Trainharder

Injury prone runners will definitely appreciate this Christmas gift.  Whether you are training for your first marathon or trail race, working out at the gym, or playing soccer, you know that nothing is more frustrating than being out of action due to a sports injury!

K-Tape is an elastic tape designed for muscle, ligament and tendon pain relief and support.  The tape is lightweight and comfortable to wear, and can be used for various injuries including knee pain, shin splints, carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back pain and many other injuries.  Not only does K-Tape come in multiple neon colours and looks cool, it also provides 24-hour relief for days at a time and can even be worn in water.

 

Still shopping for last minute gifts?  Here’s one of a serious of great gift ideas for the athlete (s) in your life …

The long summer days are a distant memory at this stage – and what a great summer we had!  It’s tough to stay motivated in the winter, and to get out there and train in the dark and cold. A reflective vest is a great way to keep your loved one safe on the road, and ensure that cars can see him/her.  This mesh vest is adjustable and can be slipped on over any running shirt or jacket. A great gift for early runners who like to hit the road in the early mornings or the evenings.

 

The Baja 1000 is known the world over for challenging terrain and tough conditions.  For those of you who haven’t heard of it, it’s an off-road race across the desert that takes place on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula each November.  Various types of vehicles – ranging from dirt bikes to trucks – race on the same course.

On November 14th, 2013, Alvaro from Campbell River and his team members, Rodrigo (brother) and Federico waited excitedly at Ensenada for the start of the 1000-mile race, along with 300 other teams.  Teams compete in one of around 20 categories – Alvaro’s team was registered in the ‘450cc and under’ category.  Team size can range from 1-50 riders, but only one bike can be used, so team members race as a relay, each taking it in turns to ride part of the course.  Support teams are important in this gruelling race and Alvaro’s Dad supported the team in a truck, transporting the team and meeting up with the rider at the pit stops along the way.   The course takes the riders over rocks, silt, and sand, with little if any landmarks, so riders rely on GPS for navigation and arrows every 5 miles or so.

All went smoothly until the 220 mile mark, and Alvaro had a major wipe out.  Luckily he came off relatively unscathed, but unfortunately the bike wasn’t so lucky – the GPS and lights were broken.  Still wanting to continue and not let down his team mates, Alvaro jumped back on his bike only to get lost in the desert, and spend an hour going round in circles.  Without a GPS, navigating became very challenging.

When Alvaro eventually made it to the next check point, the team decided that it was too dangerous to continue without lights or a GPS and decided to come out of the race, more determined than ever to start training and compete in 2015!

Watch Alvaro’s video from his Go-Pro.  

Sheryl, ex national rowing team, now coaches full-time at UBC.  She recently discovered the joys of jumping through mud puddles on our North Shore mountains when she took up trail running.  Having completed a few ultras, she decided to sign up at the last minute for the Seattle Marathon to see if she could beat 3:40 and thus tick Boston off her bucket list!  Here’s an excerpt from her blog and a link to read the rest of this article and check other great race reports ..

Life is short, running makes it seem longer – Seattle Marathon 2013 For anyone who knows me quite well, when the going gets tough I go running.  That being said when the going is not tough, I still go running…I often sign up for random races especially while I am stuck in some emotional rut or faced with some sort of challenge.  I crave the therapeutic process and outcome of setting my own challenge. I have always said “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger” so my coping mechanism is to temporarily make life feel even tougher (but usually in some beautiful place)….as a result, in the broad scope everything seems a bit easier in perspective. Read more …

Registration is now open for Fat Dog 100 2014 – rated one of the most difficult ultras in the world with an elevation gain almost equivalent to the height of Everest!  Spanning three national parks, this race is also one of the most scenic!  Sign up for the full 120 miles, enter a relay team or sign up for one of the shorter distances.

It’s that time again!  Christmas is just around the corner – only 30 shopping days to go – and Santas around the world are out there running for great causes!  Santa Jogs, Dashes and Shuffles are an international phenomenon which is spreading across the global.  In Las Vegas last year, 10,000 Santas showed up in full costume, including beards, as part of their Christmas festivities!

