Big Sur Marathon 2010

The Big Sur Marathon starts with a 3am wake-up to make a 3:45 bus from Carmel that will take us to our start line. For those of us who walked the full marathon, that means making our way along the inky black Pacific coast to the Big Sur Ranger Station. For walkers entered in the 21 miler, they headed to the Andrew Molera Park, 5 miles north of the ranger station. Finally, there is the option to walk the 10.6 mile event leaving Rocky Point (oh the view!) or the 9 miler starting at the event finish line in Carmel and tours the unique Los Lobos Sate Park.

I knew we were in for a spectacular day when not a wisp of fog could be seen on that dark drive down the coast. The Point Sur lighthouse swooshed around the blackness for most of the drive, the stars and the milky way clearly visible through the tired glass of our school bus windows.

Once the sun cleared the horizon, the Big Sur coast boasted its finest views like a proud peacock. Audible gasps from participants could be heard at frequent intervals during the race - passing Point Sur Lighthouse, climbing Hurricane Point, snaking our way down to Bixby Bridge, catching the vista toward Rocky Point. Add to this the fun of the new mile markers, the joy of the volunteers, and the beauty of the hand-made medals at the finish line and you have the best marathon day.

Twas the night before Big Sur

...and all walkers are well hydrated, fuelled, and trying to get some sleep. Good luck! We're too excited and too terrified we will miss our buses. Those of us walking the full marathon need to be on the bus at 3:45 am, those walking the 21 miler are climbing aboard at 4:30, and 10.6 mile walkers at 6am.

It was a glorious day beside the Pacific and we are hoping for more tomorrow. Pics are not posting tonight...so I will try for some tomorrow.

...pics added! Top: our WoW gang after our early Saturday morning walk along Carmel Beach. Bottom: Coach Jill, in her Boston 2010 jacket - half way to completion of the Boston to Big Sur challenge!

Walking the Boston Marathon

Yesterday, WoW Power Walking coach Jill Pettit, with her husband Jay, walked the Boston Marathon. Yes, the Boston Marathon which requires qualification times for entry!

Their times were amazing: 5:02:51 and 5:17:57. And that's just half the story. This Sunday the pair will walk the full Big Sur International Marathon - from Pfeiifer State Park to Rio Road, Carmel. They will be feted as two of a a mere couple of hundred who have completed the Boston to Big Sur Challenge 2010. And they will be the only two to have achieved that impressive feat with one foot on the ground at all times, walking!

I'll have more for you after the race!

Pre-race fun at Around the Bay

I found the perfect place to write inspirational chalk markings on the Around the Bay 30k Road Race route yesterday. The last "heart-break" hill, which would be more appropiately named "soul-destroying", at the 26k mark is normally closed entirely to traffic. This means that before the race, I could park my car at the barrier, walk down the hill, and write the chalk messages on the road without having to worry about traffic.


About 5 minutes into the task, I heard a powerful engine come up behind me and, as I glanced over my shoulder, a police officer pulled up on a powerful and large motorcycle that looked like a smaller version of the Hindenburg. (My son thinks it must have been a BMW - for those who want to know) He came to a stop and cheerily asked. "OK, who are you rooting for?."


Sadly, he had just barely spoken the word "for" when he toppled backward, the bike almost falling on top of him. He rolled down the hill and into the gutter. He looked more mortified than cheery as he lay stranded on his back in the grass.

Tactfully, I hope, I asked if he was OK. Seeing his cheery face turn red with mortification, I thought it best to proceed with my chalk messages. He certainly didn't want me helping him out of the gutter!

After a few minutes of me tactfully ignoring his attempts to right his toppled motorcycle, I realized he may genuinely need some help to get it back on its wheels. So, with me pulling and him pushing, we got the blimp standing and ready to roll.

Without a word further, off he drove!

Another race, another good story! (no pic out of respect!)

Chips that follow your every move

On Sunday I am walking the Around the Bay Road Race. While I do so, my timing chip will be sending signals to Facebook so that if anyone cares to, they can follow my every move over the course.

Well...maybe not my every move, but timed updates. It's a brave new socially, digitally networked, walking world.

The main purpose of this race is a training walk for my two destination races this spring in Big Sur and Ottawa. I hope my ego stays in check. It may be a challenge to maintain a training pace, not a racing pace, in order to impress all those Facebook friends who will giving up their Sunday to watch my race updates!

Wish me luck and stay tuned!

Get out the green

We're talking serious green at the St. Patrick's Day 5k walk for the Achilles Track Club - a wonderful race that supports disabled athletes.

The WoW team showed up in their greenest finery. Sadly, I showed up without my camera, so I am begging anyone who has some pics to send them to me.

We love this 5k event that supports a very deserving, and often overlooked, local charity. The short distance offers a perfect opportunity to get family and friends involved who don't enjoy long distance walking. (It's a sneaky way, to get them hooked!) Challenging winds and rain did not deter participants from walking, running, or smiling!

It was perfectly fitting that this race, which supports and features so many disabled athletes was timed coincidentally with the 2010 Paralympic Games.

Rockin Las Vegas Marathon

We missed Cher!!!

I know it's churlish to complain about the one thing I missed on Sunday....but really...when one has been awake since 4am, eaten breakfast at 4:45, and been ready and waiting in the start area since 5:40 only to discover that Cher has come and gone - singing the national anthem while the speakers were malfunctioning - is just so very disappointing.

Surrounded by a thousand imitation Elvi, we had one of the real queens of Vegas singing for us, and we didn't catch even a glimpse of her on the mother of all jumbo screens outside of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. A search of the Internet proved fruitless - not one photo of her at the start platform - although I did learn that Celine Dion sang America the Beautiful before Cher took the stage!

I'm not sure I believe any of it happened. In a city of copycat Eiffel Towers, pyramids, and Italian cities and palazzos, not to mention thousands of copycat Elvi, there really is no real here.

Mind you, all the fakery does add up to some effective distraction. If a person suffers from any sort of attention disorder, Vegas is the half marathon to enter.

I have included some of the pics here and more on facebook.

P.S. I walked only the half marathon with Team Prevention so can't speak to the full marathon route but my first instinct is that the half marathon offers the best of Vegas - covering the Strip from beginning to end.

I know there were several WoW Power Walkers out on the course and it would be great if you would post some of your thoughts on the race.

Vegas does it zany

I love, love, love the wonderful and zany marathons I have walked over the past decade as a power walking coach - wine in Bordeaux (!), gladiators in Rome (!), pigs in Cincinnati (!). I fully expected Vegas to take zaniness to heretofore uncharted territory. Thankfully, it has exceedeed my expectations and I haven't yet made it to the start line. When the entrance to the Rodeo Cowboy Show is barely two walking lunges from the race expo, I figure we're in for some fun. The indoor plaza/casino/food concourse is feeding tens of thousands of people (and I'm not exaggerating the numbers) into one of these two doors - one for cowboys and one for marathoners. I have seen some marathoners enter the cowboy show but I have yet to witness one cowboy brave the marathon expo.

Personally, I'd like to see more cowboys take up marathoning. I think they could teach us a thing about good hats.

More on the marahon itself after the race tomorrow!

Walking off pre-race jitters

Here I am in Philly to join Prevention magazine, as their Walking Coach, with their team of more than 300 walkers. The weather could not be any more perfect and this morning about 25 members of the team brought all their jitters out for a "welcome walk".

Even if you're on your own at a race, it's calming to go out the morning before te event to scout out the start area (especially port-a-pottie locations!). Here in Philly it's even better than usual because the start and finish are within a few hundred meters of each other - at the base of the "Rocky Steps" Ta-da-daaaah. Ta-da-daaaah.

Here are some pics of our Team Members at the top of the steps and the view from the steps looking down the first kilometer of the race route toward downtown Philly.

Looking forward to tomorrow!

Long Beach Marathon with Team Prevention

Any race with palm trees lining the route, is a good race. In Long Beach last weekend with a team of readers from Prevention magazine. the weather ended up being perfect - slightly cool and overcast. Long Beach may not be the most scenic of California towns but the race organizers have brilliantly captured the best of the city. The route visits the highlights of Long Beach including the Queen Mary which is permanently docked in LB and at least 3 miles walking along a cycle path beside the ocean. The full marathon goes through the University of California at Long Beach where the students treat each participant like an elite athlete.

