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modo8k Archives - Canada Running Series

Mar 16 2016
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Rob Watson on “The Blowout Race”

By | Digital Champions, Modo Spring Run-Off 8k | No Comments
March 16, 2016 – Vancouver

Everyone participates in events their own reasons, and sometimes those reasons different depending upon what you want to get out of each event. Rob Watson (@robbiedxc) is off to the World Half Marathon Championships next week, but is also racing the Modo 8k this weekend. Why race 8k when you’re running a World Championship event the following weekend? Let’s let Rob explain:

I spend a lot of time running, and when I am not running I spend a lot of time thinking about running. Over the years I have developed some theories on this sport. Most are weird and don’t make sense, but every so often I think that I may be on to something. I have this theory about the power of the “Blowout Race” and why they are both awesome and necessary. So if you will, please lend me a few minutes to let me try to explain this to you. Ladies, Gents and everyone else. From the deepest corners of a runners mind. I present to you – The Blowout Race.

The Canada Running Series Modo 8k is just days away. I’m excited to get out there and give it a go in one of the better races that this city has to offer. The course is nice, the competition is solid and the vibe is always awesome. I wish I could say that I am coming in peaked, rested and ready to roll, but that is not the case. That is ok though, it’s all part of the master plan.
You see, not every race has to be a PB, you don’t have to have the blades sharpened and be rearing to go every time you toe the line. Sometimes you can run a race for reasons other than your time or place. I am running Modo as a “blowout race” before I head over to Cardiff Wales for the World Half Marathon Championships on March 26th.

What is a blowout race? Simply put it is a race where you swallow your pride, throw caution to the wind and just give it hell. The goal is to make yourself hurt and ride the redline for as long as possible.

Why am I doing this? Well I have to admit, this idea comes through personal experience of trial and error. There is no science to support my reasoning, just years on the roads and a whole lot of races in the legs. The basic idea is to teach the body to get used to that racing burn and manage pain.

Here is my theory. You can work away as hard as you want in practice, but no matter how hard you push, you can never truly run yourself ragged (at least I have trouble reaching that point). But in races, something clicks and I find that I can push myself just that much more. It is that feeling of absolute fatigue that I am aiming for come Sunday.

Again, Why? Well this is the part that I have a hard time explaining. I find that my body reacts well to that all out effort. When you force yourself to just dig that much deeper and grind that much harder something clicks. The body wakes up and kinda says “ok, so I guess I should get used to this” and then your suffer management score bumps up a notch or two- because when it comes right down to it, racing is all about managing discomfort and dealing with fatigue.

I find that after a race in which I blow it out I get a nice bump in my fitness and my training improves. Things that were challenging a week or so earlier are just that much easier. You may say “yeah, well obviously, that’s just how training works.” To that I say shut it, it’s more than that.

I put my blowout race theory to practice earlier this year when I ran the Pioneer 8km one week before the Houston Half Marathon- it worked like a charm. I went into that 8km with a plan to simply go for it. I felt great through 5km then spent 3km hurting pretty good. It was miserable-I was tired, achy and simply spent at the finish. Mission accomplished. The next week in Houston my body was ready for the race pain and I came through 8km faster than the weekend before and feeling just fine.

Anyways, so the Modo 8km is going to be my blowout race before the World Half Champs. I am going to get out there and just give it hell. Like I said before. the course is great, the competition is solid and vibes will be solid.

I reckon you should try the blowout sometime. It may sound unreasonable, but I promise that it is a real thing!

See ya Sunday!

-rob-

Whether you’re looking for a blowout race before another big Spring event, running your first 8k, or just running for an excuse to have some beers at the post-race concert – we look forward to seeing you at this weekend’s Modo 8k. If you forgot to sign up, we added a few extra spots so grab one while you still can!

Mar 02 2016
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Taking Care of the Details: Tips from the Elites

By | Digital Champions, General, Modo Spring Run-Off 8k | No Comments
March 2, 2016 – by Chris Winter (@cwinter3) & Rachel Cliff (@Dangerous_Cliff)

Do you find yourself squeezing in workouts around the rest of your life – before work, during lunch breaks, and in the evening? While your workouts are important, it is also critical to take your recovery seriously: the small details of what you do when you’re not running have a bigger impact on your training quality than you might think.

