Jun 30 2015
0

Runner Aiming For Triple Toronto Waterfront Marathon. By Paul Gains

By | Community Leaders, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

_NGE0247-B&WJust before midnight on Saturday October 17 Jean Paul Bedard – JP to his friends – will toe a the starting line outside Toronto’s University Avenue courthouse and run two circuits of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

If he has timed it just right he will have thirty to forty minutes rest before joining 18,000+ other runners – who will raise $4 million for local charities – as the official IAAF Gold Label Race begins. By the end of the day he will have run a triple Waterfront marathon – a whopping total of 126.6 kilometres!

The 49 year old has battled demons in the past including alcohol and drug addiction, suicide attempts and depression. He has overcome much but there is nothing crazy about this incredible physical challenge.

“The first thing in this is an awareness campaign,” Bedard says. “I am almost 50, I am a recovering alcoholic and addict, I have been sober for a little over 18 years. I spent a lot of time beating myself up with different substances kind of masking what was going on inside.

“About two months before the Boston marathon in 2013 I finally disclosed to my wife and adult son, who was 23 at the time, that I am the survivor of childhood sexual abuse and rape.”

Bedard ran a little over three hours for the Boston marathon that year – he has a personal best of 2:57 – and admits that he was an emotional wreck as he tried to come to terms with having shared his past. Midway through the race he broke down crying and hyperventilating. Nevertheless he completed the race. After showering and changing at the hotel he and his wife walked out onto the marathon course. That was when the terrorist bombs exploded.

The whole experience proved overwhelming and he reckons he was suffering Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. But with his family’s support he entered a treatment program at The Gatehouse which helped him and helps other adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The impact of the treatment was enormous.

“I got my life back,” he declares. “For such a long time running _NGE0666was a kind of escape, running away from myself, turning off my brain all that stuff but, through this program, I started looking at running as a way to kind of run back into myself and come to terms with all of these things in me. It became almost a spiritual practice.

“And I was so grateful to the program at Gatehouse, how much everyone there had helped me. I decided I would go back to Boston the following year and try to raise money for the Centre and, also, raise a little bit of awareness for childhood sexual abuse especially. There are very few male advocates out there. I got in touch with (retired NHL star and victim of sexual abuse) Theo Fleury and asked for help and he has been instrumental in helping me find resources.”

Returning to Boston in 2014 he decided he would do a ‘double marathon’ setting out from Boston in the reverse direction to meet up with the official entrants in time for the official start. The logistics were quite complicated. Security had been enhanced a year after the bombing but in the end he raised more than $25,000 for The Gatehouse.

The idea of doing a triple Toronto originated during a conversation he had with Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon race director Alan Brookes.

“I have an affinity to the Canada Running Series and to Alan,” Bedard explains. “I have run this marathon 10 times, this will be my 11th, 12th and 13th time running STWM. Alan is like the race ambassador. He is not in it for the cash he is in it for the love of the sport. He said ‘JP it’s great what you did in Boston but it’s going to be hard to outdo that.’ That was the genesis of the triple Toronto. I am not sure what happens next year!”

Bedard laughs as he relates this tale. Formerly a school teacher he is now a full time writer with a book coming out next Spring called ‘Running Into Yourself.” It deals with the subject of running to combat depression, anxiety and traumatic events. In a typical week he puts in roughly 200 kilometres. Thankfully he has a shoe sponsor as he goes through a pair of shoes every three to four weeks.

At this point he is still sorting through logistics for the Waterfront Marathon. His wife will likely accompany him in the car during the first two loops and he expects three or four ultramarathoners he’s enlisted will jump in and out at various points.

Bedard is not fundraising this time. He says you can only go to the well so often. Keeping the topic of rape and sexual abuse at the forefront is his aim especially since more than a dozen women have come forward accusing former CBC personality, Jian Ghomeshi, of assault.

“I have also been associating with these two twitter campaigns,” Bedard says, “one of those broke just after the Jian Ghomeshi scandal, the #BeenRapedNeverReported  campaign and also the (Kathleen) Wynne government’s #ItsNeverOkay.

“I was the victim of sexual abuse by a hockey coach when I was younger but I was also raped in a ravine by two men when I was 12 years old.  I have never told my story. So part of it is to run and keep this story front and centre. Leading up to the Jian Ghomeshi trial it’s important to keep it out there.”

Committed to marathon running, Bedard says he runs ten to twelve marathons a year mostly in the 3:10 – 3:15  range. For the triple Toronto he will scale back his pace to ensure he can cover this massive distance.

“I would like to target each of those first two marathons around 4 and a half hours, somewhere around that,” he declares. The time does not matter in any case.

_NGE0293“I think the three things I would like to accomplish are number one, keeping the conversation toward sexual violence in our community at the forefront, because I think we are at the turning point where we will see change in that dialogue. The second thing would be just to show the resiliency of being able to overcome the trauma and challenges in our life. I would like to show that despite the trauma I went through in my childhood, the addictions and depression and suicide attempts and all of that, I am still going.

“And I think the third element would be just to kind of show just how community building running is, and choosing the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon was the perfect vehicle for that. I think that is everything that race embodies.”