It's a huge treat for me to meet readers from the magazine after months of training on their own and getting to know them on the magazine’s online forum.

http://www.prevention.com/community/forums/index.jsp?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3aTeam+Prevention+Walk+It!Forum%3a8501091424Discussion%3a5481097795&plckCurrentPage=3

The day before the race, I got a chance to walk with several of the readers during a “welcome walk”. We walked out to the start area for a little orientation – a helpful thing since it is dark when we arrive before the race. On race morning I rode a bicycle through the course dispensing encouragement, food, and fuel to Team Prevention walkers dressed in highly visible pink shirts. This worked exceptionally well because the roads were closed entirely to traffic. At each traffic light there were always at least four police officers stopping traffic. This made it easy to ride and I’m sure it makes it an A+ course for participants as well. And it shows organizer commitment to making the race an enjoyable experience right down to the very last finisher (although we’d like to see them be prepared for all their participants with medals – they ran out toward the end for half marathoners).

And at the end of the day, all the Team Pink Prevention – many of who are first-time marathoners – finished with a smile, faded memories of any early morning nerves, and, hopefully, plans for their next race!

** In LB there is no walking division, there was an early start for walkers entered in the full marathon. These participants did receive a race chip time but the results were not considered “official” times for qualification purposes.

Power walking the Niagara Ultra 50k

Well, more than a week after walking the Niagara Ultra 50k I have finally crawled out of my coma to write a blog entry.

Who thought up these races anyway? And who was it that said to me – “Come on Lee…it’s just 8k more than a marathon”?

Oh, yes, it’s all coming back to me. It was that crazy WoW Power Walking coach Jill Pettit. Jill has a passion for distance that is reflected on her 43k face seen here. No one should look that happy at the 43k mark of a 50k race.




Seriously, 50k is a long way. We walked all the way from Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake to the top of Niagara Falls – and BACK! Training for these distances has to be taken seriously and, sadly, I admit my training was not up to WoW standards owing to several events conspiring against me in May. Now, I’m not whining here but I do want people to know that there is a reason we coach people with the mantra “Set yourself up for success”. The corollary to that is: follow the training schedule, do the distance, and do the speed work. This is why we follow our training schedules and work out hard and fast in class. So go ahead - chide me on not following my own advice.

For my comrades in pain who met me at the start on the morning of June 20 to complete the Niagara Ultra 50k a heart congratulations. All three of them trained to perfection. They were well prepared and well rewarded with stupendous results. Jeff finished in an astonishing 5:51:49. Jill finished this race last year in 6:35:50. This year she crossed the line in 6:01:26. That’s 34 minutes faster! Jay finished he race last year in 7:17:13. This year he crossed the line in 6:37:55. That’s 40 minutes faster! WoW is an understatement! And, again WoW – good training works!

The next race on the WoW horizon is the Midsummer Night’s Run and Walk in August. We dress up in Shakespearean themed garb and have a blast walking 15 kilometers on the Leslie Street Spit in Toronto. I’ll be ready for this one – “Over hill, over dale, Thorough bush, thorough brier, Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire, I do wander everywhere, Swifter than the moon's sphere’

Look for me on roads and trails – I’ll be the one with wings and pink eyelashes – race specific training don’t ya know.

Join this post by telling us about your own training success or failures – we learn from them all!

The Flying Pig Marathon - Cincinnati

Strangely, considering the media tsunami on swine flu over recent weeks, the surplus of pig jokes, pig costumes, pig statues, pig shirts, pig noses, pig tails, and finally, the "finish swine" just seemed to get funnier every mile of the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon last Sunday.

There were neighborhoods in this race where I wanted to just plunk down and party with the neighbors! Oh, if all cities got behind their marathons like the citizens of Cincinnati.

P.S. If you can't access it from the comments on my previous posting of for the Big Sur marathon...turns out there was actually someone running ahead of me at Big Sur who videoed his marathon. By some weird twist of cyber fate, he found my blog on the internet and let me know that I had actually passed him at mile 25 and he was able to video my finish! The Internet is indeed a strange place. Check it out http://www.theradioroom.org/Running/BSIM2009/BSIM2009.htm

Big Sur 2009 - Big Blow!

A clear sky waiting for the start line gave me goose bumps in anticipation of the view we were going to have of the Big Sur coast once we made it through the first miles of redwood cedars.

But approaching Andrew Molera Park, I knew the cloud hanging at the edge of the ocean meant one thing - wind. And blow it did during the 24th presentation of the Big Sur International Marathon. No sweat hanging around on this body! I wore a cotton (yes, cotton) throw-away until Bixby Bridge because that wind kept me so cool. When I finally took it off, there wasn't a drop of sweat on it. It was a day when dehydration sneaks up on a person.

This year my intention was to enjoy every minute of the course. No wind could stop my enjoyment of the heart-aching beauty of the coast. Having been in the area over the Christmas holidays, I am more conscious of the incredible privilege of walking the highway free of motorized vehicles. If there is no wind, it is possible to hear waves tumbling on the beaches and sea lions calling loved ones. On this day, the wind blocked out all those sounds. Even the motivating beat of the Taiko drummers was blown downwind after a couple of hundred feet up Hurricane Point. As you can see here that didn't stop me from getting into the groove of the beat.

The fierce beauty of Big Sur always makes me cry at some point in the race – or maybe it's the pain of rounding the summit of "Hurri-pain Point". Yes, we were expecting that hurricane!

Just take a look at this view we enjoyed after rounding Hurricane Point. It's a sublime journey down to Bixby Bridge and a bittersweet reward to hear Michael Martinez playing "I Did it My Way" on the grand piano.

Incredibly there are still 8 miles of coast like this before we have to dig deep into our reserves to cover the Carmel Highlands hills.

I have no photo from the finish line because I had not a calorie of energy left to retrieve my camera from my waist belt. And, I was in a hurry to find friends who had finished ahead of me. After that, I can tell you the first priority are those frigid steps into the Pacific for long suffering and very tired feet.

I look foward to next year - the 25th anniversary of the BSIM. Won't you join me?

Lee

p.s. Congratulations to all walkers back in Oakville who rocked the Mercedes 10K Power Walk in awesome time. Check out the results back on our website.

Big Sur warm up

It's 10 degrees cooler in California than it is in Ontario (!) but we're still sooooo excited to be here for the Big Sur Marathon tomorrow.

You can see Vera here leading some of us through a post-walk walk stretch on the Carmel Beach.

Last night a few of us went to watch a special showing of Running the Sahara with guest Charlie Engel, who organized the expedition to run across the entire Sahara Desert with two other runners (including Candian Ray Zahab). At one point in the movie when one of the other two runners is considering dropping out of the race, Charlie suggests that he could go back home to play it safe and easy by running a marathon! And that's about how we feel after watching them slogging it without one day rest for 111 days through unimaginable heat, drought, injury, sand storms, exhaustion, and mental fatigue.

The hills of the Big Sur course are looking a whole lot easier!

Walking Whidbey Island Half Marathon

It's been almost 2 weeks since Icompleted the Whidbey Island Half Marathon but the majestic beauty of the Olympic Mountains, as they could be seen from the course, are fresh in my mind. What a beautiful day for a race - as you can see from the images I have included here.

Whidbey Island is nestled in the protective grasp of Puget Sound, cradled by the Cascade Mountains of the U.S Pacific coast to the east and the Olympic Mountains that border the Olympic Peninsula near Seattle to the southwest. It's a bucolic island of fields and water - except for the airforce base. Oak Harbour, which owes much of its existence to the base, is where I found myself for the start of the race on a brisk Sunday morning a few weeks ago.

I ended up here on Whidbey Island for several reasons but one of those was because the race has featured a walking division for several years. As so often happens, my optimism for this walking division was ill-founded. Within seconds of the horn sounding for the walking start that left 5 minutes after the running start, several partipants were running down the road. Another 15 minutes into the race and I was catching up to more who were wearing the special walking bibs but who were clearly running and taking walk breaks.

