A thank you to a first time guide for Shelley Ann

Thank you, Peter!

by:  Shelley Ann Morris

I volunteer with a group called Citizen Advocacy, a program that matches volunteers with adults with disabilities for friendship and support.  Volunteers are called “Advocates” while the people we are paired with are called “Proteges”.  Each year, Citizen Advocacy hosts a Holiday Dinner.  My protégé and  I got a ride to the dinner last year with  another advocate/protégé match, Peter Roorda (volunteer advocate) and his protege , John  At dinner, talk turned to running.  Peter ran the 10K with Citizen Advocacy in the 2009 Ottawa Race Week End.  I was still very new to running, having completed only four 5K runs. “So, are you going to run the 10K next year?”  Peter asked.  “OK!  I will.” I said. No sooner had the words flown out of my mouth when I thought “Oh my! What have I done?”  I said it. I would somehow find a way to do it.

In March 2010 I began the 8-week 10K clinic at the Running Room with my brother-in-law, Bill.  Bill and the other participants encouraged me along through cold, wet Saturday morning training sessions. Our instructor, Julia Brothers, provided lots of support and very useful information which would be instrumental in my crossing the finish line on race day. Instructor and participants alike all heard me as I whined my way through training. “I hate everything!” was my favourite expression.  Gradually, the weather warmed and my running  improved.  I was actually starting to enjoy our runs!  The class also included another visually-impaired runner, Leona Emberson.  She too was aiming for the 10K at the end of May.  Julia, Jeff Dodds, Phil Marsh and the Bank Street Running Room team provide excellent support to all runners!

Peter and I talked about his guiding me through the 10K. I admired his courage as he had never guided a visually-impaired runner before.  Running and guiding takes lots of skill; anticipating the crowds, keeping the blind runner from smacking into obstacles (and other runners!), watching out for the terrain underfoot and providing a ‘running’ commentary for the blind athlete.

Peter and I decided to practice a couple of times before race day.  We joined the Bank Street Running Room Sunday morning practice club one beautiful day in May.  With no training at all, we soon were running as if we had run many times before.  The route took us through Carleton University—over the locks!  Eventually, we made our way back to the Running Room itself.  Our second outing took us along the

Western Parkway

from Andrew Haydon Park all the way up to

Woodroffe Avenue

and back again.  As we ran along, we chatted about why we liked running and the lessons that it teaches us, lessons we can use on the road and in life.

Race Day arrived sunny, and pleasantly warm—ideal for most runners, but not for me.  I am very day-blind.  Even with the best of sunglasses, glare still poses a problem.  This would add to the challenge.  Peter’s wife, Brigitte drove us close to the start line as this race draws monumental crowds. Everyone wished us well as we went to join our corrals.  There we met other Citizen Advocacy members who dared to take on the 10K route.  We lurched to the start-line, over the timing mats, and began by thundering south down

Elgin Street

.  There’s nothing quite like the sound of thousands of running shoes all striving toward the same goal.   I’m always encouraged by cheering from the sidelines as many turn out to watch. As Peter is a much more experienced and accomplished runner, he was able to run quite easily while I plapped along, with effort to keep pace.  Peter kept sight of the 70-minute ‘pace bunny’ (a runner sporting bunny ears and carrying a sign, helping participants to keep pace with their anticipated finish times).  I’d set a very conservative finish, between 60-70 minutes. Peter would warn me when that 70-minute bunny was nearby; she was the one to beat. 

We rounded the corner at the Pretoria Bridge and WHAM! I was completely blinded by a faceful of sunshine!  Normally my guide runs beside me, but this time I took Peter’s arm and he guided me for about a half a kilometer until we were facing north on

Queen Elizabeth Drive

and my sight returned again. 

As we ran north along queen

Elizabeth Drive

we could hear cheering in the distance.  The home stretch was close by, as was the pace bunny.  Soon we could hear the familiar whine of the timing mats and see the finish line—but not before I let fly with a few good swear-words!

After the race, family and friends came to congratulate us.  Bill and Leona finished in the respectable mid-to-late 50 minute range.   I finished in 70 minutes 24 seconds, a fairly good first effort for me. 

