YourSaskatoon Blogs

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...

For two straight weeks we had the pleasure of watching the world's best athletes perform at the Rio Olympics. It's sad to see it end, but the spirit of the Games will certainly live on; and we won't forget the outstanding showing by our Canadian athletes.   There's no telling how many future Olympians were inspired by these Games, but we can be sure they will be popping up in the years to come. It was fun to watch as the Canadian women really stood out this year, and undoubtedly caught the attention of young women here in Saskatoon, and across the country.  One of those young women looking to the Games over the past two weeks was Shayna Uhryn. If you haven't already heard about Shayna, she's a very talented and accomplished young runner who's already made her mark on the Saskatchewan running scene. In this week's Q&A we're going to get to know more about Shayna.  Q&A with Shayna Uhryn Tara: To...

We're less than week into the track and field events in Rio and already we've been treated to some spectacular Canadian performances. From Derek Drouin's gold-medal high jump performance last night, to Andre De Grasse's head-spinning 100m race to bronze and the courageous comeback by Humboldt's Brianne Theisen-Eaton to claim bronze in the heptathlon.  As our eyes continue on Rio we'll also be looking out for the performances of two Kenyan athletes: Asbel Kiprop in the 1500m and Ezekeil Kemboi in the 3000m steeplechase. As we learned last week these two athletes received shoes from Saskatoon's running community in 2004 when Jason Warick made his first trip Kenya. Jason's trip, and Brian's involvement in getting shoes gathered to take over, born what we now know as the Brainsport Shoe Donation Program.  In this week's Q&A we speak with Colin French, Brainsport's Shoe Donation Program Captain, to learn more about this remarkable program that has put shoes on thousands of people in need.  Q&A with Colin French Tara: As...

The Olympics are in full swing, and its about to get even better this Friday, August 12, when the athletics events get underway! Athletics Canada has sent the largest Olympic team in its history to the Rio Games, with 65 athletes set to compete. There will certainly be no shortage of homegrown talent to watch over the next couple of weeks, but there's also a connection with two Kenyan athletes we'd like to share with you in this week's Times. In 2004 Jason Warick won a journalism fellowship to write about anything in Africa. He's topic of choice - running. So off he went, along with Brian and his parent's - Judy and Randy. The rest is history - really interesting history, at that, so let's get right to our Q&A with Jason.  Q&A with Jason Warick Tara: Let’s start with a bit of background about the approach you took going into this project in Kenya. You...

Imagine running across Canada, solo and unsupported, and then turning around and running all the way back -- all in effort to raise funds for Alzheimer’s and breast cancer charities. That's exactly what Edward “Fast Eddy” Dostaler is doing on his "There and Back" journey across Canada. Eddy has reached Saskatchewan, andtonight he will be at Brainsport for a meet and greet between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Come learn more about Eddy's journey, and even have a chance to run with him.   In this week's Q&A we're speaking with Eddy to learn more about his "There and Back" journey.  Q&A with Edward Dostaler - “Fast Eddy” Tara: When did you first start to think about the prospect of running across the country -- and back? Eddy: I started to think of it after my grandmother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I wanted to go one way and with a support vehicle, however when I learnt of a mentor's passing, who was a professor and advocate of Breast Cancer awareness,...

Excitement is building for the start of the 2016 Summer Olympics, which gets underway on August 5, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Here in Saskatoon the Olympic spirit will be celebrated at this year's Folkfest with a torch run on opening day of the festival - August 18. In this week's Q&A we learn more about the torch run from the Greek Pavilion Manager, Effie Kutsogiannis. Q&A with Effie Kutsogiannis Tara: With the Olympic Games fast approaching, soon the world will be  watching as the Olympic torch is lit in Rio. Tell us how the idea to light a torch here in Saskatoon during Folkfest came to fruition. Effie: This year's Olympic Games inspired this torch run. The roots of the ancient games in Olympia were to unite the Ancient Greek city states for a short time. As the Greek pavilion, we want to celebrate this. Tara: Where will the torch run start and finish? And, what will...

A big thank you to everyone who helped celebrate Brainsport's 25th Anniversary last week - it was a great evening! In celebration of the big year, we have a very cool "Product of the Week" to highlight this week at the end of this edition.   In this week's Q&A we're checking back in with Joey Lorer to get his thoughts on completing the Sinister 7 Ultra solo! But, before we get to that a reminder that Brainsport will be open during construction on the 600 Block of 10th Street East - it's expected to last three to four weeks. Now, on to our Q&A . . . Q&A with Joey LorerTara: Just a few years after committing yourself to running, you managed to successfully race the Sinister 7 solo, completing the 100 mile race in 27 hours 49 minutes and 23 seconds. What did it take physically, and mentally to get to the starting line?Joey: I found a training plan that was geared towards...

