Vancouver Sun Run

The London marathon is not the only mass participation event in April. In Vancouver there is the world's largest 10k that attracts around 50,000 people. This year it took place on the 19th and not only did my sister's family take part, they excelled.

My sister finished in 51.46 and was 4864, my brother in law managed 45.22 and was 1573, my niece, on virtually no training, managed 59.35, and my brother-in-law's nephew, who doesn't run but lifts weights for exercise, finished in 1.13.43. Now I think all these results are brilliant and some become even better when adjusted for age (my sister finished 17th in her age group and my brother-in-law was 68th). However there is magic in round numbers and the target of breaking 50 minutes and 45 minutes was not quite achieved (in one case by only 23 seconds) so satisfaction was not complete. The quest has to go on and they are now looking for other races in which to break their barriers.

I am sure they will find the right race as they are very close to their targets, especially as it is difficult to run your best in a very crowded race. My biggest race was the Great North Run and my memory is of weaving around other runners, continually slowing down and speeding up so that it was very difficult to maintain a rhythm and build a race pace. I am sure a smaller race, with enough people for an atmosphere but clear space to run in, is a better bet for a PB.

P.S. A list of the largest races is here. In 2008, the Vancouver Sun Run wass 4th, the Great North Run 10th and London was 12th. It will be interesting to see how the economic crash will effect the numbers in 2009. We might run more because it is a relatively cheap and can help us forget about problems but we might enter fewer races because of the cost. Who knows.

P.P.S. I like the names people invent for races and am particularly taken by the Lilac Bloomsday Run. Now I love any run which gives a hat tip to the wanderings of Leopold Bloom but it is run in May when the official Bloomsday is 16th June. I'm sure there must be some good reason for the discrepancy but I have no idea what it is.

Children Running By The lake

There is something magical about the stillness of lakes.

Our visit to Cultis Lake was off-season and it was deserted. The shops in the plaza were shut, there was nobody on the beach, and no boats on the water and of course no one jumping off the jetties into the water. All was eerily calm but it was not empty.

Around the Lake are a large number of houses and cabins. Some of them are used just at weekends and for holidays but there are a fairly large number of permanent residents. As we walked along the path there was the sound of hammering and drilling as a few people were working on their buildings as if preparing for the winter.

As we were walking we met a group of junior school children running the lakeside path. At the front were the fast kids accompanied by an adult who was obviously a practised runner. There was quite a gap and then the larger gaggle of kids in the middle, also accompanied by an adult and then after a long time came the stragglers, also accompanied. I thought it was quite wonderful to see this way of encouraging exercise. The kids were allowed to go at a pace they could manage but there was someone at hand to encourage and help them.

I like the idea of teaching running at an early age with someone running alongside to encourage and support. I don’t know if it is common in today’s schools but it is unlike anything I remember. We had no instruction on improving running efficiency or finding a rhythm to run for longer, or run for enjoyment. It was assumed we all had the basic skill and you would no more teach running than you would walking.

Now I don’t think we make those assumptions. We are worried about the lack of exercise in the population as a whole and are making more effort to develop good habits. Encouraging all kids to run could be very important.

An Ideal Running Path

This path by the Vedder River is near my sister's house. It is flat, smooth, well maintained, and perfect for running especially as there are marker posts every kilometer. A small thing perhaps but it makes the path even more useful for training.

Another good thing is that dogs must be kept on a leash. There is however a nearby field with a designated pound where the dogs can run free. In effect this is an informal club as the owners chat with each other whilst the dogs also socialise and run around in groups. It is odd but whenever I see dogs on leashes pass each other they bark and jump and have to be restrained by their owners. Here, without the need to show off, they seem to get along fine.

Recreation facilities do not have to be ornate – opening up access to beautiful areas is enough

Appreciating the landscape

My sister lives in the Fraser Valley. It is flat, rich agricultural land in the huge flood plain but wherever you look you see mountains. On clear days the light is crisp and clean with blue skies over an open landscape. There is a beauty and grandeur here.

Although this is a running blog I often talk about landscapes. This is because being somewhere stimulating, noticing new things on familiar routes, seeing how everything looks different in different light, being aware of changes in the seasons is an important part of the experience. It is a necessary counterbalance to a tendency to be too absorbed by your own body: how you are doing, how you are feeling, whether you are flying or struggling. You have to look out as well as in.

My sister has a wonderful landscape to run in. The mountains never look the same; the light and shadows are always changing and the pattern of clouds is always shifting. The picture at the top is a bit of a cheat because it is not from a run (it was taken a few miles away, looking over the Fraser at Mission) but it shows how sometimes, on a clear day, strata of clouds can make the view a peep show.

You can never tire of such sights or take for granted your ability to enjoy them.

What Marathon?

Sometimes I am amazed at the connection you can find. This is picture bizarrely contains a number of family relationship.

Running is a way I mark out my territory. If I cover a route enough times I get to know the landscape and feel an association. This is a photo from a familiar run it is therefore part of my territory. So that is me

The totem pole was carved in British Colombia and shipped out to a timber merchant who used to operate from this site in Berkhamsted. My sister now lives in British Colombia. So that is my sister.

In the background is a pub called the Crystal Palace, an area of London I know well, not only because my elder daughter currently lives there but because my mother's family come from nearby in Croydon. My mother was a girl when the Palace burnt down in 1936 and she once told me of her memories of watching the flames dominating the night sky. She also supported the football team. So that is my mother and my daughter.

What other relationships can I find? Oh yes... the totem pole was actually carved on Vancouver Island and in two weeks time I am going to visit my sister. She and my brother-in-law are going to run the half marathon, my wife is going to run the 8k and I am going to run the marathon in Victoria, Vancouver Island.

So that is it. There is no way I am in good enough shape for a marathon but I have to try. I have to follow the connections in the photo.