This adventure reminds me of the help and support that we give to our protégés.  With our help, our protégés are able to do things that they may never have dreamed were possible.  Whether it’s something as simple as boarding a bus or as complex as managing a bank account, advocates inspire, encourage and empower in many ways.  Two years ago, I never would have thought I’d complete my first 10K race. I too feel inspired, encouraged and empowered.  Thank you, Peter! 

IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 70.3--Race Report

Syd, Ryan, Jan, Brian, Devon getting ready for race day in Clearwater 2010



Taking On Lake Placid 2010



Coming in off the bike in Clearwater

Getting to the finish line !!

And we are DONE !!!  4:53

A title successfully defended, new friends made and a season comes to an end.

The 2010 race season has been a long and interesting one for me, but it has definately been a great one.  My main focus for the year was the Ford Ironman USA in Lake Placid, with Syd in July.  The preparation for that was not as great as planned, but Syd and I managed to get through that race in 12:21 , which is not quite what we had hoped but still better then the possible DNS who faced.  Why face a possible "did not start"?  Well, Syd was beaten down pretty badly with a nasty head cold leading into the race, where he demonstrated a truly inspirational gutsy perfomance.  Despite feeling absolutely terrible, he gutted it out, and dragged my sorry butt across the line.  He showed great character that day, and a true commitment to me as his friend; I will forever be grateful for that day.

The rest of the 2010 season was filled with making new friends, as I did by joining Won with One and meeting the rest of the 12 other atlhetes on the team.  They are all a truly great bunch of guys and gals and I look forward to working with and racing with them in the 2011 season and beyond.
Myself and guide Pat took on Joe's Team Triathlon up in the Muskoka's at Lake Joe....WOW what a gorgeous race venue.

Next up, another new guide Todd and I took on the NYC triathlon, jsut one week prior to Lake Placid.  This race was once again truly spectacular in size and in execution.  New York City really can put on events, and this triathlon was no exception; it is always remarkable to see how they can figure a way for us to swim, bike, run in Manhatten...truly impressive.

The swim start in New York City Triathlon

The Swim Start

So, three races later and November approaches.  I had entered and won a lottery spot for the Paratriathlon division at the Ironman World Championships 70.3 in Clearwater FL.  There is currently no other way to get into this race as a PC athlete, other then the lottery spot; hopefully this will soon be addressed and fixed. 

Syd and I had done this race last year, and with a time of 4:43 I frankly didn't know if it could get too much better this year.  With Syd welcoming his new baby girl Ruby to the world just prior to Lake Placid, and myself moving to Ottawa and starting a new job, finding new friends and training places/partners; It was not an ideal build up.  However, we both loved the race and wanted to go back and just have some fun.  This time however, fellow Won with One athlete and new buddy Brian Cowie and his guide Devon would be racing against us.  Having these Canadian Paralympic Cyclists in the field makes for a scary bike ride....I'll explain in a bit.

SO--to avoid being too long winded, I'll try to layout the race day as best I can without getting too off track!

We all arrived on Wednesday at various parts of the day (myself, Syd, my wife Mindy, her friend Niki and Won with One manager Jan).  Brian and Devon had been down in Florida for a few days prior.

Before the race we did the usual:

-get bike from tribike transport

-get registered and pick up race packet

-walk around the expo with the bike, get lots of looks, questions and pictures taken

-get some free swag

-get more pictures taken

-go for a swim (not getting eaten by sharks)

-analyze how my swim stroke needs to be better

-eat and sit around a bunch

-go for a practice ride

-realize that bike is busted (derailleur cable)

Setting off on the bike. Syd where are your sunglsses!!?

-get cable fixed

-get hit by car

-go out to eat

WAIT! WHAT?! Oh ya, the car thing...well on our way back to the hotel from our ride, flying along at 45km/h with Brian and Devon on our tail, a car decides to pull in front of Syd and I. 

SKID, BUMP (fender off my leg), BAM (fender off the back tire), and we keep rolling.  Syd did a fantastic job of keeping the bike upright and us out of the hospital.  Brian and Devon kept their bike up too and after determining no damage to myself or the bike...we figured we'd just continue on our way.  Oh, and no the car didn't stop....but Devon got the license plate of the elderly driver.  I just hope it scared him enough to pay better attention next time.

