The New Normal
Canadians have been headed to World Majors in Boston, Chicago, London and New York, and even some races here at home this fall, and it’s great to see the return of in-person racing. We’ve been starved of the opportunity to test ourselves against others for such a long time that most of us will gladly accept the minor inconveniences of masking and social distancing for the chance to race again. Though fully recovered from my knee surgery last December, I felt it was too ambitious to target a fall marathon this year, so instead I chose to run a 30-km leg of the Monarch Ultra from St. Catharines to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., in September. It was great to be part of this admirable project and to share a long run with my sister-in-law. (The virtual version is still open, until Dec. 1. For more information see the themonarchultra.com.)
In this issue, Paul Gains takes a look at the remarkable performances by Canadians at the Tokyo Olympics – particularly (but not exclusively) those who brought home medals (p.2 4). And from there we swing to the opposite end of the running spectrum: if you’ve ever fantasized about what it would be like to race the Barkley Marathons, you’ll love Brendan Sainsbury’s story about an equally daunting race south of the border that most of us had never heard of – the Plain 100 (p.32).
And finally, this month we begin our winter running content. If you’re a new runner who hasn’t yet ventured out on the roads or trails in winter, it’s time you did! I find that the best way to enjoy winter is to embrace the outdoors, and Molly Hurford’s guide to winter running is an excellent primer on how to prepare for it (p.38), along with our winter shoe review (p.54).