SPEED

B U I L T
S M A R T E R

C O RY M C G E E
 YOUR BRAIN ON RUNNING THE IMPORTANCE OF SWEAT

Georgia

Achieve Ellenwood
Olympic
Your Dreams

Health SUMMER
RUNNING

Goals GEAR
STYLE &
COMFORT
UNDER
SLEEP THE SUN
THE ESSENTIAL
RECOVERY +
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 YOU SOLVE
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LONG, LONG RUNS.

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 july & august 2019 volume 12, issue 5

40 10 46

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS
2 10 Questions Body Work Gear
This is Your Brain on Running
Georgia Ellenwood
The benefits of running for our physical 14 Exercises
28  and mental health are well known. We also
know that the mind isn’t separate from the body,
4 Editorial New Strength for
New Runners
46 Summer
Apparel Guide
Summer Running
5 What’s New
and now see that our overall health involves the 16 The Fix in The City
6 The Warm-Up
integration of both. Injury Treatment 58 Running Bra
By Kristy McConnell 7 Shoe-In Reviews
17 Training Zone
8 Canadian Achieve Your Ideal Eight Competitive and
Creations Body Weight Recreational Runners
The Greatest Canadian Athlete You’ve Kronobar: All-Natural Test Out 11 Top Bras
18 Lab Rat
Never Heard of Energy Bars
Why Sweat Matters
Many years before Tom Hanks ran across the
32  silver screen as “Forrest Gump,” there lived
a real-life version of his movie character. His name
9 Great Strides
Uneven Terrain
20
for Runners
The Science of
61 Reviews
The Greatest Athlete
Running (You’ve Never
was George Orton, and he was a superstar before By Alex Hutchinson Heard Of);
the term became popular. Food Good to Go
Better Together;
By Mark Hebscher 10 Runner’s Healthy for the 62 Club Scene
Kitchen Long Run; The Great East Laurier Running
Grilling Season Treadmill Debate Club, Montreal
Sleep: The Ultimate Natural Performance Enhancer RECIPES Simple
Salmon Burgers, 64 Crossing
As I began researching my new book, on the
36  strange science of recovery, I was hopeful
that I would find some superpowers in at least a
Best Classic Burgers,
Smoky Black
Places
22 Canadian Trails
the Line
Running Back Home
Bean Burgers
few trendy new recovery products. When it was all Howe Sound Crest
said and done, I’d found that there was one thing Trail, B.C.
that did, indeed, possess almost magical recovery Columns 24 Destination Race
powers: sleep. 12 Thoughts About Maritime Race
By Christie Aschwanden Running Weekend, Halifax
By Madeleine 26 Exotic
Cummings Destination
Cédric Bonel, Kim Doerksen, Jess Baumung

Fear and Running to Las Vegas Air Grievances Bogotá, Colombia

When Nils Arend and Blue Benadum
40  launched The Speed Project (tsp) in 2013,
they never had the intention of turning it into
some sort of must-do on every ultramarathoner’s
bucket list. It was just Arend, Benadum and four
other elite runners who thought they would take
on a crazy adventure and run the 550 kilometres
between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
By Dan Dakin

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 1

10 questions
10 1 What are your defining char-
acteristics as a heptathlete?
I am the definition of a heptath-
QUESTIONS
lete because I am so slightly above
average across the board no event
sticks out. If any of my competi-
tors were to look at my score, they
WITH...
would not see me as a threat but
then when they’re all added up,
it’s a whole different story.
2
Georgia Ellenwood
What is your most vivid
heptathlon memory?
The one that started it all was
when I was a youth athlete and
Rising Canadian heptathlete went to Spokane, Wash., to
has her eyes set on Tokyo compete in one of my first heps
in the U.S. I thought it would
By Melissa Offner be really big, but there were
only two or three other girls in
it and they weren’t even doing
all of the events, and I think
you need at least three girls for
it to be considered an official
heptathlon. I remember one girl
starting all of the events with
me just so it can be considered
an actual heptathlon. That was
the first time I made the national
team for World Youths, but it
was such a low key heptathlon.
That was when I realized maybe
I should do more research and
find some heptathlons that are
really competitive.
3 Who’s the most influential
person in your life?
My aunt, my mom’s sister. She
has spina bifida. She’s in a wheel-
chair, but has the most positive
attitude and it keeps me in check.
When I’ve had a bad day, I realize
how good my life is. It’s good to
reflect on someone like that who
is still very positive and nice to
everyone. I know that sometimes
I struggle with things, and wish I
could be more like her.
4 What’s one thing you
can’t live without?
I couldn’t live without the
outdoors. It’s so therapeutic to
me that if I wouldn’t be able to
get out and hike when I’m back
home, I think my life would be a
lot more stressful, so I use that to
my personal advantage.
5 What is your greatest fear?
In athletics, it would be
plateauing. Having a year where
2 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
I don’t progress, whether in
recovery or upping my standards,
that one day I’m going to try to
continue heptathlon and I just
won’t get better. But my biggest
fear outside of athletics is the dark.
I’m completely afraid of the dark.
6 If you could change one
thing about yourself, what
would it be?
I would want to be taller. I contin-
uously wish in every athletic
event that I was a little bit taller
for high jump or hurdling. I find
that I have to work twice as hard
to even do what those tall girls do.
7 What’s your idea of happiness?
Having a group of people in
your life that are supportive and
have faith in you, those people
in your life that are supportive
when you have a bad day. I think
that’s important and what keeps
people going.
8 What is your motto?
I would consider myself to
be a pretty tough athlete, “When
the going gets tough, the tough
get going” is one of my favou-
rites. That’s always in the back of
my head when I’m doing some-
thing and I’m struggling a little
bit mentally.
9 What’s your favourite social
media account to follow?
I’m so obsessed with recipes and
life hacks. I follow an account
called @blossom, which is all
about life hacks and recreating
stuff. I will sit with my phone
and watch that for hours before
going to bed. There’s also a
bunch of recipe accounts that I
follow like @buzzfeedfood.
10 Where do you see
yourself in five years?
I think that I’ll be retired from
athletics in five years because my
body might not be able to handle
the heptathlons. I would like to
think that I would be in sports
marketing or in sports broad-
casting – definitely in the realm
of athletics.
Melissa Offner is a television and podcast
Brice Ferre
host and the leader of the North
Vancouver run crew RUNDISTRIKT.
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editorial

In Praise of the change – 12 minutes faster than that first

time around.
If this all sounds a tad Zen, you’re right.

Aging Runner Practicing mindfulness has become a handy

addition to my toolbox over the last 10 years
in running, and in life. Race day begets
a racing mind – did I bring enough gels?
Have I dressed too warmly? I think I have
to pee again – and the practice of continu-
ally coming back to the present moment has
helped me become a smarter and happier
runner over time. And I’m not alone, as ON THE COVER
running psychologist Kristy McConnell Langley, B.C. native
expands on in her feature “This is Your Brain GEORGIA ELLENWOOD is an
on Running” (p.28). ncaa and Canadian
Physiologically speaking, there’s also heptathlete champion
significant evidence to suggest that older with her sights set on the
runners can compete up with their younger 2020 Olympics.
counterparts. A 2004 study in the British
Journal of Sports Medicine revealed that PHOTO Brice Ferre
finishing times for runners over 50 in the
New York City Marathon in the ’80s and ’90s
improved more rapidly compared to those of
younger athletes. Another 2008 study out of
Austria found virtually no differences in the
finishing times of the top racers age 35 thr
ough 49, suggesting that you can maintain
LEFT Dave your VO2 maximum capacity throughout

ONLINE
Carpenter your 40s. And just ask legendary masters
racing the
2019 Toronto runner Gene Dykes, aka “the Ultrageezer,”
Marathon how slow he feels after running a sub-three-
hour race at a muggy 2019 Boston Marathon. runningmagazine.ca
Whether you’re 20, 40 or 80, this Visit for breaking running

I ’m not getting any younger, but I think I’m getting issue of Canadian Running strives to keep
wiser, at least when it comes to running. you sound in body and mind, including
Wisdom can go a long way, as I discovered during the Dr. Brittany Moran’s “Training Zone” tips
news, features, product
reviews, recipes and your
favourite writers.
Toronto Marathon in May. It’d been a decade since I’d on both achieving your ideal weight and
first run the race. Still in my 30s, I took a rather laissez- getting faster (p.17). Conditioning specialist
faire approach in training for it, assuming my “all-around Jon-Erik Kawamoto preaches the value of Follow us
athleticism” would carry me to the finish line. I went out getting fit where it counts for runners in his
on Facebook
fast, felt great and kept going. I also ignored the little voice latest strength workout routine (p.14). Also, Canadian Running Magazine
in my head, telling me to slow down. A seasoned distance Christie Aschwanden, author and former Can Trail Running
runner could have predicted the cruel reality that lay in health columnist at The Washington Post,
on Twitter
wait for me, and it did. I ran smack into “the wall,” eventu- reminds us, in no uncertain terms, of the @CanadianRunning
ally crossing the finish line depleted and humbled. vital role sleep plays in recovery – just like @CanTrailRunning
Ten years on, now a seasoned runner, the Toronto your mother always told you (p.36).
on Instagram
Marathon once again had my number. By 10k I strug- To your health, in body and in mind.
canadianrunning
gled to maintain my ambitious sub-three-hour pace, canadiantrailrunning
and the little voice returned, whispering “this isn’t Dave Carpenter, Managing Editor
on Snapchat
your day.” What, you again? My training had gone well, @CanadianRunning
canadianrunning
I came into the race injury free – where did the little
voice get off telling me that this wasn’t my day? Yet on YouTube
over the years, I’d learned the hard way to heed it, and Correction Canadian Running Magazine
I put a pin in my goal. I got out of my head and into the Canadian Running would like to correct
present by taking in the race experience as it unfolded the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail’s distance running
around me: the scenic descent down Rosedale Valley as printed in the “Canadian Trails” article THE magazine.ca/
Road, the encouraging spectators and those with clever within our April 2019 Trail Special issue
Shakeout category/
PODCAST
race signs (my favourite: “smile, you paid for this.”); I (p.29). The trail is approximately shakeout-
podcast
stopped to hug my cheering wife and kids, and enjoyed 47 kilometres long, not 18 kilometres.
the sunshine on the heels of a nasty winter. We also incorrectly attributed this
Marathonfoto

A decade ago, this would have been an admission of article to Jade Belzberg, who goes by her
failure. That was then, this is now – older, wiser and married name, Jade de la Rosa.
evidently better. I crossed the finish line in 3:17 and

4 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

 gear

Managing Editor Dave Carpenter

WHAT'S NEW
dave.carpenter@runningmagazine.ca
price point and features.
Senior Editors
Alex Hutchinson, Kevin Mackinnon
Garmin The Forerunner 245 Music tracks your VO2
FORERUNNER 245 MUSIC max, aerobic and anaerobic training effect, as
Contributing Editor
$480 well as training status, which lets you know if
Christopher Kelsall
you’re dogging it, overdoing it or on the right
Staff Writers track. The 245 also includes more advanced
Caela Fenton, Anne Francis, Madeleine Kelly, Dan Way
In April, Garmin released a line running metrics, such as ground contact time,
Photo Editor Matt Stetson of new Forerunners with a model balance and stride length. The Forerunner 245
matt.stetson@gripped.com
for every type of runner, from Music holds up to 500 of your favourite songs.
Copy Editor Amy Stupavsky the basic Forerunner 45 through The watch also syncs playlists from preloaded
Art Director Warren Wheeler (Roseander Main) to the sophisticated 945. The music streaming services, including Spotify and
layout@runningmagazine.ca
Forerunner 245 Music caught our Deezer, making the days of lugging multiple
Designer Cristina Bolzon eye as the sweet spot in terms of devices along for your runs a thing of the past.
Production Artist Warren Hardy
Web Development Sean Rasmussen
Digital Operations Dmitry Beniaminov
Publisher Sam Cohen
sam@gripped.com
Editorial Director David Smart
dave@gripped.com
Advertising & Sales Andre Cheuk
andre@gripped.com
Account Managers
Joel Vosburg joel@gripped.com
Dan Walker dan@gripped.com
Lorena Jones lorena@gripped.com
Circulation Manager
Robyn Milburn robyn@gripped.com
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publisher. The views included herein are those of the between irritated and panicked, depending on
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publisher, owners and management of Canadian Running
Pawscout lets you track your dog or cat through
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of anyone using the app through a live map that
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Pawscout tags are available on Pawscout’s
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runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 5

the warm-up

Boston’s Top Canadian Five Supplements With Performance

is a Trail Runner Benefits for Runners

T he Boston Marathon unites distance runners

from all backgrounds, abilities and disci-
plines. At his first Boston Marathon, Canmore
Alberta’s Karl Augsten, 27, ran the fastest time
this year for a Canadian competitor in 2:25:30.
Although the 2018 Canadian mountain running
champion usually spends his winters training for
the road, his heart remains on the trails.
The software developer began running in high
school and started training more consistently five
years ago. At first, he focused on the road. However,
living in the Canadian Rockies, he soon “became
obsessed with trying to run the mountains and
THE WARM-UP
In April, the iaaf released a comprehensive guide to
sports nutrition with the aim of educating athletes on
fueling for training and performance. Even if you’re
not an Olympic hopeful, there’s a lot of useful advice
in the report.
Runners are encouraged to get the bulk of their nutrition
from whole foods and to avoid excessive supplementa-
tion, but the report does outline five supplements that
can help with performance: caffeine, creatine, nitrate/
beetroot juice, beta-alanine and bicarbonate. For distance
runners (5,000m and over), caffeine and nitrate are the
two supplements that the consensus review recommends.
Most runners are aware of the benefits of caffeine –

trails.” Transitioning back to the road for a marathon
was an entirely different feat. “It was a venture into
the unknown that would change my life forever.”
Augsten set a goal of running sub 2:25 mara-
thon if the conditions were favourable. As a trail
runner at heart, Augsten also wanted to “crush
the Newton hills” at Boston. It’s no secret that
training for the trails and in the mountains can
help prepare your legs for pounding the pavement –
especially for the downhills at Boston. “Running
mountains and trails make your quads bomb-proof,
and that definitely helps to survive the downhills
at Boston,” Augsten says.
The race went well for Augsten. “I was happy
it wasn’t a headwind with cold rain! Training for
Boston while living in Canmore is tough with all
the snow and cold weather we get. Injuries always
crop up for me when I run fast in the snow, but I did
what I could. I always prefer training for a road race
during the winter, so I’m not out spending long
hours running slow on bitterly cold winter days.”
you’re hard-pressed to find a runner who isn’t mildly
addicted to their morning cup of joe – but nitrate is a less
common supplement and found in leafy greens, beetroot
and other vegetables. However, taking them in more
concentrated doses can be helpful as well.
Beta-alanine is another supplement that is lesser
known, and for runners competing at distances from
the 400m through the 3,000m and 3,000m steeple-
chase, the consensus is that it can be helpful. Trent
Stellingwerff is an applied sports physiologist and team
lead at the Canadian Sport Institute. In a summary on
beta-alanine, Stellingwerff says it is most beneficial for
middle-distance runners. “Fatigue during long sprints
to middle-distance racing (400m to 1,500m), or any
maximum intensity exercise lasting from around 1 to 10
minutes, is a consequence of the limitations imposed by
anaerobic metabolism.” Beta-alanine helps to delay this
form of fatigue.
But Stellingwerff ’s recommendations do come with a
caveat, “As with any ‘newer’ supplement, there are still
key scientific questions that remain, and an individual’s
tolerance should be thoroughly experimented with well
before any major championship event.”

