Record Fundraising Year for the Royal Victoria Marathon Pledge Charities

Even though I've been enjoy frequent runs along the beautiful clay cliffs of Dallas Rd, it has been a long time since I have run a Marathon. In fact it has been well over a year. However, I've remained involved with marathons in other ways.

I've always known how much running has given to me, so last year I decided to give back. I am the Entertainment Coordinator for the Royal Victoria Marathon (RVM) Planning Committee. For the 2009 RVM I teamed up with local charities, media outlets, and community associations and together we organised "cheering stations" throughout the RVM course in an attempted to make a great race even more enjoyable and entertaining. This was just one element that helped the RVM have its most successful year ever.

Quoting:

Cathy Noel
General Manager
Royal Victoria Marathon

Record Fundraising Year for the Royal Victoria Marathon Pledge Charities

(Victoria, BC – November 2, 2009).

The eleven charities that participated in the Royal Victoria Marathon 2009 Official Charity Pledge Program (CPP) have raised $150,629 - a record year for the program. This is the fourth year that the highly successful Charity Pledge Program has been adopted by the Royal Victoria Marathon. Since 2006, $282,075 has been raised by the combined charities.

The charities raise awareness and funds by encouraging individuals to run or walk for their individual cause, and by collecting pledges. The 11 charities are the BC Cancer Foundation, the BC Lung Association, Canadian Diabetes Association, C-FAX Santas Anonymous, CHOICES Adoption and Counselling, Every Step Counts, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Community Circle, Habitat for Humanity, Mount St. Mary Foundation, Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Victoria Women’s Transition House.

"Thanks to the tremendous efforts from the charities the dollars raised went from $52,000 last year to over $150,000 in 2009”, said Cathy Noel, General Manager of RVM. “More and more participants are running for charity which is fantastic. Next year our goal is $200,000 and we are looking forward to receiving applications for inclusion in the 2010 Charity Pledge Program".

The top three fundraisers in the Charity Pledge Program were: Lucy Dumont from Mount St. Mary Foundation who raised $9,245.00; Deb Antipon for the Victoria Women's Transition House - $4,617.00, and Carter Quested for C-FAX Santas Anonymous - $4,678.00.

Application forms and selection criteria for the 2010 RVM Charity Pledge Program is on the RVM website at: www.royalvictoriamarathon.com/sponsors/charities.php. Deadline to apply is December 15, 2009. The 31st Annual Royal Victoria Marathon takes place Sunday, October 10, 2010; in addition to the Marathon there is a Half Marathon, 8K Road Race and Thrifty Foods Kids Run & Marathon. For more details, visit www.royalvictoriamarathon.com.

For more information contact:
Cathy Noel
General Manager
Royal Victoria Marathon
250-213-7613
cathy@royalvictoriamarathon.com

don't give 110 percent

"My first understanding was that you could not become a distance runner quickly. I began gradually, not doing too much."
-Henry Rono,

I read this exerpt from the "Runners Book of Daily Inspiration" this morning and I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!


Running is a wonderful sport because you can do very little and still get a lot from it. By giving only the minimum, you can almost get the maximum. In what other activity can you say that?

Once of the oldest and tiredest cliches in sports is about the athlete who gives "110," if you give 110 percent in running, you're giving way too much.

It makes no sense to push that hard, especially in a work-out. When training, put forth only 60 or 70 percent of your capacity on average. Start low and build your endurance, and over time your capacity will grow.

A little bit counts for a lot in running, like putting the small change that's in your pocket into a coin bank at the end of the each day. Those dimes and quarters may not seem like much at first, but you'll be surprised how fast they can accumulate.

Running a little every day-not doing too much- is a surefire way to build, wealth of body and mind.

the right kind of grains!

"I never say, 'Don't do' anythng. I say, 'Take care of the ball; hold onto the ball.' I never say, 'Don't jump offside or 'Don't get beat deep' or 'Don't throw interceptions.' I say, 'Throw it to our guys. Hang onto it.'"
-Steve Mariucci, football

The right kind of grains!

There are greater evils in this world than white rice, but the refined, processed grain is by no means your strongest dining option. It's time to rise above white rice, and get to know your whole grains - better for your digestion, your heart, and, we'd argue, your soul.

Quinoa: A staple of the famously fit ancient Inca, quinoa is high in fibre and in blood- and muscle-boosting iron. It has a faster cooking time than pasta and is lower in carbs.
Recipe: Curry the quinoa and add mango

Kamut: Thought to have originated in Iran, Kamut is technically a type of wheat. Use it in any recipe that calls for flour - to make bread, pasta, cereal and more.
Recipe: Sub kamut into banana, raisin and oatmeal pancakes

Buckwheat Grouts/Kasha: This Eastern European staple, which has a full-bodied, nutty taste, is predominantly used to feed cattle, horses and poultry in North America.

