Jun 08 2015
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Toronto Duo Hoping to Earn Tickets to Rio. By Paul Gains

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

TORONTO June 8th 2015. Canada sent three male marathoners to the 2012 Olympics and with the qualifying period for Rio 2016 having opened in January there is speculation that three men will toe the line in Rio next year.

Just who will wear the maple leaf, however, is the big question.

The standard of 2 hours 12 minutes 50 seconds will take some doing. Two members of the Newmarket Huskies have made the commitment to achieving it and to realising a dream of representing Canada at the highest level.

Matt Loiselle and his training partner Sami Jibril will begin their buildup towards the 2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon next month. They both feel that Canada’s pre eminent marathon, which is the country’s only IAAF Gold Label marathon, is the venue to produce their lofty goal.

Matt Loiselle 2 ResizedLoiselle has a best of 2:16:01 from the 2011 Toronto event. A professional coach when he’s not putting in the miles, he understands that this time is a far cry from the standard. Nevertheless, he believes it is possible.

“I think so,” he declares. “I have got up to about 30k at 2:12 pace. Both times that I ran the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon I got to 30k at 2:12 flat pace. That’s when the pacemaker dropped out.

“I know the things I need to work on now and I will talk to (Coach) Hugh (Cameron) about it and make some adjustments and compare to previous buildups. If you look at my best half marathon time, which is under 1:04, I think it’s doable. I just believe in myself and I believe we will get good training in. And, it will help having Sami there too. If I didn’t believe it was possible I wouldn’t be really going for it. It has always been the goal.”

The 30 year old has represented Canada twice before, most recently at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon championships where he placed 55th in 1:04:59. He is fully aware that he and Jibril might well be fighting for one place.

Already Reid Coolsaet, a 2012 Olympian at this distance, has achieved the standard by running 2:11:24 in Rotterdam this past April. And Eric Gillis ran a personal best in Toronto last October with 2:11:21, albeit before the qualifying period.  Both he and Coolsaet are good bets to return to the Olympic race and, with only three to qualify, it leaves the Newmarket Huskies pair chasing one place.

“I totally expect that, actually,” Loiselle continues. “I think it will similar to what it was in 2012 probably under 2:12 (will be required). Look at Gillis. He is running as well as he ever has. Reid had a good one in Rotterdam.  And you can never really count Dylan (Wykes) out. Who knows who might be able to come out and surprise? I would be surprised if 2:12:50 did get you in actually.”

And this leads to the question what if he makes the team and Jibril is left behind? How would he feel about that?

“Yes, if I knocked him off the team it would hurt him and if he knocks me off the team it would hurt me,” he says laughing.  “It’s 42.2k and we have the same goal. Obviously if he makes the team and I didn’t I would be happy for him.”

“It’s kind of funny. I had a talk to a group of grade sixes yesterday. One guy asked me ‘Are all the guys you’re running against enemies?’ And I said ‘Well I guess when you start on the line you are enemies and then afterwards you respect each another and you can be friends. But we all have the same goals. We want to beat each other.’”

Sami Jibril Resized

Jibril, now 25, first came to national attention when he won the 2013 Harry’s Spring Run Off in Toronto’s High Park. That victory surprised many. At the time he was more attuned to running on the track and used road racing to break up the routine of winter training. Since then he has become a consistent road racer. A year ago he took the silver medal at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships, hanging on to Eric Gillis for most of the race.

“That is a tactic that I do once in a while, ‘dying to success’ as Coach Hugh calls it,” Jibril reveals. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t but in that race I had one option to run with Eric or separate early. I committed and it was a good run. I ran a huge personal best by 90 seconds. I definitely got good results off of that.”

“I think that was a perfect tactic. I don’t think I could have run faster if I didn’t go with Eric. The way he runs helped me out because he goes out so evenly paced, and conservative. He definitely helped me over 15 or 16k, however far we went together. It was obvious more than three quarters of the race.”

Born in Rome, Jibril is the son of Somali-Ethiopian parents who fled the strife in that region of East Africa.  He was a mediocre runner at Heart Lake Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario but under Hugh Cameron’s guidance has developed well these past three years. Loiselle speaks highly of their partnership.

“When I first met him he barely said a word,” Loiselle says with a laugh. “I thought he was pretty shy. So I had to gradually try to get him out of his shell.  Now he will actually come and hang out. We have a group of friends who will go out for a drink or for dinner and so we are starting to socialize more.”

