollow those running and social media accounts that make you feel bad about yourself, or whenever you find yourself falling into the comparison trap.”

Another essential step in improving your social media feed is to critically examine the creators behind the content. MacNeill suggests swapping pseudo-scientific inf luencers for health-care professionals who

provide evidence for their claims and who are held accountable by a regulatory college.

Muszynski agrees that knowing the qualifications of the poster is essential. For her, viewing content mindfully and critically is also key. She suggests reading and participating in the comments, and looking for accounts whose creator “does a good job explaining the pros and cons of any given idea, answers questions with evidence and asks questions back – someone who is open to having a discussion.”

Once you’ve determined what you want to see in your newsfeeds, make sure to use the tools available to you. “Stay wise to the algorithms. Mark posts as ‘not interested’ or ‘don’t show me this again,’” recommends MacNeill. “Try to fill your feed with those who promote body positivity, overall health and inclusivity. Think about your goals and about people who inspire you, then replace the negative messages with positive ones.”

The next time you feel the urge to cleanse your diet, cleanse your social media feed instead. Then fuel up and take your runner’s body out for a run!

Brett Basbaum writes, reads and runs in the community of Dundas in Hamilton, Ont. Her favourite routes start on the Rail Trail and end at the coffee shop. runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 15

body work

exercises

The Plyometric Stair Workout Improve your running economy with some challenging stair climbing

By Jon-Erik Kawamoto

I

Exercise 1 High-Knee Skip

f traditional gym exercises are not your cup of tea, this workout is for you. Start at the bottom and place your forefoot on the bottom One of the most running-specific strength training exercises you can do step. Hop up while driving your opposite knee above doesn’t actually involve weights. All you need is your body weight, a f light of your hip. Swing your arms in the running motion to stairs and gravity. maintain balance and to accentuate the hop. Place the Running stairs, like running hills, offers great transferability to running on forefoot of the high knee leg onto the next step and hop the f lats. Combining stair sprints, running drills and hops will not only improve right into the next repetition. Alternate sides as you your running skills, but will also develop your reactive strength and lower-body climb the stairs. Once you get to the top or through about power-producing ability – both great for better running economy and the ability 20 stairs, walk to the bottom and do the next exercise. to run farther, faster.

THE WORKOUT 1 Add this workout to the middle of a run or do it as a separate outing. Warm up with a light, 10-minute jog. Perform each of the exercises below with an explosive intent, but without rushing; it’s best not to be too tired, so think highquality reps with optimal form.

Find a set of stairs or stadium bleachers where you’ll be able to access roughly 20 to 25 stairs. For safety reasons, make sure the stairs you use are not slippery.

Do all exercises in succession and walk down slowly after each exercise. Take 2 minutes’ rest and complete 6 to 8 rounds. Do this workout once a week in addition to your running workouts. If you’re new to sprinting or plyometrics, listen to your body and ease into this type of training.

16 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

body work

exercises Exercise 2 Stair Sprint (Every Step) Start at the bottom and run up the stairs, making sure to touch every step. Focus on quick, light feet and land on your forefoot only. Once you get to the top or through about 20 stairs, walk to the bottom and do the next exercise.

Exercise 3 Single-Leg Hop (Every Step) Start at the bottom and hop onto the first stair with your right leg. Land soft and immediately hop onto the next step. Continue this until you reach the top or complete around 20 hops. Walk back down and repeat, using the other foot. Walk down and move on to the next exercise.

Exercise 4 Stair Sprint (Every Second Step)

2 3

Start at the bottom and run up the stairs two at a time, skipping every second step. Focus on quick, light feet and land on your forefoot.

Once you get to the top or through around 20 stairs, walk down to the bottom and do the next exercise.

JP Mullowney

4

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 17

body work

exercises

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body work

exercises Exercise 5 Escalating Repeated Two-Leg Hop Start at the bottom and jump onto the first step with both feet, then immediately hop back to the bottom, then jump to the second step. Land soft on your forefeet, then jump back to the bottom.

Immediately jump to the third step, then jump back to the bottom. Repeat this sequence five times. If you’re new to plyometrics or not comfortable with this sequence, jump to the first or second step only. Note: this is a difficult sequence to time, so please be careful.

6

Exercise 6 Stair Sprint (Every Third Step)

JP Mullowney

Start at the bottom and run up the stairs, skipping two steps each time. Be careful with timing and overreaching here. If you’re not comfortable with this big a jump, skip every other stair, as in Exercise 4. Focus on quick, light feet and only land on your forefoot. Once you get to the top or through around 20 stairs, walk down slowly to the bottom and rest before beginning the next set.

Jon-Erik Kawamoto, MSc, CK, CSCS, has been a certified kinesiologist and a strength and conditioning coach for more than 15 years. He co-owns JKConditioning, a small group-training, nutrition and run-coaching business in St. John’s, NL. Find out more at JKConditioning.com.

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Thescienceofrunning alex hutchinson rounds up the latest in endurance research

Taper your runs

The Taper Running isn’t the only thing you should cut back on in the days leading up to your marathon

Back in 2007, researchers at the Université de Montréal combined the results of 27 tapering studies to come up with the perfect recipe for performance. Their recommendation, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: a two-week taper during which total running distance was gradually reduced by 40 to 60 per cent, while the frequency and pace of runs remained unchanged.

In practice, the details will vary depending on the individual and the event. For example, a more recent study of British elite runners found that 5k and 10k runners tended to reduce their training by about 30 percent, while marathoners – who presumably racked up more training miles and as a result had more accumulated fatigue – cut their training by 50 percent.

In general, the more you train, the longer and steeper your taper will likely be. There’s also plenty of room for individual variation, depending on how long it takes before you get that can’t-help-running-up-the-stairs feeling in your legs.

The key point, though, is not to taper primarily by running less often or more slowly. Maintaining pace and frequency will help preserve your fitness despite the reduced length of your runs. The benefits: more oxygencarrying red blood cells, lower stress-hormone levels and even slightly bigger muscles, all of which add up to a two- to four-per-cent improvement in race times, on average.

Taper your strength routine There are plenty of good reasons for marathoners to do some strength training, including general health, longevity and, perhaps, injury prevention. It may also make you faster: numerous studies have found that strength training, particularly explosive plyometric exercise, enables you to run more efficiently, burning less energy to cover ground at a given pace.

But these workouts need to be dialed back before a big race, too.

Y

ou’ve been logging big miles without interruption for, well, almost two years. Now it’s finally time to race (or at least we’re headed in that direction, as I write this). That means more training isn’t better any more. It’s time to cut back – or, in the running lingo, to taper your training. Here’s what the research says about how to balance the benefits of being fully rested with the downsides of losing fitness, plus a few other tapering details to keep in mind.

20 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

A study published earlier this year in the journal Sports by a team led

by Nicolas Berryman of the Université du Québec à Montréal put runners through eight weeks of strength training. Sure enough, the runners became 5.8 per cent more efficient and ran 2.4 per cent faster in a 3k time trial. Then they stopped strength training – and four weeks later, they were 6.3 per cent more efficient and ran 4.4 per cent faster than their baseline.

While it was a small study, the results are consistent with previous research

body work column

the science of running

suggesting that the balance between increased fitness and accumulated fatigue tilts favourably in the direction of fitness for at least a few weeks after you stop your workouts.

It’s hard to give specific training guidelines based on this study, since we don’t know how performance changed in the first week or two after they stopped strength training. But it’s probably a safe bet that you should dial back the intensity of strength workouts a couple of weeks before the race and do nothing – or just a light maintenance workout or two – in the final week.

A New Memoir from a Canadian Sports Icon

Taper your caffeine This is a controversial one. Caffeine is one of the very few legal performance-enhancers that pretty much everyone agrees actually work. But how much of a boost do you get if you’re already so habituated to your daily dose that you need a couple of ventis just to feel normal? For decades, top marathoners have undergone a ritual purge, forswearing coffee for a week or more so they’ll feel the full benefits when they partake on the morning of the race.

The evidence on whether this ordeal is necessary remains hotly contested. A 2017 study from Brazilian researchers found that cyclists got a 3.3-per-cent boost from a dose of 6 mg of caffeine per kg of bodyweight, an hour before a 30-minute time trial. The key point: the size of the boost was essentially the same for heavy caffeine users as it was for people who rarely consumed any caffeine. That argues against the idea that the benefits of caffeine wear off if you drink coffee every day.

On the other hand, a 2019 Spanish study had subjects take a daily dose of either caffeine or a placebo for 20 straight days, while measuring their cycling performance every few days. Sure enough, the performance boost was biggest in the first few days of the study, and then gradually decreased. The caffeine never stopped working, but the results suggested that a few days of abstinence might produce a bigger boost on race day. Of course, you’ll have to weigh that against the mental anguish that might ensue.

Taper your mind One last point to keep in mind: one of the unexpected pleasures of the taper is that you’ll suddenly find you have a bunch of free time, now that you’re running half as much as normal. It’s tempting to fill this time with all the chores and errands you’ve been neglecting for the past 12 weeks. Resist this urge, if at all possible.

Over the past decade, a remarkable body of research has emerged demonstrating the powerful effects of mental fatigue on physical performance. As little as 90 minutes of sustained focus on a computer-based cognitive task can have measurable effects on your endurance performance. What is a marathon, after all, other than a prolonged attempt to resist the overpowering urge to slow down? So don’t use the day before the race as an opportunity to finally refile a decade’s worth of taxes. If possible, don’t spend too much of that day in airports hustling to make connections, either. Relax, put your feet up and get ready to suffer.

“A must-read for anyone considering being an athlete or a community leader.”

JOHN STANTON CEO and founder, Running Room

“Bruce Kidd shares the impact that one can have when they lead with courage, compassion, and integrity.”

ROSIE MACLENNAN Canadian trampoline gymnast, 2x Olympic gold medalist

Alex Hutchinson is a Toronto journalist specializing in the science of running and other endurance sports, and the author of Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance (now in paperback).

utorontopress.com

@utpress

body work

one workout

Workout Tips for the Marathon Canada’s 50K record holder shares workouts for conquering “the wall”

By Chris Balestrini

Finding peace in the suffering If I had to pick the physiological (or more accurately, psychological) halfway point of the marathon, it would be 32k (20 miles) – which is a lot more than half the distance. If at any time in that first 32k you think you’ve gone out too fast, you probably have. It’s in this first “half ” of the race that I try to clear my mind, enter a pseudo-meditative state and let the kilometres click by. The less thinking you can do in the marathon, the better. But this is easier said than done. After hitting the metaphorical wall in my first two marathons, I decided my training needed to shift in such a way as to maximize hard efforts on tired legs. To do this, I started doing interval sets deep into my weekly long runs, and adding in three to four days of running longer and/or farther than the marathon distance in my buildup.

