Athlete Spotlight: Helen Broom

Here it is-the 3rd edition of our H+P Athlete Spotlight.  For this installment, we had the chance to sit down with longtime H+P runner, Helen Broom.  She has been with the club since day one, and has really shown an impressive level of improvement over the last few years.  To top if off, her hard work ethic, dedication to the team, and kind demeanor has earned her team MVP honours two years in a row!  Here is what she had to say:

H+P: When did you first start getting into running?

HB: I started running in the summer of 2007. A friend of mine had just run a half marathon and convinced me that running was a fun thing to do.  I joined a 10K group from The Running Room and ran my first race, The Oktoberfest Run, that fall.

H+P: You are, by far, one of the most consistent H+P runners. It doesn't matter how early, or how cold a practice may be, you always show up. Where does this drive to train come from?

HB: My drive is my love for all the H&P athletes!!!!! I think it’s also because I rely on running to ground myself.  My days are pretty hectic, but if I make time to get a good workout in I’m more able to tackle the stress of the next day.  I also feel there is a huge incentive to running with the group.  I am way more likely to push myself when there are people cheering me on.  I’ve seen a huge improvement in my speed these past 3 years and so that makes me more addicted to practice.

H+P: Since you started running, you have come a long way. What were your first runs like? How far were you able to go, what was the pace, and what did it feel like? 

HB: When I started training for my first race, I remember thinking 8K was a really long run.  The first run I did, I wore flat tennis shoes, thinking all “running shoes” were the same. I ended up losing a layer of skin of the bottom of my foot and wasn’t able to run again for two weeks.  But once I recovered and bought proper shoes I worked my way up to 12K over the course of a few months.  My first 10K time was a little over 54 minutes.  Since then I’ve worked myself down to running a 10K in about 48 minutes.

H+P: Since that time, you have had an number of amazing performances. Which one are you most proud of? 

HB: Probably most proud of my Oktoberfest Run (Fall 2013), it was a PB by almost 2 minutes.

H+P: You come across as a very polite, calm and soft spoken person..and yet you have this drive to keep pushing yourself and you never seem 100% satisfied with your performances! Are you secretly a super competitive person? Have you been able to make sense of this seemingly contradictory nature of yours?

HB: Well I’m definitely competitive with myself. I’m a bit addicted to improvement and can be pretty hard on myself at times.  This can sometimes be a good thing but is also something I struggle with too.

H+P: While it may surprise some (since you are so consistent with the club), you have faced a number of injuries and health issues over the last few years that really have kept you from performing at your best. Would you be willing to elaborate at all? What mistakes do you think you made, and what tips would you offer to other athletes?

HB: I think the biggest mistake I made was treating the running/cycling training as the most important and really only component of training.  Since childhood I’ve dealt with allergies that make my diet pretty restrictive at times, and I’ve never been a huge meat eater.  This was never a problem with I was just running casually, but once I started training more consistently I became anemic.  It took me a long time to discover that something was wrong, as I thought I was just tired from long days at school and the intensified exercise schedule.  For about a year I struggled with getting my red blood cell count back into a normal range. It was extremely frustrating to feel myself losing energy with each week and to see my pace slow, while at the same time putting in more hours running than I ever had.  I have now made it a priority to eat the right kinds of food so that my workouts can be more effective.  Although it may be so obvious to most, I have a much greater appreciation for the importance of eating right.  I figure that since I spend so much time running, I should also find time to make sure I’m getting the right balance of carbs/protein/fat, and in particular red meat so that I can maintain a normal red blood cell count.  I also continue to regularly get blood work done to insure I’m not slipping into anemia again.    

H+P: What do you like most about training with H+P?  
HB: I have met so many awesome people these past few years.  Everyone has different running experiences and is at different levels but at the end of the day we’re all there to cheer each other on.  It’s been amazing to see everyone get faster with each race!

H+P: What are your goals for your running in 2014?

HB: I’ve committed to running 30K Around the Bay, but my main goal is the Scotiabank Marathon this year.  This will be my 3^rd marathon and I’m hoping that it will be the one that convinces me that I like running 42K…we’ll see.  I’d also like to run the Sulphur Springs Trail Run and maybe a few others.

