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STWM Archives - Page 8 of 10 - Canada Running Series

Sep 24 2015
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How Running Taught Me To Love Myself

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

TORONTO September 24th 2015. Digital Champion Karyn Cooper started running in 2011 after suffering a miscarriage. Running cleared her head and eased her sadness, and since then she’s had a son and become a marathoner. Karyn’s most memorable accomplishment was finishing the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon last year. She is inspired to be a better runner by her 3-year old son who loves to see his Mom accomplish her goals! When Karyn isn’t running, she works full-time in community-based HIV work. Connect with Karyn on Twitter and Instagram.

How Running Taught Me To Love Myself. By Karyn Cooper

For as long as I can remember, I’ve never quite felt good enough. I had a great childhood. I now have a great family of my own. For some reason, however, I am often consumed by negative self-talk and comparing myself to others.

Running has brought some amazing things into my life. It has helped me feel like a positive role model to my young son. It has made me a better wife because I take care of myself physically and mentally. It has brought amazing people and experiences into my life. Over time, it is changing how I’ve viewed myself for so many years.

Something it has unexpectedly brought into my life is an increased awareness of the impact negative self-talk and comparing myself to others has on my day to day life.

I began running in 2012. I’ve always been a solo runner, whether on the treadmill or in my rural neighbourhood. In the beginning, I was not active in the online running community so I worked on becoming a runner on my own without much concern or awareness of the bigger picture. As I became more active in the running community on social media, I was overwhelmed by the support. In many ways, it made me more confident, more open to new experiences, and it motivated me to continue this running life.

In other ways, however, it made me consumed with comparing image2my running ability to others. I was constantly seeing posts of other people’s pace, distance, nutrition, etc. Many times I felt like I didn’t quite measure up.

This is why I knew that my first full marathon (STWM 2014) would be a game changer. Running a full marathon was so far out of my comfort zone. To say I doubted my ability to finish would be an understatement, but I DID cross that finish line. For a long time I was embarrassed by my 5+ hour finish time, but with reflection and encouragement from others I soon realized that it was an amazing accomplishment.

I still struggle with comparison and negative thoughts, but that full marathon taught me that I’m not a quitter. It taught me that when the going gets tough, I can keep going. It taught me that running is a personal thing. We set personal goals. We accomplish personal bests. I need to continue putting the emphasis on personal. This shift in thinking is noticeable in my training for this year’s marathon. I’m focused solely on my own plan. People have noticed a more relaxed approach to my training this year. I am still nervous but I know that I will cross that finish line and that will by my personal accomplishment.

Sep 22 2015
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Canadians Chasing Medals and Prize Money at Toronto Waterfront Marathon. By Paul Gains

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

TORONTO September 22nd 2015. History will be made at this year’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon October 18th as the event will serve as the Canadian Marathon Championships for the very first time.

The race has also been honoured with IAAF Gold Label status joining Boston, New York and Chicago as the only marathons to enjoy such stature in The Americas.

Canadian citizens will be eligible for Canadian Championship prize money with the first domestic male and female runner earning $5,000 each – in addition to the open prize money. Medals are also at stake.

The fields are superb and with several athletes eyeing the Rio Olympic standards the Canadians are likely to battle each other while offering the foreign contingent all they can handle.

_NGE7361Leading the Canadian women is Lanni Marchant who set a national record of 2:28:00 here two years ago. She was third overall on that occasion earning $8,000 for her position and another $28,000 bonus for beating Sylvia Ruegger’s 28 year old record. Scotiabank has put up another $30,000 for a new record this year.

The 31 year old Marchant, who works part time as a criminal lawyer in Chattanooga, Tennessee, needs to run under 2:29:50 in order to be eligible for the Rio Olympics.

At present only Krista DuChene of Brantford, Ontario has the standard having raced to a 2:29:38 clocking at the Rotterdam Marathon this past April 12th. Unfortunately, DuChene will not be running Toronto having suffered an acute fracture of a metatarsal bone. She will, however, be on site as part of the “live” broadcast team for the race.

Marchant, who earned a Pan Am Games bronze medal in the 10,000m and also finished 18th in the IAAF World Championships 10,000m in Beijing announced her participation at a Toronto press luncheon earlier this month. She noted the strength of Canadian women’s distance running which has surged since 2012 when she and DuChene narrowly missed the Olympic standard.

“I don’t think Krista or I ever expected that we would help ignite a spark in women’s marathoning in Canada when we lined up at the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon,” she said. “We had some great ladies before us – obviously Sylvia but also Nicole Stephenson and Tara Quinn-smith. But women on the road hadn’t really gained the same following the men had.

“Now, just looking back over these years since 2012 we have seen more and more women line up and debut with some pretty amazing marathon performances. I think right now is the best time to be part of the Canadian running scene as there is such a charge of Canadian women absolutely killing it on the roads and I’m excited to see what will happen next.”

