March 2013
 

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In This Issue
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Whistler Run Clinics
Whistler Run Clinic Has Started! 
Join our lead trainer Christine Suter for her twice weekly run clinic until the end of May. The clinic has started but contact Christine directly if you wish to drop-in to any of the sessions.
Half Marathon Sold Out!
10km Still Open
  
The Half Marathon distance is now sold out!
  
Missed your chance to register? Try the new10km road run that will offer the same breathaking scenery at just under half the distance.
  
For more information on the 10km event please click here.

Recipe of the Month
Super Easy Protein Shake
Melissa Spooner's favourite recovery protein shake. Click here to download the recipe or visit Mel's website for this and more great recipes. 
New Feature - CLIF Casts
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Avoiding GI issues

Yeah, it's true: almost every runner has experienced some kind of stomach issue on a run or in a race. So we're here to help you learn how to avoid and manage gastrointestinal, or GI, issues on a run. Learn all about it in the newest episode of CLIFCast.
NEW Fall Half Marathon
SOTS logo
North Shore to host new fall half marathon.

The parent non profit society that produces The North Face Whistler Half Marathon recently announced it's latest event, the North Shore Credit Union Spirit of the Shore Half Marathon.  This new event will take place in West and North Vancouver, following a scenic course along roadways and paved trail. 

Views abound of English Bay, the Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver's Skyline and all set to a backdrop of the North Shore mountains!

Join us October 6th, 2013 at Park Royal.  Registration opens April 1st.  Find the event online at www.spirithalfmarathon.com 

Enjoy the adventures of Whistler

Zipling


WildPlay Element Parks :: ZOOM Zip Lines
WildPlay Element Parks :: ZOOM Zip Lines

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Spring has sprung - race day is approaching fast!
 
This is always a favorite time of year for me - the valley trail is slowing becoming snow free; making for more great running routes though Whistler valley, including our race course.  But it is more than that.  The warmer air, longer days, return of the birds, and the new buds growing on trees and shrubs all mean spring is in the air.  The other sure sign that spring has sprung is the arrival of hay fever. As I sit here at my desk and write this, I am managing a great case of the hay fever sniffles and the tell-tale itchy palette. But I don't let the hay fever stop my running - I choose to see it as a bit of personal suffering that signals the arrival of a new running season.
 
The team here is in full planning and preparation mode for race day, just a mere 9 1/2 weeks away now; but this is one of our favorite times when we start bringing all the pieces together to deliver a great event for each of you. Part of that preparation is setting up our fundraising program which is now live - you can check it all out here - 100% of funds raised though our program go to support research for  finding cures to Inflammatory Bowel Disease through the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada. Make your hard work of training and commitment to do The North Face Whistler Half Marathon go even further by helping others.
 
As you plan for your race weekend here in Whistler - be sure to plan to take in all that Whistler has to offer - each issue from now through race weekend we will share a favorite activity of ours to do - we hope you plan to stick around a try some of these out.
 
Now that spring has officially sprung, I wish each of you a solid training period with lots of great long runs, exhausting intervals, strong cross training sessions, and the ever so rewarding rest days!
 
  
Cheers,
Dave Clark
Race Director

 

Keep it Fresh, Clean and Simple!
Nutritional Tips for a Successful Half Marathon with Melissa Spooner

 

Ah yes, the time of year when we all want to open our windows, drive with the sunroof open and put the convertible top down! Spring gives us a sense of freedom as we move from indoor living to the great outdoors!  Nutritional freedom is also very important as your training volume starts to increase. You will notice that you may not have as much time as you once did for some of your nutritional decisions, and this is where planning your nutrition and setting up a good plan that will continue to work for you as your training increases towards the event weekend.


We touched on this a bit last month when we focused on the afternoon workout, that tricky time in the late afternoon or early evening. You need to ensure you have the energy for your training and the ability to get through your workout and the chance to recover, so you can get up the next day and possibly do it all over again!


And this is really the basis of sound sports nutrition. You want to ask yourself these simple questions:

  • Do I have the energy to get started on my workout? 
  • Do I have the energy to get through my workout?  
  • Is what I am eating during my workout working for me?
  • Do I have the energy to recover from my workout?

 

So whether your workout is first thing in the morning, afternoon or evening, the ability to fuel and recover is key.


Before - Typically speaking, you can get in 200 to 300 calories/hour pre-activity. If your activity is less than 45 to 60 minutes in duration and at an easy intensity, you may be perfectly fine with less food or for a morning workout. But if your workout is longer than 60 minutes and/or includes any sort of intensity, you really do want to consider what you can eat pre-workout to ensure you can get through it.


During - For a short and sweet 30 to 60 minute workout, you also don't really need to concern yourself with anything during your workout. Perhaps some water if it is very hot or an electrolyte drink if you know you are a heavy sweater and loosing some valuable nutrients. Workouts that are longer than 60 minutes provide you with a great opportunity to practice what you can take during your workout. These typically are going to be your longer base runs - but could be that late afternoon tempo run that goes over 60 minutes with some added effort as well!  