Fortunately the course was one of the most beautiful I have ever walked. Rolling and challenging hills combined with stunning views of water, green fields, and glacier-topped mountains. There wasn't much in the way of crowd support but surounded by such natural landscape beauty, it wasn't missed.

Still, in the end I would have to give the race 2 out 4 WoW happy faces for walkers. I love that there is a walking division but I think it makes sense for the organizers to go that extra mile (pun alert!) to educate all participants that walking means walking. If a person plans to run any portion of the race, registration should be in the running category. I just can't believe that this would be difficult for organziers to reinforce through education on the website and on the registration forms.

Clearly this "walking division" was created to keep walkers out of the way of runners. The assumption of the organzers being that walkers are always slower and less committed to excellence. But organizers and participants alike need to understand that to walk an event does not mean to take it easy. With all the latest research showing that people need to exercise with their heart rate at the high end of their target heart rate in order to improve key fitness indicators such as resting metabolic rate, blood pressure, resting heart rate, bone density, and more, we need to be raising expectations on walking as workout. And creating a race environment that honors this workout is a logical expectation.

Finish line bling

I'm not sure if "better late than never" can justify my delay in posting this Miami Half Marathon medal but I can tell you that just looking at it warms me during cold February days. Look for the crystal in the centre of the palm tree and compare the size to our looney! This is serious bling for a half marathon.

Are you busy training for your spring bling? Now is the time when the hard work is done for those races. Most of us are spending time walking in the dark if we are going to get all of our training completed. During some of our night classes we have experienced the wrath of some frustrated drivers. Some times we know that these drivers have never been out walking themselves or they would not be so impatient. Still, there are certainly enough other times when we hav to take responsibility for our safety.

It's good night etiquette to be walking on the road facing traffic (except to move as we approach corners so that no car making a right turn will be faced with a wall of training walking athletes!). Wear reflective clothing, lights, and keep as much to the side of the road as possible.

Imagine what it would be like as driver to come upon us training and you’ll know what to do.

Post here is you have any ideas for being a safe night and winter walker.

ING Miami Half Marathon

If you have been putting on a brave face during training walks over icy roads, through frost-biting winds weighed down by 7 layers of clothing, may I recommend signing up for the ING Miami Marathon next January? To be specific, how about the ING Miami Half Marathon?

Both the half and full marathons start at the same place and the same time, continuing together until ¾ of a mile from the half finish line. The half marathon (and the first half of the marathon) definitely represent the best of Miami. The start is beside some of Miami’s most stunning architecture including the Bacardi Building and the American Airlines Center. (Special note to walkers: because of a unique U-formation to the starting corrals, we wait in corral K adjacent to Corral A during the pre-race ceremonies. Yes, we’re right beside the elites for the singing of the national anthem, the fireworks, and the music!)

After the start we head over the causeway, passing monolithic cruise ships along Biscayne Bay, to South Beach and the iconic Art Deco buildings of Ocean Avenue. Walking through Miami Beach and over the Venetian Causeway, we end up at the start/finish area at Bayside Park. Both marathons have a pace limit of 13-minute miles, so walkers need to be confident about their pacing.

Sunday we gloried in ideal Florida weather with temperatures starting at 16 and increasing to about 22 for the finish. Think shorts, 1 short, and sunblock!


If you do put it on your agenda for next year, flights and room rates in January are good. I recommend booking a room on the Miami Beach/South Beach to be near the Miami Beach Convention Center. That’s where race kit pick-up is and that’s the area for the best beach and shopping – for that all-important post-race celebration part of your marathon vacation! Travel around Miami is challenging. I’d rather book shuttles to the start and from the finish to be near the beach on marathon afternoon!

If you have any recommendations on warm-weather marathons for those of us who are sun and warmth deprived, post here!

Dallas White Rock Marathon

Last weekend I attended the Dallas Marathon – the fourth and final marathon attended by Team Prevention for their fall 2008 series. Joining the team is easy, readers of Prevention register through the magazine to receive online moral support and training for the marathon of their choice. As part of the package they can choose to join us for a special pasta dinner and pre-race breakfast at the event.

As the walking coach for the Team, I enjoyed another wonderful experience meeting so many walkers who, through the magazine, have changed their lives setting the goal of walking a half or full marathon.

Dallas has no walking division but the half marathon course is open for 5-1/2 hours. The full course has a closing time of 6-1/2 hours. Several Team Prevention members finished within 30 minutes of this time limit and the race commentators remained cheerful and enthusiastic until the last – giving a personal cheer over the loud speakers as the final tenacious marathoners came across the line.

I joined the larger percentage of the Team walking the half marathon. We started with the full marathoners in the appropriate pace corral beside the American Airlines Center at Victory Park in downtown Dallas. Despite freezing temperatures in the days prior to the marathon, race morning was a balmy 20° C . Saved by the weather gods! All of my cold-weather gear was safely stowed for Canadian winter at home.

We lined up in the appropriate pace corrals waiting for the crowd of 17,000 to inch forward. A beach ball was being bounced around up ahead. Finally, a roar rose from the front of the crowd, and we began a slow shuffle toward the bouncing beach ball. Confetti filled the air – a blizzard of green, red, ad white tabs of paper.

The course was definitely not what I expected after walking around downtown Dallas for two days. After a short mile or two in the downtown core, we found ourselves making our way through wealthy residential areas with homes decorated with garlands, bows, and lights.
The half marathon course featured just enough inclines, trees, and homes to protect us from a fierce wind. I later heard from participants walking the full course they faced a full gale assault walking around White Rock Lake between miles 15 and 20. The last two miles for those of us walking the half was along a beautiful and protected rail trail converted to a walking and bicycling path.

Back at the finish line, Team Prevention half marathoners, many of whom were walking 13 miles for the first time, came in to a hearty welcome from Team Prevention staff and massage therapists! NOTHING beats having a massage at the finish.

Once all the half marathoners arrived there was time to make our way over to a separate finish line for the full marathoners. Race organizers for the Dallas White Rock Marathon had distinguishing blue bibs manufactured for first time marathoners and there many blue bibs at the back of the pack. Their time limit was 6 hours and 30 minutes but as the final Team Prevention walkers came in at 7 hours, race organizers remained at the line to welcome them with a personal word of encouragement.

It’s a becoming a cliché how completing a marathon can change a life but seeing family supporters for these final finishers with their hand-painted signs, flowers, and bear hugs reminds me that completing a marathon is not just a test of endurance but commitment, tenacity, and faith in the human body’s capacity for growth. It’s not your regular day at the gym.

Truly, this is the best of the middle of America!

Walking from the left coast to the middle, here's the IMT Des Moines Marathon. And what a route! It’s possible I’m in the minority, but I preferred the Des Moines Half Marathon race course.

Don’t get me wrong, the light and breeze of the Pacific coast bestow a soul satisfying peace. And I would never say a bad word about the dependable warmth of southern California sunshine. But in Des Moines on Sunday we walked along paved trails through two parks, Water Works Park and Gray’s Lake Park. There was no traffic at any point in the race. The air was fresh with fall breezes, willow trees bent over the river, and we could shout out cheers to our fellow walkers as the course was routed out and back for several kilometres.

Could it be the seasons are bred in my bone? I loved the coolness of the air and the remnants of coloured leaves on the ground. The dramatic first half kilometre walking toward the Capitol Building was heart swelling.

And the food at the end? Well, there is NOTHING I appreciate more than a race organization that puts effort and care into feeding tired marathoners. On Sunday, my arms were full with a bag of chips, a yogurt, an orange juice, a chocolate milk, an energy bar, and half an orange, in addition to the requisite bagel and banana.

Best of all at the Prevention tent, there were 4 massage therapists working miracles on exhausted muscles!

Remember, if you walked the Columbus Half Marathon or the Toronto Half Marathon on Sunday, let us know how you enjoyed it (or not!)

Walkers, walkers everywhere

Here I sit in DesMoines, Iowa. This doesn't look like Des Moines though, does it??

