As the fall racing season approaches many of you will soon be taking to the starting line. Whether it's the Queen City Marathon, or a destination race a little extra inspiration from someone who just ran her first marathon may be helpful.
For this we look to Brainsport Sales Associate Kim Galus. Kim ran her first marathon earlier this month - in Iceland! In this week's Q&A we speak with Kim to learn more about her experience.
Q&A with Kim Galus
Tara: You just returned from running your first marathon - the Islandsbanki Reykjavik Marathon. Not too many people choose to travel to Iceland to run a marathon, let alone their first. What inspired you to go on this adventure?
Kim: There's a few reasons I decided to do this race. Iceland has been a place I have wanted to visit for a few years now so last summer when I heard I could go there and run through Team Diabetes I jumped on the chance. Secondly, as a runner it's hard not to think of trying to run a marathon. With these things in mind I figured if I was going to fundraise all this money, which was a new task for me, and go to a foreign country I might as well run a distance that was new to me.
Tara: What was the most surprising, or meaning part of your race, and of your visit to Iceland?
Kim: I think the most surprising part of the race was how involved the locals get, a large portion of the race runs through the residential areas of Reykjavik and there were so many people cheering everyone on! Some of the people even had their own little aid stations set up with treats for the runners. The most surprising part of the trip was how big the local running community was! The temperature there is pretty similar all day so there was hardly a time when you could walk more than I block without seeing someone out for a run.
Tara: What is the most significant lesson you learned while running those 26.2 miles? What would you do the same, and what would you do differently?
Kim: The most significant lesson I learned was that it doesn't matter how many people tell you what it will feel like because it might be way different for you! Before the race a lot of people shared their
race experiences with me, everyone talks about how hard it is and how they couldn't walk for a week after and it sort of scared me. Fortunately I felt very strong throughout the run so at this moment I personally think I prepared very well and for this race I wouldn't change a thing. If I do another one though I will definitely push the pace more to see what kind of time I could achieve!
Tara: Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience?
Kim: Iceland is a great country to visit, there's a little bit of something for everyone. City life and country life there are significantly different and it almost feels like different trips! My advice for anyone that plans to go in the future, especially runners, is be prepared to spend a lot of money on food because it's expensive, haha!
Tara: Tell us how your training went leading up to your first marathon. Kim representing Team Diabetes at the Islandsbanki Reykjavik Marathon.
Kim: In all honesty I didn't precisely follow any plan. I trained with Brainsport's half marathon clinic in the spring to prepare me for the half at the Saskatchewan Marathon. Once I felt recovered from that race I slowly built up the mileage to work towards the full. I'm very in tune with what type of training works well for me and what my limits are which is why I think I was able to not follow a real plan. I knew that because it was not only my first marathon but I was also travelling speed wasn't the focus, I wanted to go and be able to enjoy the scenery. I think knowing my finishing time wasn't a priority from the beginning made training feel easier.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Yoga for Triathletes
ZONE Sports Physiotherapy bringing back another yoga class for triathletes this fall featuring RYT 200 yoga teacher and triathlete, Josh Safronetz. Fall and early winter is a great time to work on freeing up movement and increasing range of motion to all you to swim, bike and run with greater efficiency.
This years class will take place on Thursday nights starting on September 8 and run for 12 sessions until December 22.
Classes will run from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at ZONE Sports Physiotherapy. Cost for the 12 sessions is $240. Each participant must bring their own yoga mat, block and strap. If you're interested please contact Brad at
Yoga For Runners with BreathMoveBe
Have you ever considered working yoga into your training routine? This is your opportunity to join a yoga class designed specifically for runners.
There are two eight-week options available this fall:
Wednesdays, September 14 to November 2 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at the Brainsport Community Room.
Tuesdays, September 13 to November 1 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Namaskar Yoga Studio (615 2nd Avenue North).
Contact Leanne at
Family-Friendly Fall Fitness
These sessions are designed for runners, triathletes, and non-athletes who want to gain strength, alignment, and fitness using TRX suspension straps, pilates-based exercises, medicine balls, and cardio-strength circuits. Participating as a family isn't a requirement, but there will be an emphasis on making sure children will have fun and learn too.
Sessions are lead by Carly Priebe, a Certified Exercise Physiologist with a Ph.D. in Kinesiology and more than 10 years experience coaching and training (she's also the mom to two energetic little ones). For more information go towww.transitionsportandfitness.ca,
Ninth Annual KinSpin Run, Walk & Roll!
The U of S College of Kinesiology is hosting its 9th Annual Kinspin 1K and 5K event on Saturday, September 17 at 10 a.m. at the U of S Bowl. Proceeds from the event are directed to special needs programming within the College of Kinesiology. For more information and to register go to https://donate.usask.ca/online/kinspin.php.
Ryding for the STARS - STARS Air Ambulance Ryde-A-Thon
Get together a relay team of four riders and help raise funds for STARS Air Ambulance on September 10. The fundraising platform is online where pledges can be made through August. If you're interested in learning more details, or putting a team together contact Clay Sparks, Co-Creator of Breathe Cycle Studio & Advance-Tek Consulting at 306-230-1800.
Miles for Smiles
The Student Medical Society of Saskatchewan is hosting its 13th annual fundraising event on September 10, 2016 - Miles for Smiles! Come out and run/walk 2.5K, or run a 5K or 10K (chip timing is available). All funds raised will go to the Children's Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan. For more information on the event go to: http://miles4smiles.usask.ca/.
Crown the King Openwater Swim Race
On September 5 a king will be crowned at Trippes Beach on Waskesiu Lake! Registration is through Registration Logics and the Prince Albert Triathlon Club. For more information visit the Crown The King Facebook page or email
Beaver Flat 50 - Ultra Trail Marathon
Saskatchewan's first ultra trail marathon will get underway on September 17 at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. With more than 2500 metres of vertical gain across 50 kilometres, there's nothing really flat about this race! The Beaver Flat 50 is a tough get-your-feet-wet, wreck-your-shins, and roll-your-ankle kind of run. For more information click here.
SRRA Trail Race Series
Race # 3 Blackstrap, September 18 at a.m.
For more information on all the races visit: https://srratrailraces.wordpress.com/.
16th Annual Saskatchewan Credit Unions Queen City Marathon
The 16th Annual Saskatchewan Credit Unions Queen City Marathon takes place the weekend of September 10 & 11 in Regina. This event includes races for people of all paces. Runners and walkers are welcome in the 42.2K, 21.1K, 10K, Team Relay and 5K events. Kids, as young as three-years-old, are encouraged to participate in the Mini Marathon. For more information or to register please visit: http://runqcm.com.
Product of the Week
New Balance 2090
For this week's product we turn it back to Kim! She chose to feature the New Balance 2090 - also known as the shoe she wore for her first marathon. Here's what made the 2090 Kim's pick.
"I like the New Balance 2090 because it's lightweight and feels fast, but it's cushioned enough to carry me through my long runs! Another thing I like is the responsive ride it offers doesn't change, whether you're starting your run or if you're on kilometre 42."
Thanks for reading the Times this week . . gotta run . . .Tara