July 2013 - Longboat Roadrunners

Transcription

WILDFIRE | VOLUME 32 NO.01
July 2013
[Wildfire]
2
Wildfire
July 2013
WINTER/SPRING EDITION
IN THIS ISSUE
Letter from the Editor
Club News
President’s Message
by Melinda Campbell
Columns
Many analogies suggest that "life is like a marathon." Well, so too is putting together a
club newsletter! Despite lots of planning and organization, there are always a few
bumps on the road and as George has tested, no deadline is absolute.
I'm glad to have been given the opportunity to re-ignite a club tradition and publish this
issue of the Longboat "Wildfire". I hope you will enjoy the wisdom and experience
present within its pages. Our club is full of interesting people united by our common
interest in running (and as it would seem, spending extended periods of time in a van
with one another!).
Each one of us has a story to tell or an experience to share. I'd like to thank all those
who have contributed to this issue. I, as well as the entire club, are grateful to you for
sharing your running and writing with us.
Longboat Member Snapshot
From the Old Files
Recipe
Coach’s Corner
Facts & Figures
Features
On Running and Runners’ Highs
Summer Running
Galan Yousuf – Up Close and
Personal
Race Reports
Thank you to our contributors!
Roger Moss
John Kay
Tina de Geus
George Hubbard
Bert de Vries
Emily Hass
Gina Wong
Dana Ferguson
Mike Shields
Steve Metzger
Kevin Curnock
Gregoire Bonhomme
Cabot Trail Relay: A jam packed
weekend on the road with
Cardio Arrest
What I Think About When I
Think About Leg Eleven
Saint John Airport Race Report
Ragnar Relay: Fuel, Run, Drive,
Cheer, Repeat
The Ragnar Adventures
Results
Flying Feather Standings
WMA Standings
Top 5
3
President’s Message
Reflect, Rest and Recharge
by Roger Moss
As summer has arrived, most of you will have
completed your goal races and, I hope, will
be taking some well-deserved time off. It
may seem counterintuitive, especially to the
type A’s among you, but taking time to
recharge now and reflecting on your past
season will bring you rested and recharged to
start with the fall preparation. I know some
of you have ambitious goals for your fall
races, and it is great to see our members
striving for goals that just a short time ago
may have seemed unreachable. As most of
you know by now, if you believe in yourself
and work hard, you can achieve great things
in running and in life.
Your executive has been busy working
behind the scenes on website updates and
the production of the first newsletter in a
while. Yes, Wildfire has returned! The Island
Race organization is ongoing with
registrations already ahead of this time last
year. Our Longboat gear is now available to
purchase online through the website and I
hear the Longboat women may be sporting
some cooler tops for the summer. Gina has
organized some great events, including
tickets for the Toronto Track and Field
Games at Varsity Stadium, which was a blast.
It is a lot of fun sitting among a group of
Jamaican’s who are so passionate about the
sport. Track meets in Jamaica must be quite
something!
I wish you all the best for the summer
wherever you may end up. Keep running and
working towards those fall goals. We do have
a few events to keep you going, including the
Mile on the track (at Varsity Stadium) on July
th
nd
27 and the Sunset Shuffle on August 22 ,
which is always a lot of fun on the Island on a
Thursday evening. Have a great summer!
LONGBOAT TORONTO ISLAND RUN
Mark Sunday September 8th on your calendar!
All members are required to volunteer at the
Island Run. You will receive more details and
the duty roster by email this summer. Email
torontoislandrun@gmail.com if you have any
questions or comments.
Weekly Club Runs
Wednesday Evening – 6:00 pm
Sunday Mornings - 8:00 am
Meet us at the University Settlement House
(23 Grange Road, south end of Grange Park)
for a tempo run. Members run between 1020K (average distance is 16K). After the run,
many members head to nearby pubs to enjoy
a few drinks, dinner and good company.
Meet us at the west end YMCA (College and
Dovercourt) for a long run. Members run 2034K depending on their goal races and
training requirements. The group stays
together for a 5K warm-up before breaking in
to smaller groups based on distance and
pace. Regular routes include the
Beltline/Mount Pleasant Cemetery, the
“Boston special” (Swansea and Old Mill) as
well as the Humber, Don Valley and Martin
Goodman Trails.
Friday Evening - 6:00 pm
During the summer, meet us at the Central
Tech High School (Bathurst and Harbord) for
speed work on the track. Members run
between 10-15K. If you plan to attend, please
contact the Coaching Coordinator.
Saturday Mornings - 8:30 am
Meet us at the Grenadier Café for a more
casual run on the trails in High Park followed
by breakfast. Members run 5-10K. Attending
this run is a great way to get to know fellow
members!
On the first Sunday of the month, members
meet for brunch at a nearby restaurant.
4
On Running and Runners’ Highs – A Personal Note
by John Kay
I started running in Scotland in 1949, when I
was fourteen, encouraged by my parents for
health reasons, because I had spent a lot of
my early years in and out of hospitals. I
joined the local running club, a working
man’s club which operated out of a blue-andgold-painted hut beside the railway tracks
where the Edinburgh trains passed over. I
was never a particularly good runner. In the
three mile time trials that the club organized
every few months, the times were always in
the 14 to 16 plus minute range. I was the 16
plus. Though both my younger brothers, who
joined the club later, went on to be national
champions at different distances, I was not
destined to be a star. But I enjoyed the
banter and camaraderie of the club. It
knocked the awkward edges off me, and
shaped me as I grew up, much more than my
formal education ever did. We ran in large
packs on Saturdays, when the men were off
work, up through the streets of east end
Glasgow, out into the country. We were
accepted but considered rather odd by the
local people there, who thought running was
a strange and pointless thing to do if the
police weren’t after you.
Looking back now, I think what a privilege it
was to run in those packs with so many
admirable people, and excellent runners,
some of whom were among the great names
in national and international athletics in
those days. To keep this piece reasonably
short, I will mention only two. - Joe McGhee,
who won the gold in the 1954 Empire Games
marathon in Vancouver, when Jim Peters,
who had set an incredible world record pace,
famously collapsed as he entered the
stadium, managed to stagger to the finish,
but was disqualified because he was judged
to have crossed the wrong line. - Eddie
Bannon, the great national and international
cross country runner, (whose son Paul
represented Canada in the 1978
Commonwealth Games marathon). Eddie
would sometimes take me out on
excruciating ten mile runs, and then, when I
had made it back, shattered, to the
clubhouse, would give me his advice on how
to kill off the competition in a race - which
was this: “When you come to a really steep
hill, run like hell up it. And when you get to
the top, increase your pace.” Good advice,
I’m sure. For some reason, though, I was
never able to take it. We all ran together
through the east end Glasgow streets, and
we all, great runners and mediocre alike, ran
in black canvas sneakers - the only running
shoes available then. And the local people
watched us in disbelief, and shook their
heads - or tapped them. For the average man
in the average street then, running was a
very strange thing to do.
Starting from an upright position, move your
left foot past your right foot. Next, move
your right foot past your left foot. - Continue
at speed. - When you get to where you want
to go, stop.
It wasn’t till the 1970’s that running became a
vogue, especially in North America, where I
was living then. Sociologists - and they may
be right - link this to the disorientation
caused by the Vietnam war. There had been
a similar outbreak of running on a mass scale
at the time of the great depression. Running
gave a sense of direction and purpose to life
in a world that seemed increasingly
deceptive and out of people’s control. You
could set yourself clear goals in running, and
achieve them. Quitting smoking and losing
weight also came to be life ambitions at this
time, but not so exalted. There has always
been an element of a lost heroism in running.
But that was the exception. The gurus of
exaltation ruled the day.
With the vogue of the Seventies came mass
marathons, high tech shoes, and a great deal
of hype. There were now theories of running,
and philosophies and mystiques of running.