Marchant also said she doesn’t expect her record to stand nearly as long as Ruegger’s did. That record lasted twenty-eight years until Marchant and DuChene bettered it in Toronto. DuChene, a Brantford, Ontario resident, ran her personal best that day with 2:28:32.

Amongst those expected to challenge for medals are two female marathon debutants who have excelled on the roads in the Canada Running Series, Tarah McKay-Korir and Dayna Pidhoresky. The latter is finally healthy after several injuries and appears ready to perform to her potential. After all she ran an excellent 1:11:46 half marathon in 2011.

Another promising talent is Natasha Labeaud who debuted on the streets of Toronto a year ago finishing in 2:35:33. That earned her 8th place overall. She focused on 5,000m this past summer finishing 8th at the Pan Am Games.

Not to be forgotten is the 2014 Canadian marathon champion, Rhiannon Johns who, at the age of 23, ran cautiously to a 2:40:24 debut in Birmingham, Alabama. The fight for medal podium places is sure to be epic.

Thirty-five year old Eric Gillis will also be seeking the Rio Olympic standard and a berth on what could be his third Olympic team. The men’s standard is 2:12:50. Gillis represented Canada in the 10,000m in Beijing eight years ago and in the marathon in 2012. A year ago he raced to a new personal best of 2:11:21 in this race earning 9th place.

If everything goes according to plan Gillis will follow specially assigned pacemakers through 30 kilometres and defend the Canadian title he won a year ago in Ottawa. But should he falter both Kip Kangogo (2:15:35 PB) a Kenyan born resident of Lethbridge, Alberta, who acquired Canadian citizenship just a year ago, and Toronto’s Matt Loiselle could be there to claim his medal.

Though Loiselle’s personal best is just 2:16:01 he is determined to produce a great race when it counts.

“I have got up to about 30k at 2:12 pace. Both times that I ran the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon I got to 30k at 2:12 flat pace. That’s when the pacemaker dropped out,” says Loiselle.

_NGE7011“If you look at my best half marathon time, which is under 1:04, I think it’s doable. I just believe in myself and I believe we will get good training in. And, it will help having Sami there too.”

Loiselle’s training partner, Sami Jibril is making his marathon debut in Toronto. The 26 year old works the 3pm to 11pm shift installing and repairing street car lines for the Toronto Transit Commission.

“I am definitely aware of the Olympic standard,” says Jibril. “However, my goal for Toronto Waterfront, in my debut, is to run the best race I can and the rest will take care of itself.

“Matt and I do train three days a week when we can but not always, due to shift changes mainly on my part. However, we both have to do what we have to do in terms of getting miles in the legs. There is no short cut to a marathon.”

Competitive fields and a fast course await the entrants and when it is over will two new Canadian champions be crowned? The prospects of a memorable day are immense.

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For more information and to run with Canada’s best marathoners:

http://www.stwm.ca

Sep 21 2015
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So You’re Running A Marathon In A Month – Here’s What I Know.

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

TORONTO September 21st 2015. Digital Champion Dawn Barnable started running in 2012, 2 years after gastric bypass surgery. She wanted something to keep her strong and fit, and running was something she could do whenever she wanted. Dawn will be completing her third marathon at STWM this year and she loves the distance because it’s in the second half of the race, that you really discover who you are. When she’s not running, you can find Dawn at the gym lifting weights, hanging out with her kids, or working as a full time Realtor. Connect with Dawn on Twitter and Instagram. Dawn Blog

So You’re Running A Marathon In A Month – Here’s What I Know. By Dawn Barnable. 

I can hardly call myself a seasoned veteran of marathon running, I only have 2 under my belt, but I sure have learned a thing or two,

I am sure you have been tracking your mileage, following a plan and building up to those long slow distance runs by now and soon you will find yourself in taper madness but whether this is your first or 21st marathon , there are still things you need to remember.

Here is a list of things I do to get myself ready to run 42.2k with only 4 weeks left.

    Run a half-marathon and practice your race pace. This past Sunday I did just that and I killed it, beating my old PR of 2:22. I ran a solid 2:20 – on a treadmill to boot. By doing this practice “race” I was able to challenge myself both physically and mentally in order to prepare myself for race day. I am by no means one who races –  I am typically one of the slowest out there. For me this practice race is a chance to get my head in the game and review what went wrong and what went right seeing as I will be repeating this distance 2 times in the next 4 weeks.

    Figure out your nutrition and hydration plan. This is vital to anyone running for hours on a course. You may be one of the lucky ones who sails through in under 4 hours or you could be like me plodding along out there for 5+ hours. Regardless, we all need to know what our bodies like and dislike on race day. I do not carry fluids as I have always found aid stations to be readily available. I do carry gels because my tummy likes them and they don’t give me any GI issues. I make sure when passing through the water stations to grab both a Gatorade and a water and down them both. I do not tolerate a lot of sugar so mixing these makes it much easier on my stomach.

