ROC Trail Bits 2007 #6

Trail Bits 2007 # 6

A great run of the GutBuster Race route on Saturday with a lot of new faces in the crowd of runners that ventured out. It is always great to get up on to the ridges and take in the views from up above the lake, surprisingly most of us managed to complete the run and still have dry feet.

Congratulations to Norm Thibault and Steve Osaduik on their winning of the Nanaimo Sports Achievement Awards on Saturday evening. Norn won the Master Male Athlete of the Year Award in recognition of his winning the Masters Division of the Canadian Cyclocross Championship. Steve won the Male Athlete of the Year for his accomplishments of not only winning the Canadian Half Marathon Championship, but also for his breaking of the 25 year old course record for the Royal Victoria Marathon.

I have attached a message from Charles Burrell, the new President of Runners of Compassion – Nanaimo Chapter

The course description for the Adventure Racing clinic is pasted in below. If you ever wanted to take a clinic to work on your navigation and mountain biking this is the clinic for you…read details below.

Check out the UPCOMING RACES at the bottom of the page. There are lots of new additions, plus I have added in web links for all of the races.

People have been asking me if they can bring their friends and visitors along with them on the Saturday runs, even though that person is not a member. The answer is yes they can run with us, BUT they must bring a signed waiver with them. I have attached a copy of the Waiver in Word format so you can save it in your computer and print it off when company arrives. Please do not assume that I will have waiver forms with me as I don’t usually have them in my vehicle….Thanks

If you are going to forward this email along to your friends, you must remove the information about the run location from the email before doing so. Liability, liability, liability!!!!


The following email was sent to me on Friday. I hope you enjoy reading it. The note reminds us that the work we do does have an affect in our community.

Hi Dan,
At my Rotary Club of Nanaimo meeting at the Howard Johnson at noon today, Kathy Smith stood to tell a story of success made possible by the Runners of Compassion, Nanaimo Chapter. She was a guidance counselor at one of the local Senior Secondary Schools last year when they received a consignment of new and gently used running shoes from ROC.
Coaches and physed teachers made regular visits to her shoe stash, but she made comment about one day when a teacher came up and showed her a pair of shoes held together, not of duct tape but of scotch tape. There were no insoles, no protection and it was pouring rain outside. The student, a tall, six-foot 16-year old stood to one side with his head hung low obviously embarrassed.
Kathy said, "Come with me," and they went to a closet with rows of shoes provided by ROC. The student tried on several pairs and finally settled on startlingly white shoes which apparently fit perfectly. He was weeping with his good fortune at finally replacing the shoes which had literally fallen off his feet.
Kathy said she saw him regularly and the student said - and showed her proudly - that he had been keeping the clean white shoes still clean and white even though it was a wet and muddy season.
The Runners of Compassion programs do make a difference in Nanaimo, one person at a time. Best of luck continuing the great work. Bill


o Cedar 12km – The Nanaimo stop on the Island Race Series is the Cedar 12km, which is scheduled for February 11th, 11:00 – Registration details available https://www.vira.bc.ca/upload/docs/3_Cedar_2007_final.pdf If you can help with volunteer duties on race day please contact Ross Palfrey at rosspalfery@shaw.ca

o 4th Annual Kusam Klimb Endurance Event – Saturday June 23rd, 2007 Sayward BC - Picture an endurance challenge where sensory overload from the beauty of the surroundings kills the pain you feel in your body while at the same time fueling you to push on even harder. Imagine yourself surrounded by old growth forest as you scramble up inclines into the alpine to awesome views of the ocean and snow capped mountain peaks. http://www.kusamklimb.ca/index.htm

o Joga4Life Clinic – Starts Wednesday Feb. 21- Wednesday April 18…….(6:00pm - 8:00pm) …..Location: McGirr Elementary……Cost: $100
Goal Runs: Vancouver Sun Run 10km or Sooke 10km - both are April 22 OR Victoria Times Colonist 10km The Clinic: The focus of the clinic is to attract runners that are looking to get to another level in their running. Weekly workouts will focus on speed workouts and Tempo runs. Runner's only need to be able to run at steady state for 40 min.(this means they may not be at the 10km distance just yet...8 weeks will get them there!). They may also be doing 10min.jog/1 min. walk. The intent is to notch it up regardless of where they are at now. Yoga will start with a beginners program with the option to try more challenging poses. The poses are mostly runner focused. Registration forms are at Frontrunners or people can email me btaylor@sd68.bc.ca or phone Bobbie @ 729-3870