The physical adaptions made to your training occur during rest and recovery, not during the training itself. If you continually neglect the recovery aspect of training you run the risk of burning out, getting sick or injured, and having poor workouts.

It can be tough to justify making time for recovery but, remember that if you’re able to stay away from the physio or avoid getting the flu, focusing on small details may actually save you time. Despite your busy schedule there are still a few ways you can sneak recovery into your day:

  1. Sleep – We’ve all heard that most of us don’t get enough sleep. Research suggests that you should be aiming for 7-9 hours at least each night. While this is true, it may not be possible for everyone; so it is important to make the hours you do get count. Here are a few helpful tips:
    • Establish a pre-bedtime routine. Do some foam rolling (more on this later), brush your teeth, crawl into bed, and read a book. Establishing a routine will help quiet your mind and prep you for a better night’s sleep. If possible, try and stick to a consistent wake-up and bedtime every day of the week.
    • Reduce screen time. Studies have shown that the light from your devices (phones and tablets) can greatly affect the quality of your sleep. It is recommended that you put your phone or tablet away at least an hour before bed.
    • Create a quiet and comfortable sleep environment. A quiet, cool, dark, and comfortable environment is crucial for the best possible sleep. Although this can be difficult to accomplish, especially when traveling, everything that can be controlled should be. Make sure the room is dark with a comfortable temperature (around 18 degrees C is optimal). It’s better to have the room slightly cooler than normal with enough bed covers to stay warm. Unwanted noise can be masked with a fan or ear plugs.
    • Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening. This should go without saying, but caffeine is present in more than just coffee or tea. It’s also found in chocolate and ice cream which may keep you buzzing longer than expected.
  2. Nutrition – Most of us understand that nutrition is a critical aspect of training; in fact, we find it interesting that our diet is one of the first things people ask about when they find out that we are an elite runners! Nutrition can be a complicated topic and there always seems to be a new secret superfood or diet that promises to make you run faster for longer. One week a blog might be touting the benefits of a low carb diet, and then the next it’s telling you how teff flour is the secret behind the east African distance running success. We’re constantly bombarded with this as well, but, no matter what we’ve read, the following mindset always seems to hold true:
    • Eat a Variety of Foods. You generally can’t go wrong if you’re eating a little bit of everything (barring no food allergies!). Remember that different fruits and vegetables will contain their own profile of nutrients so be sure to mix things up; the general expression is “eat a rainbow every day”. Just because kale is a highly nutritious green leafy vegetable doesn’t mean you need to eat it with every meal! This would get pretty boring and if you eat the same item repetitively, you have less opportunity to consume other healthy fruits and vegies. The same goes for protein sources: if you had red meat last night, try eating fish or vegetarian chili tonight!
      Consuming a mixture of foods means you’ll benefit from getting a variety of nutrients and can stay two steps ahead of the curve: you can smile smugly when a new blog talks about beets being a super food, and you’ve been incorporating them in your diet for years. Similarly, there’s no need to panic if an article finding high levels of arsenic in brown rice comes out – unless maybe you’ve been having it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past year – if you’ve been consuming a wide variety of grains there is likely no cause for concern!
    • Remember, food is fuel. If you’re training hard, your nutrient demands are high and food is what powers you through your runs. First and foremost, each meal should include a mixture of meat (or a protein substitute), dairy, carbs, and fruit and veggies. Similarly, if you’re craving a snack use it as an opportunity to get some nutrients and protein in: hummus, crackers, and veggies are a great afternoon snack!
    • Everything in moderation. We strongly believe that there is no need to eliminate anything from your diet; runners can get into serious trouble if they try too hard to restrict “unhealthy” foods. We were both raised in households where we were always allowed cookies, but only if we had a piece of fruit first! Feel free to indulge if you’re craving cake, cookies or even beer and French fries, just do so in moderation and be sure that these “empty calories” don’t replace healthy foods.
  3. Self-Care – Don’t have time or money to spend visiting a massage therapist and physio each week? We’ll let you in on a secret… You don’t need to. While there are times it is necessary to seek out professional help, sometimes prevention is the best medicine and there’s a lot you can achieve at home to stop injuries from occurring all together.03-02-16-recovery
    If you can only buy two items our top tools of choice are a lacrosse ball and a good foam roller. The foam roller’s great for large muscle groups like the back, hamstrings, quads, calves and hip flexors. When rolling these areas out we start with the back and then move down from there, spending a minute or so on one area. For problem areas (like the glutes or a trigger spot on your back) the lacrosse ball is usually just the right size and firmness.
    Set aside some time a few nights a week (like while watching TV) to work on your problem areas and you’ll find you are waking up in the morning a lot less achy. Keeping this type of therapy as part of your regular routine will decrease your rate of injury and allow you to bounce back faster and stronger for your next workout.
  4. Don’t Be Afraid Of Rest – This can’t be stressed enough. Many runners like to take the approach of “more is better”, but this isn’t always the case. Sure there are times during a tough training block where it’s okay to be carrying a certain level of fatigue, but if you find yourself so tired that your quality sessions are being seriously hampered its time for an easy or rest day. Sometimes less is more! Our training moto is to make the hard days hard, and keep the easy days easy, which ensures we are ready to go on out quality workout days.