Some workouts that accomplish this would be: » 5K @ marathon pace (or slightly faster) directly following 35K at an easy pace » Going for an hour’s hike immediately before your typical long run

Speedwork makes the dream work It sounds simple enough: run fast to get faster. Yet some people shy away from short interval training in a marathon buildup. At least once a week, I like to add in a session of 400 m to 1,200 m repeats. These typically have shorter rest (30 seconds to 2 minutes)

and are run between 10k and marathon race pace, to improve lactate clearance and efficiency. These workouts carry the added mental bonus of making marathon pace feel easy. Some sample sessions: » 16 x 800 m @ 10K race pace with 200 m jog rest » 10 x 1,200 m @ half-marathon pace with 1 minute of easy running between reps » Easier variation: 12 x 4 minutes at race pace or faster, with 2 minutes’ easy recovery

Test and sharpen Two or three times in a marathon build (not more, since these workouts can take a toll, mentally and physically), I add in “fitness tests.” These are the big sessions that I use to gauge my training. At the end of my highestmileage running week (usually two or three weeks before the marathon), I will do a half-marathon at marathon pace or faster. If you can get through a half-marathon at marathon pace on tired legs, it’s going to be a physical stimulus and mental boost right before you sharpen for the race. Another example from my buildup before the Canadian 50k record: » 40 x 400 m @ marathon race pace (or faster) with 200 m easy jog between repeats » Easier variation: 60 minutes of 1 minute hard (half-marathon pace or faster) with 1 mintute easy jog rest After the final key session of the training cycle, I prefer a relatively short taper period (seven to 10 days) when I maintain or increase the intensity of workouts but cut back on training volume.

Chris Balestrini is an MD-PhD student and all-Canadian cross-country runner from Western University. He currently holds the Canadian 50K record (2:48), as well as personal bests of 29:22 (10K), 2:17 (marathon), and several FKTs (fastest known times) on mountains across Canada.

22 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

George Aitken

T

he process of training 12 to 18 weeks for a single day’s race can be daunting, and the marathon is a fickle beast: the general theme is a big buildup with hard training, a taper and then, essentially, a coin f lip to decide your race-day fate. The marathoner’s dilemma is to find training strategies that stack the odds in their favour.

Here are my tricks of the trade to really nail it on marathon day.

BELOW Chris Balestrini on his way to the Canadian 50K record in May 2021

body work

training zone

Slowing Down to Speed Up What if slow and steady really does win the race?

By Chantelle Erickson

I

n a world obsessed with PBs, world records and Strava crowns, the idea of running slowly on purpose is not usually greeted with enthusiasm. But slowing down your long runs and recovery runs (which, as we know, should make up 80 percent of your mileage) offers multiple benefits: » a well-trained aerobic system, with increased cardiac output (the amount of blood the heart is able to pump) » increased mitochondrial density (energy production within the muscles) » better fat burning » improved endurance » faster recovery » less risk of injury » more benefit and less injury risk from speed workouts » better overall health due to a lower heart rate (not just at rest, but while training) Calgary-based exercise physiologist and ultrarunner Joanna Ford believes that runners may be afraid to slow down on their runs for several reasons: “Often they are concerned that they aren’t getting an effective workout, or that someone will see them running slowly on the path, or they’re embarrassed to show their slow running pace on Strava,” she says – all highly relatable reasons, but refutable.

Many people mistakenly believe the most effective training is high intensity, and that hammering every workout and pushing the pace on long runs will make you faster. Not only is this a recipe for excessive fatigue, injury and burnout, but there are proven benefits to slowing down the pace – a lot – and saving the intensity for two short weekly speed workouts.

Using this formula, a typical 35-year-old’s max heart rate would be 185, and the upper end (79 per cent) of their aerobic threshold would be 146, so 80 per cent of their mileage should be done at a maximum heart rate of 146.

(A chest strap monitor is still the most accurate way to track your heart rate.)

It should be noted that this will feel uncomfortably slow at first, and until you recover your former paces (which happens naturally over time, though it may take a few months), you will likely need to walk up hills in order not to veer beyond Zone 2. This is an excellent way to improve your cardiovascular fitness and your overall health while building endurance.

Chantelle Erickson is a Lethbridge, Alta.based marathoner, ultrarunner and coach with Personal Peak. She’s also a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor for Kinetic Indoor Cycle & Fitness.

Train by heart rate, not pace Our ability to perform well on any given day is acutely sensitive to f luctuations in our sleep, stress levels, whether we might be fighting a cold and even our nutrition. The beauty of training by heart rate rather than pace is that it self-adjusts for these f luctuations automatically; at a given heart rate, we will run slower on days when we slept poorly the night before, or we’re getting over a virus – and HR training protects us from pushing too hard. (In fact, it’s best to set up your watch so you can’t see your pace at all.) The same holds true for f luctuations in air temperature and elevation.

There are five heart rate zones for training, but for maximum aerobic benefit, focus on the first two for easy days, recovery runs and weekly long runs: » recovery (Zone 1, or 60–69 per cent of max heart rate) » aerobic threshold (Zone 2, or 70–79 per cent of max heart rate) Ideally, to use heart rate training accurately, you should get a threshold test, but in the absence of that, the simplest way to calculate your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 23

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Places Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Alta.

The highest point between the Rockies and Labrador, Cypress Hills offers a variety of terrain for trail runners

By Tim Banfield

Cypress Hills, Elkwater 26 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

The main town in the park is Elkwater, in an area archeologists have determined has been enjoyed by humans for more than 8,500 years. Close to Elkwater Lake, the terrain is f latter, and there are paved trails, a beach and boardwalks created for summer tourists – a great place to warm up or cool down before or after a run.

Elkwater offers numerous options for exploring the trails. A quick tour up Old Baldy will get your heart beating quickly and offers the fastest way to some of the best views, stretching across the prairies into Saskatchewan.

With some new trail additions added in 2020 on Ferguson Hill, all of Elkwater’s campgrounds are connected via the trails throughout the park.

Tim Banfield

W

hen you think of southeastern Alberta, you might typically picture prairie grasslands and an endless expanse of f lat. That’s not the case, though, in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, located a 45-minute drive southeast of Medicine Hat. The park is a mini oasis formed when retreating glaciers bypassed this area during the last Ice Age, and, at 1,466 m, is the highest point between the Rocky Mountains and the Torngat mountains of Labrador.

At 600 metres higher than the surrounding Prairies, the Cypress Hills offer three distinct natural regions that offer great variety of running terrain. Lodgepole pines tower above the Rocky Mountain region, making it feel like you are running in a forest similar to Banff National Park, rather than the prairies of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

places

canadian trails

Old Baldy trail

Plateau trail

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 27

places

canadian trails

Tim Banfield

Old Baldy trail, Cypress Hills, Elkwater

28 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

places

canadian trails

A tour of the park If you are looking for a long run, a grand tour of the park and a fantastic way to explore all three park regions is to start near the lake and hop on Ranger trail. After a short distance, connect with Cobble Miner trail, then Lower Mystery trail to Mystery trail, which will bring you to Plateau trail. Come back to town on Horseshoe Canyon trail, then meet up with the Shoreline trail to finish off a perfect run. This loop is approximately 16 km, with roughly 300 m of elevation gain, and the variety in the trails ranges from wetlands to montane forest to grasslands. Be sure to stop at the Horseshoe Canyon viewpoint, where the landscape drops away steeply, giving you a fantastic view of the prairies 600 m below.

A short loop close to campsites Several years ago, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park put together a master plan to add trails to the park to attract more visitors. A section of those trails is located between the Firerock Campground and those closer to town. Runners can put together a smooth, f lowy loop of approximately 5 km by connecting the Firerock trail, Cougar Ridge, Badger Grind and Crocus Loop.

This loop provides a different running style from the longer loop suggested above, cruising around on machine-groomed, built trails, taking you through balsam poplars and without a lot of elevation.

Singletrack out-and-back

DESTINATION CYPRESS HILLS INTERPROVINCIAL PARK, ALBERTA Details SEASON: May to October DISTANCE: 65 km of trails

BY CAR: 45 minutes from Medicine Hat MUST-RUN TRAILS: Ranger, Cobble Miner, Lower Mystery, Mystery, Plateau, Horseshoe Canyon, Shoreline, Firerock, Cougar Ridge, Badger Grind, Crocus Loop, Beaver Creek MORE INFO: AllTrails app, Trailforks app

For an out-and-back run, Beaver Creek trail is a great choice. The trail is 3.4 km, with more than 200 m of elevation gain. The path is singletrack and was re-worked and reopened by the 670 Collective Mountain Bike association in 2013. The trail follows Beaver Creek to the top of the Plateau and is older, quite rooty, and handbuilt, unlike the newer machine-built trails in the Firerock area.

The AllTrails and Trailforks apps are excellent resources for running in the park. See you on the trails!

Tim Banfield is a Canadian endurance-sports photographer and writer.

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 29

Running Proud Growing up in Kitchener, Ont., as the son of refugees from Nicaragua, Gabriel Jarquin took comfort in running from a young age.

Now he’s using it to support others in the struggle for self-acceptance

30 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

OPPOSITE Jarquin has race tattoos on his legs from the 2018 Paris Marathon, the 2018 New York City Marathon and the 2019 Boston Marathon, in addition to “I RUN [therefore] I AM”

Andre Morgan

By Madeleine Kelly

Under Armour has teamed up with Canadian Running to produce the Under Armour Diversity Series — an exclusive feature content series designed to highlight and promote individuals and organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to grow the sport of running, support those who are underrepresented and help others.

Over the next six months, the series will feature stories and podcasts highlighting these extraordinary Canadians making a difference in their communities and on the national running scene.

a significant way, both to the sport and to the lgbtq community, which taught him the The 36-year-old f light attendant and 1:10 most important kind of love: self-love. half-marathoner met his partner, Ian, in In school, Jarquin loved running, and he March 2020, as the world began to shutter excelled at it. It also served as an escape from with the spread of covid-19. One year and the bullying he experienced for being, as four months later, they’re moving in together. he says, too feminine. “I hadn’t yet identi“I never thought I would be in a place where I fied myself as gay, but knew I didn’t fit the was in love – or rather, allowing myself to be mould,” he says. “Running has been huge loved,” Jarquin says. “I’m starting a life with since I was young, because I was good at it. someone, and I constantly have to remind I would win, and that was my escape – no myself to be present and remember how I one could catch me. I felt safe in the running got here.” community.”

Finding a relationship is just one of the Jarquin was born in Boaco, Nicaragua, but ways things are looking up for Jarquin: he’s he barely has any memory of the small city, as running better than ever, and his new role as he came to Canada as a refugee before he was experience director for Toronto’s Pride and four, travelling with his mother. “We paid to Remembrance Run is seeing him give back in come over illegally, seeking asylum,” Jarquin

Gabriel Jarquin is in love.

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 31

At church, Jarquin never quite felt like he fit in. He did, however, fit in at track practice says. “Somehow we made it to Niagara Falls.

My mom, Maria, was in her 20s. She doesn’t talk about it much – it was quite traumatizing for her.” Her husband had come ahead a year earlier, to get set up, f lying to Toronto but knowing nothing about where he was going, with one piece of luggage. “He met a pastor on the f light who was willing to help him,” Jarquin says. “He slept at the airport his first night in Canada.” The next day he made his way to Kitchener, Ont. A year later, the unrest in Nicaragua had made air travel impossible, so Jarquin and his mother travelled by land. He lived with his parents in Kitchener until he was 17.

