The Long Run - Counting Down to #STWM

Written by Ian Steele, certified personal trainer

With 6 weeks to go before the race, and 4 more long runs to do in training before the taper, your long run is getting to be quite long.

If this is your first half-marathon or marathon you are probably already running longer than you ever thought possible.  In the next 4 weeks your long run could be between 2 and 4 hours depending on your race distance and race goal.  That’s long!

You likely follow a running plan. There are lots of great ones -- whether it came from a magazine, Google search, running store or a personal coach, they are all very similar. The absolute key is the long run (especially for first time or novice endurance racers). It is the key to finishing the race well and getting to the start line injury free. If your long runs increase by around 10% each week, and there are recovery weeks built in, your plan is safe.

Here are a few tips to get you through it without going crazy or getting injured.

It's Not About the Run

Written by Katherine Victorio

My story is about running a marathon and learning that it’s not really about the run.

Seven years ago in October, one of my best friends, Carolyne, ran the Marine Corps Marathon. It was her very first. This was a big deal for her as we all knew this was an attempt to get her life back together after a painful divorce. A full marathon is 42 km and Carol is no athlete by any means. Carol did not run: She pranced, she skipped, she galloped… but she didn’t ‘run’. And here I was, too self-righteous for my own good, thinking, “If Carol can do it, I know I can.”

So the following May, in 2004, I began my training to prepare for the Toronto Marathon. The recipe for proper conditioning is: the right pair of running shoes and socks, dry fit gear that didn’t chafe, good electrolyte balance, slow progressions never exceeding 10% per week, mixed in with some cross training, proper stretching, and a splash of good hydration. You will survive the unrelenting torment so long as you keep those factors in check and never push beyond your limits.

But preparing for a marathon was so much more than just the physical training.

A Message from our Running Champion, Dr. Elyse Lackie

Why do I run? Because I can! Because it feels good to be fit. Because it feels great to get outside and explore the amazing streets and trails of Toronto, and everywhere else I travel. Because after a long day or week of work, it feels fantastic to clear my head.

There are so many great reasons to run, indoors or out, short or long, fast or slow. I go SLOW! I have no goals except to enjoy myself and stay fit. I am convinced that my lack of drive to get faster and faster is why I have remained injury-free for all these years, and I’m a huge proponent of this philosophy.  (Super competitive-types can choose to ignore this advice if they wish!)

As someone who didn’t grow up playing sports or being active, I am still amazed that I can get from A to B under my own leg power, even though I’ve been doing it for more than 15 years now. Every time I cross a finish line – whether it’s a 5k, 10k or half-marathon – there is a rush of adrenalin and pride that stays with me for days. It really is the best medicine. It makes a world of difference!

Come join me on October 20th at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 5K! Get your own dose of adrenalin and support our amazing hospital!

Dr. Elyse Lackie is a gynecologic surgeon at North York General Hospital and a member of the North York General Foundation Board of Governors.

Easy Steps to Fundraising for a Great Cause!

We know not everyone is a fundraiser by trade, so we’ve provided some helpful tips below to help get you started. If you have friends who often participate in peer-to-peer fundraising events, ask them for their tips (and feel free to leave suggestions in the comments below!) You never know, you might just turn out to have a hidden talent for fundraising…

If I can do it…

I want you to sign up for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

Wait… don’t click away from this page. Hear me out.

I’m not asking you to run a marathon. Well, you can if you want, but you could also sign up for the half-marathon or you can run, or even walk, the 5K.

I want to motivate you and your colleagues, friends or family members to sign up for the 5K walk or run, the half-marathon or the full marathon on October 20th to support North York General.

Still too daunting? Let me share my story.