Final Thoughts

Nothing above should come as a surprise. Unfortunately, there are no silver bullets when it comes to running and training; it’s all about small incremental improvements that, when cumulatively added up, can make a big difference in your performance.

Happy Running!

Remember that registration closes on March 14th for the Modo Spring Run-Off 8k – don’t miss out!

Feb 26 2016
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Modo 8km Course Preview (through photos)

By | Modo Spring Run-Off 8k | No Comments

With this week’s beautiful weather, we decided it was time to capture some photos of the #‎Modo8k‬ course to give you a little preview of what to expect on Race Day, along with some history of the monuments in the area.

Want to join us on March 20th? Prices increase on Monday night, so sign up today!

Thanks to Rob Shaer for these awesome images!

Full course details and map can be found here.

Feb 22 2016
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How to Take Your Training to the Next Level

By | Community Leaders, Digital Champions, Modo Spring Run-Off 8k | No Comments

March is around the corner and race reason is officially upon us! We spoke with one of Canada’s top middle-distance runners, our friend Rachel Cliff (shown above at last year’s Modo 8k) and she’s given us some great advice on how to take your training to the next level!

February 22, 2016 – by Rachel Cliff (@dangerous_cliff)

Is the Modo 8km on your radar? If not, it should be! This year the run is held on March 20th and its route takes you along the stunning Stanley Park Seawall. With the days getting longer (and hopefully sunnier and warmer), what better way to kick off the beginning of Spring than with a great road race!?

With just a month to go, the next few weeks are very important. Even a good hard 3-week block of training (which still leaves time to recover before the Modo 8km) can have a huge impact on race day and the fitness gained can carry through to your other races later this Spring and Summer.

The mental approach taken to training can be as important as the work itself; here are 5 tips to help you maximize your training over the next month:

  1. Set Goals
    These two types of goals are equally important:

    • Outcome goals (i.e. complete a certain distance or run a particular time) – these should be established at the beginning of a training block.
    • Process goals (i.e. a number of minutes to run each week) which break the outcome goal into “bite sized pieces”- these can be re-evaluated on a weekly basis.

    Most of us are good at setting outcome goals, but as a runner you should create both. Without process goals you’ll never know whether you are on target to meet your final outcome goals. Design an appropriate training plan yourself or with a coach, write your goals down and glance over them often.

  2. Establish a Schedule
    At the beginning of each week outline your training and schedule time for it the same way you would for anything else. Scheduling is critical, especially at this time of year when motivation can be low and the Spring racing season may still seem far away.Schedule your runs at times that will least likely conflict with other commitments. Doing so means you’ll be less likely to cut your training short or miss a session altogether. Once your training session is scheduled, be committed and just accept whatever weather occurs at the time.
  3. Run With Purpose
    Before heading out have a quick pep-talk with yourself about what you want to accomplish on that run. This can be something very small like focusing on relaxing your shoulders, running a particular pace, or simply just having fun. Having purpose and focus will allow you to get the most out of each training run.
  4. Remember, Everything Is Important But Nothing Is
    Sometimes things don’t go as planned; you may roll an ankle, feel a new pain come up, or terrible wind may prevent you from hitting your goal pace. When adverse events happen, think big picture and long term. If something is hurting, get in to see a physio quickly and don’t be afraid to be pro-active with cross-training (I.e. elliptical, stationary bike, swimming) for a session– there’s no point getting seriously injured over one run. Similarly, don’t stress if you can’t hit your goal workout times, especially if the weather isn’t playing nice or you’ve had a tough day at work. The most important thing about training is to be consistent.
  5. Keep It Fun
    Enjoy your training and, if needed, mix things up to stay motivated: try a new running route or run with a friend. Some Spring days can be beautiful, but many of your runs may still be before sunrise or after sunset and in the pouring rain. Remember that no matter what the conditions, focus on the positives and be thankful that you’re outside exercising and breathing in clean Vancouver air.

Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we’ll continue to bring you training tips from some of Vancouver’s top runners! Remember that the final price increase for the #Modo8k is March 1st, so sign up soon to save!

Feb 10 2016
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Happy, Healthy, Hips

By | Community Leaders, Digital Champions, Modo Spring Run-Off 8k | No Comments
by Katherine Moore (@RunningIntoYoga)

You know you need to stretch, you think about it, you may even talk about doing it, however you never get around to it. I hear so many times “I am too stiff to do yoga”. It is like saying “I am too dirty to take a shower.”

Runners tend to have tight muscles due to the repeated action from running. Your hips can especially get tight over time. Whether you are a beginner or competitive runner you can benefit from a simple yoga practice. Yoga poses increase flexibility and also improves strength, stability and balance in the body.

All you need for a simple yoga practice is 10-20 minutes, your breath and an open mind. While doing the postures make sure you are aware of your body and breath. You want to focus on the breath keep it steady, smooth and slow this will help relax your nervous system and mind. To keep your joints and muscles safe you will be expanding and opening one area of the body while keeping muscle energy in another area.

Here are a few yoga poses you can do anytime to keep your hips happy, and healthy:

02-10-16-hips-anjaneyasanaLow Lunge – Anjaneyasana

Step right foot forward, stack the front knee over the front ankle; bring the left knee softly to the floor. Push the right foot into the floor and pull it towards the body, back knee pulls in energetically. This will help to lift the hips up and back. Keep your lower abdomen in and spine long. Shoulders stay on the back. You can stay on fingertips or lower down to hands or forearms. Keep the jaw and facial muscles relaxed. Breathe into your hips.

02-10-16-hips-lungeStaying in the lunge, walk your right hand off to the side, fingers face out. Move your hips forward and down, then reach back bending your back knee and see if you can hold your right foot in your left hand. You are off your back knee and more on the top of the right thigh. Spread the back toes and pull your heel in as you push it away. Shoulders stay on your back, abdomen toned. Keep both sides of the throat even and lean your head back. Breathe deeply.

Pigeon Pose – Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

02-10-16-hips-pigeonPlace your right wider than your right hip. Your left leg extends behind your left hip. Pull your legs towards each other and square your hips. Keep your abdomen toned and lengthen your spine. Keep your right toes spreading and your right inner ankle lifted. Breathe deeply.

Tree Pose – Vrksasana

02-10-16-hips-treeStanding on your left leg place your right foot on your inner left shin or thigh, above or below the knee. Push them together and lift up out of your waist and lengthen your spine. Keep your shoulders on your back and lift your chest. Breathe deeply.

Reclining Bound Angle – Supta Baddha Konasana

02-10-16-hips-suptaLie on your back and bring the soles of your feet together. Allow your knees to relax to the side and down. Relax the whole body into the floor. Close your eyes and breathe deeply.

Corpse Pose – Savasana

02-10-16-hips-corpseMake sure to lay in this posture at least for a few minutes to allow the body to absorb all the benefits. Relax, close your eyes and breathe deeply. This will rejuvinate your body, mind, and spirit.

Calmness comes with Quiet – B.K.S Iyengar

Check out some of Katherine’s other articles on how to incorporate yoga into your training schedule, then join us at the #Modo8k on March 20!

Feb 01 2016
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Meditation in Motion

By | Modo Spring Run-Off 8k | No Comments
by Katherine Moore (@RunningIntoYoga)

Local elite runner Katherine Moore has been using yoga to compliment her running for years. After studying meditation in South India recently, she thought about how similar running and mediation are, and has some great advice on how to incorporate some meditation into your training.