TOP LEFT Karl Augsten running the Boston Marathon

BELOW Caster Semenya

Caster Semenya Loses Appeal on Testosterone

In May, decorated South African runner Caster Semenya lost her appeal
over the iaaf’s rule requiring female athletes with disorders of sexual
development (dsd) to lower their testosterone for eligibility in track events
from the 400m to the mile.
Correspondingly, the iaaf declared that athletes with dsd must take
steps to lower their testosterone to no more than five nmol/l (Nanomoles
Per Litre) by May 8 to be eligible to compete in this year’s world champion-
ships in Doha, Qatar in September.
The cas reportedly agreed that the iaaf policy discriminates against
athletes with dsd, but justified the discrimination, calling it “reasonable,
legal and proportionate,” because naturally high levels of testosterone in
Marathonfoto, Laci Perenyi

female athletes confers an unfair advantage.

“I know that the iaaf’s regulations have always targeted me specifically …
For a decade the iaaf has tried to slow me down, but this has actually made
me stronger,” Semenya responded. “The decision of the cas will not hold
me back. I will once again rise above and continue to inspire young women
and athletes in South Africa and around the world.”—CR

6 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

 gear

SHOE-
IN
Saucony Ride ISO 2 The Ride shoe line has been a Saucony staple
$160 for years, due in no small part to its versa-
Men: 278 g (9.8 oz.) tility as an ideal distance trainer for long runs
Women: 249 g (8.8 oz.) and those who prefer a little more cushion
Drop Ratio: 8 mm on race day. Saucony’s PWR FOAM midsole
Category: Neutral provides the ISO 2’s ample cushioning, while
the EVERUN topsole accounts for the ISO 2’s
surprising amount of energy return. The Ride
ISO 2 also comes with Saucony’s proprietary
ISOFIT and FORMFIT technologies that allow
the shoe to adapt to different foot shapes,
for a more personalized fit.
Other significant updates found in the ISO 2
include the shoe’s lacing system that locks
the foot in place without constricting move-
ment, and a stiff heel counter to guide your foot
forward securely, which may not be ideal for
runners with heel issues (such as bone spurs).
The mesh toe box also provides more stretch
and breathability for added comfort.
All told, Saucony strikes the right balance
in the ISO 2 between cushioning and
responsiveness for an adaptive fit.—CR
Matt Stetson

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 7

canadian creations

testing some of the bars she was making on

herself and her friends at the track. “People

Kronobar: wanted more, so I just started making more

and selling them at grocery stores on Mont-
Royal Ave. in Montreal,” Jarry says. “I started

The All-Natural in my apartment with 50 bars a week, and

after five years I was making 50,000 bars a
year by hand.”

Energy Bar Fast forward 10 years, and Kronobar is

now a household name for runners, cyclists
and triathletes in Quebec. Jarry currently

for Runners offers three types of bars: Energy, Endurance

and Protein, and will soon launch a gel line
called “The Nectar.” Jarry’s bars are made
How Rose-Marie Jarry fused her passion for running and with 100 per cent natural foods and free
baking to create a successful Quebec-based company from allergens. She opts for ingredients such
as pear juice, dates and apricots for sweet-
ening and energy, and brown rice, lentils
and black beans for protein, which Jarry says
sets her apart in the now inundated energy-
bar market.
While building her business, Jarry’s career
as an obstacle course race athlete took off as
well. She competed in more than 80 races
in just over three years, taking home over
20 gold medals. However, she still missed
the track, and after two years of false starts
on the track due to a string of injuries, this
past February, Jarry finally started training
again. Her new goal is to make the podium
in the 800m at the 2020 World Masters
Athletic Championship in Toronto while
expanding her business. “Things are going
really well so I want to use this year and a half
By Melissa Offner before my big challenge to shave some time
off, and get on the podium.”

R ose-Marie Jarry grew up in Quebec City

in a family of five kids. Her mom owned
a restaurant and a bed and breakfast, and from
enrolling in a cooking school in Montreal.
Initially making food for a local gym, she Melissa Offner is a television and podcast host,
started making bars for her brother, who the leader of the North Vancouver run crew
early on, she worked to help her family. As a would leave on several month-long trips to RUNDISTRIKT as well as an avid runner
child, there wasn’t much time allocated for the U.S. Around this time, she also began and trail runner.
sports, but when she reached high school, she
discovered track and field. Jarry immediately
took a liking to it, and rapidly emerged onto
RIGHT
the provincial and national scene, focusing on Rose-Marie
400 and 800 metres. training
fuelled by
Jarry became a top-ranked 800m runner Kronobar
for several years in a row but was forced to
stop competing due to chronic injuries. “I was
really fragile because of too much stress in
my life. I was also probably a bit overtrained
by the coach I had at that time. I had a lot of
inflammation and torn ligaments,” Jarry says.
Growing up in a household with a
“granola” mom had a positive impact on her
health. “My mom was ahead of her time, she
was making carrot juice with a juicer and
always gave us natural supplements. I never
once went to the hospital when I was with
my mom,” Jarry says. “I was all-natural from
the beginning and that’s why I kept the same
way of thinking when I started my business.”
Jarry started her business, Kronobar, after

8 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5


Uneven Terrain
A University of Toronto professor
finds her finish line with cancer
in the Utah desert
By Andrea Olive
M oab, Utah, is a trail runner’s dream. Year-round
running weather mixed with ample trails, beau-
tiful scenery and very little wildlife of the “eat you” kind.
I first came to Moab two days after being declared
cancer-free. With a bald head and some radiation burns,
I walked around the desert with my husband for a week.
We visited Arches National Park and hiked the 15km
of Devil’s Garden. I found it very challenging – the
distance, the elevation and the terrain. In truth, I hated
it; I resented it for making me feel weak.
I was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma,
known as nodular lymphocyte predominant hodgkin’s
lymphoma (nlphl) on December 3, 2017, during a high-
risk breast cancer screening program. (My mom was
Aktiva Sports Photography
diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer in 2016 and Ontario
placed me immediately into a screening program). My
first mri image showed swollen lymph nodes in my
right armpit. Three days after running the 2017 Chicago
Marathon I had a needle biopsy, followed by a surgical
biopsy. nlphl is so rare, especially among women, that
I might have been the only one in
Canada diagnosed during 2017.
After my oncologist quickly but
thoroughly explained my chemo-
therapy and radiation regime, I asked
her “can I keep running?” She smiled
and then laughed a little. “No one has
ever asked me that before, but yes, if
you feel like it, you can keep running.”
Maybe it was a weird question.
Most people probably ask about side
effects like hair loss and vomiting. But
running is a core part of my identity. If
I could keep running, then I could have
cancer and still be me. That seemed
manageable. Certainly, more manage-
able than a world in which cancer
treatment would destroy not just my
cells, but also my soul.
I started chemotherapy on December
5, 2017. I finished two rounds on
January 19, 2018. At the beginning of
March, I started radiation therapy: 17
treatments in total. After a pet scan,
I was declared “cancer free” on April
23, 2018.
During treatment, I did keep running,
along with cycling and lifting weights. I
spent a lot of time just spinning on my
bike trainer, barely working up a sweat.
Some days I just walked 30 minutes on
the treadmill. I had two weeks between
great strides
LEFT Andrea Olive on course
at the Arches Ultra
each chemo treatment and each day I
grew stronger, and ran a little farther or
faster. On the morning of chemo day, I
would usually run seven or eight kilo-
metres before heading to the hospital.
Then chemo would knock me down and
I would have to start building myself
up again.
I knew I had to go back to Moab. So,
I signed up for the Arches Ultra 50k
trail race through similar terrain as that
awful hike with my husband – slick rock,
sand, mud and sun. I had never run on a
trail before, let alone in a 50k race, but I
needed the challenge – without it, how
else could I keep rising?
I starting training. On academic
sabbatical, my husband and I were trav-
elling down the west coast from Alaska
and the Yukon to California and then
over to Utah. It turns out I am terrified
of bears and of getting lost. It wasn’t
a promising training cycle. Yet, on
January 26, 2019, almost a year to the
day after finishing chemo, I completed
the trail race.
Some parts, were lonely and diffi-
cult. I kept telling myself ‘all things
excellent are difficult,’ a mantra I stole
from author Edward Abbey’s Desert
Solitaire. A whole hour passed in which
I didn’t see another person, not even a
bird. I stayed the course. After the last
aid station there was a mile of snowy
climbing, then six relatively easy kilo-
metres down a dirt road. I ran loose,
easy and happy. It took me seven hours
and 24 minutes, longer than I expected,
but the finish was so sweet.
The trail race felt like a good meta-
phor for cancer: a lot of unknown and
uneven terrain, patches of loneliness
and fear spread among friendship,
comradery and teamwork. Self-doubt
mixed wit h a st range conf idence.
Falling and getting up again and again
and again. The realization that you
aren’t competing with anyone else
and genuinely hope that every single
person completes the race. Aid stations
become medicine, where enthusiastic
volunteers offer optimistic assessments
about your progress toward the finish
line, which I crossed eventually.
I beat cancer. I ran 50 kilometres.
I found my finish line.
Andrea Olive is an associate professor
in the department of political science and
department of geography & programs in
environment at the University of Toronto.
runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 9
 Food
Grilling
Season
Two great burger options
(and one guilty pleasure)
for runners this summer
By Kim Doerksen
I n warm weather, we find ourselves
spending more time outside, enjoying
every ray of sunshine. An abundance of fresh
produce leads to salads on our dinner tables
more often than the hearty stews and soups
we crave in the winter. As training ramps up
for the beginning of the Fall race build, it’s
still important to get the nutrients required
10 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
to repair and nourish our working muscles.
Protein is also an integral part of recovery Simple
nutrition. It can come from a variety of
sources, depending on your dietary prefer- Salmon
ences. Meat products are complete proteins
and excellent iron sources. Fish is loaded
with fatty fats, and beans and legumes are
Burgers
both great protein sources and also high in Ingredients
dietary fibre to keep your gut happy. 1.5 lb salmon, skinless and boneless
Barbeques lead to warm summer evenings 2 tsp Dijon mustard
with friends, family and teammates, and a 2 shallots, coarsely diced
potluck makes an outdoor roast easier on the L cup breadcrumbs
wallet. As burgers are commonplace at most 1 tbsp capers, drained
barbeques, you need a go-to recipe. Burgers 4 sourdough buns
can be dressed up differently every time for
new f lavour palates. Kick it old school with
lettuce, tomato, cheese and pickles, or spice it
up with salsa, avocado, and jalapeno cheddar.
Topping Ideas
Alfalfa sprouts
Sliced tomatoes
Whichever you choose, these burgers will be Mozzarella cheese
crowd-pleasers for most dietary preferences. Tzatziki
An important item to remember: the bun. Lemon wedges
Don’t skimp – make sure the buns are fresh,
soft and proportional to the patties. Directions
1. Cut the salmon into large
chunks and place half into
a food processor. Add the
mustard and blend until it
forms a paste, stopping to
scrape down the sides.
2. Add the remaining salmon
and diced shallots, pulsing
until combined – there should
still be small chunks, do not
blend too fine.
3. Scoop the mixture into a bowl
and gently stir in the bread-
crumbs, capers, salt and
pepper until just combined.
4. Shape the mixture into 4 patties.
5. When cooking on the
stove, place some butter
or oil into a pan and heat at
medium-high. Place the
patties into the pan and cook
for 2-to-3 minutes per side.
6. To cook on the barbeque: place
the patties on the grill and cook
for about 4 minutes. Flip, and
cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Be sure not to overcook.
7. Serve as desired.
Kim Doerksen

