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Mar 14 2016
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6 Tips to Keep You Out of Trouble on Race Day

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March 14, 2016 – by Chris Winter (@cwinter3)

Has it happened to you? You’ve put in all the work – weeks of uninterrupted training; the long runs, the speed sessions, and those hard workouts in the pouring rain – all to have it unravel at the last minute due to injury or a cramp mid race. Unfortunately, this can be an all too common scenario afflicting even the most experienced runners.

Running can be a fickle thing at times, but it doesn’t always have to be left to a game of chance. Here are six tips to help keep you out of trouble on race day:

  1. Tapering for Optimal Race Performances
    Tapering is a challenging thing to really nail. The amount to taper is unique to each runner and is very dependent on three key things:

    • Race importance – First thing you need to decide is if you really need to taper for your upcoming race. Some races you may have been training months for, while others are just glorified training runs. For the important races you’ll want to taper more seriously for, while for the less serious races you can train through them, keeping your mileage steady.
    • How much training you’ve done – If you are coming off a long hard block of training leading up to your goal race for the season it’s wise to taper a little more to ensure you are well rested and ready to roll. If your training has been a bit spotty you can keep your training volume a bit higher and do a shorter taper just the few days before the race.
    • The length of race – Tapering for a marathon is much different than a 5km. A good rule of thumb is, the longer the race, the longer the taper. While a marathon taper typically lasts for 2-3 weeks, the taper for a 5km may just be 7-10 days. The key is to progressively reduce your volume and intensity (i.e. 80% of your normal training three weeks prior to the race, 70% two weeks prior and just 60% the week of the marathon).

    The key to any good taper is to stay activated. While you might be running less volume, keep the number of weekly sessions the same. This will keep your body activated, making you feel less lethargic and “heavy” come race day.

  2. Eat To Win
    Race week (and especially race day) is no time to try something new. Stick to your normal routine, eating foods you’ve consumed before previous races or hard workouts.The image of a group of runners propped up over heaping bowls of pasta the night before the race “carbo-loading” is a bit of a myth. Unless you are running a marathon, your carbohydrate stores are not in jeopardy. Eat a normal portion pre-race meal and when in doubt keep it simple; avoiding anything rich, heavy or spicy.
  3. Sleep Is Your #1 Recovery Tool
    Even if you typically operate in a sleep deprived state, it is important to catch up on your sleep the week of the race. It takes a few repetitive nights of good sleep to recover your energy stores so aim for 8-9 hours a night for the week prior to your race.It might be difficult for you to get enough sleep the night before the race, especially if it starts early or you’re feeling a bit anxious. If this happens, stay relaxed and just focus on getting the best sleep you can given the circumstances – remember that the night before the race isn’t as critical, and that lots of elite athletes have had their best races after a single night of poor sleep, provided they were well rested the week going in.
  4. Hydration – Consistency is Key
    Temperature, humidity, length of race, and your personal sweat rate are all important factors when it comes to optimal hydration. In warmer temperatures, or for longer races, it is more important that you are well hydrated but, be careful not to overdo it! A good rule of thumb is to ensure your pee is light in color but not completely clear – think lemonade.Carry a water bottle with you throughout the day, that way you will have a good idea how much you’ve consumed and that you are consistently hydrated. Also, by adding electrolytes to your water you can ensure that you are maintaining important electrolytes.
  5. The Right Shoe
    Having the right shoes on race day takes a bit of planning on your part. While you may want to wear the same pair of runners you’ve done all your training in, be sure that there’s still some life in the shoes before race day. Trying to make a pair of shoes stretch an extra week could be an unnecessary risk that leaves you on the sidelines with a last minute injury. On the flip side, don’t break out a new pair of shoes on race morning. Be sure to do at least a couple of training runs with your new pair to ensure they are properly worn in.
  6. Pace Yourself
    Race morning is an exciting time. All the people, music, competition, and a little extra dose of caffeine can get really get the adrenaline pumping. This extra boost can be the “X-factor” that propels you to a personal best but, it can also be your downfall, causing you to start the race at a pace that you might not be able to maintain. Pacing is key. Come up with a game plan and try your best to stick to it. Elite runners aim to get through 2/3 of the race feeling “in control” and then begin to push it a bit harder, with the goal of trying to finish the race strong.

