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Trainharder
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Updated: 1 hour 46 min ago
1 hour 58 min ago
On Sunday a record number of 10,395 runners participated in the 2008 Royal Victoria marathon, half-marathon, 8K and kid’s races under perfect fall conditions. Steve Osaduik won his third consecutive marathon, with a time of 2:25:31. Cheryl Murphy won it for the women with a time of 2:43:01. The half marathon was won by Ryan Day with a time of 1:08:50, the woman’s winner was Lindsay McLaren with a time of 1:21:38. For the 8k Ryan McKenzie of Victoria was the men’s champion in 23:56 and Rachael Ruus of Richmond the woman’s winner in 28:39.
Full results are listed below. Write ups from participating athletes are also listed, with more added as they become available.
Results:
Write ups:
- A Runner’s Tale - Royal Victoria 8-k - Perhaps I should’ve done what Thomas suggested, “It’s probably too late now, but only run the race if you’re feeling ok”, if nothing else I would’ve saved my ego a beating. I crossed the finish line nearly two full minutes slower than I did in the spring, and had I run an equivalent 10-k, 37:17, it would’ve been my slowest in nearly twelve years…
- Dirge Rhetoric - Wrecked - More later, but really I am devastated and crushed, (well not really). I have no explanation for running a 3:22 marathon. My training was quite solid, good taper, lighter by about 6 pounds…
- Running the Red Road - RVM Half-Marathon - Well I was very pleasantly surprised with the race this morning. At least I was after 7k, it took me that long to get warmed up…
- Triathlete Tim - Third Fastest Marathon - I ran the Victoria marathon in 3:22.14 (4:48 pace) earlier today. Running a marathon never seems to get any easier…
13 October, 2008 - 10:05
This Thursday UBC doctorate Bob Kull will officially launch his new book, "Solitude: Seeking Wisdom In Extremes - a year alone in the Patagonia wilderness" at the University of British Columbia. The event is free, and includes one hour of storytelling and a slideshow with questions and discussion. A book signing and finger food potluck will also occur. The following is a summary of the book from the publisher:
Years after losing his lower right leg in a motorcycle crash, Robert Kull traveled to a remote island in Patagonia’s coastal wilderness with equipment and supplies to live alone for a year. He sought to explore the effects of deep solitude on the body and mind and to find the spiritual answers he’d been seeking all his life. With only a cat and his thoughts as companions, he wrestled with inner storms while the wild forces of nature raged around him. The physical challenges were immense, but the struggles of mind and spirit pushed him even further.
Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes is the diary of Kull’s tumultuous year. Chronicling a life distilled to its essence — the fundamental mechanics of daily survival — Solitude is also a philosophical meditation on the tensions between nature and technology, isolation and society. With humor and brutal honesty, Kull explores the pain and longing we typically avoid in our frantically busy lives as well as the peace and wonder that arise once we strip away our distractions. He describes the enormous Patagonia wilderness with poetic attention, transporting the reader directly into both his inner and outer experiences.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2008
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location:
Sty-wet-tan (First Nations House of Learning / Longhouse)
1985 West Mall, UBC
(604) 822-8940 Longhouse Map
For more information:
Bob Kull’s wewbsite www.bobkull.org
Vancouver Sun Book Review http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/arts/story.html?id=47ad33be-444f-4c83-a633-7dbd58fdc462&p=1
10 October, 2008 - 12:46
Join Olympian and Paralympian athletes and coaches for an evening of sports excellence. World class athletes and coaches will be presenting and answering questions on their Olympic and Paralympic journey through the last four years leading to the 2008 Games in Beijing. Presentations will focus on training and coaching philosophies, keys to world class preparations and personal learnings in the pursuit of sports excellence.
All sessions will be held at the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence at 4371 Interurban Road, Victoria, BC, in room 329A/329B.
