WIN Marathon 2011

Congratulations to all who ran the 2nd annual Whitby Marathon today. Barrie RoadRunners in this event had a bueatiful day(no rain,no crazy heat) and participated in the 5K, Susan Robinson and Becky Ash, in the Half Marathon, Tracy MacLean, and in the full, Rick MacLean, Chris Battaglia, and running her first Marathon, Dawn Walton.The course was very well organized and had a bit of everything from pavement, trail, mud,wooden bridges, metal bridges, gentle rolling hills, inclines, lots of EMS on bikes, and smiling fans.Its a smaller event that will only get bigger.

T-Shirt Etiquette (courtesy of www.ultrunr.com)

Humerous look at the wearing of Race T-shirts -Particularly from an Ultra perspective.
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In the ultra running community the wearing of race T-Shirts has become a sign of accomplishment and fashion. Choosing just the right T-Shirt for that special occasion can be a daunting and difficult task. The following guidelines have been compiled (in fun) to help the responsible T-shirt wearer avoid potential embarrassment and/or elevate their status.

1. A shirt cannot be worn unless the wearer has participated in the event. (crew, significant others and volunteers are exempt)

2. Any race, less than a marathon distance, shouldn't be worn to an ultra event. It simply doesn't represent a high cool factor and sends a red flag regarding your rookiness. If you set a PR at Pikes Peak Marathon, definitely wear that shirt whenever possible.

3. When returning to a race in which you previously finished, then wear the shirt from the first year you completed the race. Don't short change yourself by wearing the shirt from the year before. It doesn't adequately display the feat of accomplishment or the consummate veteran status that you are due.

4. Never wear a race shirt from the race you are about to run. It displays a lack of running integrity and might put the mojo on you.

5. Wearing a T-shirt of the race, while currently running said race, is discouraged. It's like being at work and constantly announcing "I'm at work". Besides, you wont have the correct post race shirt then.

6. Never wear a shirt from a run that you did not finish. To wear it is to say I finished it.

7. A DNF'er may wear a race shirt if... the letters DNF are boldly written on the shirt in question.

8. During a race the wearing of shirt from a previously completed year is acceptable. Wear the oldest T-shirt you have (see guideline #3). This is probably a good practice because you now have no excuse to drop out since you've done it before.

9. Runners should buy all crew members and, as appropriate, significant others (they let you run the race in the first place) T-shirts which can be worn without regard to running the race. (see guide #1)

10. Volunteers have full T-shirt rights and all privileges pertaining thereto.

11. No souvenir shirts therefore friends or anyone else not associated with the race may not wear a race shirt. If mom thinks that the Leadville shirt is lovely, tell he to send in her application early for next year so she can earn her own.

12. Wear the race shirt of your last race at the current race pre race briefing. The more recent the race the better. This is a good conversation starter. However avoid the tendency to explain how that it was a training run for this, and this is just a training run for the next, etc. It just sounds like your rationalizing mediocre performances. Sometimes it's best to live in the here and now. ("I've never been more prepared for a race! this is the big one!)

13. It must be clean (dried blood stains are okay)

14. If you've finished Hardrock 100 then wear it as often as possible, since the race is so damn hard.

15. Never wear a T-shirt that vastly out classes the event you're running (exception: see guideline #14) Example: Never wear a Western States 100 T-shirt at, say, Cool Canyon. Too many roadies will feel put down. It's okay to wear a WS100 or Leadville or Wasatch T-shirt at ultrarunner cult events such as Gibson Ranch or Jim Skophammer 24. It's probably not okay to wear your Trans-America footrace T-Shirt to your local around-the-lake Fat Ass 50k unless you want to psyche out the competition.

A corollary: never wear a blatantly prestigious T-shirt downtown. People will just think you have a big head, which you do.

If you don't know what things like DNF, WS100 or Crew are then you shouldn't wear any race shirt until you know what they mean.

T-shirts must be used sensitively. Worn responsibly, they can help expand one's consciousness and immerse you in a great conversation with your ultra brethren. Worn stupidly, they can cause blisters, vacant stares, sprained ankles, and cause social anxiety.
NOTE: Publicly these guidelines will be denied and possibly ridiculed by ultra runners, but privately and when discussed confidentially, they sing a different tune.

Marathon Great Grete Waitz dies at 57.

Marathon great Grete Waitz dies at 57
OSLO - Grete Waitz, the Norwegian runner who won nine New York City Marathons and the silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, died Tuesday after a six-year battle with cancer. She was 57.

Helle Aanesen, the manager of the Active Against Cancer Foundation in Norway, said Waitz died early Tuesday at the Ulleval University Hospital in Oslo.

A former Oslo schoolteacher, Waitz won her first New York City Marathon in 1978, setting a world best in 2 hours, 32 minutes, 30 seconds in her first attempt at running the distance. She went on to win eight more times, with her last victory coming in 1988.

She won the London Marathon twice, in 1983 and '86, the Stockholm Marathon in 1988 and earned five titles at the world cross-country championships from 1978-81 and 1983.
Waitz also won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1983 world championships in Helsinki, Finland. A year later, she took second behind Joan Benoit in the first women's Olympic marathon.

Waitz competed at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics in the 1,500 metres, but missed the 1980 Moscow Games because of the American-led boycott.

"Grete is in my eyes one of the greatest Norwegian athletes of all time," Norwegian Athletics Federation president Svein Arne Hansen said. "Not only through her performances in the sport, but also as a role model for women in sports."

