Hatley Car Pooling

Dear Bastion,

If there's anyone left in Nanaimo without a cold or flue by Sunday, car pooling for the Hatley Castle 8 K on Sunday will be at the Tim Horton's at Southgate Mall at 8:00 a.m.

Thanks,
Ross

Trail Bits 2006 #8

Trail Bits 2006 # 8

WE NOW RUN AT 7:30

Sign your Waiver please!

It was great to receive the emails back from a large number of you concerning the email from Lisa that I forwarded to all of you last week. As I mentioned in the email, it is nice to know that we are starting to have an effect in our community. It is also nice to get the feed back from you, knowing that you support the work that the Board is doing. I will try to continue to provide more feedback on the charity work that we do to all of you as information comes my way.

Is it my imagination or are there a ton of people out running on Saturday & Sunday mornings? Not just with our group, but in general. It seemed where ever I was on Saturday or Sunday morning there were people out for a run……good on ya. But Boy oh Boy are some of you girls noisy. We were riding in Morell on Saturday and could hear this constant roar of voices as we rode. From the level of the noise we thought it must be the main ROC Trail Group coming back from the ridges. It wasn’t the main group; it was only three very chatty ROC girls out for a run. The one positive thing from all their chatter is that we knew we were safe from any animals; the girls had scared away anything within miles.

This week saw Sean start up two more sessions of his Ab Classes and one more of his Spinning classes. Stupidly I thought, hey I am all better, I can take both classes. Well it is now Tuesday night as I write the Trail Bits and still my stomach muscles are sore from the Ab Class. I don’t know what is going to be sore tomorrow when I wake up after having taken the Spinning (lots of sweating) this morning. If you haven’t taken an AB Class you should really give it a try. You will be amazed at the difference that it makes to your running when your core is strong. I will give you a full report on the benefits of taking a Spinning Class in 8 more weeks. Sean, there better be a benefit to all the sweating.

If you have information that you would like me to pass along to the membership, please feel free to email.

Remember “Every Step Counts”

· First Half – Half Marathon – Steve has returned as the 2006 Champion. Way to go Steve. Congratulations to the rest of you that went over to Vancouver to race along with Steve in the First Half.
· Sponsorship – One of my duties as part of the Nanaimo Daily News Harbour City Half Marathon & 10Km Road race is to arrange sponsorship for the race. The money that we take in through the registration fees basically covers all of the operating costs associated with staging the race (permits, traffic control, signage, medal, shirts, prizes, etc, etc) It is the funds that we raise through the corporate and individual sponsorships that allows the race to be profitable for us and it is this revenue from the race that allows to do the charity work that we do throughout the year. If you or the company that you operate or work for would like to become involved as a sponsor of this years race please drop me an email and I will discuss the options available. I can tailor a sponsorship plan to fit what ever budget you may have in mind…thank you! This year we are re-routing the 10km and we will be giving the 10km a far higher profile than what it has had in the past. We expect to again have the top male and female runners coming to Nanaimo to compete in our races. With all of your support we will continue to grow the race in not only numbers but also in profile across the province.
· Storage Space – As you are aware, ROC is partnering with Arrowsmith Bikes and the Boys & Girls Club in the Bikes for Tykes program (B4T). A problem has popped up that we hope that one of you can help us with: Storage Space. The response from people dropping off bikes has been tremendous, but Robin has now run out of space. His shop is full and his garage is full. If anyone of you knows of a storage space that that we could use “free of charge” for a period of 6 months can you please let me know and I will get Robin in touch with you.
· The RUN Details – Westwood Lake – 7:30 am – For an Hour and twenty. A run of Lower Maple, Alder and other Morrell trails. We will meet at the lake again due to a number of leaders not being to sure about how their health will be on the weekend. We have a large number of people who know the trails of Morell so we will stay close to home this weekend. Next weekend will be Dumont Trails.
7:30AM START

Upcoming Stuff
· Hatley Castle 8km – February 26th
· Bazan Bay 8km – March 12th
· Comox Half Marathon – March 19th
· GutBuster # 2 Royal Roads - March 25th
· Sooke River 10km – April 2nd
· Whidbey Island Marathon – April 2nd
· Merville 15km – April 9th
· GutBuster # 3 Mt. Tzouhalem – April 15th
· Kusim Klimb – June
· GutBuster # 4 Mt. Douglas – June 3rd
· GutBuster # 5 – Westwood Lake Half Marathon & 8km – July 16th

Notes from Sheri at Boot Camp

Dear Bastion,

Sherri is becoming a salty veteran of the academy. At least she still has time to remember the important things. Like my birthday.

