July 22, 2005
| The great news is that the heat hasn’t wilted your passion. We’ve seen you out walking and we’ve heard from many of you about great plans for fall 2005 and spring 2006 events. Some of the best news out of spring 2005 is that walkers are definitely on the rise and being recognized by race organizers for their commitment to training and excellence. Enthusiasm abounded at the June 5k and 10k events including the OTMH Classic 5k (where WoW Power walkers took home the bulk of the overall and age category awards) and the Mount Sinai 10k. The first weekend of July found many of you sprinting the Molson Indy track for the Fed/Ex Walk/Run for Joy (now that was a scorcher).
Special mention goes to Krista, Myra, and friends Ruth and Deborah for their excellent showing and award-winning spirit at the Toronto Bay Street Rat Race where they won a cheese tray going out as the Three Blind Mice! Myra has thrown down the gauntlet and suggested that WoW prepare a team for the event next year. Her suggestion: we find a very tall male power walker and go as the Pied Piper of Hamelin….anyone come to mind??? Thank you Myra, you keep us walking! Back in Oakville, WoW’s two teams in the Relay for Life raised $6,287.03 for the local Cancer Society in memory of our friend Wendy Joyce who succumbed to breast cancer on February 22 of this year. While we experienced an emotional evening remembering Wendy and many other family and friends whose lives have been tragically affected by cancer, we were able to draw hope from the camaraderie of the evening and from our theme “Walking on Sunshine” which helped us remember the happy times that we shared walking with Wendy. We enjoyed many visitors to our bright and cheery tent location and were able to share some of Wendy’s amazing walking stories. She continues to inspire. So what’s in the works for the rest of 2005? Well, it’s looking like an amphibious fall! Yes, the Run for the Toad is going to be a new challenge for many WoW Power walkers. Taking place at the Pinehurst Lake Conservation Area in Paris, Ontario on Saturday, October 1, the event features scenic trail walking and a gourmet dinner between noon and 4pm. There are showers on-site so that you can enjoy your meal without smelling of toad. The organizers have opened a walking category this year for the 25k distance (there is also a 50k event) and many of us have already registered. With a strict limit on attendance of 550, we recommend signing up soon. We had so much fun going to Casino Niagara as a group via luxury coach the past two years that we think it’s a great way to make our way to the Toad! The bus cost will be finalized soon, but send us an email if this is something that would interest you. The bus will get everyone to the event in time for the breakfast and stay until after everyone has eaten dinner. You are welcome to take the bus to the event and get a ride home with family that comes to cheer you on, however, the cost will be the same one way or return. You can also bring family and friends on the bus! Of course, our two other local favourite fall events will find WoW Power Walkers in great form. The Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon is always terrific boasting superb organization and a beautiful course. We hope to take a bus to Niagara Falls again to the early half start marathon start at the Fallsview Casino International Marathon. And stay tuned in December for word from the Team Diabetes group walking the Honolulu Marathon! Speaking of Team Diabetes, soon it will be time to sign up for their trip to the Rome Marathon 2006! Training schedules for all of these events are posted on the website. Don’t forget to tell us when you are entering an event and let us know if you need a training schedule. 2006 is coming! The interesting thing about walking marathons is how time shrinks! Yes, we are planning for spring 2006. The two “away” events that have caught our attention are the MORE half marathon for women over 40 in New York City in early April and, of course, the Big Sur International Marathon on April 30. The most urgent decision-making is required for Big Sur as registration opens for that event on September 1 2005 and the 21-mile Power Walk is always the first event to sell out within a few weeks. Last year there were 23 of us who enjoyed the outstanding sights, smells, and sounds of this great race. The plan for this year is much the same as last with a few small organizational changes from our end. You register for the race at www.bsim.org as soon as possible on or after September 1. You arrange your airfare. We arrange a package deal for accommodation and victory dinner. This can save you a lot of time and it is fun to stay together as a group (especially when you are guaranteed your own washroom!). We are also working on a similar package deal for accommodation and victory dinner for the MORE half marathon. If you need some inspiration, read Lee’s Big Sur journal from 2004! Let us know if you have any questions. |
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| Coffee and Muffin Walk: This Labour Day at 7:30am, join us for some fun and sociable labour! Yes, it’s time for another coffee and muffin walk. If you have not come out to one before, this is a great opportunity to meet like-minded power walkers and enjoy one of your long training walks with old and new friends. There is no charge for this event because at WoW Power Walking we believe in building a community of friends as much as getting you fit! There are so many of you doing so many different events, we will have maps with routes for the following distances: 8k, 14k, 18k, and 36k. (We encourage anyone walking 36k to arrive at 6am) A new venue has been chosen that we hope will be convenient for all of walkers from across the GTA at Lakeside Park - south side of Lakeshore Road in Mississauga east of Winston Churchill Blvd and west of Southdown Road and the Lakeside Park/Leash Free Area. If you are planning to come out, we appreciate an RSVP with the distance you plan to walk. We also encourage you to carpool (or walk!) because at WoW Power Walking we believe in helping to keep our air clean for our lungs as much as building a community of friends and getting you fit!! P.S. This time, we will have a special New Balance guest available when you return to answer your questions on your most important piece of equipment (and we are not talking about your global positioning systems!). They will also be distributing a WoW/NB card that’s good for a gift with purchase of New Balance shoes from select independent running stores. Important PS: In
the last newsletter we failed to congratulate Rumina Velshi
who completed her first full marathon in Mississauga. So, congratulations
Rumina! We hope you have recovered and that you continue to wear
your medal to important family functions. (At WoW Power Walking
we believe in milking our achievements for all they’re worth
as much as keeping our air clean, building a community of friends,
and getting fit!)
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WoW Tip :: Heat alert Even exaggerations don’t really describe the heat we have been coping with this summer. Yes, we have continued to walk but we have not been afraid to slow down a bit: focus on technique, do some strength exercises with our resistance tubing, enjoy some garden views and lake breezes – anything to ease up on the unforgiving challenge our heart and lungs experience in such heat, humidity and smog. Here are some tips for dealing with the summer of 2005:
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Classes: We hope you will find time to drop in to any of our WoW Just Get Outside classes in Oakville and/or High Park ($16.05 tax incl/class). As well, there is time to register for the Outside Personal Best – Complementary training for strength and stability at Coronation Park in Oakville starting 6:15 am this Tuesday, July 26. Most of our fall classes are posted on the website. We are continuing the WoW Just Get Outside class for veteran WoW Power Walkers (without the drop-in option) instead of WoW On Your Mark. As usual, there is a great selection of locations and times available to try the original WoW Marathon Training program – suited to all levels of walkers from recent couch potato to trained athlete. Don’t forget: we are always happy to organize a class for any group of 8 or more. Tell us your goals and we’ll work with you. |
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