On Nov 6th I closed out another season of long distance running with the Hamilton Marathon.
This year I completed 10 ultras (including 92.7 miles in a 24hr event) and 7 marathons (including Hamilton). I also managed 40k in another 6hr event (where I was coming down with a bug) and the EndurRun (7 races, 160k, […]

2am, just going over the final checklist, ensuring that everything is ready for what should be a very fun and interesting race.  My new Salomon pack and shoes sit at the door waiting for the sun to rise while my four alarm clocks strategically placed in my bedroom get ready for a most important job.  […]

Date:  Sept 16-18/2011
Location:  Blue Mountain Resort,  Collingwood, On
Website:  centurioncycling.com/canada
Race Distances: Hill Climb, 25 mile, 50 mile, 100 mile, Vertical Hill Challenge, Kids Ride.
This is a full weekend event with something for everyone.  We had gone up on the Friday night & stayed at a friend’s townhouse withing walking distance of the start line.  On Saturday, […]

I was lucky enough to win the Mizuno Wave Riders in the lottery.  Unfortunately, I have been suffering from a sore achilles since about June, so have not been able to wear these new shoes as much as I would have liked.
I have worn Asics Gel Nimbus for many years, so Arnold […]

24 hours till New Years begins so it’s that time to review the year.
Worst Event:
Easy really… getting taken out by a car.
But can’t of course ignore that I messed up my foot in a bail in the spring so wasn’t able to run at all since the spring.
Best Events:
Dundass Monstercross because […]

Website:  http://mudnewton.com
Date:  Sept. 3/11
Location:  Woodnewton, 4849 Concession #6, Uxbridge, On
Time:  9:00am
This was originally a Christmas Tree farm & a cross country ski resort back in the 70’s & 80’s.  This farm is 200 acres & they are revitalizing the tree farm.  They also host mountain bike races here.
This was the first year for this race, […]

Website:  www.Mudrun.ca
 Date:  Sunday, June 5/11 
Time:  9:30am
Location:  Claireville Conservation Area, Toronto, Ontario
This is not a race that I would normally sign up for.  I am not a great trail runner & normally fall on the trails, so I try to avoid them whenever possible.  However, my 2 friends, Cindy & Laura who like to run trail […]

What seems to be a continually “try-out” relationship is never an easy task when it comes to finding that perfect sock for all conditions. There are so many sock choices for Running/Athletics; from Fox River to Smart Wool to Icebreaker (which are all fantastic brands). On a personal level, for a guy, I […]

Disclaimer
I bought “The Stick” about 2 years ago.  Not being a customer to throw down money on tools I won’t realistically use, I went through a four step process before I realized the true benefits.  In case you’re currently going through the same process (and currently in the research phase of Stage 2 below), I’ve […]

Since the Logs, Rock and Steel race started a couple years ago, I’ve always wanted to do the race.  Unfortunately, the timing has never worked out.  2011 was the first year it fit into the schedule. 
LRS is an adventure race, but doesn’t require navigation.  However, you still have to follow flagging tape through the […]

Adventure Racing / Trail Shoe:  Salomon XR Crossmax
http://www.runningfree.com/products/Mens-Shoes-4/Adventure-Racing-14/Salomon-XR-Crossmax-Neutral-p30303/?pstart=1
Salomon, in my opinion, is a leader in manufacturing shoes that are meant for off road.  As opposed to the “big brand” shoe companies who tend to develop their trail shoes based on their road shoe platform, Salomon starts from the dirt up.  I’ve been wearing Salomon trail […]

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a Salomon pack junkie, so despite the fact that I was relatively happy with my Nathan running vest, I had to give the Salomon XT Advanced Skin Pack a try when it came out this year.  Boy, was I glad that I did!  I chose this pack […]

In July of 2010, my boyfriend and I mutually decided that we wanted to find a hobby we could share. Richard has always been a very athletic and self-determined individual, and me, on the other hand – I’ve always needed that little push to get me going. One day, after hearing about the Running Free […]

Throughout my year of running in 2011, I had the assistance of two great hydration and energy products from Nathan.
Running outdoors in Ontario’s variable climate requires an awareness of fluid and nutrition needs. Experienced runners know that hydration and nutrition are keys to good training runs. That usually means taking in fluid, electrolytes and calories […]

Running a 5km race in a full head to toe Santa suit, who would not want to do that???
This was the second year I have ran the Santa Jingle race in Burlington ON. I ran it last year with my husband, mother in-law(65) and friends and had a blast.  This year my 14 year […]

Ironman Lake Placid was my first Ironman. I couldn’t have asked for a better Ironman race. The course was beautiful, and unlike previous years, the day turned out to be dry.  If you decide to do Ironman Lake Placid you’ll have to bring a variety of clothes for your transition bags because you never know […]

They are the best pair of running socks that I have ever run in.  I was fortunate enough this year to have won a voucher to buy four pairs of Fox River socks.  I chose to purchase the Fox River Velocity Ankle Light. The label said that they are a wick and dry sock that […]

For several years I have chosen FoxRiver socks over any others. Whether it is for running, hiking or casual everyday use, this is my sock brand of choice.
The designs and colours are subtle and tasteful. The materials are all comfortable regardless of whether you are wearing the running specific socks or the thicker wool. They […]

I cannot imagine anyone NOT of already trying out the GU brand of gels but on the off-chance you have not, here is a little review by someone who has…ME! GU has been around since 1991 and since then, they have kept on improving their gels while adding new products and […]

This is my first review of any type of product, so bare with me.
I will start with the Speed belt 2. I have two of these belts, one in girly pink and the other in grey to match my team Running Free attire of course. (very important for us girls) This belt has a […]