People talked about ‘runners’ highs’, drawing
models from the drug culture. In reaction, I
remember there were pages of letters to the
papers then, The New York Times, to name
just one, from old-style, ‘real’ runners,
vowing to give up running altogether, now
that the trails were swarmed by the trendy,
decked out in the latest gear, with bottles of
fluid strapped round their bodies.
It was refreshing among all the hype, to read
one old former Olympian’s reply to a
magazine which had asked him to give his
theory of running. His answer, which they
printed, went something like this:
With the increased interest in running went,
of course, an increase in injuries. But where
once there was an old guy in the clubhouse
who would give you a rubdown and some
homemade advice, there was now a
proliferation of sports injury clinics, who saw
‘there was gold in them there ills’.
The vogue of the Seventies has continued
and grown into the 21st century, and the
gear is more high tech and expensive than
ever. Even barefoot running has now become
a vogue, plus ça change. Many of us did that
in the nineteen forties when we didn’t have
money for shoes. But now there are high
tech barefoot shoes, and no doubt there will
soon be $200 invisible ones, as the shoe
manufacturers milk the trends.
These are some of the ways running has
evolved in my lifetime. I wonder if sixty years
from now people will still be running as much
as they do today. Who knows! The one thing
in life that is certain is that everything
changes. Technically, running has been
defined as the movement of the body when
both feet are off the ground at the same
time. The same definition can apply to being
carried out dead - or drunk.
John Kay is the father of Kristin Kay and
her first coach. He has been running for
over 60 years and often participates in
the Island Run 5K.
TOM RUNNING AT HIS BEST…
5
Longboat Member Snapshot
Tom McLellan
A regular at the Saturday morning run in High Park
by George Hubbard
Where are you from?
Saint John, NB
How long have you lived in Toronto?
I moved to Toronto 9 years ago, then lived in
Halifax for 3 years, and came back to Toronto
2 years ago. I love this city and Longboat has
been a big part of the experience.
Tell us about your family?
Mississauga Marathon
In 2007, Tom ran the Mississauga Marathon in 3:11.
I grew up and learned to run in Saint John,
NB. As the 2nd youngest in a big family (2
brothers and 2 sisters), it's surprising that I
was the first one to get into running in 1999.
We're all fairly type A and competitive, which
is a good motivator to keep up.
How is the training going now?
I am just starting to get back into better
running shape. It's tempting to blame my
lack of training on other factors, but the truth
is that I took a break from Wednesday nights.
Yes, I got lazy (and busy - I'm 3 years into
building GrowthClick.com, my online
marketing company). And so I started just
going out on Saturday morning runs,
possibly the best run of the week. Except
there's no beer, and Wednesday is a good
training night. So I've restored the balance
and it's great to be back to Wednesdays.
Is Longboat your 1st Running Club?
No, my first real running club was
the Serpentines in Hyde Park, London. Great
for training and making new friends. This led
me to my first full marathon in Edinburgh
(4:09), then Milan (3:58) then Niagara (3:39).
How did you get involved in Longboat?
Around the Bay 30K
In 2012, Tom ran the Around the Bay 20K in 2:18.
I met Bert de Vries. His coaching led me to
3:11 at Mississauga before I ran into some hip
issues and took a break from distance
running.
What are your favourites?
Favourite type of running: Trail running with
good music, a camelpak, and challenging
terrain. I used to love trail running in Halifax
and would like to get more casual trail
running days in Ontario.
Favourite Running Shoe: New Balance.
Favourite Running Route: Bluff Wilderness
Trail in Nova Scotia.
Favourite Race Distance: My next race will
be a 10K, but half marathon is probably my
favourite.
Favourite Dream Race: The Rome Marathon.
Favourite Training Food: Pasta.
Favourite Junk food (if any): Cookies.
Favourite Drink (training): Gatorade.
Favourite Musician(s): Red Hot Chili
Peppers, Muse, Tiesto, Jimmy Eat World.
Favourite Movie: Good Will Hunting.
Favourite Cities (besides Toronto): Rome,
London, and NYC... so far, though I'd like to
add to that list.
Favourite Hobbies: Snowboarding, hiking,
BBQ'ing, TED talks, and live music - excited
to be going to Osheaga festival in August.
What are your personal/bucket list goals?
To take 6+ months off and buy a 'Round the
World' ticket: Start with a month of
kitesurfing in Hawaii, then Australia & New
Zealand (hiking), Thailand, and finish up in
Tarifa, Spain, with lots of time to explore in
between. Maybe in late 2014!
What are some of your personal bests?
3:11 Full Marathon, 2:18 30k, 1:31 Half
Marathon, and 5:27 Mile
Have you had many injuries?
Lots… fortunately, healthy now.
Person(s) who motivate/inspire you?
I find our whole Longboat club is inspiring.
The enthusiasm is contagious and it's a lot
more fun to run, train, and race with friends.
6
Race Report
Cabot Trail Relay
A jam packed weekend on the road with Cardio Arrest
by Dana Ferguson
On a Friday morning in late-May, I found
myself on a plane full of runners heading
by
John Kay
towards
Halifax. We were about to run the
Cabot Trail Relay Race – a 17-leg stage race,
run along the challenging, hilly terrain of
Cape Breton. I had heard stories from Lynn
Bourque (the team captain), Roger Moss (a
team veteran) and other Longboat friends
who had participated in previous years. For
months I had been waiting in anticipation for
this so called “indescribable” event. My
excitement and nerves had been ramped up
and I was anxiously awaiting our arrival in
Cape Breton.
We arrived in Halifax and soon piled into
three large SUVs bound for Baddeck, Nova
Scotia, where the Cabot Trail Relay is based
and most teams stay during their brief time
on Cape Breton. Baddeck is a town of
approximately 1,000 people that doubles in
size when the relay is in town. Since its
inaugural year in 1988, the Cabot Trail Relay
has attracted runners from all over North
America. In its first year, there were only six
teams composed of 17 runners. Now, the
race is capped at 70 teams, many of whom
are from out of province and choose to stay
in the hospitable and amenable town of
Baddeck. Our team stayed in a pleasant
motel located in central Baddeck, just steps
from the finish line and across the street
from a bakery with the best cinnamon bun I
have ever tasted in my life.
On our first afternoon in Baddeck, a few of us
went for a short shake-down run to appease
our legs that had been sitting for far too long.
We silently ran along the road leading out of
town. The whole time I remember thinking
how thankful I was to be out of Toronto and
running with good friends in such a beautiful
place. Post run, the team gathered for a
spaghetti dinner and pre-race briefing from
our captain Lynn Bourque. We received our
timing chips, bib numbers, singlets and a
thorough rundown on how to not break one
of the many rules enforced by the Cabot Trail
Relay. Possible infractions range anywhere
from public urination to parking violations –
the list is long and violations incite a time
penalty. The team rookies listened closely as
none of us wanted to be the person who
would not be invited back next year because
of a penalty assigned to the team. A few
beverages later, we were in bed nice and
early, eager to truly start the trip.
The race began at 7am on a cool Maritime
morning on Saturday May 26. We were up
impossibly early for breakfast and then were
off to see our first runner, Michelle Clark – a
seriously fast new Longboater – start us off
on the journey. With a couple quick stops to
do some roadside cheering, we made our
way to the finish line of this first leg. The
Cabot Trail Relay Race is unique in that
instead of tagging off to the next runner at
the end of a leg, each leg is run as its own
separate race, each with its own mass start
and finish. So we waited for Michelle at the
finish line of leg 1, about 17 kilometres from
the start line. We watched a few of the
quicker men come in and then saw Michelle
run in as the first woman over the line.
Next up, we had Cole Czuchnicki on Leg 2,
our captain Lynn Bourque on Leg 3 (again,
first woman over the line!) and Kyle Fraser on
Leg 4. Leg 4 is a special leg as it ascends and
descends the infamous Cape Smokey. For 2.1
kilometres, Kyle climbed the mountain
steadily as we watched from the summit.
Although he made it look easy, we all knew
we would not want to be running in his place.
