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NEW, IMPROVED FORMAT! This month we’re introducing a new format for the Ottawa Race Weekend Newsletter. On top of all the latest race news and important messages from race sponsors, we’ve added a variety of new features to help you stay connected, motivated and optimally prepared for the 2009 Ottawa Race Weekend. New features include expert training tips, training reports, blog entries, info on nutritional science, and race-ready recipes. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the new format, as well as any suggestions you may have for future newsletter content. Send your impressions and ideas to media@runottawa.ca. RACE NEWS Last Chance for Early Registration! As motivational speakers and well-meaning friends and colleagues are so fond of pointing out, there’s no time like the present. So pick your 2009 Ottawa Race Weekend event, register early and start training! And if you need any more incentive than the feeling of accomplishment you’ll get from taking that first decisive step toward a personal best in 2009, remember that registration fees increase on February 15! So go ahead, make your commitment today and save your place on the starting line. To register, click here. Volunteers Needed! Each year a group of dedicated volunteers comes together to support our runners and ensure that every Ottawa Race Weekend event is a success. They are part of the reason the Ottawa Marathon and MDS Nordion 10K events are recognized as two of the world’s best-organized and most prestigious road races. And we could not do it without their help. If you or someone you know would like to support the 2009 Ottawa Race Weekend as a volunteer, click here to visit our Volunteers page. 2009 Athletic Scholarship Info Youth Athletic Series Now Underway The Youth Athletic Series got off to a great start on Sunday, January 18, with the Richmond 5K Road Race. The Youth Athletic Series is designed to encourage Ottawa youth to become more active. Young people (born in 1990 or later) participate in a series of road races for a chance to win a $1000 Trust Fund, among other great merchandise prizes. The next event in the series is the Enbridge 5K, which takes place on Sunday, April 26, 2009. Click here for more information. “The commitment made by the Canadian Athletes Now Fund to support Canada’s athletes truly does make a difference in the pursuit of athletic excellence and adds to the culture of Canadian sport” Courtney Knight, Canadian Para-Nordic Ski Team Did you know that you can personally make a difference in an athlete’s life? The Canadian Athletes Now Fund (CAN Fund) let’s you do just that! As the official national charity of Ottawa Race Weekend, every step you take helps a Canadian athlete to reach their goal of competing in Vancouver. CAN Fund is a not-for-profit organization that for the last 11 years, has been raising funds that go directly into the hands of athletes who need it most. In 2007/2008 alone, we supported over 300 members of the Beijing team! One of the things of which we are most proud, is that we always tell you which athlete you’ve helped. February 12th, 2009 marks the start of the 1 year countdown to the Games. Our athletes have the talent and the drive to make it to Vancouver, but now is the time that we need to stand behind these future heroes. In preparation for Ottawa Race Weekend, May 22-24, we’re striving to reach our goal of enlisting 2010 Runners/Walkers to raise $210 each. For more information on how to become part of our team of 2010, please visit our website: www.CanadianAthletesNow.ca. This is a rare opportunity that allows you to personally make an impact on an athlete you can cheer for in 2010! Did you know that the MDS Nordion Ottawa Hospital Race Weekend Challenge is the official charity partner of Ottawa Race Weekend? And that every year thousands of people in our community run for a reason by raising pledges for The Ottawa Hospital. In fact, in 2008 just over $500,000 was raised by people running for a variety of reasons. Last year Isabel and Flavio renewed their vows at The Ottawa Hospital Race Weekend Challenge Pavilion on race day after completing the 42.2km marathon course. In lieu of gifts, they asked family, friends, and the community to help them reach their fundraising goal. As for Ottawa Hospital radiologist Matthew McInnes, he ran for his patients and to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Games. Find your reason to run for The Ottawa Hospital. For more information and to register for the MDS Nordion Ottawa Hospital Race Weekend Challenge, email events@ottawahospital.on.ca or visit www.ohfoundation.ca MOTIVATION Wisdom in Motion: Building the Base As you gear up for this year’s Race Weekend, stay focused and motivated with training tips from John Stanton, expert marathoner and founder of The Running Room. Click here to read this month’s tip, “Building the Base.” On the Road: Training Report A new feature this month, “On the Road” follows the trials and tribulations of Laura Clark, a children’s librarian and ultrarunner based in Albany, New York, as she endures “the rigors of training through a typical Northeastern winter” in preparation for the 2009 Ottawa Marathon. From grueling snowshoe half-marathons to dysfunctional GPS devices, Laura covers the many training miles with disarming candor and a sharp wit. Not for the faint of heart! Monday January 5, 2009 "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana So here I am, George Santayana and generations of past history teachers notwithstanding, poised on the brink of a momentous New Year’s Resolution and pathetically eager to fill my 2009 Running Log entries with data of true importance. Lured by the opportunity to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend by running a marathon in a nearby foreign country, I latched onto the Ottawa Marathon brochure and the sunny photo of runners approaching a finish line almost overshadowed by a European-style Castle. OK, it really is the Fairmount Chateau Laurier, but even so it presents an impressive Where’s Waldo photo-op. The last time I decided to tackle a spring marathon (Boston 2004), I swore never again to subject my body to the rigors of training through a