-30-

To join JP on the Start Line, register for Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon at www.stwm.ca

 

Jun 28 2015
0

Reid Coolsaet and Lanni Marchant take convincing wins in Scotiabank Vancouver Half-marathon.

By | Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

VANCOUVER. June 28th. Reid Coolsaet and Lanni Marchant both cruised to comfortable wins on a hot morning at the 17th annual Scotiabank Vancouver Half-marathon, in 65:40 and 71:08, respectively. Temperatures were between 20 and 25 celsius under bright blue, sunny skies for the 4,400 runners who took off from UBC to run the 21k down to Stanley Park, along the Pacific shores, in one of the world’s most-scenic urban road races. Another 2,150 ran the accompanying 5K that was held entirely within the park, around Lost Lagoon and the stunning Stanley Park Seawall. Combined, the 6,500 participants were drawn from 8 Canadian provinces and 29 countries.

The men’s race got off to an ambitious start with the first ScotiaHalf Blog Reidkilometre covered in 2:55, and the second in 2:59. A group of four broke away immediately; Matt Loiselle and Sami Jibril from Newmarket Huskies High Performance group in the Greater Toronto Area pushing the pace, with Kenyan Bernard Ngeno and Reid Coolsaet of Guelph’s Speed River TFC tucked in behind. After settling into a couple of 3:08 kilometres, the pace began to slip. Reid Coolsaet moved to the front to pick things up, and Ngeno and Jibril were immediately detached. Coolsaet and Loiselle then ran together out of the UBC campus area, and down to Spanish Banks, passing 10k in 30:26. In a 2:55 12th kilometre, Coolsaet broke clear. He extended his lead after the sharp hill up from Jericho to West 4th, and cruised for home.

“I felt good and am happy with my race,” said Coolsaet. “It seemed a little quick at the start. I mixed it up in the pack for a bit. Matt and I ran together ‘til about 10k, then I pushed on. It was hard on my own, but I wanted to go hard. It was a hot one! I’m just glad there was no-one pushing me on the Burrard Bridge hill today!”    

ij_svhm15_1259

The battle for the places was perhaps a little more interesting as Loiselle faded to 3rd (66:58), with 21-year old American collegiate runner Arya Bahreini from Edmond, Oklahoma finishing strong to take 2nd in 66:34. Jibril kept going for 4th (67:14), with Rob Watson the first Vancouver man home in 69:02 for 5th. Watson is putting in some 200 km weeks currently, in preparation for the Men’s marathon at the PanAm Games in Toronto on July 25th, where he will race for Canada. “It was hot, the legs were tired, and the body took a beating,” said Watson.

ScotiaHalf Blog LanniThe women’s race featured two intriguing contests: Lanni Marchant, the country’s #1 ranked marathoner and Natasha Wodak; and top Masters’ athletes Lioudmila Kortchaguina of Toronto (still the Course Record Holder with her 70:50 from 2003) and Catherine Watkins of Vancouver’s BC Endurance Project. Wodak bested her friend and sometime Asics training partner Marchant, 31:41 to 31:46, to set a new Canadian 10,000m track record at the Payton Jordan Invitational in May. Since then, the road-race specialist Marchant has got the better of Wodak at the National 10K Road Championships in Ottawa and the National Half-marathon Championships in Calgary. Like Watson, Watkins will also be representing Canada in the PanAm Games, in the women’s marathon on July 18th.  With Wodak also running for the VOKRA cat rescue charity, wearing cat-like face make-up, the duel with Marchant was also billed as the “Catfight in Vancouver”!  ij_svhm15_8384

“Natasha and I were together for about 12k,” said Marchant. “She was more aggressive on the downhills. My hips don’t like the big downhills! I knew if I just stayed with her and relaxed, once we started climbing (at 12k and 18k), I’d be ok.” Lanni was ok, and retained her road supremacy, crossing the line in a very impressive 71:08, given the conditions. Natasha was 2nd (72:31), while Lioudmila won the Masters battle taking 3rd overall in 77:33, with Catherine Watkins 4th in 79:04. Both Marchant and Wodak will also represent Canada in the 10,000m in the PanAms next month, and then go on to race the same distance at the World Championships in Beijing in August.

While the warm weather proved a challenge for racing, it was conducive to a great post-race party in Stanley Park, with March Hare playing “live” on stage. And 83 Vancouver area charities went home smiling! Impressively, some 30% of the 6,500 participants ran for one of the official charities in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, raising almost $1 million for the community.

ScotiaHalf Blog CharityFull results available at http://www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm/svhmRESULT.htm        

Jun 24 2015
0

#ScotiaHalf – Running Green

By | Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

In case you missed it, we’re striving to be Canada’s first event to receive a Gold level certification in Sustainability from the Council for Responsible Sport!

