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Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Jul 06 2015
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Lessons Learned After Running 23 Marathons

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

TORONTO July 6th 2015. Digital Champion David Daze is very excited to be running the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 18th. He started running marathons in 2001 at the age of 40 and #STWM will be his 24th marathon! David’s most memorable running accomplishment was qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon in 2006 and 2007. When he’s not running, David is a full time elementary school teacher and basketball coach. Connect with David on Twitter and Instagram.

Lessons Learned after Running 23 Marathons. By David Daze. David Finish Line

1. You cannot get into marathon shape quickly. Be mindful of your mileage as the training weeks progress, because ramping up too quickly will possibly lead to an injury.  Listen to your body and be sure to build in rest days to your training program.

2. Have your gear ready to go and your pre-race logistics figured out in advance of the big day. My hat, shirt with bib, shorts, socks, shoes, watch, and gels are all laid out the night before the marathon.  When race morning comes, I know what I am having for breakfast, how I’m getting to the start line, where I am going to park, and what my warm-up ritual will be.  No stress, no worries.  Just think about the run.

3. When the gun goes off don’t be in a hurry. Ease into the race and let the road come to you.  Running with a pace bunny, at least in the early stages of the race, is a good way to keep it under control and not let yourself get caught up in the early excitement of the marathon.

4. The halfway point of a marathon is the 32km mark.   The last 10 km is when it gets real and it gets tough.  So get your weekly training long runs in because they are important.  I don’t know where I first saw this quote but for me it describes the marathon perfectly: “A marathon is 20 miles of hope and 6 miles of truth.”

5. A little inspiration can go a long way. I always write the names of my wife and two daughters on my arm before each marathon.  Whatever motivates you, keep it in mind when you are making the final push to the finish line.

6. Smile when you cross the finish line and celebrate your race! No matter what place you come in, running a marathon is an accomplishment to be proud of.  Congratulate your fellow runners, thank the volunteers as you make your way through the recovery area, and wear that medal proudly because you are a marathoner!

 

Jun 30 2015
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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.”

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

 

Jun 24 2015
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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 18 2015
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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
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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 16 2015
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Krista DuChene to race Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on the road to Rio. By Paul Gains

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It gives us ENORMOUS pleasure to announce that Krista DuChene will be on the start line at STWM — vying for overall as well as National Championship honours, chasing records, and moving inexorably towards an Olympic dream. In SO many ways Krista captures the spirit of the marathon, of what can be achieved by dedication, determination and great courage. As a marathoner, as a mom, as a nutritionist, as a Canadian hero, Krista is a great inspiration to all. Never give up! Never quit! Even against great odds. We’re thrilled she’ll be on that Start Line with us all on October 18th. 

Enjoy Paul’s feature, and stay in touch with @kristaduchene on Twitter and on Instagram. #ShareTheJourney to #STWM. #InItTogether  –Alan (Brookes), Race Director

TORONTO June 16th 2015. A little over a year has passed since Krista DuChene struggled across the finish line of the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal with what would be diagnosed as a broken femur – a potentially career ending injury.

Yet, this 38 year old mother of three is now poised to represent Canada at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

On April 12th of this year DuChene finished 3rd at the Rotterdam Marathon with a time of 2:29:38 beating the Olympic standard by twelve seconds.

The miraculous comeback has afforded her the luxury of going into her next marathon, not having to chase standards, but to run the race the way she wants to. Accordingly, the Brantford, Ontario native has chosen to run the 2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon October 18th.

The event is the only IAAF Gold Label marathon in Canada and this year will also serve as the Athletics Canada National Championship Marathon.

“You know it’s an absolute wonderful feeling to have that standard so early in the qualifying period,” she declares, “and just to be able to sit back and reflect, and let it soak in, and make wise decisions moving forward, as opposed to panicking and thinking ‘oh what race am I going to do now to get the standard.’