“At least three times a week we train together. We do our intervals Tuesday and Friday and a long run on Sunday. Today I ran into him on our easy day – we run the same places. He is a great guy to train with.  No ‘BS’, we get along and we talk about anything really when we are running. I enjoy training with him.”

For his part Jibril points out that when he first began training with Loiselle he was working the graveyard shift at the Toronto Transit Commission as a mechanic and barely had any time to socialise. Now he works the 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. shift and has weekends off. The pair train at 7:00 a.m. usually.

This year the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is also the official Athletics Canada National Championship Marathon so there is added incentive for the top Canadians to contest the race. Both Jibril and Loiselle hope they run fast enough to earn a place on the Rio bound Olympic team, for that would be a dream come true.

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Jun 03 2015
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Tune In: The Art of the Half Marathon Playlist.

By | Digital Champions, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

VANCOUVER June 3rd 2015. Digital Champion Ryan Chilibeck was born and raised in Alberta, but now calls Vancouver home. While training for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon last year, Ryan got a little tired of training on his own. He thought to himself: “Running has to be more fun than this” and the next day the East Vancouver Run Crew was born! Their goal is to provide everyone with a pressure-free, organized and socially driven environment where runners of all abilities can come together to meet, chat, running, and then chat some more. Ryan is very proud of the community he’s built and he can’t wait to see the East Vancouver Run Crew grow. Connect with Ryan on Twitter and Instagram. Follow the East Vancouver Run Crew on Twitter and Instagram.

Tune In: The Art of the Half Marathon Playlist. By Ryan Chilibeck.

Whether you are an everyday goal seeker, elite athlete or anything in between, music has probably helped you with race training at some point. Most people will rely on a favourite playlist to pass the time on those grueling preparation runs. Others will put on some tunes before a race to help get the blood pumping, with many keeping those earphones in long after the starting gun has gone off. While some ‘running purists‘ may argue that earbuds and iPods have no place on the course, I am here to set the record straight. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely respect their physical mastery and ability to run without the tunes; it’s just that some of us can’t physically and/or mentally do it without some help. Plain and simple.

Me? I embrace it all. I work long hours, I have a baby, I train hard (okay fine, semi-hard) to meet my personal goals and music plays a huge part of helping me across those finish lines. Furthermore, when you are blessed with a husky Ukrainian frame like mine, having a mind-boggling playlist is absolutely essential to this whole painful process. I know it’s incredibly nerdy but for each race that I enter, I also craft a unique playlist for that specific course. The Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon is an amazing track and it deserves a pretty amazing soundtrack. From the UBC loop to Spanish Banks, through Kits and up over the Burrard Bridge, we are about talking 21.1km of pure beauty. To help you get ready for the day, I gift you with some insight into how I perfected my Scotia Half Playlist. You’re welcome. This way, if (and when) you pass me, you’ll know exactly what I am listening to. Here’s how it all goes down:

Commuting and Pre-Race

Always an audiobook. I wake up pretty anxious on race day so putting on an audiobook helps to calm me down. Having someone talk at me keeps my focus on something other than the next couple hours of emotional undulation. When I get to the race, I usually turn the music off and take in the energy at the start line. Lots of stretching. A little water. Potty Break. Sing “O Canada”. Game on.

KM 1-5

My goal here is to keep calm, settle into a rhythm and conserve some energy for later in the race. I am always a little more lucid at this point so I stick to songs that are of slower tempo and lend lyrical encouragement to the task at hand. I came out of the gate a little too hot last year and was pretty haggard by Kitsilano. I’m hoping that a mellow start will help to avoid a repeat in 2015. I’m feeling a little Beirut, Lord Huron, Say Hi & some other sappy junk.

KM 5-10

This is a funny stage. All the adrenaline I had when the starting gun went off is lying in a puddle somewhere around the first water station. The initial hints of fatigue start to set in BUT it is also balanced with the onset of a tiny runner’s high. How do you pump yourself up, but simultaneously let your endorphins do some of the legwork? Simple…just a few flowy, old school, hip hop jams. I’m cruising to classic Outkast, Big L (RIP), Naughty By Nature & some other head-bobbing junk.

