Dan, Chris and Larry's Half Marathon Challenge May 6

I'm running in the Goodlife Fitness 1/2 Marathon on May 6 in Toronto.  I posted that on the Run for Heart Facebook page and that triggered a response two Reggae Marathon friends, Larry Savitch and Dan Cumming who noted they were also running in their own 1/2 marathons on that day.  In a flurry of emails over the past week, we concocted a way for the three of us to compete to see who is the fastest.  Boys will be boys!  We've called it, 'Reggae Runners Half Marathon Challenge'.  More in a minute, some background first.

Larry, Dan and I connected online in 2011.  On Facebook and through numerous email exchanges we became online friends.  We moved the online friendship into the real world when we met up in Negril last December for the Reggae Marathon. Since then we've continued the online friendship on Facebook and on our personal blogs.

Oh, I should mention that Larry lives in Florida, New York and Dan lives in White Rock, British Columbia.

Daniel Craig walking out of the sea?

Larry and his Easy Skankin group came to Negril last December to run in Reggae Marathon and vacation at and vacation on the beach in Negril. Check out his excellent review of the Reggae Marathon:  'Running in Paradise).





Dan posted a picture of himself and his wife on the beach in Negril from 1969 that started our online connection. He had a 'disaster' at Reggae Marathon 2011 when he missed the start time...by hours!  Even with that, he turned that disaster into a great run...and a great story. Check it out:  Reggae Marathon 2011).

2011 Negril, Jamaica

1969 Negril, Jamaica

These pictures were taken 42 years apart at Long Bay Beach Park in Negril.

So here's what we're up to:  we each will run our individual races in our separate cities on May 6 competing to see who is the fastest.  Since we are running in different races and conditions...and have a 21 year age spread...Dan figured out how to manipulate our individual finish times to come up with an 'age-adjusted' time for each of us.  Therefore even though Dan, Larry and I are 67, 46 and 54 respectively, through the magic of math, we'll see who's the fastest.

As you might expect we have already started the trash talk.  I expect it to increase between now and May 6.  Of course all that will be meaningless after my first place finish!  And if all goes as planned, all three of us hope to be in Negril December 1 for Reggae Marathon 2012 for a celebration.

We haven't figured out prizes, wagers or any other details so if you have some suggestions, please share.

Reggae Runners Half Marathon Challenge off and running...let the serious training begin!

Until next time...

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Follow me on Facebook at Run for Heart.  

Races for 2012: 
Goodlife Fitness 1/2 Marathon, May 6
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 14
Reggae Marathon, December 1

Slipping and sliding running in the snow

Last weekend I had my first fall while running.  It happened in the pre-dawn hours of one of the only snow-covered days we've had in Toronto this winter.

I was running along Bloor Street about to make a sharp right turn up a slight incline in about 4 inches of heavy wet snow. I'd been out for about 10 minutes already and was being super careful around corners.

I slowed down, and following car racing cornering technique prepared to 'clip the apex'.  Oops...

My left foot slipped out from under me completely and down I went.  My first thought:  'Dam, another injury'.  My second:  'Broke my stride'.

Fortunately and I do mean 'extremely fortunately' I didn't get injured.  Other than feeling pissed off I got back up immediately and scrambled on my way.

The ridiculous part of this whole experience was that less than 2 hours later all the snow was melted as the temperature rose well above freezing.  Sally chuckled and noted that if I had stayed in bed another hour I wouldn't have fallen.  But then I wouldn't have had this blog post.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

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Follow me on Facebook at Run for Heart.  

Races for 2012: 
Goodlife Fitness 1/2 Marathon, May 6
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 14
Reggae Marathon, December 1

Things that make me go hmmmm....

As I write this it's 5 am in the morning.  I've got my first Tim Horton's coffee on the go and I'm sitting at my home computer overlooking the Humber River:  

• Why do people on a crowded bus or subway put their bags on the empty seat beside them?  Do I really have to ask them to move it so I can sit down?

• With the proliferation of smart phones, why do I still have a land line?  Even my Mother calls me on my cell phone.

• What do the Kardashian's have to do with 'news'?  If that's news the end is near.

• Why are we so jazzed about electric vehicles?  How do you think your electricity was produced in the first place?  Likely hydro electric (which required building a in the middle of the wilderness), gas-fired turbines (Duh...) or Nuclear!  I'm pretty sure using vehicles less (take public transit) will reduce our dependence on oil.

• Why do people on airplanes continue to use their mobile devices after they board flights?  Along that path, do I really need to be connected 24/7?

• Why do some runners wear headphones when they run?  You'll never hear the bad guy approaching.  Seriously though, how about the oncoming car that you don't see.

• Still with the running theme, why do runners 'run' on a crowded sidewalk at rush hour?  It's NOT running if you have to dodge pedestrians...and then give us a dirty look when we couldn't move out of your way fast enough.  Get up early and run when the sidewalk is clear!!  The bad guys are usually sleeping early in the morning anyway.

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

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Follow me on Facebook at Run for Heart.  Races for 2012: 
Goodlife Fitness 1/2 Marathon, May 6
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 14
Reggae Marathon, December 1

Running, running and more running in 2012

The Scotiabank Toronto Marathon and 1/2 Marathon was the largest race I've run in.  With the 'thousands' of runners I was always running in a crowd.  And it wasn't the runners in the race:  it seemed as if the entire route was crowded with spectators.  It sure was that way as we turned up Bay Street toward the finish line.  The noise of the spectators who packed both sides of the road all the way to the finish powering us on was thrilling.  I won't forget that any time soon.

This year I'm running 3 fund raising races for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario.  The first up is the GoodLife Fitness 1/2 Marathon on May 6.  I love this race.  After the the major up hill just after the 5 km mark up Hoggs Hollow, the rest of the route is downhill.  Straight down Yonge Street in Toronto for much of the route.  That's really fun.

Then on October 14 it's back for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon.  By then I'll have a lot of summer running behind me and am looking for an under 2 hour result.  That should be possible as long I stay healthy...and off the salty snacks.

Then to wrap up the racing and fund raising year, it's my 4th time at Reggae Marathon in Negril, Jamaica December 1.  That's always a special race and a great way to celebrate the end of a year.

Look out for me in central Etobicoke this year running along the Humber River in my Pumas.

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

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Follow me on Facebook at Run for Heart.  Races for 2012: 
Goodlife Fitness 1/2 Marathon, May 6
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 14
Reggae Marathon, December 1