How you can help us:greenchair-svhm-expo

  • Bring your own water bottle – refill at one of our refill stations (last table at Aid Stations) to help reduce cups used and to minimize water waste
  • Bring hard-to-recycle-items (batteries, lightbulbs, old running shoes, cookie/cracker wrappers) to our Expo and Green Chair will recycling them for you
  • Bring your old iPod or MP3 players to the Music Heals booth at the Expo and they’ll be use in the Music Heals iPod Pharmacy program
  • Choose a sustainable method of getting to the race
    • transit – additional service has been added to the 99 Route, leaving Broadway Station at 6:30am & 6:45am on Race Day Sunday! There will also be an additional bus (modified 25 Route) leaving King Edward & Cambie St at 6:24am heading to UBC.
    • bike to the 5k – bike valet added to Stanley Park
    • walk/run – get your warmup in!
    • carpool to UBC then take our free shuttle from the Finish Line back to UBC

15-svhm-solarbikeOther initiatives:

  • Almost all event waste is sorted for composting and recycling, with 98% being diverted from the landfill in 2014.
  • 100% of finisher food purchased for the event is either locally produced or organic
  • Reduced carbon footprint by powering sound system and stage with solar and bike power – get ready to spin out your legs on a bike after the race!
  • Expo is bullfrogpowered with 100% green electricity! This means that Bullfrog Power will ensure that the equivalent amount of renewable electricity is put onto the energy system to match the amount consumed by the event.
  • Carbon credits from Offsetters.ca will be purchased to offset the carbon footprint from event operations (trucks, generators, supply deliveries) and participants’ travel to the event.
  • Brita Water Filters will be on site at the finish area providing fresh, filtered tap water to runners, reducing the amount of water that has to be brought into the event and cutting out single-use plastic bottles.

Read our original Press Release

Jun 24 2015
0

My Journey to 42.2

By | Digital Champions, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

TORONTO June 25th 2015. Digital Champion Jonathan Greenwald started running in 2013, after being invited on a trail run with some friends. He ran 3 kilometres, started seeing stars, then walk/jogged the 3 kilometres back to his car. Despite a shaky start, Jonathan stuck with running for the next year and in October 2014, he crossed the finish line of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon, an experience he will never forget!  When he’s not running, Jonathan is usually thinking about running or discussing one of the many aspects of running with people (some of whom probably wish he had other hobbies!) Other times, he’s coaching his son’s soccer and T-Ball team or helping him clear levels on his Wii gaming system (equally as important as running). Connect with Jonathan on Twitter and Instagram.

My Journey to 42.2. By Jonathan Greenwald

Jonathan Greenwald 3On Sunday, June 23rd, 2013, I became a runner. This wasn’t the first time I attempted to earn the moniker, but unlike the many failed attempts in the past, this time would different. In the days leading up to my “first” run, I tried to recall why I never enjoyed running in the past; fortunately for me, I couldn’t recall as more than 20 years had passed since the last failed attempt.

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. In the mid 90’s, I lived in an apartment building in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn which was situated two blocks from the entrance of the Verrazano Bridge; the same bridge the NYC Marathon participants cross at Mile 1. One early Sunday morning in November, I positioned myself near the first turn on to 92nd street and watched as the elite pack crossed the bridge. The sensation that soon followed as roughly 60,000 feet pounded the pavement was overwhelming. It was at that moment I knew I wanted to become a runner. For days following the marathon, I would run from my apartment to a nearby park and back. The entire run was just over 3 kilometers and each run was as rewarding as the last. I kept this up for nearly a month until I forgot why I was running and found something else to occupy my time. I guess I really didn’t want to be a runner after all; a fact which would be confirmed the two additional times I watched the marathon, laced up a pair of runners, only to toss them in the back of my closet a few weeks later.

Fast forward 20 years to the aforementioned beautiful summer day on the Don Valley Trail. I joined my buddy Gus and my sister-in-law Andrea in the parking lot on Pottery Road; days prior, we spoke about getting in shape and living a healthier life. Running sounded easy enough, so why not give it another try?! We entered the trail and started our run at a very manageable pace. I took in the sights and sounds on the trail and enjoyed the moment. Before long, we hit the 3km mark and everything changed. I started to get dizzy, nauseous, and it felt as if my heart was going to pound out of my chest. I had to sit, but I was encouraged to walk, jog, or crawl, back to the start; anything but sit.

I decided I was not going to let the experience change my views on running. I was determined to continue running for at least the remainder of the week. Three days later, I headed out for another run. This time, I would reduce the distance and pace. I ran most of the 4.5km distance; slowing down once towards the end. By the end of the week, I had three more runs under my belt.

Very quickly weeks turned in to months and I was finding I could be on my feet for longer periods of time. By November, I was able to run 18 kilometers and I started to set my sights on road races. In December, I registered for the 2014 Toronto Yonge Street 10K, the 2014 Oasis Zoo Run 10K, and the 2014 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. I was running less than 6 months and already had the marathon itch! I had 11 months to prepare, so why not?! I became obsessed with running, learning how to breathe, and putting in the time to build my base and improve my endurance. 2014 was going to be a very big year for me. Then, the injuries started.

I suffered a foot injury unrelated to running late November 2013 which took a toll on my training. From December through the beginning of April 2014, I completed a total of 3 runs. To make up for the lost time, I made a rookie mistake and went for a 7km run, followed by 10km run a few days later which I couldn’t complete because of the sharp pain I start to feel in my knee. Ignoring the pain, I raced in the 2014 Yonge Street 10K. The pain increased and I started to visit a physiotherapist. I was advised to stay off my feet, but with my second race on the horizon, I didn’t listen. I barely finished the race due to the pain. I should not have run the race. The rest of May was a wash and I continued my physio visits through June and July. I was placed on a “return to running” program to build my strength to the point it was in November before the injuries sidelined me.