His parents were Catholic, but Jarquin doesn’t recall them being outwardly religious until they got to Canada. “The pastor my father met was a Pentecostal minister, and my parents became quite devoted to the evangelical church,” says Jarquin. “For many years, church was our entire life. We attended five days a week, for four or five hours at a time. My father, José, became a co-pastor. I was part of the choir, and I was a

youth leader.”

But despite the church’s dominant role in his childhood, Jarquin never quite felt like he fit in. “I was very sheltered,” he says, “because, for evangelicals, most things are a sin.” He did, however, fit in at track practice. When he left home at 17 to attend the University of Toronto, one of the first things he did was join the varsity cross-country and track team. True to his high school experience, he felt comfortable. “I was running really well – actually, I remember that the senior guys were a little upset that the new kid was really good. But, the people on the track team were so welcoming – being gay didn’t matter. No one cared. I didn’t have to explain anything. I was just Gabriel, who ran fast, and that was enough.”

Upon moving to the city, Jarquin knew he wanted to shed some of his past. While growing up, his name was José, but he decided to start introducing himself as Gabriel (his middle name). He also came to accept his sexuality, and after a successful first season with the Varsity Blues, he also

32 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

started partying. “In second year I went to clubs, and drank for the first time,” he says. “I stopped running and began to party more. I’d been running since grade school, but I stopped, because I couldn’t be at the club four days a week and then at practice on Monday.”

His university partying turned into a lifestyle, and he was becoming increasingly aware that he had a problem: “At the time, I thought I was having fun, but deep down I knew I wasn’t. There was an unhappiness that I was trying to deal with through a very big social schedule.” By his late 20s, Jarquin was dealing with an addiction to crystal meth. Around this time, he also learned that he was hiv-positive.

He describes this time of his life as reaching rock bottom. “The diagnosis didn’t come as a surprise, because I was playing with fire,” he says. “In retrospect, I was being reckless. I didn’t care about myself. I felt unwanted and unloved. The decisions I was making showed that.”

Today, Jarquin manages his hiv with daily

Courtesy Gabriel Jarquin

ABOVE With his parents, José and Maria

Matt Stetson

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 33

medication and a commitment to a healthy says. “The one thing I love to do is the thing lifestyle, something that running at his level that saved me. As a runner, I’ve never felt makes necessary anyway: “Physically, hiv like I wasn’t enough.” has never affected me – even when I was One of the runners he met there also diagnosed, I didn’t have symptoms. Being encouraged him to return to church. “At asymptomatic allowed me to ignore it for a the time, I didn’t really feel like church was long time, but now I want to talk about it. I a place for me,” says Jarquin, “but Sunday want other hiv-positive people to know it came around, and I went with my new friend. doesn’t have to slow you down. In fact, I keep It was completely the opposite message from getting faster.” the one I grew up with.”

It took a few years, but he managed to get Most significantly, this church had a more his life back on track, largely by returning liberal approach to sexuality. “I found queer to running. The catalyst was a friend people talking about Jesus,” Jarquin says. inviting him to run the Scotiabank Toronto Jarquin’s return to running brought Waterfront Half Marathon in 2015. “I strong results and boosted his confidence. ‘trained’ for a month,” Jarquin says, using air He ran his half-marathon personal best at quotes. “I was hooked.” He joined BlackToe the Houston Marathon in January 2020, Running, a downtown Toronto store-based which was also one of his most memorable running club just a few steps from his home. running experiences. “Before this race,” he Over time, with the help of a therapist and says, “I was having a hard time hitting paces his renewed love of running, Jarquin came in workouts, as I was coming back from an to care for himself again. “Surrounding injury. I wasn’t able to complete workouts myself with the running community again how I wanted to, and running wasn’t fun any has been such a blessing, and was part of more.” Instead of forcing paces and obsessing the turning point that brought me back,” he over splits, Jarquin started leaving his watch 34 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

OPPOSITE With his partner, Ian, and his Shih Tzu, Céline

at home and running by feel. “I would use the rhythm of my breath for an indication of how fast I was running,” he says. “All I did differently was listen to my body.” His time in Houston was 1:10:14, running without a watch. “I was running with my heart and giving it everything I could,” he says. “To this day, I still work out without looking at my watch.”

Jarquin has made it his mission to give the running community as much as it has given him. He wants to become what he calls a “love advocate.” “I somehow became the official spokesperson for the Pride and Remembrance Run, and I’ve been able to just be myself, while also representing other people whose experiences align with mine,” he says. “I want to help people realize their self-worth through running.”

And not only is his desire genuine, but it yielded real results: despite the race going virtual this year (after last year’s pandemicrelated cancellation), Jarquin was able to marshal his friends and followers to create excitement. In the first week of registration,

Andre Morgan, Courtesy Gabriel Jarquin

ABOVE With his parents after the 2018 New York City Marathon

Courtesy Gabriel Jarquin

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 35

MarathonFoto

36 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

1,000 people signed up – 50 per cent of the target – and it eventually sold out. “Gabriel has done an excellent job, and because this was a new position on our board, there was no template,” says board president Chris Brohman. Jarquin also gets credit for developing the race’s ambassador program, which generated a lot of buzz – especially important in a year when the organization couldn’t hold the in-person clinics that would normally take place in the lead-up to the race.

His comfort and success in the role speaks to his new-found comfort with himself, which, in turn, benefits his running. Jarquin

says he runs best when he’s centred and present. “I shared my story because it felt right,” says Jarquin. “With this, I hope to open other people’s hearts and give them the courage to be brave and to be themselves. We all have struggles, and even though we all have different stories, there are always similarities. I want to show myself, so that others can show themselves, too.”

Madeleine Kelly, who lives in Hamilton, Ont., was the 2019 Canadian 800m champion. In July she was selected to represent Canada at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. This was her first national team and her first Olympics.

We selected Gabriel Jarquin to be featured in the Under Armour Diversity Series because of his dedication and commitment to the LGBTQ community, both as a runner and outside of running. UA has pledged $5,000 in merchandise to the club or team of each featured individual’s choice, and Jarquin will be putting this donation to good use for deserving participants in the Pride and Remembrance Run. To learn more about UA’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, go to about.underarmour.com/community/ diversity-equity-inclusion.

Matt Stetson

“The one thing I love to do is the thing that saved me.

As a runner, I’ve never felt like I wasn’t enough”

OPPOSITE Jarquin at the 2019 Boston Marathon runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 37

WHAT MAKES A MARATHONER? How one marathoner went from one-and-done to lifelong devotee

By Andrew McKay

T

here’s an oft-cited statistic that claims that only 0.1 per cent of people have run a marathon. Or maybe it’s 0.01 per cent.

Nobody really knows, but it’s very rare. We do know that an extremely small minority of people have run 42.2k in a race. For the recreational road runner, there are few things as rare – or challenging – as the marathon.

There’s also no other athletic achievement that draws as much defensive derision: “I don’t even like driving that far! Was someone chasing you?” etc. It’s good-natured, as long as you understand that it comes from a place of “I couldn’t possibly fathom the depth of your accomplishment, so I have no choice but to minimize it.”

But there’s one question that’s rarely examined: what makes a marathoner? For some, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. For others, marathons define their every day: they plan their evenings around the next morning’s run, which they run with their friends who do the same thing. When they’re not training, they’re reading books about running. Diet is dictated in large part by how food will fuel runs. But how do you get from one to the other? When does “marathoner” stop representing something you did and become something you are?

In 2008, I ran a marathon, just to see if I could. Twenty years after my last high-school race, thanks to a friend who had challenged me to get back in shape and start taking care of myself, I started running again. On my first run, I made it all of 2 km before I had to stop to catch my breath. With a vague goal of running a half-marathon, I increased my distance bit by bit until, five months later, I could get through a 17 km run without dying. That’s also when the friend, who 38 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

maxed out at 14-km runs, stopped running with me. Unperturbed, I soldiered on, increasing my distance until I realized I’d be able to finish the half-marathon comfortably.

None of this was a demonstration of any kind of fitness: I was still smoking two packs of cigarettes a day and too often found myself on the wrong end of closing time at the neighbourhood bar. So one Sunday morning, seven weeks before the race, full of self-loathing, I signed up instead for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

I found a generic training plan online, worked back from race day, cut out the easy weeks, and got myself up to a 32-km run two weeks before the race. On race day, I wore an old Timex in stopwatch mode, tried to run as fast as I could, and managed 36 km before my hamstrings seized, my feet cramped, and I limped to the finish line in 4:04.

“Easy enough,” I thought. “I can run marathons!”

Not quite. I liked the idea of having run a marathon more than I liked training. On inadequate mileage and misplaced hubris, ignorant of body-strengthening concepts, I tried two more marathons over the next 18 months, finishing each in just under six hours, and summarily quit running.

Keeley Milne, an accomplished marathoner and ultrarunner, won the 2019 Calgary mec Marathon and coaches with Personal Peak Coaching in Medicine Hat, Alta. Milne believes every runner can become a consistent marathoner, but athletes need to be aware of the negative factors that can impact their approach to running.

“I had to learn the hard way that our body can’t really tell the difference between being overloaded with mental stress and being

Jess Baumung

ABOVE The author on a earlymorning run with Toronto’s Lower East Siders

overloaded with physical stress,” Milne says. “A really challenging week at work or in an athlete’s personal life can show up in their workouts, and it can be discouraging if they don’t understand what’s going on.”

in general or on a certain course. Those athletes generally enjoy the longer runs we build up to, and have found a way to work them into their lives without disruption, whereas newbie marathoners can initially find the long runs a bit of a time commitment.”

In 2014, I vowed revenge on the Honolulu Marathon. I’d run it n 2012, after my mother’s death, my wedding and the birth of my in 2009 as one of the 6-hour efforts that chased me off the roads. son, I decided to start running again. I had quit smoking, but I A December race, Honolulu is out of season for most running store was in pretty bad shape. Back at square one, I started running with clinics, so I needed some outside help to get ready for the city’s some people at the office, who looked at me with amusement when I many hills. I found the Lower East Siders, a mostly female group of told them I’d run three marathons. Lunchtime 5ks were a challenge fierce runners led by Seanna Robinson, who split weekly workouts again, and it took three months before I could run for an hour. But between Toronto’s eastern Lakeshore Blvd. and Pottery Road – a running with people felt different – it made me accountable. I decided steep, winding hill that ascends out of the Don Valley. I joined them to take another crack at the marathon – a little more wisely. I joined for a few months, built up my uphill abilities and worked on my leg a Running Room clinic, and I fed off the guidance from the clinic turnover. It was my first exposure to specialized training. I finished leaders and the motivation of the group.

Honolulu in 3:50 in some pretty horrid rain and wind. It was more I set a sub-4-hour goal, and did everything the clinic told me to do. than two hours faster than my previous effort, and, more important, For the first time, I did 1-km repeats, wheezed my way up some hills, it felt like I’d run my best race. When I got home, I asked Robinson if learned the value of a down week, and found runners with similar she could make me even faster. goals to partner up with on long runs.

