Canadian Running Magazine's Olympic Issue

Who’s Running the Olympics?
Canadian Running Magazine Warms Up the Track for the
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with an In-Depth Olympic Issue

From 100m in 9.72 seconds to 42.2K in 2 hours, 4 minutes and 26 seconds, in the world of running everyone’s watching the clock and thinking ‘how fast?’ But at the Olympic Games, the ultimate international competition, the race is about so much more than time. Canadian Running Magazine’s July/August issue takes a comprehensive look at the running world behind the upcoming Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

From issues of Olympic contention to the athletes to watch to training tips from some of Canada’s top performers, Canadian Running Magazine gives readers the lowdown on running at this year’s Olympics. The upcoming Olympic Issue hits newsstands across Canada by July 1.

Below is an outline of the Olympic stories to catch in the July/August issue of Canadian Running Magazine:

High Standards
By Alex Hutchinson
Canadians Giitah Macharia and Tara Quinn-Smith were crowned Canadian Marathon Champions at the ING Ottawa Marathon in May, also qualifying by IOC standards for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, but the two champions will not compete in the most revered of international competitions this August. Find out why in the upcoming issue of Canadian Running Magazine. Senior editor Alex Hutchinson takes an objective look at Canada’s much-debated and often maligned Olympic qualifying standards and how they affect the running world. Speaking with current and former athletes, Hutchinson examines the hows, whys and repercussions of Canada’s high standards. “The real difference in opinion is what the definition of success is,” says Canadian 2:16 marathoner Matt McInnes commenting on the IOC versus COC Olympic standards.

Canada’s Olympic Hopefuls
When the Games of the XXIX Olympiad begin on August 8, a select group of Canadian runners will march into Beijing’s National Stadium in front of 90,000 spectators and billions of TV viewers, fulfilling what for many of them will be a lifelong dream. Canadian Running Magazine profiles some of Canada’s best hopes to make the athletics team. Contenders include Simon Bairu (men’s 10,000m), Reid Coolsaet (men’s 10,000m), Megan Metcalfe (women’s 5000m), Malindi Elmore (women’s 1500m), Hilary Stellingwerff (women’s 1500m), Carmen Douma-Hussar (women’s 1500m), Kevin Sullivan (men’s 1500m), Ryan McKenzie (men’s 1500m), Nathan Brannen (men’s 1500m), Alex Genest (men’s 3000m steeplechase), Gary Reed (men’s 800m), and Tyler Christopher (men’s 400m). Note that marathoners Lioudmila Kortchaguina and Dylan Wykes are also profiled in the article, but neither athlete successfully met the COC marathon standards by the May 25 deadline.

Paralympic Profile: Jason Dunkerly: Going for Gold in Beijing
By Kyle Desormeaux
Jason Dunkerly, one of the most decorated middle-distance runners in Canada, is heading to September’s Paralympic Games in China. An eye condition called Leber’s congenital amaurosis has left Dunkerly with no vision other than minimal light perception. Kyle Desmoreaux gives readers a little insight into Dunkerly’s world.

Fair Weather Fans
By Peter Hadzipetros
Picture the Don Cherry of running – starched singlet and plaid high-cut shorts, ranting about the Canadian way. It might be one way to cure our country’s fledgling running fan base according to Peter Hadzipetros. Canadians tune in to the running scene essentially only once every four years during the Olympics. This column gets Canadians thinking about the reasons our road races are lined with, well, nearly nobody.

Final Prep: The Call Rooms
By Leah Pells
Former Olympian Leah Pells gives readers a first-hand account of the typical check-in procedure athletes endure leading into a final race. From uniform scrutiny to logo management to health hazards, Pells provides readers a true behind-the-scenes look. Pells finished fourth in the 1500m at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Run Stronger with Olympic Training
By Kristin Kent
Step up your performance with training tips from some of Canada’s leading Olympians. Learn how plyometrics can increase speed, power and running economy, ice baths can speed up recovery time from delayed onset muscle soreness, and new stretching techniques can add spring to tired muscles.

Tips From Canada’s Best: What’s Your Favourite Post-Workout Snack?
By Hilary Stellingwerff
From PowerBar recovery drinks and fruit with yogurt and granola to doughnuts and even squeezed lemon with cayenne pepper, find out what foods motivate and rejuvenate some of Canada’s Olympic hopefuls.

Canadian Running Magazine is available on special displays at Running Room stores across the country, in most Shoppers Drug Marts and at all major Canadian airports. Canadian Running Magazine is also sold at independent retailers across Canada (please visit http://www.runningmagazine.ca/ for a complete list).

