Corner Gas is one of my favourite shows. Remarkably it ran for six seasons. My favourite shows usually top out at three seasons, with threats of cancellation during the entire run. This is not because I have poor taste in shows, but because the rest of North America has poor taste in shows. Two and a Half Men. I rest my case.
In the 3rd season of Corner Gas two of the series regulars, Lacey and Wanda, start a running club so they can train for an upcoming 10K fun run.
Posted in Reviews on the Run
Tagged exercise, fitness, fun run, health, running, TV, TV show review
I learned to run in grad school.
PhD Comics
Title Reference: Alice Cooper – School’s Out. 1973.
Posted in Running Tids & Bits
I have found my next race. Always in touch with hip happenings like wine runs, my friend over at Toronto Workout talked me into it. The Niagara Wine County Run. Destined to be my slowest half marathon ever. 21.1K. 12 wine stations. I rarely drink. I have the tolerance of a four year old girl. The race is at 3pm. In June. Drinking in the sun. This will be fun. Who else wants to run?
Title Reference: UB40 – Red Red Wine. 1983.
Some ads are worth sharing. This is one of those ads.
Credit goes to Karen Karnis, the Endorphin Junkie, for finding this clip. As thanks take a moment to check out her blog: http://www.irun.ca/blog/index.php/category/karenkarnis/
Title Reference: Chumbawamba - Tubthumping*. From the album Tubthumper. 1996.
* According to Wikipedia, the liner notes for this song mention the short story The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.
Posted in Running Tids & Bits
Dowey at SickKids. Source/Photo Credit: CP24 news (Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)
The giant joint, erm Olympic Torch, recently passed through my ‘hood. This was but one stop on the 106 day 45,000 National Relay to the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Around 260 people will run 48K (300 metres at a time, which seems an odd distance) with the torch through the streets of the GTA. Among the runners is Murray Dowey, 1948 Olympic Gold Medalist in hockey and retired TTC employee. His torchbearing segment was to include a ride on the iconic TTC streetcar (holding the flame out the window, lest the iconic streetcar go up in smoke) but a detour to avoid the protesters reportedly foiled this plan (I can’t confirm the reports; I wasn’t there). The story of his eleventh-hour call to an already last-minute ragtag team of underdogs (The Royal Canadian Airforce Flyers) that won Olympic gold makes me nostalgic for an Olympic games of big hopes without the big sponsorships.
Dowey is not the only celebrity who took a hit from the flame. Not to worry, they didn’t inhale. Former Olympians (should I say former? Once an Olympian always an Olympian?) Marnie McBean, Brian Orser, and Vicky Sunohara, ballerina Karen Kain, astronaut Roberta Bondar, filmmakers Ivan and Jason Reitman, director Deepa Mehta, and Bollywood star Akshay Kumarall all joined the red carpet relay around town. I wonder if they needed to submit an application to coca-cola?
My running group planned a run that, if the timing worked out, would have us crossing paths with the famous flame. As we ran along the torch route in our matching run club outfits tens of people went mad with excitement thinking we were the torch-relayers. Low-key torch runners without the patriotic red and white uniforms, police escort, or live-action commercial disguised as a parade. Cries of “where’s the torch”, “WHERE’S THE TORCH” echoed as we dashed by on the sidewalk. The torch, as it turns out, was delayed by an hour due to protesting and, I suspect, a stop to satisfy those munchies.
Title Reference: Whitney Houston – One Moment in Time. From the album One Moment in Time: 1988 Summer Olympics Album. 1988.
Posted in Celebrity Sneakers, Running Tids & Bits
Tagged celebrity, exercise, fitness, fun run, health, Olympics, running
On Saturday I did two things I have never done before. I ran a 5K race (#1) in costume (#2). All 2400 runners in the Santa Jingle 5K dressed in Santa Suits. With jingle bells affixed to our shoes. Actually, 2396 runners dressed in Santa Suits and four party poopers wore their usual running gear. And no, a red/green/white top with black tights does not count as a Santa Suit. Experienced Santas brought their own black belts. Mine broke after about 30 seconds of use. This Santa has enjoyed too many cookies. The site of so many Santas running along the shores of Lake Ontario was … totally awesome. One little kid cheering on the sidelines nearly lost his mind with excitement. I think he’s expecting 2396 gifts under the tree Christmas morning.
