Important Safety Update

Several of you have expressed concerns over safety and privacy with us collecting names and contact info from all participants prior to each group run. We’ve been listening to your concerns and actively working on a solution that protects you, our members, while also protecting the club from liability in the event that anyone is exposed to Covid-19 at one of our group runs.

While it may no longer be strictly necessary according to APH guidelines, we will be continuing to track attendance at our group runs because we’d rather be safe than sorry. That said, we think we’ve come up with a solution that will work for everyone.

We will be creating a master list with names and contact info of everyone who participates in any of our group runs. THIS LIST WILL BE PRIVATE and only accessible by Stryders execs. The information collected on it will ONLY be used in the event that we have to contact you to inform you of possible exposure to Covid-19. You will only have to give us your contact info once, so we can be sure we have it on file, but before EACH run you will still be required to “sign in” on an attendance form so that we can keep track of who was present. Going forward, these attendance forms will also be made private after the fact.

We hope this solution eliminates your concerns over privacy and safety. If you have any questions or concerns that have not been addressed, please feel free to reach out.

October Update

Did September fly past for anybody else? We can’t believe it’s October already! We want to congratulate all Stryders who ran at Ultra Trail Stokely Creek! It’s challenging terrain out there and courses are difficult to say the least so no matter what distance you tackled, we’re proud of you! Congrats!

Covid Safety

Just a reminder to everyone who wishes to participate in any of our group runs that we are still using an attendance tracking form that MUST be completed by ALL runners prior to any group run. In the unlikely event that anybody from our group is exposed to Covid, we need to be able to contact others to do our part in preventing community spread. We are going to try to make the sheet as accessible as possible by linking to it in our group run reminders; links can also be found on the homepage of our website and in the Announcements of our Facebook Group. Again, this sheet MUST be filled out if you want to join a group run. Your co-operation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

With the onset of Autumn, we’ll be making some changes to our group run schedule. This will be reflected on the corresponding page of the website, but here’s a summary:

Mile Hill Monday will be discontinued until further notice. The weather is turning unpredictable and the Mile Hill trail is too unsafe to run when wet. If there is enough demand, we may move this run to another hill. Your feedback is welcome!

Tuesday Trail Therapy/Toonie Tuesday will continue at the regular time and place.

Thursday Morning Waterfront 5k will be discontinued until further notice due to lack of interest.

Fartlek Friday will be rescheduled to a new day and time still TBD. We had a lot of interest in a weekly track workout but Friday AM didn’t seem to work for many people. We’re working on it! Stay tuned for further updates about when and where it will resume.

Long Slow Sunday will continue at a new time and location – 10am, Hiawatha parking lot.

Couch to 5K – Round Two!

We will be starting our second Couch to 5K program on Wednesday, October 6th. We will meet at 6pm in Clergue Park, across from the library. Our group uses the ZenLabs Fitness C25K App, available for Android and iPhone. We encourage everyone to download it so you’re able to follow along and do the other weekly runs alone or with a friend in order to keep up with the progression from one week to the next.

Couch to 5K Graduates

For anybody who completed the first C25K Program and isn’t sure what to do next, this one’s for you! Wednesday nights at 6:45pm, meet us in Clergue Park across from the library for a slow, social 5k. This is a no-drop run for anybody who can do most or all of a 5k run but who doesn’t quite feel ready to tackle our Tuesday evening trail run yet. We’ll take it easy, stick together, and move our bodies for JOY, not punishment. We hope to see you there!

Up-and-Coming!

There are a few local and almost-local events to look forward to in October.

Join your Sault Stryders on Monday October 11th at 10AM for a trail trot up the “Mile Hill” in Goulais River, Ontario. We will meet at the bottom of the Mile Hill, HWY 17 on the East side of the road at the Truck Stop/Snow Plow turn around, which is on the shoulder of the HWY. The run will go up hill, alongside the HWY on the trail to the top, then back down again (about 6km in total). Please wear appropriate clothing (bright colours encouraged for visibility), footwear that can take some mud and water. We run rain or shine! Sault Stryders Members will be eligible to receive prizes 😆 by random draw! Stay tuned for details but in usual fashion they will be awesome 😎 As always please socially distance and we will have our Google Doc sheet for those wanting to attend to fill out prior to attending.

Next, we have The Wawa Trifecta! Want to have a great weekend in Wawa? Join us Saturday, October 23rd at 10am for an amazing 6km trail run, and at 1pm for the brutal 1km hill climb. On Sunday, October 24th, join a scenic half-marathon starting at 10am. For full details, visit the Defeat the Peat Trail Race Facebook Page. If anyone needs overnight accommodations, reach out to Brian via FB!

