Columbus Marathon weekend welcomes walkers

The news for the 2008 Columbus Marathon is good. After some initial worries that they were backing off on their support of walkers (as noted by the removal of last year's walking results within 24 hours of the race), it looks like the organizers have kicked into high gear.

Yesterday they announced the following commitments for 2008.

· Walkers will start at 7:30 with the runners so that everyone, walkers and runners, will share in the thrill of the start;
· Walkers will be distinguished from runners by having different bib colors;
· Walkers will enjoy the same age group divisions as the runners with commensurate awards given;
· Walkers will have pace teams to facilitate attaining individual goals;
· Walkers will have their results listed separately from those of the runners.

We are finalizing transportation from the Greater Toronto Area leaving Friday October 17 to attend this race. Look for details in the newsletter coming out next week (before the next price increase on August 1).

It's a beautiful, flat course that's now commensurate with the commitment to walking participants. Highly recommmended!

Not to make you jealous

...but I recently received my race package from the organizers of the Marathon du Medoc. The package is thick with brochures detailing the "3 jours de fete". Yes, that means 3 days of celebration.

Just in case you don't know, that's three days of celebration in the Bordeaux wine region of France.

Theoretically, the highlight is, of course, the race which is on Saturday, September 6. Still, initial perusal of the package indicates far more "soirees" than "marathon"!

I'm busy translating the brochure as there are some curious descriptions of the route including "postes sauvages" and "postes officiels". I have determined “ postes” to be similar to what we would identify as aid stations. “Postes officiels” appear to offer oranges, bananas, dried fruit and cookies. As might be inferred, things get a little hairier at the “postes sauvages”. At 37 km oysters are served, at 38 km Bayonne ham, beef at 40km, cheese and ice cream at 41 kilometres should ensure a tough slog to the finish line!

As far as I can tell the sole purpose of this marathon is to showcase the wines and foods of the region. Male and female winners of the race win their weight in wine. Good thing I'm not too likely to win! I'd hate to explain things at customs (or, more importantly, explain to my family why I missed the flight home trying to quaff my winnings!).

Race day begins at 8am with 75 minutes scheduled for the presentation of runners (or walkers as the case may be) in costume. Judging by the race photographs a costume is "de rigeur".

So, my usual regime for training might have to go out the window. It’s looking like I’m going to be designing and sewing a costume, practicing my wine sipping, oyster slurping, and ice cream licking!

Suggestions welcome on training for this most unusual of races.

It's not the heat, it's the humidity!

The past few days of extreme heat have reminded me of the significance of allowing sufficient time to "warm up" at the start of a work out and "cool down" at the end.

In southern Ontario, extreme heat is often accompanied by high humidity and poor air quality. Together these three challenges place incredible stress on our hearts. If we start a workout too fast, our heart rates climb suddenly. While our muscles may be "warm" from the air temperature, our cardiovascular system still needs acclimatization to the difficulty of the heat, humidity, and pollution.

Consider doubling the time spent “warming up” when the temperature gets over 30 degrees or the humidex reading makes it feel over 30.

Similarly, double the “cool down” time so that the heart rate is not elevated when you go back in the house, get in the car, or sit down for your post-workout fuelling and hydrating.

Speaking of hydrating…it’s even more important in these heat waves. For many people, an energy drink is the only solution to replacing lost fluids and electrolytes. And, if you like your latte or coffee after your walk, be sure to down a glass of water with that, as the caffeine in these drinks is dehydrating. Foods high in potassium will also help fight off the fatigue that comes with the heat: consider snacking on orange slices, banana, and mango on your walks.

Finally, may I suggest morning walks with a detour under any of the ubiquitous lawn sprinklers in action! Please feel free to post any of your own heat beaters here!

Post-race celebrations: because it's all about the food

My husband, a most reliable source of food gossip, informed me that there were Dufflet Pastries offered at the end of the Pride and Remembrance Race in Toronto this past weekend. Ah, sweet decadence. I love it.

You may have guessed after seeing the lingering video stretch of desserts at the Mayo Midnight Marathon buffet that I have a bit of a sweet tooth.

Sadly, I had partaken a little too heartily of the scrambled eggs, home fries, home-made bread, scones, and fruit to enjoy any of the pies in Mayo and I was not able to attend the Pride and Remebrance Race last Saturday.

These two experiences have suggested to me that it would be helpful to plan a race season armed with full food intelligence. To that end, please post here if you know of any races where the post-race eats are worthy of registration fee and physical effort! Off the top of my head I can vouch for the hearty lunch served after the Run for the Toad in Paris, Ontario in early October. Too bad the walk division of that event was sold out a while ago. I wonder why?