Frosty Trail and Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon

Time for the first results post of 2014!  First up, the team had a great performance at the Frosty Trail Race.

In the 6 hour, Vicki (aka VZ, aka V-Zizzle) had an amazing performance.  She put her consistent high-mileage training to work and ended up placing 4th overall, running over 40K in the snowy, soupy mess that the trails had become.
















Dave Rutherford, the Frosty Trail vet, had an outstanding performance in the 3 hour.  He tore through the snow on his way to place 2nd overall, and running well over 20K.









Will had an awesome 2014 debut as a Health and Performance athlete.  Despite a busy schedule filled with work and becoming a new dad, he still competed hard and ran a very respectable 14.1K through very tough trails. 















Jordan represented the team quite well in the 1-hour event.  He ripped up the trails, finishing in 2nd place overall, and more importantly, kept the dream alive by wearing shorts!
















A far cry from the snowy trails some of our athletes competed in this past weekend, we also had two athletes competing in the warmth of Arizona at the Rock 'n' Roll marathon.

Tracy had one of her best performances in years, running just under 3:34 for the marathon, comfortably qualifying her for the Boston Marathon!

Alain also had a great marathon, coming in with a final time of 3:05!

H+P Athlete Spotlight: Mike Piazza

He's competitive, he's driven, he's hungry for more....he's H+P's very own Italian Stallion.  In today's edition of H+P Spotlight, we talked to Mike Piazza.  

H+P: You have seen some huge improvements over the last few years, including taking almost 20 minutes off your half marathon. What were the big changes in your training that lead to this development? 

MP: The biggest change I think would have to be the interval group. When I got back into running years ago I would do some intervals on my own but they don’t compare to the intervals I do now. The motivation and encouragement of everyone who comes out and trying to push myself to keep up with the runners faster than me I think has contributed the most to my improvement. Another factor would be getting in my long run every weekend. In the past I would regularly push those back and eventual skip them, but having the group

to run with now makes them enjoyable.

H+P: What recent race results are you most-satisfied with? What happened at these events? 

MP: The race result that I am most-satisfied with would have to be the Nutrience Oakville Half Marathon last fall. I felt going into this race that I was at the peak of my training for the season. Leading up to the race I wasn’t sure if I was going to taper before it or use the race as a training run for my full marathon the following month. I ended up cutting back my mileage slightly that week and doing my usual race prep for the couple days leading up to the race. I also focused a lot on my nutrition for the week and couple days before the race. The race itself could not have gone better for me. It was a chilly morning and I had told myself I would go out at a comfortable pace and then see how I felt when I hit the only real hill at the 7km mark, instead of going out hard the first couple kms like I usually do. When I got to the hill I felt great and pushed the pace up it a little bit and then kept it steady the rest of the race. Coming into the last km I could see a few other runners in reach and I told myself I would catch them. I ended up finishing with a sprint finish, passing those couple runners, and a low 1:26, which was a personal best by 16 minutes. I felt I gave everything I had during that race and I was very satisfied when I checked my splits after and saw that they were consistent. 

H+P: You are currently pursuing a PhD in biochem. Does your background in science help you with training and other components to running performance? How so? 

 MP: I would say it has helped with other components of running, mostly with my nutrition. Knowing what it takes
to fuel your body and how to maintain your energy through a long race has certainly helped me become better. Also my strong background in research that I have acquired through my studies has been quite beneficial. Its helped in reading through various articles on running training and nutrition and being able to understand what is correct or not.

H+P: Anybody who knows you well is certainly aware that you are a competitive person- where does this drive come from? 

MP: I think this stems from always wanting to be the best, haha. Growing up playing sports I always had a competitive nature and I always wanted to win. These days that competiveness has transferred to all aspects of my life. I like to think that if someone else can do something I can also. Translating this over to running makes me work harder, whether it’s during a race or a practice, I’m always competing against the person running alongside me. I think this competitive nature improves my running ability and makes me faster. Plus a little competition never hurt anyone. 