KM 10-15

This is FULL ON panic mode for me. What happens in this 5km stretch can be the difference between a Personal Best or complete bonk. My mind wanders more during this section than at any other point in a race. There is doubt. There is pain. There is hunger. My goal here is to hit the eardrums with some pretty (I hate this word) EPIC songs. I want nothing but good vibes, sing-alongs, fist pumps & basically anything to keep my mind off the struggle. I’m feeling a dose of M83, Volcano Choir, Phantogram and some other epically epic junk.

KM 15-20

There is a light at the end of the tunnel and the chance of a medal hanging around your neck is on the incline. More importantly, a beer (or multiple beers) will be in your hand (or multiple hands) very soon. It is imperative to my sanity at this point to go back to High School. It’s time to bring out the big guns and go metal, punk or anything else with a boatload of treble. I’m in need of a heavy helping of Metallica, Social Distortion, Pantera, Japandroids and some other intense junk.

KM 20-21.1

Well, you did it Kiddo. Barring any natural disaster, severe injury or mental breakdown, you should technically finish this race. Turn off your music, take out your earbuds and bask in the glory of just how awesome you are. You’re a monster! There is absolutely no music that will psych you up more than the sound of complete strangers going bonkers all along Beach Avenue and into Stanley Park. The last 1100m of the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon is pretty special so go on, wave to your fans. Kiss all the babies. Drink it in. Get that medal.

For those of you wanting to listen along for yourself, below is a link to my Playlist. It might not for everyone BUT it’s for me. Caution, there might be a couple of naughty words in there so put the kids to bed before pressing play. Here:

Ryan’s Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon Playlist

Not registered yet? Sign up today at VancouverHalf.com before the race sells out!

Jun 01 2015
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Less than one month to Race Day – Jeff Symonds

By | Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

by Jeff Symonds

Less than one month until race day! This is the time when we as athletes start to feel our pre-race nervousness escalate. It is perfectly natural to feel like now is the time to do a crazy amount of training. Resist that temptation and stay committed to your training plan. If you really feel the need to work harder, then work harder at eating well, sleeping and recovering between your workouts. You can also work harder on perfecting your pre-race routine and mental training.

Have you ever heard the saying “never try anything new on race day?” Well now is the time to try those things! You want to test out everything you can to make sure race day goes as smooth as possible. I like to use my Sunday long run as a great chance to experiment with my race day routine. You want to practice with the exact high carbohydrate breakfast you are going to have race morning and figure out how early you need to eat that breakfast. You want to make sure that whatever you eat fuels your workout and keeps you out of the porta potty. You also want to practice with the nutrition and hydration you are going to consume during the race. I recommend one Powergel for every 45 minutes you plan to be running and wash each gel down with at least 250ml of water.

I also use the exact clothing and shoes I plan to race in in order to make sure there is no chafing or discomfort. Nothing looks more painful then the grimace of athlete suffering from chafing! Only by practising can you figure out the small places where you might want to use body glide or Vaseline. Plus, when I lace up my racing shoes the Asics HyperSpeeds 6’s, I am guaranteed to have a great session!

If you can, it is a great idea to get out and run sections of the course. The better you know the course the more confident you will be on race day. If you can’t make it out to the beautiful UBC Campus or stunning Jericho Beach, choose a run that mimics the race course conditions. Practice running downhill and the mental aspect of a point-to-point run.

Most people have a physical game plan and know exactly what pace they want to hold for every portion of their race. I always create a mental game plan and plan out exactly what I want to be thinking of during every portion of my race. By creating a mental game plan you will already know what thoughts you want to have, and should have, as opposed to letting race day excitement and fatigue determine your thoughts for you. Often times I will use landmarks as cues to predetermined thoughts. An example being that every time I see a speed limit sign I think, “Alright, going fast feeling good!” A key component of my mental game plan is mantras. With mantras you are basically repeating the same thing to yourself over and over and over again. They help keep you focused on the task and keep negative thoughts from creeping in. My mantras are often technical cues or related to pacing and rhythm. I always think: “Re-lax, fly-ing, your pace, negative split.”

The last and most important thing I do a month before a big race is to be really nice to my significant other. I clean up my cereal boxes and watch a few extra chick flicks because I know I need some points banked for when the dreaded taper tantrums hit on race week!

See you on the start line!

Asics athlete Jeff Symonds was the winner of this year’s Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship. He also placed 3rd at the 2011 World Championships and is a great ambassador of the sport!

Not registered yet? Sign up today at VancouverHalf.com before the race sells out!