Ha...fooled you. The photo you see is a view looking south along the California coast from the path I walked along during the Long Beach Half Marathon last Sunday. This is approximately mile 7. This was taken two days after the marathon but each day in California was a carbon copy of the day before. Imagine this path with 18,000 runners and walkers moving along it!

Joy! There's really nothing like walking beside the ocean during a marathon. Especially when you have 18,000 people for company! As you can imagine the start was a little slow. And it stayed slow for a while. The route took us through the choice sites of Long Beach…which is mostly the ocean. That’s alright by me. Full marathoners broke off at mile 11 and walked up toward the university where I understand crowd support from the students in the dorms was fantastic.

As the walking coach for Team Prevention (as in Prevention magazine), I was able to relive those glorious (read nerve wracking!!) hours before a first event. Almost all team members were in Long Beach to walk their first event.

And as much as I loved walking the half for myself, the coaching/support role is even more fun! There is nothing that beats welcoming virgin marathoners after they have crossed their first finish line - faces and bodies both exhausted and exhilarated.

So, this weekend I get to experience the thrill of coaching a group with Prevention once again. Only now we are in Des Moines. As the plane approached the run-way this morning, I could make out clearly where the half marathon route would take me – starting in the downtown core and snaking its way out along the Des Moines River and moving past several lakes. From the air, I could see that we’ll be in for a fall treat with the leaves in full autumn foliage.

I’ll be eager to report back to you on the race organization too. According to all the information I have received so far, this marathon will be seriously “green”. The organizers are encouraging car-pooling to the event. Participants can set up an account with “PickupPals” – an online ride-sharing group. There is also official race gear from Green Layer. All of Green Layer’s apparel is made from bamboo charcoal and recycled polyester wicking fabric. There is also recycling of sports gel packets and granola bar wrappers on the route. Now this is progress!

This weekend there are WoW Power Walkers entered in the Toronto Half Marathon (walking division…yea!) and the Columbus Half Marathon (walking division…yea!). If anyone returns from these two excellent races, please email me some photos and I will post them here!

Lee

Of wine, costumes and the Marathon du Medoc

Oh, la, la doesn't even begin to describe this marathon. I have to admit this may beat Big Sur for pure Joie de Vivre!! Starting with the parade of competitors in costume, through the 26 wine tastings, to the finish line swag and post-race tent filled with MORE wine and French culinary delights, this race was fun from beginning to end. That's not mentioning the pasta party the night before and lunch at the vineyard the day after the race. Oh, and I forgot to tell you the scenery, both human and landscape, is quite something too.

It will be difficult to appreciate a banana at a finish line ever again.

For those of you who were concerned about my limited wine drinking experience, I want you to know that already at kilometer 1, I was a fully appreciative advocate for wine as endurance fuel. It certainly dulls the pain. And, it adds a “je ne cest quoi” to the conviviality of a marathon.

I have two resolutions after finishing.

1. To return with a better understanding of French. I'd love to know what some of these guys were saying on the course - you will too when you see what I saw. (All of my pics will be uploaded when I return from France.)
2. To return and use the ENTIRE time limit allowed for the race - those wine stops were a real party!

More to say in the days to come!

For now enjoy a few of my favourite pics.

Of wine, costumes, and marathons

As you can see I have been busy with other activities - not blogging, not walking!

Seriously, I know it doesn't look like it at first glance, but I am training here for a tough posting this weekend.

I'm off to the Medoc area of France (just north of Bordeaux) to walk the Marathon du Medoc. Passing through 58 Chateaux that make some of France's Grand Cru vintages, the race features 26 aid staions with wine! Then there are the oysters, "entrecote" et "jambon", cheeses, and even ice cream!

If I win the race, I win my weight in wine. The goods news is that I won't win! I've never been known to drink more than an inch, maybe two, of wine at one go. And that oyster you see me slurping is the third oyster that's seen the inside of my throat.

Hence the training you see here. This race could prove my undoing, if I am going to take part with my usual enthusiasm for all things marathon. Indeed, I've heard rumours that certain parties feel I'm not qualified to go.

Ah well, with my costume ready (those Midsummer wings are going to come in handy), four swallows of oyster behind me, and indefatigable enthusiasm to walk a PW (Personal Worst), off I go to savour surely one of the tastiest marathons on the planet.

I'm open to any advice on wine drinking and marathoning at the same time!

Midsummer (or should that be end of summer?) fun

Fairies, spirits, and merry wanderers of the night could be found in abundance at last weekend’s Midsummer Night’s 15k event. WoW Power Walkers were specially fleet of feet as witnessed by our fantastic results (not to mention inspiring costumes).

The race is in its third year and every year the organizers improve from past experience. We love the Shakespearean theme and the race course is beautiful and challenging. This year, fortunately, beauty far outstripped challenge as walkers found themselves witnessing a full moon rise from the south over Lake Ontario contrasted with the glowing lights of downtown Toronto to the north.

And, we love the beer at the end of an evening race!

Still, in the spirit of continuing improvement, we’d like to see better sweat bag check. This could be helped by having several tables for specific bib numbers. Also, keeping in mind that I am a bit of a food snob, I’d like to see some barbecue options that don’t hit the gut like an asteroid flinging out of a nearby solar system. What about looking for a sponsor that could whip up something delicious and a tad healthier? Otherwise, I think next year I’ll be saving my $8.

Despite these minor complaints, we predict an early sell out for next year – so gather your wings and organza!

Also, if you were at the race, give us your perspective.

Columbus Marathon weekend welcomes walkers

The news for the 2008 Columbus Marathon is good. After some initial worries that they were backing off on their support of walkers (as noted by the removal of last year's walking results within 24 hours of the race), it looks like the organizers have kicked into high gear.

Yesterday they announced the following commitments for 2008.

· Walkers will start at 7:30 with the runners so that everyone, walkers and runners, will share in the thrill of the start;
· Walkers will be distinguished from runners by having different bib colors;
· Walkers will enjoy the same age group divisions as the runners with commensurate awards given;
· Walkers will have pace teams to facilitate attaining individual goals;
· Walkers will have their results listed separately from those of the runners.

We are finalizing transportation from the Greater Toronto Area leaving Friday October 17 to attend this race. Look for details in the newsletter coming out next week (before the next price increase on August 1).

It's a beautiful, flat course that's now commensurate with the commitment to walking participants. Highly recommmended!

Midsummer race excitement

Summer officially starts June 21 with the summer solstice, but it felt like summer fun this past weekend at the OTMH Classic 5k Run and Power Walk where the temporary tattoos and the speedsters were all in fine form. It was the 12th year for this local race that raises more than $100,000 for the Oakville Hospital. Over recent years, the organizers have been welcoming walkers with walker registration, start, results postings, and awards. As always we are grateful for the recognition of the effort walkers put into their race training and performance. It goes without saying that WoW Power Walkers showed up in full force. Many took home medals in the walking prize categories for open, masters, and senior. Most importantly, great fun was had by all at an outstanding local event.

The route walks by the harbour, wild rose bushes, past the historic Erchless Estate and Lakeside Park, and then along a few of the most charming streets in residential Oakville. Massage tables for participants, activities for children, and a delicious back bacon bun for breakfast made the morning a fabulous way to start Father’s Day.

I have one compare/contrast comment about short races versus long races. The feeling at the 5k finish line is the similar to that of the long races in terms of exhaustion, muscle fatigue, and elation. 5k may be short but it’s a sprint. The difference is the time to recovery. At Sunday’s 5k I was feeling recovered by the time I bit into the back bacon bun! Sweet!

Work still needs to be done to ensure that all walkers start at the walking start which followed the running start by five minutes. Also, it would be helpful to remind participants that the walking start and division is for walkers only. The education process continues!

If you read this blog and you walk out of town, let us know about some of your favourite local events.

As for me, I am off tomorrow to Mayo, Yukon to act as guide for Myra Rodrigues in her quest to walk a half marathon in every province and territory in the year of her 65th birthday. Myra, as many of you know, is legally blind, and she is doing this adventure, which she calls Myra’s Marathon, to raise money for the CNIB’s specialized library. You can visit her website at www.cnib.ca/myrasmarathon
to donate.