The big day is here! Today we are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Brainsport! We look forward to seeing you all out at run club this evening, where the winner of the Brooks Rock Your Run contest will be announced! It's going to a packed evening of celebration with a dinner at the Cosmopolitan Senior Citizens Centre following run club (limited amount of tickets still available for the dinner).  Today we are also taking time to remember Ric Hanna; one of Saskatoon's greatest runner's, and a man who fought Huntington's Disease with an unrelenting spirit.  Ric's legacy will certainly be everlasting; and his name will continue to be honoured each year at Brainsport with the Ric Hanna Award, which is awarded to one runner who exemplifies outstanding leadership. Past recipients of the award are: Dave Stark, Peter Goode, Jan Sterling, Theresa Reid-Shea, Brian Breit, Audrey Mowchenko, and Oliver Eaton. In place of a Q&A this week, we have a tribute to Ric, with words...

Brainsport's 25th Anniversay celebration is fast approaching; and there's plenty to look forward to on July 13 as the fun gets underway - you're not going to want to miss it! Bit-by-bit some details have been released about the celebration, including the Brooks Rock Your Run Contest winner announcement, ticket availability, supper location, and catering. In this week's Q&A we get even more details from Brian.    Q&A Brian Michasiw Tara: The big day is almost here! What are your thoughts as you approach this milestone of 25 years in business? Brian: It makes me reflect on how far we've come. Looking back to when we started Brainsport it's now clear to me how little we knew about business. At the time my partner Debbie Harksen was 20-years-old and I was 21. We knew how to sell shoes, but that was about it. However, it's amazing what a positive attitude and a bit of hard work can accomplish. Tara:...

The fist day of summer fell upon us this week, marking the continuation a robust racing season both in Saskatoon and beyond. Whether training to race competitively, or working toward your first-ever race, these summer days provide a beautiful backdrop to whatever adventure you may be on.  With the EY River Classic set for mid July, there is a great opportunity to transition your summer-morning runs into a summer-morning race. This is one of the province's premier racing events, hosted by the SRRA. In this week's Q&A we speak with race committee member, Neil MacKay, to learn more about the event.   Q&A Neil MacKay Tara: The EY River Run Classic is one of the province’s top road races. What goes into making this such a great event year in and year out? Neil: There is something for everyone as there are a variety of race distances - a 5K walk/run, a 10K and a...

We are getting increasingly excited about Brainsport's upcoming 25th Anniversary! You have likely already heard, or read here in the Times, about the celebration we'll be having on July 13 (if not be sure to checkout the "Upcoming Events). This is going to be super fun evening of celebration! We also have another 25th anniversary project in the works. Over the past several months Don Cochrane, with the assistance of photographer, Louis Christ and myself, have been working on a publication for Brainsport's 25th Anniversary.  In this week's Q&A we learn more about the project from none other than Don, himself.    Q&A Don Cochrane Tara: First, a bit about you Don, and your relationship with Brian and Brainsport. You go way, way back making you a perfect fit to lead the way on this project. Would you mind telling us a bit more about this?   Don: I first met Brian more than thirty years...

Congratulations to all the participants and volunteers who took part in the 2016 Saskatchewan Marathon over this past weekend! There is a lot to celebrate; goals accomplished, fantastic performances, and the wonderful spirit of a community of runners, walkers, and volunteers coming together for a great event. On the heels of such a fabulous weekend, we've packed the Times with two Q&A's this week. First up, we're going to talk with Brian to get his take on his thrilling third-place performance in the marathon. Then, we'll have a chat with Joel Pedersen of J2J Fitness about the safety-awareness and self-defence session being held at Brainsport this Saturday.  There's a lot to cover, so let's get right to it! Brian Michasiw Tara: It's not very often you see a sprint right to the finish line in a marathon, but you and Seiji Yoshimura battled it out hard for third place all the way to the end. It was a cat and...

The 2016 Saskatchewan Marathon is just days away! As the excitement builds, we thought it would be fun to interview Brian for this week's Q&A to get his thoughts on this year's event.  Before we get to the interview - all the best to everyone participating this weekend!   Q&A with Brian Michasiw  Tara: Having won the Saskatchewan Marathon six times, you have some invaluable experience heading into this weekend's race. On the flip side, there are a whole lot of runners out their eagerly anticipating their first Saskatchewan Marathon. Do you have any advice for first-time participants? Brian: Don't go out too hard. All of us runners, at a certain point in the race, enter our fatigue-form state and if we go out too hard and can't maintain our form we're going to fall apart. It's easy to go out way too fast; it takes a lot of discipline to hold back...

