by Sandie O
6:45 A.M. Outside the temperature is -12C (10F) with a wind chill making it feel like -20C (-5F). The sidewalks are covered with packed and rutted snow with generous stretches of polished ice. Winds are coming from the northwest in gusts, whipping the overnight dusting of snow into random sharp blasts. The skies are still dark, but promise to be heavy and grey enough to muffle the sunrise. The roads are bordered by jagged snow banks, now sculpted by weeks of melting and refreezing.
This is what I will face when I step outside the front doors of the gym for my 10k run. It takes discipline mixed with insanity to turn my back on the rows of treadmills behind me. But this is my release – my challenge. My loosening exercises in the front entrance are designed to stall just a bit longer to see if any of my outdoor running partners will show. That makes me an unofficial greeter for other club members who come scooting in from the dark. “You’re crazy,” they say, unable to understand why I choose to do this.
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By Nicola Joyce
Can I tell you a story?
Once upon a time, there was a black and white dog with very big ears.
He was a very good dog.
His name was XT, because he liked to run alongside my husband and his friends when they went mountain biking (and XT is a type of mountain bike component).
He had a bad start in life, but made up for it later on. He liked running.
And playing rope.
And going for long walks.
One day, when he was about 10 years old, he felt a bit funny in the head. He ate his dinner, played a game of rope and then lay down for a sleep.
He didn’t wake up again.
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By Meghan McEwan
It’s hard to determine exactly when it started. I remember as a child hearing stories of my uncle running marathons and feeling an overwhelming sense of excitement. Can people really run that far?? How does one run for hours and hours on end?
The years passed and the most I ever ran was to my friend’s house and back. As I approached the end of my last year at university, I entered my first race. It was a 5km dash that started just outside my apartment in downtown St. Catharines. I remember not knowing where to pin the bib with my name and number so I stuck it on my back. When I blew through the finish line they couldn’t call my name because they couldn’t see it. In retrospect I should have come through running backwards. Lesson learned…the bib goes on the front.
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Reader Feedback: Registered Dietician Rochelle Reichert responded to last week’s Featured Article “Running on Low Energy Blues” with the following advice for Jane:
Last week’s Featured Article
http://www.iawr-connect.com/training/running-on-low-energy-blues/
It sounds like Jane’s diet is sorely lacking in carbs; she is literally running on empty. She needs to consume about 60% of calories from carbohydrates in order to maximize glycogen storage in her muscles.
It can take a few days of a diet rich in carbohydrates to saturate her tissues. Jane should focus on whole grains (whole grain breads and cereals, brown and wild rice, whole grain pasta, barley, quinoa, etc.), beans and lentils, vegetables especially starchier ones like peas, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and fruits.
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