Scotiabank Half-Marathon Charity Challenge

(Fred doing what he did best)

Normally I would be writing a very detailed race report about Sunday's Times Colonist 10K right about now. I would be talking about my morning pre-race routine, what I wore, how the weather turned out, and all the important details you might want to know if you were going to run this race. But I'm not going to do that.

The reason I'm not wasting this post on another race report is that I found a cause!

Some of you who follow me on Twitter might have heard that my dog Fred died quite suddenly in March. It's been a very devastating loss for us and it's left a big hole in me personally.

I recently found out that a half-marathon I was already signed up to run in June is now set up so that participants can run for one of a number of charities and get donations on their charity's behalf.

When I saw the BC SPCA (British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) on that list I immediately signed up. Our dog was rescued by the Vancouver branch of this society and that was where we found him nearly 7 years ago. Now that he's gone I've got this longing to take care of animals that won't go away and I've promised Ian I'd wait a year before rescuing any more.

Anyway, to go to my donation page click on the image below:

Here are some gratuitous shots of Fred and I during happier times:

(Fred was a big time cuddler)

(He didn't mind being hugged and sqeezed)

(Sometimes I'd sqeeze too hard and he'd yelp, but he didn't hold a grudge)

I'd appreciate ANY size contribution ($5 is a nice round number) and if you know anyone who might be sympathetic to the cause please direct them to my donation page.

Thanks!

Race Summary: TC10K

This is not my Official Race Report, but until I get to that, here is the breakdown of my race: Mile 1: 8:17 (weaving in and out of the crowd) Mile 2: 7:59 Mile 3: 8:18 Mile 4: 8:58 (Big Mother Hill) Mile 5: 8:06 Mile 6: 8:23 (doing the best I can, but not feeling so hot - tummy ache!) Last .2 Miles: 7:54 (strong finish at the last 100m or so) Good race. No aches or pains in any of my joints. Stomach bothered me a bit the last mile or so...This is a frequent issue for me (nerves?) Unofficial time: 51:39 BUT my Garmin didn't start right so you have to add 30-60 seconds onto that - will check results online later!

Rave Run: Sidney By the Sea

Last weekend we were petsitting for my Dad at his house in Sidney, BC. It's a cute little town just outside Victoria on Vancouver Island. We took the ferry, which is about a 2 1/2 hour trip, and got to see a bunch of dolphins swimming alongside the vessel. There were also a lot of seagulls hanging around looking for misplaced french fries or sandwich crusts, but they were less interesting.

Back to the petsitting, my Dad and his wife have 3 cats and two dogs. They're all very cute and lovable, but unfortunately Ian and I both have pretty severe cat allergies and even though the guest house is supposed to be cat-free, we had major issues (running noses, red, watery eyes, athsma). I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to run, but getting out for my 5 miles along the ocean was just what I needed to clear out the toxins.

(One of the allergin carriers, Ernie, wouldn't come out of hiding all weekend. But I found him)

I started out by Beacon Park, which is a little grassy area at the end of the main shopping street. I followed the path along the shoreline and ran out onto both piers and back to add a bit more interest. The trail only goes for a couple of miles and then you have to go up to the road...

(Pier No.2)

(Rather gory safety notice on Pier No.2)

It was a gorgeous, spring day and all of the flowers were blooming and the birds were singing. I didn't spot any wildlife or other runners, although I kept looking for them. I did see a lot of retirees strolling along or sitting on benches. There are a lot of people over 65 in Sidney.

(View of the sea from the road)

As I ran I listened to Phedippidations Ep. 183 where Steve Runner discusses why he believes the Boston Marathon is the best in the world. I think I'll save this one and listen to it over and over again.

Links: Sidney, BC

Victoria

Vancouver Island

Phedippidations

Boston Marathon

Team Point Two!

A few weeks ago a casting call was put out for runners who were looking to improve upon their marathon finish times in a fall race. The idea was to follow the 7 chosen marathoners as they progressed in their training through interviews on the Runners Roundtable. The project, called "Team Point Two", was spearheaded by esteemed marathon advisor John Ellis and Runners Roundtable co-hosts Toni Harvey and Steve Runner. Steve is also familiar to many of us as the voice and creative genius behind the running podcast "Phedippidations". John Ellis volunteered to help the Team Point Two members formulate training plans and to provide ongoing support as they attempt to make their marathon dreams come true. You may know John through his work helping Steve Runner bring his marathon finish time to within 1 minute of his all-time goal of a sub-4 marathon....Wait a minute....Hm. Oh well, close enough. He's a regular guest on the Runners Roundtable and Phedippidations and seems to enjoy sharing his knowledge of running with all of us. In any case, I threw my hat in the ring with a Top 10 list of reasons I thought I should be picked for Team Point Two. And I'm THRILLED to announce that by some miracle...some oversight or clerical error, I was selected!! If you go to the Team Point Two website you can find links to all of the team members' blogs, including John Ellis's. Toni, John, and Steve did a fantastic job picking a diverse group of people with compelling stories and different goals. All of us are on Twitter and are logging our workouts on Buckeye Outdoors as well, so feel free to send us messages or check in on our training. I'm looking forward to getting to know the other team members a lot better over the next few months and taking it to the next level with John's help. Let's get the party started!