At this point, we were getting settled with
our positions as team cheerleaders. Gina
Wong, Melinda Campbell and I realized the
need for tunes and made it our duty to give
the runners something loud and upbeat
(both the music and our cheers). Looking
back, this is one of my fondest memories
from the trip – standing on the side of the
road, waiting for a flash of the red Cardio
Arrest jersey in the distance, and then
screaming our lungs out and dancing to the
beat of LMFAO.
Laura McIntyre – a friend of Longboat and
long-time Cardio Arrest member – ran a
speedy Leg 5 for us. During this leg, we also
got to watch Sheri Piers – a member of the
all-female team called the Maine Road Hags
and one of the top female masters
marathoners in the USA. She dominated the
competition and won the entire leg – that’s a
whole lot of men who just got “hagged”!
Pretty inspirational stuff.
Leg 6 is long and uphill (aren’t they all?!) and
Mike Cullen – another Cardio Arrest veteran
and friend of Longboat – ran another great
leg for the team. This leg ended in a climb
and Mike made it seem easy.
I was up next and ready to finish the rest of
the climb that Mike started. I had a quick
warm up in the start area (the lovely Cabot
Trail High School) and before I knew it, we
were lined up on the road and ready to begin
our 3 kilometre ascent. We were off and I
settled into a comfortable pace, knowing
that I had to be a bit conservative on the
uphill and I could make up some time when it
came time to descend this same hill. Hearing
the cheers of my teammates and every other
car that went by was magical and kept me
going through the 13 kilometres of rolling
hills. Prior to visiting Cape Breton, I had
heard about these “rolling hills” – when
people say hills, they truly mean hills. When
they say flat, what they really mean is “kind
of flat but there will definitely be some hills”.
As I climbed my last hill with the afternoon
sun beating down on me, I felt completely
done. Thankfully I was met at the top by the
cheering squad and some much needed
water, which got me through the last couple
kilometres. Finishing this race felt better
than anything and I was proud to have
contributed to this amazing team. I was also
happy to come in as the first woman and
third person in the leg.
Gina Wong was up next and ran along to the
sounds of Daft Punk (her preferred running
tune) and got us a fast time for her 12
kilometre Leg 8. As the sun started to go
down, it was time for another challenging
climb. Mike Park – the youngest Cardio
Arrest member – enthusiastically signed up
for Leg 9 which started at dusk and finished
in darkness. He ascend and descend the 385
metre North Mountain and posted another
quick time for the team.
Leg 10 is another one of those infamous legs
because of its insane climb. Insane is the only
word I can use to describe it, as it is 14.7
kilometres long and nearly all uphill. Runners
run a flat 3 kilometres then finish it off with
an incredibly long climb. Gerardo Reyes had
the pleasure of running this mountain and he
did a marvelous job. Not only was it pitch
dark, but runners dealt with both rain and a
strong headwind the entire way. As we
waited at the top to cheer on Gerardo, we did
everything we could to stay warm and alert.
Again, all of us were feeling thankful that we
were not running up the mountain side!
Now we were well into the night and for me,
the next couple legs were a bit of a blur. I do
remember Kevin Curnock’s excellent descent
down the mountain Gerardo had just
climbed, and Kevin Gallagher’s incredible
Leg 12. On Leg 13, we danced around in the
dark to some Bruce Springsteen and watched
Roger Moss battle intense wind through the
coastal route. Roger had just finished a fast
30km race the weekend before, but it didn’t
show – he made it through this leg in second
place. Cole was up again for Leg 14, a flat but
long (nearly 20 km) leg. It was the middle of
the night and although the wind had died
down, heavy rain started to fall. For those
keeping score, Cole ran almost 38K in less
than 24 hours! At a quick clip, no less.
Natalie Desimini – a Toronto Olympic Club
member and new Cardio Arrest teammate –
led us into the light (because it was now
finally dawn!) and ran an amazing Leg 15,
coming in as the first woman and third
overall. I particularly liked this leg, because of
the breakfast at the restaurant at the finish
line. Hot food tasted so good after a good 20
hours of nothing but bagels, Gatorade and
bananas. Melinda Campbell, running her
second Cabot Trail Relay, was our runner for
Leg 16 and ran extremely well despite her
lack of sleep.
Leg 17 is the last leg of the relay and was left
to Greg Lindsay – one of Cardio Arrest’s
founding members. They call Leg 17 the
glory leg; although much of the 19 kilometre
leg is run solo (no spectators allowed on
route), the descent into the finish line on the
main drag of Baddeck is something else. We
all arrived in town well before the final
runners arrived and had a chance to go to the
7
motel, change, and grab a beverage (despite
the early hour!). Waiting patiently on the
roadside, we finally saw the very first runner
come in: Dan Way – a former Cardio Arrest
team member and current Black Lungs
Toronto star -- led the runners and finished
the Black Lungs’ race, putting them in a close
second place overall. We continued to watch
runners roll in and we craned our necks to see
if it was Greg who would run in next.
fun, and knows how to support their team. A
jam packed weekend on the road with these
guys has been my favourite running
experience yet and I know that I can look
forward to many more.
The whole time during the race we had our
resident statistician, Kevin Gallagher,
keeping tabs on our performance. Each year
before the race, Kevin meticulously prepares
a spreadsheet with each runner’s projected
time taking recent race results and the
difficultly of each leg into account (he’s
ridiculously accurate!). He managed to keep
us updated throughout the race, and now at
the finish line, Kevin had us on the edge of
our seats, estimating our final placing. For
the last half of the race, we had stayed in
third place and were the top mixed team but
needed a certain time on the last leg to keep
rd
our 3 place spot behind the Maine-iacs and
the Black Lungs. Thankfully, Greg roared into
the finish line and our third place finish
stood. We were all elated and proud of the
team as all 16 of us managed to perform at
the top of our games for this very special
race.
Cardio Cheerleaders
After a few team photos, we cleaned up and
headed the Baddeck arena for the lobster
lunch banquet. We piled in the arena with
1,000 of our closest friends and happily ate a
nice Maritime meal provided by the friendly
folks of Baddeck. The community really
comes together and makes this race an
unbeatable show. The race director said a
few words of thanks and we then had a
moment of silence for the runner who passed
away during last year’s race. The leg he ran,
Leg 17, is now named the Steve Dunn Leg in
his memory.
Leg 10
Dana, Melinda and Gina… somewhere on the Cabot
Trail with LMFAO. Party Rock!
The “hill” Gerardo climbed in the dark.
We collected our plaques at the banquet (one
for placing third overall and another for our
first place mixed team finish) and then
headed back for naps, pizza, and the postrace party. The day was long but we had a
great time meeting other runners and
dancing to the Maritime band that
entertained us at the Baddeck Yacht Club.
It was an exhausting but thrilling weekend.
As soon as I was in the car on Monday
morning to go catch a flight in Halifax, I was
already thinking about how much I’m looking
forward to next year’s race. Cardio Arrest is
an amazing team filled with friendly and
welcoming runners and I was so proud to
have been able to run with them. This team
knows how to perform, knows how to have
Lobster Lunch Banquet
Cardio Arrest finished this challenging 276km race in
19:14:39, placing 3rd overall and the 1st mixed team.
8
Race Report
From the Old Files
What a Great Club is
all About
An untitled article from the
typewriter of Bert de Vries
in April 1982
A few weeks ago, one of the women
members of the club said to me, “You
know, I’ve never mentioned this before,
but it was really good seeing all the
guys in the club come to York
University just to cheer us on at the
Bonne Belle Race last fall.” I glowed
with pride (and the Beverley’s draft, for
that indeed is where this conversation
took place), having been one of these
attentive manes. Curiously enough, the
same sort of thought struck some of us
in the bus on the way to the Around the
Bay Road Race in Hamilton last
weekend – on our bus were Sheila
Gofton, Nan MacDonald, Jean O’Keefe
and Sharon Crawford; none of these
women for one reason or another, was
there with the intent to run the race.