May 27 2015
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Preparing For Race Day: Countdown To The Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon.

By | Digital Champions, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

VANCOUVER May 27th 2015. Digital Champion Steph Harrap started running cross country and track in high-school and completed her first half-marathon in 2008. Since then she has run 8 half-marathons and 3 marathons. The half-marathon is her favourite distance to race, but her most memorable running moment was crossing the finish line of her most recent marathon and qualifying for Boston! When she’s not running, Steph works as a physiotherapist and spends her free time planning her next travel adventure and refining her culinary skills. Connect with Steph on Instagram.

Preparing For Race Day: Countdown To The Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon. By Steph Harrap. 

Steph ScotiaHalf Blog 1We are just over 4 weeks out until the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon and you’re about to enter into some critical weeks of your training – peak week and the dreaded taper (for me anyways). It’s time to start thinking about your race prep and your plan for race day. Here are a few tips (mostly from lessons I learnt the hard way) to keep you on track in the critical weeks, days and hours before the starting gun fires!

THE TAPER

For me, the last two weeks before the race, aka “taper time”, are the ones where I typically start to stress and ask myself “have I done enough?” In my last few races calming this pre-race anxiety and trusting the taper has been something I’ve really been trying to work on. Whether it’s your first race, longest race or 100th race, it’s always hard mentally to decrease your running and trust that your body will be race day ready.

If you haven’t built a taper into your training don’t worry, it’s not too late! Here are a few tips to help you execute a trustworthy taper:

  • Give yourself about 14 days to taper, longer races require longer periods of recovery.
  • Decrease your distance but remember to maintain your training intensity. In other words, keep doing those interval workouts and tempo runs to avoid de-conditioning.
  • I like to follow a progressive taper where I reduce my weekly mileage by about 25% each week until race day.
  • The week of the race I’ll usually do 2 runs at my goal pace (a 6km and a 10km), take 2 days fully off and then do a short shakeout run the day before the race

THE DAYS BEFORE THE RACE

Don’t do anything new. Race week isn’t the time to try new shoes, new food or drinks, new gear, or anything else you haven’t used on several workouts. I made this mistake last year before a marathon, I let myself get talked into trying a workout class I hadn’t done before. It sounds so stupid when I think about it now, but I thought I would just go and watch, take it easy, which I did, but there were some weights and moves I hadn’t done in a while and I definitely felt it going into the marathon. Needless to say, it wasn’t smart and I definitely learnt my lesson…nothing new on or leading up to race day!!!

Get off your feet. In the days before your race, try to stay off your feet as much as possible. Relax, and leave the lawn mowing, shopping or workout classes (still can’t believe I thought that was a good idea) for after the race.

Graze, don’t chow down. Carb loading before a run is one of the many perks of running long distances… I think so anyways 😉 But rather than devouring a gigantic bowl of pasta the night before, which could upset your stomach, try eating carbs in small increments throughout the day before the race.

Drink all the water! Hydrating in the days leading Steph ScotiaHalf Blog 2up to the race is just as important as what you eat. It could be a hot one on June 28th, so make sure you drink up!!

Get your race pack early and get your gear prepped. The night before the race, lay out your clothes, prep your fuel and pin on your bib….and of course take a pic and tag it #Scotiahalf ! That way you won’t be scrambling in the morning and risk forgetting something critical.

RACE DAY

Arrive early. Get to the race at least one hour before the start so you’ll have time to use the porta potty (those lines can be rough), check your gear and warm up. You don’t want to be rushing to the starting line.

Don’t overdress. It will probably be cooler at the start, but don’t wear more clothing than you need.

Set at least two goals. Set one goal for a perfect race and another as a backup in case it’s hot, it’s windy, or it’s just not your day. If something makes your first goal impossible halfway through the race, you’ll need another goal to motivate you to finish strong.

Have fun and run happy! Remember that races are hugely positive community events. You get to spend a morning running through our awesome city with strangers cheering you on (this is my favourite part), feeding you and offering you water, all while celebrating doing something healthy for yourself and crushing some goals! So remember to smile, read the signs of spectators (some are pretty funny) and be proud of yourself whatever the outcome!

How do you prepare for race day? Do you have some good ways to shake out those pre-race jitters? Share them with me on Instagram @anygivenrunday.

