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What a race this was…I just finished the 1/2 marathon a few hours ago and I have to say this is toughest race I have ever done. This is the first year they held it and it was in a really beautiful location…Beamsville, Ontario where the wine estates are, hence the name.

I would recommend it to anyone and in fact would like to return for a visit. If you get the chance to go you should do the wine tour and sample the wines and food there. Better yet, spend a weekend so you don’t have to rush in and out.

So back to the race…in the beginning it all seemed very simple and at the start area there were cars still coming and going which was a surprised. Based on this I wasn’t sure what to expect. However it turned out to be well planned for the most part. There were few minor hitches…the start and the time of day which I will explain later.

They started by raising the banner and then they had someone sung the national anthem which I thought was very nice.

The race itself was hard, especially if you are not trained for hills. It was a tough not only because of the hills but also because of the time of day they held it. It started at 11:15AM in the middle of the day when it’s bright and hot. To make it even more challenging, we climbed about 8 hills or more…I am not sure because I stop counting after the first few.

These hills were no picnic either…they were steep and there was one particular one that was long 500m. What was funny is that just before we finished 16K, one of the volunteers told us at one of the hills we had just completed,  that it was the last one and that it was all downhill from there. That particular hill was the steepest of the lot so you can imagine how happy I was to hear that.

I got to 17K and the next thing I saw was a sign saying there was a hill a head and it is 500m long. Of course I couldn’t believe my eyes. I thought, oh well what’s another hill…this has to be the last of it, I will just take my time. So instead of jogging up I walked…huffing and puffing away. Finally I got to the top, feeling very happy and proud that I made it.

At this point I had to cross the street and go around the corner…as I turned the corner what did I see? Another hill of course….at this point I am wondering will it never end? Anyway I kept plodding away and finally I got to the supposedly downhill course that we should have gotten to several kilometres ago.

This reminds me of Jamaica when you are in the rural area or as we would say in the country. If you ever ask a local for direction they would tell you…”oh it’s just down the road and around the corner.” I must warn you that if you ever go to Jamaica and they tell you that, expect that “down the road and around the corner” is another 10 miles or more.

To continue…even though the race was tough and I whined and moan, I had a lot of fun. Most of it was very well organized. They had the most water stations I have ever seen at any race and they even had people driving around with water. There were a few locals who had their hoses out to spray us and I can tell you it was needed. They also had paramedics in several locations and a few riding around on bicycles.

There were several wine tasting stations too. I tried only one since alcohol makes me sleepy and I couldn’t afford to be drinking the stuff, plus I am not very big on it anyway. Nevertheless it was nice that it was there for those who wanted to try it.

What’s great about racing is that you always meet a lot of very supportive people and on this one I met a few who were just wonderful and generous. There was a lady who ran beside me for a while and she offered me some gel which I told her I didn’t need because I had several in my pouch. I mentioned to her though that what I really needed was some salt since I forgot to take some with me. She said she had some and offered me some sodium & electrolyte tablets and told me if I needed more I should feel free to ask because she had lots.

The end of the race was amazing, seeing yourself on the big screen TV, your name being announced and the crowd cheering you on as you reached the finish line. The finisher's medal is really cool too and the logo very nice. I would like to do this race again but I am hoping they will chose another time of day.

I spoke with one of the volunteers who mentioned that they received a lot of feedback from the athletes who suggested that they started early in the morning, but I suggested a Saturday afternoon. The reason I did was because in Ontario, the shops are not allowed to serve alcohol before 11:00AM and this is a method of advertising so it made sense to do it in the afternoon and on a Saturday so that those who participate could have Sunday to recuperate.

Anyhoo…I am exhausted so its time for me to go rest my weary self. Hope you all have a great week a head.

Take care and walk good!

As usual, I went walking this morning. The plan was to do 16K but we only did 13K. Before I left home, I knew it would rain but for some reason I thought I heard them say it would rain later. Well I packed my disposable rain coat and thought if it rained I would be ok.

When I reach my destination (High Park), one of the walkers reminded me keep my light walking jacket because it may rain. Stupid me didn’t think to take out my disposable rain coat….I left it in her car.

So we set off and we are walking at a fairly fast clip like we normally do. Only I am taking some photos as well. The park is beginning to come to life and looks pretty so I thought why not take some pictures. The next thing I know it’s getting darker.

Someone had said to me earlier that they felt raindrops but I laughingly told him it was his imagination. Even before we started out I had felt a drop or 2 myself and yet I forgot my rain coat.

Anyway, half way down the Lakeshore it started raining, and I mean seriously pouring. The group of us who were leading the pack (about 6 of us) are walking happily in rain not knowing the others are turned around and returned to High Park. Not that it would have matter to us one bit.

I was a bit worried about my camera and MP3 player in my waist pouch, but lucky for me I had a Ziploc bag which was big enough to fit my electronics, so I stuff them in there. I gave my mobile phone to a friend to place in her pocket because her jacket was water proof.