Final Thoughts

From the exterior running is an extremely simple sport. It’s just putting one foot in front of the other right? Experience will tell you that running your best is much more complicated than that. It takes a lot of little things coming together on a particular day for it to end up in a positive result. Control the controllable and you’ll find yourself having more good days than bad – and enjoying the racing experience a lot more.

Happy Running!

Are you preparing for the Modo 8k? If so, make sure you check out our Race Weekend FAQs to make sure you have all the latest details! Not registered yet? We have a few spots remaining if you sign up today!

Feb 01 2016
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Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Earns IAAF Gold Label, by Paul Gains

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TORONTO February 1st 2016. Earning an IAAF Gold Label from the International Association of Athletics Federations represents the epitome of road race management and for the second consecutive year the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon has been awarded this distinction.

Meeting the very strictest criteria, not once but twice, puts the race in the elite category of city marathons around the world, a fact not lost on Race Director Alan Brookes.

“We’re thrilled to receive the Gold Label for the second year in a row,” Brookes declared after receiving the news from the IAAF head office in Monaco. “It’s the Michelin 3-stars of running.

“To be placed in the same category as Boston, Chicago, London, Tokyo and the great city marathons of the world is an enormous honour. It really testifies to the prestige of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon and our commitment to being a leader in road running in Canada.”

For IAAF Competitions Director, Paul Hardy, the awarding of the Gold Label was especially pleasing. He hails from nearby London, Ontario.

“The IAAF Label programme recognizes the best road races in the world,” he declares.  “To achieve Gold Label status takes hard work, commitment and a passion to want to be the best.  I congratulate the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on receiving the IAAF Gold Label.  Having grown up just down the highway from Toronto, I know what a great city it is and what a great place it is to run.  Keep running Toronto.”

Blog 02-01-2016 Eric Gillis

Eric Gillis, STWM 2015

The news was also greeted warmly by two of the Waterfront Marathon’s greatest athletic personalities, Eric Gillis, whose five fastest marathon times have come at various editions of the race, and Lanni Marchant, who famously broke a 28 year old Canadian women’s record in 2013 with 2:28:00.

“I thought Alan was a gold label race director since the first year I ran STWM back in 2010,” Gillis says. “He has just been phenomenal for Canadian athletes. He is passionate about every athlete he has running in Toronto. This (Gold Label Award) is just a really nice thing to have happen. I am very happy for Alan and his crew at the Canada Running Series.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to race a competitive international race just over an  hour’s drive from where I train and live. It has meant a lot to me over the years. It is special.”

Gillis ran 2:11:31 in Toronto last October to beat the 2016 Olympic qualifying standard. If he is named to the Canadian team it would be his third Olympic games. Marchant also achieved the Olympic qualifying standard with 2:28:09 in Toronto on the same day.

Blog 02-01-2016 Lanni Marchant

Lanni Marchant, STWM 2015

“I just think it speaks volumes for Canadian running in general,” says Marchant who is presently in the midst of high altitude training in Kenya.  “You used to have to go elsewhere to get Gold Label events and to get the best competition, and having it in our backyard now kind of shows where we are as a country in athletics.

“It shows the kind of events that Alan Brookes has been putting on. It just makes it exciting as a Canadian runner that I can line up in my home country and have one of the best fields to line up against.”

Over the years the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon has attracted some of the world’s greatest marathoners.

Ethiopia’s Derissa Chimsa set a course record of 2:07:05 in 2013.  Sharon Cherop of Kenya set a course record of 2:22:42 in 2010 then went on to earn a bronze medal at the 2011 IAAF World Championships and a victory in the 2012 Boston Marathon. In 2011 Mare Dibaba finished 2nd in Toronto behind her Ethiopian compatriot, Koren Jal. Last August, Dibaba was crowned World Marathon Champion with an impressive victory in Beijing.