In September I raced in the 2014 Oasis Zoo Run without incident. By this time, I knew I would not be able to complete the full marathon in the 2014 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, so I ran the half. 2014 ended with 4x10Ks and 1×21.1K races complete.

The real turning point for my success was the Jonathan Greenwald 2introduction to running crews. I always felt something was missing from my runs and it wasn’t until I was put in touch with a group of friends who ran the Kay Gardiner Beltline on Sunday mornings. They called themselves the Sunday Run to Eat Gang. Once I joined them, I quickly realized I was missing the social and, sometimes, competitive aspect of running amongst friends. A few months later, I also started running with the Night Terrors Run Crew and my circle of friends got even bigger. Running was taking on a new form for me and I was excited about the future. So, maybe 2015 will be my big year?

So far, 2015 certainly has been a big year for me. I crushed my 10K and Half Marathon PBs and completed a 30K road race. I have a few other races planned including the 2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, which was to be my first full marathon attempt, but I was convinced I was ready sooner; so on June 20th, 2015, I became a marathoner by finishing the Niagara Ultra Series 42.2 distance.

Sunday, October 18th will be my redemption run where I plan on crushing my marathon PB.

See you in October!

 

Jun 24 2015
0

Inspiration!

By | Digital Champions, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

VANCOUVER June 24th 2015. Digital Champion Lynda Kerr was born and raised in Vancouver and is grateful everyday for the mountains, the river, the trees, and all the opportunities of living in such a beautiful city. Running wasn’t on Lynda’s radar until a few years ago when she signed up to train for the Vancouver Sun Run with some friends from work. The next year the group decided to train for a half-marathon and Lynda is excited to be conquering the distance again on June 28th at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon! Connect with Lynda on Twitter and Instagram.

Inspiration! By Lynda Kerr

I am in the middle of a sea of people – colourful, healthy, Lynda Kerr Blog 2happy.  You beautiful runners. Race day is finally here, the finish line is a few hours away.  I am surrounded by a feeling of spirit that will carry me (hopefully) to the end of the race.  As I look around, I see a community, assorted and diverse.  We all have the same goal, we’re all headed in the same direction, but what gets each of us there, our inspiration, is as unique as we are on the outside.

What inspires us to get from the start to the finish of a running race?  What inspires us to even sign up for such an event?  Here we are, today, all together. There was a moment, our own moment, when each of us said “YES!” and with friends or alone; training or maybe not so much of it; with dread, or anticipation, nursing injuries or anxiety.  The excitement… here we go!

Are you seeking your personal best?  Checking something off your bucket list?  Are you running for a better body, a clearer mind or is it because you like to eat?  Is it because, like Al Howie, you just need to  run?  Are you running because everyone else is and it seemed like a good idea a few months ago?  Did you sign up for that run clinic to meet new friends, or maybe a new love?  Are you running to get away from yourself, or maybe to have time with yourself? Are you running to fundraise, or in memory or for healing?

Each one of us has our own inspiration. The why. Here is why I am doing this. How come you are doing this?

  1. I was inspired by the challenge of becoming a Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon Digital Champion. I really like to write and the idea of writing, and people actually reading what I write was quite appealing. So appealing, in fact, that I’d run a half-marathon for that.
  2. I am very inspired by the thought of running a personal best, that’s the thought…not the training.
  3. I am inspired by the people at Dixon Transition Society. See my fundraising page and information about Team Dixon, and please donate!
  4. I am inspired by the knowledge that this is a choice I have made, the choice to run, and that I have the physical and mental ability to run 21.1 kilometres. What keeps me going, what makes me push myself, is to acknowledge my good fortune, running with full appreciation of those who have physical challenges, mental challenges, life challenges; I appreciate my strong legs that can take me down the pathway; I appreciate my mostly pain-free body and the physical miracle of being human.

6369A397-E19A-402C-8C77-D0C50B1B215EThere are so many in this world who may never have the luxury of choosing to participate in a run, in Vancouver, on a beautiful day in June.  There are so many who have to be tougher physically, mentally and spiritually then I have ever had to be.  Oh, how lucky I am to be at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon, in this inspired community.  You are in front of me, behind me, but most important around me, and your collective inspiration will carry me to the end.

Share you inspiration for running the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon on Twitter or Instagram using hashtag #ScotiaHalf! All answers will appear on our Social Hub.

Jun 23 2015
0

Alan’s Journal Returns

By | Alan's Journal | No Comments

TORONTO June 23rd 2015.

Dear fellow runners;

Hello! It’s GREAT to be back chatting to you on a regular basis through this Journal feature. We’re back up and running on a bi-monthly basis now, on the CRS Blog and Newsletter! How are you all? What’s happening out there? ¿Qué tal? How has you Spring season gone?

