Tour for kids 2010

Tour for kids 800km epic 4day adventure, pledges still accepted!

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Day One - Thursday

Stouffville - Trent University

It's 7:20 pm and 15 of us are stranded at the Pioneer Gas Station in Springville - 15 km's out of Peterborough. We started at 9am by the way.....

I knew it was going to be a bad day when I lost my little baggie with $30 in it....somewhere in the first 50km. I also decided to start in the 2nd fastest group again this year, and rode my ass off quite well till 50km (too bad it's a 200km day). I then got dropped like a bad Brett Favre pass. But not after enjoying some "Tour de France" like riding - bombing along the country roads towards Uxbridge at 40+ kph in some flat sections....priceless. In a Peleton (pack of cyclists) you can even go up a decent hill doing 30.

The weather was perfect today, sunny skies, warm with slight winds to provide relief. After the first rest stop, a few of us missed the cut off on

Marsh Hill Road

, and so a few miles later we were officially lost. This would set the tone for the day unfortunately.

I decided that we should "improvise" and find our way back to the group we broke off from, but my travelling companions wanted to retrace their pedals......and before I could turn around to join them I noticed my tire going flat.

AAggghh!

20 minutes later....and two C02 cartridges...I am on my way, map in hand with a less-than-fully inflated front tire. So I know this won't last another 100+ km's, and we're getting close to Port Perry. "There must be a bike shop here somewhere"?

I am now on the outskirts of Port Perry, and pull into a "tire repair" shop which would make sense if I was in a car! Usually these mechanics have everything, including the convertor for regular air pressure and these skinny tires we have.

I skirt across the road and notice a rather impressive looking Audi turning out of the lot, and he's yelling at me! "White trash redneck" is all I could think at the moment, forgetting that it's a $50,000 German car and not a used North American pick-up. I am trying to find someone who works here and the guy in the Audi is still shouting and now he's reversing his car back towards me!

Good grief, he either really hates road cyclists, or maybe he wants to make a donation to Tour for Kids?? (Always the Optimist).

Well, funnily enough it's a client, Adam Ruppell from Chico Racing (Ontario's Premier Mountain Biking guru). "How did you know it was me" I asked? "Your Juice Plus+ cycling jersey gave you away!"

So 15 minutes later as we discuss the state of affairs in Trail Running (stay tuned for new 2011 Chico Trail running folks)....we finally change topics and move onto more pressing matters, like my under-inflated flat tire! "There's a bike guy straight across the corn field over there, Johnston's Bike Shop".

These were the directions I was given by my friendly attendant, who finally emerged from the shadows, reading the Toronto Sun certainly. "Yup...if you could ride your bike straight that way you'd see Johntson's Bike Repair right in front of you. "Or a madder-than-hell corn farmer" was my first thought.

"Great...so how about instructions on my Cervelo here...on a paved road"?

Now I am headed in the opposite direction of Peterborough but happy to find relief in one of the most unlikely places for a roadie. The Bike Shop - a garage actually, but upon entering it's just like the back shop of any cycling mechanic. Messy....chock full of wheels hanging from the ceiling, notes, scribbles and items from across the full spectrum of cycling parts known and unknown. And Brian is larger than life, literally and figuratively.

"Don't get too many road types like yourself in here, they pass by all the time though and would rather spend 2x as much elsewhere."

"Well I just need to add some more air to my front tire, and if you have a spare tube for these wheels I will happily grab one of those as well". (Polite gesture as I figure no way he has one.).

"Got one left as his head emerges from a pile".

"Just 10 bucks for the Presta Valve and Tube."

What a deal I think, and scrounge through my jersey pockets and Bento Box, looking for that plastic baggie with the 30 bucks.....oh oh.

To be continued.......

 

Tour for kids 800km epic 4day adventure, pledges still accepted!

http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=827935&LangPref=en-CA 

Canceled races...

 My friend and client Jerry emailed me yesterday, Cruise to Run Race Director, just got back from Alaska on their "maiden" Running Cruise. This guy has seen it all, done it all, and shared with me that one of their races was delayed due to the fact the ship (small, presumably) bringing the runners hit a whale.

No $%^# Mobey Dick!

And on the same "run" a bear was on the course and interrupted the run (are they adjusting the finish times with an asterisk)?

* the following participants can deduct 30 seconds and qualify for a fresh pair of shorts

! (:

So of course I piped in, "we actually had a pregnant bear on the course at the 1999 Jasper-Banff Relay that canceled outright stage run #11 for all teams except the first place Japanese Pro team who went by first.....Naturally the bear was dis-interested in these skinny fellows anyway, wait for the plodders 4 hours later.... yours truly was actually scheduled to run that stage, all revved up and back to bed....strange evening for sure.