But along with the many elite athletes who compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money are thousands of runners racing on an accurately measured, well managed course to challenge themselves or to raise money for local charities. Last year another $3.5 million was raised by Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon runners for 173 charities.

Entries are now being accepted for the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon which is set for Sunday October 16th.

“It puts Toronto on the world stage,” Alan Brookes says summing up the value of the Gold Label, “and it is recognition for our amazing Canada Running Series organizing crew, the thousands of volunteers, charities, City of Toronto staff, runners and spectators alike, who have built something very special for the sport and the city we love.”

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To register:
www.stwm.ca

 

Aug 27 2015
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From East Van With Love.

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Uncategorised | No Comments

VANCOUVER August 27th 2015. Digital Champion Ryan Chilibeck started running a few years back to shed some weight and quickly got hooked on living a better and balanced life. His greatest running accomplishment to date has been founding the East Vancouver Run Crew! In just over a year he’s seen new friendships made, many beers drank, and hundreds of kilometres run with his crew. When he’s not running, you’ll find Ryan hanging out with his wife and daughter or working at his pizzeria in East Vancouver.  Connect with Ryan on Twitter and Instagram!

From East Van With Love. By Ryan Chilibeck 

Some of you are probably wondering just who I Ryan Chilibeck Blog 1am? I have yet to show up for any of the STWM training runs and am perpetually absent from starting corrals of Canada Running Series events in Eastern Canada. I am heavily removed from the Toronto running scene yet here I am, an absolute nobody with an overly enthusiastic audience. Perfect! Being the only Westerner on the STWM Digital Champions team, I’ve been given the opportunity to travel to the “Centre of the Universe” for the big foot race and BTGYYZ, a bigger summit of Run Crews from around the world. As I’ll be out there to represent the growing running scene on the west coast and the East Van Run Crew (see photo at left), I felt it was only fitting to offer a little glimpse of my path to the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Let’s talk about my home, East Vancouver.

Like most people who are too distracted (aka lazy) to do strengthening exercises at home, my training starts and ends at my front door. When most people think of Vancouver, their minds immediately wander to those glorious sunrise runs around Stanley Park, watching all the beautiful people doing the False Creek shuffle or (for the adventurous folk) visions of a technical trail outing in North Vancouver while catching jaw-dropping views of the Pacific Ocean along the way. Well, scrap those thoughts. I am here to give you a street-level, urban runner’s view of hitting the uneven pavement and neglected alleyways in my area of town.

Having moved from downtown a couple of years ago, it took me a while to carve out my appetite for exercising on the East Side of Main Street. I hated running so much when we first moved; it was hilly, grungy, hard to get around without hitting stoplights, it smelled like oil tankers/chemical fires/chicken processing plants, I was randomly harassed by weirdos on a run-to-run basis, it’s inescapably hot in the summer, it rains a little harder in the winter…oh, and the alley cats are scary and have really sharp claws. It was the complete opposite of stepping out onto the seawall from our downtown condo: the scenery was amazing, people were friendly, and like-minded individuals exchanged perfect smiles as their Boston Terriers sniffed each other’s butts. It was flat. It was clean. It was basically a runner’s dreamland. Despite its apparent perfection, one thing always rubbed me the wrong way…there was no grit, no emotion, no distress. Nowadays, I’ve learned to embrace my surroundings (except the cats) and can’t seem to stop finding new gems every time I head out for a cruise. Here are some things you can expect the next time you’re on the West Coast and want to join me and the East Vancouver Run Crew on a run:

The Hills

Don’t be fooled by all this “sea level” banter. Once you cross Main Street, expect to feel a little leg burn. No matter which street you turn down, it seems like you are greeted by yet another gentle climb. It’s not quite North Shore hilly but they are big enough to be annoying and small enough to still make it fun. At the end of the day I take comfort that when the “big one” hits, we should be some of the safest people in all of the (lower main)land.