Back at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon that year, I ran 3:58. f there’s a dividing line between recreational runners and maraMore importantly, I had new friends, and a concept of how to propthoners, it’s likely at the point where one stops trying to finish and erly train to get to the finish line in one piece. When I was done, I was starts trying to compete – which may mean many things: for some, excited about the next one. That’s when I knew I was a marathoner. it’s an age-group podium placement; for others, it means consistently “Truly, I think everyone who has run a marathon can say ‘I am a setting new personal bests. But regardless of the goal, this is where marathoner,’” Milne says. “But there are definitely athletes who devotion becomes apparent. encapsulate the ‘I am a marathoner’ lifestyle by running marathons “There are certainly athletes that want to check the marathon off a every season and constantly hoping to improve their marathon time bucket list, and once they’ve achieved that, they are content to move

I

I

ON INADEQUATE MILEAGE AND MISPLACED HUBRIS, I TRIED TWO MORE MARATHONS AND SUMMARILY QUIT RUNNING

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 39

IF THERE’S A DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN RECREATIONAL RUNNERS AND MARATHONERS, IT’S LIKELY AT THE POINT WHERE YOU STOP TRYING TO FINISH AND START TRYING TO COMPETE

FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE MARATHON DEPENDS ON OPTIMIZING YOUR CHANCES FOR SUCCESS THROUGHOUT A 12- TO 16-WEEK BUILD

GET A PLAN: A marathon requires planning throughout your training, including rest weeks that allow your body to recover and be ready for the next workout.

FIND A COACH: A good coach can identify your strengths, manage you through low points and help you achieve more than you could on your own.

on to distances they prefer – shorter races or even ultra distance,” Milne says. “But I think it’s more often the case that an athlete tackles their first marathon, has an amazing and challenging adventure doing it, and sets their sights on faster times or other marathons.”

“Run faster than you did last time” isn’t a physical command – it’s a mental exercise that demands that your brain override your inhibitors. The biggest element in improving marathon performance is a runner’s ability to ignore previous results and focus on potential that’s promised but unrealized. Jane Bowman is an accomplished marathoner now living in Windsor, Ont. She has a personal best of 2:49 and won the Hamilton Road2Hope Marathon in 2017. She’s also a chiropractor specializing in sports treatment, and a coach with StrideWise Running. “When it comes to the mental aspect of sport, specifically in the marathon, it is definitely something you have to work on every day, just like a muscle,” Bowman says. “Most athletes underestimate their potential, especially when they are new to marathoning. If they have worked with a coach and have followed a proper marathon program, in the absence of injury they will often be surprised at what they can achieve.”

GET SOME REST: As your training ramps up, your body

DO THE SPEEDWORK: Yes, the marathon is an endurance race, but weekly hills, tempo runs, fartleks and/or intervals contribute significantly to the finely tuned machine you’ll bring to the start line.

WATCH WHAT YOU EAT: You can’t get through a marathon without fuelling properly. That starts with good, balanced nutrition throughout the training cycle. It also includes finding a pre-race meal that won’t sit heavy in your stomach and practising your in-race nutrition (gels, chews, beans, sports drinks) that replenish your energy stores without upsetting your stomach.

GET STRONGER: Your feet will get you to the start line, but it’s the rest of your body – hips, hamstrings, core, back and shoulders – that carry you to the finish. Weekly strength and mobility exercises are crucial to keeping you upright throughout the race.

TEST YOUR GEAR: Blisters, extreme temperatures and tech breakdowns happen, so test everything you plan to wear or use on race day during long runs to make sure it performs well in all conditions.

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I

n spring 2016, after a couple of years of coaching from Robinson and Vancouver marathoner Rob Watson (one of the founders of Mile2Marathon), and a year spent chasing much faster runners like Bowman, I took a shot at the impossible: qualifying for the Boston Marathon. The workouts were more focused, the paces more rigid, and the program’s periodization was fine-tuned. Through 35 km of the Toronto Goodlife Marathon, I was on track – until a groin injury derailed my race, and my hopes. My wife and kids were waiting for me at a spot on Lakeshore Blvd. where they could see me pass at 32 km and again at 38 km. On the way out, all was fine, but they could tell by the amount of time it took me to get back to them that something had gone wrong.

Fortunately, it was raining, so they couldn’t see the tears streaming down my face as I told them it wasn’t going to happen. I was devastated, but they were encouraging; my wife reminded me to believe in myself, that we’d get there one day. It was exactly what I needed to hear at that time and served as a reminder that marathoning is not a singular effort.

“I think nervousness sometimes has athletes underestimating their abilities or losing confidence, and I know that reminding them of all the preparation and training they’ve put in can be helpful,’ Milne said.

All the positive self-talk in the world means nothing, though, if you’re not physically able to complete the task. In the summer of 2016, my fast friends formed “Project Andrew,” a weekly workout routine designed to strengthen my core and get me to the finish line. That September, at the Erie Marathon in Pennsylvania, I ran

Jess Baumung

needs time to recover from the stress of training. Make it a priority to get eight hours of sleep every night, and get off your feet when you can.

OPPOSITE Andrew McKay trains with an eye on returning to the Boston Marathon

18 minutes faster than I had in Toronto, and qualified for Boston (albeit by seven seconds, which was not enough to make the 2:09 cutoff for 2017). When I got home, my wife gave me a gift: an artistic licence plate that said bqrun. She’d had it crafted on a trip to California in April – a month before my first attempt. She always believed in me, even when I wasn’t sure of myself.

Two months later, at the Philadelphia Marathon, I knocked another four minutes off my best time and punched my ticket to the 2018 Boston Marathon.

Since then, I’ve qualified for Boston six times and have three finisher’s medals to show for it. I’ve adopted positive-mindset selfimprovement techniques from Canadian Olympian Reid Coolsaet and U.S. marathon record holder Deena Kastor, improved my speedwork and taken another 14 minutes off my marathon PB. Where once I hoped for a four-hour marathon, I’m now starting to think about the elusive sub-3. It’s incredible to think that I once ran marathons in twice the time. And it’s with some shame that I think back to those lost years, when I didn’t respect the distance and quit the sport. I’ve now run 24 marathons (plus three virtual marathons), and I have no intention of stopping anytime soon. I’m still working on getting better at hills; Boston is a hilly course, and like most athletes, I’m always trying to improve in the area where I perform the worst.

But if I think about the race of which I’m the proudest, it might be that first marathon in 2008, when I didn’t know what I was doing.

Without any guidance, without understanding what I was getting myself into, I took a leap of faith and set a new course for my future.

Whether your goal is to run the marathon distance once or to make it part of your routine, know that it’s a worthy pursuit, and it will change your life.

Andrew McKay is a proud member of the Beaches Runners Club, the Lower East Siders and the Ajax Wannabes. He recently entered a new decade and is looking forward to returning to the Boston Marathon this fall. runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 41

Kindred Spirits

By Shannon Penway

LEFT Tony Robinson during his PCT Marathon Run

Years of competitive mountain running gave Shannon Penway the physical and mental strength to recover from a catastrophic bike crash.

What are the chances that her rescuer was also a veteran trail runner?

42 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

On Sept. 23, 2017, Antonio (Tony) Robinson, an ultrarunner and off-duty firefighter from Monroe, Wash., was driving along Washington State Route 542 toward the majestic Mount Baker. He was with his wife, Cheryl, and their teenage sons, Gabe and Jon. Following them in a second car were Cheryl’s sister, Sarah, and her husband, Mike, their two young daughters, and Cheryl and Sarah’s father, Eric. Among the dense forest and glacier-fed rivers, Tony and his family shared pleasant memories of Cheryl’s mother, Susan, whose ashes they planned to scatter along her favourite hiking trail.

Tony was a runner. Starting in junior high, he ran cross country and the decathlon in college, moving up to the marathon in the early 1990s, ultimately getting his best time down to 3:08. He started running ultras in his late 20s, including the inaugural Diez Vista 50k in Port Moody, B.C., in 1997. Like any aspiring ultrarunner, Tony’s goal was to run Western States – the oldest and most prestigious 100-mile race in North America. After

Courtesy Tony Robinson

RIGHT Shannon Penway

Robert Shaer

running qualifying times two years in a row but not jerseys’ back pockets were stuffed with snacks. Clearly, having his name drawn in the lottery, Tony finally got this group was in it for the long haul. the chance to run Western States in 1997. The race has Just before mile 42, after waiting for a clear straighta 30-hour cutoff, and Tony finished in 28:57:21. He away, Tony passed the cyclists and accelerated, to give still enjoyed shorter races, too. From 2012 to 2017, Tony them plenty of space. Once clear, he checked his rearview held the Guinness World Record for the fastest mile in a mirror for the second car in their group, when he saw the firefighter’s uniform (8:05.54). “I love the freedom and lead cyclist pull off onto the gravel shoulder. When he simplicity of running,” he says, “and how it keeps me re-checked his mirror, he was shocked to see the female fit and mentally in a good place, with all the negative cyclist’s back tire in the air, quickly followed by her legs things I see at work.” He has been an emt since 2006 and then her entire body, her hands still on the handleand a paid firefighter since 2009. His bucket-list race is bars. She was crashing. the Badwater 135 – the 135-mile race through California’s He quickly turned the car around and drove back Death Valley, where temperatures routinely soar into the to where Mike and Sarah were already out of their car, 40s Celsius. stopping traffic. Tony and Cheryl saw the female cyclist With its sweeping straightaways, the road to Mount curled into a fetal position, bleeding from her mouth.

Baker is a popular choice among cyclists in the area. Walking through the strewn-about bikes and shocked About halfway up the mountain, Tony and Cheryl cyclists, Tony asked for the cyclist’s name. “Shannon,” encountered a group of four (a woman and three men) they said – me. whose bikes were loaded with water bottles and whose Tony began his assessment. I was unconscious,

When he re-checked his mirror, he was shocked to see the female cyclist’s back tire in the air, her hands still on the handlebars.

She was crashing

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 43

f lares. Many cars had stopped, offering to help, and one man volunteered to drive to his cabin to call 911. While Tony and Cheryl continued to support me and treat my shivering body for shock, I stopped breathing.

Tony prepared to start cpr and Cheryl checked for a carotid pulse.

After a few tense seconds, she found one. Within a few more seconds, I resumed breathing, slowly and shallowly. While Tony switched positions to be ready to assist with rescue breathing if needed, my breathing became more regular, and I started to become responsive.

Things were starting to go in the right direction.

My companions were my (now ex-) husband and two friends.

When Tony questioned them for personal information about me, he discovered something that gave him tremendous hope. After covering the basics, such as my age (28), allergies and medical history, he learned that, like him, I was an ultra-endurance athlete. In 2012 44 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

and 2013, I had raced the World Mountain Running Championships as part of Team Canada and had competed in trail ultramarathons in central America and Europe. Just two weeks earlier, I had raced the Pyrenees Stage Run, a seven-day stage race in Spain and Andorra, and won. “These are my people,” Tony recalls thinking. “Not only is she an endurance runner, but she had just returned from winning a multi-day stage race. This girl was a super-fit, badass trail runner.”

Tony and Cheryl knew that my youth, health and strength, along with the relentless determination and pure grit it takes to be an endurance runner, were already helping me win the fight.