H+P: Outside of competition, what else motivates you to keep training so hard day in and day out? 

MP: The biggest thing would have to be the feeling I get after a hard interval practice or long run. Not many things are better than the runners high I get after that. Running has also helped me get into pretty good shape, and I want to stay that way, haha. 

H+P: We also know that you used to be involved with competitive running in your highschool days.

What forces dragged you away from the sport, and then what eventually brought you back? 

MP: I ran cross country first year university also and then that winter I had a bad knee injury while playing hockey which left me unable to run for about 5 months. After taking that time off it was tough to get back into running on my own, while also having fun in school. I would always run on my own but nothing serious or competitive. I got more serious about running when a few of my good friends from home asked if I wanted to train for a marathon with them in 2010. After having an absolutely terrible run I decided I wanted to get back into running more serious. Also being able to run as part of a group and having others motivate you to run on days where you just don’t feel like going out has helped immensely. 

H+P: It must have been a long road working back into a level of running fitness you were happy with- describe that process. What helped you fight through those tough times to get where you are now? 

MP: It has been a long road back and I feel like I’m almost where I used to be. Mind you back when I was running competitively in high school I had faster 5 and 10km times but I don’t think I could run the longer races like I do now which are what I really enjoy. Knowing in the back of my mind that I had run like that before and with enough hard work I could get there again has been a big factor in helping through some tough times. And of course being pushed by others in the group and racing with friends has helped a lot. 

H+P: What personal best(s) are you most focused on taking down? Are those races in the plans for next year?

MP:  My personal best for the full marathon is what I’m most focused on this year. I really want to qualify for Boston and run sub 3 hours. I plan running another marathon in May, either the Mississauga or Toronto Goodlife. I also want to PB at the 30km Around the Bay race this year. Last year I had run it coming off an injury and couldn’t train very well for it, I’m hoping there are no excuses this year. Another PB I want to set is for the 5km. I’ve never broken 20 min in a race, although I’ve run sub 20 5k pace while breaking 40 min

in some 10km races.

H+P: What's it like being Nazem Kadri's older brother? 

MP: Haha, I have gotten this quite a bit. I don’t know if it’s because people know I play hockey and am a Leafs fan or if I do look like him. Whatever the reason, hearing the comments have been a lot of fun.

H+P Athlete Spotlight: Dave Rutherford

In the first edition of H+P Athlete Spotlight, we had the opportunity to sit down and interview (i.e. chat over Facebook) the legendary Dave Rutherford (aka @ENDURdave, aka Doritos Dave).  Dave has had a diverse and extremely successful tenure in endurance sports.  From duathlons and marathons, to the ENDURrun and trail races, he seems to have done it all at a high level.  Not only this, but he does it all while not being afraid to indulge in his favourite Starbucks source of caffeine+sugar and occasional* bag of Doritos.  Here's what he had to say:

 

H+P: How long have you been running for? 

DR: About 11 years now, Started out more focused on Duathlon but quickly found I was a much better runner than cyclist.

H+P: When did you first realize: You know what, I am going to push the envelope here and see how far I can push my limits?

DR: I came in about 364 out of 700 in my first Duathlon (The Brick, now Victoria's, in 2003). I had no clue what I was doing but I was hooked. I saw how I could improve in so many ways. That appealed to both my analytical and competitive sides.

H+P: You've competed in an array of very challenging races. What is the toughest race experience you've ever had? What happened? 

DR: Probably the ENDURrun Sport in 2008. By 2007 I thought I was ready to take on the ENDURrun which I'd watched in awe from afar for several years. The first step I decided would be to tackle the last three days of it, the Sport. I had a great first two stages and then my worst marathon ever. Like my first Du I realized how much I didn't know. I learned so much and got a solid sense for what and how I would need to improve in my training to tackle the Ultimate week long event and came back in '09 to run the full week and PB'd the marathon on the last day.

H+P: There are so many different distances, terrains and ways to race these days- what type of race do you excel at? What type of race is your greatest weakness? 