In a Twitter posting, marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe remembered Waitz as "an amazing champion and more amazing person."

Retired cyclist Lance Armstrong, who overcame testicular cancer to win the Tour de France seven times, called Waitz "a good friend and an incredible athlete" on his Twitter feed.

Aanesen said a private funeral ceremony is planned for next week, according to Waitz's wishes.

Waitz is survived by her husband Jack Waitz and her two brothers, Jan and Arild.

Waitz had never run a marathon when she started the New York City race in October 1978. Her husband had talked her into trying, but after about 18 miles she regretted it.

"I was hurting. I was mad. I was angry. I told Jack: 'Never again," Waitz recalled in 2008.

She broke the world record three more times: In New York in 1979 and '80 and in London in '83.

Waitz started undergoing cancer treatment in 2005 but rarely discussed her condition in public.

"That's not my personality," she said in November 2005. "I've always been a private person. … I'll do that when I cross the finish line and win this race."

At the time she was optimistic she could conquer the disease.

"I'm crossing my fingers," she said. "I will beat it."

Like Waitz, Aanesen declined to specify which type of cancer she had.

"She didn't wish to put too much focus on herself and her disease, but hoped she could contribute in some way to help others," said Aanesen, who got to know Waitz through her work with the foundation.

"She was a fantastic and immensely successful sports practitioner and also a role model and pioneer in women's sports," Aanesen said. "She showed that women too can run longer distances than 1,000 metres."

Born in Oslo as Grete Andersen on Oct. 1, 1953, she trained and raced in her youth at Oslo's Bislett stadium, which raised a bronze statue in her honour in 1984.

Waitz received numerous other awards and honours for her achievements on and off the track.

In 2008, Norway's king bestowed upon her the prestigious Order of St. Olav for being a role model for female athletes. Last year, she received the International Olympic Committee's Women and Sport Award for Europe.

Waitz still holds the Norwegian records in the 1,500 and 3,000 metres.

April 19, 2011 http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/top/news;_ylt=ApOPlHwimjb8bxpTZ_96sfJShgM6?slug=capress-ath_obit_waitz-6607610

Boston Marathon results

Some great results today from local runners at the Boston Marathon.
Congrats to all, well done!

Mud, Mud and Mud... oh and Lots of water.

It was a rainy day! To say the least it was, weather statements issued by Environment Canada, warned of torrential downpours high winds, and possible flooding. What better day to go out and run 52k on trails? So myself and Chris Battaglia met at 5 (ouch) and drove to pickering to take part in the Seaton Trail Races. There were 3 events, the 29k, 52k and 50 mile races, we were doing the 52k race. Once we got there we ran into Neil The Bastard Phillips and Deb Lancia, Neil wasn't running he was just there to support Deb who was doing the 52k as training for her 100 mile race at Sulphur Springs in May. The 52k and 50 mile race both started at 7:08 and we off into the rain and windthe first leg out wasn't too bad as we were the first ont he trails although there were a few spots that were already under water and getting muddy. The river crossing was at 2.5k in and we would cross that 4 times on the out and back course, it knee deep was cooollllddddd, but it doesn't hit you until you get out of the water that s when you realise your legs are numb from the knees down. Not long after you have forgotten about the numbness as you hit the first climb, on a dry day its tough and today was far from dry. The course had a few suttle changes, one was to bypass a really nasty climb up a hill on your hands and knees section, thankful for that. Another change became apparent after passing the turnarounds from previous years! Where the hell are they taking us? At 15k we turned around! Well, by my simple calculations that would add up to 60k, unless they have somemore surprises for us.
On the trail back it was becoming apparent that the trails were getting steadily worse with the amount of traffic on them and the increase in rain fall.
When I got back to the start finish area i checked ny watch and couldn't believe it was already at 3:22, at this rate it would be an 8 hour finish!!! I changed my sopping wet gloves and put some dry ones on my now frozen fingers, put on an extra jacket and plodded on back out there. I passed Chris after crossing the river and he wasn't doing well, I wondered whether he would start the second lap. Many others questioned their ability on this day too. A lot of walking and soul searching went on over the next few k, I got to 34k and wondered if it was possible to run another 10k just to get to the turnaround. I got to about 40k and though I will just go to the next aid station and turn there and quit. As it turned out, another change was that this was the final turnaround. Yahoo! I was starving at this point and devoured 2 P&B sandwiches (and I hate Peanut butter) soem salted potato and grabbed a couple of chocolate chip cookies for the road. I felt much better nw, knowing that I didn't have as far to go (only 12k!!!). With belly with some nutrition in it now off I went. I couldn't believe how well I was feeling, stiff and sore but moving forward.
With about 7k to go things began to unravel again and walking was more and more the the only option, the odd run thrown in to make my mind feel better.
I finished in 6:47, an hour and a half slower than my last attempt here. Chris as suspected, didn't finish. Which says a lot knowing what Chris is like. We had heard that at least 20 did not finish the 52k, which was actually 54.5k. I only saw one more runner going out to complete the third loop of the 50 mile race. Many had completed only 2 loops and settled with that. The weather and the course had taken its toll today. Its a tough race on the best of days, today was brutal. I was happy to finish.

Boston Weekend

It's Boston weekend again and a number of local RoadRunners are off to challenge the famous old race again. Here's a list of all the Barrie runners that are registerred and you can follow them on the Boston Marathon Website:

KevO with Bart Yasso

As noted in an earlier posting Kevin O'Neill won the 5k in St.Louis on Saturday. Here is a picture of Kevin with Bart Yasso receiving his award.