Time: 6 – 8 pm
October 16th - Paralympic Gold Medalist Michelle Stilwell
Athletics - Wheelchair Athletics Coach Peter Lawless
Register Now - Olympian and 2007 World Championship Silver Medalist Gary Reed
- National team Track and Field Coach Wynn Gmitroski
October 30th - Olympic Rowing Silver Medalist David Calder
Rowing/ - Rowing National Team Coach Terry Paul
Swimming - Olympic Swimming Bronze Medalist Ryan Cochrane
Register Now - Swimming Canada Coach Randy Bennett
November 13th - Cycling Time Trial World Championship Silver Medalist Svein Tuft
Cycling/ - National Cycling Team Coach Houshang Amiri
Triathlon - Beijing Triathlon Silver Medalist Simon Whitfield
Register Now - National Triathlon Team Coach Joel Filliol
Session Fee: $20.00
Enrollment Limited – Be sure to register early. Registration Deadline: 1 day prior to session.
7 October, 2008 - 21:56
Local endurance athlete Darin Bentley recently completed the Spartathlon, a grueling 246 kilometer foot race between Athens and Sparta in Greece. Darin has just written a full account of his experience traveling to Greece and running the race for the first time. An excerpt from his blog is included below…
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I guess it only makes sense that the longer the race, the longer the race report, right? Suffice to say that no amount of words will ever be able to convey all that we went through before, during, and after the race. How do I describe every detail of emotion that someone and their crew goes through over almost 28 hours? I’ll try and not make it too epic. I have to first of all say one more big thanks to someone I neglected to mention in an email I wrote before we left. That someone is Colin McKay, my Active Release Therapist from Precision Health in White Rock. He was instrumental in getting my IT band back to a somewhat normal state which enabled me to make it to the start line with more confidence than I would have had.
Let me say that I never really knew what was going to happen in this race - there are so many factors that can come into play like weather, distance, stomach issues, foot problems, shin splints, IT band tightness, and just simply would I have what it takes to continue when it got tough. Before and after the race I had so many emails from people saying that they knew I could do it and that I’d do well, but deep down I wasn’t sure if things would fall into place or if I’d crash and burn. Luckily it worked out but with the amount of training in the three weeks before the race, I was skeptical.
Continue reading …
6 October, 2008 - 18:41
Race organizers for the upcoming North Shore Half Marathon are still in need of volunteers. The race is on Monday, October 13th. The following positions are available:
- Course Marking- enroute
- Start Line at Parkgate Cmnty Center
- Registration/package pick up Monday 6:30-7:30 am
- Set up, timing organization
- Aid Stations- we have 2 enroute, Monday 8-10:30 am Finish Line timing- at Park Royal Village Monday 9-11am Finish Line chip removal-at Park Royal Village Monday 9-11am
- Marshal- various locations along the route 8-11am depending on location
Volunteers will be rewarded with SOLE socks, a free entry to any RTNS event in 2008-2009, and an invite to the VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION night to be held at Taylor’s Crossing in early November.
4 October, 2008 - 22:21
Science and fitness writer Gina Kolata has written a great article on the importance of relaxation and and how a lack of it can ruin performance. Published October 1st in the New York Times .
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LIKE so many people around the world, Dr. Michael Joyner was transfixed watching Michael Phelps swim in the Summer Olympics. But while many of us focused on Mr. Phelps’s world records, Dr. Joyner, a competitive Masters swimmer and an exercise researcher at the Mayo Clinic, noticed something else.
“I have never seen anyone so relaxed in the water,” he said.
Relaxation. It is a trait that is often underappreciated, coaches and athletic trainers say. Yet it can make the difference between doing your best and not doing well, between feeling dragged down or soaring. Coaches search for better ways to teach it. And many athletes, including some of the world’s best, work on it constantly. An ability to relax while pushing hard, exercise researchers say, is one reason why winners win.
“It’s the paradox of athletics,” said Rick DeMont, associate head coach for men’s swimming at the University of Arizona and a former Olympian. “Tension is slow, tension is inefficient. You need to be relaxed.” And relaxation can be taught.
“If a person is willing to learn, they will learn it,” said Ralph Reiff, a certified athletic trainer and director of St. Vincent Sports Performance Center in Indianapolis.
Coaches agree.
“Some started in a better position than others, but nearly everyone I’ve ever had can improve,” said Clyde Hart, the director of track and field at Baylor University. Mr. Hart has coached some of the world’s best runners, including Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner. He now coaches Sanya Richards, who won bronze and gold medals at the Beijing Games.
Yet relaxation also is a mysterious state and hard to describe. It’s one of those situations in which you know it when you achieve it.