    Plan your race day outfit, including shoes, socks and clothes and take them on a test run. The shoes and socks are critical because you never, ever want to wear new shoes to a race. You absolutely need to work them in and make sure they are working for you. I had a bad experience after a race involving blood blisters on both my feet due to ill-fitting shoes that I thought were OK.  The same goes for your outfit – know that the articles of clothing you’re wearing to race are not going to ride up , chafe or fall down during the run. Take your entire race day outfit on a run at least a week prior to the race. Layer, layer, layer is the key to running any fall marathon. The temps can change significantly over the course of the morning so you need to know what to discard, tie up or toss to crowds!

    Do not build up mileage in the last few weeks before the race. You have probably been following a 18,16 or 14 week training plan with a very dedicated run schedule. Do not think that this is the time to start adding in extra runs, doing more speed work, running extra hill drills or pushing too hard on those long slow runs. You will be running your longest distance probably this week and then you will start the decrease in mileage, aka tapering. Learn from this long run both physically and mentally and challenge yourself, but don’t race it quite yet – just get a feel for the distance.

    Run at the same time as race day. This is very important especially if you are running most of your training runs after work or in the late afternoon. You should experience what it feels like to run in the morning, before race day.  The temperature is different in the morning, and your body is also in a different state. Those runs after work may have you limber and loose from being busy all day and you need to know what it feels like to run when you have just woken your body up.

    Let your mind positively embrace the fact that you are about to do something that not many have or ever will do. On those last few runs, while you are spending a lot of time alone with your thoughts, keep telling yourself that you got this. You have worked so hard for the past few months training both your body and mind to conquer this feat. Repeat that mantra in your head over and over so that when race day approaches you arrive to the start line focused and determined to finish what you started so many months ago!

Sep 21 2015
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Train With Grains Recipe: Oatmeal Fruitcake.

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

Train With Grains Recipe: Oatmeal Fruitcake.  By CRS Community Leader Alyssa Cheung.

This year we’re teaming up with the Grain Farmers of Ontario to bring you the best pre and post-run recipes to fuel your marathon training! Each week we’ll feature a new and unique recipe from one of our CRS Community Leader Ambassadors. This week Alyssa Cheung has a recipe that will satisfy any sweet tooth! This Oatmeal Fruitcake is the perfect healthy treat to enjoy the Sunday evening after your long run. Do you have a recipe you’d like to share? Share a photo on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #TrainWithGrains for your chance to win a “Good in Every Grain” Prize Pack valued at $50!

Every runner’s favourite meal has to be dessert! Most runners like myself probably run just to feel less guilty about having an extra serving of dessert! So, fittingly one of my favourite go to dessert recipe is an oatmeal fruitcake!

This recipe is great because it can double as breakfast since it’s made with oatmeal and has fruit (at least that’s what I tell myself)! It’s super simple to make and tastes great.

The recipe starts with an oatmeal base.

  1. 1 1/2 Cups Oatmeal
  2. 3 Tbsp Honey
  3. 1/3 Cup Flour
  4. 3 Ripe Bananas Mashed

Alyssa Blog 1

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into round tin baking pan. Bake at 375C for 25-30 minutes. You should see the edges browning when it’s ready.

Pop the oatmeal base onto a cookie sheet and let it cool. While the base is cooling you can begin on the icing.

Alyssa Blog 2

“Icing” Layer 

  1. 2 Cups Vanilla Yogurt
  2. 1/2 Cup of Cool Whip

Combine and spread on cooled oatmeal base. Top with your favourite fruit! I put pineapple, strawberries and blueberries on mine!

Alyssa Blog 3

It’s super easy to make and a great treat after any run! Or even before!

* Share your favourite pre or post run snack or meal on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #TrainWithGrains for your chance to win a $50 “Good In Every Grain” prize pack! We’re choosing one winner every week until STWM!  

Sep 17 2015
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Tarah McKay-Korir Running For Kenya Kids. By Paul Gains

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

TORONTO September 17th 2015. Lured by the challenge of Tarah Korir HSROT 2012
the ‘classic distance’ and, with a few years of high altitude training in Kenya behind her, Tarah McKay-Korir will compete in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, October 18th.

In addition to being an IAAF Gold Label race for the first time the event will also serve as the 2015 Canadian Championships.

A junior star, who represented Canada at three successive IAAF World Cross Country Championships McKay-Korir, has slowly built up to this point in her career and encouraged by her husband, Wesley Korir, the 2012 Boston Marathon champion, she feels this is the time to debut.

“The marathon distance is something I have always wanted to cover someday,” she said from her home in Cherangany, Kenya. “ I don’t know if I will ever feel completely ready but I am confident in the training that I have been doing. I ran my first two half marathons this spring so I had started increasing my mileage earlier this year.”

In March McKay-Korir made her half marathon debut in Prague finishing cautiously in 1:13:39. Training under the guidance of Wesley, who is one of Kenya’s top marathoners, she has been running between 80 and 100 kilometres a week at high altitude with one long run of up to 32km weekly.