Third, Bear in Mind Running presents The Homerun Hiller Thriller on October 30th. For anyone new to the concept, there is a a live lottery on Oct 16th to determine the seeding and first round byes for the 4 tournaments. Women’s run / bike, & Men’s run / bike.

Then we proceed to a March madness style bracket tournament of hill running / biking. 1k up Homerun Hill, 1k down. Pick up a chip at the top, get back down to the bottom quicker than your bracket mate and you move on!

Only one will be left standing at the end of each tourney. It’s truly never more fun to be a loser than on Thriller day. Get your name in the lottery HERE.

Finally, also organized by Bear in Mind Running, don’t miss out on the Virtual Robertson Cliffs Challenge! BIM took the toughest 5km hike in all of Algoma and turned it into a virtual race! The event runs all October long, and the goal is simple: Complete that 5km loop faster than anybody else. Watch the Bear in Mind Running Facebook Page for full details.

September “Newsletter”

September is here and we haven’t had a new lockdown since our last website update. Whoever said there’s no such thing as miracles? It’s been a busy summer, we’ve had a ton of stuff going on and lots of new people coming out to join our group runs. It makes us so happy to see our club growing! Thank you to everyone who comes out to participate – we love running with you! A huge thank you, as well, to our volunteers and executives who help organize and host our weekly runs. We couldn’t do it without you all!

Couch to 5K

This summer we hosted our first ever group Couch to 5K program. Thank you to everybody who participated and made this program a success! We loved seeing you week after week and watching you progress.

We followed the training program presented in the ZenLabs Fitness C25K App and had good success; and since we also had a lot of continued interest and positive feedback, we’ll be offering this group program again after a brief break!

The current program will end on September 8th, after which we’ll take a few weeks off. The new C25K program will start Wednesday, October 6th. Mark your calendars! (Don’t worry, we’ll send out reminders too.)

New Weekly Run

For those who have graduated from the Couch to 5K program but don’t feel ready to tackle our Tuesday night or Thursday morning runs yet, we will be starting a new beginner-friendly 5km group run on Wednesday nights, scheduled to follow the C25K run. Stay tuned here and on our Facebook page for updates as we finalize plans for this new group run.

COVID tracking

Just a friendly reminder that until Covid-19 is a thing of the past, it is mandatory to sign in for every run you attend. We know it’s a bit of a hassle, but it’s for everyone’s health and safety. If you have any issues with the Google Sheet that we are using to track attendance, please feel free to reach out to any of your Stryders executive crew and we’re happy to lend a helping hand.

Some people were having trouble accessing the sheet when it was e-mail only, so we’ll be implementing some changes starting with the Mile Hill Monday run on September 6th. Going forward the link to the sheet will be posted here on the website, and also pinned to the top of the Facebook Group page. However, since we won’t have emails on file anymore, we’re going to require you to include your phone number as part of the attendance form. We need this info so that if anyone in our group becomes ill, we can notify others and help prevent community spread. Please, let’s all do our part! Feel free to reach out to us at saultstryders@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.

Toonie Tuesday is back!

Bring a toonie with you to Hiawatha on Tuesday nights because Toonie Tuesday is back! Every week we’ll collect $2 from anyone who wishes to participate in a 50/50 draw. One lucky winner will take home half of the amount collected; the other half will go in to the Stryders account to help fund future events and prizes.

Rick Fall is Home!

Many of you followed Rick’s journey as he ran across Canada raising funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Childhood Cancer Canada. He made it home successfully on August 7th, but continued running every day until he reached his goal distance of 100 marathons! This is an amazing feat, Rick, and we salute you!

Donations are still being accepted at FalloRick. If you are able, please consider giving to these great causes, or share the word on social media.

Rick, thank you so much for your hard work and dedication. We’re sure Terry Fox would be proud to run alongside you.

Ultra Trail Stokely Creek is back!

UTSC is back for Year Two after being cancelled last fall because of the pandemic. With race distances of 5km, 17km, 34km, 56km, 85km, or 170km, this event truly has something to offer for everyone. Numbers are limited but some distances still have spaces available so if you’re interested in signing up, don’t hesitate! Registration closes Sunday, Sept. 5th! Go to https://utstokelycreek.com/ for details.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

If you aren’t sure about racing at Stokely or if your distance of choice is full but you still want to be a part of the festivities, please consider volunteering! Help is needed to make this event run smoothly and you can make a huge difference by manning an aid station or sweeping a race, among other things. If you’re want to do your part to make Ontario’s only UTMB-qualifier race a success, go HERE for details.

July recap & what’s new for August

Wow, July flew by! We had some really great fun together, started a few new things, and saw a bunch of new faces!