Best Classic Burgers
Ingredients Directions
1 egg 1. In a bowl, whisk egg and add
1 tsp Dijon mustard remaining ingredients, except
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce the bison, until well combined.
1 small onion, finely diced 2. Crumble in the bison and gently
1 large clove of garlic, combine everything together
minced using a fork or your hands.
1 lb ground bison (or beef) Handle the meat as little as
Salt and pepper possible to prevent it from
Hamburger buns getting tough.
3. Gently form into burgers
Topping Ideas about O inch thick, then make
Lettuce a shallow depression in the
Tomato middle of each pattie.
Cheddar cheese 4. On a barbeque heated to
Sliced pickles medium heat, place the burgers
Sauteed mushrooms on the grill and cook for 6-to-8
and onions minutes per side.
5. Dress the burger to taste.
food
runner’s kitchen
Smoky Directions
1. Lightly oil a piece of aluminum foil
Black and place on a baking sheet. If baking,
preheat the oven to 375 F. If using the
Bean barbeque, heat grill for high heat.
2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans
Burgers until they form a paste. Alternatively,
place in a food processor and pulse until
Ingredients
a paste. Set aside.
3. In a food processor, place onion, green
1 can (16 oz./541 ml) bell pepper and garlic, and pulse until
black beans, rinsed finely chopped.
and drained 4. In a small bowl, whisk together egg,
K green bell pepper, cut cumin, chilli powder and chilli sauce.
into 1-inch chunks 5. Place the green pepper, onion and garlic
K onion, cut into wedges mix and spice mix into the mashed
3 cloves of garlic, peeled black beans and stir until combined.
1 egg (or 1 flax egg if vegan) 6. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture
1 tbsp chilli powder is sticky and can hold together.
1 tbsp cumin 7. Form into 4 patties and place on
1 tsp Thai chilli sauce oiled aluminum foil.
K cup breadcrumbs 8. If cooking on a grill, cook for
(or Panko) 8 minutes per side. If baking in the
oven, bake for 10 minutes each side.
Topping Ideas 9. Serve as desired.
Sliced avocado
Cheddar cheese Kim Doerksen is Canadian Running’s food
Tomato writer, an elite runner with New Balance
Canada and coach at @mile2marathon.
runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 11
 thoughtsaboutrunning
what madeleine cummings thinks about when she thinks about running
Air Grievances
How runners and race directors are handling air quality
A s wildfires burned in British Columbia
in the summer of 2017, thousands of
people fled their homes and arrived at an emer-
gency reception centre in the city of Kamloops.
The city was a refuge for evacuees, but
not for runners, who were preparing to
race the Kamloops Marathon. As the race
approached and the smoke that had settled
in the city lingered, race director
Charlie Bruce faced a difficult
decision: should he cancel the
race, a Boston qualifier for which
hundreds of people had already
signed up, or should he wait to
see if the smoke would clear and
trust that athletes with breathing
problems would be safe?
It wasn’t a decision he made
alone. Bruce and his organizing
committee consulted the Red
Cross, St. John Ambulance, the
City of Kamloops, air quality
advisories and a doctor on staff.
They waited for signs of a good
forecast, holding out as long
as they could, but the smoke
stuck around. In the end, they
cancelled the marathon and offered runners
refunds. Insurance covered some but not all
of their expenses.
Although the race was cancelled, orga-
nizers made the most of the situation. They
encouraged many runners to redirect their
registration fees to a wildfire recovery group,
and with sponsors’ help, they held a pancake
breakfast for runners and evacuees on the
morning of the race. “We turned what was
potentially a negative experience into some-
thing a little more positive,” Bruce recalled.
The next year, the marathon in Kamloops
unfolded under a sunny blue sky, but climate-
change driven wildfire threats and air pollution
led to the cancellation of multiple endurance
events later in the summer and in the fall.
Runners across the country should be
worried about air pollution, whether they live
in wildfire-prone provinces or not because
the federal government predicts air pollu-
tion episodes will get longer and more severe
with climate change. Although air quality
has actually improved overall nationally
in recent decades, it’s expected that higher
temperatures will exacerbate pollution in
12 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
column
cities, such as Toronto and Montreal, as heat physical activity,” the authors wrote.
helps ground-level ozone form. Runners face a conundrum, then, when
Runners breathe more deeply and inhale deciding whether to exercise – and at what
more air through their mouths instead of intensity – on days with poor air quality.
their noses, which typically act as filters The Air Quality Health Index (aqhi) is
and keep small particles out of the lungs. a good place to start. It’s based on measure-
Pollution affects everyone, but the health ments of ground-level ozone, particulate
risks are worse for kids, pregnant women, matter and nitrogen dioxide. The scale (which
ranges from one to 10+) indicates
health risk from low to very high,
and it provides guidance on
physical activity for at-risk and
general populations.
Avoiding pollution as much as
possible is important, especially
for those with asthma or other
health conditions, but the tread-
mill isn’t runners’ only option.
Michael Koehle, a professor at the
University of British Columbia,
has expertise in endurance
athletics and researches environ-
mental and exercise physiology.
At a triathlon conference in
Edmonton two years ago, he
advised athletes to separate
themselves from pollution by
seniors and people with conditions that t ime a nd dist a nce. This cou ld mea n
include asthma, diabetes and heart disease. choosing to work out in the evening if the
Krista Markham, a Calgary runner with air pollution forecast is better, or driving to a
asthma, feels the effects of polluted air keenly. park instead of running intervals on a down-
Her symptoms include hyperventilating and town track. Koehle said it’s also important to
dizziness, not to mention difficulty breathing. consider exposure to polluted air throughout
“It feels like you have an elephant sitting the day, not just while running.
on your chest,” Markham says. Over the past Race directors face tougher decisions with
few summers, she has reluctantly spent more potentially steep financial consequences, but
and more time on the treadmill. sports organizations can help by providing
Exercising in polluted air can be damaging guidelines and enforcing rules based on pollu-
to our lungs and general health in the short tion levels. Triathlon BC’s air quality policy,
term, but scientists point out that not exer- for example, suggests delaying or modifying
cising at all has its own risks. events if the aqhi exceeds seven and cancel-
In 2015, researchers published a study that ling them if it exceeds eight. The governing
analyzed exercise and mortality data from body also removes sanctions from events held
more than 52,000 people in two Danish during conditions when the aqhi is 10.
cities. The researchers hypothesized that Runners can take these guidelines and
some of the short-term negative health their own health into account when deciding
effects from exercising in polluted air would how to approach polluted air, but the more
accumulate over time, reducing some of the information and expert advice made avail-
benefits of exercise, but that didn’t appear able to coaches and clubs, the better.
to be the case. “Overall, the long-term bene-
fits of physical activity in terms of reduced Madeleine Cummings is a journalist based in
mortality outweigh the risk associated with Edmonton. Her column appears regularly in
enhanced exposure to air pollution during Canadian Running.
Georgia Ellenwood
@george_ahhh

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 Body Work
Strength
for New
Runners
Get strong where it counts
with this full-body workout
for new runners
By Jon-Erik Kawamoto
S ome say we should run to get fit,
but we strength coaches say you
should get fit to run. You see, going
from not running at all to running
two-to-four times per week is actu-
ally quite challenging and demanding
on the body. A once sedentary body
with certain postural habits, previous
injuries, tight muscles and biome-
chanical compensations is more likely
to get injured with the introduction of
running compared to playing softball,
ice hockey or ultimate frisbee. Because
running is a cyclical and repetitive
activity, the stresses applied to the body
are relentless and the less resilient the
muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones
are, the easier it is to suffer an injury.
Beat the odds and create a more resil-
ient body by performing this strength
training routine two times per week.
THE
WORKOUT
14 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
CIRCUIT A
A1
Dumbbell Split Squat with Band
Reactive Neuromuscular Training
WHY: To strengthen the upper leg and glutes.
HOW TO: Hold a dumbbell in each hand and
stand with one foot in front of the other. Your
front foot should be flat and your rear foot
should be on the base of the toes. With a
straight upper back, bend your knees to kneel
toward the floor. Gently touch the ground with
your rear knee and return to a straight leg posi-
tion. Your front knee should approach a 90°
angle at the bottom of the split squat.
WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL: Burning thigh muscles.
HOW MANY: Perform 1 set of 12 reps/side with a
comfortable weight then proceed to exercise A2.
A2 with
Single Arm Cable Row
Reach
WHY: To promote spine rotation and to
strengthen your upper back/postural
muscles and core.
HOW TO: Sit in front of a cable machine with
a single handgrip attachment. Grab the
handle with your left hand. Rotate toward the
machine with your left shoulder as if reaching
toward the machine with your left hand. Your
right shoulder should be rotated away from
the machine along with your right elbow.
While sitting straight, pull the handle back
with your left hand while rotating away from
the machine with your left shoulder. Reach
forward with your right hand as you complete
the row with your left hand. Return to the
starting position.
WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL: A contraction in your
upper back between your shoulder blades.
HOW MANY: Perform 1 set of 15 reps/side with a
comfortable weight then proceed to exercise A3.
A3 Leg Push
Dead Bug
WHY: To strengthen the anterior core muscles.
HOW TO: Lie on your back and bring both knees
toward your stomach. Press your low back into
the floor. Place your hands on top of your thighs
and slowly exhale. As your ribs depress try to
push your knees away with your hands. Resist this
push and hold the contraction for 5–8-seconds.
Inhale and prepare for the next repetition.
WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL: A contraction in the
front of your abs.
HOW MANY: Perform 1 set consisting of 8 reps of
5–8-second contractions, then return to exer-
cise A1 and add a little bit of weight. Complete
set 2 of all exercises, then return back to exer-
cise A1 to complete the final, third set.
 body work
exercises

CIRCUIT B
B1
Single Leg Hip Lift
on Bench
WHY: To strengthen the upper legs and glutes.
HOW TO: Lie next to an exercise bench and
place one foot on the edge. With your opposite
leg held close to your torso, lift your hips up by
driving your foot onto the edge of the bench.
Try to fully extend your hip and form a straight
line from your shoulder to your knee. Return
your hips to the ground and prepare for the
next repetition.
WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL: Burning in your glute
and hamstring.
HOW MANY: Perform 1 set of 15 reps/leg then
proceed to exercise B2.

B2
Anti-Rotation
Cable Press
WHY: To strengthen your core muscles.
HOW TO: Stand next to an adjustable cable
machine and grab a single hand attachment
with both hands. Bring the handle away
from the machine and stand with your feet
wider than shoulder width apart with your
feet turned out. Squeeze your glutes and
thigh while holding the handle just below
your sternum. Brace your abs and press the
handle straight in front of you. Lock your
arms and hold this position for 10 seconds.
Return the handle to your torso and
prepare for the next repetition.
WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL: A contraction on the
inner half of your torso, front and side abs.
HOW MANY: Perform 1 set that consists of
8x10-second holds/side then proceed to
exercise B3.

B3
Slow Tempo Single Leg
Calf Raise
WHY: To strengthen the lower leg.
HOW TO: Stand on the edge of a stair or something
elevated and stable. Hang on to something for balance
and slowly lower your heel toward the floor. Push your
forefoot into the stair to raise your heel as high as
you can. Pause at the top for 2-seconds. Return to the
starting position and prepare for the next repetition.
WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL: Burning in your calf muscle.
HOW MANY: Perform 1 set of 15 reps/leg then return to
exercise B1. Complete this circuit for 3 total rounds.

Jon-Erik Kawamoto, MSc, CSCS, is a strength and

JP Mullowney

conditioning specialist, runner, fitness writer and owner

of JKConditioning, a personal training studio, in
St. John’s, N.L.

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 15

body work
the fix
Injury Treatment
When it comes to treating running injuries, patience
and an open mind can come in handy
By Marylene Vestergom
R unners will try whatever they
can to get back on their feet, and
depending on the injury, the treatment
can vary. Runners should be open-
minded to different approaches to
managing them, with the overall goal
of helping the body heal by increasing
blood f low to the injured area.
If you’re suffering from plantar fasci-
itis, shin splints or an Achilles strain
to name a few, you should consider
dry needling. “When injuries are hard
to reach and we need to access areas
of tissue that are deep in the muscle,
needles are inserted into these tense
bands of muscles to deactivate those
trigger points,” says Dr. Cameron
Borody, a sports chiropractor with the
Cleveland Clinic in Toronto. As many
treatments can complement each
other, your practitioner may decide
to use the active release technique to
16 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
help break up scar tissue along with
cupping, which helps to separate the
fascial layers to reduce tightness and
improve motion.”
Cupping made a comeback when
U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps showed
up with blotches on his body at the
2016 Rio Olympics. “Cupping is a
traditional Chinese technique,” says
Greg Bay, a sports physiotherapist
with cbi Health in Abbotsford, B.C.
“It creates negative pressure on a tissue
improving the circulation and nutri-
tion to the area.”
Shockwave therapy, another popular
form of injury therapy for runners,
lengthens muscles that have shortened
due to knots or trigger points caused by
overuse or overtraining. “With shock-
wave, we’re sending acoustic sound
waves into the soft tissue to break
them down and get that muscle to relax
and lengthen,” says Chris Broadhurst,
director of The Toronto Athletic Club
Clinic for Sport Medicine. The bene-
fits: “It forces the tissue to undergo a
‘focused re-injury,’ which will result in
new blood vessel formation,” adds Dr.
Lawrence Micheli, a sports medicine
chiropractor at the Toronto Athletic
Club. “It’s ideal for plantar fasciitis and
any tendinopathies in the achilles and
patellar tendon.”
For injuries to soft tissue – ligaments,
muscle and soft tendons – consider
platelet-rich plasma (prp). “Sometimes
referred to as ‘ blood spinning,’ by
drawing your blood and putting it in a
centrifuge,” says Dr. Michael Clarfield
of the Cleveland Clinic. “Your blood is
used to stimulate and heal the damaged
tissue. The centrifuge spins the blood
and separates it into layers, isolating
platelets and plasma with three to
five times the concentration found
in normal blood, and helps spur the
healing process.”
These are a few of the more popular
options to consider, but nothing beats
a proactive approach to injury preven-
tion. “A regular visit to your massage
therapist can assist runners physically
and mentally,” says Erin Reid, rmt, at
Fortius Sports and Health in Burnaby,
B.C. “It can help reduce inf lammation
and some overuse injuries that may
occur in soft tissue, such as strains.”
No matter the injury or treatment
plan, Bay says the most important
component of recovery is retraining
optimal movement patterns: “Pain
changes how you move. In other
words, you may have compensated
for that injury and that becomes
the new pattern in your brain. So, if
you’re coming back from a foot injury,
that caused you to limp, don’t forget,
you’ll need to retrain your running
stride. The last part of your healing is
retraining your brain.”
Marylene Vestergom is a freelance
writer and regular contributor to
Canadian Running.
 body work
training zone

WARM-UP
5–10 minute easy run
1 set (20s/side) of all the exercises + 1–3 hill
sprints (hard up/easy down) repeat 3–5x.

EXERCISES
HOP VARIATIONS: Single leg, band around
feet, side to side, in a box. Watch the
foot position with these think stiff ankle
(keeping a hackie sac on top of your foot).
QUICK FEET: Run marching x 3 and then
hold on the third one for 3–5s, this forces
you to stabilize. For an extra challenge do
with arms over head.
LUNGE TO HIGH STEP: This exercise works
on proper running form and brings every-
thing together. Work on driving the foot up
and pulling it to the bench. Start slowly, and
once you have the movement, go faster.
HAMSTRING TANTRUM: Hamstrings take
on a lot of load when it comes to running.
This gets them responding quickly.
Try to bring your heel to bum as fast as
you can, repeatedly.
SIDE PLANK HIP THRUST: Add a little
power and posterior chain action to the
side plank. Bonus points for throwing in
some hip abduction at the top.
LATERAL LUNGE HOP: It is always
Coach
Brittany important to add in lateral movement and
Moran this one brings some power as well.
Lunge to the side and then as you switch
to the other side, add a hop in.
SINGLE LEG DEADLIFT TO JUMP:
Start with the single leg deadlift (think
Achieve
R unning is a great way to burn calories. But sometimes
changing it up can help you get through a plateau. In
hip bones face forward and then face the
ground). Once you master that add in
Your order to run your best, it is important to be at or working a hop as you come upright.
towards a healthy weight. If you have been running but not able HILL SPRINT OR BURPEE: This is to get the
Ideal Body to reach your goal weight, this workout is for you. In addition to
great training to improve your speed, high-intensity interval
heart pumping and to add in some quick
movement. The hill should be short and the
Weight training (hiit) is ideal for losing those extra pounds by spiking
your heart rate and then allowing it to come down repeatedly.
idea is to go up hard, come back down easy.
If you do not have a hill, use burpees instead,
…while getting stronger Bonus: it will also help with running-specific strengthening. and be sure to jump at the end of it.
and faster too All in all, it is a triple-win, so give it a try.

It is always important to do the exercises correctly, COOL DOWN

so here are some cues to keep top of mind: 5–10 minute easy run
By Dr. Brittany Moran • Foot position dorsiflexed (as if balancing a small ball on foot)
• Core and posture (stand tall with neutral spine)
• Correct movement of the legs (think marching)
• Getting the legs to turn over (think quick feet) Still at a loss? Check out The
Runner’s Academy Run Stronger
When trying to lose weight or gain speed it is important to class or YouTube channel for
have a well-rounded training plan. Strength training is only a more ideas.
piece of the puzzle.
These exercises can be done as a hiit, which means you do
each of the exercises for 20 seconds with 10 seconds rest. You Dr. Brittany Moran is a Toronto-
Tobias Wang

can even do it outside, so find a hill and throw in sprints. If based chiropractor and certified
you need to stop throughout the workout, do your best to keep strength and conditioning specialist
moving; walk for a little and catch your breath. at The Runner’s Academy.

