Midsummer race excitement

Summer officially starts June 21 with the summer solstice, but it felt like summer fun this past weekend at the OTMH Classic 5k Run and Power Walk where the temporary tattoos and the speedsters were all in fine form. It was the 12th year for this local race that raises more than $100,000 for the Oakville Hospital. Over recent years, the organizers have been welcoming walkers with walker registration, start, results postings, and awards. As always we are grateful for the recognition of the effort walkers put into their race training and performance. It goes without saying that WoW Power Walkers showed up in full force. Many took home medals in the walking prize categories for open, masters, and senior. Most importantly, great fun was had by all at an outstanding local event.

The route walks by the harbour, wild rose bushes, past the historic Erchless Estate and Lakeside Park, and then along a few of the most charming streets in residential Oakville. Massage tables for participants, activities for children, and a delicious back bacon bun for breakfast made the morning a fabulous way to start Father’s Day.

I have one compare/contrast comment about short races versus long races. The feeling at the 5k finish line is the similar to that of the long races in terms of exhaustion, muscle fatigue, and elation. 5k may be short but it’s a sprint. The difference is the time to recovery. At Sunday’s 5k I was feeling recovered by the time I bit into the back bacon bun! Sweet!

Work still needs to be done to ensure that all walkers start at the walking start which followed the running start by five minutes. Also, it would be helpful to remind participants that the walking start and division is for walkers only. The education process continues!

If you read this blog and you walk out of town, let us know about some of your favourite local events.

As for me, I am off tomorrow to Mayo, Yukon to act as guide for Myra Rodrigues in her quest to walk a half marathon in every province and territory in the year of her 65th birthday. Myra, as many of you know, is legally blind, and she is doing this adventure, which she calls Myra’s Marathon, to raise money for the CNIB’s specialized library. You can visit her website at www.cnib.ca/myrasmarathon
to donate.

I look forward to the weekend. Mayo is 5 hours north of Whitehorse…and it is still not at the Arctic Circle! The registration form for the event offers these comforting words “Volunteers are trained to offer on-the-spot anger management techniques to bears to help keep runners safe.” I hope they are looking out for walkers too!

Personally, I’m hoping bears sleep between 11:30pm and 4am. The race starts at 11:45pm and we walk through the few hours when the sun dips momentarily behind the horizon. Today the forecast is for sun all weekend with a sunset at 00:50 and sunrise at 03:46.

Please post here if you have ever participated in this event and can offer some words of wisdom.