My breathing continued to normalize, becoming deeper and stronger, and gradually, my eyes returned to normal. Within a few minutes, I could talk, and I became aware of my situation. After about 35 minutes, volunteer firefighter crews arrived and placed me in a full-body vacuum splint – a piece of equipment used by EMTs and search-and-rescue teams that immobilizes the whole body (useful for a suspected spinal injury or leg fracture). A second firefighter crew arrived to transport me to Bellingham, Wash., where an ambulance rushed me to hospital. Miraculously, several tests and a CT scan revealed no brain bleed and no fractures, and I was released, with a diagnosis of a serious concussion and instructions to rest.

Arriving at home, I took up a comfy spot on the couch, which would become a regular place for me over the next several months. I learned about Tony and his family’s heroic part in my rescue. I was so grateful for their help, and was thrilled to get their friend requests on social media, since I had no memory of meeting them. In fact, I had no memory of the crash or the aftermath, other than a moment from the ambulance ride to the hospital: I was looking up at the ambulance’s ceiling when a paramedic came into my field of view and asked me what hurt the most. “My ego,” I replied.

Other than the severe concussion and whiplash, I suffered remarkably few injuries: a micro-fracture of a molar, a strained jaw and some minor abrasions. My helmet, which broke, undoubtedly saved my life, and luckily I was wearing clear riding glasses, which saved my eye. My bike was not damaged. I learned that about three and a half hours into our trip, the lead cyclist in our group had had a blowout and pulled off the road. I must have squeezed both brake levers as hard as possible to avoid slamming into the cyclist in front of me, locking my brakes and causing me to crash.

Being an athlete, I was used to recovering fast. I could usually shave a few weeks off any injury prognosis, and I went into this one thinking it would be like the rest. This also wasn’t my first concussion – I’d once fallen off a tree swing when I was 10 and had a headache for a few days. But this turned out to be different.

At the time, I was working as an outreach co-ordinator for mec in North Vancouver, organizing races, classes and community events.

A few days off work stretched into two weeks as my symptoms continued. I could barely open my mouth to chew food; I had a relentless headache that burned with a sharp pain that no pain meds could touch. I felt constant pressure in my head. Standing for more than 30 minutes caused deep, aching back pain that could only be alleviated by lying down. My neck was seized up, preventing me from looking to the side without turning my whole body. I had double vision when

Courtesy Shannon Penway

unresponsive and posturing – a term used to describe holding an abnormal body position, often attributed to a severe brain injury, and a red f lag as to the severity of my injuries. I was breathing in loud snoring respirations, which they quickly identified as agonal breathing – abnormal respirations by a brainstem ref lex often linked to current or impending cardiac arrest (a second red f lag).

The good news was that I had a pulse. Tony and the others performed a careful log roll to protect my spine. Then he checked my pupils and found my eyes rolled back, my pupils dramatically unequal and unresponsive to light – a third red f lag.

These were not good signs. Worst case, it would be a traumatic brain injury leading to death or severe deficits. He realized I likely had brain swelling, possibly with a bleed, and with possible associated neck and spine trauma. All this at mile marker 42 on a remote stretch of Highway 542, without a glimpse of cellular reception to call for medical help.

Tony’s family worked quickly to secure the scene. While Mike and Sarah continued to direct traffic and reassure the other cyclists, Gabe and John opened their roadside emergency kit and lit road

Richard Uhlhorn

He realized I likely had brain swelling, possibly with a bleed.

All this on a remote stretch of Highway 542, without a glimpse of cellular reception

LEFT Penway racing the 2019 Evergreen Trail Run runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 45

46 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

I was looking up at the ambulance’s ceiling when a paramedic came into my field of view and asked me what hurt the most.

“My ego,” I replied

TOP LEFT From left: Jon , Cheryl, Tony, Gabe and Shannon

Courtesy Tony Robinson

I looked down or to the right, which made a simple walk to the end of the block extremely challenging. Basic tasks like grocery shopping were impossible, since the aisles of food overwhelmed my visual system. I appreciated and needed the visits from my family and friends, but they always made my headache worse. I slept for most of each day, which was surprising for someone who had never been able to nap.

I was shocked when a medical practitioner with expertise in concussion told me I would be off work for four weeks. It was a tough pill to swallow for someone who, in five years, had never missed a day to illness. Then four weeks turned into eight weeks. While most of the people in my life were extremely supportive, some questioned my symptoms and discouraged me from seeking other opinions. I had to learn to listen only to my loving family and friends, the practitioners I trusted and myself.

Throughout this time, Tony checked in on me regularly and encouraged me in my recovery.

At one point, he shared with me his journal entry from the crash, which helped me understand what had happened to me. It rocked me, since I hadn’t realized how bad my situation was. I had held a current first aid certificate for more than 15 years, and I understood the severity of the terms he used. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I could have missed.

That November, I went down to Washington to meet Tony and his family. It was surreal to meet these people I was so closely tied to, yet not to remember the traumatic experience that brought us together. We were all curious to see if our visit would trigger any memories, or if I would recognize Cheryl’s voice, who had held my hand and comforted me while we waited for emergency services. But my amnesia prevailed. For me, it was as if I was meeting everyone for the first time. For them, it was meeting the person I actually was, rather than an accident victim.

Despite my symptoms, which seemed to be triggered mostly by mental stimulation, I was able to stay active, training in the gym almost every day, doing weights, balance exercises, cycling and rowing. Hiking and running outside remained out of reach, as the intake of visual stimuli was too much for my brain, often causing tunnel vision and double vision. I began to try to run on the treadmill in December. This was often hit or miss, as the fitness centre is full of mirrors, TVs and other sources of visual disturbances. But I was determined to run again, and it felt good. And I totally wore that little safety line on the treadmill that no one ever attaches to their shirt.

Three months in, I was still off work, and decided to seek further help from physiotherapists and massage therapists I knew and trusted from my running career, and a sports optometrist who came recommended. I had chiropractic adjustments twice a week, physiotherapy and massage therapy once a week, visual therapy once a month and regular appointments with my doctor and occupational therapist, not to mention doing exercises for my balance and vision three times a day. Gradually my neck regained mobility, my endurance improved and my double vision started to subside.

In February 2018 I was able to run outside. My sports medicine doctor knew that running

Robert Shaer, Brice Ferre

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 47

ABOVE Penway racing as part of Team Canada OPPOSITE Tony, Shannon and Cheryl after finishing the 2019 Echo Ridge 50K, where Penway won her division

This recovery taught me the importance of relentless optimism when recovering from an injury. According to one of my doctors, the most important part of healing from a concussion was to believe that I would. Some days you will face setbacks. Other days, you will hit new milestones and feel accomplished. I liken this to running long distances – it’s one foot in front of the other, always. Some days you set PBs, some days you dnf. All that matters is that you don’t give up. Any step forward is positive.

My post-concussion symptoms would eventually keep me off work for eight months and on a modified work program for a year after that. Even once back at work, I was not symptom-free. To this day, I still experience intermittent headaches and double vision, but they are no longer daily struggles, just more of a sporadic nuisance.

I believe that ultrarunning prepared me for my accident better than just about anything else could have. As every endurance athlete knows, physical fitness is only one part of what it takes to compete in long-distance events. Mental and emotional strength are also tightly linked to an athlete’s success. Throughout my recovery, I drew on these strengths and built them further, while learning to set boundaries, to be my own advocate and to build and value my support network. While this is my story, I wouldn’t be telling it without the kindness, care and support of my family, friends and medical team.

Nine months after my accident, in mid-2018, Tony saved another athlete’s life – and, remarkably, also on a day when his late mother-in-law, Susan, was being honoured – this time for her contribution to the local masters rowing program. On that day, Charles Hamlin, 71, an Olympian from 1968, was training on Washington’s Lake Whatcom before a ceremony to dedicate a new rowing shell in Susan’s memory when, without prior warning or any history of heart problems, he went into cardiac arrest. Tony performed chest compressions for 17 minutes until emergency services arrived to transport Hamlin to hospital. (Hamlin died earlier this year.) wasn’t just exercise for me – it was a big part of my life, Tony and I remain good friends. In 2019, I joined him and she recognized the importance of normalcy and joy and his family in Chelan, Wash., to run my first postin her patients’ lives. I still remember jogging an easy crash ultra, the Echo Valley 50k. We lined up at the start 6-km loop with my dog, Cash, on my birthday, and being together and enjoyed the entire race – and even the bottle thrilled that I could see relatively clearly. of wine that I won as the second woman finisher. He was My first real trail run was in March 2018 – with my set to crew me in the Bigfoot 73 Mile race in 2020, but it rescuer, Tony. We did a fun 15-km loop on some of was postponed, due to the pandemic. Hopefully, we’ll his local trails in Washington, and it felt like freedom. be able to make it up at Bigfoot 73 in 2022. Either way, Breathing in the fresh forest air, the soft soil beneath I know that we’ll be there rooting for each other in all my feet and the exhilaration of doing what I love – it was aspects of life. remarkable. I had missed trail running so much! To be able to come full circle with the person who helped me Shannon Penway lives in North Vancouver with her loving get there was incredible. I didn’t get back on my bike until partner, Luke, and her four-legged run buddy, Cash.

August 2018, almost a year after the crash, but when I did, She is an ambassador for Brooks Canada as part of it was fine – it didn’t trigger any f lashbacks or fear. their Run Happy Team.

48 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

Robert Shaer

That November, I went down to Washington to meet Tony and his family. It was surreal to meet these people, yet not to remember the traumatic experience that brought us together

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 49

Gear Asics Metaspeed Sky Category: neutral cushioning Men’s: 199 g (7.0 oz.)

Women’s: 165 g (5.9 oz.)

Stack height: 33 mm (men’s), 31 mm (women’s) Drop: 5 mm $325

FALL'S BEST SHOES New models and updates to crush your fall goals Saucony Endorphin Speed 2.0 Best Update Category: neutral cushioning Men’s: 225 g (7.9 oz.)

Women’s: 200 g (7.1 oz.)

Stack height: 35.5 mm Drop: 8 mm $200

Metaspeed Sky (and Metaspeed Edge, not pictured) are Asics’ carbon-plated road racers, seen on the feet of athletes like U.S. marathoner Sara Hall and U.K. 5k world-best setter Beth Potter. The shoe has a thick and highly responsive Flytefoam Blast Turbo midsole incorporating a full-length carbon-fibre plate, a light, breathable, engineered mesh upper and a rockered sole for smooth transitions and a poppy toe-off. If you’re chasing a new PB at anything from

Like the original Endorphin Speed, the Speed 2 is a super light, high-performance training shoe that’s a great choice for tempo runs, track workouts and road races – and anyone who tries this model out will be hard pressed to find a reason not to invest in a pair. The new series of Endorphin racers comes in multiple colourways, including a distinctive, wavy black-and-white aesthetic reminiscent of the checkered f lag in motor racing – a subliminal

salute to speed.

The 2 retains the things that made the first version so successful: lightness, plush pwrrun PB cushioning, a rockered sole combined with a fulllength nylon propulsion plate and energy return to burn. There are a few tweaks to the upper, including refinements to the mesh, the shape of the heel and the laces. For the serious runner chasing a new PB this fall, it is definitely worth the investment.

st update e b

Matt Stetson

FA LL 2021

50 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

gear

fall shoe review the 5k to the marathon, this shoe will definitely help.

