A flood of good

What a week it has been. Seven days ago Calgary faced a wall of water it had never before seen. Seven days later we hold our breath as that same water is about to be contaminated with rail cars hanging precariously off a bridge. Who says things always happen in three's?

With all our distractions we have lost temporarily our home base of the Tech Shop and the Mission paths. We will use the Glenmore Landing McDonalds as our home base for the weekday and weekend trots until we can gauge the safety of the paths through the rest of the city. Many are lost so we will be somewhat limited for the next couple of years!

We will meet Tuesday and Thursday at 630 pm while Saturday will be 8 am. Let me know if you are coming to join us. We did have a good 'get lost' trot on Tuesday with Peter and Blaine. Peter was trapped in Canmore for a few days last week but is happy to be home. Blaine had just finished a Cannonball run from Calgary to Saskatoon and back in the span of 24 hours. I am guessing his new car had a great trip!

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Thank you. That is all you can say to our fellow citizens. Joy and I were inconvenienced last week when a midnight knock at the door left us wondering if we would be losing our home. In hindsight all we lost was fridge food (dad was distraught at the loss of the pepperoni) and a few good nights sleep. the hard work of volunteers, civic employees, and the like did well to keep our pocket of paradise just that.

I can't help but think of my friends that have been affected by the floods. Brenda and her husband John in Bowness have a number of properties along the river that they have been renovating and Brenda has been selling through her brokerage.

Evelyn and Bill along Rideau road who have been great friends to many of us over the years have once again faced an enormous task to fix what mother nature has broke.

Our friends in business with Lauren and the Tech Shop, Wai at the alteration shop, Dom with Mercato and Wurst, Randi and the team at OJ's, and all the rest on 4th street and around that area that will be closed for a while if not forever. I don't even know what is up with the Payne's and Robinson's Camera. At least the silver bullet is safe!

I want to shout out to Ally and her leadership in getting down and dirty helping to clean the town.

 

That is our trooper!

I have lots more to be thankful for but I just hope our friends like Krista, Courtney, and the rest can get back to their homes and back to their lives.

See you on the stable pathways.

180,000 reasons to run

Volunteers are a wonderful creature. They are silent in the corners of your event making sure that everything is 'tickety-boo'. Last weekend I had the pleasure of hosting a dozen marshals who supervised the route for the annual "Walk to Fight Arthritis". This was the fourth annual event and I am pretty sure we have yet to have a warm and sunny spring day.

We put our marshals out to pasture (literally as the route was along the Bow Valley Ranch old pasture land) and into what would be a thirty minute downpour of rain, hail, wind, and lightning! The troopers stayed there while soaked and escorted the 600 or so walkers through a five km route. Well done!
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I feel the need to go fishing this Saturday so off to Fish Creek we go! Let's meet at Glennfield Meadows for an 8 am trot in the woods.

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My buddy Angus is back at it. Not only does he host the Amble with Angus in the deep of winter, he now has a summer trot called the Angus Cattle Run. What will he think of next. This good buddy has raised $180,000 for the Food Bank with his trots. A great number but sad when you think we have to raise so much to feed so many...

Who is in????

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Not too tired from the Angus 5 km on a Saturday of Stampede? Head up to Airdrie and join the Spaghetti Western 15km relay.

A Comrades controversy with Mickey Mouse

Welcome to Thursday. A great day for doing things outside. What to do, what to do??? Trot for sure at 630 pm. Then??? Well go inside for fatty foods and brown pop. See you tonight?

As for Saturday, I may or may not be able to join the group for 8 am at the McDonald's Glenmore Landing. This location is perfect for a leaderless crew so plan for 8 and if I show great!
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Today at work we had what is called SAITday. A day to celebrate all that is our workplace. We invited speakers in to share knowledge in a vast array of topics, from gardening to wine and cheese pairing, and tours of the 'backlots' of our campus. We also celebrated a number of exceptional employees. Did you know that SAIT is a leading edge research school in water conservation and use? We also celebrated our best SAIT Volunteers, which brings me to...
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One of these kids is not like the other!