“I am hoping to use my debut marathon as a chance to raise money to provide scholarships to the young runners we have been mentoring in Kenya,” she adds, referring to the Transcend Running Academy she and Wesley together with the producers of the film ‘Transcend’ – a film about Wesley Korir’s life – have started. “I know how fortunate I was to get good coaching and resources in high school and university and I want to help athletes in Kenya to reach their potential.

“Many Kenyan runners lack fees to go to high school and our goal with the running academy is not only to create great runners but great future leaders of their Kenyan communities which will not be possible without an education.”

To help improve the areas of education, health and agriculture Tarah and Wesley, whom she met while running at the University of Louisville, founded the Kenyan Kids Foundation. The Canadian chapter, which is chaired by Tarah’s father, Blair McKay received official charitable status in Canada last year.

Already the Foundation has had a major impact in the Cherangany region where Wesley was elected as a Member of the Kenyan Parliament and where the couple and their two children live most of the year. With a combination of fundraising measures and donations from Canadian companies such as the Gay Lea Foundation four gigantic milk coolers together with power generators were delivered earlier this year.

Volunteers are helping construct water towers, wells and septic tanks as part of the project. In addition, a representative from Semex Canada spent a week speaking to Kenyan farmers about genetics to improve their cattle breeding techniques.

The Kenyan Kids Foundation literacy program is in full swing. Thousands of used books were also shipped to Cherangany primary schools along with computers for high school students and McKay-Korir is busy initiating a reading buddy program. And the Transcend Running Academy is also off to a great start.

“In June, we had a group of high school runners from Louisville Christian Academy come to meet our Transcend Running students and run with them and visit their homes and schools,” McKay-Korir reveals. “It is important to me that people see our students for the potential they have and not just as poor Kenyan kids in a remote Kenyan village.

Photo Credit: Transcend

Photo Credit: Transcend

“During the month of August I had a full house. The Transcend students were on holiday from school so we hosted a two week training camp for the high school students and then the week prior to their camp we hosted a camp for potential future scholarship recipients in class 7/8.”

With all the charity work she does it is a wonder that McKay-Korir is able to train at the level she does. However, she has always made her visits home count. She has won prestigious Canada Running Series races such as the Harry’s Spring Run-Off 8k and the Toronto Yonge Street 10k.

“I never lack people to run with in Kenya,” she declares. “I have been doing a number

of workouts and long runs with a group of Kenyan women who also happen to be mothers. There are some Kenyan boys who stay with us also and I sometimes also run with Wesley.

“Many marathon runners run for a cause and it gives them extra strength to push through the pain. Using my marathon debut to raise funds for these athletes to get an education is something very important to me.”

Among the group she meets up with a few times a week is Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon record holder Sharon Cherop and Mary Keitany, winner of the New York and London marathons.

On Friday October 16 McKay-Korir will appear at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon expo (6:00 p.m.) to talk about her charitable work, to introduce a special screening of ‘Transcend’ (6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.) and then participate in a Q & A with runners.

Wesley Korir will run in the Chicago marathon the Sunday prior to Toronto and then fly up to support his wife. Along with the countless spectators lining the Toronto streets there are many young Kenyans who will also be waiting to see how their mentor performs in her marathon debut.

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For more information and to register:

www.stwm.ca

Sep 15 2015
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Shure Demise to Run Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. By Paul Gains

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments
Photo Credit: Photo Run

Photo Credit: Photo Run

TORONTO September 15th 2015. As a young girl Shure Demise dreamed of becoming a world class runner like her hero and compatriot Derartu Tulu. Then, in January of this year, the young Ethiopian raced to a fourth place finish at the Dubai Marathon recording a stunning time of 2:20:59 in her marathon debut.

That mark is almost three minutes faster than Tulu, the two time Olympic 10,000m champion and winner of the London, Tokyo and New York Marathons, ever ran for the distance.

Most remarkable was the fact Demise celebrated her 19th birthday just two days before Dubai. The $20,000 US prize money she earned was, indeed, an expensive birthday present.

The result is in fact an ‘unofficial’ world junior record although the IAAF doesn’t keep junior records in the marathon.

“I used to watch Derartu Tulu on television,” Demise recalls. “Then I got motivated by her brilliant talent and wanted to be like her. So I started running.

“Then when I started running I got to know about (three time Olympic champion) Tirunesh Dibaba. I heard on the TV that she was so famous, and an elite athlete of Ethiopia.”

Demise hopes the experience she has gained in racing in Dubai – followed by an 8th place finish at this year’s Boston Marathon – will help her as she prepares for the upcoming Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, October 18. It is a race she has only heard about from some of her training partners in Ethiopia.

“I know that it is a big race and some of the most well known athletes participate in it.” she says. “With the help of the Almighty I want to win this big event and become a well known athlete.

“I learned a lot about techniques of running (in Dubai). Before this race I didn’t know that water was taken (during the race) but in that race I saw and used it in Boston. I just want to set the Toronto course record and I want to go with that pace.”

Demise grew up in the southern part of Ethiopia in a town called Bore. It is in a fertile region known as Guji zone.

“My parents are farmers,” she reveals, “and the countryside is green land where many cattle are found. My parents have thirty cattle.”