On December 7th Canada’s own Santa Shuffle will be coming to 39 cities around the country as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army.  BC Locations include Vancouver, Abbotsford, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo and Victoria. The whole family can join in, and you don’t have to be an elite runner to be part of the fun – run or walk the 5km Shuffle or the 1km Elf Walk.

Watch the Santa Shuffle 2013 video online

Ignite your passion for adventure, action, and travel! The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour will exhilarate you with amazing big-screen stories. The 2013/14 BanffMountain Film Festival World Tour brings films from the 38th annual Banff Mountain Film Festival to about 400 communities in 40 countries around the world. From an exploration of remote landscapes and mountain cultures to adrenaline-fueled action sports, films in this year’s World Tour are sure to captivate and amaze the explorer within you.

This year the Alpine Club of Canada – Vancouver Section will once again be hosting three evenings of the Banff Mountain Film Fest World Tour in the Vancouver Area. As a fellow outdoor enthusiast and outdoor club member, the ACC thought we would share the following event information with you. There are two different playbills A & B – you can go two nights to see them all! Please pass this information onto your fellow outdoor club members, as well as anyone else who may enjoy the shows. Please feel free to share the film fest information and attached poster on your Outdoor Club’s event page, newsletters, calendars, email lists, bulletin boards, etc.

The Banff Mountain Film Fest World Tour will take place on the following dates:

• Thurs, Nov. 28 at the Park Theater (3440 Cambie St., Vancouver)  - Program A
• Fri, Nov. 29 at the Centennial Theater (2300 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver) – Program A
• Sat, Nov. 30 at the Vogue Theater (918 Granville St., Vancouver) – Program B

All shows will start at 7:30pm (Doors at 6:30pm) and tickets are $18. Tickets can be purchased online or at ACC, BCMC, VOC and North Shore Hikers club meetings. Tickets are also available at MEC - Vancouver and North Vancouver stores and at the Vogue and Centennial Theaters listed above.  Please note that the shows have sold out in the past years, so get your tickets early!

Here’s a link for more information or email the World Tour team at banffworldtour@accvancouver.ca

Here’s a really interesting a blogpost from Barefoot Josh on the recent Victoria marathon.   Josh, as the title of his blog suggests, believes in running barefoot. As he explains in an interview, ‘we humans were designed to run barefoot. What other animal on the planet has to wear $100+, blown-rubber, graphite-treaded, semi-curved-lasted, gel-cushioned shoes?’.  Good point!  Josh also believes that runners who go barefoot have fewer injuries.

Let me start off by coming clean: I started the race off with a blatant lie. A guy with a news camera saw me and my shodless self at the start before the race and asked me the usual questions. One of the questions was “Have you ever run a marathon in shoes?” “Yes,” I answered honestly. Then dishonestly I added, “all my slowest marathons were in shoes.”

To read the rest of his blog post, check his blog

Thanksgiving is over and we’re getting ready for the onslaught of Christmas parties, turkey dinners etc – ’tis the season!  Here’s a great blog post from Masters in Nutrition with tips on healthy eating and how to shed those few pounds we will likely put on.

Living healthy is at times a lot easier said than done. With all of the unhealthy food options presented to us everyday it can be hard to resist temptation. One of the best ways to stay in shape and to keep off those extra unwanted pounds is to eat the right foods. Organic food is not only a great way to keep the weight off, it is also healthier for your body overall. We have compiled a list of 5 of the best organic food options for dieting:

Read more on Masters in Nutrition’ blog

Amazing how a random post on our running group’s facebook page at the beginning of the year, asking who wanted to do the Rim 2 Rim materialized into the Thanksgiving weekend’s epic adventure! Cool idea!  Obviously I wasn’t the only person who thought so, as the likes and comments kept growing, and a group of 20 of us opted in!