Tuesday Trail Therapy continues to be our most popular group run, with more and more people tackling the Rattlesnake hill after the end of the 5K trail. It’s great to see folks challenging themselves! We also re-introduced the Toonie Tuesday fundraiser and were able to hand out some cash prizes as well as make some money for the club to help fund future events.

We introduced Mile Hill Mondays for all the elevation seekers out there and watched people tackle that gnarly trail with gusto. We also started a Couch to 5K group in the hopes that it would bring out some new faces, and we weren’t disappointed! It’s been great getting to know some new people and we sincerely hope that you’ll keep joining us for group runs in the future. If there is enough community interest, we will definitely offer another Couch to 5K group after this first program comes to a finish.

August will see the return of Rick Fall from his cross-country FalloRick run. He’s raising money for two great causes – Make-a-Wish, and Childhood Cancer Canada. Check out his page and consider making a donation if you haven’t already. Rick will get to the Sault on August 7th. People are invited to meet him anywhere along his route and run with him into town. See his website or our Facebook group for details about his itinerary and where he’ll be stopping along the way.

If you check out the top navigation menu on our website, you’ll see a new link, “Group Runs”. Here, you can find our weekly calendar of group runs including details about time, distance, and location of each. We hope it will be helpful for everyone to be able to find information about all of our club activities all in one place.

New in August, we’ll be introducing Fartlek Fridays. This group will meet at 6:30am at the John Rhodes Community Centre outdoor track and will spend 30 minutes doing speed training in the form of Fartleks or Intervals. Speed work is an essential part of being a well-rounded runner, so we hope we’ll see you bright and early Friday mornings!

In case you missed it, the Bruce Mines Run Around the Bay 2021 will be happening Sunday, August 15th. CLICK HERE to register.

What’s Happening This Week?

July 19-25

Monday, July 19 – Introducing Mile Hill Mondays!

We’re taking hill training to the next level. Park at the bottom of Mile Hill and join the group for a lap or two. Each lap is a 5km round trip. 7pm start time. This is an active ATV trail so keep your head up for 4-wheelers and dirt bikes.

Tuesday, July 20 – Tuesday Trail Therapy at Hiawatha Highlands.

Come join us on our weekly jaunt around the Crystal Creek 5km ski trail. Runners of all ages and ability levels are welcome; this group is big enough that you can push the pace if you want, or just keep it social and enjoy a run through nature. Either way you’ll have someone to run with and nobody gets left behind! 6pm start time. Meet near the blue shack in the main parking lot. Don’t forget to bring a toonie for our Toonie Tuesday 50/50 Draw!

Wednesday, July 21 – Week 3 Day 1 of our Couch to 5K program!

If you’re new to running or just trying to improve your 5k time, this social group is waiting to welcome you! Meet at Clergue Park near the library at 6pm. We follow a fairly flat course along the waterfront section of the Hub Trail so we can enjoy a nice, cool breeze off the river while we run.

Thursday, July 22 – Our Waterfront 5k will resume this week after an emergency cancellation last week.

If Tuesday nights don’t work for you or if you just aren’t that in to trail running, this run might be what you’re looking for. 6:15am start at Clergue Park near the library.

Sunday, July 25 – If you’re training for distances of 15km or more, join our Long Slow Sundays crew at Stokely Creek Lodge.

We run/hike 15-20km at a conversational pace. This run isn’t about speed, it’s about building endurance. There will be many opportunities to stop for pics and time to enjoy nature. Make sure to bring water and snacks to hydrate and fuel on-the-go! 9:30am start, Stokely parking lot. Note: Additional distance is optional if anybody is interested after the first 15-20km loop is complete.

Thank you to everyone who participated in any of last week’s runs! It was great to see some new faces out. If you plan to participate this week, please remember to fill out our Covid tracker prior to the run. If you still don’t have access to the Covid tracker, contact us with your email and we’ll send it to you!

What’s Happening This Week?

Tuesday night we have Tuesday Trail Therapy at Hiawatha Highlands. Join us at 6pm for a hilly 5km trail run. Meet in the main parking lot by the Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club blue shack.

Wednesday evening we have our group Couch to 5k run/walk! Meet at 6pm at Clergue Park, just across from the library. We’ll stick to a mostly-flat waterfront course for this one. Thank you to everyone who turned out for week 1 and made this such a success! We hope to see you all back this week.

Thursday morning is our new Waterfront 5k! Meet at 6:15am at Clergue Park for a social run along the waterfront section of the Hub Trail over to the locks and then back.

Sunday morning we’ll be resuming our Long Slow Sunday runs… and we’re going to kick it off with a bang out at Stokely! Meet in the parking lot at 9:30am. We’ll start with a 14km loop including an audience with the King, then take a break at everyone’s vehicles to fuel, hydrate, and regroup. If anybody wants more, I have additional 5km, 10km, and 15km routes planned. We’ll decide which, if any, to do based on what the group wants.