“There are ten children in the family: five brothers and five sisters. My brother is a policeman and they shifted him to Addis where he works in police station. I lived with him at first but now I live alone in Addis.”

Like many Ethiopian distance runners, Demise was introduced to running at school where cross country is the main sport and where children all know the names of the leading Ethiopian runners. As a sixteen year old she ran 33:24 in a 10km in Assella, Ethiopia. That was at 2,430m/ 8,000 feet altitude and the result quickly attracted attention of coaches and officials.

Demise_Shure1-Bogota15

Photo Credit: Photo Run

Today she trains with coach Gemedu Dedefo as part of the Demadonna Athletics group. The group includes Aselfech Mergia, a three time winner of the Dubai Marathon and Tirfi Tsegaye. The latter won the 2014 Berlin Marathon in 2:20:18 and was the second place finisher in the 2010 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. No doubt she will provide useful intelligence on this IAAF Gold Label race.

In February 2014 Demise finished an impressive 3rd in the junior women’s race at the Jan Meda International Cross Country meeting.

Rather than compete on the track, which would be the natural progression, she decided to focus on road racing instead. A third place finish in the Rome Ostia Half Marathon with a time of 1:08:53 helped her decide to go straight to the marathon even at her early age.

“I saw many athletes being successful in marathon running so I wanted to proceed directly to the marathon,” she confirms.

As for the future Demise wants to create a name for herself much like her predecessors the leading Ethiopian Olympians.

“Yes, during my training time I met most of them,” she says, “but I didn’t get the chance to sit with them and share experiences. In the future I hope I can do that.

“I want to become a number one well known athlete and to participate in the Olympics. Yes, with no question I want to represent my country.”

In Toronto she will line up against a strong women’s field which includes the previously announced Sharon Cherop of Kenya, the course record holder at 2:22:43, and Canadian record holder Lanni Marchant.

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For more information and to register for the race: www.stwm.ca

Sep 14 2015
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Scotiabank Charity Challenge Feature: A Mile is a Miracle

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

By Max Erenberg via Sofie Yang

“In the fall of 2013, along the Toronto waterfront, thousands of people were sprinting towards a common goal. I was one of those runners in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon 5K. What caught my eye in the midst all the participants was the Autism Ontario team crossing the finish line with linked arms. In that moment, I felt inspired and newly energized.” –Sofie Yang

Road running is something special. It’s amazingly inclusive; people who run a six-minute mile are on the same course and awarded the same glory as those walking. It’s also an avenue for giving back to the community.

To bring this spirit to the Bayview Secondary School community, Sofie, then in Grade 10, and her friend Julia decided to found A Mile A Miracle (AMAM for short). Many others also joined, including myself, who were interested in raising money for local charitable causes. The goal was to bring the joy of running and giving to youths.

Starting the club wasn’t easy, but thanks to our teacher supervisor, Mr. B. Israel who doubles as a Cross Country coach, we were able to raise $760 for the Sunnybrook Foundation in our first year. As our club grew to include 46 members, we created a voting system for our race charity. We always try to keep it local by pledging to charities we see working nearby and participating in local races.AMAM 2

In true democratic fashion, by the time the 2014 Scotiabank Charity Challenge rolled around, we elected to run for the St. Michael’s Hospital neurosurgical research team. The whole team felt a sense of accomplishment and community; our very own Dalton even brought back 3rd place in the 13-19 age group!

It isn’t always serious running for us though. A Mile A Miracle trains regularly alongside the cross-country and Track and Field teams. As a member myself, the sense of accomplishment after a long run and the friendly competition between other students always motivates me to push myself during training. During the summer and winter breaks, the members get a chance to eat together, play Frisbee, or chat about school at our socials. AMAM isn’t just about winning a race; as Mr. B. Israel reminds us, “when you run, your only opponent is the clock.”

The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon has been our cornerstone event every year since 2013 with a bus-load of 20 students participating last year. This year, we will be supporting the Learning Disabilities Association of York Region. Come cheer us on at the finish line!

Please connect with us! We’d love your support!

Twitter: @amileamiracle

Facebook: A Mile A Miracle

Email: mailto:mile.miracle.bss14@gmail.com

Sep 14 2015
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Train With Grains Recipe: No Guilt Granola

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

Train With Grains Recipe: No Guilt Granola.  By CRS Community Leader Jean-Paul Bedard.

This year we’re teaming up with the Grain Farmers of Ontario to bring you the best pre and post-run recipes to fuel your marathon training! Each week we’ll feature a new and unique recipe from one of our CRS Community Leader Ambassadors. For today’s recipe Jean-Paul Bedard, who will be running the Triple Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 18th, shares his recipe for Guilt-Free Granola! Take it from someone who runs 200km per week, this is the stuff runner’s dreams are made of! Do you have a recipe you’d like to share? Share a photo on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #TrainWithGrains for your chance to win a “Good in Every Grain” Prize Pack valued at $50! 