 

May 22 2015
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Team VOKRA: Unstoppable

By | Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

One of our Scotiabank Charity Challenge Partners, Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association (VOKRA) is a no-kill, non-profit, registered charity dedicated to the rescue of cats in the Lower Mainland.

This year, local elite athlete Natasha Wodak is acting as Team Captain for VOKRA at the Charity Challenge. Natasha’s also a contender for the top spot in the Half-Marathon on June 28th.

Find out more about the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, and how you can get involved, here.

May 06 2015
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3 Ways to Empower Yourself Through Running

By | Digital Champions, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

VANCOUVER May 6th 2015. Digital Champion Lola T. Small fell in love with running when she moved to Vancouver and ran along the Seawall at Spanish Banks. Now she can’t imagine her life without it. Lola loves running for reminding her that she is grateful for her body, her ability to move, and for being alive! As a Life Empowerment and Wellness Coach, Lola loves sharing her passion for running with others and can’t wait to share her journey of training for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon. Connect with Lola on Twitter, Instagram, and her blog.

3 Ways to Empower Yourself through Running By: Lola T. Small

There are so many things I love about running and I know I be a runner for the rest of my life. Of course this wasn’t always the case, since I used to hate running, always coming in at the back of the pack during those awful mile run tests in P.E. class during highschool. Luckily since then I have found my love for running as I run along our beautiful beaches on the Seawall, doing the Maui Half Marathon under the hot Hawaiian sun, and now training for my 6th half marathon with the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon in June. Many things keep me running, but the way my runs keep me feeling empowered is how I know I will be a runner for life.

Here are three simple but powerful ways to empower yourself through your runs:

Lola Portland1. Use your running time to be present and connect – Take a break from the craziness of daily life and use your running time to finally tune in to yourself. Use the rhythm of your breathing to clear your mind and let yourself feel your own presence as your stride connects with the ground. During this time, you don’t need to worry about anything or anyone else except yourself, your body, and your heart beating. As you run, you are reminded that you can put yourself first, that your needs are important priorities, and that you could use more time to be present for yourself.

2. Practice pumping up your positive self-talk – I am a big fan of affirmations, especially while I run! The combination of heart pumping, sweat dripping, and thinking thoughts that make me feel strong and powerful is the biggest adrenaline rush I get on my runs. Whatever I am wanting to achieve at that point in my life is the soundtrack I play in my head. I look forward to running because I know I’ll come back even more pumped. Each time you run is a chance for you to practice positive self-talk.

3. Run through the items on your gratitude list – When we feel good, we do good, and this is one of my favorite side-effects of running. Especially on days when I’m not feeling strong physically, I’ll focus more of my energy on feeling grateful for all the things in my life, including being able to breathe and being out there pounding the pavement. When you can remember that there are others struggling simply to take a breath or who lack the privilege of being able to move their legs, you quickly appreciate your own ability to be out there, enjoying this excruciating thing we call running.

When I am gasping for air during the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon as I push myself to run my sub-2:00 goal, I know I’ll be relying on the strength I have built from some of these tips as well as those kilometers I will log between now and race day. From one empowered runner to another, see you out there on the road! Happy running!

May 04 2015
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Neighbourhood House Week

By | Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

Neighbourhood House Week marks 121 years of Neighbours Growing Neighbourhoods

05-04-mpnh-photoOriginally from Eritrea, Adiam Haile arrived in Vancouver via Germany. Adiam did not find that her new home was very welcoming. She said that “where I grew up, there was a strong sense of community” but found it difficult to find the same sense of belonging and neighbourhood connections in Vancouver.

Luckily she found Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House.

Ever since the first BC neighbourhood house opened in Vancouver in 1938 (Alexandra House, which had been an orphanage since 1894 and is now called Kitsilano Neighbourhood House) a wide diversity of people have found a home in neighbourhood houses.

Now there are 15 neighbourhood houses in the Lower Mainland, offering programs, services and initiatives to more than 100,000 children, youth, adults and seniors annually. From May 3-9 Vancouver is celebrating Neighbourhood House Week.

For Adiam, finding Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House three years ago offered the lonely but eager-to-learn newcomer the opportunity to connect with friendly people from many cultures who lived in the neighbourhood. Adiam, now with an infant, attends other programs in the community, but is especially connected to Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House because of the early positive experiences she had in multicultural programs. Now with an eight-month old, she says “the neighbourhood house has helped me build a history, especially now that I have my child. I am so thankful the memories and connections I have made here.”

Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House Executive Director, Jocelyne Hamel said that
“Neighbourhood Houses have amazing capacity to help people discover their strengths and find ways to grow into leadership roles. Adiam came to us looking for and finding a community. Now she’s a parent leader for one of our parenting programs.” Adiam’s experience of finding a sense of belonging is typical for those who engage in neighbourhood houses. “That’s why, for Neighbourhood House Week this year we’re celebrating around the theme, ‘Neighbours Growing Neighbourhoods’. It’s people like Adiam who get engaged in neighbourhood houses and find a way to express their passions or follow a dream who help make neighbourhoods friendlier for all.”

Operated by not-for-profit societies, Lower Mainland neighbourhood houses have combined annual operational budgets of more than $50 million, engage more than 3,000 volunteers and employ close to 1,500 individuals.

05-04-mpnh-weekFor more information on Neighbourhood House Week, visit this site.

To find out more about the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House, and how you can support them in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, click here.

 

May 04 2015
0

Tapestry Foundation for Health Care

By | Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

We care for seniors.

At Tapestry Foundation, caring never gets old.

We’re dedicated to improving the care experience of hospital patients, and residents in seven healthcare facilities operated by Providence Health Care – one of the largest faith-based health care organizations in Canada. Sites that we support include Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, Youville Residence, St. Michael’s Centre, and St. Vincent’s: Brock Fahrni, Langara and Honoria Conway-Heather.

05-04-tapestryhifiveImproving Healthcare for Seniors
Tapestry Foundation also raises funds for the largest number of seniors care beds in Metro Vancouver. Our donors help to shine a light on the needs of a growing seniors’ population. Generous donations help purchase life-saving medical and diagnostic tools for acute hospital care, as well as equipment for physical rehabilitation services. Donations also support purchases of medical equipment and quality of life programs for elders in our care homes. To donate to Tapestry Foundation, click here.

Senior couple riding motor scooter having fun.

Senior couple riding motor scooter having fun.

Dialogue on Aging Education Program
Education and research are also top priorities. Through our Dialogue on Aging Education Program we reach out to the community to foster greater understanding of seniors’ health needs. Our spring and fall Public Presentation Series offer timely topics on health, aging and wellness, and our annual Geriatric Services Conference provides ongoing education for geriatric medicine professionals from across B.C. Funding is also provided for geriatric research projects that ensure future generations can benefit from new and better ways of caring for the elderly.

You are welcome to sign-up for our free Public Presentation, Learn How to Prevent Falls at VanDusen Gardens on May 12th. Click here to reserve your seat!

05-04-tapestryteamScotiabank Charity Challenge
You are invited to join our team in the 2015 Scotiabank Charity Challenge! Since 2010, Team Tapestry Foundation has raised nearly $300,000 for elder care research and site-specific fundraising priorities. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, we were awarded Scotiabank’s $5,000 prize for having the largest fundraising team in Vancouver!

While we’re all Team Tapestry Foundation, most of our team members create smaller teams under the Foundation umbrella. There are many teams to choose from, each representing a specific care facility or cause. To learn more about this year’s causes, visit our website or contact Katie Clogg-Burmeister at kclogg@providencehealth.bc.ca or 604.806.9486. See you on June 28th!

Apr 29 2015
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Join The (Running) Club!

By | Digital Champions, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

VANCOUVER April 29th 2015. Digital Champion Yuri Artibise has been running through the streets of Vancouver since returning to the city four years ago. After a modest start in a learn to run clinic in 2012, he has run in numerous 5, 8 and 10ks, thirteen half marathons, and three full marathons, including the 2014 Long Beach (California) Marathon last October on his 40th birthday. Connect with Yuri on Twitter, Facebook, and his blog.

Join The (Running) Club! By Yuri Artibise 

Anybody who has trained for a race knows how strange the rigours of the sport can seem to your non-running friends and family. Running with others is often as much about sharing training tips as it is about spending time with like-minded people. This is certainly the case with the Fraser Street Run Club (FsRC).

FsRC was founded by Jesse Booi, Kat Drew, Cody Callon, and Michelle Ford. Dubbed the Fraser Street Run Club—after the neighbourhood where three of the four founders lived—the group started as an inside joke with a few monthly runs. The club is based on a simple premise of getting together for a run and hanging out afterward, drinking some beer, and sharing running stories.