Thanks, Ross

Hello week 6!The top 10 things I have learnt thus far:1) Pick your breakfast companions carefully, they set the tone for the whole day!2)When cleaning your gun, be careful! It's all fun and games until a tiny spring, that you didn't even know was there comes shooting out and lands in someone else's cleaning solution half way across the hall.3) When you are doing a "scenario" and the instructor tells you to put away your baton, it doesn't mean take out your gun. (good to know!)4) When the early morning radio announcers on CBC say that it's going to be "chilly"..that's not good.5) How to go to remove my duty belt and re attach my duty belt when I need to use the "facilities"6) How to not have to use the "facilities" too often!7) That's it's okay to laugh during drill class; you just have to pay your dues. I think I hold the troop record of 80 in a class.8) I learnt that there is always a test within a test: Writing in your fitness log is all about attention to detail. Setting up the mats in fitness is a test to see how well we work together in a team and a test of our listening skills.9) Double timing on a full stomach, sucks!10) That it's cool when you realize that you have been here longer than a month and that you are no longer the "baby" troop. Now we are toddlers!And the most important is that when you spend time with someone you love, you feel that you can do anything in the world.Back to class, I just wanted to say a quick hello to everyone. I should have time to write more later this week.Happy Valentines Day to everyone (Happy belated Birthday Ross :-)

Trail Bits 2006 #7

Trail Bits 2006 # 7

Lots of things to report today; at last nights ROC Board of Directors meeting three funding applications were approved. 1. We approved a Funding request that came to us through one of our local elementary schools. This application will see us providing funding for a child who needs proper sports wear in order to play team sports at the school as well as funding for the purchase of sports socks which will be given out with the running shoes that we had previously donated to this school. 2. The second funding application that we approved was a request for funds from the SD68 Outreach Program. This program deals with kids who have literally dropped off the radar screen in terms of the regular school system. This program reaches out to those kids in the hope of one day reintegrating them into school system. Our funding will help to provide basic needs such as personal hygiene products, clothing, etc to those kids. This program is a first step in a very, very long process of reintegration. 3. The third funding application we approved was a request to provide funds to the Boys & Girls Club of Nanaimo that will allow them to send a number of inner city kids to summer camp for a week. If you would like more information on any of these programs that we have agreed to fund, please send me an email and someone from the Board will call you to explain the programs in greater detail. Please remember that it is with your support, either through membership fees, your financial sponsorship or through your helping out at events that we able to do the work we do….Thank you.
“Every Step Counts”

· First Half – Half Marathon – This Sunday, our very own Steve Osiaduk will be in Vancouver to take on Jon Brown and a number of other top male runners in the First Half- Half Marathon. Good luck to Steve and good luck to all of you that are heading over for to race with him in Vancouver. This should be an amazing race to watch as Steve, Jon and a couple of others battle it out. Steve’s PB in the Nanaimo Half of 1:05:26 is better than any of the winning times at this race the past ten years as are all of Jon Browns 2005 half marathon race times which were all under 1:04. It should be an amazing race. Tina Connelly, the two time winner of the Nanaimo Half is the favorite on the women’s side of the race.
· Trail Waiver Form - It is that time of year when I need to have you fill in and sign a Waiver Form. I have attached a copy for you. Please bring it signed on Saturday, drop it off at Frontrunners or give it to any one of the Directors.
· Stormy Weather – a few of the past weekends have seen the group head out into some pretty stormy weather. I need to ask all of you to please exercise caution when you head out in these types of conditions. It is sometimes better to err on the side of caution and not run, than to run in conditions that could result in someone getting hurt.
· Snow Shoeing – If you are planning on coming you MUST EMAIL Kathleen Richardson if you want to come, by no later than February 18th. We are close to 20 right now. If we don’t have 20 people signed up we will be canceling the event, so please reply. Only $27.00 for a fun filled morning.
· Ab Classes & Spinning Classes - Contact Sean Lunny at seanlunny@shaw.ca if you are interested
· The RUN Details – Westwood Lake – 8:00am – For an Hour and twenty. Weather permitting it will be a run of the Westwood Ridges. It should be bright sunshine on Saturday morning. It will be cold though, so dress warm. Can you please come at least 10 minutes early if possible, we want to take one or two shots with the video camera for the Shaw Cable spot….thanks

Enjoy your last Saturday of sleeping in. Next week we move back to 7:30AM

Upcoming Stuff
· Hatley Castle 8km – February 26th
· Bazan Bay 8km – March 12th
· Comox Half Marathon – March 19th
· GutBuster # 2 Royal Roads - March 25th
· Sooke River 10km – April 2nd
· Whidbey Island Marathon – April 2nd
· Merville 15km – April 9th
· GutBuster # 3 Mt. Tzouhalem – April 15th
· Kusim Klimb – June
· GutBuster # 4 Mt. Douglas – June 3rd
· GutBuster # 5 – Westwood Lake Half Marathon & 8km – July 16th

More notes from Dan.