DR: My results show I do well in season long event series (Subaru ODS '07 Age Group win, OUS 50K Challenge Cup '12 win) and stage events like the ENDURrun at which I've always finished strong. My weakness is definitely the standalone marathon, where I have always under-performed from what race comparative number crunching says I should be able to hit time-wise.

H+P: You're a very knowledgeable runner who is constantly tweaking your training to achieve different goals. Were you ever surprised by how much one form of training (i.e. adding more mileage, adding intervals) changed your performance? Was there ever a type of training that ended up not giving you the results you expected? 

DR: Surprised? Definitely. I think the key is varied training. When I started I was running training 10K's at the same pace that I could race them. Basically plateaued in my first year of racing. Then I learned to apply two main overarching and co-dependent training themes. Number one is run slower in training to race faster, and number two is run faster in training to race faster. I started to apply those themes day over day, week over week, and across the calendar year and was amazed at the near immediate improvements and I'm still setting PB's a decade later. The only type of training that I have found that does not deliver results is unfocused, inconsistent training - nothing can or should be expected. I don't mean having every day planned out, but at a minimum I need to have an overall structure to a season, with key races and workouts (rough build up plan, long runs, and big blocks) penciled in.
 
H+P: What made you decide to join H+P? What's your favourite thing about the group? 

DR: My reasons to join H+P were many. Probably the biggest was just to keep my training fresh. Joining H+P got me out of a couple of comfort zones by adding in group training and evening training. As I typically fill in my detailed training more on a day to day basis, H+P fits perfectly as it gives me a couple of workouts a week to let a coach sort the details for the session. It's fun to just show up, hear the workout, and hammer. It is also awesome to have people to both chase and push with friendly competition and encouragement. I am inspired by each teammate, regardless of their speed, who is out pushing their own limits and comfort zones.

H+P: What are the big goals for 2014?
   
DR: My big goal for 2014 is to not run a marathon or ultra... Seriously, though, and more positively stated, I'm going to focus on "shorter" races, 5K-30K. I'll keep a mix of road and trail. I'll be gunning for a Half marathon PB in the Spring and/or Fall. I'll take another run at sub 38 10K at the Classic in June. I expect to have fun with that and the other races in the Battle of Waterloo & Waterloo Running Series along with a few other favourites like Around the Bay and the Phlox Run 25K Trail race with my teammates and other local running friends.

H+P: Are the rumors of you being sponsored by Doritos true?

DR: No Doritos sponsorship yet but will launch a Fall consumption campaign again next year!

Registration and team schedule for 2014

Hello H+P friends!  It's hard to believe another year has gone by.  We are very excited for an even better year of training and excellent performances with the team in 2014!

Our goal from the start has been to develop a fun training group that also includes the highest quality workouts and coaching.  At the same time, wanted to make sure it was accessible to everybody.  That is why we started this off as a free group, and it has been an incredible experience since the beginning.

With the growth of the H+P in the past year, a number of ideas and financial demands have popped up in order to keep the group running smoothly and successfully.  Because of this, we are going to ask for a small club fee for 2014.  Don't worry, it's cheap- cheaper than entering ONE race:

Before Feb 1st, 2014			After Feb 1st, 2014
Student - $20	Adult- $30	Family- $60	Student- $30	Adult- $40	Family- $80

This small amount of money that we gain from this will help us to do a number of little things that we wanted to do this year.  For instance, buying more sidewalk chalk for the summer TT and having more apparel on hand for when people request something (I think Brendan has been waiting for his shirt for 6 months now haha).  The money will be spent on making the club better for everybody in small ways, all year around.

