YourSaskatoon Blogs

Registration is open for the 12th annual Brainsport Brainfreeze, which takes place snow or shine on March 1. This event, which features five-kilometre, 10-kilometre and half marathon races, is the main fundraiser for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies cross-country team.  Here are five reasons you should sign up: 1. The event is a huge boost for the Huskies The Brainfreeze has capacity for 400 runners and, if it sells out, could bring in more than $10,000 for the Huskies cross country team. Race Director Taryn Heidecker says the race is so important because the Huskie cross country team struggles to fundraise like some of the more spectator-friendly university sports that charge people to watch games. Money raised from the Brainfreeze goes toward scholarships, team travel, training camps and program development.  The cost of registration for each distance is $75, which includes an ArroWhere vest. 2. There are lots of photo opportunities...

As soon as Susan Hamilton attended her first Just Tri It workout she was hooked. "It's the atmosphere; all the ladies, even though they might be competitive with themselves or close friends, they're not competitive in nature," she says. "Everybody inspires everybody." Participants of the 2019 Just Tri It program pose for a photo. Hamilton signed up for the women's-only triathlon training group in 2011 because she wanted to get more active. She loved the program so much that she has stayed involved with it to this day and is now the program director as Just Tri It moves into its 19th year. Just Tri It is an eight-week training program that runs out of the Saskatoon YWCA from March 15 to May 10. An army of roughly 50 volunteers puts on three training sessions a week, one each for swimming, biking and running. During the program the women have the...

Brainsport has partnered with lululemon to offer a new free run club on Monday evenings. Brainsport employee Ali Bergeron is leading the club from the lululemon store downtown starting at 7 p.m. Participants at the first Brainsport-lululemon run club earlier this month.  The runs will last from 30 minutes to an hour and are designed to ensure no one gets left behind. Olivia Bird, the assistant store manager of lululemon Saskatoon, said the store wanted to start the club "as a new way to sweat, grow, and connect with our local community through run. "We know that Brian and the Brainsport team are experts in this, and couldn't think of anyone better to collaborate with," she said. Bergeron and Bird say they aim to make the run club as inclusive as possible.  Anyone is welcome to participate and the group is particularly geared toward beginners. “We want everybody to feel very welcome...

Every year, Brainsport offers coached run academies targeted at a range of distances and experience levels. Joining a coached run club can be hugely beneficial for athletes — whether they’re training for their first five-kilometre run or hoping to set a new personal best in the marathon after years of training,   Wondering if joining a coached run group is right for you? The Brainsport Times spoke with Brainsport coach Patrick Somerville (pictured left) and some of his coached athletes about some of the benefits of joining such a group. It can help prevent injuries Derek Trischuk says he was never a natural runner but started competing in triathlons and needed to figure it out. He started in Brainsport’s learn-to-run program and later joined one of Someville’s coached clinics. Trischuk says that, as a beginner, he appreciated the running education that came with the clinic. He was able to learn about...

Looking for a way to spend a frigid Wednesday evening? Come to the Brainsport run club tonight at 6 p.m. Beaux Walton, On's Western Canadian tech rep, will have On Cloud and On Stratus demo shoes for you to run in. And to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas we will serve Perogie and Koubasa samples after the run. After spending 13 years as president of the Saskatoon Road Runners Association, Peter Goode has stepped down from the organization's top job.Goode joined the SRRA board in 1996 (or 1997 — it's been so long he can no longer remember) and became president roughly two years later. He has served as president twice in the last 20-some years.Goode remains on the SRRA board, but Shona Iverson has taken over the role of president.In the weeks following the move, Goode spoke with the Brainsport Times about his time on the SRRA board and about the challenges and opportunities facing...

Competitors in this year's Saskatchewan Marathon events can expect a scenic route and a festive post-race atmosphere. Saskatchewan Marathon Director Kim Ali said the opening of the Traffic Bridge in the fall of 2018 is allowing race organizers to route runners along the Meewasin Valley trail for much of the races. The Traffic Bridge will be closed to vehicles on the morning of the race and runners in the 10-kilometre, half marathon and marathon distances will run over it at least twice. "We're trying to make the race even more beautiful, running more kilometres along the Meewasin Valley," Ali said. The five-kilometre course, which ran through a residential area of the city's Exhibition neighbourhood last year, is largely unchanged except that they will start and finish under the Saskatchewan Marathon arch. Ali says the fast, flat course has been popular with athletes in the past. Course changes and the resulting road...

Lanni Marchant never imagined she would have to stop running in order to run fast. The 34-year-old Olympian and former Canadian women’s marathon record holder underwent hip surgery in May 2018 and has spent the ensuing months focussing on recovery, strength training and technique. Marchant is from London, Ont., but much of her rehab work is being done in Saskatoon, where she is working with sport physiotherapist Bruce Craven who was described to her as a “movement whisperer." Marchant made her first trip to Saskatoon in August 2018, three months after her surgery. She was off crutches and had been cross-training four hours a day. She had packed her aqua-jogging belt and clothes so she could bike and train on the ElliptiGO, but Craven told her to take it easy and walk instead. “Had he tried to tell me that in 2016 or 2017 I wouldn’t have listened, I wouldn’t have...