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 17

body work
lab rat
Why Sweat Matters
for Runners
Think of your body as a car and your sweat glands as the radiator
By Marylene Vestergom
D id you know your body has some four million
sweat glands and is 50 to 70 per cent water? As a
runner, sweat helps rid your body of the heat produced by
stored energy, including carbohydrates, protein and fat,
enabling you to run farther, faster and longer.
Sweat also keeps your body cool and near its optimal
core temperature of 37 C.
Dr. Stephen Cheung, a professor of kinesiology at Brock
University who specializes in the effects of extreme heat
and cold on exercise performance, says the simplest way to
understand the importance of sweat is to think of the body
as a car: “When driving, we are using the gasoline’s energy
to turn the wheels, but a vast majority turns into heat;
that’s why we need a radiator in the car. The radiator (sweat
glands) helps cool the engine. Our body works the same
way. That’s why it’s important to fuel your body with the
right nutrition (carbohydrates, protein and fat) and, most
importantly, water.” Whether you’re running a 10k or
a marathon, hydrate before you start, as absorption takes
time. Without gas, the body, just like the car, can’t run.
“On a very hot day, when your body temperature and
the environment are similar, sweating is the main way of
getting rid of heat,” Cheung says. “Since the main compo-
nent of sweat is water, it evaporates with the heat of your
body. Runners need to get into the habit of sipping water
before a big race.”
18 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
Over the course of a marathon, how much
sweat loss is expected?
Sweat rates are dependent upon three main factors, says
Trent Stellingwerff, director of performance solutions, at
the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific: ambient tempera-
tures, exercise intensity and duration. On average,
runners can expect to lose about two-to-four per cent of
their body weight (BW) during a marathon. Stellingwerff
emphasizes this is total sweat loss, and since runners
consume fluids throughout the race, the percentage
of BW loss is a lot less. Runners should base their fluid
intake based on BW (pre and post 1 kg BW loss = 1 l of
sweat loss, subtracting fluid intake) and aim for around
two-to-three per cent of BW loss throughout a marathon.
But what should I do if I don’t sweat very
much when I run?
“If your body isn’t generating enough sweat to keep
your body cool, there could be many reasons why,
including underactive glands and metabolic changes;
this is something your medical doctor can assess,”
says Cheung. To avoid dehydration and heat exhaus-
tion, Cheung recommends taking a cold bath or
shower, wearing loose-fitting clothing, filling your
mesh hat or neck bandanna with ice and drinking cold
water. The key is to cool your body, not unlike the
marathoners did in the 2004 Olympics by wearing
ice vests while warming up.”
How much water should you drink and when?
“Drink according to thirst,” says Cheung. “That’s a
good marker as your body can adapt to a mild state of
dehydration for a short term, as long as you hydrate
yourself afterward. Studies have tracked elite runners,
and their core temperatures show they don’t drink
a lot during a run. For these elite runners, their goal
is finishing the race as fast as possible, and their
How do you
know if you’re
bodies can handle higher core temperatures. Proper
hydration is important for slower marathoners (four
hours plus), yet they shouldn’t slam down a huge
well-hydrated? bottle of water at every aid station. Since they’re not
as fit and not generating as much heat or sweat, a lot
Check the colour of fluids sloshing around in their stomachs can leave
of your urine. them feeling nauseous. You also run the risk of
hyponatremia or face water intoxication, and that’s
Clear just as bad as being dehydrated.”
Over-hydrated
Pale yellow to yellow How much should you hydrate after running?
Well hydrated Drink water or a sports drink, and then restore your
Dark yellow energy by feeding yourself regularly throughout the day
Mild dehydration with small meals. “Running a marathon takes a massive
Amber effort, so everyone tends to be immunocompromised
Definitely dehydrated in the period afterward,” Stellingwerff says, “leaving
Orange or darker you susceptible to colds and infections.”
Severe dehydration –
seek medical care Last word – Thomas Toth, Canadian distance runner
“Your body can store enough glycogen for 90 to 100
Remember taking vitamins, minutes of running. After that, you risk “bonking.”
eating beets or drinking Know where the aid stations are, and your plan of
flavoured drinks could attack,” Toth says.
Matt Stetson
colour your urine.
Marylene Vestergom is a freelance writer and regular
contributor to Canadian Running.
 Thescienceofrunning
alex hutchinson rounds up the latest in endurance research
Better together
A rturo Casado was one of the most decorated Spanish middle-
distance runners of the early 2000s, picking up a gold medal
at the European Championships and notching a best time of 3:32
for 1,500 metres. He also picked up a PhD, and these days, he’s
a researcher at Isabel I de Castilla University in Spain, studying –
you guessed it – the science of running. His most recent study,
published in the European Journal of Sport Science, explores a
phenomenon that’s familiar to runners of all levels: the alchemy of
group workouts.
Casado and his colleagues asked 16 runners to complete a workout
of 4 x 500 metres with three minutes of recovery, on two different
Healthy for the long run
In 1998, scientists at Duke University began enrolling sedentary
adults between the ages of 40 and 65 for an eight-month exercise
study. The volunteers were divided into four groups: a control group
that did no exercise; a group that walked roughly 19k per week; a
group that jogged roughly 19k per week; and a group that jogged
roughly 32k per week. After eight months, the exercisers were
healthier in some fairly predictable ways: they’d lost weight,
improved their cholesterol, lowered their blood pressure and so on.
And then the study ended, and life returned to normal.
A few years ago, some of the Duke scientists began to wonder
whether that brief introduction to exercise had made any lasting
impact on the lives of the volunteers. Did being fit for a few months
leave their bodies in better shape a decade later? Did sticking to an
exercise routine once make it easier to stay active later? To find out,
the scientists contacted all the original participants and invited them
to return to the lab for another round of testing. More than 100 of
them showed up.
The reunion study, the results of which were recently published
in the journal Frontiers in Physiology, offers some encouraging news.
The subjects in the control group gained, on average, 3.3 kg of body
20 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
occasions. One time they did the workout alone; the other time, they
did it in groups of four to seven runners, alternating the lead. They
hit virtually identical times in the two workouts – but their physi-
ological and psychological responses were strikingly different.
In the group workout, they had significantly lower lactate levels,
presumably because they were able to draft behind their training
partners to reduce air resistance. They also consistently rated the
group workout as less difficult and more pleasant (or at least less
unpleasant). These results won’t come as a shock to anyone who has
trained in a group, but they add scientific heft to a well-established
running truism: it’s easier with a little help from your friends.
weight and 5.0 cm of waist circumference – fairly typical numbers for
older adults over the course of more than a decade. The subjects in the
exercise groups, in contrast, had managed to maintain basically the
same average weight and waist circumference.
The exercisers also maintained their aerobic fitness, as measured
with a VO2max test, more successfully, and had better markers of
metabolic health such as blood pressure and insulin levels. There
were some subtleties here: the running groups did better at main-
taining their VO2max, while the walking group had better metabolic
health. There may be a trade-off between the most effective fitness-
boosting exercise (running) and the easiest activity to incorporate
into your daily life (walking).
This is not, of course, a suggestion that you can exercise for eight
months and then take the next 10 years off. But it does offer an
encouraging hint that running is a “sticky” habit. If you can persist at
it for several months, you’ll be more likely to pick it up again in the
future even if you temporarily fall off the wagon. It also suggests that
if life does intervene and you take a break from running, it’s not the
end of the world. And about the relative benefits of running versus
walking? You can’t go wrong by doing both.
 body work column
the science of running

The great treadmill debate

Runners tend to have strong opinions about
treadmills: it’s love or hate. But scenery
aside, is the fundamental act of running any
different on a treadmill than it is outside?
That’s a question that an international team
of researchers, led Joel Fuller of Macquarie
University in Australia, recently tackled in
the journal Sports Medicine in a pooled anal-
ysis of 34 treadmill-versus-outdoor studies.
The big picture was that the physiolog-
ical demands of treadmill running – oxygen
consumption, heart rate and so on – are all
pretty similar to what you’d get outside. You
can’t “cheat” on a treadmill, as some people
claim, by hopping up and down and letting
the belt zoom past beneath you. Instead, the
biggest differences seemed to involve how
comfortable people were on the treadmill;
the pace the subjects selected when asked to
pick their own comfortable pace was a little
slower on the treadmill, for example. And you like treadmill running and have plenty all know that the Canadian summer doesn’t
their heart rates were higher on the treadmill of experience, you’re probably getting the last forever, so get outside and enjoy it.
at near-maximal paces, even though the lack exact same physical challenge you’d get
of air resistance should have made it easier, outside, only with more predictable weather. Alex Hutchinson is a Toronto journalist specializing
suggesting that they were probably nervous If you loathe the treadmill, you’re probably in the science of running and other endurance
about falling off. also correct in thinking that it’s harder and sports. His latest book, ENDURE: Mind, Body
In a sense, you can chalk that up as a win less comfortable – for you, at least – than and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human
for both sides of the treadmill debate. If outdoors. And if you’re undecided? Well, we Performance, was published in 2018.

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SUNNYBROOK PARK 9:00am

 Places
Howe Sound
Crest Trail
Tackle this beautiful yet challenging backcountry
route on Vancouver’s North Shore
By Jade de la Rosa
F rom downtown Vancouver, the North Shore
Mountains rise like green behemoths, no
two more prominently than the Lions. These
pointed twin peaks are visible from as far south as
the Canada-U.S. border and the hike to get there
is just the start of an epic trail that extends along
the Howe Sound. This is backcountry hiking at
its finest, with the ability to start and end the day
from the comfort of your own bed.
At its longest, the Howe Sound Crest Trail
extends from Cypress Bowl in the south to Porteau
Cove in the north, covering 29-kilometres of
the rugged Britannia Range terrain – more fit for
mountain goats than humans. Sheer cliffs, jagged
rock faces and scree (a collection of small stones)
slopes mark the exposed sections of trail, while
thick roots threaten to catch ankles in canopied
sections and steep grades force runners to scramble
up dirt-packed single-track. This trail doesn’t let
down its guard until you’ve reached the finish,
an unassuming parking lot off of the Sea to Sky
Highway and a 20-minute drive from the adven-
ture mecca, Squamish, B.C.
The Howe Sound Crest Trail is
typically recommended as an
overnight trip, but an early
start, proper preparation and a
high level of fitness can make
it a one-day trek.
22 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
DESTINATION
HOWE SOUND,
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Howe Sound Crest Trail
DISTANCE 29 km
SEASON Summer-only, as snow poses avalanche danger
PETS Allowed, but bring plenty of water and be certain your
dog can cover the distance and rugged terrain
The southern end of the Howe Sound Crest
Trail starts at Cypress Bowl, where winter crowds,
cramped with skies and snowboarders hauling their
gear to the slopes, are replaced with empty parking
lots and hikers, making an early start on the trails
during the summer months. Almost immediately
the trail is enveloped by dark green forest, zigzag-
ging upwards to the rocky summit of St. Mark’s. A
peer through the trees reveals a view of the Howe
Sound below, and continuing through purple
heather provides an up-close view of the Lions’
peaks. Though it’s possible to include a summit of
the Lions, reserve your nerves for the most exposed
part of the trail, the West-East Lion col – a thin,
crumbling pathway with steep drops to your right.
The heart-pounding terrain doesn’t stop there:
another treacherous section awaits with a rope in
place to guard against dangerous slips, especially in
snow or icy conditions. Pause here to admire the view
on all sides – trees, stunted by harsh winter wind

and snow, buckle against diorite faces, while
soft green lichen creates camouflage patterns
on the rock. Beyond, melting snow slides into
scree, obscuring any mountain goats that
might scamper across.
The next few kilometres are quite tech-
nical, so skip the additional summit of Mt.
Harvey and stay low toward the saddle. The
foliage here is thick with berry bushes; keep
your eyes peeled and your voice loud for any
black bear munching on ripe blueberries. At
the crest, the halfway point of Magnesia
Meadows comes in to view. Backpackers
often plan to stay here for the night, and an
emergency shelter provides safety during
freak storms while the alpine lake provides
water for those who bring filters (and a
refreshing swim for those brave enough).
TKTKTK
From here, the trail drops down to a series
of stunning cerulean lakes. Brunswick Lake
places
canadian trails
offers blue water more akin to a tropical ocean,
but a quick a dip in the lake’s icy water will
bring you to your senses. As you continue
down the steep and technical trail, the long
descent back to sea level begins, and eventu-
ally finishes, at Porteau Cove.
The Howe Sound Crest Trail is typically
recommended as an overnight trip, but an
early start, proper preparation and a high
level of fitness can make it a one-day trek.
Opt to bring two vehicles, or schedule a
drop-off at the start, so your trip remains
point-to-point. Although you might want to
revisit the panoramic views, most assuredly,
your legs won’t.
Jade de la Rosa is a freelance writer and trail
runner based in the Pacific Northwest. She holds
an MFA in writing and is at work on her first
historical fiction novel.
runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 23
places
destination race

Maritime
Race
Weekend:
Halifax
Come for the race, stay for the party

By Alex Cyr

I t may be the pirate cheerleaders or the post-race

recovery pickles. Perhaps it’s the Atlantic beer
with ice served from a canoe by the race director’s grand-
father. Unequivocally, though, Maritime Race Weekend
stands out.
“There is something for every kind of runner here,
and I think that’s a reason people fall in love with our
race,” race director and Maritime Race Weekend founder
Michelle Kempton says. “We can’t wait to host once
again this year.”
The eighth edition takes place at Fisherman’s Cove,
a wharf and fishing village only 10 minutes from the
Halifax Harbour on September 13 and 14. The sunset
5k is on the Friday night, and the Sunrise 5k, Coastal
10k and Scenic Half-Marathon start simultaneously on
Saturday morning. Runners seeking a challenge may
attempt the popular Tartan Twosome, which involves
running a race on both days – a popular option for
runners, according to Kempton.
“Friday night, it’s a party feel for the race,” Kempton
says. “We pass cowbells around and many fans are
cheering. The next morning, the ocean is calm, the sun is
rising and all you hear is feet bouncing off the pavement
at the start of the race – the community is still sleeping.”
Once the morning races end, however, fiddlers, high-
land dancers and local performers are well awake and
ready to greet finishing runners. A tailgate party awaits
racers at the finish line, with sponsors peppering racers
with replenishments, including local artisanal bagels,
electrolyte-filled pickles and, of course, Halifax-brewed
Alexander Keith’s beer.
“We have unique and quirky features to our parties,”
Kempton says. “Local shops get to demonstrate their
specialties. For them, it’s the biggest day of the year.
Their enthusiasm makes racers eager to run well – the fun
goes beyond the race course.”