Neighbourhood Heroes
Bill Robinson, who is the fellow that created, writes and produces the articles and TV spots for Neighbourhood Heroes, is doing an article and TV spot regarding Runners of Compassion and the Charity work we do. This is a very exciting opportunity for ROC and should result in a far larger audience of residents in the Central Island region learning about who and what ROC is. Bill has already interviewed Lisa Crucil, our illustrious President for the written articles and he has a copy of “What is Runner of Compassion” for use as background material.

What Bill wants to do now is film our group as we head out on a trail run. We are hoping to arrange to do that this Saturday morning at the very start of the Nanoose run as the weather is forecast to be bright and sunny. It would be great if those of you that have an ROC shirt were to wear them on Saturday. This shouldn’t take up very much of your time. It is a fantastic opportunity for ROC, so please try and attend the run if you can. The more people in the shots the better. Just don’t get caught on film if you have called in sick in order to come for the run.
While I have you there are a couple of other late items to make you aware of.

AB Classes – Two new sessions of AB Classes with Sean Lunny are starting. One on Thursday February 16th at 6:30 PM and one on Monday February 20th at 6:30 AM. The sessions are for one each and last for five weeks in length. A bargain at only $20.00. If you take the AB classes, you will be amazed at the positive affect that they have on your running, biking, hiking or just everyday activities. Having good Core Strength makes it all that much easier. Email Sean ASAP if you want to take the class. They fill up real quick seanlunny@shaw.ca

Spinning Classes - Due to the incredible response to the Wednesday evenings spinning class Sean would like to know if people are interested in an early morning spinning class. It would have to be a am class on Tuesday or Thursday mornings. If people are interested please email me at seanlunny@shaw.ca and let me know what works best for them.

Mike Vine's Uller Report

Hi all, thought i'd send a report from the 7th Annual Uller's Winter triathlon. Staged on the slopes of Apex Alpine near Penticton, this event( and ski resort too) is a neat one - a hidden gem full of winter fun.

Conditions at Ullers are consistently ideal for racing-including this years with a cloudless, windless day and brisk sunshine. With no new snow in almost a week, the course was primed for record times.

Starting with a 12 km mtb, the course ascends 800'
along the snow and ice covered service road to the Nickel Plate nordic lodge - canada's highest xc ski area - at 6200', then continues w/ a 10 km skate ski which although not overly hilly, is all cornering; your'e either going left or right. the final snowshoe leg is 8km over a narrow track climbing through the woods then finishing the last mile with an 800' drop barrelling down a wide open groomed dh ski run. the snowshoe is pure fitness - a mix of power, cardio, and a bit of balance slogging through the snow. but mainly it comes down to the size of the motor... esp at 6000+ altitude!

In the past i've always been strong on the ride and the run, however my doors would be blown off on the technical ski. This year I came much better prepared with a solid 11 days of hard skiing over the last month to bolster my weakest leg. On race day it showed - after riding in 2nd off the opening mtb leg behind Ironman Canada champ Tom Evans, i pulled out the 2nd fastest skate ski, only 30 seconds off Tom's fastest... a substantial gain over last year when i lost 4+ min to the ace skiiers.

Once on the snowshoe I found my newfound ski form had carried over, leaving me fresher to run. It took 4 km to bridge the gap on Evans and once I moved into the lead the gap quickly grew. By the finish I was 3 min ahead and had set a new course record in 1 hr 33 min, which is a 13 min improvement over my last year's time.

Then, to further add to the turn of events this year at Ullers', my girlfriend Ann also won and set the women's course record.

Post race awards included complimentary tubing at the tube park, ice skating at the 1 km adventure loop, and buffet dinner and pints at the Gunbarrel Saloon. good times!
for now,
Vinezy
mikevine.athletesjournal.com

Thanks for Cedar 12k Help

Once Again the members of Bastion Running Club and members of ROC came out in full force to help put on another great race.

I would like to thank Jennifer Frost, Ross Palfry. Steve Middleton and Steve Gagliano for their special help.

Thanks Robin Dutton from Arrowsmith Bikes for the lead bikers. Also Arrowsmith bikes is the newest sponsor on our finish sign Thanks Robin.

I think the biggest thanks has to go out to Pat Ross for his great work. Pat lead out the runners by bike than a quick change and he than did a great job as our MC. It was my goal to get the awards done in a very timely manner and thanks again to Pat for his great work.

The Club got a lot of thanks from a number of folks from other clubs in regards to the great food and how fast the awards went.