 

 I have always thought that running and meditation are similar in many ways. While out on a run I am focusing on my breath, body and surroundings. Even when it is a struggle to get out for a run I can concentrate on staying relaxed while I push through barriers. Once I have finished a run, I realize that I have been concentrating on my breath and body, and that creates such an amazing feeling of being alive. Maybe you have experienced that.

I have just returned from South India where I studied yoga and meditation at an Ashram. I had done some meditation before but nothing like my experience in India. For a month I meditated every morning for one hour and now understand the similarities.

02-01-16-meditationIn the first week I struggled to sit, my body was sore and uncomfortable. My mind would wander in every direction. I did not look forward to the morning meditation and chanting at all. By the second week it was getting easier to slow down the thoughts, let go and relax in the present moment with my breath. The third week I could sit still for one hour without adjusting and I felt very relaxed. There were still days in the third week that were challenging; the struggle was there but if I relaxed and focused on my body, breath and my surroundings, everything was at ease.

The mind is like a muscle, you have to train it to relax the same way you train your body for running. An intention I used was of Gratitude, Compassion, and Love, which can be transferred into running as well.

If you want to start a meditation practice, start simple the same way you would start to train for an 8k or marathon. Create a quiet space with no distractions. You want to sit on pillows or a bolster high enough so your knees are relaxed below the pelvis, keeping a tall spine. Start with 5-15 minutes in the morning when you wake or evening before you sleep. You can set a timer so you are not opening your eyes and getting distracted. Sit with eyes closed and focus on the breath and body staying relaxed and at ease. You can increase the meditation time after a few weeks. It is important to stay with something that is attainable so you can stay consistent. Be gentle and compassionate with yourself and observe when you miss a day or a week. It is just like run training; there are injuries and hiccups along the way. That’s ok, you can always come back. Breathe, and let go. Create Gratitude, Compassion and Love.

Check out some of Katherine’s other articles on how to incorporate yoga into your training schedule, then join us at the #Modo8k on March 20!

 

Jan 08 2016
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New iPod for Christmas? Share the joy by donating your old MP3 player to Music Heals.

By | Modo Spring Run-Off 8k | No Comments
January 8, 2016 – Vancouver, BC

Is your old MP3 player really doing its best work in a drawer?

Modo, Metro Vancouver’s only local carshare co-op, and the Modo Spring Run-Off 8k, part of the Canada Running Series, are teaming up to help bring the healing power of music to more people through Music Heals’ iPod Pharmacy! Imagine giving your old MP3 player to someone spending hours waiting for treatment, or sitting on dialysis. You can help take their mind off things and allow them to lose themselves in their favourite music.

Thanks to Modo, there are now over 450 locations where you can drop off your old iPod! You can still donate your MP3 player by mailing it directly to the Music Heals office, but now you can also drop it off in any of Modo’s 450+ vehicles or at the Modo office during business hours. After you donate your iPod, Music Heals cleans them up and pairs them with new Skullcandy headphones and an iTunes gift card. The iPods are then given to a music therapist for use with their clients.

01-08-16-modo-locationsModo members, when using one of the 450+ vehicles available in the Lower Mainland and Victoria, simply put your donated iPod/iPhone/MP3 player in a ziplock bag and place in the trunk of the vehicle. The Modo fleet team will pick them up. Afterwards, feel free to tweet @modo_carcoop and @musicheals_ca that you donated to the iPod Pharmacy.

Not a Modo member yet? Any runner in the Modo Spring Run-Off 8k signing up for a new membership will get $50 free drive time! Then, you can drop your iPod off in the vehicle during your first booking, or anyone can drop one off at the Modo office.

Modo and the Modo Spring Run-Off 8k are proud to collaborate with Music Heals to support Music Therapists in our community. Register now to run and to raise funds for Music Heals, which will directly expand the Music Therapy programs at the Dr. Peter Centre in Vancouver.

01-08-16-lydia-ipodDrop off your iPod at the Modo office between 9am–5pm at 470 Granville Street, Suite 200 Vancouver. Find your closest Modo on their map!