“But, at the same time, I am not taking that for granted. Certainly we do have a couple of women who are making their mark and I have to watch out for them if they do run faster than my 2:29:38.”

Krista DuChene Blog 2DuChene is fully aware that she has beaten the odds, so to speak, being much nearer to 40 than most of her competitors and being able to recover from an extraordinary fracture. There surely were times where she wondered about her future as an elite marathon runner.

“You know it all comes down to my faith, everyday,” DuChene explains. “I knew it was part of a bigger plan. I had peace in the hospital. I had my share of crying. That was difficult but, not once did I have this fear or panic that something better wouldn’t come of it. I didn’t know what it would be.

“I said, the day after surgery, it would take two years to run my next marathon. Two days after surgery I knew I could do it in one year. I didn’t think I would get the standard on my first try; I was fully mentally prepared for three tries. I think that is why my recovery from Rotterdam was longer this time. Physically I was fine but emotionally, just understanding and reflecting on the significance of the previous year, was pretty hard to grasp. So I really needed to take the time to emotionally recover from it in a good year.”

The decision to run Toronto and forego an opportunity to represent Canada at either the Pan American Games or the World Championships in Beijing was a difficult one for the athlete and her coach, Rick Mannen. They consulted and reflected and ultimately decided that she should completely recover from Rotterdam and build up gradually for a fall marathon. The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon was a natural choice.

The Toronto race has been good to her. It was the scene of her assault on Sylvia Ruegger’s then 28 year old Canadian record of 2:28:36 in 2013. Though she did dip under the time with her 2:28:32 personal best she was beaten to the line by Lanni Marchant’s 2:28:00.  And, she doesn’t have to think long and hard for reasons to return to the event.

“There are numerous things I can say I love about the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon,” DuChene reveals. “Number one (race director) Alan Brookes and his amazing Canada Running Series team. I call it my home marathon because it is close in distance; I don’t need to travel. Family and friends are close, the crowd is fun. The comfort and the familiarity of the race, the international field, it’s our national championship and it’s an IAAF Gold Label event. That’s probably more than a half dozen reasons.

“There’s no pressure for me to hit a certain time. At the same time, I can maybe go for a faster time and be a bit more risky with that. I still tend to be an even paced, conservative, runner going out at a pace I think I can hold to the end. The nice thing after making the decision to not do a summer marathon I just kind of went right back to the bottom and I am going to slowly build a base and get my routine back, thin out the sweets a bit, increase the mileage and intensity in a really gradual way.”

Two of her three children are currently in school and the youngest, at 4, will start school next September which will give her a little more freedom. For the past several years she has risen at 5:00 a.m., even in the coldest winter months, to run before her husband Jonathan, leaves for work. Then she would often run on the treadmill at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre while her daughter was in childcare on site.

With the luxury of building up for Toronto ever so gradually DuChene could well be in a position to beat her personal best and challenge Marchant’s national record. The Rotterdam performance was inhibited somewhat by windy conditions and the lack of a pacemaker for the latter stages of the race. She’s proven she can beat the odds time and time again. Maybe a record is in the cards October 18th.

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For further information and to register to run with Krista, visit www.STWM.ca

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.

-30-

 

Apr 20 2015
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Opening My Heart to Boston

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

By CRS Community Leader Jodi Lewchuk

Jodi CRS Gear“Let it give your feet wings,” she said, and smiled.

In desperation, with about a month left in my training schedule for my first Boston Marathon, I was sitting across from someone I hoped could help me release the load I was carrying in my heart. It was weighing me down.

I mean that figuratively, of course, but as I entered the final days of preparation for the Holy Grail of marathons for endurance runners, I knew something wasn’t right. Something was holding me back. Running itself had told me so.

Oh, sure. Toronto has just experienced its coldest winter on record, which made for some of the most challenging training I’ve done in the three years since I’ve taken up distance running seriously. But I’ve run in frigid weather conditions before, and it didn’t slow me. In fact, it had made me stronger and faster. This time, something was different. Something was off. Something was wrong.