The FsRC crew with honourary member Alan Brookes, Canada Running Series Race Director

The FsRC crew with honourary member Alan Brookes, Canada Running Series Race Director

I joined the FsRC soon after completing my first marathon clinic. After 16 weeks of running with others, I was missing the camaraderie of my fellow marathoners. From my first run with the group, I quickly realized that I had found something special. The simple equation of running and socializing had led to a community that was greater than the sum of its parts.

The success of the FsRC equation is evident in the continued growing number—and variety— of people who come out each week to club runs. The mission of the group is to engage people in running and build a supportive community for runners of all levels; from novices to national calibre runners. One week I can find myself running alongside a national champion marathoner, they next week I’m encouraging someone who is running their first 5K since high school. I believe that this inclusive and supportive environment is the secret of FsRC’s appeal.

Yuri with fellow Modo 8K digital champions, Elinor Warkentin and Steph Harrap

Yuri with fellow Modo 8K digital champions, Elinor Warkentin and Steph Harrap

If you live in or around Vancouver, I highly recommend you check out this club. We currently offer two consistent weekly runs:

  • Feel Good Fridays are weekly social fun runs at 7 pm. There are 5k and 10k routes followed by (BYOB) beers and socializing. These runs are open to everybody, and are designed to get people outside and active. We include pace groups for for all levels, including walk/run.
  • Track Tuesdays are 60-90 minute workouts designed to make you speedy. These structured, traditional track workout are open to anyone and everyone—from 5K to 50K runners.They are held every Tuesday at 6:30 pm at a local track.

For details on these runs, including routes and locations, check out the Fraser Street Run Club website, follow FsRC on Instagram and Twitter, or join the FsRC Facebook group.

Apr 27 2015
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Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal et 5k Race Report

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MONTREAL April 26th 2015. Under a clear sky with favourable conditions, more than 5,500 runners participated in the 13th edition of the Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal et 5k presented by Asics, this Sunday April 26th.

Scotia21kMtl Eric Gillis winning

Eric Gills wins in 65:31

Olympian Eric Gillis of Speed River TFC in Guelph, Ontario won the 21k for the fourth consecutive year in 65:31, in from of teammate Terrence Attena (66:39) and Quebecker David Le Porho in 66:55. Le Porho improved his personal best by more than a minute.

Gillis took the lead from Behanu Degefa after the 11k mark to make it a solo effort from then on and win far ahead of everybody else.

“When the fight is on until the finish line it keeps you on the edge. There is a challenge. But I enjoy running by myself too because I run to win. If I’m alone the win is easier [laugh]. I’m very proud of this victory. I was apprehensive before the race because I had to deal with some small health issues that have preoccupied me for the last few weeks. Today’s race was like a test for me. It gave me a better sense of where my fitness is right now and my efforts paid off. I really like running the Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal. It is a great race, well organized and placed well in the race calendar. Certain years we had to fight with the wind, but this year wasn’t the case.” Gillis said.

“The conditions were perfect this morning. We were scared at the beginning of the day because it was a bit windy. It went well for me. I ran alone most of the way. I ran without my watch because wanted to run by feel. I kept the same pace and I passed runners one by one to finish in third place. It was a superb race. I realized my best time in this distance” Le Porho said after improving his personal best by more than a minute.

Scotia21kMtl Bianca Premont Winning

Bianca Premont breaks the tape in 1:20:40

It is with great joy that Bianca Prémont from Sainte-Julie won the half-marathon event with a time of 1:20:40. Pia Nehme who owns the national half-marathon record for Lebanon took second place is 1:21:39, right before Manon Letourneau in 1:21:48.

Although the marathoner, who won the Athletas Award in 2014, didn’t beat her personal record this morning, winning the race was a great accomplishment. “The lead pack I was with started at a relaxed pace. We were 5 runners up to 10k. I kept my pace. To win the race is a like a dream on the perfect day. I love this course.” Prémont said.

This annual meeting of thousands of runners, supporters, and partners is one of the sporting events that raises the most funds in Quebec. The 2015 edition kept pace with that tradition, raising $1,018,000, which is $140,000 more than the goal that was set for the event, for a total of 66 official charities. There were 3 featured charities at the event: Fondation A Pas de Géant, Fondation CHU Sainte-Justine, and Fondation les petites trésors.