Back to the checklist:

-more eating, chating, sleeping

-goto television interview

-get filmed running

-Brian gets filmed riding

-drop Big Al (the bike) and the bags off in transition

-more eating, a bit more stressing

-go to bed

-get up at 4:30am

-shove some food down the gullet, and get ready to rock.

I decided (on a cool suggestion from Syd) to put my wetsuit on halfway up for the short walk to transition in the morning.  It worked great at keeping me warm.  We got into transition and did all the usualy stuff, which really meant I stood there in the dark beside the bike while Syd pumped tires and reset computer, and then I told him it was time to find the portajohns....oh how i love the portajohns.  Actually they aren't that bad, you get used to them.  I won't go into the improvements in portajohn technology over the years, but they are much nicer/cleaner then in the past.

So, after "business" was taken care of, it was time to get the suit on and head to the swim start on the beach.

Standing beside the Gulf of Mexico at 6;30 in the morning, at a chilly 61 degrees, having the sun come up behind you, and hearing and barely being able to see the waves roll in....I must admit it was quite nice.  Anytime you stand beside an ocean (or Gulf) you feel so small.  The helicopter was now overhead and the race was about to start.  The paratriathletes were in the second wave, with the pro women, behind the pro men.

BOOM! went the canon at 6:48am to start our day.

Syd and I really didn't have a major time goal, we wanted to race against the other paratri's and hang onto the pro women as best we could.  Well that didn't last long.  With the combination of my slower swimming, the higher surf and Syd having a bit of trouble sighting...we found ourselves swimming alone...again:)

I am not afraid by the bigger surf, but it is something that I don't think i excel in.  Syd and others may think the surf wasn't even noticable, but I found it significant, but not overwhelming by any means. 

I had been working on my swim and was aiming for a sub 33 min 1900m swim, but with the swell and slight misdirection, I found myself out in 36min.  Not great, but I think many others had the same issues as Syd and I, so i didn't feel so bad about the time.

-run up the beach

-run through the showers

-get shoved to the ground by the wetsuit strippers (i love them)

-hop up and head to transition

-speed through T1 (for me anyways, this was a good T1)

-grab Big Al and we're off on the 90k bike

Last yeaer we were able to ride a 2:16 and average 40km/h, and that is exactly what we did this year, although it was a different ride for sure.  I found it windier this year, but nothing to noticable.

Seeing as Brian/Devon are such fantastic cyclists, my plan was to get as much time out of the water on them, then hold them off for as long as we could.  Syd and i figured they'd pass us, just not quite sure when.  There is a spot on the course at about 62k that is at the top of this very long causeway....this is my "get to" point.  I desperately wanted to get to the top of that causeway before we were caught.  At around 42km on an out/back section Syd informed me that he spotted Brian/Devon about 1.5km behind us.. CRAP!  I thought it was game over at that point, but without a word Syd and I started to slowly increae our steady effort and just waited for the pass.  Syd has never looked back on the tandem so many times during a ride....I knew he was as anxious about the pursuers as I was. 

"Where's the causeway Syd!?"

"Where is it?!!  Where are they?!"

Finally the causeway was in sight and as we started to climb Syd looked back one last time...

"I think i can see them back there...they are still quite a ways back though" he reassured me.

We made it to the top of the causeway!!  But we kept hammering. I had to make a decision I don't often have to in racing.  Do I keep hammering to stay away from them and risk blowing up entirely or do I ease up a bit and save it for the run?

At about the 75km mark I said to Syd "We are going to get caught and I still want to be able to run. Let's ease it back a smidge"

Syd looked back a few more times and the duo were right behind us...I turned my head and could just barely see their shadows, but they weren't passing us.. That is weird!

We started up this long climb and about half way up....WHAM! They dropped the hammer and flew past us like we were barely moving.  They got to the top of the hill and I instructed Syd to keep them in sight no matter what.

This pass came at 80km; a definate feather in our caps for holding them off that long...we were proud:)

We kept them in our sights (about 500m ahead) the rest of the ride.

-Get feet out of shoes

-Get to dismount

-Hand off bike

-Run towards gear bags

-Hey there's Brian/Devon

-Grab bags and head into tent, sit down

-Hey the boys are right beside us!