First off this week, thank you to all the participants, volunteers and sponsors (Salomon, Harbor Golf Club & Resort) who helped make the Brainsport Spring Run Off in Elbow a success. We had approximately 170 participants out over the weekend for the inaugural event - way to go! There's no doubt, Saskatchewan is a great place for summer racing. Fast approaching is the Saskatchewan Marathon here in Saskatoon, which a lot of you have been in training for. Following this great event is the Queen City Marathon in September; another marquee racing event in the province.  In this week's Q&A we're speaking with the race director of the Queen City Marathon, Shawn Weimer. He has a lot of information for us, so let's get to it!  Q&A with Shaw Weimer Tara:  As plenty of runners are gearing up for the Saskatchewan Marathon, you're busy in preparation for the Queen City Marathon. Can you speak to the way these two events...

Experienced runners and triathletes alike understand the importance of cross-training. Whether it's hitting the eliptical machine, pool, or bike there's plenty of options available. However, it's kind of nice to try something new every once in a while. There's an interesting opportunity to do just that - at Breathe Cycle Studio, which just opened here in Saskatoon.  In this week's Q&A we speak with Clay Sparks, Co-founder of Breath Cycle Studio, to learn more about this unique form of cross-training.  Q&A with Clay Sparks Tara: Let's start with what exactly Breathe Cycle Studio is all about. This is not your average spin class - would you mind telling use more about it?   Clay: Breathe exists primarily as a reminder to tap into the power deep within each of us. We've built a special room for you to reconnect with that power through movement. The tool we've chosen to use is a RealRyder "un-stationary" indoor-cycle....

Interested in going on a beautiful trek in Peru in support of a great cause? This week we're speaking with Mavis Derksen, who's leading the way for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada on a Machu Picchu adventure! There's a lot to learn about this Charity Challenge, so we'll get started right away. But first note, there is also an information session on Saturday, May 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Brainsport. Q&A with Mavis Derksen Tara: This seems like a wonderful opportunity to take on a major trek for people of varying experiences hiking. Is it fair to say it's suitable for those who have very little experience? Mavis: Destination hiking is very popular worldwide. The training for Machu Picchu will begin in mid July 2016. Before that I encourage teammates to walk and enjoy the outdoors. This hike is not a race. The speed you will be...

Technology, technology, technology — what do runners need to know? How can it best serve them? Tonight, physiotherapist, Brad Spokes will be speaking at the store as part of the Brainsport Running Academy's Speaker Series. The topic — yes — technology! We're also inviting Run Club folks to stay after this evening's run to listen to Brad's talk. We hope to see you all there!  In this week's Q&A we're going to get a preview of what Brad will be addressing this evening. Q&A with Brad Spokes Tara: Throughout your career, how have you seen technology change the sport? Brad: Back in the early 90’s from a technology standpoint most runners simply ran with the wrist watch. Time was the only measure. As the mid 90’s arrived the heart rate monitor (HRM) was starting to be used by some elite level runners and triathletes and the rush was on to understand...

If you have ever thought about joining one of our Learn To Run courses, the Brainsport Running Academy is presenting an opportunity you won't want to miss — with coach Dave Stark. This course will provide an ideal environment for those who are looking to start their running journey, or maybe pick it up again after years away. Dave has a remarkable story of his own as a runner, which we'll learn more about in this week's Q&A. Q&A with Dave Stark Tara: You've been running for 34 years, and for 14 of those you've served on the Board of Directors for the Saskatoon Road Runners Association. You're very well known here in the running community, but I'm not sure people know a lot about your coaching experience. Would you mind telling us more about it? Dave: I was treated for prostate cancer nearly five years ago. As soon as possible...

Thanks to everyone who came out to run and volunteer at the Brainfreeze on Sunday — it was a beautiful day! Looking ahead at the 2016 racing schedule, there's a lot to get excited about, including the 38th Saskatchewan Marathon. This race is top of list for many runners in Saskatchewan and beyond. In this week's Q&A we speak with its race director, Kim Ali, to learn a bit more about the event. Q&A with Kim Ali Tara: For those who are perhaps new to Saskatchewan, or new to running, could you tell us more about the race's history and how it came to be such a marquee event?   Kim: We are runners and walkers and we volunteer at races! The dedicated race committee has a vision to improve every year through a strong community focus and ongoing communication with past participants. A small number of running enthusiasts started the...

Looking past today's not-so great weather, we have a beautiful forecast for the upcoming days, and hopefully much more to come! The warmer weather is getting everyone excited about our new spring arrivals. We're starting to get questions about what's coming in to the store. So this week, we thought it would be fun, and informative, to speak with Brainsport Manager, Lisette Schermann.Q&A with Lisette SchermannTara: Excitement is building as people anticipate getting outdoors more as spring arrives. Can you share some of what customers can expect to see coming into the store, and when new arrivals will land? Lisette: We don’t have any control over when spring arrives outside, but inside Brainsport, spring will be arriving in mid March. That’s for running clothes and accessories like Buffs, for shoes, many of the best spring styles are already here. Tara: Running shoes are constantly evolving. You are in a lot of meetings with the companies in...