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Achilles SHOP-RUN-DRINK event

2/29/2016

On Saturday February 27th, Toronto runners gathered at Black Toe Running to shop and try on some Saucony runners. They departed the store on a 5K route which wound through downtown towards Steamwhistle Brewing at the Roundhouse. For the next couple hours they enjoyed beer, chatter, prizes and photos, all in preparation for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day 5K.

I had the opportunity to play photographer and enjoyed capturing the fun! The 'Instagram' frames produced by gawck were a huge hit!

If you still haven't signed up, do so today before prices go up! Plus, you can use promo code STPAT5K to save an additional $5!

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Found my strong

2/7/2016

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I discovered Saucony about ten years ago when I had really ramped up my walking distances and decided to get something better and more comfortable in a pair of shoes. I tried on almost every brand in the store that day, and I was just starting to get discouraged when the salesperson suggested the Sauconys. My feet were in love. They were--and still are--the only shoe that feel as if they were made for my feet. Saucony Rides became my go-to shoes. When I needed new shoes, I'd simply buy the next version and be able to wear them straight out of the box. So, when I started running, it was a no-brainer that I would just wear the same shoes I'd been wearing for walking, cycling and at the gym. And I wasn't disappointed. My shoe turnover started increasing with more milage. When I found Rides on sale, I'd often buy two pairs to have a new pair ready when needed.

This week, I received the latest Saucony Triumph ISO 2 as part of my ambassadorship with the Achille's Canada St. Patrick's Day 5K. Saucony is a sponsor and generously provided a pair of shoes to each of the ambassadors. I had them sent to my office, and had to try them on as soon as they arrived. I wound up wearing them the rest of the afternoon. These Triumphs had a new lace support system that seemed to apply an even amount of tightness right away. The tongue and heel were much more cushioned than my previous Rides or Triumphs. When I peeked under the insole, I noted a foam layer. Looking online, I see they are 244 grams. While this doesn't mean much to me, I can definitely tell they are lighter when compared to my older shoes. The colours are bold and bright and in-line with other current shoes I see my running friends wearing.

After dragging some of my old runners out to take the photo above, I thought it would be kind of fun to look back at a running history of some of my Sauconys.

The Saucony Ride 4s represent my time as a walker. I covered a lot of kilometers walking around the city of Toronto, especially when we got our wheaten terrier puppy in 2008. I had several colour versions of these Rides, red, pink and blue I believe. There may have been 3s before this, I don't recall.

The Saucony Ride 5s are definitely an extra special shoe for me. These shoes saw me through my first ever races, including the Scotia Toronto Waterfront 5K and the Toronto Women's 8K. I had two pairs of these yellow 5s and they always added brightness to the dreariest days. The second pair saw me run my first ever Scotia Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon, the Monster Dash and Tannenbaum 10K. Looking at the tred on this second pair makes me realize I waited a long time before changing to my next shoe!

The Saucony Ride 6s saw a lot of training kilometers and races as well. There were two pairs of these as well, and by looking closely at the ones on the left, you'll be able to tell what season this second pair saw me through! I never wore any special winter shoes for running, only my regular runners. Snow, slush and ice. Ironically, the first pair saw me run the gruelingly hot Beaches Jazz 20K Run, A Midsummer's Night Run 15K, and the Toronto Ten Miler. The second pair saw me through that crazy ice storm winter and many kilometers training for Around the Bay 30K.

These were my first Saucony Triumph 10s and I got them largely because my old shoes (see above) were in desperate need of replacing and I didn't have a back up pair on hand. When I went to get a new pair of Rides, they didn't have my size. The store recommended I try the Triumphs. They were a bit more roomy than the Rides and I was told they would last longer.

This pair saw me get a PB at my favourite race, the Toronto Yonge Street 10K, the first ever Toronto NIKE 15K, and the Beaches Jazz 20K. They, like many other pairs before, became my walking shoes after being retired from running. Even today as I put them into retirement, there is more tread on them than some of my previous Rides, worn for a shorter time.

These Saucony Ride 7s are are my favourite ever based on colour. I have two more pairs in my closet right now waiting in line to be worn. This pair saw me trek around the zoo for the Oasis Zoo Run 5K, my second half marathon with Scotia Toronto Waterfront, and of course the Tannenbaum 10K.

