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Scotiabank Vancouver Half

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

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

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

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

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

Commuting and Pre-Race

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

KM 1-5

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

KM 5-10

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

KM 10-15

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

KM 15-20

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

KM 20-21.1

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

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

Ryan’s Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon Playlist

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

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

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by Jeff Symonds

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you on the start line!

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE TAPER

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

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

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

THE DAYS BEFORE THE RACE

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

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

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

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

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

RACE DAY

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

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

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

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

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

 

May 22 2015
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Team VOKRA: Unstoppable

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

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

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

May 06 2015
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3 Ways to Empower Yourself Through Running

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 04 2015
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Neighbourhood House Week

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Neighbourhood House Week marks 121 years of Neighbours Growing Neighbourhoods

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

Luckily she found Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

May 04 2015
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Tapestry Foundation for Health Care

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We care for seniors.

At Tapestry Foundation, caring never gets old.

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

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

Senior couple riding motor scooter having fun.

Senior couple riding motor scooter having fun.

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

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

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

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

Apr 29 2015
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Join The (Running) Club!

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

Join The (Running) Club! By Yuri Artibise 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apr 22 2015
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Step One: Enjoy the Training Journey

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Digital Champion Fiona Burrows feels lucky to live on the west coast, where she can run year round. An avid soccer player since she was nine-years old, and a runner for many years, the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon will be Fiona’s first 21.1k race of this decade! She looks forward to sharing her training journey with the #ScotiaHalf community. Connect with Fiona on Twitter, Instagram, and her blog.

Step One: Enjoy the Training Journey. By Fiona Burrows. 

Fiona Blog Post 2VANCOUVER April 22nd 2015. So you’ve decided to do a half marathon, now what?  For starters, pat yourself on the back for making an amazing and empowering decision!  So much of your training journey is a mental challenge more so than a physical one. Trust me, physically you can, and will, do it. And mentally you can too, but for many runners, this is the area they need to focus on.  There will be days when hill training, fartleks or tempo runs will push you to your limit—and that’s a good thing! Tell yourself you can do it and you’ll be amazed at what you will achieve. Think of a positive statement that resonates with you; something that is short, powerful and motivates you to lace up and do the best you can. And don’t be afraid to repeat it many times in your head as you start running up a hill, speed up your pace or run farther than you ever imagined.

One of the best ways to ensure success is to train with others. Consider joining a local running club where others with the same goal gather to share running tips and tricks and train together multiple times per week. A training program, such as the one I’m currently doing at the Running Room, will keep you focused on your goal. You will stay motivated being surrounded by other like-minded individuals and training in a group will also keep you accountable. The celebratory high fives at the end of a long weekend run, the words of encouragement while conquering a grueling hill and sharing the feeling of accomplishment with your running friends is fantastic.  It’s also a great way to make some new friends!

It’s important to enjoy the training journey. It should never feel like a chore.  Always keep your goal in mind. Training is a time to focus on you. It’s a time to be free, to embrace the simplicity of running and be a happier and healthier you. Write down the initial reason/motivator you decided to register for a run and post it on your fridge. The visible reminder will help you strive for that goal.

Fiona Blog Post 2Celebrate the small victories as you train. Some of my most memorable training runs for the 2015 Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon have been in monsoon-like weather, while running a distance I haven’t run in months, if not years. It’s those small victories, which you will achieve frequently, that motivate you to keep going and do better. It’s really amazing what you can achieve – don’t be shy and share your happy news! I’ve lost count of how many small victories I’ve had during the past four months but I do know that they helped shape me to be a better, stronger and more confident runner. As for June 28th, I choose to call it the big run day rather than race day. It keeps me grounded and reminds me to enjoy all of the kilometers I’ve ran–on roads, trails, in sunny weather, in rainy weather, in the daytime and at night.

One of my biggest motivators is my friends and family—many of them aren’t even runners but they encourage and support me. I originally thought running a half marathon was a personal and solo experience. But I’m learning that it involves so many others who truly care and embrace it with me. Every kilometer of my half marathon will be dedicated to one of those special people in my life. I know that the greatest part of this journey is what I am discovering about myself and a renewed appreciation of friendships made along the way. So as I pound the pavement along that scenic English Bay route on June 28th and pass each km marker (yes, all 21 of them) I will focus my thoughts on a person that enriched this experience and reminded me that all of this training, sweat and every single stride is so worth it.

I wish you nothing but happy trails during your training and that June 28, 2015 will be a memorable day.

To join Fiona on Sunday June 28th at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k, sign up here! 

Apr 21 2015
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Achieving New Standards in Sustainable Events

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VANCOUVER – April 21, 2016

The Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k is committed to producing a world-class event that showcases our city and is both socially and environmentally responsible. In 2013, the race became the first event in Canada to obtain a Silver Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport. This year, the event is aiming to better that mark and reach Gold Certification.

Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport formally recognizes significant achievements through the successful completion of socially and environmentally responsible milestones at sporting events. Standards can be achieved in areas ranging from waste management and climate impact to community involvement, health promotion and more.

Some examples of what the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k is doing to reduce the environmental footprint and increase the sustainability of the event:

  • Diverting race-related waste from going to landfill — the event obtained a 98% Waste Diversion Rate
  • Purchasing renewable energy credits to offset the impacts of the event expo lighting through Cow Power, which supports the development of anaerobic digestion as an alternative energy source for Canada
  • Collecting and donating all discarded clothing from Start Area to shelter programs in the Downtown Eastside
  • Donating surplus food remaining after the event to local food banks
  • Offering post-event shuttles to reduce two-way trips and car drops
  • Working with youth groups to reduce barriers to participation, including subsidized entry costs for youth and low-income populations
  • Through Green Chair Recycling, offering a recycling service for participants to bring hard-to-recycle items from home, such as batteries and light-bulbs
  • Paying for increased transit service on Race Morning, allowing participants to arrive at UBC by bus
  • Adoption of a sustainable procurement policy, sourcing event supplies and post-race food locally whenever possible
  • Printing marketing materials using biodegradable inks on FSC certified paper
  • Providing Virtual Event Bags as opposed to traditional paper flyer handouts

The Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k is committed to giving back to our community. Working with 79 charities, nearly $1 million dollars was raised at the 2014 event. A recent study also reported that the event generated close to $2 million dollars in local economic activity.

The 2014 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon was also awarded a Silver Certification in sustainability from the Council for Responsible Sport, becoming the second event to achieve this title in Canada. Both races are part of the prestigious Canada Running Series.

We encourage all participants to help us “run green” by getting to and from the event in a sustainable way — by foot, by bike, by transit, or carpooling. Please only take what you need in terms of finish line food and cups at water stations. Make sure to use the provided recycling stations at the finish area and at water stations, leaving no garbage behind on course.

Register online

About the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k:
The Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k (SVHM) is part of the prestigious Canada Running Series. As one of Vancouver’s premier running events, the SVHM attracts more than 7,000 runners and walkers of all levels, including many elite athletes and spectators to the city. The Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k takes place on Sunday, June 28th starting at 7:30am for the Half-Marathon and 9:30am for the 5k. Register today at www.vancouverhalf.com.

Scotiabank is a leading financial services provider in over 55 countries and Canada’s most international bank. Through Bright Future, our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank and its employees support causes at a grassroots level across six pillars: health, education, social services, arts and culture, environment and sports. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has contributed on average some $50 million annually over the last five years to community causes around the world. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.