Thanks All
Darrell

Dear Bastion,

A great big thanks to all the members who made today's Cedar 12 K race absolutely fabulous by volunteering, running and cheering. The weather was perfect and the traffic was on the whole, very patient with us. My registration crew, the parking crew, the marshals and the finish line crew handled everything seamlessly. 413 runners participated and Bastion members did very well winning 3 firsts and a number of top ten finishes. We also had the largest number of lead cyclists the Island Series has ever seen. Darrell Orosz ran the show with an iron fist and with the help of Pat Ross, the awards were done in record time. Jennifer Frost budgeted how much food we needed perfectly and there was nothing but raves about the waffles with strawberries and whipped cream and the porridge from the runners. Also, thanks to John Hodson for taking some great pictures of the race. I'm sure nobody but a few know how hard Darrell works on the race but I can assure you the race would be a shambles without him. Now, I have to count a lot of money.

Thanks,
Ross

Cedar 12k 2006 Pictures Posted

I took a few shots on my Old Cannon yesterday. They can be found on the Frontrunners Gallery.

http://www.frontrunners.ca/gallery/

Nanaimo Cycling Club Notes

With only 4 days left in the contest, we have had over 20 names submitted.There's still time for you to come up with yet more suggestions.Yesterday's run to Parksville was well supported, with 13 people startingout, including some new faces. A couple of people asked about bike selectionand fitting. I can give you plenty of information on both. I suggest you also talk to Robin at Arrowsmith Bikes.

BTW there is a meeting of the Greater Nanaimo Cycling Coilition on Wednesday15th. at 7pm at Educacentre Offices which are at 256 Wallace St., Suite 420.For more information, visit their web site at www.thegncc.orgPeter

Frontrunners Athletes Awarded Nanaimo Athletes of the Year

Team Frontrunners Athletes Wendy Simms and Steve Osaduik were awarded the Male and Female Individual Athlete of the year at the first annual Nanaimo Sports awards on February 4th at the Coast Bastion Inn.

The following was read prior to the winners being anounced in each category.

Male Individual Athlete of the Year
Steve Osaduik - Nanaimo Track and Field
Steve Osaduik has been one of Canada's top middle and long distance runners for several years. In fact, Steve is ranked in the top 5 in BC for all distances from 5km to the Marathon.

The 2005 season was anothe banner year for Steve as he won the Victoria Times Colonist 10km along with the 2005 Island Series Road Race Championship and was named the 2005 BC Half Marathon Champion. In addition, Steve was the top BC finicher at the Canadian Cross Country Championships where he placed 7th overall and he was the top Canadian at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the Vancvouer Half Marathon.

For hs efforts, Steve was named the 2005 BC Cross Country Runner of the Year and he has qualified as a 2006 Canadian National Cross Country Team member and will compete at the upcoming World Cross Country Championships in Japan.

Despite his own busy training schedule, which sees Steve run 2-3 times a day and approximately 160km per week, Steve has been instrumental in his continued commitment in helping young runners succeed to new levels. In addition to volunteering his time to the Nanaimo Track and Field Club, Steve helped revive a dormant cross-country team at Cover Bay High School in the role of volunteer coach of the Track and Cross Country Teams. With his continued support, both the men and women qualified for the BC High School Cross Country Championships this season. In addition, Steve is forever donating his time at local running races and clinics throughout the community.

Female Individual Athlete of the Year
Wendy Simms - Cyclocross and Mountain Bike
Wendy Simms started 2005 on a great note placing a (at the time) Canadian high of 12th at the World Cyclocross Championships in January. Wendy was able to continue her good form throughout the season achieving podium finishes at the USGP in Steilacomb and two in Gloucester. After a near miss at the national title (2nd place) she was the only women to beat Lyne Bessette for the top podium position all year at the final USGP event in San Francisco.

Wendy also won two Canada Cup Mountain Bike races as well as finishing a close third in the overall general classification at the Sea Otter Mountain Bike Classic in California this past April.

In addition to being a lab instructor at Malaspina University, Wendy is a constant role model to female athletes. Apart from doing guest lectures on her role in sport, Wendy was instrumental in bringing two B.C. Cyclocross Series races to Nanaimo. Wendy can always be found volunteering her time at various running and cycling events in the community.

Trail Bits 2006 #6

Trail Bits 2006 # 6

Congratulations to Wendy Simms & Steve Osiaduk on being named the Female & Male Athletes of the Year for 2005 at the inaugural Nanaimo SportsAchievement Awards held this past Saturday night at the Coast Bastion.

