2009/07/28 Recap of Ontario BMY championships
July 28, 2009 from Athletics Ontario
Despite the weather forecast, it did not rain on the parade of champions who competed in the Bantam Midget Youth championships this past weekend in Timmins. More than 450 athletes did their best in cool windy conditions.

6 new Ontario records were established:
Eilish MacDonald of Ottawa Lions in the midget girls shot put - old: 12.96 new: 13.15
Eilish Macdonald of Ottawa Lions in the midget girls hammer throw - old: 35.67 new: 40.39
Brooke Rowland of York University Track Club in the midget girls javelin throw - old: 39.75 new: 44.85
Matthew LoParco in the midget boys 100m hurdles - old: 13.50 new: 13.49
Newmarket Huskies in the youth girls 4x800m relay - old: 9:11.81 new: 9:06.39 (Kirsten Stewart, Brigid Callaghan, Natalia Hawthorn, Caileigh Glenn) - note: this performance aslo exceeds the current Canadian Junior record, the Ontario Junior U20 and Espoir U24 records.
Laurel Creek in the midget boys 4x100m relay - old: 45.84 new 44.90 (Michael Keba, Nienkel Paljola, Keegan Calder, Mitch O’Donnell)
The hospitality and warmth from the volunteers from Timmins was felt by every athlete, parent and spectator

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Track North Press Release
July 26th, 09

Track North's Proudfoot Wins Double Gold at Provincial Track and Field Championships

Timmins, ON

Track North Athletic Club's Ross Proudfoot (Lively), 17, won gold in both the 800m and 1500m events at the Athletics Ontario Bantam, Midget and Youth Championships held this past weekend in Timmins.

Competing against the top 17 and under athletes in the province, Proudfoot, first struck gold in the 800m event with a finishing time of 1 minute 58.03 seconds. This race saw Proudfoot outkick a large field of athletes over the final 200m as eight runners broke the two minute barrier in this closely contested race.

Proudfoot also captured gold in the 1500m event. Leading wire to wire, Proudfoot charged home to a new personal best of 3 minutes 58.16 seconds.

Proudfoot also anchored Track North's silver medal winning 4 X 800m relay team which also included Sebastian Diebel (Nairn), Joe Burke (Espanola) and Jeremy Cooper (Manitowaning). In a deep ten team field, the Track North squad placed just a half a second behind the winning team from Mississauga.

Proudfoot commented: "It was a great weekend of racing. The 800m and 4 X 800m relay were really exciting with deep, crowded fields. I was surprised how good I felt in the 1500m race, particularly leading start to finish they way I did. I'm excited to race it again in two weeks in Sherbrooke at the National Youth Championships"

Coach Darren Jermyn notes: "Ross has been working really hard this whole summer and its great to see it pay off for him this weekend. He was sick at OFSAA and couldn't compete at the level he normally does but his performances last weekend at the National Junior Championships in PEI (12th in the 1500m) and this weekend show that he is one of the top 17 year-old distance runners in the country".

Other finishes for Track North athletes included:

Youth Girls
Alannah Maclean - 800m - 4th - 2:26.10 and 400m - 7th - 59.81
Grace Thomson - 300m Hurdles - 7th - 49.52
Kerissas Blacklock - 100m Hurdles 9th - 17.12, 200m, 22, 28.46

Midget Boys
Zack Caverson - 800m - 8th - 2:13.07; 1500m - 9th - 4:38.57

Youth Boys
Ross Proudfoot, 800m, 1st, 1:58.03, and 1500m, 1st, 3:58.16

Joe Burke - 800m - 7th - 1:59.68 and 1500m, 11th, 4:14.97
Sebastian Diebel - 800m - 10th - 2:02.09 and 1500m, 22, 4:28.69
Jeremy Cooper, 1500, 18th, 4:22.37 and 3000m, 12, 9:49.65

All Event Results from Website

Part 3 - Running Form
Welcome to week 3 of “So you want to Run”! In my previous columns you were introduced to the basics of running and doing it safely. You have 2 weeks of training in now and those initially stiff muscles are protesting a little less and you can actually get your breath for at least a little while. You’re beginning to believe there may be a runner hidden in your body somewhere. But you wonder. Is there a better way? Did that effortlessly loping gazelle speeding by the house a couple of weeks ago possess special “running secrets” I could learn? The answers: probably and possibly. Sounds fuzzy, doesn’t it. Running is natural. Most of us have been running at least a wee bit all our lives. When we were younger and ran without a care in the world we did it naturally without thought of form. We all ran differently but we still ended up at our destination in roughly the same time. When you get an opportunity, observe the elite runners in a distance event. In a perfect world the best of the best should all run the same way. They don’t. What you will notice is that all the better runners appear relatively upright and relaxed unless it’s near the start or finish lines where their best form might be compromised in the heat of the battle. So you ask: “So all I need to do is hold my head high and stay relaxed?” The answer is that just those 2 things will carry you a long way to any running goal you might entertain. But, as always, there are methods to fine tune your performance. Take a look at some additional pointers the gazelle has already learned.
• Look ahead a good 20-30m out. This keeps you upright and ensures your torso doesn’t lean too far forward which ruins efficiency as you inadvertently attempt to literally run into the ground.
• Chest and hips out. Don’t slouch. Your lungs will be at maximum efficiency this way.
• Swing your arms naturally and in a relaxed fashion. Your hands should not be crossing the centre of your chest. Remember the idea is to go forward not side to side. Don’t clinch your fist. It consumes needed power.
• Leg turnover and stride length determine your speed. Be very careful to not overstride in an attempt for greater output. You’ll actually be putting on a brake if your footfall gets too far ahead of the body. The usually faster method is to increase your turnover or stride rate first and then begin to pick away at your length as your strength and endurance increase. In a bit of an indirect comparison to running you may have had the opportunity to observe Tour De France cyclist Lance Armstrong destroying his competition in the mountains a few years ago. His winning weapon was high leg turnover.
• Your foot plant is unique to you and is the result of lots of factors including your shape, physique, muscle strength and balance. As you gain fitness and speed you will find some of those things you thought were poor form have actually resolved themselves on their own. The body is great at finding the most efficient method of performing tasks. Because of these possible gait changes, especially early in your running career, it’s very important to have a shoe assessment performed every time you purchase a new pair. If you are one of the few who has a problem that continues to affect your ability to run you need to seek the advice of a professional who will assess you unique requirements and assist you in overcoming the concern.
• More on relaxing. Run loose. Every muscle that you contract or tense up takes horsepower to operate. Learn to let every muscle you don’t require to perform the task of running relax. That includes your jaw, shoulders and arms. The best way to observe a truly relaxed face is to watch a 100m race by the best athletes. The muscles required for the task at hand are operating at 100%. The face and jaw muscles are just along for the ride and you can actually see them flopping around. Don’t get into the habit of carrying your shoulders and arms too high. Let them relax. The arms will be at a comfortable 90ish degree angle and rotating comfortably from your loosely suspended shoulders.
That’s enough for today. Your running tool belt is ½ full now and there are 3 sessions to go.
Next week: Part 4 – Running and Injuries