-Get our shoes on and head out, ahead of the boys, anther quick transition.

Bike split 2:16, Brian/Devon's bike split : 2:08 !!!

Off onto the uneventful 21km half marathon.  We had no specific time goal and if we pushed hard we may be able to beat last years time, but our main goal at that point was to hold our spot over Brian without blowing up.  I had a coulpe injuries coming in (foot and calves)..and didn't want to risk walking too much.  Our main goal was to not do any walking, which we managed to accomplish.  We cruised the entire run course (minus a 20 second stop to tie my shoe) and ran a 1:53 half marathon.  It is not a fast one for us, but we had a ton of fun chatting.  I was dancing for a minute until Syd told me to stop it or i'd hurt myself!! LOL!

Syd was a great sherpa, pouring ice cold sponges on my head unexpectedly!! YIKES! that is a shocker.

With about 2.5 miles to go I checked my watch to assure we'd still come in under 5 hours....and then I called him on.  I figured it is the World Championships, I should suffer some more on the run, so I told Syd he'd have to match my pace for the next 2 miles and then we'd cruise in the last half mile.  So we started to open it up a bit; not nearly a sprint, but a much more deliberate effort....it actually felt good.  And of course Syd was up to the challenge, playing the game very well...."Hey if you call me on, you better keep up"...  It was a very fun run....but a warm one:)

So as we approached the line we zipped up our ZONE 3 SPORTS tri tops (thanks Rick Hellard), unclipped on end of the tether rope, did a little fist pump and then dropped and rolled. 

Finish time:  4:53

I was lucky enough to wear bib number 179 which has great meaning to me; being the number Jon Blais (The Blazeman) wore in Kona in 2005.  That number represents his courage and all those who've fought and died from the un-winnable battle of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). 

So another season is done, with some solid results... there are a ton of people to thank...as without their support, my racing would not be possible.

HUGE THANKS TO:

-Syd Trefiak

-Todd Wiley

-Pat McCarthy....my three guides for the year

-Jan Ditchfield, the manager of Won with One

-my wife Mindy

-my sponsors..

-ZONE 3 SPORTS

-RUDY PROJECT

-NINETEEN WETSUITS

-TEAM RUNNING FREE

-E3 CHAMPION FORMULA

-all my new found guide friends, like Jason Billows, my mother in law, Dan the Man my tandem pilot, and a bunch more:)

Here's looking to 2011 for another great race season!!

IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIOHSHIP 70.3--RACE REPORT TEASER

hELLO ALL!!

This past weekend Ryan Van Praet (with his guide Syd) & Brian Cowie (with his guide Devon) competed in the IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 70.3 in Clearwater FL.
Here's a quick snippet to peak your interest, but stay tuned for a full race report from Ryan, as well as some pics.
Jan has 100's of pictures she captured during the stay in Florida, so if you'd like to see more, got to Facebook and LIKE and become FRIENDS with our Won with One page.

Paratriathlon Divison:
1) Aaron Schiedies 4:09  (new world record)
2) Ryan Van Praet 4:53  Won with One athlete
3) Brian Cowie     5:18   Won with One athlete

So Won with One houses two of the three fastest blind/visually impaired athletes in the world.
Nice race boys:)

Ron and Tim tackle the PEC Marathon--race report

Here is Tim's thoughts on his adventures as a first time guide, on a big stage---the Marathon!
Great stuff guys!
---------------------

Running with Ron

By Tim Scapillato

From the sands of the Sahara Desert to Sandbanks Provincial Park, Ron Hackett has run some inspirational races. His performance in this year’s Prince Edward County Marathon may not have been legendary, but it was certainly gutsy. And I got to witness it up close and personal.

My run with Ron started when I joined Won with One, a national program focused on the personal development of the blind and visually impaired using triathlon as the catalyst for change. Run by Jan Ditchfield, Accessible Sports Program and Development Manager with the Canadian Council of the Blind, Head Coach Cathy Rober and elite Paratriathlete Ryan Van Praet, Won With One recruits guides and matches them with blind and visually impaired triathletes. 