 

Post workout - This is ALL about your recovery and thus you may find that you can "get away" with not replenishing after your workout and not really feel the effect right away, but it can set you up for some not so great nutritional habits.  The great thing about eating post workout is your body acts like a big sponge at this point as far as replenishing your glucose stores, so the food you are eating goes directly to replenishing this. Sometimes we can find ourselves saying "I just ran 10km and burned all those calories, I don't want to put them all back in!" The reality is by ingesting 150 to 400 calories (depending on intensity and duration of event and personal info such as height and weight) within 30 minutes of your activity (this could be as simple as breakfast after your morning run!) you can get on with the rest of your day and know you are fully replenished!  


What I see a lot of in my practice is if we do not replenish post workout when our body is ready to use those calories, our body will still want and often need those calories later in the day. But rather than eating just what we need, we tend to eat out of hunger vs. out of replenishment, and our food choices at that time tend to be a bit more reactive than proactive, often setting us up for a lull in energy through the day and eating more later in the day when we are not as active.


So allow yourself to get the most out of your workout and your recovery when you need to - make some great food choices that work for you and give you the energy you need to get the most out of what you do! 


The recipe this month is my favorite recovery shake. I shared this shake last year as well but it offers so many fabulous nutrients that I believe it is worth repeating! This can be a GREAT post workout recovery food, pre-workout meal, or just a great way to get what your body needs when life gets busy! Keep these foods on hand in your pantry and you know you will never need to go without good fuel!

 
Cheers and Happy Training! 
Mel 
Perfect Posture

Ready, Set, Time to Run! Training Tips with 

Coach Christine Suter 


You may be asking yourself, what is perfect running posture? If we were to describe perfect running posture, we would see a runner who has effective mid-line or core stability, they are able to keep their spine neutral and hips lifted, their head in a neutral position, eyes forward, chin slightly tucked, ears in line with shoulders and their arms relaxed at their side, with shoulders back and thumbs up to the sky.   


You need to know where your body parts are in space before you can make corrections. Making people aware of their posture prior to movement can help lead to more efficient movement. Incorrect posture usually develops with gradual changes in muscle, tendon, or fascial support. Young children generally have good posture and mechanics so if you get the chance, watch how young kids run and move

Perfect running posture

. During school years, children develop poor sitting and standing habits, and abnormal posture becomes apparent. By the time an individual becomes a teenager or young adult, these abnormal postural habits are engrained. "Poor posture becomes more exaggerated as people age and develop progressively greater tightness and weakness in already shortened or lengthened soft tissue structures, resulting in changes in bone alignment and stress distribution." (Sandra J. Shultz, PhD, ATC, CSCS, FNATA, Peggy A. Houglum, PhD, ATC, PT, and David H. Perrin, PhD, ATC- taken from Examination of Musculoskeletal Injuries, Third Edition)


Before you start adding miles onto your running, stop and go through a checklist of your own posture to see how you stand first and then what happens when you run or add movement. Find a mirror and stand in front of it with feet hip width apart and hands at your side and compare the right to left sides of your body. Look at the levels of your:

  • Ears; is one higher than the other?
  • Shoulders; is one higher than the other, rotated forward or pulled back?
  • Hips; look at the length of your waist, place your hands on your hips for perspective
  • Knees; are they level, does one rotate in or rotate out?
  • Ankles; do they collapse inward and roll out?
  • Feet; do both feet face forward, are your toes clenched or bent in one foot?

From the side if we were to drop a plumb line (string with a weight on it) down your body, there are some landmarks that we would want to all line up. The line should line up with the middle of your ear,  middle of your shoulder (the humerus bone), through your midline, just back of your hipbone or at your greater trochanter, just posterior of your knee cap and slightly anterior of your ankle. Postural assessments can be done by a Personal Trainer, Massage Therapist, Chiropractor and Physiotherapist. 


Test your own core stability by trying these drills: 

  • Hold both arms  straight in front of your chest, finger locked and run. Can you hold your arms in front of you or do they want to cross your body and swing from side to side?  Now focus on activating your core, keeping a neutral spine and try the drill again. Do you notice a difference?
  • Hold both arms behind your back and interlock your fingers, think about pulling your shoulder blades together and back. Now try running on the spot. Is your chest lifted causing too much of an arch in your low back, or are your shoulders too tight causing your chest to pull forward of your hips? Both of these positions break your core stability. Try to correct your posture to hold a neutral spine, if the tightness is in your shoulders, you may have to work on some shoulder and chest stretching and mobility.

 

If you notice that it is difficult to hold a neutral spine standing, you may have to put more focus into core strengthening exercises which we will be covering next month, or check out some of our videos on core training.

 

Run Strong, Run Fast! 

Coach Christine, C2SkyMultisport Coaching

2011 start line 
The North Face Whistler Half Marathon  | www.whistlerhalfmarathon.com
e-mail us:    [email protected]

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