Sending out congrats to all walkers!

I can’t keep up with all the WoW Power Walkers racing this season. The other day I finally looked at results for the Detroit Marathon which Linda walked. She finished in 4:56! Who can believe that? A few weeks ago Jill and Jay set Personal Bests (PBs) at the Portland Marathon in Maine. Cheryl and Carleen set PBs walking Columbus on October 19 and everyone walking Columbus finished in the top 1/5 of their division.

Since September 1 and looking to the end of the year, WoW Power Walkers will have walked in these races: Labour Day Oakville Half Marathon and 10k, Marathon du Medoc (France), Terry Fox 5k and 10k, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon and Full Marathon, Ottawa Army Half Marathon, KW Walking Classic 10k, Portland Marathon (Maine), Long Beach Half Marathon, KSM 5k (Oakville), Columbus Half Marathon, Niagara Falls Half Marathon, Des Moines Half Marathon, Toronto Half Marathon, Run for the Toad 25k, Detroit Marathon, Angus Glen Half Marathon and 10k (Markham, Ontario), Road 2 Hope Half Marathon (Hamilton, Ontario), New York City Marathon, and Las Vegas Half Marathon. (So, please excuse me, if it is taking us longer than usual to get everyone’s results posted!)

All of this got me reviewing the WoW results in general. It’s truly astonishing how everyone has improved over the years. It is also astonishing how the number of walkers entered in walking divisions is growing. There were more than 200 at the Niagara Falls Half Marathon Walking division and over 300 in the Toronto Half Marathon walk divisions.

And, still Wow Power Walkers remain at the top. Attention to form and training pays off.

I’m not sure if you know it, but every one of you who is out there training, pushing yourself to walk well and to walk fast are an inspiration to others. Certainly, you inspire me, when I see how committed you have been over the years, when I see you out walking on your own, when you show up to class on windy, cold nights in October, when you call a friend to go for a walk, and when you make that extra effort to keep walking no matter whatever crappy day you faced.

Thank you.

P.S. Be sure to let us know what races you’ve done. We want you to toot your own horn!

Truly, this is the best of the middle of America!

Walking from the left coast to the middle, here's the IMT Des Moines Marathon. And what a route! It’s possible I’m in the minority, but I preferred the Des Moines Half Marathon race course.

Don’t get me wrong, the light and breeze of the Pacific coast bestow a soul satisfying peace. And I would never say a bad word about the dependable warmth of southern California sunshine. But in Des Moines on Sunday we walked along paved trails through two parks, Water Works Park and Gray’s Lake Park. There was no traffic at any point in the race. The air was fresh with fall breezes, willow trees bent over the river, and we could shout out cheers to our fellow walkers as the course was routed out and back for several kilometres.

Could it be the seasons are bred in my bone? I loved the coolness of the air and the remnants of coloured leaves on the ground. The dramatic first half kilometre walking toward the Capitol Building was heart swelling.

And the food at the end? Well, there is NOTHING I appreciate more than a race organization that puts effort and care into feeding tired marathoners. On Sunday, my arms were full with a bag of chips, a yogurt, an orange juice, a chocolate milk, an energy bar, and half an orange, in addition to the requisite bagel and banana.

Best of all at the Prevention tent, there were 4 massage therapists working miracles on exhausted muscles!

Remember, if you walked the Columbus Half Marathon or the Toronto Half Marathon on Sunday, let us know how you enjoyed it (or not!)

Walkers, walkers everywhere

Here I sit in DesMoines, Iowa. This doesn't look like Des Moines though, does it??

Ha...fooled you. The photo you see is a view looking south along the California coast from the path I walked along during the Long Beach Half Marathon last Sunday. This is approximately mile 7. This was taken two days after the marathon but each day in California was a carbon copy of the day before. Imagine this path with 18,000 runners and walkers moving along it!