The brand’s research revealed two styles of runner, and it has built these shoes to accommodate the subtle differences between them: the Sky is for “stride” runners, who maintain a steady cadence but increase their stride length when speeding up (for a finishing kick, for example), while the Edge (which has a slightly lower stack height but a higher drop of 8 mm) is for “cadence” runners, who increase both their stride length and their turnover when running fast. (The tricky part is knowing which type you are.) Note: To keep it light, there is some exposed foam on the bottom of the shoe that’s not protected by the grippy outsole, and it may wear quickly. This is a pricy shoe, best kept for time trials and races.

Under Armour FLOW Velociti SE

eedwork p s

oe sh

If you liked the UA flow Velociti Wind, which came out earlier this year, you’ll love the new flow Velociti SE, which is built on the same platform and has the same lightweight, responsive, durable midsole, but a completely redesigned upper. The SE’s new, knit upper molds to your foot for a super-comfortable, bootie-like fit, aided by UA’s signature sockliner, a stretchy collar and fully integrated tongue (similar to the one in last year’s hovr Phantom2 Coldgear Reactor). Some runners found the Velociti Wind’s toe box a bit skimpy, but that’s been rectified; the shoe fits true to size.

Cushy enough for long tempo runs and firm enough to give excellent ground feel in speed workouts, the shoe is a perfect hybrid of training and racing, for anything up to the half-marathon. The brand is banking on the Flow midsole foam being both grippy enough and durable enough to dispense with a rubber outsole altogether, which is how it achieves such phenomenal lightness. We figure if it didn’t work on the Wind, they would have changed it, so that must mean it will go the distance.

best

Best Speedwork Shoe Category: neutral cushioning Men’s: 231 g (8.2 oz.)

Women’s: 185 g (6.5 oz.)

Stack height: 26 mm Drop: 8 mm $160

FA LL 2021

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 51

gear

fall shoe review Puma Velocity Nitro Best New Model Category: neutral cushioning Men’s: 257 g (9.1 oz.)

Women’s: 209 g (7.3 oz.)

Stack height: 33.5 mm Drop: 8 mm $150

be

el

new mod t s

FA LL 2021

The Velocity Nitro is Puma’s most highly cushioned daily trainer in the Nitro series, which launched last year with the Deviate racer. Like the Deviate, the Velocity has a nice, thick midsole full of nitrogen-infused foam, which makes for an extremely comfortable, light shoe with just the right combination of stiffness and f lexibility for smooth, natural-feeling transitions during tempo runs. In particular, our female tester appreciated the fit, which was true to size, with plenty of room in the toe box without being sloppy (though women with wider feet may find it a bit snug in the midfoot). The Nitro series is built on separate men’s and women’s lasts, making it easier for women to find the right fit, also aided by the full, six-eyelet lacing system and the tpu heel piece. The outsole is a super grippy, durable rubber that will keep you reliably upright, even in wet conditions, as well as adding stiffness where you need it while contributing to the shoe’s longevity.

Nike Pegasus Trail 3

If you like Nike Pegasus for the road, you’ll love the Pegasus Trail 3 for trails. The shoe benefits from all the refinements the brand has made over 38 versions of the road shoe – mainly the super cushy React foam midsole, which has been used in the Peg since the release of the 37 last year. Yet it doesn’t have the massive stack of some competing shoes, which means you can still actually feel the ground beneath your feet.

Updates from the 2 are relatively

minor, the main one being the padding in the tongue, which in the previous version was a thin and somewhat abrasive material; the 3’s tongue is also gussetted and breathable, and comes up nice and high on the ankle. The cage lacing system provides good lockdown in the midfoot, and there’s also some support in

52 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

the heel for running on unstable terrain. The outsole lugs are more than adequate for mostly dry terrain and extend right from the tip of the toe to the back of the heel. All of this adds up to a shoe that feels perfect right out of the box and stands up well in all conditions on moderate trails. A Gore-Tex version is also available.

Matt Stetson

Category: trail Men’s: 321 g (11.3 oz.)

Women’s: Stack height: 24.5 mm Drop: 9.5 mm $170

gear

fall shoe review

The North Face Vectiv Enduris Category: trail Men’s: 316 g (11.2 oz.)

Women’s: 278 g (9.8 oz.)

Stack height: 31 mm Drop: 6 mm $180

Shoes with a distinctly curved sole have been very popular in 2021, especially for road shoes, for obvious reasons: they promote continuous forward motion and smooth out your stride. tnf’s new Vectiv trail series, which launched earlier this year with the Flight Vectiv, all have a pronounced rocker, and the Enduris is no different. The brand has also adopted the propulsion plate for its trail shoes; the Enduris’s is made of tpu, a slightly more forgiving material than the carbon-fibre version in the Flight Vectiv.

While the Flight Vectiv is built for racing, the

Enduris is considerably heavier, but also more affordable, with more cushioning in the midsole for your daily miles on the trail. Other features include a breathable mesh upper with seamless tpu overlays on the toe and heel for chafe-free protection, and a nicely padded tongue. There’s an internal tpu heel counter to enhance the fit and keep you solid in the shoe. The outsole, which features 3.5-mm, butterfly-shaped lugs for multidirectional traction in a variety of conditions, is identical to the one on the high-performance Flight Vectiv. Altogether an excellent choice for an all-purpose trail shoe.

Saucony Endorphin Trail Category: trail Men’s: 295 g (10.4 oz.)

Women’s: 255 g (9.0 oz.)

Stack height: 36.5 mm Drop: 4 mm $200 Other than the rockered sole and the cushy pwrrun PB midsole, it’s hard to see what this shoe has in common with the others in the Endorphin line, considering it lacks any kind of propulsion plate (a dubious concept in a trail shoe, anyway), and you couldn’t call it light, even for a trail shoe. But compared to other trail shoes, in terms of toughness, protection and its ability to carry you over a variety of terrain, the shoe holds its own.

The highly supportive upper has the same fully-integrated tongue the brand has used in some previous trail models, giving a super locked-in fit. The toe box is roomy, allowing for splay on the downhills. Multiple protective overlays shield your feet from debris, and the design on the stack is not just to complement the esthetics of the upper – it’s actually a densely woven, protective mesh. The rocker geometry does compensate somewhat for the very high midsole stack, propelling you along the trail when you otherwise might not feel so well connected to the ground. The lugged pwrtrac outsole works best on dry singletrack (hard packed or sandy). Some reviewers have commented on the lack of breathability in the upper, which could make it a good pick for cold weather. runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 53

gear

fall shoe review

Under Armour Machina 2 Category: neutral cushioning Men’s: 290 g Women’s: 231 g Stack height: 31 mm (men’s), 33 mm (women’s) Drop: 8 mm $190 The new UA Machina 2 comes with several improvements to the first edition of UA’s plated trainer.

Designed to work well for everything from easy recovery runs to workouts to your long run, the new Machina is a touch lighter and slightly less stiff in the forefoot, while retaining the plush hovr midsole and the removable sockliner for long-haul comfort, and the Pebax

propulsion plate for effortless tempo runs. The upper has been re-worked to include a UA rush lining borrowed from the brand’s highly successful apparel line to maximize comfort and breathability. And you still get the benefit of the connected fitness metrics and real-time coaching, thanks to the embedded chip in the sole and the brand’s MapMyRun app. With plenty of carbon rubber in the high-wear areas of the outsole, this shoe is designed to last longer than your average high-end trainer.

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ly tra dai i

Asics Novablast 2

the brand’s gel insert shoes. And while some folks found it a bit too cushy Best Daily Trainer and unstable for the track, the tweaks Category: neutral cushioning in the new version address that. It’s Men’s: 275 g (9.7 oz.) a particularly good choice for those Women’s: 222 g (7.8 oz.) moving up to the marathon for the Stack height: 30 mm (men), 21 mm (women) first time.

Drop: 8 mm The new version has two additional $180 millimetres of FlyteFoam Blast in front, while the drop is now 8 mm instead The Novablast was introduced last year as a desert- of 10; this will make it more attractive island shoe – a highly cushioned neutral trainer to midfoot strikers who want a more that works as well for workouts as for tempo runs natural feeling; those who enjoyed and weekend long runs – but as an alternative to the first version for long runs and are

54 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

accustomed to a 10-mm drop will want to ease into longer distances gradually.

The heel counter has a tpu overlay for improved stability in the rear, and the shoe retains the roomy, breathable mesh upper, the grippy, durable outsole and the wide base, which lends stability.

Most runners will find it a bit heavy for the track, but with that caveat, it’s a very good all-around daily trainer or raceday shoe for anything from the 5k to the marathon. Note: the fit is generous; some runners may prefer to go down a half size.

Matt Stetson

FA LL 2021

gear

fall shoe review YUL Category: neutral cushioning Men’s: 206 g/7.3 oz. (racing), 242 g/8.5 oz. (light training), 282 g/9.9 oz. (cushioned) Stack height: 10 mm (racing), 14 mm (light training), 18 mm (cushioned) Drop: 4 mm (racing), 7 mm (light training), 10 mm (cushioned) $144 for pre-orders, $180 for in-stock For trail specs, visit: yul-run.ca/pages/trail Yul (formerly math Sport Canada) is an innovative concept in customized, directto-consumer shoe buying that’s founded on ethical manufacturing practices and a commitment to sustainability. Depending on the style of shoe you’re looking for (racing, light training or cushioned), you can choose from three different Vibram midsole thicknesses and drop/offset measurements in your size, and three different Vibram outsoles – for road, trail or winter conditions – which the Quebec-based brand claims will take you 1,000 km before wearing out.

This effectively means there are 135 different options for each size. How’s that for selection? Once you’ve picked your midsole/ outsole options, the brand will attach its universal upper for a custom shoe that should be perfect for your purposes – and that is sure to get attention at your running club and races.

(You can even get a T-shirt, socks or a hat to

match your shoes.)

The toe box and fit are generous without being too big, and the upper has a well-padded heel collar, a lightlypadded tongue and a traditional lacing system – nothing exceptional, but great value for money. You’ll have to be patient, though, since pre-orders take a few weeks.

Stability options are also available.

Brooks Aurora Category: neutral cushioning Men’s: 240 g (8.5 oz.)

Women’s: 215 g (7.6 oz.)

Stack height: 37 mm Drop: 6 mm $250

If Kanye West’s Yeezys and 1980s moon boots had a baby, it would be named Aurora – the futuristic new running shoe from Brooks.

Inspired by the Apollo 11 mission that put Neil Armstrong on the moon, Aurora delivers a running experience that truly seems to defy gravity, thanks to a decoupled midsole that allows the rearfoot and forefoot to move independently and a responsive midsole made of dna Loft foam injected with nitrogen.

The Aurora’s upper is sleek and minimalistic, in keeping with the brand’s vision for the shoe – that it should be comfortable, effective and modern. The upper features a midfoot sleeve with a mesh overlay that hugs the foot nicely, and a pliable heel collar to protect against hotspots. The brand’s Glide Roll rocker system supports smooth transitions that make you feel like you’re cruising along with minimal effort – every runner’s dream, and ideal for long runs or tempo runs. The faster you run, the more you can maximize the effect of the decoupled midsole. The Aurora runs slightly large, so you may need to go down half a size for a perfect fit.