My pre-race good luck smooch to Husband felt a bit odd with him (and me) in full beard. Like I was kissing a stranger. I’m still coughing up white fur. In our wedding vows he promised to love, honour, and never grow a moustache and/or beard. At least I think he did. The vows were in Spanish. I do not speak Spanish. We ran together at a relaxed pace (i.e. about 20 sec/km slower than my usual tempo run), although after a week of illness related starvation and sleep deprivation “relaxed” didn’t feel so relaxing. We did not wear our timing chips, so my curious cyber stalkers will need to sleuth a little harder than usual to uncover my time.
Kit pickup was a bit slow race morning as tons of people like me descended on the tables at the last possible moment. The race was delayed about 15 minutes, I thought because of the mass tardiness but there are rumours about a car accident on the course. The waiting area was brimming with festive excitement and good spirits and no one seemed terribly bothered by the late start. The lady who decided to change the words of our national anthem into a Weird Al style parody of the cold weather, however, bothered my over-tired and grumpy brain. So I gave her my stern look. She stopped. Hordes of optimistic walkers toed the starting line unintentionally causing a red and white pileup over the first 500 metres. As soon as we turned onto lakeshore the route opened up and it was easy to pass and be passed. The air was crisp but the sun bright as it bounced off Lake Ontario. By kilometre one all the overdressed cold-fearers were shedding layers like they were trained in the art of exotic dance. The Santa belts were flying.
Although the sacred race rule is never let a costumed runner beat you I modified the rule for this particular race. Never let a kid or a pet in costume beat you. I’m reasonably certain I beat all the dog-deer. But damn, some of those kids are fast.
p.s. Check out the race footage. I’m the one in the red suit.
Title Reference: Jimmy Boyd – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. 1952.
Posted in My Amazing Races, Running Tids & Bits
Tagged cookies, exercise, fitness, fun run, race, race report, running, winter
I just paid money to do two things I have never done before.
Thing 1: Run in costume. I almost always race in the same outfit, give or take a layer. My race outfit. Tried and true it doesn’t shift, chafe, or look repulsive in photos (repulsive being a relative term after 35K). Not this time. This time I will run in full Santa gear, beard included.
Thing 2: Run a 5K road race. You think my claims to be created entirely from slow-twitch muscle are in jest. I jest not. My marathon race pace and my 5K race pace are the same. It takes me a full 10K to warmup; a 5K race ends before I begin. So I shall start with a 5K fun run, not a serious 5K race. How fast can I go with a little round belly that shakes when I laugh like a bowl full of jelly? I’m just running for the milk and cookies.
Check out the video footage from the inaugural 2008 Running of the Santas. I’m not so sure about the winning Santas. Did anyone else spot the imposters among them? The lead man managed to stop along the way to shave his beard and he still won the race. Suspicious. The winning female somehow lost her red pants. Santa does not wear black running tights. Very suspicious. The second place male isn’t in costume at all, he seems to be wearing an old red t-shirt over a white shirt, with those tell-tale black tights. Fake-Santa needs a better disguise. Or a new tailor. The third place male also stopped for facial grooming. That’s not something I’d want to do in a hurry. I’m not one to subscribe to conspiracy theories, but I don’t think the winners are real Santas.
Running With Scissors was part of the fun last year and it was his suggestion that inspired me to sign up. This year 2000 bearded, overheated, and overstuffed Santas are anticipated. That’s a one-year increase of 500 Santas. I was tardy about registering and was punished with a kid-sized costume. Look for me. I’ll be the one in short pants.
Title Reference: Quote from the poem Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clark Moore. 1823.
Posted in My Amazing Races, Running Tids & Bits
Tagged cookies, exercise, fitness, fun run, health, running, winter
I claim to be all slow twitch muscle, but maybe my fast twitchers just need a boost of motivation. A rat ran across my foot during a long run two weeks ago and Bolt would have had trouble running the next 100 metres with me.