My coach had put together a plan for Boston that would stretch me in ways I hadn’t been stretched before, but nothing she asked me to do was beyond my potential. The time goal we set for the 20 April 2015 race was tough. But it wasn’t impossible. And yet the harder I worked to fulfill that potential, the farther away the target seemed. I was defeated by tempo runs. My finishing kick was often nowhere to be found. Worst of all, on Sunday long runs, which I usually look forward to, I would be labouring along, feeling like I was giving everything I had, only to look down at my watch and see a pace time that was at least 30 to 40 seconds slower than my usual “autopilot” speed.

Running, which for so long had been my place of refuge and strength and achievement, suddenly felt like the enemy.

For anyone not familiar with my story, I took up distance running after the end of a long-term relationship. I ran my way back to myself during that time, and discovered running was the perfect metaphor for life: both joy and pain are temporary, and if you keep running, keep pushing, keep believing, you always end up somewhere – often a place better than you ever imagined. I qualified for Boston in my first marathon the year I turned 40, and I saw my race times improve each and every time I toed the line. Running became my wellspring of confidence.

And so it shook me in a very deep place when that confidence was stripped away as I battled each and every workout on the road to Boston. I thought about scaling back my time goal. I thought about not going to Boston at all. I thought about quitting running altogether.

It took time, but I eventually realized that running Jodie's Shoeshadn’t turned on me. It wasn’t trying to trip me up. Running was trying to tell me something. Running was trying to save me.

When you are the fittest you’ve ever been and there’s no medical reason for running slower than you did when you first started, it’s time to look elsewhere for answers. It’s time to look within.

If you ask me what my biggest strength is as a runner, I’ll tell you it’s my heart. There’s no doubt that I’ve conditioned my body to be lean and strong. I’ve also got an iron will. But I truly believe it’s my heart that propels me. It’s big and it’s deep, and when it decides to open to something — or someone — it does so wholly and fully and unabashedly. It flings open with abandon.

I can’t imagine living my life any other way; facing each day with such an open heart brings great rewards. It can also bring great heartache. And that’s precisely where I found myself as I entered the homestretch of my training for the 2015 Boston Marathon: bogged down in a heavy heart that was dragging my mind, and my legs, down with it.

Thus my plea to the person I entrusted with helping me release my burden. I told her I would do whatever was needed to leave it behind and move on. Her advice took me by surprise.

“Why would you want to leave something so special behind?” she asked me. “Wouldn’t it be better to find a place where its magic can always exist within you, inspire you, and open other doors? It doesn’t have to be a weight. Open your heart to it, and let it give your feet wings.”

It’s amazing what a different perspective will do. Carrying a memory wasn’t a problem; I just needed to carry the right parts of it in the right way.

The difference in my running was almost immediate. It’s like my legs woke up. I watched my pace times speed up run by run. I hadn’t left anything behind, and yet I felt lighter. I nailed my first tempo run. Going long started to feel fun again. And for the first time in the training cycle, I began to feel genuine excitement about lining up in Hopkinton for the race into downtown Boston.

All it took was someone to remind me of my own motto: “Head up. Heart open. Run.” Sometimes we say things and forget what they truly mean. But on the morning of the 119th Boston Marathon, I will open my heart with purpose. I will be grateful for everything that got me to the most legendary marathon there is — joy, tears, elation, pain, hills, valleys. I will be grateful to carry a memory that reminds me what it feels like to soar. I will fling my heart wide open and I will run where it leads me, fast or slow or somewhere in between, to Boylston Street and beyond.

It will be magic.

Mar 31 2015
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Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon becomes first event in Toronto to earn Silver Level Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

We are proud to announce that the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon has achieved Silver Level Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport. The Council’s certification program is for social and environmental responsibility at sporting events. The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon joins the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K as the only two events in Canada to currently achieve this recognition. We are also honoured to join a select group of major international marathons including Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Austin, and Mexico City who are also certified “green” by the Council for Responsible Sport. For full details, see the official press release below.