The plan was to rent cars from Las Vegas airport and for half the gang to start from the North Rim and the rest from the South, meet somewhere in the middle and swap car keys, and then drive back to Vegas that evening and meet up for a beer.  Driving time from the south to the north rim is about 4.5 hours, so having cars at both ends makes total sense although I believe there is a shuttle as well during peak season.  We had cabins booked on the North Rim, hotel rooms on the South and we were ready to roll .. or so we thought!

The big trip drew close … and can you believe it, the US Government shut down the national parks, including the Grand Canyon!!  We were watching the news every day, crossing our fingers, sending out positive vibes to the Politicians .. but it didn’t look promising, so we came up with Plan B .. Flagstaff.  By mid-week, we had all but given up, cancelled our Canyon accommodation and resigned ourselves to Plan B.

Ambling along the Vegas strip on Friday night, suddenly a facebook post came through: ‘The Canyon has opened’!  Yay – back on track!  We frantically re-booked our Canyon reservations as soon as the park opened at 8am on Saturday, and were off to the airport to meet up with the rest of the gang flying in that day, and pick up the rental cars.

We arrived at the South Rim on Saturday evening, just in time to carbo-load in the restaurant, enjoy a beer or two and check into the hotel accommodation.  The South Rim is the usual rim visited by tourists, and the Bright Angel Trail (the route we took down) starts close to the lodge. We were planning to leave at 5am before the mule trains, but apparently they left earlier, so we left at a leisurely 7.15am.

The cabins on the North Rim are more basic (be prepared to share with mice), with limited facilities and is only open from mid May to mid October.  At 8,800 ft of elevation, this side of the canyon is a tad chilly and there was even snow at the top.  Our North Rim team left at 6.45 am from this side.  Communication between our two groups was almost impossible as cell coverage on the rims was sporadic at best, and non existent in the canyon.  We had no idea what time the other team was leaving, so we hoped for the best, and by some miracle, we reached Phantom Ranch, the designated ‘key swap’, at exactly the same time, around 3.5 hours into the run.

The trails are well maintained, and not really technical or that steep (compared with our North Shore trails) – having said that, it’s definitely not a walk in the park and the last section of uphill on the North Rim seemed to go on FOREVER!  We managed to run the downhill and most of the gentler inclines, but the last 7 miles was a slow slog to the top.  We were pleasantly surprised to find outhouses and water taps along the route.  The North Kaibab trail is the only trail to the North Rim and the scenery is dramatic, with a few drop offs (don’t look over the edge if you are scared of heights).  Also, watch out for rattle snakes sunning themselves on the path – we had to tiptoe around one, which was curled up on the path, ready to pounce.  Both rims are spectacular, but the North Rim is a little quieter, and more forested.  At least with the Rim to Rim, you get to see both in one day!

It was an epic trip, but I have a new admiration for runners who go one step further and decide to do the Rim to Rim to Rim (80 km!).  Here’s a trip report from a Rim to Rim to Rim for anyone considering this.

Facts:

•  Best time of year for the Rim to Rim: April-May or Sept-Oct
• Distance: 40km if you take the Bright Angel Trail from the South Rim; if you take the South Kaibab, trail, 35km
• Time: it took us just over 8 hours
• Elevation: 4,000+ descent; 6,000+ ascent going South to North
• Driving time from Las Vegas to the Rims – 4.5 hrs approximately

 

 

2013 saw the debut of Challenge Penticton, an Ironman distance race, and part of a global series of races held in 13 countries.  Better known in Europe, the Challenge Family is just starting to make inroads into the North American market and has announced a second race in Canada in 2014 in the Maritimes – Kingsbrae Garden Challenge St Andrews in New Brunswick.

See below a race report from Richmond’s Erin Lee:

So it is October 2nd and I am updating my blog after giving it a long rest.

After my training camp in July, I regrouped, reviewed my training and racing plans for the remainder of the year and refocused on my goal of Challenge Penticton.

Needless to say, this took a lot of time and effort.  Training for any endurance race takes a lot of time and training and an iron distance race is no exception.