I must say I’ve had a wonderful, running-filled Spring at home and abroad that has allowed me to connect with so many of you worldwide. I’ve had SO many great visits with running clubs and crews in Vancouver with Fraser Street Run Club and East Van Run Crew, in Toronto with Parkdale Roadrunners, NightTerrors, and Tribe Fitness, and in London, England with Run Dem Crew (pictured above) on a magical evening in Shoreditch that took us over Tower Bridge, Millennium Bridge and St.Paul’s by night. In London I had the privilege of visiting with Charlie Dark, the founder, DJ, scribe, and visionary in the running movement, and charismatic leader of Run Dem Crew; plus Steve, Ellie, Peigh (who ran his first marathon), Jules and BitBeefy. We’ll get to run with some of them again this October at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon!

Alan's Journal - Mexico

Love the Finish Line message and Dad doing a #runfie!

And now I’m writing this from Mexico City, aka #CDMX where this amazing city of 20+ millionis celebrating Father’s Day with 16,000+ runners at the Carerra del Dia del Padre 21k, a superb sight and experience. The race raises money for the Bosque de Tlapan, an unbelievable 250-hectare oasis of green forest and trails, peace and tranquility in the midst of the teeming masses of one of the world’s largest cities. I’m here to firm up an exchange, a “sister-race” partnership between Los Corredores del Bosque de Tlalpan who organize the race (the #CDP21k), and #STWM. More on that later, but suffice it to say it’s part of our unrelenting commitment to be on the roads with you, connecting, building community worldwide, hearing what is currently exciting you, and continuously developing world-class races in Canada.  PLEASE keep connected with me on a regular basis via social media – @alnbrookes and @RunCRS on Twitter and Instagram, plus our CRS and STWM Facebook pages. And as long as you use the hashtags, we can see yours and everyone’s posts on our CRS  and STWM Social Hubs. We NEED your input; we can’t do it on our own!

Alan’s Journal is all about giving you the inside scoop, and a behind-the-scenes look at Canada Running Series. So I want to reassure you that I, plus the CRS team, are all REALLY working hard to bring you the best-organized,  innovative and exciting running events around. On May 28th we were at the Athletics Canada Race Directors’ Summit at Calgary Marathon weekend, where I gave a presentation on “Community Engagement: Does Your City Love You? Or are you just blocking traffic?” Au courant? Our Event Director Charlotte, on a panel with Mary Wittenberg, gave a terrific presentation on our Volunteer Programme, and Tom from CRS West did us proud talking sustainability, and how and why the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon and STWM are the only 2 events in Canada to earn Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport in Oregon.  Building healthy, green communities matters, and together we CAN make a difference! Then we dashed onto Chicago to participate in the Chicago Marathon Race Management Program and trade best practices with Chicago, Boston, Houston, LA, Pittsburgh and more. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a BIG shout out to everyone starting Vancouver Eastside 10k, OASIS ZooRun and STWM Training right now. Join our Canadian stars like Krista DuChene, Matt Loiselle and Sami Jibril on the Start lines. Keep your eyes on our Blogs STWM and CRS  for posts from our Digital Champions as well as Paul Gains’ great features on the stars. Let’s do it together!

Alan's Journal - Rachel Hannah

Rachel Hannah after winning AC National 10k title + CRS14 crown at Oasis ZooRun.

Need inspiration? YOU’RE INVITED to join CRS and the Toronto running community at the PanAm Games Marathons on July 18th & 25th.  It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come out and cheer on some of our CRS stars who you see at our races on a regular basis. Only now they’re running for Canada, and international stardom, repping OUR country on a world stage! They NEED our CHEERS! Our current CRS Women’s Champion, Rachel Hannah, will be racing along with Natasha LaBeaud on the 18th. Can they beat Peru’s Gladys Tajeda or Mexico’s Vianey De La Rosa? Then it’ll be fan favourites Rob Watson and Kip Kangogo on the 25th who have to take on Peruvian ace Raul Pacheco who was one place ahead of Reid Coolsaet at Rotterdam Marathon this Spring. In between the marathons, make sure you grab some tickets to see Lanni Marchant and Natasha Wodak star in the Women’s 10,000m, Lucas Bruchet in the Men’s 10,000m with Mo Ahmed; plus Cam Levins and Ross Proudfoot and Jess O’Connell in the 5,000m,  Alex Genest & Gen Lalonde from Speed River in the 3000m steeple, and a bunch of our other friends on the track at York. See full Team Canada Lists. Go Canada Go! Stay tuned for our upcoming, detailed blog on the Pan Am Marathon! #PanAmazing

VAMENOS amigos y amigas! I gotta run and catch a plane from MEX to YVR for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon! Reid, Lanni and Natasha are calling my flight. Can’t wait to see all our awesome #RunVan friends soon!

Alan

Jun 18 2015
0

Marchant and Wodak Continue Rivalry in Vancouver. By Paul Gains

By | Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

VANCOUVER June 18th 2015. A star studded field has been assembled for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon, June 28th but all eyes will be on the dazzling duo of Natasha Wodak and Lanni Marchant.

The pair have battled all Spring on the roads and on the track with a 2-2 score. Vancouver will be a deciding race.

Wodak, the 33 year old Vancouver resident set a new Canadian 10,000m record at the Payton Jordan Invitational May 2nd with a time of 31:41.59  getting the better of her friend and rival whose tenacity was rewarded with a personal best of 31:46.94, the third fastest time ever run by a Canadian. Wodak also beat Marchant at the United Airlines New York Half Marathon in March.