The Art

Ryan Chilibeck Blog 2I wouldn’t necessarily categorize the witty graffiti, half finished murals and countless lion statues as “fine art”, but after a while you start to see the beauty in the persistence. Aside from the iconic East Van Cross, I don’t recommend that you look at each piece of art individually; instead, view East Vancouver as a priceless collection of work that spans generations, tastes, religious beliefs, political alliances, good taste, poor humour and everything in between. Keep your camera handy.

The Scenery

The beautiful ocean and mountain views aside, where else can you sprint through water parks, by amusement parks, along urban railways, down littered alleyways and around oddly shaped tracks? After a long run, do yourself a favour and find a perch to watch the sun set behind the downtown skyline. It’s pretty cool to witness the City of Glass light up, glow and then go right back to sleep.

The Breweries

At last count, there are 14 craft breweries (and growing) on our side of town. So many beer, so little time! If you pop in to see what’s on tap, look closely and you’ll probably see someone from EVRC with a flight of beer in front of them. When you come to town, do yourself a favour and plan out a little walking tour of the area to visit the many tasting rooms. If you want to step it up a notch, get some friends together and map out a fun run from brewery to brewery. It’ a good way to kill an afternoon and a bunch of brain cells all in one hazy, beer-fueled fell swoop.

The Community

Take a stroll down Commercial Drive and tell me you aren’t a little confused, enticed and maybe a little scared. The street oozes energy from the Skytrain to Sex Shops. As you walk along, you’ll see young families, old school Italians, artists, buskers, bakers, protesters, bike polo’ers, espresso drinkers, patio dwellers and everything in-between, all living, conversing and breathing energy into this rare Vancouver neighbourhood. I really love living, working and raising my child in this community… just don’t leave anything valuable in your car.

Much like the characters of East Vancouver pump the veins of Commercial Drive, the runners that make up East Vancouver Run Crew do the same. You would think that going for runs would be the cornerstone of our crew…well, it’s not. Our growing family gathers one or more times a week to engage in a little physical activity but then we sit down to a family dinner of barley pops, cheese sticks and story time. We live by one simple rule that helps to maintain a high energy, equal and fun environment for anyone that shows up: No Jerks Allowed.Ryan Chilibeck Blog 3

So that’s it…an insider’s view of East Vancouver. No matter where you live, just remember to get out and explore every inch around you. My guess is there are some pretty confusing, enticing and scary things in your area of the world. Go find them! That said, if you ever find yourself on the left coast and itching for a run, look me up and come out with us at the East Van Run Crew. We like new people BUT the first round is on you!

Jul 22 2015
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TO2015 Pan Am Men’s Marathon Start List (Unofficial)

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TORONTO July 22nd 2015. 19 athletes are set to toe the Start Line for Saturday’s Men’s Marathon at Pan Am Toronto 2015. CRS stars Rob Watson and Kip Kangogo will face especially tough competition from Peru’s Raul Pacheco and Brazil’s Franck De Almeida. Beyond them, there are 5 other athletes who have run in the same time range (2:14 to 2:16) recently to qualify. The race promises a fair bit more depth than the women’s marathon. With the heat, humidity and hills, it will be a sizzler of a competition. Our boys NEED YOUR CHEERS!

All of you CRS regulars will know Kip Kangogo @KipKangogo, the Pride of Lethbridge, well. You will have seen him, the super nice guy he is, at many of our CRS races. He was our CRS Men’s Champion in 2013, and has been runner up in 2012 and 2014, so often battling away with Reid Coolsaet and Eric Gillis.

And I think it’s fair to say that the enigmatic, peripatetic Rob Watson @robbiedxc may just be EVERYONE’s favourite Canadian high-performance athlete on social media! He’s been a regular star at both Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon and Scotia Vancouver Half, stars in his own podcast, is a Manchester United fan, and loves cookies and beer post-race!

Here is the complete (unofficial) Start List for Saturday morning’s Pan Am Men’s Marathon.

