Boogie On With Jo Berry
Shoes, socks, shorts, shirt (and a sports bra for women).
That's all you need, right? Let's not get into body-glide, nipple tape, hat, watch, HRM. This is probably why we love running so much. There is always something new to try, new to learn and a new experience to have.
Running is simple, yet always new. The learning never stops, or the personal growth. Every year we run, we change. We are new. We are different. We have grown. Movement is change.
We are six sleeps out now until the Bridge City Boogie. It is year five for this fabulous event and this year, like all the others, will be a different and a new experience for each of us. You've gone through the nine-week training program and are signed up for your 2K, 5K or 10K. You may be running or walking. You may be trying to reach a PB (personal best). You may be coming out purely to run for fun, health and wellness. You may be overcoming a difficult passage, change or loss of a loved one. Each reason for running Boogie is equally important. Equally potent.
Yes— congratulations! You did it! All of your physical efforts over the past nine weeks are about to come full circle as you celebrate the absolutely amazing body you have been given. Some of you may be elite runners. Others of you may have never run a step in your life before starting this program. You have all learned the important aspects for the race (nutrition, shoes, weather, clothing, form, pacing and more).
Don't worry if the day before Boogie you don't sleep well. Most of us don't sleep much the night before an exciting goal run. Don't worry if you are nervous, anxious or have a case of the jitters. I still get nervous and super excited on race day morning.
The year it has taken to get back to beautiful Saskatoon has been a challenging one.
Each year running, and life brings us closer to discovering our authentic selves. Running truly was my therapy the past 12 months and a healthy escape from difficult passages and losses that I needed to face. My life has changed on many levels and so has my running. This past year, I ran my fastest times in my entire running journey. I rediscovered skiing and a huge passion for mountain biking. I ran more destination runs than ever. I travelled, laughed, cried, grieved and celebrated being alive.
I hugged my kids more than I ever have and held their hands in mine every single day. I marvel at the differences. Their hands are soft, slender and wrinkle free and I wonder what they will create in their lifetimes. I look at my own hands and there are the tell-tale signs of aging and experience. And same goes for my running.
So what does this have to do with our big Boogie day fast approaching? Everything. There is much more to running than just the physical parts of the training. There is experiencing Boogie as a process of living. When you cross the finish line you will be different. You will be embracing life while letting go. Savour every step of it, from today to the finish line. You are about to run your own personal Boogie. What will the experience mean to you?
I can't wait to see your beautiful faces and experience Saskatoon and the fifth Bridge City Boogie. I can't wait to high-five you at Griffith's Stadium and cheer as loud as I can when you cross the finish line. I am so grateful to be part of your journey and to have a new experience with you again this year! See you in six sleeps— can't wait!
Learning how to fuel our bodies for Boogie day and beyond
The importance of proper nutrition should not be underestimated, says Heather Hynes, a sports dietitian for the Sport Medicine and Science Council of Saskatchewan.
"Once you've invested so much time into the physical aspect of training, it doesn't make sense if you're not fueling and hydrating your body properly," she says.
She says an improper diet can easily lead to
muscle breakdown and you may find your energy
levels will dip if you're eating the wrong foods for
your body.
Hynes, who has been a sports dietitian for more than nine years, works with a variety of highperformance athletes at the provincial, university and national levels. She says nutrition should be basic and we can all benefit from eating simple, healthy and good-tasting foods, especially those of us who are training for the Boogie. She recommends Boogiers start paying attention to their diet tomorrow for the lead up to June 12.
"Focus on what and when you will eat and start each day with a really good breakfast." Her ideal breakfast consists of cereal with milk or soymilk and fruit or juice. An egg and toast or fruit and yogurt are also great options. The key is to eat something that sits well with your stomach and will help begin fueling your body for the rest of the day.
"Ideally we should be eating every three hours throughout the day. . . . If we do this, we don't get too hungry and make bad choices," she says. Two snacks consisting of yogurt, fruit or veggies and dip, along with a well-balanced lunch and dinner are perfect. Leading up to the Boogie, "don't overdo anything. The more frequently you have moderate portions, the more comfortable you will feel."
She says people often run into problems with energy levels when they skip breakfast, have a big, late lunch followed by an equally large dinner and evening snacks.
Don't eat anything with a lot of fibre the night before the Boogie because you don't want to have anything that may upset your stomach or is hard to digest. She recommends a dinner of chicken, rice, veggies and glass of milk or soymilk. If you have an uneasy stomach and are unable to eat breakfast the morning of the Boogie, you can have a light evening breakfast before bed, which will help fuel your body the next day. Top it off with a banana or toast and fluids on Boogie morning. If you're OK with breakfast on Boogie morning, ideally you should be eating around 6:30 a.m.— two hours before race time. Yogurt with fruit or juice, half a bagel and an egg or toast with peanut butter or jam are perfect. Make sure to include two cups of water.