They were going as results gathers,
cheerleaders, support persons,
revellers, and just plain good club
members. All of the Longboat runners
who finished the race were greeted by
cheers and encouragement, and
sometimes even fry wind-suits that had
been held for them. Similarly, in the
100km race held on Sat. Apr. 3, there
was a large contingent of members
marshalling the race, keeping the
runners company, supplying coke,
cheering, photographing, radioing, and
drinking the free beer at the finish line.
That’s what a great club is all about –
not constitutional wrangling,
procedural squabbles, and bureaucratic
entanglements, however necessary and
unavoidable these many sometimes be.
Here’s to cooperation, encouragement,
competition, support, and fun,
especially fun.
What I Think About When I Think About
Leg Eleven
It’s all downhill from here
by Kevin Curnock
It must have been a cyclist who first said that.
Or a maybe a parent pushing a baby carriage.
Perhaps a skateboarder.
It was not, I repeat – not – spoken by the outby John Kay
of-shape runner going downhill on Leg 11 of
the Cabot Trail Relay.
In late-May I had the exhilaration and
misfortune of running the so-called “downhill
leg” of the 17-stage, 24-hour relay race on
Cape Breton Island. Our team was Cardio
Arrest, and we were looking to once again
capture the mixed team crown. Indeed we
put together a formidable team, and our
strongest runners took the more difficult
legs. I was handed Leg 11, more as a favour
than anything else. “It’s all downhill,” Kevin
Gallagher told me some weeks before the
race. Some favour.
The 14km leg begins near midnight, in
blackness, with a gentle 5km climb. If there
were sign, it would be at this point: “Beware
Runners. It’s all downhill from here.” (Maybe
there is a sign. In the darkness, it is
impossible to tell.) From here the leg
descends into madness – an 8km steep and
downhill plunge. For those runners in good
shape and with strong quads, this will be the
place to push your pace. For those of us who
have trained by running the Martin Goodman
Trail and by eating Big Macs, the mountain
slalom is pure and utter pain.
The hurt started in my spine, migrated to my
legs, and then lodged itself firmly in my feet.
As the course turned and twisted down the
mountain highway, I could feel my heels
beginning to burn. Was I running on a belt
sander? What the hell was happening down
there?
I am a heel striker. The telltale wear appears
on all my shoes. Even the heels of my socks
wear out quickly. Heel striking is a good fit
for long plods on flat courses. It is not good
for rappelling face first down cliff sides. In
the case of Leg 11, steeper also means
harder. My heels were striking the asphalt
with far more force than usual.
Moreover, in my eagerness
to race, I had donned all my
Kevin’s right foot…
The disadvantage of
heel striking.
running gear, shoes included, nearly 8 hours
before my leg. Now, mid-way down the
mountain, my shoes were slipping on my
feet. I had not re-tied my laces before the
start of the leg. And as my feet pounded the
pavement, my shoes were ever-so-slightly
slipping on my feet.
At 8km, I could almost smell my feet burning.
I was passed by two runners in this stretch. I
was barely holding on. Every step hurt. At
the bottom of the mountain, with about one
kilometre left, I could go no further. I stopped
and walked. The shame! I recoiled with each
step. After a few seconds of indulging in self
pity, I started to run again.
The cheer of the crowd will always help you
run faster, and this race was no different.
Hearing friends call your name is even more
uplifting. Miraculously, I was able to sprint to
the finish line. Thank you, friends.
At Cabot there is no time to chit chat after
each leg. Instead, runners are whisked away
in the support van to help the runner on the
next leg. In the back of our van, I peeled off
my shoes to reveal the damage. The thick
skin on my right heel was completely torn
off, flapping like a barn door in a windstorm.
The skin on my left heel managed to stay
attached to my foot, but had shifted toward
the back of my foot by half an inch. In a few
days, it would also peel off.
For Cardio Arrest, the relay was a success.
We were first mixed team, and third overall.
There were many impressive performances
over the course of the race. We were
exhilarated, and we were proud.
My heels however, have a different
perspective.
9
Summer Running
by Roger Moss
Yes, it’s that time of year again, when the
thermometer has already crept passed
comfortable running temperature by the
time most of us get out of bed in the
morning. Still, it’s not necessary to abandon
training, for a summer of drinking beer on
various patios, a little planning means that
you can run and have your beer as well. So
here are a few things to consider in your
summer training:
Timing
The best time to run is in the early morning
or late evening when the temperatures are
typically cooler. Longer daylight hours mean
that late evening runs don’t necessarily mean
running in the dark. Still, a quick look at
hourly temperatures shows that it is
generally cooler at 7 in the morning than at 8
in the evening, so get out early if at all
possible.
Clothing
Whether or not you are a minimalist runner,
minimal clothing is the only way to go for
summer running. No tights, long sleeved
shirts or toques. Shorts, T-shirts (or even
singlet) and cap are best and of course lighter
colours will keep you cooler than darker
ones. Loose fitting clothes will give you more
air circulation and help keep you cooler too.
Hydration
You are going to sweat more in
summer than at other times of the year
so be sure to drink lots during the day to
remain hydrated. Carrying water on the
run is advisable for runs lasting longer
than about an hour, especially if there are
no water fountains along your route.
To check how much water you loose on a
run (and how much you need to
rehydrate) try the following test:
1. Strip off and weigh yourself before your
run
2. Do your run, consuming your normal
amount of water and or sports drink
3. Immediately after your run, strip off and
weigh yourself again.
4. Subtract the amount of water you
consumed on your run from this weight (use
a conversion of 1 litre of water = 1kg or 2.2
pounds).
5. Subtract the result from your weight
before your run to see how much weight you
lost during the run. This is the net amount of
water lost during the run.
For example: before run weight = 164lbs
Post run weight = 160lbs
Water consumed = 500ml = 1.1lbs
Net water loss = 164 – (160-1.1) = 5.1lbs
(equivalent to about 2.3 litres of water)
I’m sure you will be surprised at the amount,
and bear in mind that this is how much water
you need to drink to get back to your pre-run
state, which may itself have
been a state of dehydration!
Running routes
Summer is the perfect time to
get back on the trails that may
have been inaccessible during
the winter and Toronto is
particularly well endowed with
easily accessible trails in the
ravines, High Park and the Belt
Line. The main advantages of
the trails are the shade to keep
cool and the soft surfaces to
give your legs a break from
pounding the pavement. While
it may be more difficult to run
hard workouts on the trails,
there is no reason not to head
out there for easy runs.
Racing
Summer racing can be a withering
experience even if you are acclimatized to
the heat. It is rare that the weather cooperates to give you ideal running
conditions. This means that you have to
make accommodations for the heat. You
should know by the time you get to the start
line if your race plan needs to be adjusted
and if it does don’t be too stubborn to back
off, especially in the early stages. Let the PB
wait for another, cooler, day and just put in a
solid, but not dangerous, effort. There are a
few other things you can do to lessen the
effects of the heat including: drinking at the
aid stations (alternate between water and
sports drink), pouring water over your neck
and legs, and seeking out and running in the
shadiest part of the course.
We can’t afford to take the summer off, but
with a little forethought we can make it a
bearable, and perhaps even enjoyable,
experience. And that beer on the patio
always tastes better after a hard summer
workout.
10
Race Report
Saint John Airport Race
Writing in Saint John; now back in Toronto
by Tina de Deus
Saint John Airport Race, Saturday, May 14,
2011 and May 5, 2012
InJohn
2009, Kay
Paul (Collier) and I ran the Toronto
by
Pearson 5km runway race. We found it to be
a rather amazing experience. Here we were,
hundreds of people on the runway of an
international airport, a flypast just for us, a
plane parked nearby so that we could take
each other’s pictures. Even spectators were
allowed on the runway. All this in the age of
heightened airport security.