Athletes who get there “always feel wonderful,” Mr. DeMont said. But, he adds, “you don’t get there by trying really hard to get there.”
In a sense, relaxation goes against most athletes’ instincts. Mr. Hart likes to point out the way elementary and middle school children run. “The kids throw their heads back,” Mr. Hart said. “They think that the harder they go, the faster they run.” That sort of body tension is the first thing Mr. Hart tries to correct. “The quickest way to improve a kid is to teach him to relax,” Mr. Hart said.
But it’s also important for athletes to realize that relaxing does not mean slowing down. “A lot of athletes don’t know the difference between relaxing and not running,” Mr. Hart said. With runners, he said, the upper body must relax but, he added, “the lower body is going to run.”
One of his tricks is to have athletes concentrate on relaxing their eyes. “If they’re wide eyed, they’re tense,” Mr. Hart said. “I tell runners to run sleepy eyed. It’s like pouring a soothing oil over the body.” As the eyes relax, the face starts to relax, the jaw relaxes and then, Mr. Hart said, he tells runners to let the feeling spread through the shoulders and arms.
“You want your arms to be your rhythm,” he said. “They may not help you, but they can hurt you big time if your arms are tense and you are gripping your hands tightly.”
Mr. DeMont said that in track and swimming it helps to relax the lower jaw and make sure you are breathing with your diaphragm and your stomach.
And Mr. Reiff said that he tells runners to stay tall, avoiding the rolled shoulders and tight upper body form that comes with fatigue and being too tense. He tells them to rehearse the phrase, “stay tall” to themselves while they run. And, he said, coaches or a friend on the sideline during a race can shout it out if a runner shows tenseness.
“If you are a coach on the sideline and holler to your runners, ‘stay tall,’ all of a sudden they lift themselves out of that position,” Mr. Reiff said.
People like Michael Phelps, these experts say, are masters of relaxation, able to get into a rhythm and stay there even with the intense pressure of Olympic competition.
For example, Mr. DeMont said, when Mr. Phelps swam, his stroke count remained the same in every lap. A tense and inefficient swimmer, he added, will take more strokes with every lap of the pool. Mr. Phelps, he said, “was able to nail it every time.” He is, Mr. DeMont said, “a rhythm master.”
COACHES and athletic trainers say athletes always know when they relax. Mr. DeMont asks people to remember the best they ever did in a race or in training. “Think of how darn good it felt,” he said. “That’s the feeling you are after.”
It makes sense to Dr. Joyner. He explained that when people start to train and compete, these experiences of being relaxed happen at random. “But if you pay attention you can increase the odds of them happening again and again,” he said. “To me this is what people talk about when they say they are ‘in the zone.’ ”
It happened to Dr. Joyner recently when he ran a half marathon after what he said was minimal training. Somehow he finished the race in 1 hour 38 minutes, a result that shocked him.
“It’s a strange thing because at some level you are reading the fatigue and ‘pain’ from your body and using it to get and stay right on the razor’s edge,” he wrote in an e-mail message. “I put pain in quotes because you hurt, but it is not painful in the traditional sense because you are using it and you are not fearful and are just sort of ‘right there.’ ”
“It was interesting when I ran that half marathon,” Dr. Joyner said. “I had not run a race in like 11 years but I was able to get right into a rhythm and just sort of do it. What did Yogi say? ‘It was like déjà vu all over again.’ ”
“At some level,” Dr. Joyner added, “everyone I know who has been a hard-core endurance athlete for many years is a covert religious mystic due to these types of experiences.”
4 October, 2008 - 10:05
Check out the following two blogs, which have both been added to the site within the past few days:
- PT Performance Training -the blog of Noa Deutsch, head coach and owner of PT Performance Training in Victoria.
- Graham Archer - a mountain biker from Vancouver. Graham has written great accounts of both the Cheakamus and Chilko Challenges.
2 October, 2008 - 22:16
Yup. Really. Sam Whittingham, from BC’s Quadra Island, recently broke the self-propelled human speed record in the Nevada desert. Sam peddled his custom made recumbent bike to a top speed of 132.5 kilometers an hour. Chris Keam witnessed this attempt and writes about it on The Tyee. The first few paragraphs are included below, for the full article please visit The Tyee website , where you can also watch a video of Sam’s attempt.