I became aware of this organization through a Tri-Rudy posting in which Jan was recruiting volunteers to become guides. I decided to answer the call and followed the link to their website where I filled in an online guide application. A few weeks later I was invited to attend a training session with several others who had also signed up. Not long after that, I noticed another posting by Jan, this time on the Won With One Facebook page, in which she put out the call for someone to guide a blind runner who was trying to qualify for Boston. I answered the call once again, and was soon given an e-mail address for Ron Hackett.

Before contacting Ron I Googled him to see what I could learn, and what I discovered blew me away. I came across a YouTube video, which was an excerpt of a television documentary on Ron and his 250-kilometre run in the Sahara Desert in five days in 2009. I also learned that he has completed over 30 triathlons, including two age-group placings at the World Cup level. Feeling suitably humbled and intimidated, and wondering if I’d be able to keep up with him during a marathon, I contacted Ron and we began making arrangements for marathon weekend in Prince Edward County.

With absolutely no guiding experience, I began to wonder what I had gotten myself into. Fortunately, Ryan was available to take me out for a practice run in the Experimental Farm the weekend before the PEC Marathon. So, with 90 minutes of guide training under my belt, I headed off to Picton with my wife, Marian, to pick up the race kits and drive the course on the following Saturday. I familiarized myself with the race route while Marian planned where she would meet us to take photos at several  strategic spots along the way. The course begins in Wellington, then winds its way through Sandbanks Provincial Park and the surrounding countryside, before finishing in downtown Picton. Aside from a few rolling hills, the course is fast, flat and very scenic. It was looking good for a Boston qualifer.

After scoping out the route, we headed to Kingston to meet Ron and his partner, Karen Craig, and to go for a short run together. As it turned out, Ron ended up guiding me through the neighbourhood that he has lived in for the past 30 years. He gave me some quick pointers on how he likes to run with a guide, and I did my best to accommodate. We seemed to get in synch pretty quickly, which was a promising sign. The key, as Ron explained it, is to run it like a three-legged race, with our inside legs moving in unison. With his left hand hooked onto my right elbow, and our inside legs moving in tandem, we ran easily through the neighbourhood, and I felt a little more confident about my job as a guide heading to the race the following morning. However, I was a little less confident about Ron after he told me that his last marathon was about seven years ago, and that he really had only been training for this one for a couple of weeks because he  hadn’t been able to find sighted training partners.

After our short run, Ron had to head out for the evening. He is a drummer and he had a gig to play that night. He was unlikely to get home much before 2:00 am, just a few hours before we would pick him up for the drive to the start line in Wellington. When I realized that Ron was planning to run a marathon on two hours of sleep and two weeks of training with a rookie guide, I started to become apprehensive again—more for him than for me. This would be my first inkling of how tough and resilient this man is. Considering that he had recently run through a desert, this really shouldn’t have surprised me. Nor should it have surprised me when he confided in me that his goal was to qualify for Boston “honestly”—blind  runners must finish a marathon in under 5 hours in order to qualify, but Ron wanted to finish in under 3:45, the cut-off time for sighted runners in his age group. If there was any chance of him doing that, it would be on the fast PEC Marathon route—even with a sore back as the result of pulling a muscle while packing up his drums after the show the night before.

Marian and I spent the night at Karen’s house and enjoyed a relaxing soak in her hot tub to cap off the evening. Karen wouldn’t be able to join us the next day as she was running her first-ever 5K race in the Run for the Cure (which she successfully completed in 40 minutes). When Marian dropped us off at the start line at 7:00 the next morning, it was breezy, overcast and cold. But at least it wasn’t raining. That was the good news. The bad news dawned on me about 15 minutes later when I realized that I had forgotten to wear my Garmin. Not only was this going to be my first time running as a guide; it would also be my first time pacing a race with an analog Cardinal wrist-watch.

As we lined up at the start line Ron explained that the biggest challenge he faces when running in a crowd is stepping on people’s heels. He suggested that we move off to the side where we might find a bit more space for the first kilometre or so. When the gun went off and the crowd began its ritual start/stop run/walk, I did my best to maneuver through the crowd, searching for space and keeping Ron away from the heels of the runners that surrounded us. After the first kilometre we had enough space to settle into a comfortable pace. We passed the 5K marker in approximately 27 minutes. Factoring in the 30 seconds that it took us to cross the start line, I guessed that we were on pace for a sub-4 hour finish, but at such an early stage in the race, that was still very theoretical.