Joy! There's really nothing like walking beside the ocean during a marathon. Especially when you have 18,000 people for company! As you can imagine the start was a little slow. And it stayed slow for a while. The route took us through the choice sites of Long Beach…which is mostly the ocean. That’s alright by me. Full marathoners broke off at mile 11 and walked up toward the university where I understand crowd support from the students in the dorms was fantastic.

As the walking coach for Team Prevention (as in Prevention magazine), I was able to relive those glorious (read nerve wracking!!) hours before a first event. Almost all team members were in Long Beach to walk their first event.

And as much as I loved walking the half for myself, the coaching/support role is even more fun! There is nothing that beats welcoming virgin marathoners after they have crossed their first finish line - faces and bodies both exhausted and exhilarated.

So, this weekend I get to experience the thrill of coaching a group with Prevention once again. Only now we are in Des Moines. As the plane approached the run-way this morning, I could make out clearly where the half marathon route would take me – starting in the downtown core and snaking its way out along the Des Moines River and moving past several lakes. From the air, I could see that we’ll be in for a fall treat with the leaves in full autumn foliage.

I’ll be eager to report back to you on the race organization too. According to all the information I have received so far, this marathon will be seriously “green”. The organizers are encouraging car-pooling to the event. Participants can set up an account with “PickupPals” – an online ride-sharing group. There is also official race gear from Green Layer. All of Green Layer’s apparel is made from bamboo charcoal and recycled polyester wicking fabric. There is also recycling of sports gel packets and granola bar wrappers on the route. Now this is progress!

This weekend there are WoW Power Walkers entered in the Toronto Half Marathon (walking division…yea!) and the Columbus Half Marathon (walking division…yea!). If anyone returns from these two excellent races, please email me some photos and I will post them here!

Lee

Is it that difficult to have a walking division?

Interesting times for walkers here in southern Ontario.

On September 28th, the Kitchener Waterloo area played host to the first walk-only event in Canada. By all accounts the KW Walking Classic 10k and 5k event was a huge success. There's talk of the organizers adding a half marathon next year. Even if the race is held on the same day as the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM), I can imagine the race KW event will be a sell-out.

That’s because walkers like to compare their times to other walkers. Sadly, Scotiabank seems to have given up the leading role they were playing just a few years ago making course allowances for walkers.

Here’s more news. While I was at the STWM expo a week and a half ago, I talked with the organizers of the Toronto Women’s Half Marathon. This is a new race scheduled for May 29, 2009. It is for women only and has such highlights as a firefighters’ aid station and a chocolate fuelling station! It all sounds fantastic except there is no walking division! The talk I am hearing from reticent organizers is that it is too complicated to “police” a walking division.

I agree this can be an issue: however; I also believe we can work together creatively. Much of the confusion can be limited through education – on websites and registration forms, and through email communication to registered participants. Many people who “cheat” in walking divisions have no idea they are not walking. They may follow a run-walk program and, without guidance, register in walking divisions.

There are others who feel they walk the whole course but without proper education or training, allow their knees to bend excessively which is indicative of a running gait.

While these concerns do merit attention, I believe the insightful and creative race directors will help develop solutions. One idea is to institute a “protest” system whereby a walker is moved to the running division, if organizers receive three “protests” from other participants, or course volunteers, that the participant was running any portion of the course.

The bottom line for me is this: how will organizers have any idea how to hold a race with a walking division, if they don’t try?

The bottom line for race organizers may be this: across the continent the number of walking participants is growing each year. Demographics would suggest this trend will continue. As these walkers seek to stretch themselves as competitors, they will abandon those races that do not recognize their efforts.

In the mean time, let’s express our appreciation for those races that do have walking divisions. In Oakville this weekend, you can do just that on Monday morning by participating in the 5k power walk division of the KSM Run for Hope. http://www.5ksmrunforhope.com/ .

I'm sure many of you reading this have ideas...let us know about them here.

P.S. Kudos to organizers Peggy and George of the Run for the Toad who, once again, welcomed wakers with a division in their 25k event this past weekend.