When Bob Myers registered for the Brainsport Brainfreeze on the first day that registration opened, he never imagined how cold it would be on race day.Myers, 42, is from North Carolina, where it doesn’t get much below 0C in the winter.He, his wife and another couple travelled to Saskatchewan in early March in an effort to see the northern lights. They planned to fly into Saskatoon, then travel north to Sturgeon Lake. Their time in the Bridge City coincided with the Brainsport Brainfreeze on March 3 and one of Myers travelling companions, an avid runner, signed up and encouraged Myers and his wife to do the same. Bob Myers at the Brainsport Brainfreeze.Photo: Louis Christ. See more at https://www.lchrist.comWhen the race started, there was a windchill of -33C.“Being from North Carolina that was the coldest temperature I had ever personally experienced,” Myers said.He wore almost every stitch of clothing he had packed for...

After Aberdeen teacher Kelli White finished running a 10 kilometre race at the Saskatchewan Marathon weekend in 2010, she saw lots of children excitedly getting ready to start their own run.  She learned that they were part of the MaraFun program, which gives students aged six to 13 an opportunity to run the marathon distance — 42.2 kilometres — over the course of 10 weeks, with the last 2.2 kilometres being run as part of the Saskatchewan Marathon weekend. White was so impressed by what she’d seen that she signed up her own students at Aberdeen Composite School the following year. And she’s continued to be involved ever since, leading about 35 students a year in grades three to eight through the program in each of the last eight years. She’s had so much fun that she’s encouraging other teachers to sign up their students as well this year. “MaraFun is...

When Xiaomin (Dolly) Jiang moved to Saskatoon in February 2017, she only knew three people: the immigration agent who had helped her move from China, the real estate agent who sold her her house and her teenage son, who’d made the move across the world with her. Jiang, 48, had moved to Canada with plans to start her own energy efficient building materials company, but the transition was tough. She was having difficulty networking and meeting people. Xiaomin Jiang (centre) at the Brainsport run club. In an effort to change her situation, she began volunteering with various groups in the city, including with the Saskatoon Cycles’ bike valet program. While working a shift at the bike valet in August 2017 she told a fellow volunteer how lonely she was. “I tell him I am really confused and I really feel puzzled on how to make friends,” Jiang said. The volunteer suggested...

Saskatoon can be a cold, dark and snowy place to run in the winter. Many athletes will hop on a treadmill to avoid battling adverse conditions. Though opting for the treadmill can be a smart way to get in a hard workout on an icy day, training exclusively on the machine can result in injuries or development of poor technique. Bruce Craven, a sport physiotherapist, strength and conditioning coach and co-owner of Craven SPORT Services on Second Avenue, spoke with the Brainsport Times about how to maximize treadmill workouts and when they can be most beneficial. Put the incline at 1% Craven says one of the biggest problems runners encounter when they’re on the treadmill is they don’t use their glutes to push off the ground and propel themselves forward. Instead, the treadmill belt pulls their feet back into extension. “Then really you just become a recovery runner instead of a...

With less than a month to go until the Brainsport Brainfreeze on March 3, runners are encouraged to sign up before the event sells out, as it has the last two years. The Brainfreeze, now in its 11th year, is the only fundraiser for the University of Saskatchewan’s cross-country team.  Last year, the race raised a record $13,000 for the team. Huskies cross-country athlete Courtney Moffatt said the fundraiser allows the team to subsidize costs such as travel and competition gear for athletes. This is important because many athletes aren’t able to work while competing and attending classes. Courtney Moffatt, left, racing for the Huskies. “It’s tough being a university student and running sport. If we didn’t have (financial support) it would be quite pricey,” she said. Moffatt used to play hockey but got into track at a young age because she preferred to compete in an individual sport. Yet she...

It doesn’t matter what the weather is. It doesn’t matter if he’s tired, sick or sore. Brian Breit runs every day. Breit, 59, went for a run on Dec. 1, 2012 and has run every day since. By Dec. 1, 2018 — the six-year anniversary of his run streak — he had logged 24,268 kilometres, which averages out to more than 11 kilometres a day. Prior to Dec. 1, 2012, Breit ran three or four times a week, often with the Brainsport run club. When Brainsport promoted the idea of a December running streak — which encourages people to run at least one mile (1.6 kilometres) each day for a month — Breit gave it a try. And he set his own rules for how far he would go. “My thinking was, I wasn’t going to go dress up and go outside to run just one mile every day. I mean,...