So, in 2011, when we were living in Saint
John, New Brunswick, and heard that there
was going to be a Saint John Airport race, we
signed up right away. Good thing we did
because the race was capped at 300 and was
soon sold out. We could do either the 5k or
10k race; we chose to do 10k (two loops). The
unique thing about this race was that it
would be run at an airport that was
functioning as usual and we had to run
between take-offs and landings!
Consequently, the schedule of events went
like this. At 8:00 am, the kids ran their 1.5 km
race. They had to be off the runway pretty
quickly because a plane would be taking off
for Halifax at 9:35.
handing over our photo ID's.
No ID, no race. It was not
until much later that I
realized I hadn't a clue what
the paper had said. Also, no
head phones and no liquids
were allowed on the runway. We were given
timing chips. At the end of the race, we had
to return the chips and would then get our ID
back.
At about 9:15, we went outside the terminal
where others, non-runners, were walking
across the tarmac onto their plane. At 9:35,
we waved as the plane started taxiing away
from the terminal. At 9:40, we waved and
cheered as the plane took off and at 9:45, the
control tower gave the “all clear” and off we
went.
The thing to remember here is that we are
talking Saint John, small city, small airport. In
order for us to be able to run the 5k loop, we
had to use nearly the whole airport. Canadian
Forces cadets manned the water stop. And,
as is common in Saint John, the sky was
overcast; luckily, the rain held off until the
afternoon.
While that was going on, the 5k and 10k
people were at a desk signing a paper and
We had been told beforehand that we had a
limited time to complete the race as a plane
from Toronto was coming in and they
needed at least half an hour to make sure
Recipe
1 cup of any kind of nut butter i.e. peanut,
hazelnut, mixes of different ones work too
Granola bars!
1 cup of syrup, i.e. agave, brown rice syrup
(taste not as strong/sweet as agave if you do
maple or honey, you may have to mix it with
one of the two above)
by Gina Wong
These puppies are delicious and will keep you
fueled for hours! They keep for around four
days, but you can freeze them or better yet,
share them with you running buddies!
What you need…
4 cups of oats
2 cups of filler/toppings, i.e. roasted
almonds, coconut, sesame seeds, chocolate
chips, dates - anything goes... get wild!!
that everyone was off the runways. So a
number of runners were picked up by truck
about a kilometer from the finishing line.
Paul came away with a draw prize. Neither of
us won the Air Canada flight to anywhere in
North America; local charities benefitted
from the proceeds of the race.
The prizes were kind of unique. The age
category winners in the 10k received a
medal, a large chocolate medal wrapped in
shiny gold paper attached to a colourful
ribbon. The first, second, and third place
winners (male and female) in the 5k, received
a bobble head trophy.
Everyone, organizers, sponsors and runners,
seemed pretty happy with this inaugural
event, so we're likely to have a second
annual.
And we did. The significant difference in
2012 was that it was raining at the start.
Luckily, that didn't last and it turned into a
good day for a race. Missed out on the Air
Canada flight again, though.
"It tastes
maximum in a
scale from one
to heaven!"
How you make it…
Mix butter and syrup (warm it up a bit)
Mix other ingredients in
Pour into parchment lined casserole dish
Press down i.e. Using a measuring cup to
make compact
Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Start checking
on it around 12 - you want to see the edges
golden, but it really depends on how crisp
you like it.
Leave uncovered overnight.
Michiel Van Hooreweder
11
Galan Yousuf – Up Close and Personal
by Bert de Vries
The first thing you notice when you are
running behind Galan Yousuf (which is what
many of us are obliged to do) is how wide his
shoulders are. Then later from other angles
you see how impossibly slender he is. There
must be some connection between that wide
upper torso and lung capacity. The next thing
you notice when you talk to him is his
incandescent smile that belies his selfeffacing and modest personality. He has
nothing to be self-effacing about, as you will
see.
I first became aware of Galan in 2010 when
he ran a respectable 23:22 at the Sunset
Shuffle 6 km as an 18-year-old. He had been
a track and cross country runner at R.H. King
Academy in Scarborough where he attended
high school, but was plagued with injuries
that happened just at the moment when he
could have qualified to run at OFSAA, the
provincial championships for high schools.
He started to contemplate joining Longboat
as a result of his Shuffle experience, but his
joining was again delayed by injury, until
finally he became a serious member this last
year.
He has already started taking a leadership
role in the club, joining Steve Metzger’s
organizing committee for the Sunset Shuffle.
He really wanted to run as a member of our
Ragnar team, but had an examination on the
Friday the race started. Some things you
can’t get out of, and this exam was
important, as Galan is entering his third year
of Biology at the University of Toronto with a
view to becoming a pharmacist.
Galan is part of a group of very young and
very fast runners that have recently joined.
Among these are Cole Czuchnicki, Kyle
Fraser, Eugene Tu and others. Galan says
that he “wants to be Cole”. How close is he?
Here are some of his performances:
1500 m
4:42
3000 m 10:30 – from high school… he
can crush that time now!
5000 m 17:52 – indoor meet in
February
5 km
17:35 on the road
10 km
35:53 Sporting Life
He hasn’t attempted any distance
longer than 10 km yet, but is planning to
run the Scotiabank Half Marathon in the
fall. To that end he is doing long runs on
his own, and attending the Friday track
workouts. He will be in the fast heat of
the Longboat Mile to be held on July
th
27 at Varsity Stadium. This will be a
race to watch, pitting our new exciting
young runners against some of the
grizzled veterans. I remember as a 14year-old seeing Abebe Bikila running
barefoot along the Appian Way into
Rome at the 1960 Olympics, the first
African to win an Olympic Marathon.
Galan’s family hails from Ethiopia as
well, and don’t bet against him creating
a bit of running history of his own.
12
Coach’s Corner
Longboat Lending Library
This alliterative addition to our club will get you all fired up to read about running.
by Steve Metzger
This year I’ve established the Longboat Lending Library to collect
resources that will help build your understanding of various training
techniques and proper nutrition. There are also a few titles mixed in just
forJohn
fun. I Kay
will highlight a few different texts from each category –
by
training, nutrition and just for fun – that will no doubt get you all fired
up to read about running! Here we go!
Run Faster, From the 5k to the
Marathon by Brad Hudson
“This book is awesome!” - paraphrasing Melissa
Rush (can’t remember exactly what she said, but
she really liked this book)
Hudson, the former coach of Olympic marathoner Dathan Ritzenhein,
wants you to be your own coach because everybody is different. He
calls it Adaptive Running. In his opinion, books that try to put forward
a one-size-fits-all training plan are doing a disservice to runners. As
you read, he guides you to assess yourself as an athlete offering advice
on how to augment workouts and your plan in general to give you more
balance. For instance, some of us have more speed, while others have
more endurance. Hudson's suggestions help athletes use their
strengths while alleviating their weaknesses.
I also found this book to be balanced in another way. Hudson's writing
is readable, but includes some science to support his reasoning.
Brad loves hills, especially hill sprints. He probably relies on them a bit
too much. Getting injured? Run hills. Prevent injury? Run hills. Build
strength? Run hills. Etc.? Run hills. Everything that he says about hill
running to true, but a little more variety would help, especially for
runners in Winnipeg.
Nutrition for the Long Run by Heidi Smith
This book was recommended by Tara Postnikoff who
spoke to us in March.
Short and straightforward, Smith has created a wellorganized reference manual. If you have a particular
question (fuelling for exercise, carbo loading, healthy
weight loss), you'll probably see an answer in the Table of Contents and
once you go to that page, you'll find a no-fuss answer. Her writing is
clear and to the point and there are charts to give extra information
(although some may be outdated as they refer to specific products).
What I appreciate about this book is that it motivates the reader to
adopt healthy eating habits while giving you a bunch or suggestions for
meals and snacks including 12 pages of recipes. It makes no promises,
but rather lays out the science that supports the assertions that she is
makes. It's then up to the reader to decide what to do to improve
his/her eating habits.
