A gem of a race

The BHP Billiton Rock and Ice Ultra took me more than 22 hours to finish, but by some miracle, I made it. For the second year in a row, Yellowknifer Ewan Affleck took home the half-carat EKATI diamond for first place in the 135K K-Rock Ultra. Conditions were nasty for runners. It seemed like the faster you tried to run, the slower you went, as your feet sunk into quicksand-like sugar snow with every step. On the bright side, the race was a wild adventure and a great way to experience the vast beauty of the Northwest Territories.

Rock and Ice Ultra

It’s a rough life being the editor of a national running magazine. On March 22, I’ll embark on my first field assignment for Canadian Running Magazine by competing in the Rock and Ice Ultra in the Northwest Territories.

The main event is the Diamond Ultra, a six-day stage race of about 45K a day across ungroomed, snow-covered tundra, but I’ve chosen the comparatively easy (ha!) three-day K-Rock Ultra, which covers a total distance of 135K. If you’re curious to find out if I survive, I’ll be posting race updates on the Canadian Running website: www.runningmagazine.ca.

And no, I will not be joggling the whole thing. I will, however, bring along a set of Joggler Sportballs, and plan to do a token amount of joggling – maybe for the last few minutes of each stage.

Footbag juggling

I like his style. Occasionally, I do some foot kicks while I'm joggling, but this is insane.

Winter velomobiling in a Quest

Here's a good demonstration of some winter velomobiling in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.



Our Mango has been bured under a heap of snow for a couple of weeks. There is no way I could drive it through the stacks of snow on our sidestreets that haven't been ploughed.

Canadian buys Guinness World Records

Big news in the world records industry:

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2008/02/15/ripley-guinness.html

Award-winning CBC-TV documentary

For those of you who missed it, here's a link to the CBC News: Sunday documentary, 'The Joggler.' which last week won a prestigious Gold World Award at the New York Festivals.

NEWS RELEASE: New All-Canadian Running Magazine Launches in February

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!
New Canadian Running Magazine Launches in February
– Editorial Team Goes the Distance for Runners North of the Border –

Toronto (February 5, 2008) – Canada has an estimated one million runners, more than 500 running races, and expected sales of two million pairs of running shoes in 2008. And now, finally, Canada has its own magazine dedicated to running. Gripped Inc. launches Canadian Running Magazine, the only running magazine published in Canada and with all-Canadian content, in February.

“This is the first running magazine that is truly dedicated to all levels of runners in the Great White North, from St. John’s to Ottawa to Victoria,” says editor-in-chief Michal Kapral. “At last, Canadians can read about the best running routes, the excellent races, the most influential and up-and-coming runners, inspirational stories, winter running tips, and running news – in Canada! Oh, and running programs in kilometres, not miles!”

Coverage will also include articles on the latest running issues, fitness tips for all seasons, diet and nutrition information, in-depth features, and expert reviews of the latest footwear, fashion and accessories for runners.

“Our editorial team is led by accomplished runners who are tapped into the running community,” says Gripped Inc. publisher Sam Cohen. “We found the right people and ran with them. And hey, the first issue speaks for itself.”

Editor-in-chief Michal Kapral won the Toronto Marathon in 2002 with a personal best time of 2:30:40, holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon while juggling (2:50:09), and is a sponsored athlete. Senior editor Kevin Mackinnon is an accomplished runner, triathlete and coach, and the editor of Triathlon Magazine Canada. Senior editor Alex Hutchinson represented Canada at the World Championships. Publisher Sam Cohen is a life-long runner who will focus on 5K and 10K races in 2008. Publisher and editorial director Dave Chaundy-Smart is a passionate runner who completed his first and second marathons two weeks apart last fall.

Canadian Running Magazine is Gripped Inc.’s third magazine. The company first launched Gripped: The Climbing Magazine in 1999, followed by Triathlon Magazine Canada in March 2006.

“Running is one of the simplest and most accessible fitness activities in Canada, so it’s a mass-appeal sport,” says Cohen. “Triathlon Magazine Canada was so successful that we decided to use the same formula to enter a larger, more mainstream market.” Cohen says the Canadian running magazine market has significant room for growth. The U.S. publication Runner’s World sells about 25,000 subscriptions in Canada and 10,000 copies on newsstands – with total U.S. sales of 600,000. Based on population – Canada has one-tenth the population of the U.S. – Canadian Running Magazine has the potential to reach 60,000 Canadians subscriptions.

The launch issue tells the story of Danny Kassap, a political refugee from Congo with dreams of Canadian citizenship and the Beijing Olympics. The magazine also talks to Olympic hopeful Hilary Stellingwerff, profiles B.C.’s Bastion Running Club, explores the surge in popularity of running forums with a look at http://www.runningmania.com/, talks to running celebrity Ron MacLean of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, takes readers on a running tour of Quebec City and explores trail runs in the Maritimes and the Rockies. Other features include training and nutrition tips, inspiration for winter running, and both shoe and gear reviews.

Canadian Running Magazine will start to appear on newsstands in Ontario on February 21, Quebec on February 25, and the rest of the country on February 26. The magazine will be sold on special displays at Running Room stores across the country, in most Shoppers Drug Marts and at all major Canadian airports. Canadian Running Magazine will also be sold at independent retailers across Canada (please see the attached fact sheet for a list of several retailers in each province).

Canadian Running Magazine’s website (http://www.runningmagazine.ca/) will launch on February 15. For subscriptions, please go to http://www.runningmagazine.ca/ or call 416-927-0774.

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Contact:
Michal Kapral, Editor-in-Chief, 416-861-8319 ext. 232, michal@runningmagazine.ca
Dianne Kapral, Media Relations, 416-690-4555, dianne@runningmagazine.ca
Dave Chaundy-Smart, Editorial Director, 416-927-0774, dave@gripped.com
Sam Cohen, Publisher, 416-927-0774, sam@gripped.com (available starting Monday, February 11)