Getting to the Start Line
Preparation begins two to three days before race day. The aim is simple: arrive at the start line fuelled, rested, organised, and calm. Food You should be eating roughly the same amount of f...
Embracing the Off Season
Coach Jenn has some words of wisdom on training in the off-season: I love the “off-season” – the break that comes following months of regimented training and racing, and before...
Making the Case: Time vs. Distance in Marathon Training
When it comes to long runs, should you focus on covering a set distance or running for a set amount of time? Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal preference, but for slower marathoners, managin...
Top Ten Mental Preparation Tips for Race Day
1. Understand that limits are partly mentalYour brain plays a major role in how fatigue is perceived. Knowing this doesn’t mean ignoring your body—it means recognising that discomfort is n...
Running Your Best 5km
Riding the edge that gets you to the finish line in the shortest possible time without creating a lactic acid blowout is exquisitely difficult. The two biggest limiters are your mental toughness ...
Our Founding Story
The history of the Harriers is a story of the heart, of passing the torch from one vibrant beating centre to another. Before we were Harriers we were MBP (Megan Brown Performance), a group of dedicate...
Beat the Heat
Running in the heat and humidity can challenge even the best runners, and Ontario in the summer is all that and more! It’s critical to not only understand the early signs of heat injury, but hav...
Getting Ready for the Trails II
Tips on Trail Running Technique I fell in love with trail running the moment my foot first hit the dirt. I loved the change in scenery, the tranquility, the ever-changing terrain and the challenges t...
Getting Ready for the Trails I
Looking to add some trails into your running routine? Here are a few things to keep in mind. Benefits Most runners will benefit from incorporating some trails into the mix, and these per...
Running in Zones
You will have noticed that Coach Jim often refers to training zones in his workouts. What exactly do those mean and how can you learn to assess your own intensity? One of the easiest measures of inten...
An Ode to 2020
As we turn the page on the 2020 training season, the thing that stands out most is how these past nine months have challenged all of our carefully-wrought intentions. As runners, we are conditioned to...
Understanding Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Athletes
We have all heard stories of runners who have collapsed during races. While these traumatic events are uncommon, they’re inevitably interpreted as evidence for the danger of being active. As an ...
Message from the President
Are we ever ready to fly in 2019! We’ve been hard at work at Harriers headquarters, trying our best to carry on the legacy of the incomparable Megan Brown while forging our own path forwa...
The Lowdown on VO2 Max
No doubt you’ve heard about it or maybe even had it tested as part of that Exercise Phys grad student study you volunteered for at university. Perhaps you’ve noticed it as an available met...
Striking a Balance Between Training and Racing
Most Harriers get a buzz out of racing but are unsure how to incorporate a few ‘B’ races into their training block. So how do you balance train...
The Skinny on Racing Flats
Running in lighter shoes such as racing flats will improve your run economy which may well translate to improvements in performance. It is estimated that for every 100 grams added ...
Is it ever acceptable to run in someone else's race bib?
The short answer is NO. While some races will allow you to transfer your entry to another runner, it depends on the race and there are typically cut-off dates by which transfers must be com...
Five Running Tips to Live By
Consistency Sticking to it is one of the simplest and yet most difficult running rule to live by. We lose fitness faster than we gain it. A complete break from running is only advisable for a week or...
Run Cadence - Is there a magic number?
Although many runners will have heard that running at 180 steps per minute is ideal, the truth is that optimal cadence is specific to each individual and varies with your speed. To run faster we incr...
Motivation and Running
I am going to assume most Harriers enjoy and possibly take for granted the positive impact being active has on their quality of life and mobility. Remaining active becomes more important as we age. It...
Smart Training
We get greatest performance gains from polarized training (working the easy and hard and not much in-between). When looking at your weekly load you need to factor in both the quality and volume of you...
Pick Ups
We tend to concentrate on volume and long intervals when training for longer distances and we neglect the many benefits of running fast. Hard fast running makes easy running feel easier. It improves o...
Why Train Using Effort and not Pace
Workouts based on pace are best done in controlled environments like an indoor track where there is no need to adjust for gradient, wind speed, temperature and the conditions underfoot. Most experienc...
Winter Safety and Training Tips
While so far winter has been more lamb than lion, it’s only a matter of time before we encounter true Canadian winter conditions. A few reminders as we embark on this season’s traini...