“Maritime Race Weekend is unlike any event

I have ever participated in. It’s amazing
to witness how many people come from
all over the country to race.”
—Charlotte Brookes, Canada Running Series’
national events director
24 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
 places
destination race

DESTINATION The festivities and community feel coupled with the courses’ scenic and fast routes
EASTERN PASSAGE, attract runners from far away. Charlotte Brookes, Canada Running Series’ national
NOVA SCOTIA events director, fell in love with the event’s vibe when she first discovered it in 2016.
“Maritime Race Weekend is unlike any event I have ever participated in,”Brookes says,
Maritime Race Weekend who travels from Toronto to run the 5k–10k double. “It’s amazing to witness how
many people come from all over the country to race.”
DATE Sept. 13 and 14 Luring visitors like Brookes sees the Maritime Race Weekend raise over $100,000 for
DISTANCES 5K, 10K and half-marathon local community organizations. “It’s rewarding to see that we are making a difference,”
COURSE Flat and fast 5K and 10K, half-marathon hash rolling hills Kempton says. “A lot of planning has to go into the race to make it memorable, but the
FEES $55–$125 difference we can create makes it worth it. It’s also great to see our runners giving their
WEBSITE maritimeraceweekend.com best effort and then enjoying food and a beer right after the race.”
And after downing the free and local brew, with aching legs and fiddle jigs singing in
their minds, most racers jump in the Atlantic Ocean’s shallow cove to cool off.
“There is no better ice bath,” says Kempton.

Alex Cyr is a P.E.I. native who lives and trains in Windsor, Ont., and is the author
of the running novel Runners of the Nish.

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 25

places
exotic destination

DESTINATION
BOGOTÁ,
COLOMBIA

Information

Bogotá’s Running POPULATION 8 million

ELEVATION 8,646 feet (2,640 metres)

Renaissance
FAMOUS RACE 2019 Bogotá International
Half Marathon, July 28
RUNNING GROUP 21Korredores (find them on Facebook)
Investment in the city’s streets and parks sees a blossoming WEBSITE colombiacorre.com.co
running community in Colombia’s capital

By Joanna Kotsopoulos

B ogotá, the capital of Colombia, is

nestled high in the Andes at an eleva-
tion of 8,646 feet and located in the centre
of the country on the eastern side of the
mountains. While most tourists f lock to the
port city of Cartagena with its white-sand
beaches, Bogotá is a vast city with much to
offer in terms of cuisine, culture, history,
sports and art within its many diverse neigh-
bourhoods. Colombia itself is one of the most
biodiverse countries in the world, second
surge in local and visiting runners.
The city boasts a thriving running commu-
nity, home to many running groups and
plenty of races throughout the city all year
long. As Néstor García of the 21 Korredores
running club says, “The real running boom
started two or three years ago. Different
reasons can explain it, but the city has seen a
change in habits toward activities and behav-
iours with greater impact on health.” García’s
running group has doubled in size since the
Colombia Corre (colombiacorre.com.co)
has become the go-to source for anything
running related in Bogotá. It was initially
started to help people find out about races
around the country says founder, Camilo
Rocha. It started with 20 events in 2009
and now lists over 200. Among these events
is the International Half Marathon held in
late July. It is the largest race in the city,
with approximately 12,000 runners in the
21k and about 15,000 in the 10k. The race
Juan Arredondo

only to Brazil, which is 10 times its size. club’s inception four years ago, and the city’s was first held in 2000 and holds iaaf Gold
Over the last decade, Colombia has poured running boom has prompted more groups, Label Road Race status, making it the first
resources into revitalizing Bogotá’s public shops and websites to support both local and and only South American race to achieve
parks, streets and bikeways, and has seen a international runners. this accreditation.

26 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5


The city provides plenty of
opport unit ies for ever yday
runners, too, who are welcome on
the city’s bike paths. On Sundays
and holidays from 7 a.m. until
2 p.m., there is the Ciclovía, which
closes 120 kilometres of select
streets to car traffic. Bogotá also
boasts South America’s largest
network of bicycle routes, the
Cicorutas, with over 300 kilome-
tres stretching from poorer areas
and aff luent suburbs to the city
centre. Many runners descend
upon Bogotá’s numerous city
parks or take to the mountainous
places
exotic destination
hilly dirt trails to long paved flats.
The mountains that surround
Bogotá – the most famous is
Cerro Monserrate, located right
on the edge of the city centre
and 10,300 feet above sea
level – provide challenging trail
running and are optimal for alti-
tude training. Cerro Monserrate
itself is more of a hike with steep
inclines but worth the trek as the
summit provides epic views of
Bogotá and beyond.
Bogotá ’s weather is spring-
like, with temperatures ranging
from 12–20 C, although it can be
rainy, making its drier months,
either December to March or July
and August, the best time to visit.
All and all, Bogotá is now
home to a thriving running
community and is a great desti-
trails that surround the city. nation for those looking for both
Bogota contains more than a beautiful, bustling city and a
50 parks and trails, the largest great spot to run.
of which is the Parque Simón
Bolívar, consisting of a vast Joanna Kotsopoulos is a writer, editor
system of adjacent greenspaces. and running coach with Boardwalk
Runners flock to the park for its RC, a youth running club based in
network of trails, ranging from The Beach area of Toronto.
runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 27
28 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
 THE
INSPIRE
RUNNING
AND
REWIRE BRAIN
The surprising connection between
neuroplasticity, human attachment
and the runner’s high
By Kristy McConnell
The benefits of running for our physical
and mental health are well known. We also
know that the mind isn’t separate from the
body, and now see that our overall health
involves the integration of both. But if we
limit the study of running’s impact on the
brain to the inputs and outputs of the mind
and body, we are defined by the many metrics
our gps watches provide.
Running is a dynamic relationship between
many complex systems both within the brain
and in the environment around us. Running
is about interconnectedness. Dr. Dan Siegel,
a ucla professor and pioneer of interpersonal
neuropsychology, states that our “energy
flow’’ is not housed within the skull and
skin alone, and therefore, not studied and
researched in a linear way. When it comes to
running, we can’t simply stick an electrode-
cap on a runner, put them on a treadmill and
pinpoint the elusive runner’s high.
The interaction between our nervous
system and the outside world is precisely
what makes us human. As British scientist
Daniel Wolpert suggests, the one answer
to the question of why we have a brain is
to “produce adaptable and complex move-
ments.” If the reason we have a brain is to
Michelle Simpson
move and adapt, then we need to consider
all of the interactions that occur inside and
outside of the human body.
THE INTERNAL EXPERIENCE
OF RUNNING
Simply put, the act of running – left, right, repeat – stimulates
bilateral processing, which accesses both the right and left
hemispheres of the brain at the same time. This is important
because each area of the brain has many different roles, func-
tions and ways of interacting, and when more areas of the brain
are engaged and working together, it creates space, awareness
and harmony. Running provides a great practice ground for
this kind of integrative processing and is an optimal time to
“stretch” the brain through a process called neuroplasticity.
This is your brain’s ability to create new neural connections
or pathways. Running also stimulates neurogenesis, which
prunes neurons that are no longer useful.
While running, we often check in with our body; we
notice if our gate is off, when our shoulders are too tight.
The hippocampus is a structure in the brain that helps to
interpret these cues. The act of noticing, being curious and
attending to our body and environment during a run can
apply to other areas of our lives. This same area of the brain
also helps to collect personal memories that become a part
of our autobiography.
Running also enhances synaptic activity (electrical
activity in the brain) in the medial prefrontal cortex close
to the hippocampus. This area is associated with cognitive
flexibility, body regulation and attuned communication – a
sense of self and others – making us more attentive to our
own thoughts, as well as those of others.
runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 29

