YourSaskatoon Blogs

Merry Christmas to you all, and Happy Holidays! As Christmas Day nears and many of you are still hustling around tracking down those last minute gifts, be sure to keep Brainsport in mind. Our staff is full of fantastic ideas for the runner, walker, swimmer, hiker and triathlete in your life. And, of course we are also home to a wide selection of fantastic casual footwear, from warm boots to work shoes, and a whole lot more. In this week's Q&A we're speaking with James Funk, co-director of the Brainsport Brainfreeze, about the race coming up in March. James also has a solid Christmas gift idea near the end of the interview, so stay tuned all the way through - it involve signing someone up for the race! Q&A with James Funk Tara: This is the ninth year for the Brainsport Brainfreeze, so clearly it's a successful event. What do you think...

Congratulations to Tarrant Crosschild on being named the 2016 recipient of the Ric Hanna Leadership Award. Through his love of running Tarrant has become a very positive influence in the province; inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds. Click here to read CBC's story about Tarrant's recognition as this year's award winner. From inspiring personal stories of running to the industry that surrounds it - we now shift our attention to The Running Event. Each year running industry folks flock to this trade show and conference where hundreds of exhibitors strut their latest and greatest. In this week's Q&A we speak with Brian, who recently returned for this massive event in Orlando, FL. Q&A with Brian Michasiw Tara: Before we get to more of the specifics about your time at The Running Event, what are your thoughts on the event as a whole from year to year?            Brian: The Running Event is an annual trade show that is designed for small...

As we settle in to the Holiday Season many memories have already been made with our families, friends, and ever-so important running pals; we need only look back a few weeks to the running of the 2016 Gingerbread Run. Not only was a ton of fun had by all, but a ton of money was also raised for The Saskatchewan Abilities Council, which will be receiving more than $10,000 as a result of the tremendous response of Saskatoon's running community.  In this week's Q&A we're speaking with Lydia Michasiw, to get a young person's perspective on the race. This Grade 3 student is our youngest interviewee to date - it's also worth noting the Gingerbread Man she was trying to catch was her dad!  Q&A with Lydia Michasiw   Tara: Thanks for doing this Lydia, it's exciting to be talking to you about your experience running in this year's Gingerbread Run! How does...

As we settle in to the Holiday Season many memories have already been made with our families, friends, and ever-so important running pals; we need only look back a few weeks to the running of the 2016 Gingerbread Run. Not only was a ton of fun had by all, but a ton of money was also raised for The Saskatchewan Abilities Council, which will be receiving more than $10,000 as a result of the tremendous response of Saskatoon's running community.  In this week's Q&A we're speaking with Lydia Michasiw, to get a young person's perspective on the race. This Grade 3 student is our youngest interviewee to date - it's also worth noting the Gingerbread Man she was trying to catch was her dad!  Q&A with Lydia Michasiw   Tara: Thanks for doing this Lydia, it's exciting to be talking to you about your experience running in this year's Gingerbread Run! How does...

Let's go back in time for a moment, to the Brainsport 25th Anniversary Celebration this past July. Do you all recall Ed Tomlinson winning the Brooks Rock Your Run Contest? The winnings of that contest included a trip to Las Vegas to run the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon on November 13 - quite an exciting contest and prize! In this week's Q&A we catch up with Ed, who recently returned from Las Vegas, to hear all about the trip. Also, be sure to check out the "Product of the Week", which Ed selected this week (hint: it involves a Brooks product). Q&A with Ed Tomlinson Tara: Let's go back to that July evening when your name was drawn as the winner of the Brooks Rock Your Run Contest, what was your first thought? Ed: I was the volunteer event photographer so was getting ready to take the winner’s photo. My name was...

Congratulation to everyone who participated in the Gingerbread Run this past Sunday! It was a beautiful day for the event, and we were so happy to you all out there having a great time.  In this week's Times we have a special guest for our Q&A - Mayor Charlie Clark! Mayor Clark, who prefers to be called Charlie, has been a long time supporter of Brainsport, and the independent business scene as whole in Saskatoon. He is also a runner himself and very committed to creating a city conducive and encouraging of an active lifestyle for all Saskatonians. With Charlie's very busy schedule we were pleased to be able to snag him for a couple of questions this week.  Q&A with Mayor Charlie Clark Tara: First, congratulations on your well run campaign and election victory. With your long history as a Saskatoon City Councillor you have a great deal of experience working with people from...