It was a different story at the Ottawa 10k May 24th when LanniMarchant, a criminal defense lawyer living in Chattanooga, Tennessee,  finished 3rd in a very strong field with a time of 31:49. Wodak was 4th ten seconds later. The two were heavily applauded for those performances in the IAAF Gold Label race as they beat many strong East African athletes.

Most recently they raced at the Calgary Half Marathon where Marchant put more than a minute on her rival winning in 1:12:17 to claim the National Half-Marathon Championship.

A year ago Marchant easily won in Vancouver. On the day her task was simply to show the folks at Athletics Canada that she was fit enough to represent Canada at the Commonwealth Games marathon. Her 4th place in Glasgow was proof they had chosen well. This year she knows it will be a more competitive race.

“Natasha and I have had a ‘back and forth’ all season,” says Marchant, who is also the Canadian women’s marathon record holder at 2:28:00. “I don’t think that will change for this race. She is running on her home course and I am defending my title on this course. We both have things at stake but that’s how good competition comes about. I think we we’ll see how it goes towards the end of the race.

“I don’t think I can run away from her – like a bad habit – and I will do my best to not let her do that to me. So I think it will be us next to each other or close to each other for a lot of the race before one of us makes a move.”

NatashaUp until last week Marchant had stayed with Wodak at her Vancouver apartment before Wodak flew to New York to compete in the NY Mini 10k and Marchant went south to California. The pair are friends when they are not competing.

“We have tons in common,” Wodak reveals. “We enjoy doing the same things; we like to go out and have a glass of wine or have a beer.  We are actually friends, we don’t just run together, we do other things. We get along very well.”

Wodak will approach the race from a different perspective. Both she and Marchant will represent Canada at the Pan Am Games and then the IAAF World Championships in Beijing. They will run the 10,000m at these championships. In order to be in peak fitness for Beijing she and her coach, Richard Lee,                                                              adjusted her training program going forward.

“Richard and I sat down and decided June would be a good time for me to sort of take a step back in my training,” she explains. “It’s so that I could have a little bit of a rest from racing hard. I have the Pan Am 10,000m in July but my ‘goal race’ is 10,000m in Beijing at the end of August. So for me to be able to peak at the end of August we decided it was important to take a step, basically, off the track in June. This month is not about racing hard it’s going back to basics getting in some longer runs and tempo runs.”

Among those who have been following the rivalry is 2012 ReidCanadian Olympic marathoner Reid Coolsaet. The Guelph, Ontario resident will also be racing Vancouver and acknowledges the focus has switched to the two ladies when it is usually upon the Canadian Olympic marathon men.

“I don’t really think there’s a difference in performance so much – I qualified for the 2016 Olympics,” Coolsaet says of seeing the tables turned. “The difference is just that they have a good head to head competition going. They’ve gone one for one in half marathon and then the 10k which makes it more exciting than myself running a race, while other Canadians like (two time Olympian) Eric (Gillis) are running the 10k championships and me running the half marathon championship.

“I think that is the big thing; they are running well and they are going back and forth. You don’t know who is going to win each race. I think that is what is exciting about it. It’s cool. Chasing times is not that exciting unless you hit them. A big competition is always cool to see.”

Coolsaet suffered a rare loss on the roads at the Calgary Half Marathon finishing eleven seconds behind Kip Kangogo, the Kenyan born Canadian citizen. He says he will be ready for the Vancouver race.

“After the Rotterdam marathon I took a couple of weeks off and I have just completed six weeks of base training,” he reports. “So the Calgary half marathon was kind of really early in my build up. Since Calgary, my workouts have picked up and, starting this week, I am going to have a 10k focus. I will be in better shape for a half marathon in Vancouver at the end of June than I was for Calgary.”

Coolsaet will face Canadian international Rob Watson and the up and coming Sami Jibril among others.

For a complete Start List click here: https://canadarunningseries.com/blog/2015/06/svhm-elite/

 

-30-

 

 

Jun 18 2015
0

Why I Chose STWM As My First Marathon And How I Plan To Get There!

By | Digital Champions, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

TORONTO June 18th 2015. Digital Champion Mike Van Mil took up running after hearing about all the achievements of his runner friends and the camaraderie of the running world. A year ago he set the goal of running the Walt Disney World Wine & Dine Half-Marathon and he hasn’t looked back since! When Mike’s not running, he works full and part time as a paramedic in the GTA. You can also find him at the hockey rink and dance studio cheering on his two children or enjoying family trips to Disney. Connect with Mike on Twitter, Instagram, and his blog.

Why I Chose STWM As My First Marathon And How I Plan To Get There. By Mike Van Mil

Firsts are amazing things aren’t they?  First love, first kiss, first house, first child, first car… This could go on forever.  All significant times in your life that you will remember for the rest of your life.  And if you have any control over when, where and how they happen, you do everything you can to make sure they are special and shared with your family and friends.  So when it came time to select my very first marathon the choice was easy. Probably the only easy thing about running my first marathon!  I wanted my first to be right here at home where my family and friends could cheer me on!  A marathon where I was comfortable and familiar with my surroundings, the route, and the organizers.  There are quite a few marathons in the GTA and I needed to find one that suited me and my needs.  The choice for me actually came quite quickly and easily.  I selected the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon for a few reasons:

1. I have already established a relationship Mike Van Mil Blog Image 1with Canada Running Series as a Digital Champion for the 2015 Toronto Yonge Street 10k. This means I already have a good idea of the high caliber races CRS puts on and the amazing management team they have to ensure the whole process, from sign up to race day, goes off without a hitch.