I look forward to the weekend. Mayo is 5 hours north of Whitehorse…and it is still not at the Arctic Circle! The registration form for the event offers these comforting words “Volunteers are trained to offer on-the-spot anger management techniques to bears to help keep runners safe.” I hope they are looking out for walkers too!

Personally, I’m hoping bears sleep between 11:30pm and 4am. The race starts at 11:45pm and we walk through the few hours when the sun dips momentarily behind the horizon. Today the forecast is for sun all weekend with a sunset at 00:50 and sunrise at 03:46.

Please post here if you have ever participated in this event and can offer some words of wisdom.

The long and the short of walking

Two stories of two races, one short and one long, that WoW Power Walkers attended this past weekend.

Several of us went out to Bowmanville to participate in the 6th annual Alfie Shrubb 8K Classic. The race is held in honour of legendary Canadian runner Alfred Shrubb who held world records in every running distance possible at the turn of the century. If you want more details than you can possibly imagine about our hero, Alf, visit the website http://www.alfieshrubb.ca/

Apparently, Alfie believed in walking as cross training so the organizer, Al Storrie, is very committed to the walking contingent.

It turned out to be perfect racing weather - cool and overcast. Walkers started twenty minutes ahead of the runners. This meant that the bulk of runners were passing the bulk of walkers just before the 4k turnaround point. The race is set in rural Bowmanville affording us a relaxing pastoral view to the scent of lilac. The one hill was just taxing enough to give us something on which we could focus our mental energy.

At the ceremonies following the race, walkers were awarded first, second, and third prizes for male and female overall finishers. Yea! Congrats to Bob (second walking male) and Greg (third walking male) for doing WoW proud! Also, there was a mid-pack award for male and female in both the running and walking category. This is a new twist and a good one!

Other WoW Power Walkers faced a more severe test in southwest Ontario walking the 201 kilometre Westover Shore to Shore Relay. I've heard a few stories from the "Ped Antic" members of a gruelling 24 hours that included lonely gravel roads, extreme heat, thunderstorms, hail, and more. I'm hoping can encourage a few of them to post comments here so that we can be inspired by their tenacity, bravery, perserverance, energy, and madness!

Hearty congratulations (and a good sleep) are sent to WoW coaches Krista and Jane as well as WoW walkers LeeAnn, Sarah, Moira, Nancy, Jess, Irene.

Short and fast walking races of spring

Six years ago when I started WoW Power Walking I never thought that a Sunday would come in southern Ontario where we could choose between two races with walking divisions on the same day.

Well, on June 1 the 6th annual Alfie Shrubb Classic 8k race in Bowmanville is being held at the exact time that the Art Keay Memorial Racewalk 5k race is being held on Toronto Island.

Oh, the boundless walking riches!

Several years ago Al Storrie - he of legendary enthusiasm for legendary runner Alfie Shrubb, decided to welcome walkers to his memorial race with a walking division that included walker registration, walker start, walker results, and prizes for top three male and female finishers. Just this year the Art Keay Memorial Racewalk event has added a 5k power walk!

I have been struggling over which race to walk. It's like choosing between Dufflets' toasted almond torte and Dufflets' banana cake - it's a difficult choice because they are both so enticing! The good news is I can't lose by either choice.

For this year, I have decided to attend the Alfie Shrubb because Al is just so enthusiastic (did I mention that he is legendary for his enthusiasm?) and because I will be acting as a guide for Myra Rodrigues. Myra and I need to practice before our half marathon together at the Mayo Sun Run on June 21 in Mayo, Yukon. (More on that later!)

I hope that those of you who can't make it out as far as Bowmanville will take a trip over to Toronto Island. It's so exciting to have the race walking community recognize the efforts of power walkers. I think it will be exciting for the power walkers to see race walking in action.

Be sure to post here any thoughts on either race as well as your own plans for the upcoming short distance race season.

Sporting Life 10k

The view of 10,000 runners and walkers making their way down Yonge Street is worth the price of admission to the Sporting Life 10k. This was my second year participating in the race and for reasons I can't explain entirely, it swells my heart to see the swath of people, not cars, crowding the lanes of Yonge Street.

The race advertises a walking division and a walking start 10 minutes after the general start. Last year there was a sign indicating where walkers should gather, but no one gathered! This was disappointing. It meant that walkers started randomnly among the runners.

This year there was a volunteer standing in the vicinity of the "Walkers" sign. When approached, she indicated that she was there to direct us. Unfortunately, as close as three to four minutes before the run start at 8am, she seemed to have little sense of authority and even less idea of what we should be doing or where we should be going. Without a headset to the start officials, she had little direction to give us.

Within 5 minutes after the official start, a different volunteer with a headset did approach those of us who had gathered and we were led to the start line. And, as promised, there was an "official" countdown and start for walkers at 8:10. Incremental improvement since the previous year! And, lesson learned, look for the person with a headset.

Within a few minutes of starting I was passing people who were walking and wearing walking bibs indicating their registration as a walker. Over the course of the race, and even up until the last few hundred meters, I passed several more people wearing walking bibs.

For walking participants, the race would benefit from clearer instructions on the website and email updates as to the organization of the walking start. We may be small in number, but we are a growing division. Moreover, it shouldn't take too much time or money to clarify the logistics for the walking start and the guidelines for participation as a walker.

I look forward to the race next year and, hopefully, another leap forward in its organization for walkers!

Congrats to MORE half participants

Word has it that the WoW Power Walkers who went down to New York City last weekend walked at least 2 or 3 full marathons before reaching the start line of the MORE Half on Sunday morning. My guess is that the credit cards got a good workout too!

The MORE Half Marathon is sponsored by a magazine of the same name that "celebrates women over 40". The race was introduced as a way to send a "yes, you can" message of empowerment to its audience. Historically, women in the over-40 demographic find themselves becoming invisible in society. If race registration numbers are any indication, the message is one that resonates. Participants have doubled in just two years to more than 8,000 participants.

Or, women over 40 (and under 40!) are always looking for a reasonable justification for a weekend of girl friend fun.

I heard tales of interesting hydration strategies, air travel misadventures, late night wanderings, shopping and - yes - walking the race!

As far as the race goes, we hope it won't become a victim of its own success. With 8,000 women elbowing their way through the course on Sunday, I heard it was challenging to get a good pace going. But that's just hearsay...if anyone was there, please leave your comments here, so we may all get your perspective.

Setting that early alarm

Who will get the strongest muscles? The early bird or the after-work fitness buffs? Research has shown that you'll get your best workout between 4 and 6pm. It has also been shown that the people most likely to stick with their fitness program are those who get it done first thing in the morning.

So, the take home message would be that if you can discipline yourself (and your family!) to go for your training walk or strength workout after work and before dinner, you'll see the best results in terms of cardio improvement and strength increases. Realistically, many people find this time of day lends itself to too many diversions and derailments to their commitment.

That's why I'm setting my alarm (and possibly some back-up alarms) right now for 5am so that I can have fun with those bold enough (and possibly stunned enough!) to join our early morning walking strength and balance class.

We may not be operating on all cylinders compared to those people who are doing their push ups, squats, and other tortuous activities after work, but we may be more likely to see results because we're more likely to stick with the program.

I can state, categorically, that at 5am when the alarm goes off, the thought of people waiting for me for the 6am workout is possibly the only reason I get out of bed. At 7am, when the workout is over, I am grateful for that.

Let us know what time works best for your walks and strength workouts.

Seattle Marathon 2007

Against all odds the sky in Seattle was bright and cloudless at 4:30 am when I looked out my hotel window yesterday morning. The start wasn't until 7:15am and I wasn't intending on getting up this early but I must have been on Eastern Standard Time when sleep would not return after waking at 4:13am. So be it. Better to be up early, than fall asleep again and miss the start. I'd already woken up once in the night dreaming that I had fnished the race but had no recollection of walking it! Wishful thinking - finishing a race without walking it.