And now...the Saucony Triump ISO 2s! Given the timing, these will likely see quite a few races in the next couple months including, the Chilly Half Marathon, the Achille's 5K St. Patrick's Day Run, the Mercedes Benz 10K, the Mississauga Half Marathon and the Toronto Women's 5K. Welcome to the run family!

Thanks Saucony! #findyourstrong

NOTE: While I did receive a pair of running shoes from Saucony (a sponsor of the Achilles St. Patrick's Day 5K race) due to my ambassadorship, the opinions expressed above are my own.

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Runday

2/4/2016

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I imagine I’m like most runners who schedule their long run for the weekend when they have a little more time. For me, whether it’s Saturday or Sunday depends on the agenda, which is typically prepping for the week ahead with shopping, cooking, gardening, cleaning and laundry while ensuring my hubby, the dogs and I also have a chance to relax. Well, since June 2013 when I started running, sometimes this agenda gets totally thrown out the window. Why? Runday. What’s Runday? Runday can replace Saturday, but most often, Sunday. It’s a day entirely dedicated to all things running.

Race days are always on Rundays. While shorter races result in a condensed Runday, longer distance races (especially those attended by many of your running friends) can almost feel like holidays. Those kind of days where your sense of time is lost and responsibilities fade from your mind. There are, however, another kind of Runday. These fall less frequently on the calendar, and are extra special. This past summer I was lucky to experience two Rundays in one month during the Pan Am Games. Today, I’m very excited to share my first Runday of 2016!

Runday early morning:
While not required, actual running on a Runday is a definite bonus. I’m training for quite a few races this spring, including two half marathons (one fun, one goal), three 10Ks (two fun, one goal) and two 5Ks (one fun, one goal). It’s a much busier spring race season than I'm used to. When I sat down to prepare a training schedule early in the New Year, I found myself scratching my head, unsure of where to start. My friend Michelle is a coach and on several occasions said I should let her set me up with a plan. On a whim I decided, why not? Upon looking back, I realize this was a really great decision. In the past, I've largely followed training plans found on-line and modified them to what I thought sounded good. I was open to trying something new to see how it went. Michelle has a ton of running experience, coaching experience and knows me. I’m now in week four of training and I’ve already learned a lot, especially about pacing.

On today's calendar today was a 16K long run. I'm a bit of a multi-tasker when it comes to running. My weekday runs double as my work commute and I listen to podcasts or audiobooks during long runs. So, knowing I needed to be downtown at 10:00 am on Runday, I mapped out the route from home, added the run event distance and, voila 16K!

Given that it was going to be quite a long Runday, I planned all this the day before. I typically run with my amazing Salomon hydration pack, but the capacity for other items isn't huge, so tried out (and regretted) a new pack I'd recently purchased at MEC. I packed a change of clothes, keys, camera (my iPhone battery never lasts an entire Runday), money, ID and I even MacGyvered an extra hydration bladder into the bag (yes, this got a few giggles at the event)!

Runday mid-morning:
I arrived at Nathan Phillips Square with time to regroup before the team arrived. Team? Yes, JP's Team! If you are a runner in Toronto and active on social media, you've heard of Jean-Paul Bédard. If not, you should! JP is a husband, father, teacher, writer, runner and survivor of childhood sexual abuse. JP uses running , writing and his voice to relay the message. This is perhaps an understatement. JP was likely the friend of whomever created the phrase, "Go big or go home." The first time I heard about JP was on the news when he decided to race the Boston marathon twice--in a row. This past fall, I was standing at the finish line among his family, friends and media when he finished the Scotia Toronto Waterfront Marathon three times--yes, in a row. Just after this, JP announced that he would be running the Ottawa Marathon as a double-double (twice on Saturday, twice on Sunday) and the Scotia Toronto Waterfront Marathon as a triple-double (twice Friday, Saturday and Sunday). And, more recently, JP created #JPsTeam (details of which will be released this week!) All of this to raise awareness and charitable funds towards the victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Last year when I met Wesley Korir (2012 Boston Marathon winner, member of the Kenya parliament and documentary maker) I distinctly remember him telling our group how he used running to be able to do other things in life. I realized that JP was also doing this. These actions really had an impact on me, which inspired me in designing three logos for JP: one for the Double-Double, one for the Triple-Double and an extra special one for JP's Team.