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Sam Whittingham of Quadra Island made history in the Nevada desert on Thursday, pedalling the tear-drop contoured recumbent bike — the Varna Diablo III — to a world record speed of 82.3 mile per hour (132.5 kilometres per hour), claiming the $26,748 deciMach prize as the first person to do so, and cementing his position as the fastest self-propelled human on the planet. (Further down in this story, you can watch a video by Chris Keam and Earl Cassorla of the historic event.)
"I’ve been knocking on this door for years," said Whittingham, before a Thursday morning attempt to crack the deciMach barrier. "I want in!"
In that session, Whittingham went on to post an 80-plus mph time for the second time in his very successful career racing the specialized streamliners. So very close, but still not the new record Whittingham and bike designer Georgi Georgiev have been chasing ever since they were the first team to break the 80 mph barrier in 2002. Then Whittingham did something he’d never done before. He elected to try again during the evening session. In a sport where the athletes often collapse in an oxygen-deprived heap shortly after exiting their streamlined, fully-faired recumbent bikes, it was a risky move. Two runs in one day could have left Sam’s body without enough time to fully recover and destroyed his chances to post competitive times on the last two days of racing.
Continue reading ….
1 October, 2008 - 20:21
Mark Sisson over at The Daily Apple (a great nutrition blog by the way) has written a post on energy drinks and the danger they can pose (think too much sugar, coffee and other stimulants). The first couple of paragraphs are included below, if you want to read the full post please visit his blog here .
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It’s impossible to walk through a bar, college campus, city park, gym(!), or even company break room without spying one. You know, those gi-normous cans with the graphics so obnoxious (e.g. lightning bolts, claw marks, neon slashes and splatters) they leave your eyes bloodshot. (Can you tell we’re in the mood for a rant?)
It used to be if you were tired you grabbed a morning/afternoon cup of joe. Nothing fancy. It was simple, “old school” (if you will), and mercifully cheap. (Relatively bland and weak by today’s standards, but did most of us know any different back then?) Then came the Starbucks/Seattle revolution, and suddenly coffee - and all manner of coffee related drinks - were practically an official American accessory. Seemingly more omnipresent (or at least obviously visible). More potent. Decked out. Pricier to be sure. Not only did the cost and flair go up with this new wave, the caffeine and sugar content of our coffee did as well. (Ever wonder what’s in that special syrup that makes a mochachino a mochachino?)
Continue reading ….
29 September, 2008 - 12:41
Results from this past weekend’s Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race in Cumberland are now posted - click here . Congratulations to Todd and Gary who came in first overall on by many accounts was a tough course.
NEW! Shane Ruljancich - Cumberland MOMAR Race Report - I partly credit the Mind Over Mountain adventure race series for getting me into endurance sports. I had dabbled in running a bit in high school track, but was never too serious. It was my desire to participate in an adventure race that promoted me to get into better shape and started me down this road which I now love so much.
NEW! Wendy Simms - Island Racing - So the reason we did a 48 hour turnaround in Vegas was because we had to get back to the Island for some local events that are too good to be missed. The Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race (MOMAR) was up in Cumberland Saturday, after-party Sat night up at Mount Washington and then the Ramble Mountain Bike marathon event was in Parksville Sunday.
NEW! Todd Nowack - MOMAR Cumberland Race Report - Wow! The 2008 MOMAR season has already come and gone. It’s hard to believe that we’re now sitting in October and the cool drizzly season of fall and winter is now upon us.
Gary Robbins - MOMAR Cumberland Race Report - This past weekend was the third and final MOMAR of the 2008 season and series owner Bryan Tasaka managed to hit an absolute home run with this one.
Average Adventure Addict - A Lesson from Cumberland - This was by far the hardest race I have ever done in my short time doing athletic things. I was so shattered half way thru that finishing was a HUGE accomplishment for me. Parts of the race went textbook perfect, and most other parts fell apart like a sand castle under a wave.
Jen Segger-Gigg - MOMAR Racing & Juan de Fuca Running - However, Saturday morning rolled around really quickly and YEAH, it was my 28th Birthday! Can’t think of anything better than racing a MOMAR to celebrate.