2. The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is held right here at home which makes it easy for my friends and family to come cheer for me on race day.

3. This race fits very well with my training goals and race calendar.

4. The course is quite flat and runs right along the lake, which will mean cooler temps and inspiring views!

So how the heck am I going to stay motivated over the next 4 months to get longer and longer runs in, without feeling daunted or overwhelmed? Self doubt has a nasty way of creeping into my brain sometimes, trying to take over my thought process. This is where motivation and visualization have to kick in.  My biggest motivation when I’m training is to visualize running the marathon and to remind myself that I need to be prepared for it, both in my legs and in my lungs.  The only way to prepare is to start months ahead and just run!  I will get the miles under my belt, gradually increasing my distance every week.  For me, the body is kind of like a sloth; it is very slow to react and because of this you need to tax it slowly over time, with increasing levels of exertion. Thankfully I really enjoy running! It is a wonderful stress relief for me after a busy shift at work.  I also find having a running partner or group greatly improves motivation. For me it’s my wife.  Since we do a lot of our races together, we are on the same training plans. We lift each other up and keep each other motivated.

To be completely honest, I don’t really know the first thing about training for a marathon!  For all my past races my training really had no plan or structure.  It simply involved getting out when I could and gradually increasing my mileage and run/walk intervals.  I think, though, that training for a marathon, which is twice the distance I’ve ever completed, requires a plan and a structure to be successful.  The plan I have selected begins on July 1st and slowly builds from there. It starts with 3 runs per week and slowly progresses to 4 runs per week. I will admit that I am a little daunted by the structure, the miles, and the amount of time required in the last few months of the plan.  If you don’t know a lot about me, I work a full and part time job with 12 hour shifts.  That presents a whole set of challenges to my training as well as my family life, but that’s a whole topic for another time.  Suffice it to say I need to buckle down, not make excuses, and find the time to get my training runs in, while still fulfilling all my other obligations.

“Make time for the run; the run will not make time for you!”

Mike Van Mil Blog Image 2I am really looking forward to this whole adventure.  I am excited to see where this will bring me when it’s all done.  I may love it and I may hate it but I am trying to leave expectations at the door and see what happens.  I have chosen not to set a time goal for myself either. With this being my first marathon I really want to just experience 42.2k without the pressure of abiding by a time.  I’m sure there will come a time in the future where I will set marathon time goals for myself, but for now I’m going to ride this train and see where it takes me.   I don’t doubt that there will be ups and downs and I am not afraid to share them with you. My hope is that one of you may also have the same concerns or issues that I do and you will take comfort in the fact that you are not alone.  If you are, please let me know because I also take comfort in knowing that what I am experiencing throughout this journey is normal.  I truly believe that this is going to be one of those firsts that I will remember for the rest of my life!  I am so thankful that I get to experience it right here at home with my closest family and friends!  Thank you Canada Running Series for giving me that opportunity as well as the ability share my experience with all of you!

#KeepSmilin 🙂

Mike

Jun 17 2015
0

Get Motivated: The journey from a 5% chance of ever being able to walk again to running STWM

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

TORONTO June 17th 2015. First in a series of 4 special blog features by Robert MacDonald, a 28-year old Canadian who went from ICU hospital bed, with a 5% chance of ever walking again, to training to run the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon in 2015. Follow Robert’s journey via Instagram and Twitter.

Get Motivated: The journey from a 5% chance of ever being able to walk again to running the STWM. By Robert MacDonald. 

The date is December 8th, 2012. I am lying on the ground not able to get up, move or for that matter feel my lower body.  All I can think is, “What have I done?”

I had fallen 30 feet, landing on my side, breaking 9 vertebrae, 11 ribs, my scapula, and puncturing a lung.  At that moment on December 8th, lying there, I didn’t know the full extent of my injuries yet.  But I did know one thing for certain: from that moment on, my life had changed forever.

Arriving by air ambulance and rushed to Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital I began to learn exactly how dire my circumstances were. I was diagnosed with ASIA B Paraplegia, leaving me a 5% chance of ever walking again. I was left immobilized in ICU not knowing if I would live, move my legs, or ever walk again. It was a very dark time in my life.

However, I had been raised to believe in perseverance: never giving up regardless of what you’re striving to accomplish. So I climbed out of that dark place; even though I had every odd stacked against me, I believed I would walk again.Robert MacDonald Blog 2

My rehabilitation journey would begin with the help of amazing Canadian health care system, specifically St. Michael’s Hospital and the Lyndhurst, a Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. My life was consumed by one painful day of rehab after another. Progress wasn’t made in huge strides but in small muscle twitches, or the first time I was able to stand on my own.

  • At one month in, I would stand with aid for the first time.
  • Two months in, I would walk with aid for the first time.
  • Three months in, I would walk without aid or devices for the first time.
  • 14 months in. I would jog a short distance for the first time.
  • Two years in, I would complete a 10Km jog without stopping.
  • At Just under three years from my accident, I hope to complete 21.1km without stopping at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon.