Runners registering for any Saskatchewan Marathon event this year will once again have the option of adding a donation to their race fee to support the Meewasin Valley Authority (MVA). The MVA is a non-profit organization that does conservation work along the South Saskatchewan River Basin and maintains and upgrades of the Meewasin Valley trail system. “We’re using it so much. Let’s put back, let’s give back,” says Peter Goode, president of the Saskatoon Road Runners Association (SRRA), which organizes the Saskatchewan Marathon. SRRA President Peter Goode with dog Willie on a run along the Meewasin Valley trails. The MVA has been the Saskatchewan Marathon’s charity of choice since 2010.  In the past, the MVA has netted between $7,000 and $10,000 each year from runners who donate while registering for Saskatchewan Marathon events.  Last year, people gave roughly $7,500 to the organization when registering and the SRRA matched that amount, for...

When Saskatoon Road Runners Association (SRRA) President Peter Goode heard that the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival was planning to build a permanent site for its performances, he knew it was a perfect project for the city’s running community to help out with. Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan leases land from the city on the west bank of the South Saskatchewan River near the Prairie Lily riverboat dock and former Mendel Art Gallery building. The organization spends weeks erecting a main stage every spring and then takes it down at the end of each summer once performances are over. When shows are not being performed, the site is locked. Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan is now in the midst of a fundraising campaign to create a permanent base for its festival. In addition to building an amphitheatre, the organization has plans to convert the nearby seasonal washrooms to year-round facilities with an indoor...

When first-time runners look at winter running gear, they are often amazed by how thin and lightweight it is, says Brainsport fit specialist Colin Federow. “They say ‘How is that going to keep you warm?’ Well we’re forgetting the factor that we’re generating heat,” Federow says. “Whatever the temperature is outside, add 10C to it and that’s what it’s going to feel like when you’re running … If you dress for -20C because that’s the temperature, you’re going to be too hot by the time you get running because it’s going to feel more like -10C.” Federow spoke with the Brainsport Times to share some tips about how to dress for winter running. Layering For both pants and tops, layering is key. Federow recommends people wear one to three layers on their legs and torsos depending on the temperature and whether they tend to feel hot or cold when outside. On...

very winter, Colin Federow hears the same question over and over again: How can I run without slipping on ice?The Brainsport fit specialist says there’s no one-size-fits-all solution that works for every runner, but Brainsport carries a variety of shoes and accessories that people can choose from so they can keep moving even when snow and ice cover their favorite running paths.He sat down with the Brainsport Times to lay out the three most popular options.Pull-on gripsProducts like the Due North Everyday G3 Ice Snow Traction Aid ($26) and Nordic Grip running traction aid ($40) fit over your favorite shoes to provide grip. “The reason I like that is that you can be out running and if you feel that it’s icy you can slip it on quick and away you go,” Federow says. Pull-on grips allow you to turn your favorite shoes into winter runners so you don’t need to...

Each year Brainsport presents the Ric Hanna Award to a runner who demonstrates leadership and makes running more meaningful for fellow run club members. This year’s Ric Hanna Award winner is Don Cochrane, who has been a part of Brainsport’s run clubs since the run club’s first meeting in July 1991.  Prior to accepting the award on Dec. 22, Cochrane spoke with the Brainsport Times about his journey in running and what the Brainsport run club has meant to him. Don Cochrane’s fascination with running began in his early teens. He remembers growing up in Ontario and being captivated by stories of the great athletes who raced the Boston Marathon. “I thought ‘Nobody in their right mind could ever run 26 miles,’ ” recalls Cochrane, now 78. “This just caught the imagination of a 13 year old. But way down deep, I said ‘One day, one day I’m going to do...

Following Brainsport's free Saturday morning run club this weekend, Brainsport will present the Ric Hanna Award to an athlete who has demonstrated leadership and made running more meaningful for fellow run club members. The presentation will take place in Brainsport's community room at 10 a.m. as part of a holiday celebration. Brainsport will provide some coffee and tea. Runners — please bring some dainties to share!  In other good news: Six-year-old Lucy Olynick loves her new shoes. The Gr. 1 student has been showing them off to her classmates since she bought them at Brainsport last month. The shoes are sparkly, which Lucy thinks is awesome. But what makes them really special is they have a zipper that allows the shoes to completely open up so Lucy can slide her feet in easily even though she wears ankle-foot orthotics (AFOs). Lucy was born with club feet and used to wear casts...

This week the Brainsport Times bids farewell to outgoing editor Tara Campbell, who has put out this weekly newsletter since the spring of 2015. Back then, Campbell had just left a job in daily news in Saskatoon when Brainsport owner Brian Michasiw asked her if she would take over the weekly newsletter. "The timing worked out well for me," Campbell recalls. "When Brian approached me about writing the Times, I thought it would be a great fit. I love to write and I love to run — it was an easy decision." Campbell now lives in Omaha, Nebraska and recently started a new reporting gig for the local NBC affiliate. "Life has become a whole lot busier," she said. "Simply put, it’s time to let go of the Times." This newsletter is now being edited by myself, Andrea Hill, in the moments when I'm not running or writing for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. I talked...