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon becomes first event in Toronto to earn Silver Level Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport. 

Eugene, OR—March 19, 2015—The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM), held October 19th, 2014 and hosted by Canada Running Series, has achieved Silver Level Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport. Organizers earned credit on 38 of the best practice standards offered in the Council’s certification program for social and environmental responsibility at sporting events. The marathon, which hosted over 26,000 participants in 2014, is now the first-ever event in Toronto to be certified by the Council for Responsible Sport.

Certification is achieved by complying with standards across five categories: planning and communications, procurement, resource management, access and equity and community legacy.

In an effort to be greener, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Running, Health & Fitness Expo was held at the Allstream Centre, a building that features a 30-storey wind turbine and a geothermal plant that replaces conventional heating and cooling systems to save electricity and natural gas. It was the first conference center in Canada to achieve LEED silver status from the Canada Green Building Council.

The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon also scored points through its waste prevention efforts. The entire event utilizes paperless registration both online and in person at their Expo. Of the trash produced by the event, nearly half (47 percent) was diverted from the landfill through recycling efforts. Additionally, 120 pairs of lightly used running shoes were collected for redistribution to those in need, and organizers sent 2,900 pounds of food to Second Harvest, a local food bank who diverted the food to those in need. Also, in an effort to reduce vehicle carbon emissions, a free bike valet service was offered to participants and spectators in partnership with Cycle Toronto.

“This is a huge accomplishment for our event and within the sporting event industry as a whole,” said Senior Manager of Operations and Certification Director David Gilchrist.  “With the help of our entire crew, suppliers, partners, and participants, Silver Certification acknowledges the hard work, dedication and values we apply year over year, in order to leave a positive lasting impression on our planet.  It’s an honor to be at the forefront of the movement where Canadian events are becoming more environmentally sustainable and socially responsible.”

The Scotiabank Charity Challenge helps to make runner’s participation meaningful by fundraising for causes important to them. Scotiabank adds an additional total of $33,000 in cash awards to the participating charities who recruit the most runners, fundraise the most dollars and who raise the most on average per fundraiser. In 2014 the Scotiabank Charity Challenge hosted 173 charities who raised over $3.6 million for their causes through the event platform.

Overall the total economic activity of STWM and The Running, Health and Fitness Expo is estimated at $33.5M for the city of Toronto.

“We are hugely grateful to The Council for Responsible Sport for their help, encouragement, and wonderful recognition,” said Race Director Alan Brookes. Canada Running Series is passionately committed to ‘building community through running’ – and that means the cities we live in as well as the sport we love. Sustainable communities; green, healthy cities for people, and the organizing of environmentally responsible runs are core values for us. Thanks for moving us forward along the right road. We’re proud of this achievement for our city, and the certification will inspire us to do more.”

About the Council for Responsible Sport: 

The Council’s vision is a world where responsibly produced sports events are the norm and its mission is to provide objective, independent verification of the socially and environmentally responsible work event organizers are doing and to actively support event organizers who strive to make a difference in their communities. The current version of the Council’s Certification standards (v.4.2) was developed by an outside working group of both sustainability and sport industry experts, reviewed by a wide range of stakeholders throughout 2013 and implemented in January 2014. www.CouncilforResponsibleSport.org

About the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon:

An IAAF Gold Label race, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier, big-city running event, and the Grand Finale of the 8-race Canada Running Series. In 2014 it attracted more than 26,000 participants from 60 countries, raised $3.67 million for 173 charities through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, and contributed an estimated $35 million to the local economy. In 2014 it also became the first marathon to be livestreamed globally on YouTube, attracting viewers from 115 countries. In 2015 it will host the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championships and the international Bridge The Gap movement. www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com