Here is my race report, better late than never.  It is a bit choppy and detailed around nutrition

Read on to read the rest of the race report …

 

Running legend Dick Beardsley, author and editor of Marathon & Beyond Rich Benyo and Olympian Hilary Stellingwerff are among the speakers at the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon Speaker Series, to be held on Saturday October 12 at the Marathon Race Expo. The Speaker Series runs from 9:30 am – 3:00 pm and will be held at the Victoria Conference Centre, Level 1 in the Auditorium.

Beardsley, known for his famous ‘Duel in the Sun’ with Alberto Salazar at the Boston Marathon in 1982, is now a passionate motivational speaker and he will be talking about how being a runner taught him to turn roadblocks into stepping stones despite debilitating circumstances. Benyo will be on a panel with race announcer Steve King, 2010 Women’s Marathon winner Catrin Jones, and Women’s Half Marathon world record holder Betty Jean (BJ) McHugh. The panel, chaired by CBC broadcaster Paul Kennedy, will discuss the allure of destination marathons and running in extraordinary places.

Olympic 1500m runner Hilary Stellingwerff and husband, Physiologist Trent Stellingwerff will discuss the specifics of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), and 19-time Canadian Champion Lucy Smith will share her secrets and passion for running. Mena Westhaver, founder of Sole Sisters, and Sara Joy Erickson, founder of Running Moms talk about the growing number of female runners, the fastest growing demographic in North America, and Cathy Noel, Rob Reid and Bruce Deacon from the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon host a pre-race information and discussion session.

“Our Speaker Series continues to grow, and we continue to offer participants high quality sessions from internationally renowned presenters,” say Race Director Rob Reid.

For the fifth year in a row the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon will host the BC Marathon Championships. There is $37,300 available in prize money with $3,000 each going to the top male and female and a $5,000 bonus for a new men’s or women’s course record. The Men’s and Women’s Marathon course record was set in 2011 by Thomas Omwenga (2:14:31) and Lucy Njeri (2:37:56).  Natasha Fraser set a new Women’s Half Marathon record in 2012 (1:14:06). The Men’s Half Marathon record is held by Jon Brown (2002 – 1:02:32). Gary Barber holds the Men’s 8K course record (1989 – 23:23) and Ulla Marquette holds the Women’s record (1991 – 26:24). For more details, visit www.runvictoriamarathon.com

Love this inspirational blog post as it brings home the tremendous effort, training and persistence that goes into achieving our goals.  With  3736 m of elevation gain, the 50 mile Meet Your Maker race is an epic race and a huge challenge.  

Well, here we go. First blog post ever. Might as well start with some background…

After a two-year break from six years of coaching and running on the road I found myself at the bottom of Grouse one day looking to take on the famous Grouse Grind. Equipped with some Salomon hikers I started the trek up. My first time up was seventy minutes. Not knowing what to expect, I was taking it easy. The following weekend I went up again and knocked ten minutes off.  I was hooked. Didn’t take long to hear about the BCMC and that you were able to hike down. With my Salomon hikers not up to the task, went on a mission to find something more suitable. Walked into a store and went to trail running section. A gray shoe with a lime green sole and very aggressive tread caught my eye. Asked what they were and was told, “Salomon Speedcross.” It was like walking on clouds. My feet were in heaven. That started off my addiction to the Speedcross and Salomon gear. They performed extremely well. My short, steady stride combined with the aggressive tread made for many great adventures.

Read  the rest of James blog here 

You’ve been training all year, and your big race is a few weeks or months away – and guess what, you get injured!  We’ve all all been there before, and it drives us crazy!  Why now?  This was my personal experience when I did Ironman a few years back.  I tried massage therapists and physios, but nothing worked.  Then, I signed up for a couple of appointments with an A.R.T. specialist in the Athlete’s Village a few days before the race, and I was good to go and I completed the race.  A miracle!  I’m a convert!

For those of you who are still wondering what it’s all about and how it works, read on to see what Dr Paul Wiggins, Director of the North Shore Chiropractic and Sports Injury Care Clinic, has to say when we interviewed him.

Q: First of all, Dr Wiggins, can you give us a brief run-down on what A.R.T. is, and a little background info?