“ FLIPPING THE
RUNNING INTERNAL
LIKE SCRIPT, ONE
RUN AT A TIME
MEDITATION If running enhances our ability to
attune to the inside and outside world,
provides the then it should come as no surprise that
it can also help create positive commu-
opportunity and nication networks. David Raichlen and
colleagues at the University of Arizona
time to practice
showed that endurance athletes are
also able to dampen the default mode
network (dmn) while running, similar
VkkVaTrUN to the effects of meditation. The dmn
is the internal voice in your head
internal script when we are distracted or our minds
are wandering. For some, this internal
from negative
dialogue can be quite critical. Running,
like meditation, provides the opportu-
nity and time to practice f lipping the
to positive, from internal script from negative to posi-
tive, from cutting to compassionate.
cutting to We tune in to the positive, and tune
out the negative. Have you ever noticed
compassionate.”
how much nicer you are to others after
a run, or even during a run? Marathon
and ultramarathon finish lines are the
perfect places to see this in action –
the human spirit rising above fear and
doubt to surpass all expectations.
30 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
THE EXTERNAL,
RELATIONAL
EXPERIENCE
OF RUNNING
The brain contains many intercon-
nected systems that allow us to engage
with our world socially through
relational experiences. Nike’s much-
anticipated Breaking2 event in 2016
provides a great example of our social
environment’s affect on the experi-
ence of running. Nike spent millions of
dollars working to create the optimal
external and internal environment
necessary for the world ’s greatest
distance runners to break the two-hour
marathon time barrier at the event
closed to the broader public. Although
legendary Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge came
close (at 2:00:25), he cited “missing the
crowd” for not breaking it, something
many first-time and veteran mara-
thoners can empathize with.
Much of how Kipchoge experienced
the event occurred in the limbic area of
his brain, which helps us gauge events,
such as running or interacting with
others or our environment. It helps
with motivation, exploration, creating
feelings of joy and sadness, as well as
our attachment to caregivers.
Oxytocin, a hormone and neuro-
transmitter in the brain, may help
facilitate human attachment and has
been found in higher levels in runners
during long distance runs. And just
as running increases our bonds with
one another, it also connects us with
Mother Nature. Our cortisol (the
hormone associated with stress) levels
decrease when we spend time outdoors.
Edward Wilson, an American biologist,
suggests that humans seek connection
with nature, that it is innate within us.
Ultrarunners, who spend many hours
in the woods, would likely attest to this.
Their internal experience is connected
to the landscape around them. While
running improves our ability to connect
with ourselves, others and the envi-
ronment, as well as helps to process
our experiences in the world, how does
this apply to the act of running itself,
namely, the seemingly transcendent
effect of the famous “runner’s high?”
 CHASING THE RUNNER’S LEFT, RIGHT, REPEAT:
HIGH AND WELL-BEING: BILATERAL MOVEMENT AND
STATE VERSUS TRAIT CHANGE THE RUNNERS HIGH
Scientists consider the merits of any activity thought to increase
health by whether it creates in-the-moment change, or state change,
versus long-lasting differences, or trait change. For example, medi-
tation has proven to change the brain during the meditative practice,
but also has a long-term positive effect on the brain. The runner’s
high can be seen as the state change we all hope to experience:
that in-the-moment euphoric presence that is a rare gift that both
running and mother nature provides, while generally improving
our feelings of well-being.
Abraham Maslow, famous for his “Hierarchy of Human Needs,”
described peak experiences as those that we feel when we are
performing at our best, fused with the environment around us,
curious, creative, spontaneous and expressive. For years, researchers
chased the runner’s high in labs, mistakenly thinking that control-
ling the internal variables of the runner (e.g., physique, cadence,
shoes, speed, duration) would lead to the right formula. But math is
human-made. As we’ve learned, our interactions within ourselves
and with our environment during a run cannot be defined solely by
inputs and outputs.
Endocannabinoids are thought to be a key runner’s high neurotrans-
mitter that supports pain-sensation, memory and mood. Vybarr
Cregan-Reid in his book, Footnotes: How Running Makes us Human,
suggests that for endocannabinoids to activate within the brain,
the run needs to be immersive, not instrumental, longer than
Michelle Simpson
40 minutes, not too fast and in a green space. What remains clear
is that the runner’s high, as it relates to in-the-moment change,
continues to be a unique experience, personal to each runner.
A particularly interesting explanation of the runner’s high and trait
change, or long-lasting feelings of wellness, could be associated with
how pounding the pavement, right-left, is a bilaterally stimulating
activity. Drumming, dancing and other bilateral activities, including
one type of mental health treatment, emdr (eye movement desensi-
tization reprocessing) therapy, activate both hemispheres of the brain
for more efficient and integrated processing of information. The right
hemisphere is connected with preverbal, holistic, symbolic, spatial
and subjective processing, while the left hemisphere is more verbal,
analytic, abstract, rational and objective. The ability to create long-
lasting changes in the brain toward greater awareness may be linked
to the bilateral stimulation inherent to running. We process informa-
tion more efficiently because we use both hemispheres – we see the
forest for the trees. This improved efficiency has also been linked to
a more robust insula, a part of the brain that helps to anticipate the
future from a more empathetic and wide-angle lens perspective. The
insula has also been linked to greater athletic performance because
it helps predict what competitors are going to do, and in response,
sends messages to the right muscles to engage in a way that gives
them an edge. Running not only makes you physically healthier
and a stronger competitor, but a more intelligent and compassionate
human being.
What reason do we have not to run?
Kristy McConnell is a Calgary area-based registered psychologist and founder
of Off the Beaten Path Psychology and Wellness (obpwellness.com), a therapy
practice that combines mental health treatment with running or walking.
runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 31
 George
Orton
CANADA’S FORGOTTEN
RUNNING LEGEND
Disabled at age three from a terrible accident, Orton became
the greatest Canadian athlete of his time
By Mark Hebscher
M
any years before Tom Hanks ran across the
silver screen as Forrest Gump, there lived a
real-life version of this movie character. His
name was George Orton, and in addition to becoming
the first disabled athlete to win an Olympic gold medal
(Steeplechase, 1900), he was a superstar before the term
became popular. And not just on the track. You’ve heard
of the term “Renaissance man?” Well, meet the original,
and don’t worry that you’ve never heard of him before.
His story was never told. He was about as modest as the
day is long, but he could run like the wind.
Rendered disabled at age three from a terrible accident,
and having lost the use of his right arm, doctors told
George Washington Orton that he would never walk
again. By age 12, he had miraculously recovered and went
on to become the most dominant athlete of his genera-
tion. As a distance runner and steeplechase champion,
he was without peer. He won seven Canadian champi-
onships, 17 U.S. National titles and a total of 131 races
from the 400m hurdles to the 10-mile run. His skills
in ice hockey and soccer were rarely matched. He was
brilliant, too; f luent in nine languages and armed with a
PhD in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania.
His revolutionary instructional books on track and field
reside in the U.S. Library of Congress. He innovated
32 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
sports and introduced the idea of placing numbers on
football jerseys so spectators could identify the players.
He popularized the use of a stopwatch to ensure proper
pace for track athletes. He introduced ice hockey to
Philadelphia, where he formed the first teams, created
the first league and was instrumental in building the first
indoor arena in the city. He founded the Philadelphia
Children’s Playground Association, started two summer
camps, coached championship track and field teams
and nurtured the UPenn Relays into a world-class track
meet. He taught and coached at some of the finest prep
schools, was a respected and eloquent writer and poet
and was enshrined in seven Halls of Fame, all posthu-
mously. Known as “Doc” Orton, he was born, raised and
educated in Canada, but nobody ever knew.
The year is 1900. The second Modern Olympic Games
is taking place in Paris. George Orton, of Strathroy,
Ont., is entered in three Olympic events: 400m hurdles,
2,500m steeplechase and 4,000m steeplechase. He’s also
entered in several handicap races, where, because of his
past performance, he must give time or distance to his
opponents because he is the “scratch.” Orton already
holds the Canadian record for the mile run: 4:21.8, set in
1892, when he was a 19-year-old student at the University
of Toronto. Now, as a 27-year-old and having long since
runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 33
graduated from UPenn, he is a well-rounded veteran of the track.
Sunday, July 15th was a brutally hot day in Paris. Olympic orga-
nizers decided to schedule the 400m hurdles and the 2,500m
steeplechase back-to-back on the program. Orton finished a close
third in the hurdles, becoming the first Canadian to win an Olympic
medal (although he likely wasn’t aware of its significance at the
time). Officials then gave him 45 minutes to prepare for the gruelling
2,500m steeplechase. Earlier in the week, writing in the Philadelphia
Inquirer, Orton predicted that he would win this race. But he did so
in a typically Canadian manner. “Orton,” he wrote, “has more speed
than the others, and, as he is a good jumper, should win, if in condi-
tion.” Not exactly a braggadocio-filled statement. This was typical,
vintage Orton: understated and unassuming.
The runners lined up for the steeplechase. Five laps around the
makeshift track in the Bois de Bologne, home of the Racing Club of
France, with 35 jumps over authentic stone walls that could not be
moved, thick hedges that were difficult to vault and one-metre-high
hurdles fashioned from stripped, wooden telephone poles. Finally,
an imposing and treacherous water jump greeted the runners near
the end of each lap. Orton, at 5'6" and 120 pounds, looked more like
a scholar than an athlete. His shrunken arm dangling by his side,
Orton squinted into the sun and immediately took the lead as the
gun sounded. He soon realized that his pace was more suited for
the 400m hurdles, and he backed off. If anyone knew about proper
pace, it was the man with a clock in his head. Orton had a seemingly
perfect sense of pace. It was innate. In most of his races, Orton would
conserve his energy by running perfectly timed intervals, falling
34 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
“Most distance runners of
the day lacked Orton’s discipline.
They ran as fast as they could
for as long as they could before
quitting or collapsing. Orton
ran like a man with ice water
coursing through his veins.
Cool as can be.”
behind, then finishing with a big kick, bolting past his startled oppo-
nents in dramatic fashion.
Most distance runners of the day lacked Orton’s discipline. They
ran as fast as they could for as long as they could before quitting or
collapsing. Orton ran like a man with ice water coursing through his
veins. Cool as can be, he would wait until the last possible moment
before making his move. And most of the time, it resulted in victory.
Orton was a brilliant mathematician and had diligently studied
and practiced proper pacing, Orton could read a field of runners and
know when to pick up his pace and when to back off. When certain
muscles fatigued, he knew to change his gait and apply less stress. He in 1878 and 1879. After he retired from racing, Pellatt built Casa Loma,
was one of the first on record to actually time his training intervals. Toronto’s famous 98-room Gothic Revival mansion.
Orton tried using a pocket watch initially, but the second hand was After Orton retired from racing, he went on to significantly
difficult to read and the watch too cumbersome. Orton felt that by inf luence 20th century sport and health. He invented a new way to
fumbling with it, he was losing a second or two. It’s possible that measure the long jump, was a staunch defender of equal rights for
his withered arm made it even more difficult, and he eventually women, the disabled and persons of colour. He even predicted that
scrapped the idea. Later, he learned that British military officers were a female swimmer could outrace her male counterparts in 1926 (she
using a newfangled way to tell the time while both hands were occu- did!). The list goes on.
pied: wristwatches. Orton fashioned a primitive one with leather So why have most Canadians never heard of Orton? Mostly
straps and began running with it, checking his intervals often. In because he never tooted his own horn. He had every reason to
later years, he became known as “the father of perfect pace.” boast about his accomplishments, but he never did. He was more
Spectators who attended the 2,500m steeplechase event likely at ease talking about the accomplishments of others and ending
didn’t give Orton much of a chance when they saw him running up in history’s dustbin. Once a superstar and recognized wherever
a distant fourth with one lap to go. He appeared to be struggling. he went, Orton faded so far into the background, he became the
Sidney Robinson, who had soundly defeated Orton a week earlier answer to a trivia question: who was the first Canadian to win an
at the English championships at Stamford Bridge, had the lead and Olympic gold medal? Had I not decided to unearth his long-buried
was running without distress. It was then that Orton made his move story and discover the richness of his life through some deep and
with an all-out sprint. Many in the crowd knew of Orton’s legendary enjoyable research, I likely would never have turned to physical
finishing kick and rose to their feet as the former UPenn runner gave fitness. Orton inspired me to get up off my butt and experience the
it the old college try. joy of running. When I began working on his story, I couldn’t run
Just then, the crowd lost sight of the runners, their views obstructed around the block. Now, thanks to George, I can go for an hour or
by a grove of trees at the far end of the track. In the confusion, some more without stopping.
spectators abandoned their vantage points to seek a better view, and So, the next time you go for a run, give a nod of thanks to a man who
inadvertently wandered onto the makeshift track. overcame adversity and literally hurdled over life’s major obstacles to
When the runners disappeared into the small forest, Orton was become the greatest athlete you’ve never heard of. Until now.
fourth; when they emerged, he was in the lead!
Many were certain that Orton had somehow lost the course and Mark Hebscher is the author of the biography The Greatest Athlete
taken a shortcut. It appeared to be an optical illusion. How did he (you’ve never heard of) published by Dundurn Press, 2019. Available online
make up so much ground so quickly? Per his usual M.O., Orton had and wherever fine books are sold.
timed his run perfectly, blowing past his rival Robinson with 100
yards to go. From there, he thundered down the stretch in front of
the cheering crowd like a runaway freight train, f lying over the final
hurdle, winning handily and setting a world record: seven minutes,
34 and four-fifth seconds.
At that very moment, George Washington Orton became the
greatest Canadian athlete since Confederation. Two Olympic medals
won in the span of 45 minutes.
Surely a hero’s welcome awaited back home.
Except that in 1900, there were no national teams. Nobody competed
for flag and country. That didn’t take place until 1908, when the
International Olympic Committee decided each competitor should
represent a particular nation. Since Orton had run as part of a delegation
from the University of Pennsylvania in 1900, the Americans retroac-
tively claimed him as one of their own, and for 70 years, the winner of
the 2,500m steeplechase was listed as “George Orton–usa.” Not until
Olympic researchers discovered in the early 1970s that Orton was born
and raised in Canada did the medals count toward the Canadian total.
Orton had passed away in 1958, at age 85. Nobody notified his family
about the change. Orton became the first Canadian to win an Olympic
gold medal, but nobody noticed. He was inducted into the Canadian
Sports Hall of Fame, yet nobody bothered to get in touch with his family.
When it came time to use a picture of Orton to accompany his incred-
ible news story, they used a photo of Orton’s brother, Irvine, by mistake.
Misidentification would become a prominent theme in Orton’s life.
In the ensuing years, very little was written about George Orton,
and most of it false. Many so-called “experts” refuse to acknowledge
Orton as a Canadian. Even though he moved to Philadelphia at the
age of 20, he always considered himself a Canadian. He fathered three
daughters, one of whom was born in Toronto. In his revolutionary
instructional book Distance and Cross Country Running, published in
1903, Orton praises the great Canadian champions who preceded him,
including Henry Pellatt, the Canadian and U.S. one-mile champion

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 35

 The Ultimate
Performance
Enhancer
SUPERCHARGE YOUR RUNNING GAME
WHILE YOU SLEEP

By Christie Aschwanden

W
SLEEP hen I began researching my new book,
Good to Go: What the Athlete in All
of Us Can Learn from the Strange
Consider a 2015 that study that examined
the relationship between sleep and suscep-
tibility to the common cold. Researchers
Science of Recovery, I was hopeful that I began by tracking the sleep patterns of 164
would find some superpowers in at least a people over the course of a week. Then they
few of the trendy new recovery products that brought these volunteers into the lab and
had provided an impetus for the book. So I gave them nasal drops containing a cold
dug into the research and consulted with the virus to see who would get sick. The volun-
world’s top exercise scientists and even tried teers who skimped on sleep the previous
out some of the latest goods – from cryo- week were much more likely to develop a
therapy to pneumatic compression boots and cold than those who’d been getting a full
foam rollers. And when it was all said and night’s rest. Less than twenty per cent of the
done, I’d found that there was one thing that people who’d averaged seven or more hours
did indeed possess almost magical recovery of sleep per night the previous week got the
powers: sleep. sniff les, but 45 per cent of those who’d slept
This result was at once disappointing and five or fewer hours came down with a cold.
reassuring. The secret to optimal recovery Many of us seem to aim to get the least
was something I’d known all along, yet it was
comforting to realize that it was also simple,
free and readily attainable. Getting a good
sleep is a little bit like eating your vegeta- “Naps have become
bles; we know it’s a sensible way to promote
good health, but we’re still hoping there’s popular among elite
some hack to get us there faster or with more
panache. Sleep is boring, and it takes time – athletes as a way to
ideally something like a third of our day –
but it turns out that it’s also absolutely essen- recharge between
tial for recovery and athletic performance,
running included.
workouts. Skier Mikaela
During deep sleep, your body releases
growth hormone, testosterone and other
Shiffrin, a two-time
substances that enhance the repair of muscle
damage produced by exercise. This repair
Olympic gold medalist,
process not only helps you feel better, but
it’s also part of what makes you faster and
even takes a quick
stronger. Cut back on sleep, and you miss
out. One study of healthy young men found
snooze in between ski runs
that when they restricted their sleep to five during competition.”
hours per night for a week, their testosterone
dropped 10 to 15 per cent.
Depriving yourself of sleep doesn’t
Russ Tudor

just leave you feeling run down, it could

also increase your chances of getting sick.

36 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

amount of sleep we can get by on,
which, not surprisingly, runs coun-
terintuitive to what your body needs.
Sleep researcher Cheri Mah has done
studies with basketball players, swim-
mers, tennis players and footballers at
Stanford University and found that
when they forced themselves to get
more sleep, their performance notice-
ably improved. For instance, basketball
players who committed to spending
10 hours in bed resting or sleeping
every night during the season ended
up sleeping about 80 minutes longer
than they had previously. The players
also improved their reaction times and
shooting performance and reported
increased alertness and elevated moods.
runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 37

“If sleep deprivation University
Steve Magness is a track coach at the
of Houston who also coaches
continues, your biological aseason,
small group of elite runners. One
he asked his collegiate runners
urge to sleep is blunted, so toa bunch
use an app that allowed them to track
of factors that might influence
we don’t feel as sleepy as performance. At the end of the year, he
found that sleep was the only thing that
we should…people who are predicted how a runner would perform
on a given day. The simple lesson: when
chronically sleep deprived you’re rested, you’re ready to run.
Sleep is also essential for clear
lose sight of how impaired thinking and cognition because it
allows your brain to perform cleanup
they are. Those who claim duty, ridding the brain of debris that
that they’re fine on six accumulates during the day. Research
published in 2014 by scientists at
the University of Rochester Medical
hours of sleep? They’re just Center suggested that the brain clears
better at functioning in an system,
metabolic waste via the glymphatic
which does much of its work
impaired state.” on sleep, this janitorial service of sorts
while we snooze. When you’re short
doesn’t have time to finish the job, so
rubbish can build up in your brain. One
38 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
Tips to Getting a
GOOD
NIGHT’S
REST
• Maintain a regular bedtime
• Meditate before going to bed
• Reduce screen time in the evening
• Use sleep-tracking apps
as motivation
• Take short power naps
early in the day
study compared the impairments induced by
sleep loss to those brought on by drinking
alcohol. When it came to tests of reaction
time, attention and sleepiness, people who’d
slept only six hours performed similarly to
people who’d downed two or three beers,
while those trying to get by on only four
hours of shut-eye produced performances
similar to drinking five or six beers.
But here’s the really scary thing: chronic
sleep deprivation robs you of your ability
to detect the impairments you’re walking
around with in your zombie state. Studies
have shown that after one night of shortened
sleep, we really feel it, but if sleep depri-
vation continues, your biological urge to
sleep is blunted, so we don’t feel as sleepy
as we should, according to University of
Pennsylvania sleep researcher Sigrid Veasey.
As a result, people who are chronically sleep
deprived lose sight of how impaired they are.
Those people who claim that they’re fine on
six hours of sleep? They’re just better at func-
tioning in an impaired state.
You probably don’t need a scientific study
to tell you that when you’re sleep deprived,
you become cranky, tired and less capable of
handling stress, which is just one more way in
which chronic sleep deprivation cuts into your
recovery and therefore running performance.
When it comes to recovery, overall life stress is
as energy-sapping as a hard workout, and sleep
deprivation is its own source of stress.
Despite all this evidence about the impor-
tance of sleep, it’s easy to give it short shrift
when there are so many more interesting
things vying for your attention. In 2014,
researchers from Utrecht University in the
Netherlands published a study describing
something called “bedtime procrastination,”
which they defined as “failing to go to bed at
Russ Tudor
the intended time, while no external circum-
stances prevent a person from doing so.” You
know what they’re talking about if you’ve ever
put off bedtime to finish one more episode on
“When it came exact numbers. The accuracy of these trackers can
vary a lot, and they’re best used to get a general sense
Netflix or check your social media feeds.
That said, it’s not always possible to get
to tests of reaction of how much you’re sleeping; they can’t give you
good readings on how much of the various stages of
perfect sleep every night, and it’s especially
common to feel a little restless the night
time, attention and sleep you’ve had, and should be thought of as an esti-
mate, Bender says. The advent of sleep trackers has
before a race. That’s OK, says Amy Bender,
a sleep scientist based in Calgary who’s
sleepiness, people made anxiety about sleep numbers common enough
that researchers have given it a name – orthosomnia.
studied sleep as it applies to athletes. What’s
most important is your regular, overall sleep
who’d slept only six The solution is to find ways to relax before you sleep,
such as meditation and reduced screen time before
patterns. Just as one doughnut won’t blow hours performed bed, and know that if you’re spending enough hours
your whole diet, nor will a single night of bad in bed, you’ll likely start catching more Zs.
sleep throw your performance off. similarly to people
Still, you shouldn’t kid yourself that you Christie Aschwanden is the author of Good to Go:
can make up for poor sleep during the week who’d downed two What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn From the
by sleeping in on your days off. A University Strange Science of Recovery and a former health
of Colorado study found that people who or three beers.” columnist at The Washington Post.
were restricted to sleeping only five hours
per night gained weight and experienced
metabolic issues like decreased insulin
sensitivity, and these problems weren’t
eliminated by catching up on sleep over the
weekend. “Burning the candle during the
week and trying to make up for it on the
weekend is not an effective health strategy,”
says author Kenneth Wright, an integrative
physiology professor and director of the Sleep
and Chronobiology Lab at the University of
Colorado Boulder.
If you can’t get enough sleep at night, your
best bet is a nap. If you’re worried about
waking up feeling groggy, try a coffee nap:
drink a cup of coffee (or tea) before going
down for 20 or 30 minutes. You’ll wake up
just as the caffeine’s effects are hitting their
peak. (Just don’t do this too late in the day,
or you might disrupt your ability to sleep
that night.) Naps have become popular among
elite athletes as a way to recharge between
workouts. Skier Mikaela Shiffrin, a two-time
Olympic gold medalist, even takes a quick
snooze in between ski runs during competi-
tion. Initially, some of her teammates on the
U.S. ski team pooh-poohed her napping habit,
she told me, but they’ve since come around.
Prioritizing sleep is probably the most
important thing an athlete can do when
getting ready to perform. Sleep should be as
non-negotiable as your training. Maintain
a regular bedtime, and make your bedroom
sleep-friendly by keeping it dark, cool and quiet
during sleep hours. Use blackout curtains or an
eye mask if necessary during long summer
nights. Keep your phone out of the bedroom,
and turn your clock so that you can’t watch
the minutes ticking by in the event that you
wake up during the night. Anxiety about being
awake can create a feedback loop that makes
insomnia worse, Bender says.
Go ahead and use your sports watch or
similar device to track your sleep if they help
make sleep a priority, but don’t fixate on the