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 55

gear

fall shoe review Nike Vaporfly Next% 2 Category: neutral cushioning Men’s: 196 g (6.9 oz.)

Stack height: 39 mm Drop: 8 mm $330

Saucony Triumph 19 Category: neutral cushioning Men’s: 290 g (10.2 oz.)

Women’s: 259 g (9.1 oz.)

Stack height: 32.5 mm Drop: 8 mm $200 Saucony’s most highly cushioned neutral trainer, the Triumph is now in its 19th iteration, and it’s still a go-to shoe for long runs, recovery runs and longer tempo runs. The 19 is slightly lighter than the 18, and retains the brand’s springy pwrrun+, tpu-based midsole foam. The engineered mesh upper is lighter and more breathable than before, and hugs the foot nicely, with a toe box that’s comfortably roomy without being too big. Our tester found the shoe responsive and heel-to-toe transitions smooth, and the stretchy laces, in particular, are a welcome innovation, especially for those with narrower ankles who like to use the top eyelet for a tighter lockdown. The outsole is almost completely carbon rubber, for outstanding traction and durability, giving a very secure feeling in all conditions.

Matt Stetson

This is effectively the third version of the carbon-plated Vaporf ly, one of the most popular and controversial road-racing shoes in the history of road racing (well, actually the fifth, if you count the Alphaf ly and the Tempo Next%). The first Next% was a fairly major update to the Vaporf ly, cramming even more ZoomX foam into the high-stack midsole but lowering the drop significantly, from 11 mm to 8 mm; the latest Next% has a few tweaks to the upper and more rubber on the front of the outsole to prevent the kind of wipeouts we saw among elites at some road races last year. The outsole also has some new f lex grooves for improved traction.

The barely-there upper and off-centre lacing placement remain, but the mesh has been made softer, with some cushioning added to the tongue for comfort and foam pods inside the upper at the heel to reduce the risk of blisters. The toe box is also now (mercifully) a little wider for a roomier fit – welcome news to those of us who wanted to wear the previous version, but couldn’t.

Is it still the best carbon-plated racer on the market? Some reviewers say the shoe is unstable, due to being too narrow and too high. Definitely a thoroughbred, not a workhorse, and just for race day.

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fall shoe review

FA LL 2021

Brooks Ghost 14 Best Long Run Shoe Category: neutral cushioning Men’s: 281 g (9.9 oz.)

Women’s: 255 g (9.0 oz.)

Stack height: 24 mm Drop: 12 mm $170 Despite the lack of evidence, many runners believe that midfoot striking is more efficient than heel striking and less likely to result in injury, while the confirmed heel strikers among us guiltily persist in our so-called bad habits. Well, heel strikers unite – this shoe was made with you in mind, as the 12 mm offset makes clear. The Ghost’s midsole is now 100 per cent dna Loft, the brand’s plushest foam (up from about 70 per cent in the 13), and the enhanced fit make for a super comfy ride, and overlays on the midfoot and heel secure a locked-down fit. A deep f lex groove in the sole makes heel-to-toe transitions smoother, without sacrificing responsiveness. The 14 has an unusually rugged and grippy outsole, especially for a road shoe. It’s perfect for long, leisurely weekend runs and recovery runs, and it can totally handle faster tempo runs, too. Note: the fit is slightly narrow.

The Ghost 14 is also Brooks’s first carbon net-neutral shoe. Many brands claim to use recycled polyester in their uppers, but Brooks is serious about climate responsibility and wants you to know exactly which parts (specifically, most of the mesh, as well as the laces, sockliner top cloth, and tongue and collar linings).

Adidas 4DFWD Category: neutral cushioning Men’s: 332 g (11.7 oz.)

Stack height: 32.5 mm Drop: 11.5 mm $275

economy, compressing and rebounding with each step even better than a foam midsole would. The supportive but breathable knit upper, which is 50 per cent recycled polyester, hugs your foot like a sock, and the full rubber outsole is both super grippy and will extend the life of your shoe. (The unusual midsole also gives it the appearance of an espadrille, meaning you’ll love it for casual wear, as well as recovery runs and long runs.)

The shoe is a little heavier than comparable shoes, so you may prefer something lighter The unusual new shoe from Adidas, endorsed for workouts. by 400m world record holder Wayde The brand recommends that the upper van Niekerk, now comes in a brand-new is very stretchy, and if you’ve worn Adidas colourway, in addition to black and white. shoes before, you should go down a half The 3d-printed resin midsole is constructed size from what you would normally wear; in a unique, bowtie-shaped lattice struc- some reviewers suggest going down a full ture designed to maximize your running size.—CR runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 57

gear

earbuds

Wireless Listening Music and podcasts just keep getting better

Bose Sport Open Earbuds

Bose Sport Earbuds

$249

$235 Bose Sport Earbuds sit in your ear, and with three sizes of silicone tips, you can customize the fit. The f lexible wings, which tuck into the folds of your ear, add a bit more security, so you never feel like the buds are about to fall out. The sound quality is topnotch, and pairing and setup via the Bose Music app, taking calls, pausing and adjusting volume are all easy and straightforward (swipe the right bud up or down for volume, double tap to pause music or accept a call; press and hold to decline).

You get up to eight hours of listening on a charge, plus an additional five hours in the case. Sweat- and moisture-resistant. (They also come in a couple of jazzier colours than the plain black illustrated here – baltic blue is a nice teal, and glacier white is light grey with a lime accent.)

PROS: excellent sound quality, in-case charging

T

hey may appear cumbersome at first, but the comma-shaped Bose Sport Open Earbuds are designed for runners and sit securely on the curve of your ear. And because they don’t actually go in your ear, you can hardly feel them. Using a proprietary speaker technology that channels soundwaves into your ear (rather than bone conduction technology, which some people find produces an unpleasant feeling of vibration), the sound quality is terrific – at least as good as any earbud we’ve tested. Answering calls, adjusting volume and skipping songs are easy, and you get up to eight hours of listening on a charge. Like most of their competitors, Bose Sport Open Earbuds are sweat- and rain-resistant.

The “open-ear” technology is an excellent way to stay aware of your surroundings while running, and while this depends to some degree on how loud you like your music, it does promote greater awareness of traffic and other hazards.

PROS: excellent sound quality and the buds don’t sit in your ear CONS: no in-case charging (they come with a separate charging unit), though battery life is excellent; the buds feel slightly uncomfortable with glasses or sunglasses

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gear

earbuds Apple Air Pods Pro vs. Apple Air Pods Remember having to untangle your earbuds before every run, then threading them under your shirt so they didn’t accidentally snag an elbow and pop out of your ears? Some of us still do that, but Apple Air Pods ushered in a new era when they came on the scene in 2016. Many runners found the hard plastic buds (which are the same as in Apple’s wired earbuds) weren’t comfortable for long, or had a tendency to fall out. Those runners welcomed the Apple Air Pods Pro, with their customizable silicone tips, in 2019. But it really depends on the anatomy of your ears, because some still prefer the fit of the original Pro. Both connect automatically to all your Apple products, both have voiceactivated Siri connection and battery life is comparable (both claim up to five hours of listening, with up to 24 hours in the charging case).

If you’re considering getting a pair and aren’t sure which ones to buy, here are some other considerations:

Air Pods 2

Air Pods Pro

» are more affordable ($219 vs. $329) » do not offer noise cancellation (though this may be safer for running) » if you opt for Air Pods, make sure they are second generation, which first came out in 2019 and which have better battery life and sound quality than first-generation Air Pods, as well as in-case charging. There are two model numbers for Air Pods 2: A2032 or A2031 (this is printed on each pod, or you can find it in your phone’s Bluetooth setup). The number on the case should be A1938.

» have better sound quality, with noise cancellation as default mode » come with three sizes of silicone tip, for a custom fit (though some people prefer the fit of the regular Air Pods) » noise cancellation is the default mode, though it can be turned off so you can hear your surroundings while running. (Toggling between active noise cancellation, no noise cancellation and transparency mode takes practice.) » Air Pods Pro are rated IPX4, which means sweat and rain are not an issue (though they are not waterproof and should not be used for water sports)—CR

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 59

Prefontaine Run Squad, Montreal

PREFONTAINE RUN SQUAD MONTREAL, QUEBEC

The recently formed run club is providing women and members of the LGBTQ2+ community a safe space to run in Montreal’s trendy Hochelaga neighbourhood

MEMBERS: 30 members INSTAGRAM: @prefontainerunsquad FACEBOOK: @pre.run.club.hochelaga WHERE TO MEET: Parc Lalancette, Hochelaga

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Club Stats

Courtesy Club Prefontaine

club scene

reviews OPPOSITE Club Prefontaine at the George-Étienne Cartier monument at the base of Mont Royal Park, Montreal

By Melissa Offner

F

ormed in fall 2019 by Alexandra Quenneville, Lecia Mancini and Véronique Giroux, the Prefontaine Run Squad came to be because of their desire to grow a running community in the neighbourhood they all lived in. The leaders picked Prefontaine as their club name not only as a tribute to the legendary American runner Steve Prefontaine, but because it also happens to be the name of a transit stop in the area.

In recent years, Hochelaga has gone from being a little rough around the edges to a very soughtafter region of Montreal. “The neighbourhood has improved in the way of services and conveniences and has undergone some gentrification,” Mancini says. “We chose this as our base because there was an obvious lack of community-based fitness groups in the area.” But the group definitely identifies with that gritty punk-rock spirit. “Individual freedom is at the core,” Mancini says. “We are less mainstream, in that we have many queer members, so by nature we don’t fit the norm. What matters to us are authenticity, running and above all, the well-being that community provides.”

The squad offers weekly neighbourhood runs on the road every Wednesday at 6:15 p.m., as well as track training and trail running, depending on the time of year. All runs are led in “Frenglish,” as all three leaders are bilingual. They also host the Pre pride Run for the lgbtq2+ community and allies, which is a massive hit in the summer.

Fundraising is another important component of the group’s activities. In May, after 10 femicides were reported in Quebec, the leaders organized a fundraising campaign for the women’s shelter La Dauphinelle, raising more than $13,000 for the organization. “Many sports clubs in Montreal do their part to create safe and fun spaces for their communities, and this can start with intentional posts on social networks, organizing events or fundraising,” Giroux says. “A safe environment is built through trust, and trust is built on concrete actions.”

Although racing is picking up again for many of the squad’s members, the group’s easygoing and carefree dynamic is here to stay. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously – it’s as much about the après-run as it is about the actual running part,” Mancini says, adding that the crew’s objective since day one is to “ignite happiness, spark new connections and give people in our community a sense of belonging.”

Melissa Offner is a television and podcast host, the leader of the North Vancouver run crew RUNDISTRIKT and an avid runner.

Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail

By Heather “Anish” Anderson Mountaineers Books It’s fair to say that Heather Anderson, popularly known by her trail name, Anish, was born to hike. In 2003, as an almost-beginner in her early 20s, she thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT), which stretches more than 3,500 km from Springer Mountain, Ga., to Mount Katahdin in Maine. A few years later, she had hiked the U.S.’s three biggest trails (collectively known as the Triple Crown) – the AT, the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail (pct). In 2013 she set the fastest known time (fkt) on the 4,265-km pct by a female, self-supported, and her record of 60 days, 17 hours and 12 minutes still stands. (This hike is the subject of Anderson’s first book, Thirst, published in 2019.) Two years later, she went back to the AT, travelling southbound this time, chasing the overall record, and it’s these 54 days that are chronicled in her new book.

