L ifestyles EDITOR ANDREA ANTHONY THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014 5 Sun Run: Get ready! A recent workshop at Lan- gara gave helpful tips for middle-distance training By DAVID LA RIVIERE ver Sun Run got valuable training tips during a presentation at Lan- gara last week. The Sun Run draws in thousands of runners of varying ages and experi- ence levels each year from around the world. This year the event takes place on April 27. For many entrants, the 10-kilometre trek will be their first timed road race and mistakes can hap- pen during training. “You don’t want to miss getting to the start line of the Sun Run by over- training.” said Mark Dawson, Langara communications officer and marathon- er. “The general rule is increasing your distance by 10 per cent every week.” Dawson led the presentation on Feb. 25 on behalf of The Right Shoe store in Kitsilano. Langara employees and Sun Run hopefuls Steve Quilala and Harkit Dhil- lon attended the workshop to learn about running, footwear, clothing and preventing chafing. To improve running technique and prevent injuries, Dawson suggested imagining running on hot coals as a way to ensure you are taking shorter strides and landing midfoot. A key factor to take into consider- ation when running is finding the right shoes. Feet vary drastically from per- son to person, so it is best to try differ- ent pairs and compare them. If a shoe causes blisters, it’s best to return it and try another option, said Dawson. If you are experiencing some un- pleasant friction on your feet or other body parts, a good way to prevent chaf- ing is to apply an anti-chafing balm like BodyGlide or Vaseline to the affected area, said Dawson. Langara Run Club co-founder Sam Coutts will not be running the race, but she has her own tips for entrants. “If youre new to it, work towards two to four times a week of longer runs,” Coutts said. “Keep on increasing the distance every week to work out to about eight kilometres the week be- fore.” Those preparing for the Sun Run and needing somebody to train with can join the Langara Run Club in run- ning around the Langara Golf Course Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. and Thursdays and Fridays at 12:30 p.m. Rees: preparing for the Vancou- 66 Younger people are in closer head-to- head con- tact... sharing, looking at an iPod or an iPhone DARLENE MILLER BY RENEE SUTTON angara students taking group selfies are not starting a lice epi- demic, but local experts say it is a possible way to spread an infesta- tion. Head-to-head lice transfer may be happening more frequently due to young adults sharing electronic screens, according to Californian lice expert Marcy McQuillan. So far, experts in Vancouver, includ- ing Langara community health nurse Susan Kensett, said they have not seen a significant increase of lice in teenag- ers or young adults. Dacia Jovanovic, a public health nurse at Vancouver Coastal Health, said lice outbreaks and related statis- tics are not recorded because lice do not carry disease. Jovanovic said typically more cases of lice are seen in elementary school students from exchanging hats or play- ing dress-up. “In terms of high school [students], it’s not something that we get the call for very often,” she said. If an infestation is high enough, a quick hug or a few moments to snap some photos with someone is enough time to transfer lice, according to Dar- lene Miller, owner of the Greater Van- couver Lice Clinic. She said a sense of body conscious- ness in high school] students might be one reason there are fewer cases of lice in teenagers. Miller said group selfies are not causing an increase in lice with teen- age or college students, however, more young boys in particular may be get- ting lice from gathering around hand- RENEE SUTTON photo Clockwise from top: Film arts students Simon Ly, Lauren Stone, Tony Kim and Ridley Wallace pose for a group selfie at Langara. Are selfies causing more lice? Some claim crowding together for photos may help spread parasites held games. “Younger people are in closer head- to-head contact because a lot of them are sharing, looking at an iPod or an iPhone, “ Miller said. Lice travel along the hair shaft and while they cannot jump or fly, they only need a short time to transfer from one person’s hair to the next. She said lice in older students are not common and can often be tracked back to younger siblings. Kim Smart, a nursing student, said she has never heard of someone in col- lege having lice. General studies student Georgia Larden said if someone has lice they should be responsible for protecting the people around them. “If somebody knew that they had lice and they were rubbing their head on me, I’d be so angry,” she said. ERIN BOE photo Gursharam Klair throws a snowball at Rishabh Sharma during a heavy snowfall in front of Langara College. Wintery days for Vancouver Lower Mainland residents recently got an unexpected amount of snow making the daily commute a challenge. It has since mostly melted away, making room for spring By ERIN BOE week, supposedly confirming the Groundhog Day prediction of six more weeks of winter after Ontario’s groundhog Wiarton Willie spotted his shadow on Feb. 2. Langara students shared their thoughts of the snow as it blew in last week. “T didn’t expect it to snow this big in February,” said continuing studies stu- dent Serena Keiichi. “I live in West Vancouver, so it’s up a mountain, and it gets hard to get out when it snows.” Keiichi said snow affects her drive to school due to ice, making her commute difficult. “T like it if ’m at home, but I don’t like it when I’m out,” she said. S:= made an appearance last Dan Dunn, a peace and conflict stud- ies student, had a different opinion about the snow. “T just dislike [the snow] in the city. I like it on the mountains.” Dunn said he appreciated how the snow makes everything “seem a little bit quieter, especially at night.” Mandeep Singh and his friends, Rishabh Sharma and Gursharan Klair, were having a snowball fight on the Langara campus last week. They are all originally from Punjab, India. “We came from a place where there was no snowfall, and it’s an awesome experience for us,” said Singh. “Every- thing is very beautiful, and we were playing in the snow.” David Jones, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said snowfall at this time of year is not rare. “We've had lots of snowstorms in the past at the beginning of March and throughout the winter,” he said. Jones said there is nothing in partic- ular Environment Canada can “link to any storm regarding climate change.” He said winter will end eventually. “Spring is definitely on its way, but it comes on its own schedule every year,” said Jones. “It tends to vary and there’s no set week or day that spring will ar- rive. We just let it come when it hap- pens.” Jones said Environment Canada gives an accurate forecast of the weath- er beyond about seven days, depending on the time of year. According to Environment Canada, Vancouver can expect periods of rain for the coming week.