So we started chatting, Jerry and I, and found out that we were both in the infamous Around the Bay Road Race 30km in 1996. The Port of Hamilton bridge went "up" a little prematurely on all 4,000 runners save for the first 15 men and lone female, now that was a debacle! It was exactly 15km into the race, so of course many of us turned around and went back the way we came. We could see in the water the slow-moving tanker that was in fact a day early on arrival (who wants to be in Hamilton earlier than expected anyway)??

Think that's strange.....

An early edition of the Toronto Marathon (when there was only one - 1971 I think) featured world famous marathoner Bill Rodgers, and somewhere out in Scarborough (yikes) a pack of runners was stopped by a train, another race finish another asterisk....

*the following runners can deduct two minutes from their finish times and earn 35% off their next trip with Via Rail

How about the race in Myrtle Beach - canceled due to a massive, freak snow storm the night prior:

http://www.mynextrace.com/Article1132.htm

Remember the Chicago Marathon in 2007, canceled mid-stride as it were, due to oppressive heat and humidity:

http://www.mynextrace.com/Article526.htm

The best story was the Montreal Marathon, somewhere back in the 1990's I am guessing, the race was actually canceled as runners lined up at the start line. "Runners, take your marks. Set. Wait........hold on...nervous Race Director takes emergency call from police on course....permit hasn't been paid....unsafe road conditions (traffic)....Pull the Plug!

Well, something like that, straight from the mouth of the current organizer, a client and friend of mine, who struggled for years with runners and sponsors, saying time and again, "we're not the same organizational team as THAT year"!

Imagine if that was you, what would you do?

At least a bear won't be munching on your energy bar.

PD

peter@mynextrace.com 

I am a Tour de France Cyclist

It's interesting what goes through your mind when you are out on a bike....for hours....

In the middle of a 110 km day of training under a windy and intensely hot ride, I arrived at the conclusion that I am an easy roadie to identify with. For five straight years, it seems like I get started on some serious rides around early July, and my cycling peaks in September when the weather is ideal here in Southern Ontario.

If you’re thinking, “fair weather cyclist” you are partially correct, although I find myself getting from A-B year-round in the city on my commuter bike in just about any weather, including icy and snow-covered city streets. I also own a very active dog, Jefferson is a collie mix so it does not matter what the weather brings, he needs exercise....including several hours with me on a bike and he jogging along. In my 4th year of downtown living I have become a true cyclist, saving gas, the environment and building a real firm butt!

My last true holiday also found me riding from Rome to Venice, so clearly I enjoy the long distance variety!

However, it dawned on me this past weekend, that it's the Tour and all the excitement that goes with this race where I start to begin my short, outdoor season in earnest. My road bike stayed out of action when I returned from Italy in mid-October until mid-May, which is terrible I know. I chose not to ride it in Florida partly because of the cold snap (wimp) and because I left all my cycling clothes behind as I hurriedly packed when it was minus-25 and I was itching to hit the highway. (I did bring the trusty commuter bike with me, which I left behind with my brother-in-law).

I can't stand indoor spin classes (claustrophobic), and stationary trainer riding at home was a necessity for the build up to Ironman but the dust has now collected on the trainer. It's actually being put to use as a very expensive door stop, our french doors open to a glamorous view of our neighbour's backyards here in dwtn Queen West.....

Once the cold and windy rain starts in late fall....there goes the Cervelo until the annual winter Florida trip....

Not sure how I break this cycle...maybe tape the Tour and pop in some DVD's to fake me out??

Oh well....maybe a new bike purchase will change this?

PD

peter@mynextrace.com 

shoeguy

-         Have you ever met a "shoe guy"???

-        

-         To be more specific....a running shoe "rep"?   If I asked you what colour their eyes were, that could be a challenge.

-        

-         Cause they are programed like robots to stare at the ground....at least until they satisfy their craving.

Medical advice...

Okay, after a long absence here goes a new resolution in 2010, more writing....

I have found some cool, local coffee shops and hideaways in my new "hood" so it should be easy to pen some thoughts from this wacky world of endurance sports.

This first one could be the best of the year!

Anyone (Canadian) found themselves caught in a hospital (U.S.A. or insert scary foreign country here_____________)

....with no medical coverage...

....after running a partial marathon...

....and you woke up...

...in a hospital in your running clothes....

!!!!!

Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore. Seriously, this HAPPENED to someone I know, recently, at a big U.S. race where he / she (we're going to protect the identity of this individual) was pushing the envelope to qualify for Boston.

(not ANOTHER crazy runner pursuing the Holy Grail?)...

He / she was on pace, everything seemed fine, then instead of mile marker 24, some sports drink, maybe a gel, hopefully a Rock and Roll Band encouraging everyone as you're "almost finished"....then he /she woke up in a hospital. Then transferred to another hospital for more tests...