Name Country PB Qualifying Time
Mariano Mastromarino ARG 2:15:28 2:15:28
Franck De Almeida BRA 2:12:03 2:12:04
Ubiratan Dos Santos BRA 2:16:22 2:16:22
Kip Kangogo CAN 2:15:35 2:17:12
Rob Watson CAN 2:13:29 2:16:38
Roberto Echeverria CHI 2:15:37 2:16:58
Christopher Guajardo CHI
Diego Colorado COL  2:17:09  2:17:09
Richer Perez CUB
Segundo Jami ECU 2:17:11 2:17:11
Jose Amado Garcia GUA 2:13:53  2:15:52
Alejandro Suarez MEX  2:13:33  2:17:21
Daniel Vargas MEX 2:13:06 2:16:32
Raul Machacuay PER 2:15:31 2:15:31
Raul Pacheco PER 2:11:01 2:11:01
Aguelmis Rojas URU 2:14:16 2:19:33
Craig Leon USA  2:13:52  2:14:13
Tim Young USA  2:14:40 2:14:40
Luis Alberto Orta VEN 2:19:59 2:19:59

While our CRS stars Rob and Kip have PBs of 2:13 and 2:15 respectively [Rob’s at STWM 2013], they’ve only run 2:16 and 2:17 most recently to qualify for the Games. That puts them in a tough spot against Raul Pacheco, who like Pan Am Women’s Champion Gladys Tajeda, trains with Mexican marathon legend Rodolfo Gomez in Huancayo, Peru. That’s 3,300m up in the Andes! In April he finished one place ahead of our current Canadian #1 ranked marathoner, Reid Coolsaet, at Rotterdam, with a 2:11:01 PB at age 36. Last Spring, Brazil’s De Almeida ran 2:12:04 in Padova, Italy, just 1 second shy of his 2012 PB.

But on race day, in a Championship, on a tactical, challenging course, ANYTHING can happen. And the pack chasing Pacheco and De Almeida should include our boys Rob and Kip, as well as Raul Machacuay, Pacheco’s teammate from Peru; Mexico’s Dani Vargas; the two Americans Tim Young (2:14) & Craig Leon; Masters’ athlete Diego Colorado from Colombia who was 2nd in Guadalajara at the last Pan Am Men’s Marathon; plus Brazil’s Ubiratan Dos Santos, Argentina’s Mariano Mastromarino (a steeplechaser turned marathoner), and Chile’s Roberto Echeverria. And I feel compeled to offer a special shout out to Segundo Jami (a 2:17:11 guy), who I’ve seen race a couple of times in the Ultimas Noticias 15k, in his native Quito, Ecuador. Both times he was runner-up, and one reporter with a sense of humour suggested his father should have named him “Primero” instead of “Segundo”!

YOU’RE INVITED to join Toronto’s Run Crew CHEER SITES this Saturday July 25th, 7am Start, to represent our city and cheer on all the athletes – but especially ROB and KIP!!! Your cheers could make the difference!  Full details here.

Jul 06 2015
0

Let’s make the Pan Am marathons ROCK! Canada Running Series stars; Toronto Run Crew Cheer sites.

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TORONTO. July 6th 2015. We’re having not one but two once-in-lifetime run parties, on July 18th and July 25th and we’re ALL invited! The 2015 Pan Am Games is coming to OUR city: your Canada Running Series team will be working as key volunteers for the Women’s Marathon on Saturday 18th, and the Men’s Marathon the following Saturday the 25th. OK, so it’s early, both 7am starts, but we’re used to running early aren’t we?! AND the two Championship races feature 4 of our CRS stars that you all know so well!

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Our current CRS Women’s Champion @RachelHannahRD, Rachel Hannah and the fabulous @runmommaster, Catherine Watkins will be first up to rep the Maple Leaf; @KipKangogo, Kip Kangogo [4x winner of the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon; winner of the Toronto Yonge Street 10k and CRS Men’s Overall Champion in 2013] and @robbiedxc, Rob Watson [2:13:29 PB at STWM 2013 ] will take on the best of the Americas men on the 25th. We run with these peeps almost every month in Canada Running Series races. They’re our running friends and family. Now they’re putting it all on the line for Canada. THEY NEED OUR CHEERS!