o Adventure Racing and Navigation Clinic: This clinic is designed for those wanting to try Adventure Racing for the first time and for those of you that have a couple of races under your belt and now want to start honing your skills in order to have a higher finishing placement. This clinic starts Saturday April 28th and runs every Saturday morning until June 16th. The goal being to have you race ready for the July 7th MOMAR at Shawnigan Lake……………………. Your instructor for this clinic will be Sean Lunny. Sean is a certified personal trainer and a 3 time MOMAR champ. Sean has competed with Team Helly Hanson in major races like the Eco Challenge NAC, Explore Sweden, Raid the North, and most recently in the Raid World Cup as a member of Team Supplier Pipeline………………Over the 8 consecutive Saturday mornings (1.5-2hours each) you will cover all three disciplines that will be thrown at you in any MOMAR - (Kayaking, Mountain Biking and Navigation) with the main emphasis’s being to develop your navigational skills, the place where most MOMAR races are won and lost………………………………….. Sean will teach you how to understand and read a map, how to orientate yourself and your map to your surroundings, how to correctly use a compass, set declination, take a bearing and how to choose the route that will hopefully get you from A to B the quickest. You will also get lots of opportunity to work on improving your technical mountain biking skills and learn how to make trail side repairs. One of the Saturday sessions will include kayaking and instruction on proper paddling technique. (There may be an additional charge for this class)……………………………… This course is very limited in numbers so don’t delay. All clinic members must have their own mountain bike and their own compass (or one per team) For more detailed information please contact Sean at seanlunny@shaw.ca or at 760-0211

Upcoming Races

o Cedar 12k – Feb 11 www.vira.bc.ca/default.aspx?PageID=1002
o Hatley Castle 8k – Feb 25 www.vira.bc.ca/default.aspx?PageID=1002
o Malaspina 5km Run – March 4 www.nanaimo.frontrunners.ca/events/index.php?monthnum=3&year=2007
o Bazan Bay 5k – March 11 www.vira.bc.ca/default.aspx?PageID=1002
o Comox – Half Marathon – March 18 www.vira.bc.ca/default.aspx?PageID=1002
o GutBuster #1 – Royal Roads – March 24 www.gutbustertrailrun.com
o Sunshine Coast April Fools Half Marathon www.foolsrun.com
o Merville 15k – April 1 www.vira.bc.ca/default.aspx?PageID=1002
o Diez Vista 50km Trail Run www.diezvista.itgo.com
o Sooke River 10k – April 15 www.vira.bc.ca/default.aspx?PageID=1002
o Whidbey Island Marathon & Half Marathon – April 15 www.whidbeyislandmarathon.com
o Boston Marathon – April 16 www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon
o GutBuster # 2 – Mount Tzouhalem (Duncan) – April 21 www.gutbustertrailrun.com
o Port Alberni Paper Chase 10km – April 22nd http://arrowsmithradicalrunners.com
o Vancouver Sun Run – April 22 www.canada.com/vancouversun/sunrun/index.html
o Times Colonist 10km – April 29 www.tc10k.ca
o Elk & Beaver Lake Ultras (50k, 100k, 50miles, 100 miles – May 5 www.pih.bc.ca/elk-beaver-ultra.html
o Vancouver Marathon & Half Marathon – May 6 www.vanmarathon.ca/hm
o Mind over Mountain Adventure Race – Squamish – May 12 www.mindovermountain.com/momar/schedule/momar_001/momar_001.htm
o Oak Bay Half Marathon – May 20 www.peninsularunners.com/events/oakbayhalf.htm
o Victoria International Triathlon – May 26 www.lancewatson.com/VictoriaInternationalHalf-Iron.htm
o Iron Knee 25Km Trail Run – North Vancouver May 27 www.ironknee.ca
o Tender Knee 12km Trail Run – North Vancouver May 27 www.ironknee.ca
o GutBuster #3 – Mt Douglas (ROC Victoria) – June 2 www.gutbustertrailrun.com
o Port Angeles Marathon & Half Marathon – June 10 www.nodm.com
o Edge to Edge Marathon – Tofino to Ucluelet – June 10 www.edgetoedgemarathon.com
o New Balance Half Iron (Norms Race) – Victoria – June 16 www.island-multi-sports.com/Half%20Iron/index.htm
o Scotia Bank Half Marathon & 5K – June 24 www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm
o Mind over Mountain Adventure Race – Shawnigan Lake – July 7 www.mindovermountain.com/momar/schedule/momar_001/momar_001.htm
o Squamish Thunder Trail Race -10k or 16k trail race July 14 www.ironlung.ca
o GutBuster # 4 – Westwood Lake Half – July 15 www.gutbustertrailrun.com
o Iron Lung 10k & 20k trail races North Vancouver August 19th www.ironlung.ca
o Nanaimo Daily News Harbour City Half & 10K Road Race – September 9 www.harbourcityhalf.com
o Run For the Mountain 6k – Westwood Lake – September 22
o Yellow Point Pant & Paddle – September 23rd www.pantandpaddle.net
o Mind over Mountain Adventure Race – Cumberland – Sept 29 www.mindovermountain.com/momar/schedule/momar_001/momar_001.htm
o Haney to Harrison Road Relay & 100k Ultra http://www.bcathletics.org/H2H