For all of you out there looking for an opportunity to race on the track before Christmas, or who have children interested in running, this Times is for you! In this week's Q&A we're speaking with meet director, Ivan Tam about the PR First Chance Track Meet coming up on December 3 at the Saskatoon Field House. Q&A with Ivan Tam Tara: For those unfamiliar with the First Chance Track Meet, would you mind giving us a brief overview of the event? Ivan: This is a meet for athletes of all ages. We have had athletes that are three years-old to 85 years-old competing at this event.   One little runner leaping over the hurdles at the PR First Chance Track Meet. Photo supplied Tara: What was the motivation for starting the meet?  Ivan: We started this meet about 30 years ago when there was no local meet prior to Christmas, which meant athletes...

In this week's Times we're taking a look at a new housing development in the city aimed at encouraging a healthy active lifestyle. Carrie Catherine, a local artist and Shift Development partner, is an avid runner who's passionate about contributing to a vibrate and healthy community - and that's exactly what she believes her latest project, the Element Urban Village in Riversdale will do. Check out this video before we get to our Q&A to get a bit of an overview of the project - and see Carrie on the run!   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7mAgvfTAw. Q&A with Carrie Catherine Tara: Before we get to questions about your exciting new project, let's first learn a bit more about you as a runner. When did you start running, and role does it play in your busy life now? Carrie: I started running when I was in university and soon made a quick half an hour run in the morning part of my routine....

Welcome to November everyone! Hopefully the forecast holds and the start to this month offers a little warmth. As we get deeper into the fall and winter seasons warm gear is going to become critical to keeping you out there and enjoying yourself on a run, walk, bike, jog, hike - whatever takes you outdoors!  In this week's Q&A we're speaking with Craft Sportswear representative, Mike Cavaliere. He's going to fill us in on this fabulous brand that's new to Brainsport this season.  Q&A with Mike Cavaliere Tara: Craft Sportswear is making its debut at Brainsport this year, which means it's the first time a lot of customers will be seeing Craft’s line of clothing. For those not familiar with the company, would you mind giving us the rundown? Mike: Craft is a clothing company based in Sweden and has been in operation since 1977, making it a brand that has...

Happy election day Saskatoon! Hopefully everyone has the chance to get out and vote - maybe even incorporate it into a run!  In this week's Q&A we're speaking with Tarrant Crosschild about his experience passing along his love of running to his children. His daughter, Jaira, recently ran her way to gold at the provincial cross-country championship and will be representing Saskatchewan next summer at the North American Indigenous Games in Toronto.  Before we get to our interview with Tarrant, if you're interested in volunteering with Team Saskatchewan visit http://www.teamsasknaig.ca/.  Q&A with Tarrant Crosschild Tara: Many in the local running community are familiar with your compelling story, but for those unfamiliar would you mind giving a bit of background about the impact running has had on your life? Tarrant: For 10 years I battled alcohol and gambling addiction. I wasn't being the husband or the father I was meant to be. In April 2014...

Thank you to everyone who signed up to participate in this year's Gingerbread Run - we're sold out! The Gingerbread Man is going to have his work cut out for him on November 20. In this week's Q&A we're speaking with one of Canada's former top long distance runners and Saskatoon native, Jason Warick. Many of you may have seen Jason flying around the city on his ElliptiGO and perhaps wondered, "What is he doing on that odd looking bike-type thing?". The short answer is he's crossing-training, but there's a lot more to it than that.  In fact, Jason recently returned from competing in his second Elliptical Cycling World Championship in San Diego, California, where he placed 2nd among some very tough competition. Q&A with Jason Warick Tara: First, for those unfamiliar with ElliptiGO would you mind telling us about it, and how you use it in your training? Jason: It's similar to running or cross-country skiing, but on...

Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone! Hopefully you all had a great holiday weekend and are now back into the swing of things.  In this week's Q&A we're speaking with Brainsport's Jamie Epp. For those of you unfamiliar with Jamie's background, he's a former U of S Huskies running star, with a seemingly endless list of national championship titles to his name - in events from the 1,500m to cross-country. He has also represented Canada in five international competitions, most notably placing fifth in the 10,000m at the 1999 Pan American Junior Championships. Last year Jamie's remarkable career was recognized with his induction into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame. Jamie is now passing along his knowledge and experience to the next generation of Huskies, holding an assistant coaching position with the cross country team for the past four years. The team is having a standout season this fall, so we thought we would get the scoop from Jamie on...

It's not every day you hear about a husband and wife duo training for, and running ultramarathons together - and doing so successfully. However, if you're a regular at the Brainsport Run Club you already know a couple doing just that!  As mentioned in last week's Times Brainsport's Harvey Mathies, and his wife Karon, both ran outstanding races at the Lost Soul Ultramarathon in September. Karon completed the 100 mile race, placing 5th in her age group; while Harvey ran a personal best in the 100 kilometre race. In this week's Times we're speaking with Harvey to learn more about the experience.   Q&A with Harvey Mathies  Tara: You and Karon both ran extremely well at this year's Lost Soul Ultramarathon with Karon completing the 100 mile race, placing 5th in her age group; and you ran a personal best in the 100 kilometre race. What do you think was the key to your success...

Whether you're all about running, or more into the swim, bike, run trio, there are plenty of big-time events to look forward to in the fall season. Berlin and New York marathons come to mind, and on the triathlon the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii stands out as the main event. In this week's Times we're introducing you to a locally-born and raised triathlete we can all get behind this season - David Stirling. If you're a regular at the Brainsport Run Club you may have run with him, and likely you know his wonderful mom Jan who's a Run Club mainstay. On Oct. 8 David will be lining up with the best in the sport at Kona.  Q&A with David Stirling  Tara: First, let’s start with a bit of background. How did you get your start racing in triathlons? David: My very first triathlon was a Kids of Steel event back in Saskatoon, where we swam at the Harry...

Here we are, the last day of summer! As the leafs start to turn and the ground begins to frost we will be welcoming the fall. One of the highlighted events for many local runners during this season is The Gingerbread Run. This week we announced registration for this popular event opens on October 1 (see Upcoming Events for more information).  Before we get to this week's Q&A, congratulations to Brainsport's Harvey Mathies, and his wife Karon, for their outstanding performances at the Lost Soul Ultramarathon in Lethbridge last weekend (Sept. 9-10). Karon completed the 100 mile race, placing 5th in her age group; while Harvey ran a personal best in the 100 kilometre race.  Now, onto our Q&A. This week we're speaking with, chiropractor, Kayla Lucas to learn more about her upcoming open-house being held at Brainsport this Saturday (Sept. 24) at 10 a.m. Q&A with Kayla Lucas Tara: Your focus, as a chiropractor, is primarily on the...

September is a great month to be a runner in the Bridge City. The weather is cooling down, and fall routines are starting to take hold. There are also plenty of running events this month. On that note, congratulations to everyone who participated in the Queen City Marathon last weekend! As we look ahead, to the very near future, the 36th Annual Terry Fox Run is just days away. In this week's Q&A we speak with Ali Lackie, a volunteer and organizing committee co-chair of the Saskatoon Terry Fox Run. Q&A with Ali Lackie Tara: Heading into its 36th year, what do you think is the key to the longevity and success of the Terry Fox Run? Ali: I think one huge factor is the consistency and integrity of the Terry Fox Foundation. The people involved in managing it (including the Fox Family) have really kept the spirit and values intact over all these...

The long weekend is now behind us, which means school has started and there's likely still some back-to-school shopping to get done. Beyond the jeans and stationary there are a whole bunch of other must-haves on the lists of many as they get settled into classes, and start up fall sports seasons.  In this week's Q&A we speak with Brainsport Manager Lisette Schermann to learn more about some cool back-to-school products in stock this year.Q&A with Lisette Schermann Tara: With back-to-school shopping well underway, what some of the staple products in stock right now that may help parents check off their lists? Lisette: Running shoes are number one. Often one pair for outside wear and one for indoors. It’s also back to swim time, so we help kids find new goggles, suits and fins too.Lisette showing off some of Brainsport's swim gear. Tara: Beyond the staple products, are there any unique products that stand out to you as being back-to-school friendly?...

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...