We passed 10K in 52 minutes, running comfortably. By now we had mastered the three-legged running technique and were running as one.  Before we started I wasn’t sure how it would feel to run for four or five hours with someone holding onto my elbow, but after the first hour I barely noticed it. The next seven kilometres flew by as we discussed music, concerts that we had attended, and bands that Ron has played in. We passed 21K in 1:52, still feeling strong, and looking forward to the run through Sandbanks Provincial Park. At this point I calculated that a 3:45 finish was within reach, but we’d have to pick up the pace in the second half. Ron decided to play it safe, however, and not start increasing the pace too early. Given his lack of sleep the night before and his lack of training, that was a wise decision. He explained that the first goal was to finish with a qualifying time and he didn’t want to jeopardize that by burning out before the finish line. Up to this point our pace had been very consistent and I felt that we could hold it all the way to the end. We could pick it up in the final couple of kilometres if he had anything left in the tank.

After passing through Sandbanks we changed direction and headed northeast along East Lake toward Picton. The wind blowing off Lake Ontario was now at our back. We lost the cooling effect of the breeze, but it made the pace a little more comfortable as we began the last 15K stretch. At this point, I told Ron that we had a 10K and a 5K run left to get to the finish line. “Which one do you want to do first?” I asked. “Let’s get the 10K over with,” he replied. Now it was simply a matter of maintaining the pace and knocking off the kilometres.  The “hills” between 32 and 38K were a bit of a challenge, but only because of where they were on the course, not because of their relatively mild grade. We passed 40K just before turning onto the main street of Picton, where we picked up the pace in hopes of finishing in 3:45. But without a Garmin this was still just a rough estimate. As we rounded the final corner I spotted the finish line. It was at this point that I realized that this overall flat race course ended at the top of a hill, but by this time that didn’t matter. I told Ron that I thought we were close to our goal time, so we picked up the pace even more and hoped for the best. As we crossed the finish line I saw Marian’s smiling face to greet us, and then noticed the overhead clock turning to 3:50. I knew that even the slight delay getting over the start line wasn’t going to be enough for a chip time of 3:45. But Ron was thrilled that he was going to Boston next April.

Never one to sit still for long, Ron was back at it later that afternoon, playing another gig in downtown Kingston, still running on only two hours of sleep. This is the kind of stamina that will serve him well as he makes his way through the Newton Hills next April. His goal: train hard and finish his first Boston in under 3:30. Many things surprised me about this man, but not that prediction. I have no doubt that this goal is well within his grasp.

This article will appear in the next edition of the Run Ottawa Club newsletter.



A race report from Shelley Ann....great job Shelley and Robyn!

Beat(en) By Beethoven; I’ll do better next year.

Each year, the Beat Beethoven race invites participants to run 8K in the time that it takes to listen to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony; approximately 37 minutes.  It was my first attempt.  As enthusiastic as I am, I also have to be realistic. I knew that this year, he would beat me.

The sky was grey and the air was chilly.  Robyn Hardage, one of our Won With One guides was going to accompany me.  We’d only ever ran together once before earlier that week.  As I’m relatively new to running, I think that It’s a good idea for athlete and guide to run together at least once before a race. We’d run along the Rideau Canal where we saw ducks, geese, dogs, fellow runners, people on bikes and perhaps the biggest rainbow ever!  I really enjoy running with guides as I get a good description of what’s around me.

We had an excellent ‘cheering section’ on race day—my sister Colleen, Robyn’s boyfriend Mike and friend Carolyn with her daughter Macky were all there to stand in the cold and rain to wish us well.  I can’t stress enough the importance of moral support!  

Thanks to Jan Ditchfield and the Won With One team, Robyn did not have to pay the entrance fee.  We were greeted by the race director, Laurel Anderson who welcomed us and wished us a good race. Won With One makes so many things possible for us athletes. 

With the familiar “BA-NA-NA-NAAAAH! blaring over loudspeakers, we were off.  The course was fairly steady with a few hills here and there.  One thing that I’ve learned—that gentle downhill slope on the way out isn’t going to feel that way on the way back—it will be uphill payback time!