Try to increase your water intake this week if you haven't already. Carry a water bottle and sip throughout the day. Hynes says sports drinks can be useful and are best used during your race. After the race, your body needs four things: Protein, carbohydrates, fluids and electrolytes (potassium and sodium). Chocolate milk combines all four of these, while a meat and cheese sandwich or yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit are also great options.
Once you've run or walked your race, keep the momentum of healthy living going for the rest of the year. Hynes says for a good nutrition plan to work in the long term, it has to be realistic. You also need to have a plan for what you're going to eat during the day. When you buy groceries, make a list of the foods you want to be eating and make sure you buy enough fruits and vegetables for the week.
And don't swear off any foods, recommends Hynes. "A big part of food is the enjoyment factor. If you take that away, you lose the enjoyment and stop healthy eating altogether." So take pleasure in an occasional treat and take time to reward yourself for a job well done.
Warm-up your Boogie bod and don't forget to cool it down
Along with proper nutrition and training techniques, incorporating a warm-up and cool-down into your workouts is one of the best things you can do for your body, especially on Boogie Day.
Lindsay Wolfe, a physiotherapist, personal trainer and fitness enthusiast at Mackie Physiotherapy says a proper warm-up and cool-down "plays a major role in injury prevention." Warm-ups help "open up your blood vessels, ensuring that your muscles are well-supplied with oxygen." Along with raising your muscles' temperature, a warm-up aids with muscular flexibility and efficiency, while "helping to minimize stress on your heart when you begin your run or walk."
She emphasizes a cool-down is just as important as a warm-up. "It helps to keep the blood flowing throughout your body, allowing it to slowly return to a resting state." Stopping exercise too quickly can cause light-headedness or faintness as your heart and blood pressure drop too quickly. Cooling down also helps to reduce the risk of muscular soreness the next day.
Wolfe recommends five to 10 minutes of light aerobic exercise to "loosen up and heat up your body." Jo Berry will be leading a fun, aerobic warm-up on the Boogie stage (behind the starting line) so make sure you don't miss it.
Wolfe says it's not a good idea to stretch cold muscles but if you have a pre-existing injury or muscular tightness, you can stretch those muscles after your warm-up. If you're going to be running in the Boogie, she recommends a few 50 to 100-metre runs at your race pace to help prepare your nervous system.
Once you've finished the Boogie (or any workout) walk or slowly jog for five to 10 minutes at a considerably easier intensity. Stretch fully after your cool-down, which should be easy because your body will be warm.
Stretch out your neck, lower back, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves and groin and hold each stretch for up to one minute. "A stretch should never feel like you're hurting yourself. If it does, stop!" Leading up to Boogie Day, Wolfe recommends you prepare by eating and hydrating well and getting lots of sleep: "Sleep is important to allow adequate recovery from all of that training you've been doing."
Speaking from personal experience, Wolfe likes to prepare everything she'll need for race day the night before because "the more prepared you are, the less stress you'll experience that morning."
And don't forget to "have fun and enjoy the experience. It's always an awesome feeling to cross that finish line."
Boogie package pick-up at Alvin Buckwold School
All registered participants must pick up their race packages, timing chips, and t-shirts during the package pick-up times. Package pick-up will be held at ALVIN BUCKWOLD SCHOOL (715 East Drive).
There will be no package pick-up or registration on Sunday, June 12.
Team package pick-up
Thursday, June 9 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. This will allow plenty of time for team captains to distribute their packages to team members prior to the event on Sunday. If team captains are unable to make the Thursday night team package pickup they are welcome to pick up their packages on Saturday, June 11. Only designated team captains are allowed to pickup packages for teams.
School team package pick-up
Thursday June 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Teachers, some schools do not have class on Friday, June 10 so teachers are welcome to pick up their team's packages on Thursday, June 9 so that they can distribute the packages to their students that day. Only designated team captains are allowed to pick up packages for teams.
Individual package pick-up
Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Individual participants must pickup their race packages on Saturday, June 11. If you are unable to pick up your own package, you may send written permission with a friend or family member and they will be allowed to pick up the package for you. If you do not send written permission, we will not release your package.
Event Day Parking
Previous Newspaper Content
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- 9 Week Kick Off Article
9 Week Training Programs
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