[Horrible Peanut]

Running Room.<br>
Low fat and diet <i>everything</i> available<br>
Drivers don't think you're targets<br><br><br><br>
you go

 

[Silly Sally]

You don't live in Montreal ...<br><br>
Sally

 

[dragonsrouges]

ditto Sally...<br><br>
Personally, you don't have to eat diet anything if you eat natural foods and moderate and vary your diet... If you eat junk then you may want to consider the diet variety but even then, they replace the fat with sugar.<br><br>
I am very much against diet foods!

 

[Df7]

<span style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';">La mémoire est une faculté qui oublie – this said, I don`t recall ever stepping into a running room..nothing against the place, I just go to other stores.</span><br><span style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';">As for fat free and diet foods, don`t tend to notice it, I`m a gourmande so eat things that are more often than not, calorie laden, not exactly healthy.</span><br><span style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';">Inconsiderate drivers ?! off island (burbs) isn`t any better, matter of fact, everyone drives those big monsters...suv things…the drivers I get some courtesy from are, believe it or not, buses and cabs on occasion.</span><br><span style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';">Last winter I took a spill on a busy street, not one driver pulled over to see if I was okay or offer assistance but a cab driver pulled over to shield me from oncoming traffic and asked if I was okay.</span><br><span style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';">My 2 cents - back to work - have a good afternoon everyone - fly</span><br>

 

[Silly Sally]

I never touch those diet foods ... I prefer a nice texture and great taste and diet foods tend to have neither of those. I think we here in Montreal are all food-lovers ...<br><br>
I've almost been hit several times by cars, and that was while running on the sidewalk! Cycling ... let's not go there, it's not pretty.<br><br>
I've been in a Running Room twice:<br>
1) to check out the penguin jackets (not to buy, just to laugh)<br>
2) to pick up a race packet for a 5k that TB made me do<br>
Sorry, not a fan of the Running Room since I don't like to run 10&1's though I know for some it works well, and also since the stuff I like to buy is found in two other running stores that I really like, and you Montrealers like them just as much!<br><br>
Sally

 

[Sans Souci]

I support stores that were on the island (Vancouver, not Montreal <img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif"> ) before the Running Room, run by <i>fierce</i> local competitive runners, but I find it hard to slag an organization that has been successful getting a lot of people off the chesterfield. I hope each one of us gives back to running in some way, whether helping out some wannabes or volunteering at races.<br><br>
I'm one of <i>those</i> pescaterian-type runners, I wouldn't give "dieting" a second look; kinda like dragonsrouges in that sense. I grow a lot of my own food.<br><br>
Living in the Florida of Canada, the Cottonheads, as we sometimes not-so-affectionately call them -- you know, many with the "Veteran" licence plate -- must be watched carefully. We've had more walls blown out of local businesses and the post office by the oops-thought-I-hit-the-brake gang. And there are always a knob or two that like to show you who's boss on the road.<br><br>
HP, I guess Toronto is a kinder, gentler place. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[Horrible Peanut]

I didn't know Montreal was in Canada. I thought it was in Quebec.<br>
Didn't you guys secede from the union or something?

 

[Mrtambalynman]

I'm not a huge running room fan. My fittings there have been hit and miss. There are better places to get fitted around here.<br><br>
Personally I think we have it better because we have 4 seasons. I really don't like running in high heat/humidity so I'd probably not run if I lived in Florida/California.

 

[Sans Souci]

Don't you think you adapt to the conditions, though, Mrtambalynman?<br><br>
I do agree with you, I think we have the best running conditions out here. But I did run in Edmonton in the winter when I lived there and enjoyed that too. I've run in Ottawa in -25. Not used to wearing a balaclava, but I did it, and it was a heckuva lot better than the rust bucket TM at the hotel.<br><br>
H&H would be at the top of the list of what I <i>least</i> favour running in. I'd probably avoid going to races where that would be a factor. But if I lived in it, I'd adjust. Just gotta run.

 

[markc7]

I'm ambivalent about the Running Room. They put on lots of races, which although they vary in quality usually improve the race calendar once a Running Room store comes to town. I also like that you can just show up at 8:30 anywhere in Canada and know that you'll be able to someone to run with. On the other hand, their prices are a higher than other stores, the John Stanton worship gets annoying, and their shoes advice is hit and miss.

 

[bcc594]

I'm with Mark - I'm not a huge Running Room fan. I will go there to pick up odds and ends, but they don't seem to carry the shoes that I wear anymore. Apparently, I'm looking for something a little to 'competitive' for them most of the time. Oh well. I won't be caught dead doing "10 and 1"s when I'm running on my own, that's for sure!