Once again this past Saturday the faithful gathered together in the WestwoodLake parking lot prior to heading off for a run of the Saddle in conditions that were described as "the storm of the year" by the News stations. Over 30 hearty soles ran in conditions that were somewhat ugly to say the least! BigWinds, lots of rain, lots of mud, lots of wind fall lying across the trails and oh, did I mention a lot of water in the streams. One stream crossing was reported to be thigh deep. Not only was the water deep but it was alsoreally cold due to the snow that was on the mountain. Sadly/luckily I had to wait at Starbucks for the reports to come in. One by one people came in to Starbucks with big smiles and big tales to tell. It seemed that as each person came in the water got deeper, the winds got stronger and the temperature got colder. The only thing that remained consistent were the smiles. Even though I didn't get to run, I can tell you that everyone had a blast. Sadly the rest of us are all going to have to listen to them bragabout how wet, deep, cold and windy it was for a long, long time. Thank Godthey don't fish!

This is the weekend to run the Nanoose Trails with Lynn and Kathy. Details are below.

Bastion now has enough volunteers ..thank you!!!!

1. Island Relay - The organizers of the Subway Island Relay are still in need of one or two bodies that would be able to commit to being the Trouble Shooters on the day of the event. May 27, 2006. They need someone to stay on top of everything, putting out fires and any last minute panic's. You will have a list of all contacts, a vehicle with a courtesy driver and generally be everywhere fixing race day problems & checking things are set up correctly. If you would like more information on this, please email me.

2. Snow Shoeing - remember to email Kathleen Richardson if you want to come.Only $27.00 for a fun filled morning.

The RUN Details - Nanoose Trails - Back by very popular demand.People raved about the run that Kathy and Lynn took everyone on last time. It will take you about 10 - 15 minutes to get from Chapters to the Trail Head so please allow yourself enough driving time. Here are the Long driving Directions.
1. Head towards Parksville (hopefully that is a given) and turn right atthe Petro Canada station.
2. Follow the road up and over the two sets of railroad tracks.
3. Take the first road on the right after the tracks this is Powder PointRoad.
4. Head towards Fairwinds Golf Course.
5. You will pass St. Mary's church on the right, then you will pass OZEROACRES FARM on the left and then head up a big hill.
6. Keep going until you reach a four way stop sign. There are big signshere that say Fairwinds on them at this point. Keep Straight
7. Go straight for about .2 km and on the left there is a gravel parkinglot with a wooden rustic fence here. This is the parking lot!
8. The trail head is here! Park very tightly together please, as the lot is not terribly large.

Upcoming Stuff*
GutBuster #1 - March 5th - CANCELLED*
Cedar 12km - February 12th*
Hatley Castle 8km - February 26th*
Bazan Bay 8km - March 12th*
Comox Half Marathon - March 19th*
GutBuster # 2 Royal Roads - March 25th*
Sooke River 10km - April 2nd*
Whidbey Island Marathon - April 2nd*
Merville 15km - April 9th*
GutBuster # 3 Mt. Tzouhalem - April 15th*
Kusim Klimb - June*
GutBuster # 4 Mt. Douglas - June 3rd*
GutBuster # 5 - Westwood Lake Half Marathon & 8km - July 16th

ROC Snowshoe Day

Snow Shoeing
Saturday - March 4th

Hello ROC members....Kathleen Richardson – Chair of the Social Committee is organizing a day of snowshoeing for all ROC members on Saturday March 4th...

Here is Kathleen’s message to all of you

We will be carpooling from Chapters in Nanaimo at 7:30am to arrive at the Raven Nordic Lodge on Mt. Washington around 9:00am...The cost per person is $27- and it includes your trail pass, instructor and snowshoe rental...I have arranged that the guide will take us on an intermediate 3hr. tour (this is not a run, it is a hike of the trails we would normally run in the summer)....we should arrive back at the lodge in time for lunch which by the way is NOT included in the cost but I know from personal experience that the food at Raven Lodge is quite superior to that served at the Alpine Lodge!!! Maureen assures me that they can easily feed our group without tooooo much of a hassle so I hope most of you will stick around and enjoy ....