Scotia21Mtl Defi Caratif

Thanks to all who helped raise over $1,000,000!

“For sure welcoming elite runners of Canada is one of the objectives of the race and we are proud of it. The organization, the course, the team of volunteers, everything is set to stage a great event, but this year what touches me the most is to know that the 2015 edition raised over a million dollars. To see all those participants mobilize to try to make a difference in the lives of others is a big thing. I hope this phenomenon will be contagious and exponential” said Francois Lecot, Race Director of the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal et 5k. “All the participants should be very proud of their performance, along with how much money they were able to raise.”

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Montréal, 26 avril 2015. C’est sous un ciel clément et un timide retour du printemps que plus de 5500 coureurs ont participé à la 13e édition du Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal et 5k présenté par Asics, ce dimanche 26 avril.

L’Olympien Eric Gillis, de Guelph en Ontario, a remporté le 21k pour une quatrième année consécutive en 1h05min31, devant Terence Attema (1h06min39) et le québécois David Le Porho de Montréal (1h06min55).

Gillis a pris le contrôle de la course dès le départ pour distancer un à un les coureurs, au 11e kilomètre il se séparait finalement de Degefa pour faire la seconde moitié en solo et gagner loin devant les autres.

«Quand la bataille dure jusqu’aux derniers mètres, il y a un challenge qui nous pousse à nous dépasser. J’aime aussi courir en solo parce que je cours pour gagner, seul devant la victoire est plus facile [rires]. Je suis très fière de cette victoire. J’attendais cette course avec appréhension puisque quelques ennuis de santé m’ont préoccupé au cours des dernières semaines. La course d’aujourd’hui était comme un test pour moi. Ça me permet de voir où en est ma forme et que mes efforts ont porté fruits. J’adore courir le Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal. C’est une course super bien organisée, bien placée dans le calendrier et j’aime le parcours. Certaines années, on a dû se batailler contre le vent mais cette année ce n’était pas le cas.» a dit Gillis.

Le Porho a réalisé un nouveau record personnel en soustrayant environ une minute à son ancien temps sur cette distance. «Les conditions étaient parfaites ce matin, on a eu peur en début de journée parce qu’il ventait un peu et il ne faisait pas beau. Cela a bien été pour moi. J’ai couru seul tout le long et je suis parti sans ma montre, je voulais courir au feeling. J’ai remonté un à un les coureurs. C’était une super belle course.» disait-il.

C’est avec émotion que Bianca Prémont de Sainte-Julie a remporté le demi-marathon en 1h20min40. Pia Nehme, détentrice du nouveau record national pour le Liban au demi marathon s’est pour sa part classée deuxième (1h21min39) devant Manon Létourneau (1h21min48).

La marathonienne détentrice du prix Athlétas 2014, a frôlé un nouveau record personnel et réalisé un rêve ce matin. «Le peloton de tête est parti relaxe, on était environ 5 coureuses jusqu’au 10e kilomètre. J’ai gardé mon rythme. De gagner, c’est comme un rêve, c’était la journée parfaite. J’adore ce parcours.» disait Prémont après sa course.

Ce rendez-vous annuel pour des milliers de coureurs, leurs supporteurs et les partenaires essentiels est l’évènement sportif caritatif qui amasse le plus de fonds au Québec. L’édition 2015 s’inscrit dans cette même lignée généreuse! En effet, le total amassé par les 66 organismes de bienfaisance s’élève à plus de 1 018 000$, soit plus de 140 000$ que l’objectif fixé. À noter que les organismes de bienfaisance vedettes du Défi caritatif Banque Scotia était la Fondation À Pas de Géant, la Fondation CHU Sainte-Justine et la Fondation les petits trésors.

«Il est certain qu’accueillir des coureurs d’élite du Canada est un de nos objectifs et nous en sommes fiers. L’organisation, le parcours, l’équipe de bénévoles, tout est mis en place pour créer un événement de qualité, mais cette année, ce qui me touche le plus c’est de savoir que l’édition 2015 a dépassé le 1 000 000$ en levée de fonds. Voir tous ces participants se mobiliser pour faire une différence dans la vie de quelqu’un d’autre, c’est quelque chose. J’espère que ce sera contagieux de façon exponentielle.» dit François Lecot, directeur de course du Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal et 5k. «Tous les participants devraient être extrêmement fiers de leur performance, autant en ce qui concerne la course que la collecte des fonds amassés.»