Sara Seads - Pics and Results are in for MOMAR - Hello again! Bryan has posted the pics and results to the MOMAR website from this past weekends race and you can check them out at… -Cumberland MOMAR Race Report - I just awoke from a deep post-race sleep and I am reflecting on yesterdays MOMAR in Cumberland so I thought I should post a blog while it is all fresh in my memory…So here it is my last race report for 2008 (well you never know what else might pop up on the race calendar…)::
Team Helly Hansen Vancouver Island - BIG WEEKEND: Momar and The Ramble - What a weekend. First off let me say how proud I am of Carey for her amazing effort yesterday at the Cumberland Momar. Despite a dreary forecast, the weather cleared as we set off on the kayak/canoe stage 1.
Official Press Release -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MOMAR Cumberland: a Super Season-Ender
New Westminster, BC – September 29, 2008. The Schick Xtreme3 Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race (MOMAR) series ended its ninth season with a sold out race in Cumberland on September 27, 2008. Racers began the 45 km journey with a 9 km paddle on Comox Lake, followed by a 3 km long challenging and scenic orienteering section. Racers then hopped on their bikes for 20 km of mountain biking, followed by 10 km of trekking with navigation. The race ended with a 3 km mountain bike ride and a 1 km urban navigation towards Dunsmuir Street in downtown Cumberland.
Defending champs, Victoria’s Todd Nowack and Gary Robbins of North Vancouver (Team Helly Hansen/MOMAR) topped the podium once again, while Jerermy Grasby, owner of the Riding Fool Hostel in Cumberland, came in second overall and first in the solo male category. Victoria’s Garth Campbell and Shane Ruljancich came in third overall and first in the team of two, male category with John Markez of Vancouver following shortly behind. Team Dart-Nuun, Squamish’s Jenn Segger-Gigg and Norm Hann, with Ryan VanGorder of Seattle and Tom Roozendaal of Duncan, came in fifth overall and was the first team of four to cross the finish line. Courtenay’s Sarah Seads kept her place at the top for solo female racers.
The new Cumberland course design was a huge success. “The racers loved the new course, and with over 50 people being stung by wasps and a bear on course, this course was full of adventure” said Race Director, Bryan Tasaka. “Adventure racing isn’t just about the challenge of the course design; it’s also about enduring and respecting the natural world around you. The enthusiasm and perseverance of the racers is always such a pleasure to see.”
The post-race festivities were held Mount Washington Alpine Resort where over $14,000 in prizes was given out, including a trip for two to Hawaii. Tasaka also announced that participants and volunteers helped to raise $7,500 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation this year. Racers, organizers and volunteers danced long into the night, in fine MOMAR tradition.
For more information on participating in next year’s MOMAR series, go to http://www.mindovermountain.com/momar/ , e-mail info@mindovermountain.com or call 1.866.912.3331
28 September, 2008 - 01:11
A local BC endurance runner, Darin Bentley is currently completing in this year’s Spartathlon, a 246 kilometer foot race between Athens and Sparta in Greece. The race begins today (Saturday), and should take anywhere between 22 and 36 hours to complete. For more information please visit the event’s website - http://www.spartathlon.gr .
*Latest update : Darin finished the race in 27:51:18, good for 11th place out of 154 competitors. Scott Jurek won the race. Click here for full results .
24 September, 2008 - 21:24
If you have an ear for sport documentary’s be sure to give the following two podcasts from CBC a try. The Power and the Glory: The Spirituality of Sport, Part 1 & 2 has been voted a top podcast by listeners. Following are summaries of each and links for download.
The Power and the Glory: The Spirituality of Sport, Part One
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt took the world by storm at the Beijing Games. He won three Olympic gold medals. And in preparation for every race, Usain Bolt kissed the crucifix around his neck and made the sign of the cross. This week on And the Winner Is…, with new host Marcia Williams, Part One of the Bronze medal-winning special, "The Power and the Glory: The Spirituality of Sports." Some of our most transcendent experiences have to do with sports.