Starting next week: Mile Hill Mondays! Stay tuned for details…

Don’t forget to use our Google Sheet attendance form to do a quick Covid self-check and then sign up before any run you plan to attend. If you don’t have access to it yet, contact us to be added.

Ultra Trail Stokely Creek 2021 is on!

In case you haven’t heard yet, race director Nick Brash has announced that this year’s event is set to move forward, with provincial and regional Covid-19 safety protocols in place.

With six distances to choose from, there is a race for everybody – from the newbie trail runner tackling their first off-road 5km to the seasoned veteran ready to take on 170km in the pain cave. But if you want to participate don’t wait too long, since each race’s numbers will be limited this year for safety. Go to Ultra Trail Stokely Creek to register before it’s too late!

It takes a lot of time and effort to pull off an event this big, and Bear In Mind Running could use a helping hand! If you aren’t racing this year (or heck, even if you are) volunteers are needed for various tasks including race prep, race day support, and post-race cleanup. If you’re able to help, contact Nick Brash or visit the UTSC Volunteer Page to sign up.

Big news for July!

It’s a new month and we have lots of new things going on. This might be a long post, but it’ll be worth it, I promise!

First off, thank you to everyone who participated in our June “1K a Day” virtual challenge! The community involvement was amazing and we loved seeing all of your pictures and activity logs showing how you got out and stayed active every day.

Secondly, we’re happy to announce that we will be starting up with in-person club activities again! We’ll be putting some safety protocols in place (details later in this post) to ensure everyone’s safety so that we can get out and run together again at long last. Is it just me, or does that call for a big fat YAY!!!

Weekly Group Runs

These are the weekly runs that will be starting back up:

Tuesday Trail Therapy – Tuesday nights, 6 p.m. at Hiawatha Highlands. Meet near the blue Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club building in the main parking lot for a hilly 5km trail run.

Thursday Morning Waterfront – Thursday mornings, 6:15 a.m. at Clergue Park. Meet by the library for a flat, scenic 5km run along the waterfront section of the boardwalk.

Long Slow Sundays – This one is for anyone training for longer distances (10km +). Sunday mornings, 9:30 a.m. Location changes weekly so watch our Facebook Page for weekly posts about where to meet. This run generally includes a 10-12km loop to start, with additional distance optional for anyone interested in going farther. Please be ready to stay for at least 90 minutes. This is so we can ensure that nobody gets left behind, nor does the group get split up! This run will sometimes take us to remote locations so we want to stick together for everybody’s safety. Special note: This group run will be re-starting Sunday, July 18th.

New Programs

We’re excited to announce that starting next Wednesday, July 7th, we will be introducing a group Couch to 5KM program! If you’re new to running or have been wanting to join in but aren’t sure you’re ready to tackle a full 5k with the group yet, this might be for you! The goal of this 9-week program is to start with the very basics and have you running a full 5km without walk breaks by the end. We will meet once a week on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in Clergue Park. This program will be open to Stryders members only, so please contact us if you haven’t purchased a membership yet!

The 50/50 Draw is Back!

At the beginning of each group run, the Run Leader will accept $2 donations from any participants who wish to contribute. Participation is completely voluntary. After the run, a name will be drawn and one lucky winner who donated will take home half of what was collected. The other half will be collected by the Stryders to help pay for future events and prizes. :0)

Safety First

Everybody’s health and safety is our highest concern. As we go back to meeting in-person, we want to ensure that we are taking precautions to minimize the risk of COVID community spread. If you plan on attending ANY of our group runs or events, please contact us to confirm your email. You will receive a link that you can use to complete a Covid self-check and sign in before each group run. The Run Leader will confirm numbers/attendance prior to the run. If you have not completed a COVID self-check and signed in prior to the run, you will not be able to run with the group.

Additionally, we will continue to respect physical distancing and ask everyone maintain a distance of 6′ between individuals.

To Sum It All Up…

Our group runs are still open to anybody who wishes to participate. Stryders membership is not mandatory. We just need your email address so we can get you to sign in prior to a group run if you plan to attend.

Donations to the 50/50 draw are also completely voluntary. Your contribution helps us pay for future events and prizes but you only have to make a contribution if you want your name to go into the draw to win.

That’s it! We hope that you’re as excited as we are for our first Couch to 5K program and to get back to running together. Please feel free to reach out with any questions at saultstryders@gmail.com or on our Facebook Page. We look forward to running with you in the near future!

June Events

For the month of June, the Sault Stryders challenge our members to get out and walk, run, bike, or otherwise move a minimum of one (1) kilometre a day, every day!

How long can you keep your streak going?

June is also the summer solstice! Watch this space as well as Facebook and your email for news about our summer solstice event!