The Stampede Road Race on July 7th has a special spot in my heart. This was the race that I ran on my 40th birthday, which seems like four years ago! Dan kept me occupied to my right as a couple dozen friends stayed quiet with signs and noisemakers to my left. A tricky bugger he is!

“Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer”
   -Anonymous

They are in dire need of volunteers race day. I know many of you will be hung over from the biggest pub crawl in the world, but if you can spare a few hours I know Jay will shake your hands and possibly kiss your feet. Okay, a big smile is more likely but he will be most grateful!
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Weather is a wonder...we had some big rains over the last two weeks and today we are being pelted with sunshine. Weather is a wonder as you see Oklahoma, Germany, and other weather phenomenon change our history. Hopefully your weather only bathes you in vitamin D.
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When we ran the marathon in Lisbon back in 2004 I was victim of a terrible crime. While trotting along with our group and in full view of all, I was mugged. Yes, a bystander of the marathon dashed out on the course and stole...my chips. They were pinned safely on my back for others to  have their nutritional support. He grabbed these needed chips and was off into the underground of Lisbon. At least he didn't get my passport.

I recalled this event when our pal Greg forwarded a story from the Comrades Marathon in Durban. I hear this is the happiest race on earth...enjoy the read and give Arman a call when you are finished.
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The following story was featured in the Calgary Herald and involved our friends Lauren and Lindsay. 

Lindsay completed her first marathon  last week!
AND she finished top three in her age category!

Running a marathon is arguably one of the greatest feats of athleticism a person can achieve.

The only thing more tremendous than being able to keep moving forward for more than 42 kilometres, is having the mental strength to not call it quits before the finish line is in sight.

Running season is officially in full swing. And with the 49th annual Calgary Marathon taking place this Sunday , a lot of Calgarians are about to push themselves to their limits for the very first time.

I caught up with Lauren Milburn, Tech Shop store manager and running enthusiast (she has the Chicago Marathon under her belt), for a few pointers on racing like a champ.

Preparation is Key

If you did the training, you have nothing to worry about on race day.

"Most people will have been training for 13 to 16 weeks for marathon-length runs and will have overcome most of the common obstacles just during their long prep runs," says Milburn.

Everything that worked with your training: do on race day. Don't go changing anything, from your socks and shoes to your nutrition or pace and go the extra mile to get prepared the day before the run.

Gearing Up

Anyone who has completed a marathon will agree that the importance of moisture-wicking apparel (including your socks) cannot be emphasized enough.

"Moisture-wicking material will keep you cooler and drier and decrease the risk of blistering and chafing," says Milburn.

Letting go of your vanity and getting proper-fitting shoes at a running store also top most runners' lists of tips.

"Getting properly fitted for shoes insures that you are in the best model for your foot type," Milburn says.

Bottoms Up

Timing your pre-race hydration properly is possibly the key to endurance-running success. Just ask anyone who has been shut down by dehydration cramping during a race.

Making sure you have adequate hydration the day before the race is the biggest factor. Guzzling a bunch of water the hour before the race won't get you to the optimal hydration levels you need and will most certainly have you needing to use the washroom during your run.

She also advises bringing your own hydration belts or packs with you.

"Water stations are never where you want them to be," she says with a laugh.

It's All in Your Head

Just like golf, marathon running is a mental game. According to Milburn, most training plans will take runners on 32 and 36-km runs. Completing 42.2 km after that is purely a mental challenge, and not an easy one at that.

Having friends and family members come out to run the last 10 kilometres is a common strategy runners employ to distract themselves from what is going on in their head.

When the Going Gets Tough ...

"Join a run group!" says Milburn, who leads many out of the Tech Shop's 4th Street location.

This, of course, should be done during your training phase, but having your regular running buddies there with you as you are pushing your way through is guaranteed to make the experience a lot more enjoyable.