John, Jon Jon, and not John

A happy Friday to you all! I can really feel that our training days will soon be expanding to different routes, terrain and time. I feel like 8 am might be coming soon! But not this week. I would enjoy having you all join us for a trot in beautiful Bowness Park with a 9 am start tomorrow. Will we see you there?
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We saw our friend Jon B. as he left the comfortable confines of the Caymans for a trip to Calgary and a wedding. We haven't seen him around these parts since 2004 so it has been a while. Thanks to Willie and Carroll for helping with a quickie reunion of our Flanders Fields Marathon team of 2003.

Jon, John, and not not John but rather Willie.

The race in Ypres was the first for Jon, Willie, Ally, and Carroll among many others that joined us on that trip. It is hard to believe that ten years have passed since these people joined me for their first trip of a trot. Who would have guessed that ten years later we still have fond memories and even better friendships. I think the four and five hour training days - along with some pint sized brown beverages - may have been the culprit of this connection.

We did enjoy arriving at the Hotel Royal Astrid in Oostende and seeing the hallways lined with hospital beds, IV stands, and people who were obviously in need of 24 hour care. Our hotel it seemed was also an infirmary. Amazingly the next day we awoke to bare hallways and nary a patient to be found. Now where did they all go? It all happened in Absolut Oostende...
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Lauren and Greg are hinting that I need to move. they both have sent me events in BC that require my attendance. Greg is telling me to get off - the road and try the Trek Series trail runs. They seem pretty tame for distance with the longest being 25 km, but they do have some wild names: Crazy Soles, Round the Mountain, Reiko's Hellish Half, Tears and Gears, and the Headbanger. How could you go wrong with those names?

Lauren is much more refined and has suggested the first annual Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon. Now how could you go wrong with wine and racing? Remember my thesis: "You can't get drunk on wine while doing a marathon." Proven with experience. Granted this event is a half marathon so my study is really of no good for us...
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If you are traveling out of the country and going through customs you may get this question:
Q: "Is the purpose of your visit business or pleasure?" A: "Neither. I'm running a marathon."
Thanks to the Friday funnies