As we walked along I remember the song from one of my favourite movies…I am Singing in the Rain, so I started sing at the top of my voice and doing that little dance that Gene Kelly does. Then it suddenly hit me…we are either a really dedicated bunch of people or just plain crazy. Either way we had a grand time walking in the rain.

After our walk, two of us went shopping at the market for organic veggies and fruits. The return journey home was somewhat uncomfortable because I was soaking wet from head to toe and I was also a bit cold.

As much fun as it was, I am very happy to be home and relaxing. That’s all for now, until my next bout of madness…walk good!

Yep…I got my first medal today for participating in the 10K Sporting Life race. It was a darn good race too, especially since I walked/ran 21K yesterday during training. In fact training didn’t go so well since I struggled through it and didn’t think I would be able to finish it. I was able to get through it though but felt kind of demoralized that it was such a struggle.

So today when I was able to do the 10K and at perhaps my best time ever I have to say I am not only very happy but proud too. I walked 7.53/K and finished in 1 hour and 18 minutes. I can’t help but wonder if I hadn’t done the 21K yesterday and was more rested if I could have gone faster.

That’s water under the bridge now though and this will give me incentive to continue to work on my technique. I did more of a race walk today than power walking and I find I am much faster and I like it too.

The race itself was fun with some 12,000 participants of which over 300 registered as walkers.  It was amazing to see all those people running/walking down Yonge Street. There were several bands playing along the way and water station every 4K. We started the race at Yonge & Castlefield and finished at Fort York. The top three runners were all from Nairobi but the top three walkers are all Canadian.

So now I have to prepare for my next 2 races in June… a 5K on June 13th and a 1/2 Marathon on June 14th. I may do another race the end of this month but that is dependent on whether someone drops out. If not I will just go and cheer my fellow team members on and take pictures.

Well that’s all for now. Take care and walk good!

Sometimes you think you can’t accomplish something but you try nevertheless and then surprise yourself with the fact that you can. Well so it was for me. Yesterday I reached the point in my marathon training where we were supposed to do 21K. The truth be told…I thought I couldn’t do it.

The day before the walk I thought about doing the 21K and  it seemed very daunting. I wondered to myself if I really could walk so the distance. I decided I wouldn't think about it too much but to just go out and give it my best.

Also, one as someone say to me, just trust the program but even though I have been training and walking longer distances, I still had my doubts. Well I no longer need to doubt that I can walk the 21K because I did. What was even more amazing was that I had a great walk and after I had the energy to go help a friend and fellow walker in her garden raking leaves and planting flowers.

We did it in about 3 hours too, which for me is good, since it was the first time and to top if off I enjoyed it. I didn’t beginning to feel tired until I had done about 18K and just when I thought I couldn’t do anymore I heard that we had done 20.5K.

What also surprised me was that into 14K I heard I was doing about 8:04 min / K. Of course I can’t sustain that speed over the entire distance, but if I can continue do the first 14K at 8:04/K, then I am very happy indeed.

So now I am feeling more confident that I will be ok for the ½ marathon I am doing in June. I just hope that I have as good a day as I did yesterday. Now my only doubt is the marathon and I said as much. Again my fellow walker said to me just trust the program.

The one thing I like about the group I walk with is the way they support each other, always very encouraging and helpful. For example, when I was almost at the end of my walk yesterday I was almost out of water and she insisted on giving me some of hers even though I told her it was ok. This is how we are as a team. We share what we have and we encourage each other. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to walk with.

Not sure what my distance is next week since I haven’t looked at my schedule. However, I do have a 10K race May 3 and that I am looking forward to. So just remember when you think you can't do something, just try and give it your best. It's all you can do and who knows, you may surprise yourself. As my mom use to remind me, it's better to try and fail than do nothing at all.

So with that thought and attitude, when the time comes for me to do my marathon, I will simple give it my best shot. If I fail it won't be the end of the world. I can always try again. Until next time….have a good Spring and walk good.

They say a smile can brighten your day and it’s very true. Earlier today as I walked to the cafeteria to get some lunch, I saw a security guard walking towards me. 

He smiled at me and said, “Hello”. I responded with a smile of my own and he gave me an even bigger smile and said, “Have a good weekend.” I smiled back at him and wished him the same.

As I passed him, he made eye contact and still had his beautiful smile on his face. I couldn’t help smiling too. As I continued on my way to the elevators to go to the cafe, I thought about this person whom I had never met before, but was able to make my day so much brighter with something as simple as smile.

I couldn’t help but think to myself how wonderful a smile can be and that I must remember that I too could make someone’s day better just by offering them something as simple as smile.

As I write this, the lyrics to a song I really like popped into my head. The song is Smile by Nat King Cole and here are the lyrics:

Smile though your heart is aching

Smile even though it’s breaking

When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by

If you smile through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You’ll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness

Hide every trace of sadness

Although a tear may be ever so near

That’s the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what’s the use of crying?

You’ll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile

That’s the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what’s the use of crying?

You’ll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile 

So until next time, remember to smile at those you meet. Your smile just may bring cheer to another.