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 39

 T H E M A D N E S S T H AT IS
T H E SPE E D PROJ EC T A N D WH Y T H E R E ’ S
N O R ACE L I K E I T O N E A RT H

40 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

Story by Dan Dakin
Photos by Cédric Bonel
“There was madness in
any direction, at any hour.
You could strike sparks
anywhere. There was a
fantastic universal sense
that whatever we were
doing was right, that we
were winning.”
Hunter S. Thompson, author:
FEAR AND LOATHING IN L AS VEGAS
O
ne can excuse Dave P roctor
for thinking that what he was
witnessing on that blisteringly
hot day in the Nevada desert was simply
a hallucination. It couldn’t have been
real, right? Surely it must have been the
result of running on insanely hot pave-
ment under a scorching afternoon sun.
With abandoned buildings shim-
mering on the horizon of yet another
nameless desert town, Proctor suddenly
smelled the unmistakable sour odour of
weed. As sweat poured down his face,
he turned to look behind him and saw
a black limousine approaching at a pace
that would have been seriously creepy
in any other situation.
The ageing limo had seen better days,
but it appeared as though the vehi-
cle’s occupants had not. On the roof,
a man lay back sunbathing. Inside the
limo’s smoky interior, another fellow,
held a bottle of something that likely
wasn’t filled with water.
Suddenly the man inside pulled out a
video camera and started interviewing
Proctor. But there was only one thought
racing through the runner’s head at that
moment: “This is nuts.”
The Calgary man’s experience in
April 2018 would have seemed drug-or
lack-of-sleep-induced in just about
any other circumstance, but this was
The Speed Project 4.0, and if the first
three editions of this bizarre running
race from the Santa Monica Pier to the
famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign
had taught people anything, it was to
expect the unexpected.
When Nils Arend and Blue Benadum
launched The Speed Project in 2013,
they never had the intention of turning
it into some sort of must-do on every
ultramarathoner’s bucket list. It was
just Arend, Benadum and four other
elite runners who thought they would
take on a crazy adventure and run the
550 kilometres between Los Angeles
and Las Vegas. The team recorded a
short documentary about the experi-
ence, and not surprisingly, that led to
others wanting to take part.
“We never set out to make it a
race,” Arend says. “We felt like we
had this special experience ourselves
and that we had a responsibility to
share that with others, under specific
circumstances.”
Three years after that first run, in
March 2016, six mixed-gender teams
took part in The Speed Project 2.0.
The field that year included the first
Canadians – the Manic Run Club out
of Toronto.
The instructions given to those six
teams were pretty basic: get from Los
Angeles to Las Vegas in as fast a time
as possible using only their feet. And if
the goal was to break the existing time
record set by Arend and the others, the
team would have to be comprised of six
people with at least two females.
And that’s pretty much it when it
comes to The Speed Project. There’s
no set route. No minimum number of
relay legs each runner must complete.
No set distances they need to cover.
There’s also no water stations, chip
timing or pre-race expo. You may find
it difficult to find that info, however,
because there’s also no official website.
Looking for past race results, entry lists
or a registration form? Good luck.
“There’s something about the things
that are not easy to get,” Arend says
about the lack of information online.
“If you limit access to certain things, it
automatically makes people curious.
If we put it all out there, it would lose
some magic. At the end of the day, it’s
a filtering process.”
Like the Barkley Marathons, a lack of
information on a non-traditional race
runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 41
 hasn’t stopped its growth.
The Speed Project 3.0 grew to more
than 20 teams in 2017, including
Toronto’s Manic Club for the second
time.
Proctor, the man behind Outrun
Rare, an organization dedicated to
raising awareness and funds for the
Rare Disease Foundation, won a
contest to join the Calgary Marathon’s
Speed Project 4.0 entry in 2018.
“I thought it would be a blast doing
a relay,” he says. “I figured it would be
about high-fiving the next guy, being
in a smelly RV, chomping away on
potato chips all day, drinking half a
beer and then, when it’s your turn, you
hammer again.”
Of all the people who could handle
something as extreme as The Speed
Project, Proctor is it. He holds the
world record for the furthest distance
run on a treadmill in 24 hours at 260.4
km and last year he attempted to break
the cross-Canada speed record.
The Speed Project, as it turns out,
was a whole other level of crazy.
“I remember thinking, ‘how can an
event like this be allowed to go on?’”
he laughs. “How has this not been shut
down? How has someone not died
doing this?”
Crazy as it might be, The Speed
Project is more popular than ever. After
40 teams entered the 2018 edition,
42 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
Arend decided that’s about as many
as the race could accommodate, so it
remained about the same for the 2019
version that started on March 29.
When nearly 100 teams requested
entry, it was the job of Arend and
Benadum to whittle that down to
the chosen few. Not surprisingly, his
outlook on picking teams isn’t black
and white.
“If you picture yourself being the
front person of a nightclub, you have
a responsibly to make a good party
inside,” he says. “A good party is about
having the right ratio of people who are
interesting, a little crazy, people there
to dance, people there to spend money,
and people just there to go to the bar.
“We have to create an atmosphere
among the athletes and their spirits.
Our main judgement is their moti-
vation for participating, and we’ve
stayed true to the tradition of bringing
different cultures together.”
The race’s secret sauce is the wide
variety of athletic abilities between the
teams, but the top end of the field keeps
getting faster. In 2019, two teams shat-
tered the former course record including
the winning team known as brs, which
averaged a ridiculously fast 3:24 per
kilometre, finishing the 550-kilometre
route in 31:15:58. That’s more than 20
hours faster than the final team to touch
the Welcome to Vegas sign.
“ TH ER E’ S
SOME THIN G
ABOUT THE THINGS
THAT AR E NOT
E A SY TO GE T. IF
YO U LIMIT ACCE SS
T O C E R TA I N
THINGS , IT
AU TOM ATIC ALLY
M AK E S PEO PL E
CURIOUS.
IF WE PUT IT
ALL OUT THERE,
IT WO U LD LOSE
SOME M AGIC .”
Nils Arend,
THE SPEED PROJECT CO-FOUNDER
 A team of 10 runners based out of
Montreal known as Team Yamajo
represented Canada, which ended up
17th overall and third among 10-person
mixed teams. The group shattered their
50-hour target by finishing in a time of
44:04. For team captain Marjorie Jean-
Louis, it was an experience that will
likely never be duplicated.
“It’s so unique and different and very
random,” she says. “It’s hard to take
it all in. Everyone lived a completely
different race, but we all shared that
experience together.”
Part of Yamajo’s mandate as a
running club is to travel around the
world meeting other runners and
welcoming those who visit Montreal.
It is for this reason, perhaps, that team
member Pierre-Alexandre Cardinal
says The Speed Project “creates an
ethos about how we relate to each other
and what’s around us.”
“It’s refreshing in an environment
that is often ultra-regulated, in which
everything is defined, clear and very
polished, and in a sport in which
performance was the only thing to
care about for the longest time, to see
events such as this popping up,” he
says. “tsp is a trail-blazing event. It is
how culture is made.”
Arend is just fine that the lack of
polish doesn’t always sit well with
traditionalists.
“Our goal is not to be liked by every-
body. We’ve done things in the past
that are disruptive and we’ve stepped
on people’s toes, including Canadians’
toes,” he says, laughing. (In a somewhat
appropriate answer to the question of
how many Canadian teams have partic-
ipated in The Speed Project, Arend says.
“I can’t tell you an exact number. Our
database is a little spotty. But we love
the spirit Canadians bring.”)
Polished or not, as Cardinal, Jean-
Louis, their teammates, Proctor and
all the runners who came before them,
and even the OG Speed Project runners
runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 43
44 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
 discovered, there’s a lot of nothingness
between LA and Vegas.
But it is while suffering in those
vast stretches of Martian landscape
that most runners experience almost a
religious-like awakening. And it’s not
just a result of the smoke pouring out
of the limousine windows.
“Running in the immensity of the
desert, feeling gusts of cool wind that
bathe Death Valley Road, seeing the
glistening white sand dunes and iconic
rock formations; being witness to lakes
that once were and salt flats that once
were not; seeing and feeling that slow
“ IT ’ S R EFR E SHIN G passage of time, both at a human and a
IN AN ENVIRO NMENT natural level, is definitely something to
remain in awe of,” says Cardinal. “It’s
T HAT IS O F T EN a feeling that can only leave you with
U LT R A- R EG U L AT ED, gratitude for the opportunity to be
there at that particular time, a witness
IN WHICH E VERY THING IS to time and space.”
DEFIN ED, CLE AR Of course, any thoughts of The
Speed Project being some sort of come-
AN D VERY POLISH ED, to-Jesus moment likely go out the
AN D IN A SP ORT IN window at the race’s legendary post-
race party.
WHICH PER FO R M ANCE Proctor called it a “crazy pool party”
in the penthouse of an unnamed Vegas
WA S T H E O N LY T H I N G TO hotel. Perhaps more “The Hangover”
CARE ABOUT FO R than Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
“It’s one of those things where you get
THE LONGE ST TIME .” off the airplane at home and think ‘I can’t
Pierre-Alexandre Cardinal, believe that just happened,’” he says. “I
TEAM YAMAJO FROM MONTREAL wouldn’t exchange it for anything. I’ll
never regret it, but it was insane.”
As for The Speed Project 6.0, Arend
is non-committal.
“At the end of the day, this is all
driven by the idea,” he says. “How can
we maintain the core of it? How can we
be surprising in our own ways? How
can we challenge the ones who have
been here before?”
“Ultimately, we always think, ideate
and consider if we should f lip it on its
head, run it somewhere else or just
make Speed Project bandanas instead,”
he adds. If there is a 2020 edition of
the race, you’re on your own to figure
out how to apply. “We don’t really
announce when, where or how to
apply,” says Arend. “You have to be
motivated to figure that out.”
Cardinal’s advice to those fortunate
enough to race The Speed Project is to
enjoy the mind-warp that comes with
the stillness and emptiness of running
through the desert.
“It makes you feel so small and so
free. There are no aid stations, hardly a
race director, no start corrals, no f lags
to show you the way. You just go from
Point A to B and trust others will do
the same,” he says.
When speaking with Arend, one
gets the sense that The Speed Project’s
days of madness en route to Sin City
aren’t over yet.
As Hunter S. Thompson wrote, “We’d
be fools not to ride this strange torpedo
all the way out to the end.”
An award-winning former newspaper
reporter, Dakin is a freelance journalist
based in Ontario’s Niagara region.
runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 45
 Gear

1 2 3

46 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

 gear
summer apparel

SUMMER
RUNNING
in the City
Style meets comfort under the sun

Photos by Jess Baumung

1. DAVID
• Nike Tech Knit Tank Top
• Reebok Running
7" Woven Short
• Nike Air Zoom
Pegasus 36 Shoes

2. MAHSA
• Lululemon Swiftly Tech
Racerback Tank Top
• Reebok Running Hero
Racer Padded Bra
• Under Armour Qualifier
Speedpocket 2-in-1 Shorts
• New Balance 880v9 Shoes

3. JOSIE
• Arc’teryx Tolu Tank
• Brooks 2-in-1 Rep
3" Run Short
• Arc’teryx Norvan
SL Shoes

4
4. NATE
• Asics Gel-Cool Sleeveless
• Asics 5" Short
• Asics Meta Ride Shoes

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 47

gear
summer apparel

JOSIE
“I really lean on my
running club family to
get through those hot
and humid weekend
long runs. I learn to
ease up the pace and
plot a route where
you can hit the most
splash pads.”

• Reebok Smartvent Tank Top

• New Balance Impact Shorts
• Nike Air Zoom Pegasus
36 Trail Shoes

OPPOSITE
DAVID

• Under Armour Rush Tee

MAHSA

• New Balance Q Speed

Run Crew Tank
• Arc’teryx Taema Shorts

N AT E

• Asics Seamless Short Sleeve

• Asics Men’s 5" Short
• Asics Gel DS Trainer
24 Shoes

48 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

 gear
summer apparel

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 49

gear
summer apparel

MAHSA
“Running in the city is
refreshing. Your winter blues
melt away in the warm
summer air. ”

• Lululemon Swiftly Tech Racerback Tank Top

• Reebok Running Hero Racer Padded Bra
• Under Armour A Qualifier Speedpocket
2-in-1 Shorts
• New Balance 880v9 Shoes

50 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

 gear
summer apparel

OPPOSITE RIGHT+
BOTTOM BELOW
N AT E DAVID

• Serengeti Bergamo • Bollé Aeromax

Sunglasses Sunglasses
• Lululemon Fast and
Free Long Sleeve
• Salomon Sense Short
• Under Armour
HOVR Velocity
2 Shoes

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 51

gear
summer apparel

SUNGLASSES

• Smith Caper

MASHA

• New Balance Impact

Mesh Tank
• Reebok Hero
Racer Bra
• Lululemon Fast &
Free Shorts
• Asics dynaflyte
3 Shoes

JOSIE

• Under Armour Qualifier

HexDelta Tee
• Salomon Agile
2 in 1 Short
• Brooks Glycerine
17 Shoes

N AT E

• Asics Gel-Cool
Sleeveless
• Asics 5" Short
• Asics Meta Ride Shoes

52 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

 gear
summer apparel

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 53

gear
summer apparel

54 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

 gear
summer apparel

NATE
“I run because
it clears my head,
allows me to
challenge myself
beyond ways I’d
ever imagine.
One of my
favourite parts of
summer training
is getting super
sweaty, knowing
I had a productive
workout.”