Title Reference: Bruce Cockburn – Wondering Where the Lion Are. From the album Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws. 1979.
Posted in Running Tids & Bits
Tagged exercise, fitness, fun run, long run, running, sport psychology
Sniff. Quackers lost. The Prefontaine of the duck dash, she swims a race to see who is fastest, to see who has the most guts. According to eye witnesses she swam her little guts out (I, alas, had obligations elsewhere and could not watch the big event live – forgive me #2758), but on the big day her best just wasn’t fast enough. Still, there is no shame in losing when you gave it your all. Quackers was strong down the falls and through the rapids, in the lead gaggle of ducks (Collective Nouns for Birds tells me this should be a raft or a paddling of ducks, not a gaggle, but I thought gaggle was more recognizable and I didn’t want people to actually think Quackers rafted though the race), but was out-kicked in the final straightaway. This web-footed wonder is taking a wee break from the training grind, but she’ll be back in 2010 to win the gold. As Pre once said, “to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” Duck #2758 has the gift. You haven’t seen the last of her, no sir.
Title Reference: Weird Al Yankovic – I Want a New Duck. From the album Dare to be Stupid. 1985.
At current count I have read The Coolest Race three times. That alone speaks to my enjoyment of the novel. Books I dislike I seldom read more than twice. Hanc promises a book that is “partly a memoir and partly a history of events both recent and distant” and he lives up to that billing. Indeed, the report of his own Antarctic Marathon run arrives late in the story and consumes just 20 or so (pp 141-162) of the 216 pages. That was a wise editorial decision. While I admire the author’s recognition that he has difficulty leaving the seriousness out of what should be a race for experience and not time, I was often appalled by his self-reported unsportsmanlike behaviour. From stealing Gatorade to Zodiacing back to the ship as soon as he crossed the finish line rather than staying to support his fellow runners (people, I hasten to add, he’s come to know quite well after days on an isolated ship) to his endless whining about embarrassment over his “glacial slow” finish time at times it takes effort to like the man. Not to mention the expectation that his friends and family buy him all the necessary gear required for such a trip, guilting them into elaborate birthday gifts and then returning the generous “donations” for things he really wanted/needed. If you can afford the $5000 price tag to run in Antarctica buy your own damn gloves.
Did I mention that the race is his 50th birthday present to himself? Make note Husband. It sure beats a little red corvette and a tawdry affair, but I’m not sure of the wisdom in two weeks in dangerous seas with a newborn at home. The lucrative book deal probably helped his case. To his credit, he pokes fun at his misdeeds and imperfections and finds perspective, albeit late, which I’m told is better than never. I may be too hard on him. I blame the author photo.
The book, primarily, is a historic look at the Antarctic Marathon, marathoning, running tourism, the evolution of running, and Antarctic exploration. Hanc does a fine job of weaving adventures past with happenings present. He successfully highlights the forgotten stories and tells an intriguing tale of danger and adventure replicated on a small scale by staging a cold, muddy, hilly marathon at the end of the world. I appreciated the parallels drawn between explorers and notable runners past and average folks finding adventure in the modern world. This book will appeal to armchair history buffs who like to run (like me), to runners who like to mix tourism with races (like me), and to folks with an adventurous streak (like me in theory, but in action my worrisome nature beats down the call of the wild). I think it is a rare runner who will read this book and not be inspired to run a race in an exotic or challenging local. Anything seems possible after reading a romanticized tale of beating the odds. The Antarctica Marathon, to me, sounds like 26.2 miles of unnecessary torture, but going north, now that’s a running adventure I can imagine. I finished this book, looked at Husband and said “want to run the 2010 Reykjavik (Iceland) Marathon?”. After no time to think he answered with a resounding yes. Go Vikings.
RunShort’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5 sneakers.
Reference: John Hanc – The Coolest Race on Earth: Mud, Madmen, Glaciers, and Grannies at the Antarctica Marathon. Chicago Review Press, Chicago, IL. 2009.
My Running Shorts, noun: brief stories about life on the run.