Should you take everything as gospel? Of course not, but that's like
anything in life. Researchers will continue to either prove or debunk
“truths” that we hold to be self-evident. For instance, she pooh-poohs
beer during recovery, a subject near and dear to my heart. However,
some recent studies have shown that alcohol may have no affect on
recovery. I just ran 20 miles and am about to drink 3 Guinness. I'll tell
you how it goes.
Once a Runner by John L. Parker
“The best novel ever written about running.” Runner's World
In his final chapters, he betrays himself a bit by throwing in a bunch of
sample training plans that could be seen as one-size-fits-all plans.
However, these should be seen as samples or anchors that you can use
as a starting point. Runners should then modify the plans to meet their
personal needs.
I read this book shortly after my son was born.
Therefore, being forced to attain a new level of
selflessness while reading about a quirky, selfobsessed miler was an interesting juxtaposition. Still, who isn't selfobsessed in their early 20s (I could be a real jerk back then).
He also stresses the importance of assessing yourself on a daily basis, a
freeing concept for those who feel that they MUST follow their plan in
order to get maximal results. In reality, a skipped or modified workout
may be what somebody needs on a given day.
Still, as the book progressed, I got wrapped up in the testosterone
heavy world of Southeastern University's track team as Quentin
Cassidy, our hero, aims to break 4:00 for the mile. As he gets crushed
by workouts, his girlfriend, his own insecurities and a bottle of liquor, I
felt myself pulling for him even more.
Sometimes, we assume that there is one best way to do something.
Hudson helps us understand that we are all different. Like everything
in life there is no magic bullet and training plans, although following
some essential core principals, need to reflect the particular athlete at a
particular moment.
INTERESTED IN READING ABOUT RUNNING?
Please contact Steve at stevemetzger3@gmail.com if you would
like to borrow any resources from the Longboat Lending Library.
Parker was a miler and steeplechaser himself, winning the United
States Track and Field Federation steeplechase championship.
Although fiction, Parker's pedigree gives the book more authority as it
allows the casual and seasoned runner a chance to see the amount of
work required to be an international calibre runner.
13
Race Report
Ragnar Relay: Fuel, Run, Drive, Cheer, Repeat
by Emily Hass
The inaugural Canadian Ragnar Relay was a 36-leg relay race from
Cobourg to Niagara Falls. Regular teams consisted of 12 runners, with 3
legs
each;
ultras were 6 teams with 6 legs. Once wrapping our heads
by
John
Kay
around the lack of Ragnar-supplied resources, honour system situation,
and the need to study your maps, our teams managed to kick back,
have some serious fun, and secure good results.
Between the strategic stops for cheering and the occasional rushing to
the next exchange to warm-up the next runner, the pace of Longboat
Lady Luck’s Van 2 was fun and slightly frenetic, although we did have
an approximately 3-hour break at Exchange 30.
At times those in Van 2 questioned if we were actually having fun as we
grappled with nerves, anticipated discomfort, motion sickness, and lost
teammates. Turns out questionable fun quickly turns into actual fun
due to awesome people. Runners make other runners, and events like
Ragnar that rely on synergy and cultivate camaraderie can bring out
the best in us. It feels good knowing your body can still kick it on no
sleep, with little recovery, and fuelled by candy/nerves that wreaks
collective havoc on your team’s digestive system (TMI for Wildfire?).
Most “Ragnarians” I spoke to agreed they would run the event again.
The Good

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
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Southwestern Ontario is incredibly pretty.
Forgetting toilet paper and finding out your teammates
remembered.
The glorious feeling of a “shower” via baby wipe after the third leg
(I wonder if the Volcano Dragons are aware of this rare splendor?).
Nothing like a good hunt in the last portion of a race (this made up
for the initial lonely legs, I think)!
The friendliness of Americans.
The funny fast French ultra guys with their cigarette smoking,
stationary bike for warm ups, and their friendliness (unless you ask
to ride the bike).
Unreliable/missing signage is an adventurous twist if you study
your maps.
Kills (# people passed) and deaths (# times passed) is a fun
concept that can also be applied when driving to catch the other
van.
Seeing fellow Longboaters and familiar running faces at
exchanges and the finish.
Longboat volunteers. Thanks Timo and Meredith (and anyone else
I am forgetting).
Medals that double as bottle openers.
Hilarious van banter on subjects that cannot now be mentioned.
Having an amazingly organized captain.
The beauty of Gina’s U-turn execution.
Predicted times that were often exactly on point!
Friendly competition.
Being reminded that you don’t have to feel good to run well.
Crossing the finish line in a big group.
14
The Bad

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Realizing this will not be an organized
race and both paper directions and your
GPS are unreliable.
Discovering simple carbs, your
supposed favourite thing, can become
pretty sickening after 24 hours straight.
Your team mocked repeatedly for trying
hard at running. Baffling!
Poorly lit handwritten signs redirecting
your route at 4am.
Learning the “Text Ragnar” option for
questions or issues is a myth.
Unreliable/missing signage is a problem,
if you do not study your maps.
3 water stations spotted across 311
kilometres.
4 helpful volunteers spotted across 311
kilometres, although the amazing lady
corralling people at the final line almost
made up for everything else.
Temporary tattoos last longer than
you’d wish when coupled with a tan.
Stinky van.
Messed up results.
Navigating early evening Toronto traffic
on a Saturday on zero hours sleep.
The Ugly



Navigating the last stretch of the final
leg in the heat on a crowded sidewalk in
Niagara Falls.
The frustration of gettin’ lost.
Navigating early evening Toronto traffic
on a Saturday on zero hours sleep, and
then returning your parent’s van to
London (thanks Katie!).
15
Race Report
The Ragnar Adventures
by Bert de Vries with files from Mike Shields.
photos by
Gregoire Bonhomme and Bert de Vries
We all met at the budget location at Front &
Parliament on Friday morning. We were lucky
by John Kay
enough to have a non-running driver, Hugh
Connolly, and he took the wheel driving us to
the Ragnar start in Cobourg. We got there an
hour early and were able to stretch our legs,
schmooze with other teams, and attend the
safety meeting where all the dire rules were
laid out and threats of disqualification made.
It seemed later on that only the rules that
didn’t make any sense were being enforced.
the gun Mike Park took the lead and led the
st
pack to the 1 exchange about 5 km away.
Rob Hanks took the hand-off and started a
series of legs that took us through the
countryside between Cobourg and
Bowmanville. The LLL were not far behind
and we were able to chat with them at most
of the exchanges.
Meanwhile, in Van 2…
The van 2 team met at budget later and took
off for Exchange 6. The team consisted of
Gregoire, Mike Bedley, Mike Shields, and Jim
Rawling. Van 2 did not have the luxury of a
driver. Steve Metzger and David Cimon were
working late and were driven to Exchange 9
by Daphne Tran. The team noticed that many
of the other participating teams had colorful
signage and designs on them. They also
greeted and mingled with the Longboat Lucky
Ladies and the Black Lungs.
Soon a phone call came to Mike Bedley
indicating that Todd Shannon was
approaching. With cheers from team
members from both vans and the Lucky
Ladies, Mike Shields, clad in his night-time
gear, took the handoff. After 4.8 miles, he
handed off to Mike Bedley who encountered
the first of many signage ambiguities to
plague our teams. At one point Steve
Metzger tore a page out of the “Rag Mag” to
help a rival team’s runner to find his away.
There are people who say Kevin Rocks
On account of his multi-hued socks
They are not such a fright
As the horrible sight
Of Laura McLean in her crocs.
The Longboat Lucky Ladies arrived shortly
before the start and soon Mike Park and
Dana Ferguson lined up with seven other
teams in the 2:00 o’clock wave. Right from
The course was very picturesque, but
featured several hilly sections that were
challenging. We managed to run steadily, but
I frittered away some of our lead against
other teams that later VD runners had to
regain. The outstanding sight on this section
was a lovely old humped wooden bridge over
the railway on Kevin’s leg. At the major
Exchange 6 we met Van 2 whose turn it was
to take over. Unfortunately the promised
elephant had returned to the zoo and the
Ragnar Staff were already packing up to get
to the next major Exchange.