Registration is now open for the March 20th event at www.springrunoff.ca

 

The Modo Spring Run-Off 8k is the opening event of the Canada Running Series. The Series is Canada’s premier running circuit with 8 events of varying distances in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal that attract 60,000 participants and raise $6 million for charity, annually. We’re strongly committed to staging great experiences for runners of all levels, and to making sport a meaningful part of sustainable communities and the city-building process. Our mission is “building community through running”. To register and learn more about the Canada Running Series events, please visit www.canadarunningseries.com

The Music Heals Charitable Foundation raises awareness and fundraises for music therapy across Canada. Their mission is to increase patient access to music therapy for children, seniors, palliative care, burn units, bereavement, rehabilitation and more. Music Heals donated nearly half a million dollars to music therapy programs in Canada in their first three years. www.musicheals.ca

Modo Since 1997, Modo has provided a practical, cost-effective alternative to car ownership without the hassle. Founded in Vancouver’s West End with 16 members and two cars, they now serve Victoria and the Lower Mainland with a diverse and growing fleet of cars, trucks, hybrids, EVs and more. With gas, insurance, maintenance, toll-bridges and more included in low hourly rates, why own a car when you can share 400? Learn more about carsharing and Modo at www.modo.coop

Dec 04 2015
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Thriving Through the Winter Months

By | Community Leaders, General, Modo Spring Run-Off 8k | No Comments

Well the Race Season is pretty much wrapped up and Winter is definitely here. It can be tough to stay motivated at this time of the year, so we’ve turned to one of Canada’s top runners, Chris Winter, for his tips on Winter training!

Winters on the West Coast are cold, dark, and damp. It is dark when you leave for work in the morning and it is dark when you get home. It rains continuously. These are less than inspiring conditions to get you out the door for your workout. So how do you stay motivated through the Winter months? Here are 4 tips:

  1. Set Goals. (This is important!) It’s much more difficult to lace up your shoes on those less than motivating days without a purpose. Challenge yourself to run a new distance, new race, or a PB. Once you’ve set your goal, write it down somewhere where you’ll see it every day. I like to set a daily alarm on my phone that reminds me of my goal.
  2. Workout in the morning. (If you are simply not a morning person you can ignore this.) During the Winter months I find the mornings are the best time to train. Especially around the Holidays there is always something looking to derail your training. Whether it is an office lunch or party or family “obligations”, if you put your training off until the evening there’s a good chance you’ll have to sacrifice one for the other. Also, getting your training done in the morning means you can “earn the party” later in the day without feeling too guilty.
  3. Find a training partner. This can be tough as everyone has different schedules that can be tough to align but, even if you can only meet 1-2 times a week, it can help break up the monotony of training alone and keep you honest on those couple of days.
  4. Go inside. Some days it just plain sucks to run outdoors. Depending on the weather it might even be dangerous. On those days where the streets are flooded, it’s howling a gale out there, or there’s a fresh layer of snow/ice on the ground, opt to do your workout inside. Try a form of cross training you haven’t done in a while and/or do the strength work that you may normally neglect on the sunnier days. The Winter can be a great time to build strength and flexibility that will pay off in the Spring and Summer months of racing.

With the Winter Solstice quickly approaching on December 22nd we can all look forward to the days getting longer again and then it’ll be Spring before you know it. In the meantime, stay true to your goals and when the first races come around your results will reflect the hard work you put in and you’ll be happy you did so.

With much motivation!

Chris

Looking for a goal race in the Spring? Check out the Modo 8k on March 20!

12-04-winter-profile

 

Chris, a New Balance athlete, is an elite middle distance runner based out of Vancouver. He’s competed on numerous national teams, including representing Canada at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Chris ran both the Modo 8k and Eastside 10k this last year. In 2014 he was the Canadian Cross Country Champion and he’s currently aiming for a spot on the Canadian Olympic Team to race the 3000m Steeplechase in Rio! You can follow his journey through the blog Chasing Rio 2016.
Nov 03 2015
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Music Heals brings a fresh beat to the Modo Spring Run-Off 8k

By | Modo Spring Run-Off 8k | No Comments

November 3, 2015 (Vancouver, BC) – The 2016 Modo Spring Run-Off 8k is proud to announce a new partnership with the Music Heals Charitable Foundation. The Foundation raises funds for Music Therapy programs across BC and represents a new opportunity for runners to get behind yet another great charity, aligned with Modo’s broader desire to support the arts.