There are TWO great options for you to join the Pan Am Marathon action on July 18th and 25th: 

1. There are still some Grandstand seats available for purchase from Toronto 2015, to put you right at the Start & Finish line with us. Purchase tickets here. [See Marathons on July 18th and 25th].

2. FOUR of our awesome Toronto run crews have stepped up to host 4 on-course CHEER SITES. EVERYONE is invited! You can join them for free, and show Canada and the world how Toronto rocks! It’s a unique opportunity to get to know your fellow-Toronto runners; and your cheers, your signs, your energy WILL make a difference, especially to Rachel, Catherine, Kip and Robbie. Any more fun and it would be illegal – guaranteed! Here’s where you can CHEER:

Night Terrors Run Crew

Pan Am NTRC

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Lakeshore and Jameson (South side)
Connect: @nightterrorsrun, @nightterrorsrun

Pace and Mind

Pan Am P&M Cheer Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: The Queensway and Parkside Drive (West side)
Connect: @paceandmind, @paceandmind

Parkdale Roadrunners

PanAM Parkdale Cheer Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Lakeshore, right in front of Palais Royale (North side)
Connect: @Parkdale_RR, @parkdaleroadrunners

Tribe Fitness

Pan Am Tribe Cheer Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: High Park (South-West corner of Centre Rd. and Spring Rd.)
Connect: @Tribe_Fitness, @Tribe_Fitness

Here’s the link to the PanAm Marathon course

The marathon course starts and finishes at Ontario Place. 270_AC_TYS10K13_0162It’s a tough one! Run a 2.195km initial loop, then 4 x 10km loops along Lakeshore West [the western half of Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon course], into High Park and back, including the Centre Road Hill we all know and LOVE from the 3km mark of Harry’s Spring Run Off 8K.

This means that if you’re at one of the Crew Cheer Sites, you’ll see the runners 8 times.  Are you ready? While our CRS team are working furiously on the final details of water stations and drinks bottles, timing, bib number allocations, marshalling and anti-doping, YOU can start on your race-day signs, banners, balloons, costumes, drums, noise-makers, cow-bells, tunes and more!

Let’s get ready… set, GO CANADA GO! July 18th and 25th. We can do it, TOGETHER!

There are other great opportunities to cheer on our other Canada Running stars on the track at York University, in the week in between the two marathons.

“Running in my home city, it’s a dream come true. And something that most athletes never get to do…  Slowly but surely I’ve been sharing this awesome news with my friends and family. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along this journey. It is just starting and I am so excited for what is to come.” – Sasha Gollish, W1500m.

LANNI MARCHANT & NATASHA WODAK in the Women’s 10,000m final with very real podium chances if we cheer loud enough! It’s the 2015 #BettyandVeronica Show part 6!

ALEX GENEST, who comes to lots of our Toronto Yonge Street 10K and STWM Tune Up runs, representing Speed River TFC, will be in the 3000m steeplechase along with Oshawa’s Matt Hughes.

GEN LALONDE of Speed River, who we’ve also run with in the CRS Tune Up training runs, in the Women’s 3000m steeple.

LUCAS BRUCHET from the BC Endurance Project [like Natasha W and Catherine], who was 4th at MODO Vancouver Spring Run Off 8k in March, plus the awesome CAM LEVINS, pride of Black Creek, in the Men’s 5000m.

NATASHA LABEAUD [2014 Vancouver Eastside Champion] along with Winnipeg’s JESS O’CONNELL in the Women’s 5000m

AARON HENDRIKX, another of our friends from U of Guelph & Speed River TFC, plus MO AHMED, pride of St.Catharine’s, in the Men’s 10,000m

SASHA GOLLISH of University of Toronto Track Club and NICOLE SIFUENTES in the Women’s 1500m

There are just SOOOOO many of our running friends to cheer for, and they need our Canada Running Series family to provide a home-field advantage!

Click here for a complete list of our Athletics Canada’s TEAM CANADA. 