As an ultra runner, I typically log 200 km a week.  Needless to say, I’m always hungry, but more importantly, I’m looking for healthy snack options.  My nutritionist friend, Lucia, sent me a granola recipe last year, and I thought I would share my amended version of that recipe.

My wife and I love this granola so much that I usually make it twice a week.  As an added benefit, you won’t believe how amazing your house smells when this is in the oven!

No Guilt Granola

Dry Ingredients:

3 ½ cups large flake oats (do not use quick JP Train With Grains Blog 1oats)

¾ cup coarsely chopped almonds

¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 ¼ cup dried cranberries (preferably unsweetened or reduced sugar)

½ cup coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

½ cup water

½ cup maple syrup

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. coconut oil

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (If possible, set your oven to ‘convection’ mode.)
  1. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients and give them a good stir.
  1. Bring the water to a boil, and stir in the remaining wet ingredients. Whisk together until blended.
  1. Poor the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly until the oat mixture is well coated.
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out granola mixture evenly on the baking sheet.
  1. Place in the oven and cook for approximately 2 ½ hours. Using a wooden spoon, turn over the granola on the baking sheet every 15 or 20 minutes while it is baking.  This is a key step to help dry out the granola and prevent it from burning.
  1. Let granola stand for an hour or so before placing it into an airtight container.

JP Train With Grains Blog 2

When I need a protein kick, I spoon about ½ a cup of granola over some Greek yogurt.  In the evening when I’m looking to satisfy my sweet tooth, I take a ½ cup of dry granola and mix in a few (and I’m not going to tell you how many) dark chocolate chips… Trust me… It’s better, and healthier, than any cookie!

* Share your favourite pre or post run snack or meal on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #TrainWithGrains for your chance to win a $50 “Good In Every Grain” prize pack! We’re choosing one winner every week until STWM!  

Sep 10 2015
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Lanni Marchant Returning to Toronto Waterfront Marathon. By Paul Gains

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments
2014 Scotiabank Toronto Marathon

Photo Credit: Photo Run

TORONTO September 10th 2015. After a season to be envied Canada’s Lanni Marchant did what any self respecting distance runner does and retreated to Thailand for a week of relaxation during which time she scuba dived and rode an elephant.

Sufficiently recovered the 31 year old then set her focus on the next major target the 2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon which is an IAAF Gold Label race and also the Canadian championship. Race director, Alan Brookes, is delighted to welcome her back to his race.

“We’re thrilled that Lanni has chosen to return to Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon – -the scene of her outstanding national record setting performance,” he said. “It brings an extra sparkle, an extra buzz to have her on the start line at Canada’s number one big-city marathon. It’s National Championships; It’s road to Rio. And it’s a thrill for the entire Canadian running community to have our stars racing at home.”

It was in this race two years ago that she smashed the Canadian women’s record with 2 hours 28 minutes even. Now she has one objective – to achieve the qualifying standard of 2:29:50 for the Rio Olympics.

What a season she has had. The London, Ontario native ran a personal best 10,000m at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Palo Alto, California May 2nd recording a time of 31:46.94. That was well under the the Rio Olympic standard giving her a place on the Canadian team in what was considered her ‘B’ event.

Three weeks later she tackled a world class field at the Ottawa 10k and wound up 3rd in another personal best time of 31:49. Then came the Pan Am Games in Toronto where she battled to a bronze medal in the 10,000m before finishing 18th in the IAAF World Championships 10,000m in Beijing. From China it was just a short hop over to Thailand.

“I will have to see how training goes the next couple of weeks obviously but my main goal in Toronto is the Rio standard,” she declared during a quick visit home, “And I won’t be making moves to jeopardize that. But in 2013 my goal was to come in and just have a positive experience at Toronto after the world championships (she struggled to a 3:01.54 clocking) had gone so poorly.”

“If I am in the race and, after about 30k, if I am feeling really good then I will go for it a little bit. But you won’t see me going out at 2:24 pace. Getting to Rio and making sure I have the qualifying standard in two events is my primary target.”

Though she was a little dehydrated after her Beijing 10,000m – it was 28 Celsius and humid at race time – she recovered quickly and managed a couple of one hour runs within days.  The success she experienced in the 10,000m has also given her added momentum for the marathon.

Presuming she hits the Rio Olympic standard in Toronto she will then face a decision that few Canadian distance runners have encountered in the past: whether to double in the two events or choose one. It would be a nice position to be in. Her coach Dave Mills wants her to double, she says.

“Up until this year, definitely, I would have said the marathon is my primary event but I have had such success in the 10,000m and I have only been focusing on it for such a short period,  just a year really,” she offers. “There’s also the potential that this work I am doing for the 10,000m will benefit my marathon in the long run as well.

SVHM 2015

Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon 2015

“That’s why I am doing the marathon in Toronto. I don’t want to count myself out of the marathon. I have run 2:28 and I think I can better that mark at some point in my career. After the fall I will know better whether I should stick with the 10,000m for a couple of years or dabble in both or, if the writing is on the wall and I blow one out of the water in Toronto, then I might be a marathoner who does 10k training to up her game for the marathon.”