Oats: Ditch the sugary Raisin Bran and opt for oats. They contain more soluble fibre than any grain, and they're cheap and easy.
Recipe: Add walnuts and flaxseed to make granola.

Brown Rice: This nutty rice is un-milled, unbleached and more nutritious than its white cousin.

Happy Holidays

"You gotta hang in there. You don't know what's ahead. You don't realize the potential you have. You keep asking yourself, 'Is it really worth it?' But you gotta hang in there." -Brenda Morehead, sprinter

I'm just sending out a quick note to wish everyone a Happy Holidays.

Usually when things are a little confusing or difficult for me I go for a run (or lots of them). After my last marathon (Victoria), which many of you did, I was left with an IT band that was more sore than usual and a distinct lack of motivation. If you are like me the cold weather doesn't help either!

BUT, the New Year is upon us, which means resolutions, a fresh start, and better weather ahead. What are your training/race plans for the New Year? Please share them with the group. Did you know that a person is 80% more likely to finish a goal if he or she simple writes it down?

I read a great sentence last night. I hope it resonates as much with you as it did with me.

"Nothing ever happened in the past that can prevent you from being present now; and if the past cannot prevent you from being present now, what power does it have?" p141 A New Earth

If you have any friends or family that have started to run or exercise please feel free to invite them to my FB group:http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2827855600&ref=ts

What gift is better than a little inspiration. Best wishes over the holidays.

Cheers, Jesse

The Race

The Race
by D. H. Groberg

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.

A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.

They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.

Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.

One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”

But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.

Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.

As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.
Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”

He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.

So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.

He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”

But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face
with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”

So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”

Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten...
but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.

Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
“There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?

I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.

“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all,
for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.

Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”

So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.

So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.

Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace.

But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.

And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.

And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.

For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.

And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

1000.

"Running frees me from the monosyllabic inanities of my usual tongue-tied state. It removes me from the kind of talk which aims at concealing rather than revealing what is in my heart, and what I mean to do and be."

-George Sheehan, philosopher-runner.

At some point between my last blog and now I decided to participate in the Victoria Marathon. In my mind it is one of the greatest marathons on the planet, but we can keep that our secret.

What I can't believe is how I have continued to improve with what feels like only an "average" training regiment. However, I just tallied the total amount of kilometers I've run since I decided in November of 2007 to start running again and I'm just short of one thousand. That might sound like a lot, but only works out to about 23km or 11miles a week. The marked improvement, in my mind, has come from the intense cross training that I've done this season. The thing is, team sports and gym work-outs usually don't feel like training to me. But they must have had an impact.

Whatever the case may be, I'm as fit and lean as I have ever been in my life and it has come while running the least that I have ever run. Yesterday I went for a long run of 37km and cruised home in 2h 50min. It was a great run through the endowment lands and along the seaside. If I'm able to achieve those sorts of numbers on a slow "long run", I can't wait to see what I am able to do in a month from now at the Victoria Marathon. A personal record feels inevitable.

slow and steady makes you fast.

"i've learned to read my body very well. By staying healthy i hope to run for the rest of my life. that's a big goal now."
-Anne Audain, masters runner

i went to the beach yesterday to play some boccie, throw the frisbee and enjoy the far too infrequent canadian west coast sunshine. as the sun set the six pseudo hippies known as "us" finished the last game of boccie. during the walk back to our cars, which was a long walk because parking is so scarce on hot days, we began to throw the frisbee. the fact that we are all "almost hippies" means that we can all handle the frisbee with a fairly high degree of difficulty.

with a flick of the wrist the disk was launched into an orbit that would carry it several bbq's down the beach. despite the fact that i was wearing flip flops and a rucksack, i quickly reach full stride in a bid for the disk. to be honest i didn't think that i had a chance to reach it before it came to rest, surprisingly i was able to reach out with my left hand and run on to the disk a moment before it halted.

six months ago i was as slow and out of shape as i had ever been in my life. true, i have trained for and run a marathon recently, but it has not been as big of a commitment as one might expect. i've tried to stay consistent and persistent. 3 or 4 days a week i do a high energy activity (e.g. hockey, ultimate, biking, or running). i now feel like i am in the best or at least close to the best shape i have ever been in. it feels good to catch frisbees.

like all of the best fruits and vegetables, exercise has no shelf life. stay fresh!