As far as clothing and shoes go, Mt. Washington staff suggests layering and a high top Gortex hiker or boot? I know I don't have any, so does anyone out there that snowshoes have any suggestions? Can we wear our trail runners and wool sox? Also, bring a snack and water...I think that covers it...Please RSVP Kathleen’s email address and let her know if you plan on coming kathleenrichardson@telus.net I hope for a very sunny day and guarantee a good time because it's with the ROC gang !! Thanks all...Kathleen

Dan here,
A few extra comments on clothing and footwear for snowshoeing: In regards to clothing you definitely need to dress in layers. Unless we end up snow shoeing on a day when conditions are real crappy, you will start to warm up as you get into the hike and will want to take items off. I would strongly recommend that each person brings their own Knapsack to put extra items and discarded items of clothing in. You will also want to carry your own water and snacks with you. Having one knapsack between a number of people or even a couple is a real pain in the butt for that one person who ends up being the pack mule. Carry your own water, snack, and extra clothing. You will want all of these items readily available when you need them. As we all know, we all run at different paces and we will all hike at different paces. The group will get strung out once in awhile, just like we do on the trail runs (we will have sweepers so don’t worry). Keep your own food, water and gear with you. The idea is for everyone to have fun

In regards to footwear you need to wear something that you know your foot will be comfortable being in for 3 hours of hiking. I personally wear a hiking shoe with a SmartWool sock. I also wear a pair of gators which helps to keep the snow off of my ankles. I have also snow shoed in my trail runners, again wearing a really good pair of SmartWool socks. The main thing is to try and have comfortable, warm feet. Great BIG snow boots from the Artic, lined with seal fur will really keep you warm, but they will quickly tire you out from having that extra weight. If it matters to you, most of the people racing in the Yeti Snow Shoe races where trail runners.

If you have your own trekking pools or have access to a pair bring them along. They really help. Oh, one other thing, bring along your sunglasses, sunscreen and Chap Stick.

Lastly, Bring along a change of clothes, socks and shoes in your vehicle. If the weather turns sunny you will quickly discover how easily you can build up a sweat while out hiking in the snow.

Volunteers Needed for Cedar 12k

We are now less than 2 weeks away from the Cedar 12k race on Sunday, February 12th! I am still in need of more volunteers to act as course marshals at our event. If you can help, please let me know. For those of you who have already volunteered...thanks! Once I have enough volunteers(still short by about 10), I will advise of where and what time to meet. Remember, we cannot pull off this race without your support and the amount raised will determine how much are club will be able to donate this year to the Nanaimo Track Club, Morrell Sanctuary, Travel Fund and Student Award! If you are planning on running the race but would like to help with parking or registration, please contact Darrell Orosz at janddorosz@shaw.ca.

Thanks...Steve Gagliano.

Trail Bits 2006 #5

Trail Bits 2006 # 5

Do you know that ROC now has 200 PAID up members for 2006? In addition to that, there are about another 15 people that receive the Trail Bits that are not paid up members of ROC as of yet. An interesting bit of news is that from the 2005 membership base, I only had 2 people tell me that they were not going to renew their membership for 2006. It is pretty amazing how quickly our small little group of Trail Runners has grown into such a great resource for our community and how much support we receive from all of you…..Thank you!



I think that a few of you might have used the excuse “it’s windy outside” to stay in bed on Saturday morning. I couldn’t, I had to leave my house and come to the Lake to help organize a bunch of dysfunctional trail runners into three groups. Actually, I was out anyways so I dropped by. It was really great to see those of you that were at the Lake on Saturday and yes it was a tad bit windy. The number of people out for the Saturday run was slightly less than normal, but still there were about 25 people out for what turned out to be a fantastic morning for trail running. Lots of water on the ground, a little mud (actually lots of mud), glimpses of blue sky, what more could you ask for? You have no idea how much I miss running the trails with all of you on a Saturday morning. Group 1 now knows that if you chose the easy routes when trail running and that if you choose to run down hill for the first 45 minutes, it makes for a long, up hill run on the way home.



I need to apologize to those of you that were planning on joining me this coming Saturday for the start of the Run/Walk Program. Since last weeks email I have been told that I need to wait for at least another 4 weeks before I start again. There were at least a half dozen people that emailed me to say they were going to come along with me, so there is definitely interest. In the meantime, if you were one of those people that wanted to get out and do some hiking/walking on the Saturday mornings with the other folks let me know and I will pass your email addresses to each other so you can organize something. Is there someone else out there with enough knowledge of the trails that you could lead a Run/walk group for the next few weeks?



Sunday saw over 30 runners head down to Mill Bay for the Mill Bay 10k. The race had a record number of entries (740) and a record number of finishers (660). A large number of ROC members raced either under the ROC, Bastion, Frontrunners or Carrot on the Run Club names. ROC & PIH member, Steve Osiaduk was first across the line in a time of 30:40. Stefan was 9th over all with a time of 33:02 and the top female times from Nanaimo were Michelle Krall at 41:55 and Julie Greenhill with a time of 44:01.

Next up is the Cedar 12km on February 12th. See # 3 below for details.



Check out the Frontrunners Blog at http://frontrunners.blogspot.com to read all about Wendy Simms adventures at the World CycloCross Championships this past weekend.



Don’t forget that the Oceanside Cross Country is this Sunday.