 

[canalrunner]

Interesting how a thread about the best things about being a Canadian runner has morphed into a discussion of the Running Room. To me, it is a Canadian success story.<br><br>
I think the <span style="text-decoration:underline;">changes in season</span> make Canadian runners very adaptable. Also the seasons and changing light levels break up the routine. For me there is nothing like a long run on a crisp minus 10 C winter day, bright sun, clean paths (thank you NCC).<br><br>
I'd put <span style="text-decoration:underline;">Running Room</span> on the plus side of being a Canadian runner. I am not a cult member, but it does provide a recreational hub whereever they set up. They work and promote a lot of races and they give back to the charities in the community. I don't train 10:1 myself but I have paced 10:1 marathons and I think it is an effective strategy for newer runners with target times over 4 hours. Also I think the standard 10:1 approach is better than the overly flexible Galloway approach where everyone seems to be on a different schedule. At least with the RR approach you can have pace bunnies doing that in races. And there are more runners in Canada and more women runners in particular (and there is nothing wrong with that!!), thanks to the RR Clinics. I do minimum shopping there and there may be better shoe advice elsewhere (although as with every store, it really depends on the staff you get)<br><br>
Good choice of <span style="text-decoration:underline;">quirky races</span>: There is a place for the Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver marathon experience but I love the choice of quirky races. I've run races which go thru the 400 metre blast tunnel for a nuclear shelter (Carp), and a race that is 14.7 k long, is hand-timed with stop watches the old fashion way and everyone gets a pennant (guarantee for a PB the first time you run it) and another where the winners get pies. There are also some 'gem' marathons like the Prince Edward County Marathon near Kingston. And I just love the Canada Day races.<br><br>
I also think most <span style="text-decoration:underline;">Canadian cities are very runnable</span>. While there are unlit bike paths that demand caution, and unfortunately for women runners there is still a greater need for general caution, there are very few 'no go' areas for running in Canada.<br><br>
And finally because we use <span style="text-decoration:underline;">kilometers rather than miles</span>, we just sound a lot faster.

 

[Mrtambalynman]

I suspect a person does, but I find it easier to adapt to colder conditions than warmer ones - particularly if there is lots of humidity added in. I spent 6 weeks hiking in Australia a few years ago and didn't feel that I'd adapted to the conditions very well and I would expect 6 weeks to be sufficient time to adapt (although I could be wrong); whereas when I lived in Thunder Bay I adapted quite well to the conditions and was playing out in the snow down to -30.

 

[dragonsrouges]

Well I think both the US and Canada have their great running points. Regarding the Running room, they are a running store, they sell running shoes, clothes, accessories and provide support and advice for anyone who walks in and asks. I guess we are spoiled by other stores (ie: Boutique Endurance) who go beyond the sale of running equipment. They won't sell you a shoe if they really and truly don't think it would be good for you. In fact I've heard they say they'd rather you go buy it elsewhere. (of course legally they have to sell it to you). They do take their responability as consultants seriously and are not just interested in selling a shoe and making a sale. I think that one of the differences but there is nothing wrong with the running room, they are there to provide a service and they do it promptly.

 

[dragonsrouges]

Maybe not but a close friend of mine came in first canadian woman one year at Boston and walked more than once...<br><br>
Uh I don't really know what 10 and 1s are but I'm guessing that's 10 minutes of running for 1 minute of walking?????

 

[bcc594]

I'm not one of those "if you walk during the marathon it doesn't really count" people. Walking during a marathon is fine. You're right - the ten and ones mean that you run for 10 minutes, then walk for one. Another poster said that it's a good program for those newer runners, trying to finish, which makes a ton of sense.<br><br>
For what it's worth, my favourite part of running in Canada is running early in the morning, in the fresh snow, when it's just you and a trail of breath-fog behind you.

 

[dragonsrouges]

There are ways to do 10 and 1s and get faster than some of (you) people who never do it... It must be some mental barrier or ego thing that prevents people from doing it but strictly in a exercise physiological point of view, you CAN do 10 and 1s and get quite fast, faster than some/a lot of those who run slow and straight without walking.<br><br>
In fact, I think I will do 10 and 1s for the next 6 months just to experiment.

 

[canalrunner]

I think we need a seperate thread for the discussion of the 10:1 walk run strategy. For everyone that likes it, there is some who doesn't. Personally I think it is useful but only up to about 4 hours. If you don't mind I am going use your views as the lead for the new thread.

 

[CIAU80]

There are a lot better stores than the RR with some pretty good people<br>
running them. Stanton didn't invent running in Canada. Their a lot of good coaches out there that offer there services for free and have been in the sport a lot longer than the RR. The big difference between the RR and Galloway is that Galloway actually has the "provenance" behind him<br>
ie (competing at the Olympics).

 

[markc7]

In defence of John, he shares the background of many in the current era of running. Sure Galloway was an Olympian, but John Stanton's story of being an overweight, inactive smoker is way more resonant with the second, current, running boom.