Just to make sure the group remains awesome, there WILL be benefits to joining.  Actually, some might say that you will make money by joining.  Our goal is to make the club more than just a "good deal," but an amazing experience for everybody.  With your membership, you will get:

Membership Benefits (2014)

• Access to all outdoor cycling and running workouts with coaching for the entire 2014 year
• Your own membership card
• An optional online profile on the H+P website
• Team discounts at select Waterloo Running Series events (and others such as Road2Hope)
• Team discounts at Runners' Choice Waterloo (20% off footwear, apparel and accessories, 10% off electronics and nutrition products)
• Team discounts at McPhail's Cycle and Sport (15% off parts and accessories)
• Free entry to the H+P summer TT
• Prizes from our sponsors at events such as pre-runs and socials
• A FREE injury assessment card (up to $75 value) from Dr. Sean Delanghe at Price Chiropractic and Fitness
• The best training environment EVER 

So there you have it!  We are looking forward to making 2014 even better than the last.  Thank you all so much for your support along the way.  

If you would like to register, click HERE.

Team Schedule (2014)

February 23rd: The Re-Fridgee-8er (race #1 of the Battle of Waterloo)

March 30th: Around the Bay

June 15th: The Waterloo Classic (race #2 of the Battle of Waterloo)

June 21st/22nd: Guelph Lake 1 triathlon/duathlon

July 28th: H+P Summer TT

August 10th: ENDURrun 
*We will be putting together a competitive male and female team with our best runners.  There will also be at least one fun team.  Of course, there is always the option to do the entire thing yourself!

September 12-14th: Centurion Cycling Blue Mountains (50 or 100M race)

October 19th: The Oktoberfest Run(Race #3 of the Battle of Waterloo)

December 13th: The Santa Pur-Suit

Now, time to lay down some base training!

2013 Santa Pur-Suit

H+P fished off the 2013 racing season on a successful and festive note!  While it wasn't one of our original A-races, we did end up having a great showing at this year's addition of the Santa Pur-Suit.  Here are the team results:

First off, the team ended up winning the corporate division in an average time of 19:16.  CLICK HERE for results.  This was a bittersweet result since this is the last time H+P will be entering in the corporate division in the WRS.  Next year, there will be an open team division, where 5 athletes (rather than 3) score points! 

And here are the team individual results (CLICK for full):


Coach Sean was lucky enough to win the race in a time of 17:44

In his first race as an H+P runner, Jesse Burt had an excellent performance, finsihing 3rd overall and winning his AG

Holger also had a successful H+P debut.  While he was not happy with his time, he still was third place on the team, and placed 4th in his AG!

Mailman made a great return from injury, coming in 13th overall and 2nd in his AG!

Vicki had an outstanding H+P debut, finishing in 3rd in her AG, and not far off her PB despite running in a Santa Suit!

Will, despite battling a cold that popped up just days before, still managed a 6th place in his category!

And finally, Mark Potvin (below) really, as he likes to put it, "stayed alert, and stayed safe" out there!

2013 Holiday Party Relay Results

Congrats to everybody who competed in the 2013 H+P Holiday Party Relay.  I think it is safe to say that NOBODY loses a holiday relay.  More importantly, it is widely understood that completing this standardized challenge in under 2 minutes is considered elite- and every single team achieved this feat comfortably!

A HUGE congrats to Holger for winning the picture voting challenge- He was really working the pipes when this one was taken!

Here are the results:

1. Polliwogs: 00:57 (Mike P, Val, A.Broom, T-Bone)
2. Mike and the Mechanics: 00:58.5 (Mike H, Laura, Andrea, Craig/Mountain Man)
3. Jilly Jill and the funky bunch: 1:09 (Reid, Nolan, Jeremy, Gillian)
4. Payton and her boyfriends: 1:09.5 (Brendan, Payton, Holger, Mailman)
5. Team Edward: 1:14 (Michael, Ed, Candice, Nicole)
6. Chocolaholics: 1:20 (Dawn, Vicki, Bill, Will)
7. Shidoobee: 1:18 (+10s penalty) (Sue, Liz, Jen Juan)
8. No Name: 1:32 (Patrick, Liz, Kevin, Kerri) 

Also, a congrats goes out to our MVP's from 2013: Val and Greg (click here)

Finally, a huge congrats goes our to Juan for winning the food competition.  He will have the recipe for all of us soon!  Here's a pic of Juan attacking the relay course:

 Finally, here are some other great pics from the party!  Check out the full collection in our Facebook Album.