Right click to Download - The Power and the Glory: The Spirituality of Sport, Part One
[mp3 file: runs 49:10]
The Power and the Glory: The Spirituality of Sport, Part Two
Today on the program, we present Part Two of "The Power and the Glory: The Spirituality of Sport." Athletes often look to the sky before a big game, or kiss the cross around their neck. And then there’s the guy with the "John 3:16" sign in the stands. There’s a clear relationship between sport and religion, but is it a fair relationship? The Power and the Glory: The Spirituality of Sport is the winner of a Bronze Medal at the 2008 New York Festivals.
Right click to Download - The Power and the Glory: The Spirituality of Sport, Part Two
[mp3 file: runs 50:26]
23 September, 2008 - 21:15
Backcountry.com has just posted a picture on their website showing the coolest bike wheel ever. Where can I get one?!
23 September, 2008 - 09:13
Runner and Adventure Racer Shane Ruljancich has decided to join the crowded world of running and racing blogs in Victoria. His primary goal is to share his racing experience but he will also occasionally write about significant training sessions and other news.
Check out his blog here:
Running Tough
23 September, 2008 - 00:51
A group of four men from North Vancouver’s Steed Cycles recently completed in the inaugural Chilko Challenge , a 3-day, 126 kilometer XC mountain bike stage race through the heart of southern British Columbia. The group posted highly informative write-ups of their experiences on the Steed Cycles Blog . Following are excerpts from the write-ups. Perhaps this will encourage you to sign up for next year?!
Chilko Challenge Day 1- The Beginning
The Chilko Challenge! What a nutty event! Loved it! The organizers were super cool and explained the night before Day 1 that this event was grass roots and we shouldn’t be expecting dream single track riding on groomed trails. Instead we should be ready for a tough plow through the Chilcoutin on some of the most remote beautiful trials, which would entail SOME bushwacking. A must was a GPS which they gave us co-ordinates for each day in advance so we could program them into the unit. The views were incredible! Continue reading…
Chilko Challenge Day 2- Epic Suffering!
Day 2 was our longest day by far. My Giant Reign was the perfect bike. It would consist of huge climbs, long alpine meadow rides and fantastic views. The initial weather forecast called for sun and clound, but the day started with beautiful sunny skies. Looking at the weather at the start of the day I re-evaluated what I was going to bring - neoprene gloves, nope don’t need those. Goretex pants, gone. Wow could I have made any worse decisions. Continue reading…
Chilko Challenge Day 3- Creek Crossing Fun!
It was cold the night before day 3. We woke up with a good layer of frost on our tents and grass. There was a dog that had followed a group of riders through all of day 2 (someone had to take a 2 hour car ride to return this dog to its home ranch) and it barked half the night. Continue reading…
22 September, 2008 - 09:56
The Schick Xtreme3 Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race (MOMAR) season-ender in Cumberland is set to take place on September 27, 2008 with 280 racers at the start line.
The completely redesigned course includes some to the best terrain the area has to offer, especially the awesome single-track course confirms Race Director, Bryan Tasaka. The sold-out race is planned to be approximately 40 km long, including one kayak stage, two biking stages, three trekking/trail running stages, and a true orienteering stage planned by orienteering guru Carl Coger of Victoria, BC.
Racers are heading to the Comox Valley from Australia, Washington State, Arizona, Oregon, Alberta, Ontario, the Yukon, and all over BC. Local athlete, Comox resident Sarah Seads, will be returning to defend her impressive, long run at the top for solo female racers. Cumberland’s Jeremy Grasby, owner of the Riding Fool Hostel, is a favourite in the solo male category and will battle against Nanaimo’s Normon Thibault, Vancouver’s John Markez, and Duncan’s Jason Sandquist. Last year’s overall winners, Team Helly Hansen / MOMAR (Victoria’s Todd Nowack and Gary Robbins of North Vancouver), will also be back to defend their spot at the top.
We come back to Cumberland year after year because of the spectacular landscape, the community support and the amazing racer turnout, this year being no exception with the record numbers, says Tasaka. The finish line will be located in downtown Cumberland from 1 to 5 pm and spectators are encouraged to come out to cheer on the athletes.
The MOMAR post-race festivities will be held at Mount Washington Alpine Resort. The event is Hawaiian-themed in honor of the $14,000 in prizes to be given out, which includes a trip for two to Hawaii. Other great prizes include a team entry for the 2009 BC Bike Race and a custom bike frame from Berg Bikes.