For subscriptions, please go to http://www.runningmagazine.ca/ or call 416-927-0774.

Joggler wins race outright

On Sunday, at the Father's Day Run for Prostate Cancer, I won my first race while joggling. I'm used to being the top joggler in races, but this was the first time I won a race outright while juggling. My time of just over 18 minutes was well off the 5000m record of 16:55, but I still think I'd have good shot at that one if I could find a track race.

Dianne also returned to the racing world with an impressive 23:20.

Last week, I also ran into the newly retired Perry, who was in Toronto to watch the Jays play the Cubs. Perry told me he would be doing some joggling in the city. Sure enough, at the race on Sunday, Peter Donato my MyNextRace.com told me he was shocked to see another joggler running along the waterfront.

The Tour de France of Unicycling

As many of you know, my joggling rival Zach Warren also holds the records for the fastest mile on a unicycle and the fastest mile on a unicycle while juggling. I learned how to unicycle when I was a teenager, for a high school circus, and I've been itching to try it again ever since. If I had the time, I would consider doing the Ride the Lobster race in Nova Scotia - an 800K unicycle stage race that starts on June 16. Naturally, I would do it while juggling. What would that be called, unicycluggling?

Velomobile sponsorship

Our Mango velomobile will soon have a sponsor (details to follow), and we're hoping to keep it sponsored indefinitely by pitching it to other advertisers in the future. It's really a no-brainer, when you consider that it sits parked it downtown Toronto all day and attracts 100 times more attention than a traditional billboard. I like to watch people react to it as they walk by. A lot of people will even pose next to it for a picture. It also has more surface area for advertising than those new Eco Cabs that are being pedalled around Yonge and Dundas.

Last weekend, I did my final interview with the documentary film crew that has been following me for two years, and they even got some footage of me and kids in the Mango. The movie, Breaking and Entering, is slated for release sometime in 2009. They assure me that they've assembled some of the best joggling footage in history.

Stride, my new favourite joggling gum

Due to my ridiculously long-lasting joggling, gum-chewing marathon feats, Stride, "the ridiculously long-lasting gum," has supplied me with a bunch of free samples.

I've tested Stride's Forever Fruit flavour on a few joggles and concluded that it's the perfect joggling gum. The flavour is not super-strong, as claimed, it lasts a long time, and most importantly, the chewability factor is very high - that is, it keeps a nice, chewy consistency for many kilometres of joggling.

So far, my unofficial role as Stride's joggling ambassador is really paying off. It's a new brand in Canada, and I've been converting many gum-chewers, who tell me two things about it: good gum, funny TV spots.

Hopefully, they'll launch Sweet Berry and Always Mandarin in Canada soon - flavours just launched in the U.S. I think I know what kind of gum I'll be chewing for my first 5-ball joggling marathon.

Ultra DNF

I suffered my first-ever DNF today at the Toronto Ultra 100K. My Achilles tendon was bothering me a few weeks before the race, but I thought it had healed fully. I was wrong. After a strong 30K in 2:08, my heel began to bother me, and by 40K I was limping. If I could make itto 50K, it would be the longest race distance I had ever covered in one day, so I drank some root beer and water, ate some mini potatoes, Sun Chips and candies (gotta love those ultra aid stations) and set off for another 10K.

For some reason, both my feet felt like they'd been put through a blender, plus my Achilles got worse. So after I crossed the timing mat at 50K in 3:57, I decided to pack it in. Too bad I didn't listen to my mom and enter the 50K instead the 100K, because I would have won it. It's also a shame I couldn't finish the 100K because I was having so much fun. The race was well-organized, the 10K out-and-back course was scenic, and those crazy ultra runners were ultra-friendly. It was a surprisingly satisfying DNF, but I hope this isn't the start of a trend.

Up next: the Toronto Ultra 100K

Because I enjoy punishing myself, I signed up to race the Toronto Ultra 100K on May 3. When the publisher of Canadian Running Magazine asked me how I was training for the event, I said, "Tapering off, from nothing." I'm hoping my BHP Billiton Rock and Ice Ultra experience serves as some form of preparation for this, because I haven't done much else, apart from my usual 10K runs home from work and a Sunday-morning longish jaunt.

I'm planning to pace for 7 hours and 45 minutes, though I'm guessing it'll take me much longer. I hope I don't ruin my DNF-free running record. It was tempting to joggle this race, but I don't think there's an existing record for the 100K joggle, plus I didn't want to worry about getting it verified.

A big congratulations to Perry Romanowski for joggling the Flora London Marathon drop-free, in the rain, in 3:35.