The first is the “i2P Siberian Express for Water” where Ray Zahab, i2P Founder, and Kevin Vallely, i2P Ambassador, will run 65km to 70km per day for the entire 650km journey across frozen Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal is located in Siberia and is the deepest lake in the world. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of our global treasures and i2P is proud to explore this amazing locale and deliver its mystique and beauty to students across North America. Contrasting the abundance of water in Lake Baikal will be Stage 2, of the i2P World Expedition Series: Running Tunisia. This expedition will be another opportunity for i2P Youth Ambassadors to push beyond their perceived mental and physical limits. The journey will traverse the majestic country of Tunisia, with Youth Ambassadors running an incredible 200 miles while communicating directly with students across North America. By exploring these two opposite climatic regions of the world, impossible2possible hopes to raise awareness and funding for clean drinking water projects that will change lives and give hope to future generations.

Go to www.siberianx.com

The event will be live video on the website. They start on March 1st, 2010, Kevin and Ray will be self-sufficient during their crossing of Lake Baikal. This means they will drag with them all of the food and gear required to complete the expedition.

you can also see more information at Facebook

I’m sidelined.

I had knee surgery on Wednesday February 24th. How long I’m sidelined I do not know. This is what I do know.

On November 29th I was doing a long run. One of my back to back 30km runs I had been doing for a couple of months on Saturdays and Sundays. I was about 28 km’s in coming up the escarpment on the rail trail approaching the Scenic drive access, on my way home. I felt this tightness in my left leg start. It started in the calf and started creeping up towards the back of my knee. The tight feeling started spreading and enveloping the whole knee. Then i was frozen in my footsteps with this sharp pain that covered my entire knee. Front, back, sides, top to bottom. I walked it out. then started running again. 2 minutes into the restart the tightness started again. Then the sharp stabbing pain. this continued for the remainder walk/run 3km home.

I took 2 days off and started again Tuesday night. It wasn’t too bad, but i had no power and felt unstable on the knee. This continued for the rest of the weeks runs and i attempted the 30 km run come the next Saturday. made it 21km and the pain started again. I cut the run short. After 4 days off i did a 3 km test run. Still felt shaky and unsteady with a weird pain (discomfort) coming from the inside of my knee. So i took another day off and did 13 km on the Sunday. According to my log book, I ran slow and had knee discomfort.

I spent the next 2 weeks doing short runs as anything long caused pain. Even the short ones had on and off again pain. Sometimes it felt like there was something tickling the knee from the inside. The more i moved, the more that tickle turned to a pulling and then pain. On the following Sunday i attempted a 30k again. Coach Dee followed in a car to do some filming. Here’s that video. At km 24 the pain came back. It’s almost Christmas so i took a week off. Then another.

The New year came with great expectations. I began with a slow 1 km in the morning and 2 at night. Day off. 2km in morning 3km at night. I did this for 2 weeks building up distances to 8 km at one time. The pain never let up. It would come and go. But it never left! That tickle was always there. I was driving myself and Casey crazy. I have been dreaming and planning this run for 3 years. I have sponsorship and were getting more. I have the perfect idea and group of people around me to get it done. Now this damn knee! I was taking anti inflammatories daily trying to keep the inflammation down while i trained the legs to be stronger. I had seen 3 sports therapist and they all figured it was caused by a muscle imbalance, pulling on the knee joint causing inflammation in the tendon’s behind the knee and thus creating a bakers cyst. It wasn’t getting better.

On super bowl Sunday I went for a run with my friend Phil. I did 26 km that day. I came home and as I iced and stretched the knee really hurt. I could barely walk. I decided then I would stop running until i got treatment. On the 24th of September ( my carpe diem) I had surgery to repair the knee. The Doctor said he cleaned things up ( I’m assuming the meniscus had some fraying). there is no sign of arthritis, but I have one very pissed off knee. The knee of a 38 year old. (what ever that means)

Here I sit, on the couch with my leg wrapped and ice on the knee watching the Olympics. Is my dream of making a difference by running across Canada gone? Has the last 3 years training and planning been for not? Can I come back from this? Can i rehab my knee back to good “happy” health? now what?

Well, for today there’s the Canada hockey game against Slovakia. Tomorrow, is another day!

Steve

The leg/knee is not damaged. Couple of days rest and lots and lots of stretching. My hams and ITband are so tight you could strum them. Alsi, I have no ass. lmao…I appearently did. We should use our glutes to abduct, aduct, and drive you up hills and stairs. Mine is so small that the IT’s and hams and groin do all the work.  Hense the issue. That being said. A short 5-6 km today then glute excercises……

Steve

Someone once told me that running is 90% mental…..and the other 10% is in your head. ( Ray Zahab)
I have been doing the runs religiously and learned a lot. I like running in the rain, but not the wind. I prefer afternoon running to morning or night, but don’t seem to mind much.  I’ve upped my protein % intake and lowered my carb % and find i have more energy and have better workouts. My short runs ( the 4, 1 hour runs) are too short and I never really get warmed up.  Most of my long runs take me up and down the escarpment numerous times.  When climbing my average speed slows down. I started “clock watching”.  getting irritated at myself for going to slow.  After all, what cross canada endurance runner can’t keep an average speed of at least 10km per hour? As this goes through my head i speed up. Problem is, this is a long run with some large climbing involved. Not supposed to be speed training too. But my brain is telling me one thing, so i go harder and push myself, and end up sprinting intervals up the hill to lower my pace.  And to what end? Injury? Well i have taken an extra day off. Going to see the sports therapist Ashley tonight and will find out. Is there damage, or just stupidity causing stiffness.?

So, one side of me says ” I added too much distance to fast” The other side says “if i had not let my mind get the best of me i would have continued the long runs at a comfortable pace and not injured myself” Any thoughts my friends?

Steve

I have been harping on my running clinic and everyone i see running and will listen about running form. WE ARE BORN TO RUN. The human body is designed to run , and run long distances. Like 99% of injuries are caused from poor form.  Now, this poor form will only bother you have the repetition of thousands of steps.  So,  sitting on the couch being sedative will not cause you any pain. But, running can. Unless you have proper form.  Thus landing on the balls of your feet with a slightly bent knee, with your ankle, knee, hips, chest and head all in straight-line.  To explain it better I found an excellent analysis on You tube.  Check out the link to see a great break down of perfect running form as demonstrated by elite kenyan’s.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r3_sKkHnTU

Enjoy,

Steve