I started running three years ago with my first 5K.  I don’t run, I plap!  My feet make a Plap! Plap! Plap! sound on the course.  I’ve still got lots to learn.  I’m sure that with training and patience I’ll improve as time goes on--it helps to be in the company of such amazing athletes. 

Robyn did an excellent job of guiding me.  As I have tunnel vision, I can’t see people approaching at the side.  This was a perfect inaugural run as it wasn’t too crowded with plenty of room and no fear of bumping into other participants .  A strategy that I’ve used in more crowded races is to stay to one side of the course.  Our biggest threat was potholes —I’ve been blessed (or cursed) with small size six feet—the kind of unsuspecting feet that fit neatly into the gape of a waiting pothole—real ankle-breakers.   Robyn was able to keep me out of harm’s way. 

Along about half-way we could hear cheering and knew that the water station was nearby. It was at the halfway point.   All the good folks handing out water were dressed like cats!  They looked hilarious!  Always thank those tireless volunteers who keep us motivated and hydrated! 

After a gulp of water, it was time to head for home.  I could see people ahead of me, and hear feet pounding from behind.  Psychologically I start thinking that I am going to ‘die’ when I know we are nearing —definitely something to work on!  We had one more kilometer to go.  Often when I am running, songs pop into my head as I need them.  For some strange reason, Boston’s “Smokin’’” was playing away in my imagination as I ran—my feet seemed to keep to the beat of the song that only I could hear.  Up ahead we could hear the crowds cheering—I could just about see the finish line.  Pictures were snapped as runners finished their race. I headed toward the whine of the timing mats and was done.  

My time was 56 minutes, 57 seconds, not what I would call a stellar finish. I know that running is perhaps my weakest discipline.  I aim for a  faster finish .  Next year, I will be that much closer to Beating Beethoven.

Shelley helping us FEEL THE GROOVE!!

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING NOTE FROM OUR FELLOW ATHLETE SHELLEY ANN!

Hey Team,

Hope everything is well with you and that you are enjoying the “off season.” 

Every athlete is inspired by something.  I’m inspired by music.  Although we cannot listen to it while we are performing as we need to give full attention to our guides, we can enjoy it while training on a spin bike, an elliptical, treadmill etc.  There are songs that everyone knows, such as the theme from Rocky, the theme from Chariots of Fire, Born to Run, Running on Empty, Running Down a Dream and I Got a Feelin’, however, we all have our own personal tunes that keep us stoked, jazzed, pumped, fired up and ready to race. 

The following are my Top 10 (plus one for good luck) lists that I have been listening to lately while training.  I should warn you all ahead of time that my tastes in music are all over the map!  It would be great if you recognize one or two pieces from my playlists or perhaps discover something new, too.

Now, it’s your turn.  I would invite everyone from our team to share your list of songs that inspire you and get you through a workout or ready for an event.   We may have some songs in common, or our playlists may be completely different.  Don’t be shy, you can even throw in some of your ‘guilty pleasures’ songs—everyone’s taste in music is as individual as they are.

Looking forward to reading your playlists!

Shelley’s Top Ten Running Songs

--Bananas; That 1 Guy

--I Remember; Deadmaus 5 & Kaskade

--Ready or Not; Naturally 7

--English Sunset; Moody Blues

--Little Sister; Queens of the Stone Age

--Dreamer; Supertramp

--Canned Heat;  Jamiroquai

-- I Ran; Flock of Seagulls

--Rise Above It; Afro-Celt Sound System

--Lust for Life; Iggy Pop

--C’mon with the C’mon; Colin James and the Little Big Band

Shelley’s Top 10 Spinning Songs

--Galvanize; Chemical Brothers

--Burn it to the Ground; Nickelback

--This Flight Tonight; Nazareth

--Children; Robert Miles

--La Grange; ZZ Top

--I’ll stick around; Foo Fighters

--Star Seed; Our Lady Peace

--Pont Des Arts; St. Germain

--Incantation; Cirque de Soleil

--Temperature; Sean Paul

--Slap that Bass; Ella Fitzgerald (Verve Remixed)

Running for a cure and running for Boston

  A great weekend for Won with One'rs out ont he roads.  Shelley Anne participated in the "Run for the Cure" event here in Ottawa this past Sunday.  This is a national event that raises millions for Breast Cancer research; Shelley Anne was out there doing her part to help find a cure and raise awareness.  Great job Shelley Anne!

