Natsumi Sawada
Natsumi is a doctoral level registered psychologist and meditation teacher and certified yoga instructor. She is passionate about helping people feel understood and supported while they build skills, gain insight, and work towards the changes they want to see in their lives using mindfulness based therapies and cognitive behavioural therapies such as CBT and ACT.
During this conversation, Natsumi led a conversation that touched on why we run, motivation, core values, and goals. Natsumi helped those in attendance to draw a connection between corner values and feeling successful regardless of the outcomes of our goals.
Amber Mosewich & Aïda Valevicius
Amber is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. Aïda is a PhD student at the University of Alberta in biomechanics. This conversation centred on self-compassion, which is a way of relating to oneself that is positive, accepting, and understanding - which runs counter to the often harshly critical and overly evaluative tactics engaged by many athletes. They shared what the approach involved, gave an overview of what is known and unknown, and explored where it could be helpful in a sport context. Self-compassion represents a shift in how to support performance and well-being in sport. Together, they engaged in a conversation that helped consider the potential of this new approach.
Rob Watson
lululemon Global Ambassador Rob Watson led a conversation centred around how run community and coaching has evolved his motivation for hitting the pavement.
A quick google search of Rob Watson will provide you with an impressive list of running titles: first in the 2013 Canadian Marathon Championships, 11th in the 2013 Boston Marathon, and 2018 BMO Vancouver Marathon champion.
Rob walks (or should we say runs) his talk. When he says that we are all “better together,” he means it – constantly pushing athletes to come together and support one another in what can be seen as an incredible lonely sport. With his days of chasing international titles behind him, Rob has exercised his passion for building community and his commitment to helping others achieve their goals - and he came to talk about that before the Edmonton 10k.
Tim Konoval
Hosted at the University of Alberta, Tim Konoval talked around the question: How might wearable running technology disrupt our relationship with our mind and body?
Tim holds a PhD in Applied Sport Sociology and Philosophy, and works as a Lecturer at the University of Alberta in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation. Tim discussed how, similar to many other segments of society, technology is slowly taking over the running landscape. Tim challenged us to rethink how we use our running watches in our everyday training runs.
Shana Dion
Shana Dion is from Kehewin Cree Nation. She has attained a Native Studies Degree from the University of Alberta and recently completed the UofA’s Indigenous Sports & Recreation Graduate Certificate. Her Cree teachings of respect, love, humility, sharing and kindness keep her grounded in her life and within her work.
During this conversation, Shana spoke about her healing journey run that started from her First Nation community to Blue Quills University, which was once an Indian Residential School. The 34 km healing run was about reconciling her inter-generational trauma and more importantly about coming to a place of forgiveness. Medicine is self love. Movement is medicine. Healing comes from movement.
Chris Falconer, Josefina Kaderabek, Joshua Bergman & Justine Barber
This incredible lineup of speakers each led a short conversation that covered a range of topics from inclusion and diversity in Edmonton's run community, to recovering and overcomming injury against the odds.
This was a special MIND (S)PACE offering as it was be hosted by Chris Falconer. Chris is the personality behind Open Up and Om, a podcast which brings yoga off the mat by introducing listeners to amazing people.
The evening kicked off with Justine Barber of Poppy Barley fame, who you'll hear talk about entrepreneurship and running, before moving on to Joshua Bergman, the creator of the Edmonton Pride Run & Walk (https://pride.run/), and then Josefina Kaderabek who spoke about the challenges faced after a major (and I mean major) injury.
You can listen to the conversation by following the link below.
Jamie Klassen & Chris Falconer
Jamie and Chris are best friends who can't seem to say no to a challenge. This summer, they adventured to Squamish to take on a 50 mile race together. When we say together, we mean these two set out to run the entire 50 miles side by side.
During this conversation, Jamie and Chris discussed friendship, across more than just running, including the hard conversations they had before taking on this challenge as a pair. They shared the highs, lows, and all the emotions that came from spending a day on the trails.
Andrea Rice
Andrea is the Alberta Maven, Brand and Community for Lululemon, is a community leader in run and mindfulness, and an educator. She is passionate about creating community and supporting others to set (and crush) big, bold life altering goals!
During this conversation, Andrea led a conversation that touched on why we run, and how to set goals beyond what we have always believed goals should look like. This conversation definitely required participation and a willingness to share, and tons of brainstorming of thoughts and ideas. The goal was to have participants leave clear on their 2019 goals- running and beyond.
Karl MacPhee
Karl is a husband, father, athlete, and Canadian Armed Forces veteran who lives with epilepsy. During this conversation, Karl discussed running for you, his journey of connecting with his running roots, and how knowing your running ‘why’ helps you to be true to yourself.
This talk highlighted our ‘why’, while also looking at the pitfalls of running to escape, to belong, and to compare ourselves to others.
3100: Run and Become
Hosted in partnership with Telus World of Science, MIND (S)PACE held a special screening of the film 3100: Run and Become.
3100: Run and Become is a documentary about why people run, with portraits of runners and what motivates them. The plot centers on the 3100 mile race in New York City, and also follows Ashprihanal Aalto, a Finnish courier, and Shamita, an Austrian cellist. The film captures the esoteric, spiritual side of running. The film features such diverse locales as New York, to places around the world where ancient cultures have held running sacred, such as the forests of Finland, mountains of Japan, the Kalahari Desert in Africa and the Navajo Nation Reservation in Arizona. It also features the stories of three other runners–Shaun Martin, a Navajo runner and Board Member of Wings of America, Gaolo of the San Bushmen of the Kalahari, and Gyoman-san of the Monks of Mt. Hiei, Japan.
RUN 2020 with Austin Watt & Andrea Rice
Andrea and Austin led the group through a morning of running and intention setting to support every runner in running towards the goals of their running dreams. Andrea and Austin shared a few thought-starters, and a few tips on intention setting, and then headed out for a 25-minute run.