• Asics Gel Cool Short Sleeve

• Asics Split Short
• Asics Gel-DS Train Shoes

DAVID
“Running allows
me to explore
parts of the city
that I haven’t
experienced while
enjoying the
benefit of keeping
fit and part of a
super supportive
community of
people who share
common goals.”

• Arc’teryx Motus
Crew Short Sleeve
• Brooks Cascadia 7" 2-in-1
Short, in ‘Asphalt’
• Reebok Forever Floatride
Energy Shoes

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 55

gear
summer apparel

SHOES

• The North Face

Flight Trinity

JOSIE DAVID

• Arc’teryx Tolu Tank • Nike Tech Knit

• Brooks 2-in-1 Rep 3" Tank Top
Run Short • Reebok Running 7"
Woven Short
• Nike Air Zoom
Pegasus 36 Shoes

56 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

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Register for Canada’s most inspiring race! armyrun.ca

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running bras
Running Bra Our Testers
Reviews ANNE is a web editor at
Canadian Running who ran the
Boston Marathon this Spring.
Eight competitive and recreational runners test
these 2019 running bra offerings to help you KERRY is an avid runner,
find just the right support, comfort and style
this running season
mother and lawyer
from Montreal.
MADELEINE Is a competitive
800m runner and web editor
with Canadian Running.
1 1
KRISTIN is a Toronto-based
trail runner and high
school teacher.
CATHERINE is a competitive
cross-country runner based
in western Canada.
LUCY is a high-school
middle-distance track and
cross-country athlete
from Toronto.
MELODY is a recreational
runner, teacher and photog-
rapher from New Brunswick.
MELANIE is a competitive
masters road and trail
runner, and a former
Canadian National Alpine
Ski Team member.
2 3
58 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5
SHOCK
ABSORBER
ULTIMATE
RUN BRA
(PADDED)
$54
Tester MADELEINE
Support
Comfort
Style
“This bra is ideal for the highest-
impact activities. I was new
to wearing a sports bra with
a clasp that was sized like a
regular bra.
“The fit was perfect, the exact
same as my bra size, and it really
kept everything in place while I
worked out. My only issue is that
it’s somewhat difficult to put
on. Because the neck clasp in the
back is so high up, it’s harder
to reach. Beyond that hurdle, this
bra is one of the best in the
business. If you’re looking to feel
very supported on your toughest
runs, this bra is for you.”
 gear
running bras

NEW BROOKS ASICS BROOKS

BALANCE FAST TANRAN UPLIFT
HIGH FORWARD BRA CROSS-
IMPACT CROSS- BACK
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2 3 4 5
$55–$65 $35–$40 $75 $50
Tester CATHERINE Tester LUCY Tester KERRY Tester KRISTIN
Support Support Support Support
Comfort Comfort Comfort Comfort
Style Style Style Style

“I tried the High Impact bra on
some of my speedier tempo runs,
and it provided strong support
through the back and full coverage
in the front. I also found the strap
lining felt comfortable with no
chafing. A nice bra, but not sure
how it would hold up in terms
comfort in the summer heat.”
“It’s a nice bra for all sorts of “This bra is ideal for fall through
runs, ranging from short to long. spring weather, but it’s not as
It supports very well and has a comfortable in warm weather – it
stylish look, but it’s a bit tight fits me high up on my chest, which
around the rib cage and pinches gives great support and provides
somewhat. Overall, a great ideal coverage for 5–15K runs.
stylish supportive bra.” “I found it pinched a bit along
the seams across the bottom
sides, but it wasn’t that noticeable
while I was running.
“Overall, the bra’s support was
excellent and provided really
good coverage on the sides and
under my arms, which is often a
4 challenge for me to find.”
“I took this bra out for a 20K trail
run and a 10K tempo run, and I
didn’t notice the bra at all during
either run (a sign of a good sports
bra). There are no obvious seams
that could lead to chafing, and
the fit and support were fantastic.
The colour and design make it
supportive (but not too “bra-like“)
but nice enough to be able to wear
on its own if the weather gets hot
and you need to take off your shirt.
“A small pocket for a key would
be a nice addition, but overall, a
great fit at a reasonable price.”

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 59

gear
running bras

7
UNDER
ARMOUR
RUSH
6
SPORTS
BRA
6
$55
Tester ANNE
Support
Comfort
Style

“Under Armour’s Rush Sports is very

9 comfortable and looks good. The
front is designed to look like the type
of bra tops worn by elite runners
while racing, which I like, meaning
it comes up high at the neck and
comes down fairly low on the torso. I
8 want to know that I can wear it on its
own if necessary in warm weather,
and that would be no problem with
this bra (it does gape slightly at the
neck, but that’s a minor complaint).
The keyhole design on the back
of the bra is pretty.
“I don’t like having to put it
on and take it off over my head,
but come to think of it, I assume
it’s because a fastener would intro-
!1 duce the potential for chafing.”

BROOKS
JUNO
BRA
!0 7
$70
Tester MELODY
Support
Comfort
Style

“I liked the Juno a lot. The moulded

cups held everything in place nicely
on a few speedy workouts. The
clasps at the back were a bit finicky
when putting it on, but a relatively
minor complaint. It’s really
suitable for women with larger
chests who are looking for more
coverage. It’s fashionable, too.
The ice colour looks great.”

60 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

 reviews

SALOMON NEW BALANCE

The Greatest
Athlete (you’ve

MOVE'ON MEDIUM never heard of)

Mark Hebscher (with Ron MacLean)

BRA IMPACT
Dundurn Press

8 to win an Olympic gold
$46
Tester MADELEINE
Support
Comfort
Style
“This was my first time wearing a
Solomon sports bra, and I loved it.
The seamless construction meant no
chafing, and the cups were remov-
able, ideal for me as I don’t love
heavily padded sports bras. The
thick straps kept everything in place
without feeling restrictive.
“I wore this bra running and weight
training, and it had enough support to
handle both activities. This medium
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endowed woman, a lower impact
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Q SPEED
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Tester CATHERINE
Support
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Style
“This bra offers a great combination of
form and function. Its full coverage and
thick chest band provide good support
for small-to-medium chests. The mesh
back and cutouts make the bra breath-
able and stylish. The removable cup
pads give you options when it comes to
comfort and modesty. This bra is great
for most types of activity and stood up to
moderate-intensity running.”
Who was the first Canadian
medal? The answer is George Washington
Orton. Yet when longtime Canadian sports
media figure Mark Hebscher was asked this
simple trivia question, he had no idea it
would lead him on a two-year odyssey to
unravel Orton’s amazing life story.
Paralyzed as a child and told he would
never walk again, George Washington Orton
persevered, eventually becoming the greatest
distance runner of his generation, a world-class
hockey player and brilliant scholar. Orton’s
1900 Paris Olympic medals were credited to
the United States for seven decades before the
mistake was uncovered and rectified. Yet he is
still virtually unknown in Canada.
Finally, Orton’s amazing life story is
being told.
Good to Go:
What the Athlete
in All of Us Can
Learn from the

LULULEMON
bras that you have to remove over- Strange Science
head, this bra isn’t for you because it of Recovery

ENLITE
doesn’t have any clasps.” Christie Aschwanden
Penguin Random House Canada

UNDER BRA ZIP A New York Times bestseller, Good to Go is an

FRONT
eye-opening exploration of how the human

ARMOUR
body can best recover and adapt to sports and
fitness training.

WARP !1 In recent years, recovery has become a

$108 sports and f it ness buzzword . A nyone

KNIT HIGH
Tester MELANIE who works out or competes at any level is
Support bombarded with the latest recovery products

IMPACT
Comfort and services.
Style In Good to Go, acclaimed FiveThirtyEight

BRA “Stylish, nice-looking bra, but definitely

9 the support band underneath isn’t strong
$50–$55
Tester MELODY
Support
Comfort
Style
“This sports bra provides good
support and the cut is flattering,
although there’s a bit too much
material. The front comes down low
enough to wear with a v-neck, and
could be worn during the day as a
regular supportive bra that can then
transfer to a supportive exercise bra.”
made for lower impact activities because
enough to prevent slipping. The zipper
isn’t ideal for a running bra, and I would
worry about chafing over long distances
at the top of the zipper. It would also
be nice if you had the option of taking
the padding out.”—CR
science writer Christie Aschwanden takes
readers on an entertaining and enlight-
ening tour through this strange world. She
investigates whether drinking Gatorade or
beer after training helps or hinders perfor-
mance; she examines the latest trends
among athletes, from nfl star Tom Brady’s
infrared pyjamas to gymnast Simone Biles’s
pneumatic compression boots to swimmer
Michael Phelps’s “cupping” ritual; and
she tests some of the most controversial
methods herself, including cryo chambers,
f loat tanks and infrared saunas.
At a time when the latest recovery products
and services promise so much, Good to Go
seeks answers to the fundamental question:
Do any of them actually help the body recover
and achieve peak performance?—DC

runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 61

club scene

East Laurier
Running Club
An inclusive, bilingual run crew focused
on good vibes and post-run beers

By Melissa Offner

T he Plateau-Mont-Royal is one of the trendiest neighbourhoods in Montreal thanks to

its plethora of bars, restaurants and shops. It’s also an area of town where pedestrians
and cyclists get priority on the road, making it the perfect home base for a run crew.
not because we are supported by a brand or
anything fancy,” Gagnon-Levert says.
Speaking of family vibes, each year, East
Initially founded in 2013 by Jean-Philippe Lalonde and now led by two local female Laurier puts on a five-to-seven-kilometre
runners, Élise Gagnon-Levert and Chloé Allard, the East Laurier Running Club meets up alleycat race (i.e. unsanctioned) called La
weekly either at Laurier Park or Bar Chez Baptiste during the winter, both located in the Classique Sir Wilfrid Laurier, followed by a
heart of the Plateau. bbq in Laurier Park. They’re also preparing
Every Tuesday, 25 to 50 runners of all levels gather for a six-to-nine-kilometre shuff le for the second annual Bridge mtl, a 10k run
around the neighbourhood. With the routes changing weekly, Gagnon-Levert and Chloé across four bridges in Montreal that takes
Allard showcase some of the city’s most beautiful landscapes, such as Mont Royal and many place at night during the summer. The crew
of its parks, thus attracting not only locals but organizes cheer squads for races around
even some out-of-towners. The club is free of EAST LAURIER the city and will go to the U.S. in October
charge and strives for inclusion. “We aim to RUNNING CLUB to support club members running in the
demonstrate that running is a democratic MONTREAL, QUEBEC Chicago Marathon.
and social sport,” say run leader Gagnon- At the end of the day, it’s all about those
Levert. “East Laurier provides a community Club Stats good running vibes. “We share our passion
Laurie Illan, Raymond Lanctot

space to connect with inspiring Montrealers for running, we support each other and we
and international runners alike.” FOUNDED 2013 are always happy to share a beer,” concludes
The French-and-English-speaking club MEMBERS 80 Gagnon-Levert concludes.
members also enjoy sticking around for post- INSTAGRAM @eastlaurierrunningclub
run beers. “For many of us, East Laurier is FACEBOOK @eastlaurierrunningclub Melissa Offner is a television and podcast host, leader
more than a running thing; it feels like we are STRAVA eastlaurier of the North Vancouver run crew RUNDISTRIKT
a big family. People stick around by osmosis, and a regular contributor to Canadian Running.

62 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

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runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 63

crossing the line

By Annie Gelinas

Running I am what you might call an involuntary

nomad. My life and work have taken me to
places I never thought I would visit, and cities I
made me feel as though I was part of a community.
I also found that running brought a much-needed
routine to my life and helped me feel grounded at a

Back never thought I would settle in. But after 15 years

of living away from home, moving around England
and the Middle East, I finally set my backpack down
time when everything was up in the air. Running
gave purpose to each day; a reassuring feeling in
packing up my gym bag and planning my days, my

Home and decided to return to my native Canada. I figured

How dusting off my
training plan helped
me get to grips with
life in a new country
going home would be just like putting on an old pair
of slippers. I was wrong. Everything that should
have felt familiar and reassuring just didn’t. Luckily,
this wasn’t my first rodeo. Once I recovered from
the initial shock, I decided that the best way to get
over feeling lost and overwhelmed was to pick up
my running shoes and start training.
For me, mapping out running routes is always
the best way to get to your bearings in a new place,
so I researched running trails in Quebec City and
tested them out. Some worked out great, others
not so much. Despite getting lost, running the
wrong way along cycling lanes and being honked at
repeatedly when forgetting that Canada drives on
the right-hand side, I eventually managed to find
my way around my new neighbourhood. I spotted
my local shops and stumbled upon breathtaking
views at my doorstep. I ran along the Plains of
Abraham, the site of the historic battle between
French and English in the 18th century. I struggled
against the wind along the St. Lawrence River and
marvelled at the Parc de la Chaudiere waterfalls,
which I discovered by chance on a lunchtime run
in between meetings.
Training also got me talking to complete strangers.
Ask a question about where to run, and a whole
community awakens to give you advice you didn’t
know you needed, such as which trail to avoid if
you don’t want to step in poison ivy. Even the subtle
runner’s nod, common when passing another runner,
meals, my training sessions. I spent most of my
waking hours feeling clueless about everything:
How to fill my tax report, what goes in the recycling
bin. But with running, I knew what I was doing. I
was following a set plan. With running, I had focus.
Running also helped me face the Quebec winter.
After 15 years in warmer climates, I was apprehensive
and utterly convinced I would spend it barricaded
inside with a warm blanket and a pantry full of food
supplies in case a state of emergency was declared.
Instead, I met a friend, and each weekend she would
make me go out to the Jacques-Cartier National Park
despite the bitter cold and my loud protestations,
she was like a patient mom, coaxing her child to go
play outside for much-need fresh air. These runs on
forest trails were often freezing and brutal, but I also
rediscovered the beauty of our winters. The frosty,
snow-covered scenery provided a brief respite from
my daily struggles and helped confirm that I made
the right choice in coming home.
Moving back home felt like starting to run again
when feeling unfit and unprepared for a big chal-
lenge ahead: I started slowly, took it one day at a
time, followed a set plan and pushed through self-
doubt, pain and fear. One year on from landing in
Quebec City with two suitcases and not much else
other than my running gear, I look back and think,
that wasn’t so bad now was it?
Annie Gelinas is a freelance writer based in Quebec City
who specializes in health and well-being.

64 Canadian Running July & August 2019, Volume 12, Issue 5

CELEBR ATE I T AT ST WM.CA
October 20, 2019