“Partnering with the run is a great opportunity for us to expand awareness and fundraising for local music therapy programs, specifically in this case, the amazing music therapists at the Dr Peter Centre in Vancouver’s West End.” said Chris Brandt, Executive Director of Music Heals. “Music therapy uses music for non-music goals, including physical, social, and emotional support. With the Modo Spring Run-Off we can make a difference in the lives of those in our community who need it most.”

“Modo is thrilled to support Music Heals and the great work it does in our community!” said Modo Marketing Director, Selena McLachlan. “Our roots go back 18 years in the West End. The community holds a special place in our hearts, so being able to direct donations to the Dr. Peter Centre means a lot to us. Modo has been helping residents of the West End – and now dozens of other communities – get easy and affordable access to a car, without all the hassles of ownership.”

The Modo Spring Run-Off 8k is happening March 20th and is the most competitive seawall run in Vancouver attracting some of Canada’s top runners. The run is also one of the most scenic in BC representing great value for the avid runner out to race as well as for the runner that is out to simply enjoy the nature and beauty of Stanley Park. Every registrant receives a technical fabric event shirt, finish medal, post-race food and access to an after party in the Stanley Park Pavilion. Runners new to Modo will each receive a trial carshare membership valued at $50.

Stay tuned for more surprises as we work closely with the Music Heals’ team and its supporting artists to create unique experiences and memories for each runner and fundraiser that participates in the Modo Spring Run-Off 8k.

For more information, visit us at www.springrunoff.ca

The Modo Spring Run-Off 8k is part of the Canada Running Series, Canada’s largest and most-prestigious running circuit with 8 events of varying distances in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. We are dedicated to the sport and the neighbourhoods we run in. Building Community through Running is what CRS is all about. To register and learn more about Canada Running Series events, please visit www.springrunoff.ca

The Music Heals Charitable Foundation raises awareness and fundraises for music therapy programs across Canada. Their mission is to increase patient access to music therapy for children, seniors, palliative care, burn units, bereavement, rehabilitation and more. Music Heals donated $250,000 to music therapy programs in Canada in their first two years. www.musicheals.ca

Modo is a true Vancouver original and the only local, member-owned carshare. Founded in 1997 in Vancouver’s West End, Modo now serves over 13,000 members across the Lower Mainland and Victoria. With a diverse fleet of sports cars, sedan, trucks, SUVs, hybrids and electrics – why own a car when you can share more than 400? Modo is a mission-based, not-for-profit co-operative, helping communities all over the world reduce consumer dependency on car ownership by donating its booking software to new carshare start-ups. Learn more at www.modo.coop

Mar 19 2015
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Ready, Set, Go!

By | Modo Spring Run-Off 8k | No Comments

by Katherine Moore (@RunningIntoYoga)

You have been training and preparing for the Modo 8k and these final few days before the race are very important. What you do 48 hours before the race can impact your results. You want to make sure you are prepared mentally, physically, and have everything you need for the race to go smoothly.

03-19-granolaFuel

Hopefully you have been practising with what to eat before hard training sessions. Try not to steer away from what has worked. Focus on staying hydrated with water and electrolytes. The night before the race eat a carbohydrate rich meal. In the morning wake up 2-3 hours before the race to eat a simple breakfast (oatmeal, toast, granola). Your body will have enough time to wake up and digest before the start of the race.

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A few days leading up to the race rest as much as you can. Any time you can get off your feet and relax, take it. All the training is done; now is the time to relax and restore the body before race day.  It is important to get a good night’s sleep 48 hours before the race.  Some athletes have a hard time sleeping the night before a race so try to get as much as you can two nights before.

Visualization

Have you set goals for the Modo 8k?  To make these goals achievable, begin to visualize yourself reaching these goals.  You can also look back in your training log and remind yourself what you have already achieved in workouts and runs.  Look at the training sessions that you did not think you could complete and remember how you got through them.  It is also beneficial to know the course, your splits, and have a race plan.  Visualize yourself racing the course.

Last Minute Preparation

To make sure everything goes smoothly, make sure to look over the race details (start time, location, parking, washrooms,). To make sure you do not forget anything, prepare all your race gear the night before the race.

Race Day

Get to the race one hour before the race starts.  You will have time to use the washrooms, get warmed up, and finish your drills, strides and stretches.   Remember to stay relaxed, stick with your race plan and most importantly, get out there, Run Fast and Have Fun!

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