A: Basically, Active Release Technique is a “hands-on” healing system of soft tissue manipulation and rehabilitation. It was developed 20 years ago by Dr. Michael Leahy, a sports-chiropractor and tri-athlete, who was looking for a better way to diagnose and treat adhesions and scar tissue in muscles, tendons, fascia (connective tissue around muscles) and nerve tissues.

A.R.T. includes both detailed palpation of tissues, and (very importantly) incorporates movement in assessing the health and function of connective tissues; feeling for changes in the ability of the muscles, tendons, and all connective tissue to lengthen without resistance or adhering to other tissues is crucial to the success of the technique.

Q: For what type of injuries should we consider A.R.T?

A: A.R.T. practitioners treat both traumatic (i.e. whiplash) injuries that haven’t healed as well as repetitive strain injuries (for example, tennis elbow).  In both types of soft-tissue injuries, the tissues have become fibrous, tight, weak, and usually painful (see diagram)

For best results, A.R.T practitioners must be very proficient in evaluating the texture, motion and function of the tissue, and they need to have a thorough knowledge of bio-mechanics.

Q: Is A.R.T. only for treating injuries?

A: In my experience the most effective treatments require understanding the mechanism of injury, how tissues heal, pain patterns as well as incorporating rehabilitation techniques which include A.R.T., joint manipulation and stretches and stability exercises. This helps runners and athletes to not only return to their activity and have full function but also become less injury-prone in future.

A.R.T. can also be used as an aid in diagnosing potential problems. If you are a runner, you will often notice tightness and reduced performance before a specific pain or injury develops. Your A.R.T. practitioner can usually detect and treat compromised soft-tissues before they develop into a syndrome such as “runner’s knee”, hip flexor bursitis, or Achilles’ tendonitis.

In my practice almost all chronic spine conditions and non-traumatic sports-injuries are related to altered or compromised biomechanics. Poor motion patterns are almost always accompanied by both soft-tissue changes and altered joint mobility which require correction of those faulty motions by joint and soft tissue manipulation and corrective exercises.

Q: How Do I Find an A.R.T. Practitioner?

A: The Active Release website has a global directory of A.R.T.- certified practitioners.  Most A.R.T practitioners are Doctors of chiropractic, like myself, physiotherapists, and massage therapists.

As a chiropractor I have combined A.R.T.-care with a strong biomechanical background and several decades of post-graduate study in sports injury, trauma diagnosis and treatment. My experience working as a volunteer at Ironman Triathlons, lecturing to running groups and acting as a team chiropractor/athletic trainer for soccer teams on the North Shore has helped me to recognize a wide variety of sports injuries and to successfully treat them.                       

Q: What’s the cost of an A.R.T. treatment and how many treatments will I need?

A: Most A.R.T. practitioners charge $60 per treatment, and generally you’ll need at least six appointments just to begin to resolve the underlying features of the soft tissue abnormalities.  However, you will often have less pain and increased function with just two or three treatments. To speed up recovery, specific stretches and exercises, and cross training, will help towards a full recovery.  Once the main problem has been resolved, we recommend periodic check-ups to prevent further injuries.

Q: Which conditions will respond to A.R.T.

In my spine and sports-injury care practice I see the entire spectrum of neuromusculoskeletal conditions. Most of my patients receive some soft tissue therapy, usually A.R.T. as well as manipulation.

The conditions that respond well to A.R.T. are:

• Neck and spine pain/muscle tension
• Rotator cuff tendonitis, bursitis, “frozen shoulder”
• Tennis/golfer’s elbow
• Carpal tunnel and thoracic outlet syndromes
• Hip flexor/hip joint pain/bursitis
• Runner’s knee, IT band issues patellofemoral joint pain
• Ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis

Regardless of the pain symptoms, it’s really important to have an accurate diagnosis and a logical approach to the restoration of normal function. Our goal is to help all patients regain pain-free mobility and educate them on how to prevent further injuries.