Marchant has been working as a criminal lawyer with a law firm in Chattanooga, Tennessee the past few years and the partners have been extremely supportive of her running endeavours. She credits them for allowing her freedom to pursue her running ambitions.

“Yes the law firm is very supportive,” she confirms. “I am in contact with them when I am at training camps, at the world championships and when I was in Thailand. They understand. They will load me up in my off season. I am not tooting my own horn but I am good at research, good at writing arguments.  That’s a role I can fill for them. It’s a really good fit. It’s not like they are losing out when I am gone. I share what I bring in. If I don’t bring anything in then it doesn’t cost them anything to have me. There is no overhead.”

As she has done in previous years Marchant plans to spend part of the winter training at high altitude in Kenya followed by another bout of altitude training in Flagstaff, Arizona in the spring. Having the chance to double in Rio would be an incredible opportunity with the two days between the 10,000m and the marathon.

But first there’s Toronto and the formality of getting that pesky standard.

“I have had good and bad experiences in Toronto,” she recalls. “2012 not so good 2013 was amazing and 2014 I was right up the middle. But Alan runs such a great race and I am so well received in Toronto.

“And now two of my best performances have been there – setting the Canadian marathon record and winning the bronze medal at Pan Ams. It made sense to go back there. It’s the first year that Toronto is the national championships. I won the national 10k and the half marathon nationals so I want to go for the hat trick and get the marathon as well.”

Time will tell if she ‘blows one out of the water.’

To join Lanni at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Half-Marathon & 5k visit http://STWM.ca

-30-

Sep 07 2015
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Getting to the Start Line. Running to the Finish Line.

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

TORONTO. September 7th 2015. Digital Champion Kenneth Trueman started running in Spring 2008 to lose weight and completed his first half-marathon in June of 2009. In 2010, he qualified for the Boston Marathon with 21 seconds to spare and in 2014 he ran his marathon PB of 3:13. Kenneth loves the marathon because it’s a personal project where you are ultimately accoutable to yourself. Unlike shorter distances, the marathon forces even the most elite runner out of their comfort zone. When Kenneth isn’t running you can find him cycling. Connect with Kenneth on Twitter and Instagram.

Getting to the Start line. Running to the Finish line. By Kenneth Trueman. 

Last weekend in Quebec City I finished my 21st marathon in exactly 6 years and one where I served as the 3:45 run/walk pace bunny. My next event is the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, where I hope to achieve a new personal best (PB) with the help of the 3:10 pace bunny. However, my challenge is that I started a new job in early June that has seen me travel over 50% of the time. Eek ! I am writing this during a business trip to Dallas where I headed the day after the Quebec City marathon.

kenneth blog 1I got my start in running the same way that many in this recent generation of runners have. On the cusp of turning 40, I decided that I needed to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle. I lost 35 pounds over the next 6 months and have since kept most of it off. Cycling has given me thighs and added some weight back.

Like many people, the years following high school and college were characterized by slowing down and putting on weight. In fact, I made the lifestyle switch the month following my 20th high school reunion. How Hollywood classic is that!

In November of 2014, I wrote an article describing my reasons for running, so I won’t repeat them here.

Here are some things that came to mind when I was asked to write an article as a Digital Champion for the 2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. They are a mix of lessons learned, mistakes made, things I am proud of, etc. Hopefully, you will find a few items that resonate with you.

What I learned about myself from running races:

  • I can set and achieve goals. As I mentioned in my article from 2014, these goals are my goals and whether I achieve them, or not, is down to me and to me alone. They are objective in nature, and not subjective like so many other facets of life. That appeals to me. The first goal was to lose weight. The next was to qualify for Boston. And then to do it again. I have some other goals, which will discuss later in this article.
  • I can show discipline. Summer running. Winter running. Rainy weather, hot weather. I can and pretty much do run through them all. One thing that helps me is how sites such as Strava provide monthly challenges for distance covered or hours of activity. I am proud to say that Strava’s gamification effect on me is complete. I can lace up my shoes when feeling lousy on a day with lousy weather, all in the name of receiving a digital badge. The ability to share your race training and race goals with others running STWM is also pretty cool.
  • I can suffer. And then suffer some more. Long runs. Running 6 days a week. Running while jetlagged. Running marathons on 3-week break. If given the choice, I do prefer to suffer on a road bike, all things considered.

