| Notes from our Rocks!! Participants:
Congratulations to all who participated
in the May 7th SUDBURYROCKS!!! Race, Run or Walk for Diabetes.
Big thank you to Suzanne Dionne and Ken Stubbings (3rd overall
in the marathon), who traveled to run the marathon just
because they are honour bound. Even though the Race Committee
probably has not totally recuperated, I assure you that
your months of dedication and organization paid off big
time on Sunday. It was very thrilling to run part of the
marathon course. Unfortunately for me, I DNF’d at
the 25 k mark (which I must admit is a pretty humbling experience).
Special congratulations to Bob Young,
who was my running partner, and who completed his first
marathon sans moi. Bob was not alone out
there though. He did get some coaching from our friend,
Monique Fournier, who was actually on the job picking up
her volunteers and running with Bob at the same time. Thanks
Monique, you are an ambassador to your sport.
I certainly appreciated the enthusiasm
of the volunteers along the course who were very supportive
and patient having to stand in the cold and drizzle for
hours. The police officers outdid themselves out there too.
I certainly felt safe and well looked after.
To the Committee, be proud, you outdid
yourself, and Sudbury is moving on up because of you. Thank
you for making May 7th a great experience and a memorable
day.
Lise Perdue
Hello Everyone,
The organizers, volunteers, and sponsors, of the SudburyRocks
Inaugural Run should be proud. You did a very good job and
set a good base for next year.
My story for the day began in early April. I had to decide
if I should run the marathon with only 3 weeks recovery
after Boston. I had run marathons that close before, so
I figured what the heck. Besides, I had to participate in
an event that my friends had taken great amounts of energy
in organizing. I was worried about running out of juice
during the run, but the website (and Brent Walker) assured
me that the course was flat and fast.
Flat (Webster's version): level, even, without inequalities.
Flat (Northern Ontario version): a natural elevation of
the earth's surface smaller than a mountain.
Sudbury now has a marathon comparable in terrain to the
Boston Marathon! (You need to work on having some Wellesley
girls at the 21km mark though.)
It is not always the big accomplishments that make marathoning
memorable. Sometimes the little things can make a big deal
to us. I had now idea how my run would go. Past history
had my second of back to back marathons finishing with a
time of around 3:06. Shawn Schryer introduced himself to
me at the start line. He mentioned his desired goal time
of 3 hours. We ran the first 10km at a good 4:13 pace so
I decided to shoot for the 3:00:00 too. Thank you Shawn
for giving me the drive to continue the pace. This was the
first time I ran most of a marathon conversing off and on
with someone. It did help to keep my mind off the fact that
I still had a little of Boston left in my system.
When the 38km mark came up, I could feel the legs tightening
up. But, I remembered being told that the last few km were
down hill. Oops, someone forgot to mention the hill (or
was it a "flat") at St Joseph Hospital. At the
40km marker I checked my watch and pace band. Oh no, they
matched. With the dead legs, I had to maintain the pace
and keep focused on the goal. After seeing the 5 and 10k
runners, I knew the finish was near. I could see Lynn, and
hear the coach yelling "GO GO!" This was now a
repeat of the 2003 Toronto International Marathon when the
coach was yelling at me to give it all I got. I focused
on the clock and ran in with a close 2:59:57. Thanks Shawn,
Vince, and Lynn for helping me get there.
Ken Stubbings
Dear
Vince & Organizing Committee:
What a fantastic event, venue site and route. Finally the
citizens of Sudbury could experience either as participants
or as onlookers a major running event, of a caliber, usually
only seen in major cities. My hat goes off to you and all
of the volunteers who made this event a success.
The walk (21 K) thru the city of Sudbury, accompanied by
my daughter (who said I don't need to train for this....,
ouch... , those muscles are going to be sore) was certainly
not boring. We chatted our way thru the different parts
of the city, and pushed each other when our pace slowed
down. The last 2 K, with the end in sight, turning onto
Ramsey Lake Road, and snaking our way thru the parking lot
at Science North (were the hell is the finish line...) were
the toughest. I did do a PB taking 10 minutes off my previous
1/2 marathon at Niagara Falls. Thank you Maureen and my
walking group. Thanks for a great event!
Henriette Washchuk Allo ever
Allo everyone,
I would just like to thank you for being a great host town
for your inaugural marathon.
I thought the support staff was unbelievably kind and supportive.
The weather was a bit iffy at times but the fresh air and
lo traffic made the 42 kms quite pleasant.