"Oh, can someone track down my runner's bag at the finish line?"

"Oh, can someone call my hotel to tell them I won't need that $200/nite hotel room, this polyester bed sheet and green potatoes are fine"....

Could anything be worse than this post-marathon HELL???

"Ah, Mrs / Mr. ____________ - it seems as though your insurance documents are dated for the 18th, and we admitted you on the 17th...."

AAHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

"Hello, Insurance Company.......YOU %$%#ed up......!!!

$27,000 dollars later.....the soap opera continues....

Let's see if we can get a happy ending out of this story.

Just a friendly reminder to check that list, check it twice....

happy running.

or not

PD

peter@mynextrace.com 

flat coke story

since performance enhancers have been all over the news lately:

- A-Rod

- Clemons

- Phelps (bong man)

.

.

.

I thought I would share some truths myself and come clean, finally, about this dark little secret, or two, that I have been withholding from y'use all these last few years.

I was recently on a cruise with my client, Run and Fun Vacations, and Frank Shorter was the celebrity guest.  Never heard of Frank, shame on you!  Arguably one of the distance superstars of the modern (post war) era, Frank has few equals when comparing the careers of the great distance men.

When I started running, in 1995, I bought just about all the books available, to be "like a sponge" so to speak, and since nutrition was a field of interest for me already, I wanted to pay attention to what worked best in terms of my diet and what I would eat and drink during a marathon.

One of the more interesting anecdotes was from two-time Olympic medalist, American Frank Shorter (Gold in Munich, Silver in Montreal - Marathon).  Gatorade and other sports drinks weren't available, so Mr. Shorter publicly endorsed the use of flat coke.

Why the hell not!

Fortune would smile on me in my 4th marathon, in Kelowna, May 1996, as I shared the weekend stage with Canada's top marathoner at the time, Peter Fonseca, gearing up himself for the upcoming Atlanta Olympics.  Peter was flown in to act as local dignatary on behalf of the Running Room - speaking at the Pasta Dinner and running the 1/2 marathon himself.

By association, they figured I was fast too!  Going along for the ride, I was asked if I had any "special needs" on race day.

"Uumm, well, yeah, I guess I could have my own sports drink available at the water stations"...was the best I could do under very quick circumstances (literally)....(:

So, then I found myself at the local variety store, soon then in my hotel room, shaking the fizz out and preparing 4 500ml bottles, which I happily shared with the race day volunteer crew.  To my amazement on race day, I actually located 3/4 bottles, and to add further fuel to the fire, found myself with a new P.B. at the conclusion of 42.2 miles - 2:54!!

Was it the coke?

We won't get into Sudafed, that's another story...

cheers,

P.D.

peter@mynextrace.com

blog entry miami

Legends (not) of the sport

So you think you’re a famous runner do you….?  If your name is Salazar, Zatopek, Kastor or Radcliffe, then yes, you qualify.

How about “the Raven”?   Coat Man?  50-state and 7 continents runners?

The many “streakers” who toe the line beside you?

I was just running the Miami ½ marathon recently with a travel group (Run and Fun Vacations) and “ran” into a familiar personality on the race circuit, or, to put it a better way, a sub-cultural group of personalities, many from the southern states where running daily with no snow, ice or slush to contend with.

I started noticing these “wackos” years ago, when we did some MyNextRace.com experimenting and out-reach marketing in places like Ohio (Cleveland), Illinois (Chicago), Massachussetts (Boston), Florida (Tampa, Orlando) and New York State (New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Utica).

Guys who have run in the 500+ marathon categories, runners who want to run a marathon in every State, Province or Continent.

Never heard of these guys?

Top Ten Reasons to Run and Fun

Yes, this is a paid blog item – courtesy of my clients Joe and Theresa from Run and Fun Vacations

• Every day and every meal is a carbo load day!  Run more = eat more..
• Get up close and personal with Olympic Legend Frank Shorter
• If you’ve never run on a cruise ship running track, with water all around you, you haven’t experienced one of the best places to run….
• When you’re surrounded by mostly slower, out of shape humans, you feel like an even more accomplished athlete
• Ever run on a Caribbean island, on the sand in your barefeet – another MUST DO for all runners
• Run outside in freezing cold weather OR get away and develop a tan at the same time – how difficult is this to comprehend?
• Miami = Beaches = Nite Life = Flat Course = South Beach = International Race Field….
• Can there be a better post-race recovery concept for a marathon runner than a cruise?
• You can sit in your room, watch tv and they’ll bring every meal to your cabin – FREE – now how is that for post-race pamering???
• Rum and Beer on Island patios is $2 / drink in most places, cheaper than those energy bars and gel shots

Island Running Man