A few hours later I left my hotel. A bright, near full moon almost pulled me toward the race start. Once there, I was happy to discover that the slight early start for the marathon walk meant that line-ups for the portable toilets were minimal to non-existent. Who-hoooooo!

My next stop was the clothing check area. This was in the stadium on an upper level. Over the railing and into the stadium the finish area was set up under bright and optimistic lights. During the most gruelling parts of the race I would find myself visualizing myself walking through the stadium entrance and over to that finish line. At times it was the only mental image that kept me going.

I had chosen to walk the Seattle Marathon because it has featured a marathon walk in both the full and half distances for several years. I looked forward to walking a race where walkers were welcomed. The race website did say it was non-competitive and there are no awards but the results have always been posted separately from the of the runners. I assumed that there would be no reason for any runner to start with the walkers. But, lo, as soon as we were sent on our way, at least 10 people ran out ahead of me. And I mean, ran. These were not people who thought they were walking but always landed with a bent knee that made them look as if they were running. These people were running - bouncy, head-bobbing running.

Now, I have to be honest. This makes no sense to me at all. And, it is discouraging for those of us who train hard to walk fast.

If a race organization decides to have a walking registration, walking start, walking results couldn't the race website post a couple of guidelines? Something to the effect that the start and division is for walkers only and participants must keep one foot on the ground at all times? Ideally,the guideline would also state that excessive head bobbing is indicative of a running gait and is not allowed. And, a back bib or tag is given to walkers so that people coming up from behind know that the participant is a walker.

In my experience these guidelines work. I have seen it work at the Chilly Half Marathon in Burlington, Ontario, The Edmonton Marathon in Edmonton, Alberta, and the CRIM Festival of Races in Flint, Michigan. I'd like to hear about more races where this is done. If you know of one, post here!

Still, Seattle Marathon turned out to be a magical course. I was lucky enough to be participating in a year when the weather gods were with us. The sky was clear, yet there was a mystical fog over Lake Washington. The sun burned a path through the fog just as I was crossing the bridge to Mercer Island. The long journey south along the shore of Lake Washington to Seward Park continued to be graced by a magical light.

After this, I'm sure there was more beautiful scenery but during the return trip north along the lake's shoreline, I was hanging in by my toenails! I know there was a soothing stretch through some parkland and I remember a slight feeling of optimism overtake me upon returning to a main road that I vaguely remembered, from reviewing the course route the night before, meant that we were spine tingly close to the finish.

Sadly, that last few miles always seem, and sometimes are, the longest of the race. I was pushing to beat my previous personal best and cross the finish under 5:01:33. I know I gave gave it my best shot in that final stretch. It just wasn't good enough this time for that race against myself.

The good news is, I still have a goal! I still need to beat that time!

Walking the half in Columbus, Ohio

Oh, glorious fall days for walking! I do hope you didn't miss getting out for a walk today.

I am returned home from Columbus, Ohio after an exhilarating half marathon walk through the finer neighborhoods of this American mid-west university town. The event has walking divisions in the half and full marathon.

Under a black sky filled with bright stars and half moon, 1300 walkers waited with excitement, and perhaps a little anxiety, for the 7am start of the Columbus Marathon. Runners started one hour later. We were sent off with as much fanfare as any running start. There was plenty of energizing music, a powerful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner while everyone stood facing the State Capitol Building, and pacing police cars to lead the way once the gun was fired.

Volunteers were out at the very first water station which was within the first mile and half of the start. Some of the bands were still setting up but despite that there were cheerleaders already on the route and music to be heard. Granted my version of the event is going to be different from others but I do hope what I write gives you a taste of the event. Because I was one of the lead walkers, for virtually the entire route between 2 miles and 11 miles I walked on my own. Up until 2 miles there were some other walkers with me. After 11 miles a handful of runners had caught up from their 8am start and were passing me. I wasn't alone because the water stations were plentiful and each of these had several dozen volunteers who were all vocal in their cheering. There was a police officer at almost every turn in the route. They were excellent at keeping cars out of the way, but sometimes a little slow on giving me directions! A couple of times I almost took a wrong turn. A few miles into the race I realized that there were blue and white arrows spray-painted on the road. As a half marathon participant, I was meant to follow the blue arrows. Even later in the race, I realized that no arrows at a corner meant just go straight! I had been slowing down on a few corners trying to figure out if I was supposed to turn. It took a while to figure out the system, and it might have been nice to read about this in the race directions. But there it is, for you to know should make the trip to Columbus! And, of course, if you were walking a little further back in a larger group, the route may have been more obvious.

The first few miles of the course took us out along Broad Street which is somewhat commercial. But at this point it was dark and all of my focus was on warming up appropriately. By the time the sun was lightening up the sky, I was walking the course that passed by upscale Columbus homes that had rooms and lawns to spare. Most important there was foliage. It's interesting how a little foliage has a disproportionately large calming effect. And, it's amazing what a little sun can do to illuminate the gold and red leaves of autumn foliage.

By 6 miles the course was taking me back to the area of the city where we had started. This part of the route was straightforward and not terribly scenic compared to what I had just passed through but, again, cheerleaders and water stations were plentiful. And, there was a terrific surprise waiting once I got to the next turn. At almost 10 miles into the race, there was a huge crowd lining the streets. Spectators from the start of the running division must have made the trek a few blocks south to this position on the race course. Because I was still alone on the course, it felt like thousands of people were out cheering me on! I'd love to know if other walkers had a similar experience, but my guess is that they would have because it would still be another 20 to 30 minutes until the first runners would come through.

Floating on the high of such overwhelming enthusiasm, I found myself walking past historic old German Town. The cheerleaders had thinned out but the quaint houses and shops were still a feast for the eyes. Walking by one particularly charming pastry shop I asked the Sunday morning coffee gang sitting at the tables if I should return for my post-race recovery caffeine. Their wholehearted endorsement had me stopping by on my way out of Columbus later that afternoon. If you go to Columbus Marathon, be sure to go the Pistacia Vera on South 3rd Street. In fact, don't worry about the marathon; just go to enjoy the best traditional Parisian macaroons outside of continental Europe and an espresso! (It's all about the snacks and caffeine, don't ya know?!)

Now I had a reason to walk faster toward that finish line! After passing by a lovely park at the south end of the German Village, the rest of the route went north on High Street past the regal State government buildings and other commericial highrises. At this time, lead runners were starting to pass me. I always enjoy seeing these athletes flash by.

Soon I was turning toward the finish at the Nationwide Arena. The architecture of this arena is remarkable and it is surrounded by wide sidewalks and grassy areas. Once again, crowd support was overwhelming in the final hundred feet of the race and the post-race snacks were plentiful. I particularly enjoyed the sample of Clif Builders Bar which I had never tried before. It has high protein content and high quality ingredients. I may have to find more of those!

As far as how the organizers managed a walking division: unfortunately, I can't offer too many insights. Obviously, it was great to have separate registration and start. I did not see any guidelines for walkers and I suspect there were lots of walking participants running portions of the race but it would be impossible to discern that once the pack of runners caught up. The bib numbers were identifiable but the bibs themselves were not a different colour. Still for a walker, this has to be one of the best races I've entered. I always appreciate separate registration and acknowledgement that the walking gait needs separate result postings and rankings from the running gait.

Also, this past weekend, we had a few people walk the full marathon in Detroit. I hope some of them will add a post here so that we can learn about their experience.

5k Family Fun in scenic and historic Oakville

My family success at the Royal Victoria Marathon event last weekend has inspired me to remind all the WoW Power Walkers out there about Oakville's Heritage Hustle 5k Run and Power Walk this Sunday. (There is also a 1.5k Family Walk)

Brush up on your inspriational/coersion skills because this is a perfect event to get your close friends and family outside! The race route will start beside the historic Erchless Estate and continue through some of Oakville's oldest and most beautiful residential streets. If you are a WoW Power Walker in Toronto, it's a great opportunity to take a tour of delightful Oakville - a town well known for it's leafy lakeside setting and quaint shopping area.

The race organizers put extra effort to listen to our suggestions for hosting walkers in an event. There is a walker division with guidleines to ensure there is no running and there will be prizes for walkers and runners. All of the proceeds of the registration will go to the Oakville 150th R.E.A.C.H. Legacy Fund.