Runday's run was the second fun run initiated by JP to get people talking about the upcoming events while having some fun. Early in January we met at Nathan Phillips Square, took photos, ran 10K (along Lakeshore to the Inukshuk and the heart of downtown), followed by more photos and a much needed brunch. Today we started from the same spot, but ran a route that took us to the Royal Ontario Museum to meet up with the 5K runners and back.

Along the way I got chatting with Miriam about running, dogs and real estate. At a light and a turn we lost track of the group ahead of us, but kept trekking along, waiting for Bathurst. When we arrived at what we thought was Bathurst, we looked up in shock to see Ossington. Oops! We backtracked our way back and up to reconnect with the group and continued our chat the entire way! If you are going to get lost on a run, at least have someone to chat with!

Follow these links to find out more about Jean-Paul, JPs team or the free fun runs:
http://www.runjprun.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jptherunner
https://www.facebook.com/JPs-Team-976489922430734/

The photos below were taken by the very talented photographer, Edison Yao during the first and second fun run events:

Runday midday:
There is nothing worse than a group of rungry runners waiting for brunch! About 14 of us made our way over to Milestones at Yonge Dundas Square, the same place we had brunched earlier in the month. Given that I'd run 16K (longest since STWM last fall), I was definitely ready to inhale some breakfast food. Once again, the chatting and laughter was a good distraction in the meantime. It was so great to make a few new running friends today, including Miriam, Allison, Jennifer, Jodi and Roland!

Runday afternoon:
After brunch I quickly hopped on the subway to trek back to pick up the car. Within minutes I was on the road and headed to the Track and Field Centre at York University to the Ontario Masters Athletics indoor mini meet. I'd been here two weeks earlier to cheer on Michelle as she competed in her first 600M race. Today, Michelle was taking on a much more challenging task--beating the Canadian Master's W40 indoor track record for 5000M. That's 25 times around the track, in case you are wondering. I arrived in time to chat, watch her warm up and meet family and friends there to cheer her on. When the race was due to start, there was a definite buzz in the air knowing that a record attempt was being made. The gun went off and competitors and spectators crowded around. Michelle was being paced by two other runners, and from the start she tucked in behind them and started powering through the laps. There were supportive cheers in those first 3000M, as people consulted each other to see if she was on pace. Adorable cheers from her biggest mini-me fan Ziri could be heard from the balcony, putting giant smiles on everyone's faces. Her coach Timo stood watching her closely, clipboard in hand. After 3000M, things started getting serious. Cheers got louder. The painful look on Michelle's face increased. And on one of the laps you could hear Timo tell Michelle that this was it, she needed to go. I cannot even imagine the pain that Michelle went through on those last laps. As she passed us on the final lap, everyone, myself include, was jumping up and down yelling to her. The clock ticked away as she circled, everyone yelling, 19:00, 19:10, 19:15...she rounded that final corner with a look of sheer anguish but powered her legs towards the finish...19:21, 19:22, and crossed the line at 19:23, beating the 19:31 record! Before you knew it her Mum was there, as Michelle wandered trying to catch her breath and let it sink in that she had done it. She took her Mum's hand as they circled the track for a recovery lap. When she returned, I was able to give her a huge hug of congratulations. Michelle has been an athlete her entire life and truly dedicates her life to running. It was an incredible moment to witness, especially knowing just how much it means to her.

Follow these links to read more about Michelle's accomplishment:
http://www.michelletherunner.com/believe-endure-achieve/
http://www.irun.ca/blog/index.php?p=25700
http://ontariomasters.ca/latest-oma-news/2-canadian-records-broken-at-mini-meet-2/

Runday evening:
Upon arriving home, the whole house smelled like the pot-roast I had plunked in the slow cooker that morning. Dinner was served shortly after and I sat down to compile my Runday recap, and of course catch up on all of the posts by friends about the day on social media.To completely round out Runday, I decided to register for the Toronto Women's 5K. I'd been holding off trying to decide which 5K to do as a spring goal, but given the location, race reputation and closed course, it was an easy decision.

It was a good day. Tiring, but exhilarating, smile inducing and inspiring. If you have a chance to experience a Runday, do it--you won't regret it!

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Achilles SHOP-RUN-DRINK event

Found my strong

Runday

Cathy V

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