16
David Cimon and Jim Rawling finished off this
section, fighting off the black flies and dueling
the Black Lungs as they went. At this point,
near-disaster struck. Anne Byrne, one of the
Lucky Ladies went off course and it was all
the Van 2 guys could do to locate her and get
her back on course. The fast-talking Gregoire
was able to persuade the Ragnar officials to
give back the 30 minutes that their poor
signage had cost the Ladies.
During this period of the race we had time to
get some food, relax, take a nap, stretch.
adventure. Less adventure on the next two
legs, run by Rob and Bob through
Scarborough. I took the handoff at
Birchmount Stadium and then ran a short leg
straight down Kingston Rd. to Woodbine
Ave., where I handed off to Kevin. On my leg,
digestive troubles started to trouble some of
our van-dwellers, one in particular:
As we waited for Jimmy, the black Lungs’ Rob
Campbell came zooming in, but the
teammate he had to hand off to was not
there yet.
When you’re on a Ragnarian ramble
It’s a risk on your teammates to gamble;
They might show up late
As you wait at the gate –
And this was the case with Rob Campbell.
There once was a man named Gazzale
Whose bowels weren’t healthy and hale.
He stank up the van
As only he can
With a putrid malodorous gale.
Kevin’s leg presented problems, because the
next exchange point was near the sports
fields off Unwin Ave. east of Cherry St.
Unfortunately we would have to backtrack
because the big bridge over the shipping
channel on Cherry St. is only open to
pedestrians.
As he waited impatiently, Jimmy came in,
headlamp blazing and handed off to Mike.
Here the trouble began. The signage was
poor, the route was complicated, and the
path was dark, taking the runners onto a
Rouge River trail. Mike got lost. Meanwhile,
the Black Lungs runner had caught up to Mike
and then they got lost together.
The Volcano Dragon named Park
Had a fate that was scary and stark
He got way behind
‘Cause he couldn’t read signs
And scrambled around in the dark.
But soon we had to get on to Major Exchange
12 in order for Mike Park to take the handoff
from Jim Rawling. By this time it was dark and
we had to wear the night gear: reflective vest
with red flashing LED light on the back plus
headlamp or flashlight. Even Hughie had to
wear a reflective vest. If we were to cross a
road to support our runner we had to carry a
red flag.
The van route was also complicated, and
afforded only a small area where we could
meet and support Mike. We got there and
waited and waited, and then decided we had
to get to the next exchange point and had
great difficulty finding that, even though we
had a GPS. Who knew East Point Park was so
big? Anyway, Mike came steaming in, very
upset and handed off to Rob Hanks. We
probably lost 10-12 minutes on this midnight
Also, this dark section of the Martin
Goodman Trail emboldened some of
Toronto’s thugs to harass the women
runners. So we hightailed it to the next point
after Kevin passed to Todd Shannon, who had
a very long leg (almost 15 km) to the Humber
Bay Park. In fact, Todd had more total
mileage than any of us.
Our number 6 runner named Todd
Has a reasonably athletic bod;
He may not be strongest
But he ran the longest
He must be some kind of a god.
This was the next Major Exchange and again
we hobnobbed with the Van 2 guys as they
waited for Mike Shields to take the handoff
from Todd. We took this opportunity to visit a
Tim Horton’s and load up on things that are
bad for us. Thank goodness we had Hughie to
drive; in our sleep-deprived state we needed
his navigational skills to get us to the church
on time.
17
After the Van 2 guys ran on into the night
through Mississauga to Major Exchange Point
24 in Shell Park, Oakville, it was our turn
again to take over. As we waited, the sun was
just starting to come up over Lake Ontario to
the East – what a beautiful sight!
The summer night weather was perfect as
nd
Mike Shields started the 2 Van 2 phase from
Humber Bay Park. This phase passed
smoothly except for Mike Bedley’s second set
of misadventures with the bad Ragnar
signage. Also, there were numerous
obnoxious drunks spilling out of the bars
along the route. As David and then Jimmy
approached the next Major Exchange, a
phone call alerted the Van 1 team of Jimmy’s
location. The Van 2 guys had to change
drivers frequently so as not to fatigue any
one runner too much. As soon as they
reached Exchange 24, the team headed off to
Exchange 30 in order to get some sleep, food
and rest. This is where all the Ragnar teams
started to converge, the faster teams
catching the slower ones and recording their
“kills” on the sides of their vans. As Todd
Shannon approached for the start of the last
phase, panic broke out – Mike Shields could
not be found. Finally he was located, snoring
deeply and surrounded by a women’s team.
It was broad daylight now, and the final
phase began with Mike shields taking the slap
from Todd Shannon.
for stopping the van to support him. We were
in an area that was no-support for no good
reason that we could discern. We couldn’t
give him water and the Ragnar people
weren’t providing any in spite of the fact that
this was by far the longest leg of the whole
race (16 km). On to Exchange 30, where the
Van 2 guys took over for the last time and we
went on to the finish at the Oakes Garden
theatre right across from Niagara Falls.
Mike Park ran a very hard 8-mile section
through Burlington that would be familiar to
Around the bay participants. Past the lift
locks he handed off to Bob Gazzale, who had
traded legs with Rob Hanks in order to even
out their distances. The road here was flat
and unconfusing, going between the water
and the QEW. We were not allowed to
support our runners through long sections of
these stages for reasons that are totally
unclear. We did cheer them on, though, and
we have a lasting image of Rob with his hair
seemingly on fire and his hands waving in the
air. A word about Rob: he was our team
captain and did all the worrying, organizing
and panicking for us.
The picky team captain named Hanks
Belongs to the genre of cranks.
In a way that’s depressive
He’s anal, obsessive
For which we all owe him great thanks.
I took the handoff from Rob and continued
wearing my reflective vest, even though it
was broad daylight, the rules being what they
were. Kevin and Todd followed on with the
route staying much the same. During Kevin’s
leg we were reprimanded by the Ragnar staff
The last phase was easier to navigate, it being
daylight and the roads seemingly more
straightforward. Also more attractive as the
team made its way through lovely Niagaraon-the-Lake and the Niagara Parkway. Jimmy
took the handoff for the very last stage, No.
36, and immediately had to climb the biggest
hill on the course, the Niagara Escarpment.
He managed it with great verve, finishing 4
minutes faster than he had calculated.
Together again… at the end!
18
who had assembled at the bottom of the
steps. This was very impressive and fun for
everybody. The Van 1 and Van 2 guys waited
for the Lucky Ladies to finish, and it was a
thrill to see Gina striding confidently up the
steps followed by her enthusiastic
teammates.
The gals in the LLL van
They ran and they ran and they ran
And they ran and they ran
And they ran and they ran
And they ran and they ran and they ran.
Here, waiting for Jimmy Rawling to come in
as the last runner of our team we relaxed,
chatted, drank our free beer and watched
some of the strongest teams coming in,
including the Black Lungs, who won.
Congratulations to them. The finishing
runners ran up a set of steps through the
Ragnar Arch, followed by all their teammates
The weather was absolutely perfect, and the
whole experience was lots of fun, with
camaraderie, team-building, great athletic
efforts, problem-solving (The search for Anne
Byrne could be a movie of its own!) and good
organizing on Longboat’s part. The Ragnar
people for the most part were very good, but
it’s hard to see how anyone could botch the
results any worse than they did. Presumably
they have received enough feedback to fix
them.
Relays continue to be an activity that Longboat is very good at. Here are our two excellent teams:
Longboat Lady Luck completed the relay 23 hours and 39 minutes.
The Longboat Volcano Dragons finished in 22 hours and 36 minutes.
Facts and Figures
Longboat Infographic
7,313 162
*
Kilometres
Longboat
members have
raced in the 2013
season thus far –
totaling over 500
races!
Members as at
June 2013! 21.5%
of which are new
members.
by Gina Wong
33
7
Years the club has
been established
in the Greater
Toronto Area.