All of this is in celebration of Oakville's 150th birthday. For those of you wondering why the race does not have a typical morning start, the organizers wanted the race to begin at "150"...hence the 1:50pm start! The good news is you may have some teenagers who could be awake for this start time!

I've got a long training walk scheduled for Sunday morning in preparation for the Seattle Marathon, so I won't be setting any records on this 5k but I'll be out there. With my new-found confidence in encouraging family members to enter races, you may find me with some companions!

You can register on race day, but why not commit right now online?

http://150.oakville.ca/heritagehustle.htm

See you there!

CRIM 10-mile is a must-walk!

Several months ago I received an email letting me know that the CRIM Festival of Races in Flint, Michigan was adding a competitive 10-mile walk to their line-up.

The CRIM Festival is well known in the U.S. as a great race for both elite participants and community involvement. It began in 1977 as a 10-mile run and over the years has seen the addition of an 8k run and walk, a 5k run and walk, a 5-k race walk event on the Friday evening before the Saturday festival of races, and now the 10-mile competitive walk.

After experiencing so much frustration with Ontario race organizers in the past two years, I decided to go to Flint to see how they managed a "competitive walk". As it turns out, they managed it quite nicely. At the race expo I received a race kit containing two bibs - one for the front and one for the back. Both bibs were a different colour from the bibs of the runners. Both front and back bibs had my race number written on it. There were monitors on the course to ensure people were walking but they were not looking for the technical form of racewalkers.

Runners and walkers for the 10-mile event started at 8am. The crowds were dramatic and inspiring. The night before the race there had been plenty of excitement with tornado warnings and tornado devastation in other parts of the state. Still in the morning, it looked like thunderstorms were a possibility.

There were several race volunteers standing in the crowd about 300 metres back from the start line holding signs that said "Competitive Walk". Walkers, and lots of runners, lined up behind these volunteers. The competitive 10-mile walk did not offer prizes and results were to be listed by chip time, so crossing the start line quickly was not important.

Once the race did start, the crowds dictated speed but it wasn't long before the crowds thinned out and, with the entire road being closed for the race, it was relatively easy to walk at a satisfying pace.

Aid stations along the course were plentiful and plentifully stocked. Lack of water was just not an issue. The course went through the University of Michigan grounds, the downtown area, and some leafy residential areas of Flint before returning to finish over the famous paving stones of Saginaw Street. With the roads completely closed for the entire 10 miles, plenty of competitors for company, and enthusiastic volunteer support, it was an easy race to enjoy.

I highly recommend it as a road trip for those interested in trying something different. A mere 4 to 5 hour drive from the GTA, depending on the state of the border, it would make a fun weekend to go down on the Friday afternoon, get your race kit and visit the excellent race expo, watch the 5k race walk state championship on the Friday evening, then walk either the 8k or 10 mile on Saturday morning. The race organizers go all out to provide fuel, hydration, and entertainment at the finish area. You still have time for a little cross-border shopping and you can be home easily by Saturday night.

Seeing how the CRIM race organizers managed so many different races so well with both walking and running divisions, it confirms that lack of will is the ONLY barrier to welcoming the growing power walking competitors to events.

Midsummer Dream Walk

"Lord, what fools these mortals be" is an understatement. Was it some "spirit" that possessed me to put on faux silver eyelashes for the Midsummer Night’s 15k race? Phew, the glue on those things sting!

Seriously, what a great race the organizers put on for us this year. It turned out to be a beautiful night without the heat we endured last year. A new route that went along Commissioners Road and then out to the lighthouse end of the Leslie Street spit offered a stunning view of the Toronto skyline rising above the marshes and inlet of the outer harbour area. There was a small portion of the route that required some thoughtful navigating as the paved road turned to gravel path but, all in all, the course was a summer delight.

One huge improvement on last year was the addition of food and beer at the finish area. For a small fee and with the proceeds going to the Hospital for Sick Children's rheumatology department, there was a choice of ribs, steak on a bun, or grilled chicken. Steam Whistle Brewery was also donating the money from beer sales to the hospital.

We can't really say enough about this race. The organizers have been wholly committed to the walking division from the start. Walking winners had their names on a winner's trophy alongside those of the runners, there were take-home trophies for top three walkers in both men and women categories, AND each of us received a special "Lord what fools these walkers be" shirt!

WoW Power Walkers were out in full force. There were just under 50 of us and we walked (pun intended!) away with all the hardware! We also had tons of fun. Dare I say that those of us who dressed up had just a smidgen more fun! Our goal, next year is to take home the walking hardware AND the prize for best costumes. We'll keep you posted on the group eyelash shopping and costume making workshop prior to next year's race.

Judging by how much the Midsummer Night's Run has improved from its first to its second year; we predict this race will become a wonderful Toronto institution for the running and walking communities. You can't beat the venue, the distance, and the fun.

Hope to see everyone there next August.

Race goals for summer 2007

This long weekend is the perfect time to think about your next walking goals. Today I received a newsletter from the organizers of the Oakville Half Marathon on September 3. Apparently the price increases today...so I strongly urge you to sign up now! It's is an excellent goal to work toward over the summer and many of you starting courses with us this week could definitely accomplish it. Also, if you take a look at our training schedule for this event, you'll notice that on August 18, the very weekend of the Midsummer Night's Run (15k Walk), 16k is the training distance for the Oakville Half! And, if you let me know today, I can get you registered in the Midsummer Night's 15 Walk for the early bird price of $49. Double savings for two great summer races in one day! It must be walking karma.

If you've got some other ideas for great walking races, comment here! We're always open to suggestion.

Alfie Shrubb and Westover Shore to Shore

Another outstanding weekend for WoW Power Walkers!

In Bowmanville, Ontario several veteran and virgin WoW Power Walkers walked the Alfie Shrubb Classic 8k event where Al Storie, the race organizer, has got to be one of the most enthusiastic personalities on the planet. Fortunately, for us power walkers he directs a lot of that enthusiasm toward walkers! All participants received a fun race kit containing a sharp technical shirt, a few sweet treats, and a most excellent pamphlet describing the late, great Alfie Shrubb. Alfie's feats as a runner are extraordinary, and it is interesting to note that he used walking as part of his training regimen.

We have officially designated the Alfie Shrubb Classic as a “4 happy face” event on our WoW rating system posted on Upcoming Events. The route through rural Ontario was a delight and we loved the community spirit and abundance of draw prizes. Most importantly, we love how walkers are embraced as part of the racing community. We have it on good authority that next year prizes will be awarded not just to the top 3 walkers but to the top 3 male and female walkers. We're thinking about a bus to the race next year to make the day an even bigger party. Put it on your calendar for 2008.

Unless, of course, your inner masochist prefers something more grueling like the Westover Shore to Shore Relay. This is a team event that traverses 177 kilometres through the night from Lake Erie to Lake Huron (hence shore to shore). Personally, I prefer to do my all-nighters on an emergency-as-needed basis only, but we did have some fearless WoW power Walkers who took part and have reported back enthusiastically. Here’s what I’ve heard from Linda:

What an adventure!! I can't believe at this stage in my life I'd be sleeping in a truck, using nature's washrooms and dressing at the side of the road, just to mention a few of the crazy happenings of the race. There were 5 competitive teams; we were the smallest team (6 people) and the only all-female team. We came second; the team that came first was made up of race walkers. We started at 5pm Friday and finished at 4:15pm Sat. I did 4 legs of the race with about 6 hours off between each leg. My total distance was just over 40kms. The longest leg of the race was 12km. There were a number of issues but all in all considering it was the first year, and the distance covered, I think they did a good job. I have not been this sore since I did my first race. I know I really pushed myself the last leg (12km, no sleep, 38degrees!), or maybe it was the different muscles needed to squat (I still managed to get my shoelaces wet). There it is in a nutshell. It really was a lot of fun.

We hope that we will hear more from some of the other team members on comments following this post.

Hot off the press - race news

The Toad is sold out as of this morning! Congrats to all of you who are participating.