Click here for a complete SCHEDULE at the York University track. 

Click here to purchase tickets. 

If you’re not able to get to all the track events, our very own scribe, PAUL GAINS, will be part of the CBC team in their coverage, so no need to miss a step. See CBC Pan Am page http://panam.cbc.ca/

Share the Games, the journey and the races directly with our CRS STARS via social media:

Name Event Date (July) Twitter Instagram
Rachel Hannah Marathon 18th @rachelhannahRD x
Catherine Watkins Marathon 18th @runmommaster @runmommaster
Kip Kangogo Marathon 25th @kipkangogo x
Rob Watson Marathon 25th @robbiedxc @rwatson26point2
Lanni Marchant W10,000m 23rd @ljm5252 @lannimarchant
Natasha Wodak W10,000m 23rd @tasha_wodak @nwodakruns
Natasha LaBeaud W5000m 21st @tashyrunner @teamanzures
Jess O’Connell W5000m 21st @jess__oconnell @jessmoconnell
Aaron Hendrikx M10,000m 21st @aaronhendrikx @aaronhendrikx
Mo Ahmed M10,000m 21st @Moh_Speed X
Lucas Bruchet M5000m 25th @lucabruca @lucabruca
Cam Levins M5000m 25th @CamLevins @camlevins
Alex Genest M3000sc 21st @papaG_steeple @papag_steeple
Matt Hughes M3000sc 21st @HugheSteeple @hughesteeple
Gen Lalonde W3000sc 24th @lalongen
Sasha Gollish W1500m 25th @SGollishRuns @sgollishruns
Nicole Sifuentes W1500m 25th @ndsifuentes @ndsifuentes

 

 

 

Apr 20 2015
0

WAVAW – Eliminate the Wait

By | Scotiabank Vancouver Half, Uncategorised | No Comments
Vancouver – April 20, 2015

This year Women Against Violence Against Women Rape Crisis Centre, WAVAW is running/walking to #EliminateTheWait, because no women should have to wait for counselling after being sexually assaulted. It’s appalling that the demand for sexual assault support services in our community exceeds the resources available:  currently, there is a 1.5 year waiting list for women to access WAVAW’s free one-to-one counselling.  A woman is sexually assaulted every 17 minutes in Canada, WAVAW is working harder than ever to raise money to fulfill the huge need for support services in our community—and to challenge the culture of violence that contributes to such shocking rates of sexual assault.

To put it in perspective, our waitlist is comprised of women in the following age brackets:

19yrs: 7 women                20-25: 44 women             26-29: 23 women

30-39: 49 women             40-49: 33 women             50-59: 10 women

60-70: 5 women

Counselling services at WAVAW include individual and group counselling for self-identified women who have experienced sexualized violence.  Our counsellors work within a feminist perspective with anti-oppression analysis. Our goal is to support women and understand the impact of violence in all aspect of their lives as well as acknowledge their strength and resilience to continue in their journey from trauma to strength and healing.

We currently have three support groups:

  • Women Connect is a monthly drop in group for women on our waitlist.  The group offers the space, time, and opportunity for women to connect with each other, have conversation that will expand their understanding of the impact of trauma in their lives.
  • Visioning Safety is a 4 week group using psycho-educational tools to focus on understating the impact of violence, containment strategies, resistance, self-care and exercises for grounding.
  • Recharging Support Group is an 8 week group with a focus on empowerment and reconnections.  This is a self-awareness and empowerment group that focuses on rebuilding and reconnect with self and life and recharging.

All of the money raised will help maintain and expand WAVAW’s counselling services to girls and  women who have survived sexual assault.  For over 30 years, WAVAW has been providing a wide range of direct services—including counselling, 24-hour crisis line support, accompanying women to the hospital, court and police station—while also addressing the root causes of violence through public education.

On June 28th WAVAW: Women Against Violence Against Women Against Women Rape Crisis Centre will participate in the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon or 5k Run/Walk as a featured charity to bring awareness and education about sexual assault. Join the team or discovery other ways you can help here.

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