Mistakes I made:

  • Too much cross-training. Cycling is a great compliment to running, but it is no substitute. It is important to get enough core training. Based on my experience, you can probably substitute 20-25% of your running with cycling; anything more than that and you will likely have a hard time achieving your goals. And missing goals is hard mentally, taking as long or longer to put right as actual physical training. A handy rule of thumb is that 30km of cycling equals 10km of running. If your training plan calls for 80km of running, than you could ride 60km and run 60km and all should be well.
  • Not enough training. My early marathons were characterized by as little as 30-35km of training per week. There is nothing wrong with only running 30-35km per week, however doing so in preparation for a marathon with an aggressive time goal in mind is a recipe for heartbreak or for injury. Effectively doubling my training volume, while following a plan, has seen me achieve new highs.
  • Hydration. Sometimes too much. Sometimes not enough. Both can land you in the first aid tent or even the hospital. Knowing what to drink and when during a race takes practice. And what worked for one race may not work for another.
  • Mixing sports drink with energy gels. A recipe for disaster if there ever was one. Too much sugar all at once leaves your muscles yearning for water, which means cramps—and why not some gastrointestinal distress—are not far behind either. (This video from Skratch Labs demonstrates very effectively just what happens in your stomach when you take in too much sugar at once.)

Other lessons I learned:

  • Read the course map before the race. It is important to read the details of the course to understand where the hydration stops, first aid tents, and porta-potties are located. Also consider positioning friends and family at strategic spots to give you a needed emotional boost at critical times during the race. Agree in advance where you will meet up with family members or other supporters after the race to remove the drama.
  • Stop drinking an hour before the race starts. As someone who had a nasty habit of stopping mid-race to pee, I only learned this lesson after running about 15 marathons. During those first 15 races, I would very often stop to pee one or more times, with the obvious impact on my finishing time. When I didn’t have to pee, it was more a case of not drinking enough in hot weather, than any sort of proper race execution on my part. I only learned about 2 years ago that one should stop drinking about an hour before the race. That is enough for the body. Any further thirstiness up until the gun goes off is most likely nervousness.
  • The national anthem is a good time to pee in a crowd. This one applies to men only. Take an empty sport drink bottle with you to your race corral. While no one is looking down—all eyes are on the flag or the national anthem singer—slip the bottle under your shorts and get that last need to pee over and done with. Close the bottle, toss it over the crowd and call out, “Don’t drink that!” And if you hear someone else yell that out, well don’t drink it!
  • Vaseline is your friend. Apply liberally. And then some. Under your chest strap. Under your arms. Around and in between your thighs. Repeat. Especially for the thighs.
  • A pair of running shoes is a must when traveling. Other than cycling, running is hands down the best way to see a city.

What I am most proud of:

There are a lot of ways to answer that question.

  • Qualifying for Boston in spite of horrible pacing. I qualified for Boston on my 4th marathon outing based on *average* pace; in this case, my average hid some pretty wild variations. I went out way too hard, in the range of 4:00/km, and finished much slower at around 5:30/km, stopping every kilometer or so to catch my breath and calculate how much more downtime I could afford. I qualified for Boston with 21 seconds to spare.
  • Running the 2014 Tokyo Marathon at a constant pace. My goal was simple. Run an average pace throughout the course. I aimed for an average of 4:51/km and I finished with an average of 4:49/km. That is less than a 1% difference.
  • Finishing the 2012 Berlin Marathon in a world of hurt. I started the race on a bad IT band. At the 17km I felt something give out. I spent the next 25km walking, jogging, limping, sitting, etc. But I finished it nonetheless.
  • Beating a 4-year old PB twice in the same year. From 3:20 to 3:15 with a pace bunny in Pittsburgh in May 2014 and then to 3:13 on a hilly and windy New York City Course in November 2014.
  • Puking twice and still beating a PB by 7 minutes. That guy who was projectile vomiting water at the 2010 Valencia Marathon was me. Because I didn’t read the course map and details (see example of mistakes mentioned above), I missed the fact that there was no sport drink; only water. Hello hyponatremia! And hello to the nice people at that hospital in Valencia, Spain, who made me well. (I never did figure out how to ask for or find Pedialyte in Spanish.)

But the real thing I am proudest of is this: all of the people who have told me that I inspired them to start and to keep running. In doing my own thing; in setting, achieving and occasionally surpassing goals; and in sharing them on social media, I provided inspiration for others to get off the couch, slip on some shoes, and discover what is actually an amazing and accessible sport.

Where to go from here:

Did I mention that I like to set goals? Here are the ones I am working towards now in the coming months and years:

  • Completing the World Marathon Majors. Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City. They are the crème de la crème of marathons and I have completed 5 out of 6, running NYC and Chicago two times (with another kick at Boston on tap for April 2016). If and when the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon gets added to the club, I’ll have that one completed already.
  • 60 marathons by the age of 60. After my 5th or 6th marathon, I set a goal of running 25 marathons by the age of 50, and 50 marathons by the age of 60. As someone in my early 40s at the time, that meant running between 2-3 marathons a year. A few marathons later, I upped my goal to running 30 marathons by the age 50, and 60 marathons by the age of 60. I am currently ahead of my goal, so I have set myself the goal of …
  • Completing a full Ironman-distance triathlon. I have the running and the long bike rides down pat—7 rides of 200km or more in a 7-week period in the summer of 2014—but I can’t swim a pool length. And that is ignoring the fact that skinny men who run also tend to sink in water.

But first of all, I want to get that new PB in Toronto on October 18th.

Thanks for making it this far and best of luck at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.