Landmark Sports Group, organizers of the BRAND NEW Oakville Half Marathon on Labour Day, September 3, 2007 have agreed to have walker registration and divisions in both the10k and half marathon events. This change to registration will be made to their website within a few days. http://www.oakvillehalfmarathon.com/

This is very exciting and I hope that ALL Oakville power walkers, and especially WoW Power Walkers, will sign up for either event, get a friend to sign up, get your mother to sign up, volunteer for a WoW water station, put up posters, and generally support this great new local race.

I have it on good authority the race starts at Coronation park, heads east along Lakeshore to Morrison Heights, north to Cynthia then Melvin to Chartwell, Chartwell south to MacDonald, MacDonald to Douglas (our favourite walking street!), west on Randall and then Rebecca to Jones, south on Jones to Ontario Street, east on Ontario to the Waterfront Trail at the corner of Ontario & East, east along the waterfront trail until it emerges on Water’s Edge Drive, east along Waters Edge to Third Line, north on Third Line to Old Lakeshore Road, east along Old Lakeshore Rd, through the cul-de-sac, cross Belvedere to Lakeshore Road shoulder, east along the shoulder of Lakeshore Rd W. to the west entrance of Coronation Park, south along park drive to the finish line near the stage facility. There may be changes as required by local authorities, but it's still a super route through our beautiful town.

Ottawa Race Weekend

It was a smaller, but speedy, contingent participating in Ottawa than we’ve seen in recent years. This may be explained by the fact that race organizers eliminated the early start for walkers in the full marathon and did not separate results for walkers in either the full or the half events. We had a much larger showing in Cleveland last weekend where walkers had separate divisions, bibs, and results postings. Ottawa walkers have no way of knowing how they compare to other walkers on the course as their results are listed with the runners and participants who run with walk breaks.

Still, I'm confident the results are times to beat. We had four power walkers entered in the full marathon. Jeff accomplished a PB with a time of 4:48:32. George, Domenic and Nancy can go home with outstanding first-time results. George finished in a sole burning 5:14:24. Nancy and Domenic can be really pleased with a finish under six hours! Amazingly, their chip times were identical - 5:56:27. These two know how to avoid marital conflict!

Have a look at the results for WoW Walkers in the half marathon too! Jane Heath led the pack with an amazing PB of 2:23:41. Myra was guided by Krista to accomplish a personal best with a chip time under 3 hours. Myra’s got more amazing ideas hatching for the upcoming year of her 65th birthday. She has set a personal challenge to walk a half marathon in every province and territory between September 2007 and September 2008. Myra is doing this as a fundraiser for the CNIB Braille Library.

Congratulations to all of you...including those that have been left un-named here. Results like these don't happen without commitment to training.

Now, it's back to the race directors to see what we can do about getting them to reinstate separate walker registration and results postings. Ideally, they will also bring back the early start for the full marathon although this is not critical if there is sufficient support on the course. They might want to take their lead from some other race organizations that have moved beyond recognizing the walkers to embracing the growth in walking and the participation of walkers at race events.

Check back to the thread following this posting as our chief cheerleader in Ottawa, Vera, will be reporting with an eye-witness account of the race, WoW Power Walkers, as well as walkers everywhere.

Cleveland Marathon

I admit it was tempting to contravene my own coaching guidelines this past weekend. Don't ya know - do as I say, not as I do! Yes, up until one hour before the online registration deadline for the Cleveland Marathon last Thursday night, I was considering entering the full marathon. I thought it might be an interesting experiment to walk an event every weekend for 4 consecutive Sunday mornings starting and ending with two full marathons! I wasn't expecting a PB this weekend, but I was looking forward to that medal with the spinning guitar.

Still, I had decided that the race would be fun only if I could bring my family with me for the weekend. One thing about entering a race every weekend is that one can miss out on essential family time. When it became clear the only way to include everyone in the road trip meant leaving town at 1:30 pm and arriving in Cleveland at the earliest close to 6pm, I decided the race gods were not with me on this one.

No complaints, though....I've had a great spring season and I look forward to the Alfie Shrubb 8k on June 3 and the OTMH Classic 5k on June 17 - both events that have walker divisions.

The really great news is that we can hear the details about the Cleveland race from the many WoW Power Walkers who have come home with amazing times and stories. A quick look at the results is impressive. We had representation walking the full, the half and the 10k. Look for their comments to follow this post...and you might be inspired to put Cleveland on your schedule for next spring.

Mississauga Marathon - Half and Full Sunday May 13: Mother's Day

My alarm sounds at 4:50 and, again, at 4:53, and yet one more time at 4:55. I finally manage to swing my legs over the side of the bed at 5:10am feeling like I have already walked a half marathon. I had been dreaming all night about getting ready for the start - packing the right food, attaching the timing chip, choosing the right shirt and always moving too slowly to make it to the start. Fortunately, it was all a dream and the day looks glorious, with clear sky and forecasts of temperatures between 6 and 13 degrees. Perfect race conditions.

This will be a treat for the 5,000 participants in the Mississauga Full and Half Marathons and especially the many WoW Power Walkers who are signed up. This year the race organizers decided against an early start for walkers, and in fact, did not even have walker registration or separate results postings. This is a disappointment to walkers who put so much into their training, but it didn't stop lots of us from enjoying a great race course and a beautiful day close to home. We have more than 35 participants entered in the half marathon - many of them walking their first race and four inrepid competitors - Karl, Carleen, Elaine, and Cheryl - walking the full marathon!

All the participants - runners, walkers, half marathoners, and marathoners - start together at 7:30 am at the corner of Highway 10 and Burnhamthorpe. Time corrals have been set up and clearly marked. Port-a-potties are plenty and the line-ups move quickly. I particularly like the inspirational quotes posted in each one - well, I assume they had one in each stall, I didn't check them all!

Settled into the corral for a completion time of 2:25:00, it takes Jeff and I 8 minutes to cross the timing mats at the start after the gun has gone. The road is wide so the large crowd doesn't stop us from finding a good pace at the onset. Although the first 1 to 2 kilometres are not noteworthy for scenery we soon arrive at the the bridge over the Credit Valley River where the scenery becomes green and soothing. Shortly, we are turn down Mississauga Road into a leafy residential area. Most of the race continues like this until we make our way to the lake at kilometre 17. It's a pleasure to be near the cool breeze off the lake, slight as it is. The terrain does get a bit more challenging. Our muscles are starting to feel the fatigue of pushing hard and we must negotiate some uneven asphalt, a walking path and subsequent return to rthe oad, sidewalk and then path again. There is even some concrete sidewalk that must be traverseed. Concrete is always felt more keenly by the feet and joints than asphalt.

Someone ahead of us takes a tumble in one of these transitions from road to sidewalk. Later, at the finish line, we will see a woman take a frightening face plant into the pavement a mere 100 metres from the finish mats.

Volunteers at the water stations are amazing. I am grateful that they are fully stocked and in position every 2 kilomentres along the route so that I do not carry a drink pack with me. All I need to bring along is my small supply of Clif Blok Shots in my shirt pocket.

The course narrows for the final kilometres as we are directed on a lakefront path. It is a lovely setting although open to interference by Sunday picnickers. Fortunately, at this relatively early time there are few casual pedestrians in our way and we enjoy a fast hard push into the finish. We are rewarded as we come into the end with some great compliments for power walking form from the race commentator. It's great to have them recognize the effort it takes to walk the entire race. Now, we just need to get them on board with separate registration and results posting!

Great day! Great course!

Congratulations to the many WoW Power Walkers who showed beautiful form and excellent speed out there on the race course. Special congratulations to first time half marathoners Laura Inman, Peter DeRosa, Patricia Drapeau, Marie MacNeill, and Monette Smith and first-time full marathoner Cheryl Van der Kroon. We know that many of you achieved personal bests today. Check out the website for full results for WoW Power Walkers.

Finally, there were many of us walking in memory of Mike Moran, an excellent power walker and all-round great guy who died this past March on a training walk in preparation for the Mississauga Half Marathon. We all miss you Mike. To Mike's very close group of walking friends in Port Credit, a big hug to all of you.