Next weekend will be a run of the Nanoose Trails with Lynn and Kathy. Watch for some very exciting information on the snow shoeing coming at you tomorrow.



1. Poop Patrol – a heads up that Malaspina University College will be applying Bio Solids in the forested areas in behind the Wastelands Motocross track up at the end of Dumont. Please avoid this area for the next while.

2. Oceanside Cross Country - the Oceanside Cross Country Race Sun. Feb. 5th. It is a very low key, fun event. The registration is day of race only at 12 noon in the parking lot behind the Ravensong Aquatic Centre in Quallicum Beach

3. Cedar 12k - this is Bastion Running Club big race of the year. Lots of volunteers, marshals and racers will be needed for this race. February 12th, please email Darrell Orosz at janddorosz@shaw.ca if you can help with set up, registration, marshalling. There are duties that will allow you to volunteer and race.

4. Island Relay – The organizers of the Subway Island Relay are still in need of one or two bodies that would be able to commit to being the Trouble Shooters on the day of the event. May 27, 2006. They need someone to stay on top of everything, putting out fires and any last minute panic's. You will have a list of all contacts, a vehicle with a courtesy driver and generally be everywhere fixing race day problems & checking things are set up correctly. If you would like more information on this, please email me.

5. The RUN Details – Westwood Lake- main parking lot, 8:00 am. This time it will be a run of the Saddle and back to the Lake by going through Morell. This run is usually takes about an Hour & fifteen or so. It may be a wee bit wet in spots!!!!!

Upcoming Stuff

· GutBuster #1 – March 5th – CANCELLED

· Oceanside Cross Country – February 5th

· Cedar 12km – February 12th

· Hatley Castle 8km – February 26th

· Bazan Bay 8km – March 12th

· Comox Half Marathon – March 19th

· GutBuster # 2 Royal Roads - March 25th

· Sooke River 10km – April 2nd

· Whidbey Island Marathon – April 2nd

· Merville 15km – April 9th

· GutBuster # 3 Mt. Tzouhalem – April 15th

· Kusim Klimb – June

· GutBuster # 4 Mt. Douglas – June 3rd

· GutBuster # 5 – Westwood Lake Half Marathon & 8km – July 16th

Kona Report on Cross Worlds

http://www.konaworld.com/teams/06_cross.htm

AGM Update from Bastion

For those of you who were unable to attend yesterday's Annual General Meeting, I wanted to advise you of the changes in our club executive. Please join me in congratulating Dave Depasquale as the new club president! We are still looking for someone to take the position of club secretary and Judy Orosz will continue in that position for now. The positions of newsletter editor and new member liaison have been removed as these are no longer needed. A new executive position was added...scholarship/donation coordinator and that was accepted by Linda Irvine. The following individuals remained in their positions:

Ross Palfery.....Treasurer
Rick Harmeson...Website
Bob Cross....Vira Representative
Brian MacKinnon...Vira Member-At-large
Judy Orosz....Social Coordinator
Darrell Orosz....Race Director

Please also join me in congratulating the new executive and offering your support to them throughout the year! Another big congratulation note to Darrell Orosz who was awarded the Annual Bastion Club Volunteer Award...well done Darrell!
I have attached the latest membership list which shows who is and who is not up-to-date on their membership dues. The renewal form is located on our website atwww.bastionrunning.ca and can be given directly to Ross Palfery, our treasurer or mailed in to Bastion Running Club PO Box 2004 Nanaimo BC V9R 6X5. If you would like a hard copy of the membership list, Ross has some extras and will bring them to the lake next Saturday.

Thank you for being so supportive these last few years and I wish you and your loved ones the best for the future and in your running...take care and see you on the roads or trails!

Steve Gagliano.

P.S. If you have any future correspondence or inquiries, please direct them to our new president David at ddepo@telus.net or our secretary Judy at janddorosz@shaw.ca.

Notes from Bastion Ross and Sheri Update

Dear Bastion,

My sympathies to anyone doing the clinic tonight. Running at the track against the wind was like climbing Kenwell with someone on your back. It was insane!
A good day at Mill Bay on Sunday. 28 runners beat the rain and enjoyed a good day and a lot of top ten finishes. There were 660 runners overall. Now we know why they have such a long, long line at the start. They're training us for the food table.
This is the time we start to gear up for the Cedar 12 K. I could use some people at Registration. This is a good job if you want to run the race. If you would like to volunteer in any capacity, email Darrell Orosz at janddorosz@shaw.ca . Let's get a lot of runners out and make it one to remember.
Sherri is working like a dog these days. She's is doing it all. Residents of Regina are advised to vacate the roads while Sherri is learning to drive.