I would like to commend Vince and his team for putting such
high standards in keeping the course so well marked and
very easy to follow. I felt like Grettel finding her way
with all those cones promising me home.
I have recovered very well and I hope everyone else has
also. For us flat road runners Sudbury's hills are like
mountains. But seriously I would recommend the race to anyone
who wants to have a great run with no hitch.
Thank you again and see you soon
Suzanne Dionne aka Lise Perdue's sister
Hi Vince and Sudbury Rocks members,
I just wanted to let you know that I was very impressed
with the organization and turnout of SUDBURYROCKS!!! Race,
Run or Walk for Diabetes. For all or you who organized and/or
volunteered for the event, I thank you! I ran the 10 K and
although the course was tough (thanks for all the hills),
it was a great run. A course such as that really teaches
you the value of pacing yourself.
I have heard nothing but good comments from any of the people
whom I have talk to since the race. That in itself means
something. Quite a few of my 5 K clinic ran the 5 K even
though they are only in their 4th week, and they all had
a good time. One of them was even excited that they had
a water station on the 5 K route.
Once again "Thanks to all of you"
Dale Comeau
A Note from our Wheelchair
Rock!!
Minna Mettinen writes:
This race
from a wheelchair athletes perspective;
This race was well planned. Am glad
to learn, from the race director-Steve who truly went out
of his way to
talk to me afterwards, when was needing to talk to someone
about the chip timing. Learned from him, that was not a
'burden' to have around, but rather they were glad that
the inaugral boston qualifier race had an distance where
a wheelchair entered. learned
along the way, that minor adjustments had been made at the
finish line, so wheelchairs can 'get in.
Donna, my 'mentor' at the local YMCA
and a strong presence in my support circle (although she
propably does not know it, and infact could perhaps consider
me as an annoyance at times, because not a day goes by at
the YMCA that do not have a question, or more for her, yet
she has never told me to 'get lost' -patient woman she is)
but she was there at the finish
and i could hear her calling out my name, and telling me
that i was doing good. This was a small gesture, but a big
impact for me. I was certaiin i was at the end of the group
at that point.She was also
a race organizer, and worked her butt off making this happen.
she must have given most of her 'free time' (how ever that
is defined) for several months to this event.
Brent, apparently worked his sleep
time as well, and somehow must have survived on gallons
of power gel or just plain is manic, but having to reply
to 100's of emails, handing out race kits all day, (not
to mention the rest of what he did, that i don't even know
about) was the least of his worries... he has my admiration
also for having worked hard, to have this event for us all.
the diabetes association, had contact
with me the first time when it was time to film the commercial
for this event.
back in feb i think it was. they were encouraging, and were
thankful for the participation pledges collected, and were
very accomodating.
the timer-fellow, well he helped
me 'get something straight' regarding the chips, and he
also helped me to get off
and start 1 min. prior to the runners, so I didnt have to
'battle' my way through the starting mat.... this fellow
truly went ouf of his way to make this happen also.
now, i just hope that next yr there
will be at least 4 more wheelchairs in this event. my goal
will be to raise more awareness of the marathon which is
wheelchair friendly, and a boston qualifier, and very friendly
organizers
(the organizers, and volunteers were helpful, cheerful,
and accomodating to peoples needs.) we just need more citizens
of sudbury out cheering on those who are out there and are
struggling, and need the extra encouragement
to reach their goals (it certainly helped me! to actually
hear people telling us positive comments as we were going
by)
finally, i would really like to extend a great big thank
you to the massage therapist who helped me to get my numb
and very cold feet out of this chair, and helped to warm
them up, as well as the rest
of me, while my 'support crew'
came and brought me my clothing, and regular wheelchair.
(no i didnt race in the buff.. lol i just needed 'more'
clothing -lots-
They even had YOUGURT !!!! why am
i so excited about yougurt? it was the only thing i could
eat after the event there were tons of pizza, bagels, drinks,
popcycles etc. but that yougurt certainly made it for me.
this event truly was worth entering
into. and i can only hope that next year, when plan to make
the Sudbury Rocks Marathon as my first marathon on the journey
to Boston (can't 'not' make my home town my first marathon-even
IF it pushes Boston entry by a year -can't imagine doing
3 marathons within 11 months in order to keep up to the
schedule that had initially set forth) there will be 5 wheelchairs,
and 20% more runners in the marathon.
be well all, and remain strong,
minna
--
"It is better to regret something you have done,
rather then regretting that you didn't try"-Hugo Lemay"
Edited Slightly:
Read Minna's full blog HERE |
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