typical Northeastern winter. Five years later, here I am preparing to repeat the same experience. Along with O.J. Simpson and other great thinkers, I optimistically protest that this time circumstances are different. In as far as May is a different month than April and Canada is a different country than Boston, and 2005 is a different year than 2009, I am right on track. Since logic is not an obvious strong point, I resolve that a can-do attitude and a training plan geared to the winter season will not only enable me to survive, but (SSHH!) qualify for Boston. Read the rest of Laura’s post here. The Runner’s World: Training Blogs A blog is a great way to motivate yourself (and others) by chronicling your achievements, insights, pitfalls and goals as they evolve over the course of your training. Blogs contribute to a sense of community among distance runners, who may be training for the same races, but in geograpically disparate locations. They can be a way to keep in touch, gain inspiration, and stay engaged as Race Weekend approaches. As one blogger recently put it, a training blog allows you to “experience the journey, not just the destination.” Click here to create your own training blog, or to read the latest entries from other people blogging about their Ottawa Marathon training efforts. And to give you a taste, here is the latest entry from Molly English, a 40-something mother of two (step-mother of five) in Syracuse, New York, who is training to compete in the 2009 Ottawa Marathon. January 20 – Cold, Cold, Cold The pain in my leg comes and goes. I am fed up, so will be visiting the doctor tomorrow. I want an MRI, so I can see what's really going on. Today, my leg feels great, but I never know what tomorrow will bring! I continue upper body weight work and abs; swimming too. But no running.Cry The first big race I'd like to do is a 10-miler here in Syracuse, called the Mountain Goat. It's May 3, pretty close for someone who hasn't run in three months. I will wait and see what the MRI shows, which I hope is something! Click here to visit Molly’s training blog. HEALTH AND NUTRITION Eating for Peak Performance Serious and not so serious runners alike are always on the lookout for an edge to improve their performance. The most successful endurance athletes rely on quality training and attention to nutritional details, including · Adequate hydration and electrolyte replacement; · A diet of whole foods (not supplements), emphasizing vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes and low fat sources of protein rich foods; · Timing of pre and post workout snacks and meals; and · Using optimal foods and fluids throughout training and competition situations. Practice makes perfect! Your digestive system (as well as your muscles) needs some training to be able to keep you well fueled during your training sessions (and competition). If you want to be able to eat and drink comfortably during your marathon (or longer) event, you need to be practicing that in training. Exercising hard while eating and drinking are not things that your body would normally prefer to do at the same time – but just like running fast, eating is a learned skill that requires the same amount of practice and attention to detail. If you plan on consuming 200-300 calories an hour and 1 litre of fluid (for example) during your race you need to practice consuming both of these in your training. Don't skimp on fluid or calories during training! Stay tuned next month for Beth’s Pre-Workout Fluid and Food Guidelines. About Beth Mansfield and Peak Performance Beth Mansfield is a Registered Dietitian, Sport Nutrition & Exercise Specialist with Peak Performance, a sport nutrition and corporate wellness consulting company in Ottawa. Beth educates Canadian athletes of all levels, including Olympians, national and provincial team athletes, as well as University, masters and recreational athletes on sport nutrition for health and performance. Beth is a popular corporate wellness speaker throughout Canada and also maintains a therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) clinic for people with elevated cholesterol at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. She is currently working on her PhD at McGill University focusing on energy balance and body composition in health and disease. You can check out her show on CJOH/CTV the 1st Wednesday of every month with Leanne Cusack on the News at Noon. Email Beth – beth@peakperformance.ca Eat and Run You need food to fuel your body – to help you push further, to run faster, to perform at the highest possible level. But food should be more than just fuel. It should also be a pleasure to prepare and eat. Each month, this section will feature a simple, nutritious recipe to stoke your energy for the race, or help you replenish energy spent during those long miles. This month’s recipe is borrowed from Rose Reisman at the www.artoflivingwell.ca. A hearty, healthy meal that’s easy to prepare and will help provide the foundation necessary for a strong finish. Brown Rice, Black Bean and Avocado Pilaf 1 cup brown rice 1/3 cup diced green onion 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock Pinch freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 cups sliced cherry tomatoes 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice 1/2 cup diced ripe avocado 1/3 cup chopped cilantro or parsley Combine the rice and stock in a medium saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or till the rice is just slightly tender. Let cool for 10 minutes. Mix the rest of the ingredients together, then stir into the rice mixture. Serve, eat, enjoy. Nutritional Info per Serving: Calories 325 Protein 11 g Fat 8g Saturated Fat 1.1 g Carbs 53 g Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 309 mg Fiber 6.7 gThe Pulse (January)
The Ottawa Race Weekend team is happy to announce the return of our National Athletic Scholarship. This $4000 prize aims to develop the sport of distance running in Canada by supporting up-and-coming Canadian runners. If you are an aspiring distance athlete currently enrolled at a Canadian post-secondary institution, you may be eligible to apply. The deadline for applications is February 15th. For more information, click here.