Thanks,
Ross

Hello all :-)

We are heading into week 4! Last week went by very quickly and the four
girls are definitely setting into a routine. We have gone out for dinner the
last two Fridays to debrief and laugh. We laugh a lot and I am hoping that we
are still laughing in 5 months. We spend a fair bit of time together but
everyone is good at doing things on their own as well so that's great.
Having our own rooms makes it so much easier to go to bed when you want to.
Last week I did three of my runs in the mornings so getting up at 4:45 is
easier when I can be in bed by 10pm; the boys don't have that option and are
operating on 5-6 hours of sleep a night.

We had our first patrol drive this week with an instructor. I was sorta
nervous about it because it's been a looong time since anyone (other than
Adam ;-) has critiqued my driving. We also had a lot of information to learn
ie: Regina by-laws and the names of the one way streets down town, before we
went out on the drive. Our instructor was very good and quite calm. I made a
few mistakes(did a 360 turn instead of a u turn) and got flustered when we
got down town. I was hard to remember what I was doing, as well as look for
traffic infractions, and try to drive aggressively and answer questions
from the instructor at the same time. Most of the members of my troop were
told to drive twice a week (each troop has a "charlie car" assigned to them)
and we have a schedule of drives each week. I am going on a second drive
today to get in my two drives this week.

Drill is going well. We were allowed to bring our ankle boots (polished and
spit shined) to the drill hall for class. We are not allowed to wear them on
the base yet but it's a good sign that we are using them in drill. Kim and I
are in the choir and are allowed to wear them to choir on Sunday's as well.

Choir is pretty fun. It's a bit hectic getting there for the two lunch time
practices a week but I have found that by buying a sandwich in the morning
at breakfast, that cuts down on trying to get to the mess for lunch and then
choir. We sing each Sunday morning for the graduating class service and that
has been really inspiration and feels like a battery re charge. I sang a
small duet this morning and I practiced last night at the chapel so I think
it went fine. OH I forgot my belt however and I was standing in the front
row of the choir! I realized before we walked up to the front of the chapel
and joining the rest of the choir so I tried to puff out my shirt a bit. Then
I realized that the C.O was sitting right in the front and so I made sure I
always had my choir binder in front of me and then when we had to stand at
attention and sing O'Canada, I bent my knees so that I could hide behind the
alter. We'll wait and see if I get an L.A (learning assistance because of
it.) I felt like there was a neon sign at my waist saying "No belt! No
belt!".

Firearms is quite hectic but I think when I learn to relax and focus on the
front sight of the gun it will get better. I shot a 46 out of 60 so that's
about average. One girl, Rhondelle, has no prior experience and shot 59 out
of 60!

We had our first Police Defensive Tactics class this week as well. We learnt
how to handcuff people and we worked in pairs. I picked a big guy because I
want to get comfortable working with and being handled by people bigger than
me. We (the girls) just came from practicing because you are supposed to
practice 30 mins a week there too.

It's hard to explain how busy we are. The working day is 6:15 am to 4:30pm.
And then from 4:30 to bedtime you usually have a troop practice for drill
(one hour) and physical fitness competency to do ( 3 cardios, 2 weight
workouts / week), boots to polish, laundry to do, homework to do, maybe a
drive with a partner and dinner somewhere in there. This is the main reason
that I am running in the morning. That way if something comes up throughout
the day (last Wednesday we were given a group presentation assignment at
4:00pm due for 8:00 the next day), I don't feel antsy about not getting a
workout in.

On the whole, I am enjoying myself most of the time. I do miss hugs! 90% of
the troop is married so we may start a "hug day" as we are all missing that
contact. And sometimes I feel very far away from my other life. I think
that's probably normal when you are so immersed in learning new things and
there is seldom time to be bored. I find Friday nights hard and find I miss
Adam a lot on those evenings and I do miss running with the group on
Saturdays and the Cambie breakfast. So the Friday night dinners have been
great and I am really enjoying my IPOD. Thanks Drew :-)

I was able to log 21.5 miles this week (which I thought was great until I
realized it was only 32 km!)
because it feels like I am always running! But I think my mileage will
probably be around 24-25 miles because there are very few days that I can run
twice in a day. It was definitely an advantage coming in fit however as
that's one less thing I have to learn.

Well I think that's all. My apologies to Andrea for not getting a hold of
you this week. And for not answering people's individual emails. It is not
uncommon for me to go three or four days without being able to check my
emails. Crazy I know! I love email!

But thank you to everyone for writing. Though I may not respond right away
or at all, I do love to read them and find out how you are doing.

Happy end of January! (and fingers crossed for a mild Feb!) OH I saw a bird
today!! First one! Hopefully they know something we don't.

Love,
Cadet Sherri :-)