For more information go to http://www.mindovermountain.com/momar/ , e-mail info@mindovermountain.com or call 1.866.912.3331.
Mind Over Mountain Event Co. Ltd. is a professional event management company specializing in organizing adventure races (MOMAR), Navigate the Streets, Canada’s original urban race, and the MEC Big Chop Summer Paddle Series. We are ending our 9th race season have organized over 80 successful events since 2000. Mind Over Mountain Event Co. Ltd. is owned and operated by Bryan Tasaka and is based out of New Westminster, BC.
Adventure racing is a relatively new sport that is quickly gaining popularity worldwide. The Schick Xtreme3 Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race Series (MOMAR), one of Canada’s most popular adventure race series, is a one-day event that challenges the bodies and minds of racers over 40-45km of rugged and visually stunning West Coast terrain. It features the multi-sport disciplines of mountain biking, trail running, orienteering, kayaking and mystery events. Competitors race solo, or in teams of two or four.
For more information contact:
Bryan Tasaka
Race Director/Owner
Mind Over Mountain Event Co. Ltd.
1.866-912.3331
bryan@mindovermountain.com
www.mindovermountain.com
20 September, 2008 - 20:42
From the Volunteer Coordinator for RUN THE NORTH SHORE:
In case you haven’t hear,d the infamous IRON LUNG trail race is happening at 9 am Sunday September 28th out of Parkgate Community Centre. This 10/20km run is the original trail race of the RTNS series.
Thanks to those of you who have already shown interest in volunteering for this event however, I am in need of a few more volunteers for this race:
PACKAGE PICK UP (North Shore Athletics, Fri 2-6pm, Sat 12-4pm) START/FINISH LINE(at Parkgate Cmnty Centre)Sun 7:15-9 / 10-12 MARSHAL out on the picturesque trails of the North Shore PRE-SWEEPER Sun 7am POST-SWEEPER Sun start just after last runner If you are interested in any of these positions please send me a reply letting me know your preference.
As with all RUN THE NORTH SHORE events, for your assistance in putting on superior events we offer you a free entry to any RTNS event, a pair of SOLE socks, and an invitation to the Volunteer Appreciation night at Taylor’s Crossing (free beer & food and prizes)in the fall.
Thanks for your continued support of our endeavors to keep North Vancouverites healthy and happy!
Runningly Yours,
Laura Jones
Volunteer Coordinator for RUN THE NORTH SHORE events
18 September, 2008 - 23:35
A quote from the Race Director of the Thetis Lake Triple Series… "Get out your race calendar and mark these dates down for some quality trail runs!"
Oct 25th | BC Cross Country Championships , Stanley Park, Vancouver
Nov 1st | 1st annual Westwood Lake 22K Relay , Nanaimo
Nov 11th | 12th annual Thetis Lake 20K Relay , Victoria
Nov 23rd | 43rd annual Bazett Farm XC , the oldest cross country race in the province, Duncan
Nov 29th | 24th annual Gunner Shaw 10K Classic , the largest cross country race in the province, Victoria
Dec 6th | 25th annual Gunner Shaw Memorial 10K , hosted by Lions Gate Road Runners, Jericho Beach, Vancouver
Dec 13th | 5th annual Stewart Mountain 10 Mile Challenge , Victoria
18 September, 2008 - 20:59
The following was written from Christopher Kelsall and originally posted on Flotrack . Thanks again Chris!
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As I understand it and because I may have made this up, for us long distance runners, each pound we are over our optimum weight, we are penalized 2 seconds per-mile when racing. If my calculations stand up to the scrutiny and you happen to be in the unfortunate position of being say 10 pounds over optimum weight, you would race 20 seconds per mile slower than your best. Multiply that by 6.2 miles and you have…well you do the math, I can’t concentrate.
Speaking of weight, refined carbohydrates are after me. They are relentless in their pursuit. Everywhere I go, I am accosted by flour products gone wild, there is no escape from them. I spend my nights trying to avoid refined carbohydrate damnation by the dim stovetop light.