Robert MacDonald Blog 3This journey has been a long, frustrating, painful and exhausting process. I have had many ups and many downs, but what keeps me moving forward is the idea of improvement. Whether it is an incrementally small gain in balance or colossal breakthrough in muscle response, the opportunity to improve keeps me going.

One of my favourite quotes, which is framed on the wall in my apartment really hits home to my whole experience.

“There is one thing that gives radiance to everything. The idea of something around the corner.”

– G.K. Chesterton

I urge each and every one of you to get out there and challenge yourself, to start running. Start with 1 km, progress to 2 km, or just aim to beat your personal best and establish a new goal. The power of the human mind and spirit is an outstanding thing.  Anything can be accomplished if you set your mind to it.

I know, with just a little perseverance, you will find the outcome truly rewarding.

Your training buddy,

-Robert MacDonald

 

*To learn more my story, visit this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oep9KOQLG3g
or contact me via email at robert@roicorp.com.

 

 

 

Jun 17 2015
0

Running: A State of Mind

By | Digital Champions, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

VANCOUVER June 17th 2015. Digital Champion Mike Hsiao began his running journey in December 2012. He was borderline obese, stressed from life and school and suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). After spending the night in the ER due to complications Mike decided that he needed to make a change for good, and that change was running! He started out with just two laps around the track, and after pouring hours into his training, that two laps quickly turned into his first 10k race. In 2013 he ran the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon, his first 21.1k race. Since then, mike has completed close to 18 races, including 6 half-marathons, 1 full marathon, 137 Grouse Grinds, and 1 triathlon. He’s lost 1/4 of my body weight and is now fully cured of the NAFLD. Now, Mike is raising awareness and funds to help find cures for liver diseases so no one has to go through what he did. Connect with Mike on Instagram and on his blog.

Running: A State of Mind. By Mike Hsiao 

rs_svhm15_digital champions-14Something that is often overlooked is how important the mind really is. You aren’t becoming a Buddhist monk so it’s not a thing where you sit and meditate for countless hours to get the right state. Rather, it is a process of learning and understanding your body and the little unnoticeable accomplishments that are like pieces of a puzzle that creates a bigger picture, which is an image of you.

When I started running, I was all alone and struggled with myself. But what I really struggled with wasn’t my weight or the workout, but really the little insecure monsters that creep out here and there. I would start to compare myself to other people and wonder why I wasn’t like them. At the gym I would compare myself to the guys with the six pack abs, or during a run, I would compare myself to the people who seemed to be bolting by me without breaking a sweat. Having these insecurities and not knowing what to do when your mind starts to think like this isn’t a good feeling. The mental struggle is real and probably the most challenging of all of the factors when it comes to training for a race. Until I figured out some ways to make it better for myself, racing and running felt like a drag. It really comes down to two things: realizing what your limits, strengths and weaknesses are and letting your mind grow so you can become a better person.

Realizing your limits: One key thing that I’ve learned is that everyone is different. This may sound cliché but if you think about it, it’s meaning is profound. Our genetics are different and depending on our life experiences, there is not one identical person in this world. So you can’t expect to run as fast as Usain Bolt or look the same as that really annoying guy next door with the six pack, beautiful hazel eyes and perfect teeth. You were built to be you and no one can replicate you. There’s a famous saying by Oscar Wilde “Be yourself, because everyone else is taken”. So if you put in an hour to train for a race and Mr. Super hot dude next door is also putting in an hour at the gym, but the “results” look more visible on him than you, that doesn’t mean you haven’t trained. You are both putting in an hour, you are both trying your best. The key is to find out what your best is and be satisfied with that. You can only really go as fast as you were built to go (if you go any faster, you risk injury). Once you accept yourself for who you are, then all of a sudden there is only one competitor on the race track, and that is you.

Building your strengths: This is where the challenge really begins. Once you realize what your limits are, you need to fight the inner battle on the other side of things, and this is recognizing where your weaknesses are. These weaknesses are things that you can build upon and they don’t necessarily have a limit. For example, if you always have a hard time running non-stop up hills, this is a weakness. If you have a hard time running up hills at the speed of Usain Bolt (that said, if you are Usain Bolt or an Olympian, then pretend the Usain Bolt we are talking about in here is a Cheetah or something), then the expectation maybe beyond what you were built for. Once you find your own weaknesses, this is where the mind comes in. Your mind will help you set your goals to build on the weaknesses and convert them into strengths. Your mind will keep you going to achieve your goals and overcome your weaknesses. Your mind will ultimately bring you through the hard times and help you persevere through tough training and that last few kilometers of every race.

The result: When you throw away your insecurities and just enjoy the moment of the race, the people around you doing the sport and thing they love, that is when running becomes fun. The training leading up to a race is more about the mental challenge than anything else because you are getting to know the person you should know the most, which is yourself. You are getting to know your limits, your strengths and ultimately, you are building your own owner’s manual. At the end of the race, besides being more physically fit, it is really the mind and what you have put yourself through to grow as a person that is the prize.

I look forward to seeing you at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon on June 28th! I love making friends so feel free to connect with me via Instagram or Facebook.