Hello Everyone,                                                                                    February 8, 2007

In this Issue:

Sudbury's second annual Hypothermic 1/2 Marathon truly lived up to its name as early morning temperatures plummeted to -27deg C with a windchill approaching -38deg C . Fortunately the wind did subside a bit by race start. The photo above proves that runners are a hardy bunch as 45 entrants lined up with great enthusiasm - and maybe a little trepidation. Most Northerners were chomping at the bit while Southern competitors were a little more concerned about the Arctic conditions (see Rafael Moctezuma's article below). At the end of the day all finished and there were no reports of frostbite.

Most people treat this Run as a long training session but some come out to give it their all. Steve Odjig from Wikwemikong did just that coming first overall with a time of 1:36:20. Melanie Muise from Sudbury did the ladies proud by coming in 4th overall and first lady with a time of 1:38:50. Check all results here. The rest of us finished well and absolutely enjoyed the hot brunch buffet at Buzzy Browne's.

Thanks go out to Johanna, Kris and the Sudbury Running Room staff for organizing the event and also to Mark Arnott, Pam Hastings and Chris from the Southern Running Room Organization for their much appreciated support.

Sheila Yaw-MacLean adds:

I wanted to pass on a great big THANK YOU to all the volunteers that came out on Sunday to help with the Hypothermic 1/2 Marathon. As cold as I was the volunteers must have been colder. Thanks very much for being out there Volunteers, you guys really made me feel warm. Great job done by Johanna and her staff. We can only hope the weather gets better each year we run this. Last year we ran in white out conditions in the Zellers parking lot because it was too dangerous to run the streets!!!!
Thanks again
Sheila Yaw-MacLean

Never Underestimate the Weather By Rafael D.L.C. Moctezuma Getting There Most of you know that this is the very first winter where I don?t sit on my ass and wait for spring temperatures in order to marathon train. With the intention of keeping our fitness level high throughout the dark season, Kristi and I signed up for several winter races, including this past weekend's Sudbury Hypothermic Half-Marathon. Having several marathons under our belts and having ran well so far, Kristi and I set out on our journey to Sudbury, which by the way required an unplanned overnight in a Parry Sound motel due to severe weather and zero visibility on HWY 69. An additional and unfortunate turn of events occurred when Kristi was suddenly hit by severe illness on Friday, requiring a doctor's visit and strict orders not to run on Sunday. So partner-less, I had a lonely race in a very strange place to look forward to. Race Day The free hat, gloves and neck warmer provided by the race organizers as part of the race kit should have been a sign of things to come. Waking up to -27? C temperatures did not instill confidence. Multiple layers went on (and that is while I was still indoors). The course consisted of a double loop in semi-hilly terrain, covered with a layer of hard-packed snow. By the way, whoever thought of covering the vents on your running shoes with duct tape is a genius. So the following factors quickly became evident to me during the race: One, I was using energy simply to stay warm. Two, although I did not feel it, dehydration became an issue. Three, running on snow is always harder than one thinks. And lastly, I was at a huge disadvantage since I was clearly out of my element (most participants were used to training in this weather, not to mention us ?southerners? had been spoiled with unseasonably warm temperatures this winter). I never did get used to breathing in such cold air, not to mention the ice build-up on any moist part of my outer layer, including the icicles on my eye lashes and nose (I know, nice). But races will be races, and I pushed until the end thanks in part to Kristi who, while sidelined, was there at the start, midpoint and finish, cheering on and running along with me. Another pleasant and most helpful surprise was an unexpected friendly face. Michelle, who we trained with in Toronto for last year's fall marathon was a course marshal at km 8 and 18 also cheering me on. Results All things considered, I was happy with my results. My first half of the half was 00.57:28 and I negative split the second half at 00:56:31 totaling 01:53:59 at a pace of 05:24 min/km (including walking through the four water stations). Not a fast finish by any stretch but certainly a satisfying one. Considering the northern competition and harsh temperatures, I came in 12th overall. No ice bath after this one though. Lessons Learned Really just one: Do not overestimate the impact of cold weather on your body (my 01:40 pace band quickly became obsolete in the first cold kilometres of the race). Whenever dealing with extreme temperatures, cold or heat, take additional proactive measures to counter the extra depletion. Most Unusual Aspects of the Race Fist of all, the water stations were handing out warm water and warm sports drink. What would otherwise be repulsive to me quickly showed its benefits. And the second and best one, instead of a bagel and banana after the race, the organizers included a full, hardy and warm brunch buffet that included eggs, pancakes, pasta and roasted chicken to name a few; an excellent refueling strategy. Conclusion A true northern experience. Friendly people and good organization. Does the race pass the test? Yes, I would run it again. Maybe next year we will run the Winterpeg, I mean Winnipeg version (I hear their average temperature for the run is -30? and sells out every year! Now on to the Burlington Chilly Half!

Last weeks SudburyROCKS website update missed the single most important running event that occurred in the Sudbury area! David Ross's attempt at the Miracle Mile! In Dave's case the miracle mile was an attempt to run one mile in under 6 minutes.

Now for those who don't know David Ross, David is an inspiration to every middle-aged guy who decides to become more active by taking up running and shed a few extra pounds that accumulate over time. Some of his past accomplishments include winning the half marathon, Clydesdale division last summer in Massey. He then went on to compete with Lance Armstrong in the New York Marathon last fall - but I believe that Lance came in ahead of David in that race.

My understanding is that in a casual conversation, David stated that he thought he could run one sub-6-minute mile. Seeing this as a perfect opportunity to really push his training to a new level and test David, Rocks!! Coach/Advisor, Vince Perdue threw down the gauntlet and promptly assured him that it was unlikely that he could do it. To really motivate and yank David's chain further, Vince gave him 1000 to 1 odds against him being able to run a mile in under 6 minutes.

The challenge became a bet. Star Bucks coffee and gloating rights as to who would be right was on the line. To win the bet, all David would have to do is run 12 laps at the Cambrian track at just under 30 seconds a lap for one sub 6-minute mile.

On the day of the Miracle mile challenge, many runners came out to witness the event. I had the good fortune to assist David with his pacing for the event with the idea being to pace him evenly to the 6-minute goal time. We warmed up appropriately and then we hit the start line running with me in front pacing. The first lap was bang on with just under 30 seconds. For the second lap I relaxed the pace too much and now we were behind by about 2 seconds and David knew it. David promptly told me to "Lets GO!" I then became worried that if I tried to make up that deficit too quickly David would burn out so the focus became to continue running just under the 30-seconds a lap. On the 8th lap I reassured David that he was almost there and that he was going to succeed even though we were still about a half a second behind. His response was not positive and I could tell from his breathing that David was working hard. Could David hang on for the last 4 laps? How hard was David willing to push at the end? Could all this pain be worth a Starbucks coffee?...

David hung in for 2 more laps at just under 30 seconds a lap. With one lap left David picked up the pace for the final lap.

The time: 5:57.34!!!

Congratulations David on a great effort!

Dave - Make that a Venti Caffè Latte to go please! I believe that Vince is buying.

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Vince adds: The crow I ate really wasn't too bad. Tastes a lot like chicken. Congratulations Dave!. Let the records show the coffee has been bought (2 Large Cafe Americanos at Old Rock Roasters on Minto St.) Let the records also show that the NEXT CHALLENGE will be tougher.