Far from being a natural athlete, Anderson struggled with insecurity and self-doubt, especially when some suggested her pct record was a f luke. She felt driven to return to the mountains to prove them wrong, but what she learned on the trail was that she could do no more than her daily best – that that was the true measure of her worth, not whether she was successful. In the end, it was enough.

Since setting the AT record, Anderson has continued to rack up accolades, including being the first woman to complete the Triple Crown in a single calendar year (which she did in 2018). In addition to all the hiking, Anderson is also an accomplished trail runner. But to set these giant records on the trail, she covered about 50 miles (about 80 km) a day, much of it before dawn and after dark, at a hiking pace. Anderson jogs occasionally, for example when trying to reach a store where she has shipped a supply box before it closes for the day. But even mostly walking, she’s in a constant battle against calorie loss, dehydration and extreme fatigue. In fact, like many of the most successful endurance athletes, Anderson realized early on that her secret weapon is her ability to suffer. It’s that combination of suffering and transcendence in nature that characterizes the best of the adventure genre, and this book is a worthy addition.—AF runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 61

back straight

Jacquie Jacobs For Toronto visual artist Jacquie Jacobs, painting and running are complementary

that she calls “Runbys” (pronounced run-by). “I was thinking about the things I love about running, and I love running through the scenery, through the sunlight, through different situations,” she says. “I consciously thought, how can I put these things together?”

Jacobs began creating the Runbys in 2015, and there are now 125 pieces. (Many of them decorate the walls at Secrets From Your Sister, a popular bra-fitting store in Toronto.) A year later, after running the Basel Marathon in Switzerland, Jacobs extended her stay for a month to explore the city and its surroundings. She spent her time running, sketching and photographing as research to work on a set of Basel Runbys when

Jacquie Jacobs

By Brooke Smith

F

or visual artist and college instructor Jacquie Jacobs, 65, running is a highly visual experience. Jacobs loves the independence and freedom of running, which, for her, lead directly to creativity: “You step out the door, and for however much time, you’re breathing, observing, and doing yourself some positive good. And there’s so much to see when you’re running – that’s a lot of what art is, if you’re working with realism and light effects.

You’re constantly seeing, and excited by, all sorts of fabulous things.”

For Jacobs, who trained at the Ontario College of Art and Design and in Florence, Italy, her love of both art and running morphed into a series of small paintings (6 x 12 inches, oil on cradle board)

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marketplace Jacobs’s Gear Go-Tos Endurance Tap, GU

BRITISH COLUMBIA

ALBERTA

Endurance Tap (without caffeine) at the start of a race and GU (with caffeine) near the end.

Fit First 3713 Kensington Ave. Burnaby, BC V5B 0A7 (604) 299-8851 fitfirst.ca

Gords Running 919 Centre St. N Calgary, AB T2E 2P6 (403) 270-8606 gordsrunningstore.com

Running Room Unisex Reflective Jacket with Pockets

Forerunners 3889 Main St. Vancouver, BC V5V 3P1 (604) 559-3889 forerunners.ca

Runners Soul 2646 S Parkside Dr. Lethbridge, AB T1K 0C4 (403) 327-2241 runnersoul.com

Forerunners 980 Marine Dr. North Vancouver, BC V7P 3C4 (604) 982-0878 forerunners.ca

Strides Running Store Fish Creek 1119–380 Canyon Meadows Dr. SE Calgary, AB T2J 7C3 (403) 454-4354 stridesrunning.com

Jacobs has sewn on a Boston Marathon crest.

“Other runners can see she’s slow and old … but she’s been to Boston!”

Saucony Endorphin Shift “No hesitation. It feels like someone’s hugging your foot.”

Garmin “The cheapest one. I didn’t used to have a watch. I would just use a regular watch and MapMyRun, and list the times I had to be at different places.”

OPPOSITE TOP Almost Flying (Toronto)

ABOVE Jacobs at the 2019 Boston Marathon

MarathonFoto

OPPOSITE BOTTOM Cold Comfort (Toronto)

she returned to work in her studio.

Like many runners, Jacobs’s early ventures into running were modest. “I would do it once in a while – meaning every two weeks – just because I thought, I’ve got to do something,” she says. “And you need very little gear: good shoes and a decent sports bra, and off you go.”

It wasn’t until her mid-50s that Jacobs, finding herself a few pounds heavier than she is now and working long days as a session leader with the University of Toronto’s Standardized Patient Program, finally realized her true running stride. She spoke with a co-worker who’d run a marathon (“and she was in her late 50s!”) who suggested Jacobs run with her group. Jacobs laced up her shoes, and, a few months later, the group signed up for a race. “My very first race was Harry’s Spring Run-off 5k,” she says. “Was I ever hooked! I think I came in third in my age category.”

Since then, Jacobs has appeared on age-group podiums too many times to count. “I often get up there somewhere,” she says, “and I always feel lucky that I get to do that.”

She has run the Boston Marathon five times and will complete her sixth, virtually, in October.

Jacobs is now working on another series, The Molecular Suite, which evolved from the Runbys. One of her Suite pieces (3 x 6 feet, oil on stretched and prepared linen) has sold, and two hang in a gallery in Switzerland. The idea behind the Suite is “as you run through the city, the city runs through you,” she says. “You know when you’re running along the lakeshore, sometimes there are blossoms? The whole area is perfumed, so you know you’re inhaling and exhaling the city.”

Check out more of Jacobs’s artwork at jacquiejacobs.org.—CR

Forerunners 3502 W 4th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6R 1N8 (604) 732-4535 forerunners.ca Fresh Air Experience 18–2070 Harvey Ave. Kelowna, BC V1Y 6H0 (250) 763-9544 freshair.ca Frontrunners Shelbourne 3659 Shelbourne St. Victoria, BC V8P 4H1 (250) 384-4786 frontrunners.ca Frontrunners Victoria 1200 Vancouver St. Victoria, BC V8V 0A4 (250) 382-8181 frontrunners.ca Frontrunners Westshore 123–755 Goldstream Ave. Victoria, BC V9B 0H9 (250) 391-7373 frontrunners.ca LadySport 3545 W 4th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6R 1N9 (604) 733-1173 ladysport.ca Rackets & Runners 3880 Oak St. Vancouver, BC V6H 2M5 (604) 733-9211 racketsandrunners.ca The Right Shoe 1601 W 4th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6J 1L8 (604) 737-6014 therightshoe.ca The RunInn Delta 1315 56 St #125 Delta, BC V4L 2P7 (604) 943-4661 runinn.com Sound Runner 1319 Pemberton Ave #7B Squamish, BC V8B 0A3 (604) 892-3300 soundrunner.ca

Strides Running Store Marda Loop 3566 Garrison Gate SW Calgary, AB T2T 6N1 (403) 240-4656 stridesrunning.com Strides Running Store Canmore 108–1240 Railway Ave. Canmore, AB T1W 1P4 (403) 678-7690 stridesrunning.com MANITOBA City Park Runners 2019 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3J 0L1 cityparkrunners.com ONTARIO Runner’s Choice 56 Brock St. Kingston, ON K7L 1R9 runnerschoicekingston.com QUEBEC Boutique Courir Longueuil 1085, Chemin Chambly Longueuil, QC J4H 3M7 (450) 674-4436 boutiquecourir.com Boutique Courir Montreal 4452, Rue St. Denis Montréal, QC H2J 2L1 (514) 499-9600 boutiquecourir.com Boutique Endurance 6579 Rue St. Denis Montreal, QC H2S 2S1 (514) 272-9267 boutiqueendurance.ca Le Coureur 1682 Rue King Ouest Sherbrooke, QC J1J 2C9 (819) 566-5363 lecoureur.com Le Coureur Nordique 141 Chemin Ste-Foy Québec City, QC G1R 1T1 (418) 353-2386 lecoureurnordique.ca

Brooke Smith is a runner and freelance writer and editor based in Toronto. runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 63

crossing the line LEFT Sage Watson at the 2019 World Championships

BELOW Will regular runners tune in to competitive running?

Running’s Identity Crisis Why do so few runners identify as runners?

“O

h sure, I go on runs, but I’m not, like, a runner.” This is something my younger sister said to me recently. She runs five or six times a week.

Running is one of the simplest and most accessible sports on the planet, yet it struggles to inspire fans and participants who identify as runners. For people all over the world, running is their primary form of exercise. Strava users alone logged 288 million kilometres in 2020, and the number of marathons recorded tripled in 2020 over 2019. According to Forbes, track and field has the highest participation numbers of any North American high-school sport.

So the fan base is definitely there, yet viewership of our sport continues to spiral downward. With the exception of the 100m final (which featured Usain Bolt), the 2016 Olympics had the lowest viewership of any Games since viewership was measured. If so many people run, why do so few runners feel invested in the sport?

I used to be a runner who didn’t identify as one. Until my late university years, I knew nothing about the sport beyond the events I raced in and the women I raced against. I now willingly wake up at 4 a.m. to watch international marathons on TV, and I even find a 10,000m race – 25 laps of the track – exciting to watch. What’s changed in the last three years is that I learned about many competitive runners through writing about the sport, and this running education has made me a lifelong, die-hard fan.

At track meets and marathons, runners are introduced and known largely for their accomplishments, with little mention of their lives outside of running. Networks are reluctant to show entire distance races, fearing that viewers will click away. But distances over 3,000m (which the Diamond League threatened to cut in 2020) can be some 64 Canadian Running September & October 2021, Volume 14, Issue 6

of the most suspenseful sports events in the world. What’s boring is a 15-minute race filled with comments about people’s height, weight, country of origin and previous Diamond League titles. If you can get 9.5 million people to tune in to a 40-hour weekend of golf, the length of the event and viewers’ attention spans aren’t the problem.

People are drawn to personal stories. The 21-year-old American 100m runner, Sha’Carri Richardson, is among the fastest women in the world in 2021. Michelle Obama has started following her career, and she’s been written about in Vogue. In early July, after winning the U.S. Olympic Trials and qualifying for her first Olympics, she was suspended from competition for a month after testing positive for thc. Richardson accepted the ban and apologized.

What Richardson has over other equally talented and accomplished runners is her ability to capture an audience with her personality, her story and her results. Even when she broke the rules, her honesty and vulnerability led people to continue to root for her.

Running needs more people like her.

Broadcasters, journalists and the athletes themselves need to do a better job of explaining to the public why they should root for them, because it’s painfully obvious that being fast isn’t enough. We need to root for people – not just times and medals. If we have more people and performances to root for, the trickle-down effect could benefit the sport at large. And I think we’d suddenly find ourselves knowing more people who call themselves runners.

Madeleine Kelly, who lives in Hamilton, Ont., was the 2019 Canadian 800m champion. In July she was selected to represent Canada at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. This was her first national team and her first Olympics.

Kevin Morris, Uncredited

By Madeleine Kelly

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