  In Picton Ontario, this past Sunday saw Ron Hackett and his guide Tim Scapillato take on the Picton Marathon and QUALIFY for the 2011 Boston Marathon.  Needing a qualifying time of sub-5 hours, Ron and Tim smashed this by crossing the line in a blazing 3:49 !! WOW!  This was the first race Ron and Tim had run together after Tim graciously volunteered to help guide Ron in his quest for a Boston qualifying spot.  Way to go boys, you are now off to the show in April 2011 !!  Ron with join fellow Won with One teammate Robbie Burt in Boston.

  Jan has made her final move up to Ottawa, she now has lots more free time on her hands to get out and train and achieve her goal of guiding any of our athletes.  Fall is settling in across this country and the off-season is upon most of us; now is the time to take a bit of a rest, reflect on the year that has past and set some goals for the 2011 season.
 
  VOTE VOTE VOTE!

Keep your eyes open for our first newsletter, giving you some sponsor updates and tellign you how you can VOTE for the Aviva Community Fund grant contest that we've entered.  This granting initiative could provide Won with One with up to two years of funding for our team, so get online and vote, and pass the info along to your friends and family!
When you click on the link below, you will see our idea, and you will be able to vote.  Please note, you much register first, then you will be allowed to vote.
The more votes, the better our chances of moving through the rounds.  You only get 10 votes, so you NEED to pass this along to everyone you know and get them to vote!

http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf5637

A productive weekend

 In the Won with One world, this was a productive weekend....at least in the Ottawa/Toronto sectors.

First off--a huge congratulations to Myra and Jan for completing the Scotiabank Half Marathon this past Sunday...GOOD FOR YOU!

It was Jan's first official 1/2 marathon and she had the honour of guiding Myra "the energizer bunny" through the race.  According to Jan it was one of the most fantastic days she's had recently, as the support of the crowd, the fellow competitors, the weather, the race organizers; all added up to a very perfect day. Way to go gals!

  This weekend also brought some progress in "training" 2 new guides.  We've had an overwhelming response to interested guides for our program, and quite a few are in our local (Ottawa) region.  This past weekend I made one of our guides (Jason Billows) and "official" tandem pilot.  He was eager to get out on the bike and learn the skills needed to keep us blind guys/gals safe.  Jason did a fantastic job, and I think had a great time as well.  Thanks Jason for your efforts and your interest in helping Won with One.

  Also, this weekend I helped train another guide in run guiding---Tim, thanks so much for coming out and learning how to guide.  Tim and I enjoyed a run int he rain, as I helped him get used to having a teammate strapped to his hip.  This coming weekend Tim and Ron Hackett will be running a marathon in Picton ON, in hopes of breakign the 5 hour mark, the magic number to assure Ron a qualifying spot for Boston. Best of luck you two, we'll be rooting for you both.

  As mentioned this weekend will see one of our athletes attempting to qualify for Boston.  If you have any events your are planning on doing or have recently done...let me know, and fire me off a picture.

rvanpraet@ccbnational.net

That's all for now!

We are LIVE and good to go

Welcome everyone! --to the NEW blog for "Won with One".
For those who do not know, Won with One is a national paratriathlon (visually impaired/blind) team, from all across Canada.  Currently we have 13 blind/visually impaired team members lined up for the 2011 season.  We also have a whole stable of ready, willing and very capable guides, to help our athletes compete as equals in the highest levels of the sport.

  Won with One is also active on:

-Facebook
-Web  (http://www.wonwithone.com/)
-Twitter
-and various other media format....so there is no excuse to miss out on anythign that is happening with the team.

  Stay tuned for the latest updates from our team...and of course...tell your friends all about us!

  My name is Ryan Van Praet, i am a co-manager of the team, and also one of it's athletes.  You will mostly be hearing from me, so i hope you can endure my ramblings. 

  Our team is full of capable, talented and inspiring athletes...don't tell us we "can't" do something, and don't feel sorry for us.. we are out to show the world that para-athletes should be viewed and treated as equals in life and in sport.  Watch for us in 2011, tearing up the race course across Canada and the rest of North America.