Forced to tip-toe into the kitchen, (because the family is sleeping), during unmerciful and slickly produced commercial breaks, which command me to drink Coke, eat white bread and Oreos; I search for something healthy. By the time the first commercial is half finished, panicking, I give up the healthy food search and look for something in the newly adjusted category of ‘not completely unhealthy’. Further into the cupboard I climb; my standards dropping, the deeper I go. Picture in your mind the historic movie Trainspotting and the legendary toilet dive, only I am slithering through dustbunnies.
I settle for the least unhealthy choice of what remains, potato chips prepared free of hydrogenated oil. On the packaging it states the following fine print: may have come in contact with human feces, during processing.
The problem with wholesome foods is in the packaging.
Bananas are a healthy choice, but they start to die the moment you pay for them. They come equipped with built in timers inserted by the Banana Republic Mafia (ironic I know). Apples don’t pack well as they bruise too easily. Peeled carrots are handy except, if they get warm, they become slimy like slippery aerodynamic bars of soap - very dangerous projectiles.
I always felt that foods which contain the primary ingredient refined carbohydrates, mixed and packed with hydrogenated oil is the way to go, as I have no time to spare for preparation and I am game to play roulette with my health. However, recently I have experimented too much and now, sitting here watching the Olympics, I am starting to look the part of a bull in the comic The Farside.
Moo.
Refined carbohydrate dealing is the forgotten drug trade.
There are white sugar racketeers. They are sweet-toothed, money-hungry, power tie wearing entrepreneurs, who are one molecule shy of being players in the heroin market (or one genome) and not to mention having sloped foreheads. I bet my money and my sugar that there are whole economies built on the trade of refined sugar. Trillions of dollars may be made and lost in the international trade in this market of addictive additives. See, ‘additive’ is just one letter short of being the word, ‘addictive’.
Perhaps paranoia is a side-effect as I am starting to suspect that Freud took over from Shakespeare in shaping modern day English.
After an injection of heroin cocaine opium refined sugar, the user reports feeling a surge of euphoria ("rush") accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, a dry mouth, and heavy extremities. Following this initial euphoria, the user goes "on the nod," an alternately wakeful and drowsy state. Mental functioning becomes clouded due to the depression of the central nervous system.
The Sugar Wars
I once crossed paths with a book written years ago titled The Sugar Wars*. The sugar trade and its history, according to this author, is very similar to the cocaine, heroin and opium trades, during their respective eras. Only it was legal and whats more you were considered simply fabulous if you owned a shipping route and a big-ass navy fleet to protect it. Greenpeace? The protesters would be musket-whipped and keel-hauled. Not to mention possibly, romanced, against their will.
For the full story, buy the book, I don’t have the patience I’m on Coke as it were. Speaking of Coke, Coca-Cola’s senior vice president for public affairs and its chief lobbyist, John Downs Jr. now has a seat on the National Parents and Teachers Association (PTA in America) as a board member. And I thought I was lost!
Forget the fox, here there are wolves guarding the proverbial hen house.
One can of coke contains nearly 10 teaspoons of refined sugar. This is one of the main reasons why little Johnny looks you in the eye with a dull glare as he crushes your brand new scale and simultaneously nails every Guitar Hero note during Iron Maiden’s, Run to the Hills.
"Run to the Hilllllllls
run for your liiiiife."
Sounds like a good idea to me.
When refined carbohydrates enter the blood stream, a sugar spike happens, followed by an insulin reaction to counter the sugar-rush effect. Then BOOM, you crash, experience a headache become irritable and get, just plain down - them down home blues - Louisiana style; 12 bar blues and I ain’t talking scat about guitars, I am talking candy bar blues.
Pirate to sloped-head, first mate: "Avast! Fetch me, me booty of thar fine white powder or ye face Davie Jones’ locker, I need a fix."
I hope I don’t run out of my potato chips made free of hydrogenated oil anytime soon. Those Oreos are calling my name and each of those tasty cookies are worth 1 second onto my 10k time.
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*After a cursorary Google search, the author came to the conclusion that the book, The Sugar Wars has been destroyed by pirates and is no longer available, therefore the author of the Sugar Wars is currently unknown.
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Christopher Kelsall is sponsored by Island Runner Footwear, located in Victoria, BC - Check out the store’s site: Island Runner.
When visiting Victoria, rent from Chris’ favorite RV place CampRV
Chris is a member of the Lydiard Foundation
Contact: chriskelsall@flocasts.org
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