BIO:

Dr. Paul Wiggins – Director of the North Shore Chiropractic and Sports Injury Care Clinic, 100-223 Mountain Highway, North Vancouver, BC.  Tel: 604-984-0014

• 1987 Graduate of Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Doctor of Chiropractic Degree with clinical care honours
• Dr. Wiggins is a certified provider of Active Release Technique since 2001. For more information on A.R.T. go to : www.activerelease.com
• Dr. Wiggins has worked as a team chiropractor and athletic trainer for both men’s and women’s premier soccer leagues.
• Lectures regularly to local running groups on “Gait Biomechanics and Common Running Injuries” (Diagnosis and Treatment Combining Active Release Technique, chiropractic manipulation and preventative exercises.)
• Extensive annual education seminars; spinal rehabilitation, upper and lower extremity rehabilitation, spinal radiology, nerve entrapments, biomechanics.
• Dr. Wiggins has been married 30 years with 3 adult children and one Labrador retriever
• Hobbies include hiking and trail running and being a drummer/percussionist for Top 40 cover bands
• Philosophy of Care:  I sincerely try to deliver the very best care possible to every person attending my office.  It is the type of treatment I expect to receive from any health care professional. This includes:
  •  A logical diagnosis from the history and exam
  •  A treatment plan – usually a trial therapy of 6-8 visits
  •  Informed Consent
  • Continued care as necessary
  • Referral to other professionals as indicated
  • “No-nonsense” office procedures – we respect your time and try to stay on time
  • Compassionate care – life is stressful and complicated so clear communications are primary in  creating a productive doctor-patient/patient-doctor dialogue
  • Sense of humour – no extra charge!

 

 

Victoria, BC – Saturday, Augusts 31st – Two age-group records were broken at The Q’s Victoria Run Series’ final track meet of the 2013 season. The event took place at the University of Victoria’s Centennial stadium.

Marilyn Arsenault of Victoria won the women’s 10000m event at the Maude Hunter’s Pub BC 10000m Championships by running to a Canadian age-group record time of 34:18.21. This is Arsenault’s second Canadian age-group record, as she bettered her time from the same event from 2012, where she ran 34:22. Arsenault was using the race as a fitness indicator towards her effort to compete in the Toronto Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon. Her goal will be to run under 2:40 and perhaps attain the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games standard.

Two-time Olympian, Bruce Deacon, also of Victoria took the BC 45-49 age-group record for the distance, finishing in 31:55.92. Deacon finished second to two-time Canadian Marathon champion Jim Finlayson. Finlayson crossed the line in 31:31.12. Third went to former University of Victoria Vike, Craig Odermatt who finished in 32:20.60.

The first three finishers – the gold, silver and bronze medallists – in the men’s race are all master-age athletes (over 40), while Marilyn Arsenault is also a master.

There were three races on the evening’s schedule including two 5000 metre events. The first 5000m race started at 6:30 PM and was won by two athletes who compete in the 60-69 age-category, Frank Towler and Martha McNeely won the men’s and women’s division. Towler ran 21:44.99 and McNeely finished in 26:54.70.

In the second 5000m event of the night, Chris Galley won the men’s race in the time of 17:01.74, while Courtney Cameron won in 19:56.19.  Results are located at www.victoriarunseries.com.

The Q’s Victoria Run Series includes five track meets, plus two road races for the 2013 season. The final race on the schedule is the Synergy Shuffle, happening Sunday, September 15th at 11:00 AM. The Synergy Shuffle includes three distances to compete in, 10, 20 or 30kms. The races start on Lochside Trail at Island View Road, next to Michell’s Farm Market.

The final event of the 2013 season is the season wrap-up silent auction and awards party that takes place at the Sticky Wicket’s Maple Room in the Strathcona Hotel.

Proceeds from the series go to the Mustard Seed Food Bank.

www.victoriarunseries.com

 

This year’s winners of the Whistler Ironman both had a first place finish in their sights when they took to Alta Lake at 6:45 a.m. Sunday morning, Aug. 25.

Taking first place for the men was pro triathlete Trevor Wurtele of Kelowna, B.C. finishing in 8:39:33.

The top woman was Uli Bromme, taking her first Ironman win in 9:28:13.

Read more on the Pique News website