WoW Hall of Fame :: I’ve been giving much thought to the Hall of Fame this issue and I am completely flummoxed after witnessing the Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon and Half Marathon. Seeing Wendy Joyce complete the entire 21km course in just under 3 hours having recently completed 6 months of chemotherapy and still in radiation treatment was inspiring. Wendy’s story of how she has continued to power walk throughout her treatment is a testament to Wendy’s courage and the benefits of exercise throughout cancer treatment.

Vision–impaired power walker Myra Rodrigues came in with her guide Nancy Downing at 3:19. Myra has taken on the autumn 2004 triple crown challenge of the Weekend to End Breast Cancer, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and the New York City Full Marathon. On top of that, she is threatening to walk the half marathon at Casino Niagara! No one would dream of complaining about early morning training walks around these women!

Then there is Stuart Gough, who has improved his time from 3:12:03 at Casino Niagara Half Marathon 2 years ago to 2:33:00! Yes, that’s almost a full 40 minutes! Agatha Platiel walked a full marathon just weeks after completing her first ever triathalon where she came first in her age category having power walked the run portion! Heather McClarty and Helena Steer shaved 10 minutes off their full marathon time.

There are so many more stories and they should all be told because personal bests are just one way of measuring the experience. Many of you have achieved a physical accomplishment that you probably never thought was possible. Others not only pushed themselves to a physical challenge but were also supporting and cheering others. Undoubtedly, all of you were inspired by something or someone along the way while inspiring others on your way! Keep up the amazing walking.

Watch out Casino Niagara! Last year WoW Power Walkers were the envy of all race participants with our luxury coach delivering us to the start line and waiting for us at the finish. I still get people telling me it was the best “delivery to a start line” they have ever experienced. If you are thinking of walking the half marathon at this event, consider taking the bus. We leave from a convenient commuter carpool parking lot off the QEW in Oakville at 6:30 am. Last year we had a volunteer go to the race expo on Saturday and pick up all the race packages so that they could be handed out on the bus. Return cost for the bus is undetermined at this point (last year it was $20) although you do not have to return with the bus if family or friends are picking you up at the finish. Of course you’d miss the Tim Horton’s stop on the way back – their coffee never tasted so good! The bus will wait until the last WoW Power Walker has crossed the finish line. We need to know numbers for this great opportunity, so click here if you want to get on the bus.

Prepare your noses! Yes, this is an exciting week at WoW Power Walking as we anticipate the imminent arrival of our all organic cotton handkerchiefs. Your noses and the skin in the surrounding area will thank you!

So, while you are waiting for this most excellent addition to your WoW ensemble, possibly blowing into an uncouth paper tissue, consider this: 6 million trees are cut for tissue products in North America each year, more than 200 billion paper tissues are thrown away each year, and, most importantly, 10 percent of the world’s pesticides and 25 percent of the world’s insectides are sprayed on conventionally grown cotton. Now there’s a big “YIKES” for you. Faced with such information, it may seem a small step to buy an organic cotton hankie, but at WoW Power Walking we know that small steps can take us a long way!

As soon as we get them, we’ll post them for sale on the website. Price for one handkerchief will be $4.35 + GST ($.30) + PST ($.35) = $5. Special deal from October 12-15: buy one WoW Power walking Coolmax shirt and receive a free hankie for your pocket! (Sorry only medium and small sizes left).

All is not lost. Still time to sign up for courses! We are starting a 10-week WoW! Marathon Training course in Oakville Thursday October 7 at 6:30pm and one in Newmarket on October 16 at 1pm. Also, there may still be a class offered at Yonge and Davisville Friday mornings if we get the interest. This is the best time of year for walking, so sign up now!

WoW Tip :: Stretching

Research is showing that stretching does not prevent injury and may cause injury when muscles are cold.

Resist the urge to stretch at the start of the race. It tends to be really cold out there in the early morning in spring and fall when most races are held. Warm up those muscles by walking around, swinging your body around the waist with your arms flopping from side to side, or moving up and down on your toes.

After an intense race your muscles will be too tight to stretch. More generally, hyper flexibility in joints can lead to instability and injury.

Enjoy your stretches to feel good and improve range of motion for performance, but do them only when your muscles are both warm and relaxed.

Set for spring! It is true. Spring will eventually make its way here. Let’s plant the seed now: Triple Crown. Chilly Half Marathon in Burlington (early March, 21km), Around the Bay Road Race in Hamilton (late March, 33km), National Capital Marathon (NCM) in Ottawa (late May, 42km or 21km). We are looking to get a good group going to Ottawa because those of us who did it last year thoroughly enjoyed the course, the organization and all the events. We think it would be great fun for everyone to enter the 5km race on Saturday night, go to the pasta dinner, and then walk either the full or half marathon Sunday morning! Go WoW Power Walkers!

WoW Power Walking coaches are proud to wear New Balance shoes.

Long-distance number 1-877-WOW-WALK (1-877-969-9255)!

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