Members named
Michael or Mike in
the club. The next
popular name
with 5 members is
John.
*excludes Ragnar relay
Age profile – by Count
Club demographics
n=145, 17 members did not
provide DOB
Age and gender
The average Longboat
member is 43!
20
Results
Flying Feather Standings
Compiled by
Roger Moss
Rank
by John Kay
Name
# of
Races
Equivalent
Time
Rank
Name
# of
Races
Equivalent
Time
1
Cole Czuchnicki
Best 3
1:15:23
1
Julie Hamulecki
2
1:25:26
2
Kyle Fraser
Best 4
1:17:13
2
Michelle Clarke
1
1:26:30
3
Mike Park
3
1:18:18
3
Laura McLean
Best 4
1:29:31
4
Roger Moss
Best 4
1:18:22
4
Melinda Campbell
Best 4
1:29:54
5
Galan Yousuf
Best 2
1:19:42
5
Dana Ferguson
Best 2
1:31:27
6
Kevin Mok
1
1:19:43
6
Anne Byrne
4
1:31:32
7
Gerardo Reyes
Best 4
1:20:56
7
Gina Wong
2
1:32:35
8
Gregor Kranjc
1
1:21:04
8
Tara Lapstra
2
1:32:39
9
Steve Metzger
Best 4
1:21:33
9
Cara Allaway
1
1:32:58
10
Francois Girard
Best 4
1:23:37
10
Hilary Tulk
2
1:33:43
11
Alec Brooke
1
1:25:16
11
Christine Loch
1
1:34:31
12
Greg York
2
1:26:27
12
Alexandra Friel
2
1:34:54
13
Mike Manongdo
2
1:26:42
13
Lynn Bourque
Best 4
1:35:09
14
Kevin Leung
Best 3
1:26:42
14
Erin Bingley
3
1:35:35
15
Alex Farrell
1
1:26:53
15
Laura Lipscei
Best 4
1:36:24
WHAT IS THIS?
To calculate the Flying Feather Standings, race results are converted to a half marathon equivalent time using the MacMillan running calculator.
The average time for the best four races is taken and ranked. Only road races between 5K and 42.2K are used. Duplication of distances is not
permitted. At the end of the racing season, the top 7 members will receive a Flying Feather Award at the banquet. Members must have four races
to be eligible for the award.
A complete list of the Flying Feather Standings can be found on the club’s website.
21
Results
WMA Standings
Compiled by
Bert de Vries
Rank
by John Kay
Name
# of Races
WMA
Score
Rank
Name
# of
Races
WMA
Score
1
Roger Moss
Best 6
84.55
1
Nancy Wells
4
85.02
2
Richard Bailey
Best 6
81.70
2
Diane Marrow
2
83.41
3
John MacMillian
Best 6
81.08
3
Claire Prest
1
82.17
4
Kevin Mok
3
80.44
4
Michelle Clarke
2
80.43
5
Cole Czuchnicki
Best 6
80.08
5
Anne Byrne
5
79.63
6
Chris Newton
5
78.83
6
Lynn Bourque
Best 6
78.52
7
George Hubbard
Best 6
78.26
7
Christine Loch
4
77.97
8
Mike Bedley
4
78.05
8
Julie Hamulecki
2
77.80
9
Hugh Connolly
4
77.64
9
Jennifer Penny
1
75.48
10
Tony Teddy
5
77.17
10
Tara Lapstra
2
74.97
11
Greg York
3
76.88
11
Melinda Campbell
Best 6
73.85
12
Kyle Fraser
Best 6
76.58
12
Laura McLean
Best 6
73.34
13
Gerardo Reyes
Best 6
76.06
13
Laura Lipcsei
Best 6
73.06
14
Jim Rawling
Best 6
76.01
14
Wendy Chan
Best 6
72.27
15
Stefan Randstrom
3
75.72
15
Dana Ferguson
Best 6
71.78
WHAT IS THIS?
To calculate the WMA Standings, race results are entered into the WMA calculator to determine an age-graded score. The average WMA score for
the best six performances is taken and ranked. No more than three 5K races and no more than three track races (unless it is 10,000m) can be used.
A marathon counts as two races. At the end of the racing season, the top 7 members will receive a WMA Award at the banquet. Members must
have six races to be eligible for the award.
A complete list of the WMA Standings can be found on the club’s website.
22
Results
Top 5 Road Race Results
Compiled by
Roger Moss
5k
8k
Cole Czuchnicki
by John Kay
Cole Czuchnicki
16:00
Michelle Clarke
18:41
Cole Czuchnicki
27:25
Laura McLean
32:54
16:07
Dana Ferguson
19:02
Mike Park
28:16
Kathleen Thompson
33:08
Kyle Fraser
16:20
Anne Byrne
19:03
Kyle Fraser
28:31
Gina Wng
33:14
Gerardo Ryes
17:04
Melinda Campbell
19:29
Gerardo Reyes
28:46
Hilary Tulk
33:21
Galan Yousaf
17:08
Dana Ferguson
19:36
Steve Metzger
28:52
Melinda Campbell
33:46
10K
15K
Cole Czuchnicki
33:40
Julie Hamulecki
38:37
Kyle Fraser
55:31
Laura McLean
1:04:06
Kyle Fraser
34:09
Anne Byrne
39:35
Steve Metzger
57:39
Anne Byrne
1:07:00
Mike Park
34:10
Melinda Campbell
39:58
Tyler Firth
58:59
Lynn Bourque
1:07:55
Roger Moss
34:50
Alexandra Friel
40:49
John MacMillan
1:04:07
Wendy Chen
1:11:59
Cole Czuchnicki
34:57
Erin Bingley
41:02
Jim Rawling
1:05:35
Juliana Tobon
1:12:56
10-Miles
30K
Kirk Lynn
1:08:09
Meredith Parker
1:22:34
Roger Moss
1:54:38
Julie Humalecki
2:03:53
Jim Rawling
1:10:09
Sandra Tam
1:23:51
Roger Moss
1:54:44
Melinda Campbell
2:09:53
Richard Bailey
1:11:38
Gerardo Reyes
1:59:01
Laura Mclean
2:09:55
Richard Bailey
1:13:25
John MacMillan
2:07:16
Erin Bingley
2:18:16
Bert de Vries
1:17:54
Bob Gazalle
2:09:55
Wendy Chen
2:23:06
Half-Marathon
Marathon
Kyle Fraser
1:17:30
Laura Mclean
1:28:23
Roger Moss
2:43:57
Laura McLean
3:06:19
Roger Moss
1:19:26
Tara Lapstra
1:29:04
Stefan Randstrom
2:57:19
Melinda Campbell
3:12:20
Steve Metzger
1:21:01
Gina Wong
1:31:49
Bob Gazzale
3:03:30
Melinda Campbell
3:12:30
Gerardo Reyes
1:22:25
Laura Mclean
1:33:11
Steve Metzger
3:04:00
Hilary Tulk
3:17:15
Tyler Firth
1:23:11
Anne Byrne
1:33:15
Mike Manongdo
3:09:03
Dana Ferguson
3:19:30
23
CALL FOR WILDFIRE SUBMISSIONS!
Wildfire was introduced back in 1981 because "there was just so much happening". Before the internet, the newsletter
was done using a typewriter and provided the means to share race results, advertise the club's busy social calendar and
share articles on training techniques. In the digital age, the newsletter has evolved and the club now relies on the
website and facebook for these things. However, there is still an important place for the Wildfire to document the club's
history and what our members are up to.
Submissions range from opinion pieces, book reviews, race reports, training tips, recipes, member profiles, photos...
There's no limit on your creativity.
Please contact Melinda (communications@longboatroadrunners.com) if you are interested in contributing. You can
make a submission at any time… No need to wait for the absolute, absolute deadline. The next issue will be published in
December 2013.
Tell your story. Be part of the tradition.

July 2013 - Longboat Roadrunners

Transcription

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