Wednesday 25 April 2012

The Run for the Jedi!



Well Inty, last weekend ole’ JJ ran another one of them “races” he is so fond of running.  His first “ten miler”.  Now, the ten miler is kind of a funny distance.  I would describe it as the “brunch” of runs.  It’s longer than a 10k (which would be representative of breakfast, in my brilliant analogy), but shorter than a half-marathon (lunch).  But like brunch, it’s delicious! If a run can be delicious?  Which it probably can’t because you don’t eat it?
Anyways.  My first one.  Now, you may be wondering “why is this post called “the run for the Jedi”?  Well, I will tell you. The way I figure it, if the Jedi ever had a running race, it would be a lot like the Angus Glen 10 Miler.  It was just so…civilized.  You know, like the Jedi.  With their “lightsabers” instead of laser type guns.  And robes!  Plus, the Jedi lived a long time ago, so they probably used the imperial system instead of metric. 
But why was it civilized?  Well, first it’s at a golf club. This one:
Markham-20120415-00204 Fore! Get it?  Because it’s a golf club!

You go in, get your race kit and they give you, not your t-shirt, but your…jacket!  This one!
 IMG-20120424-00235
Sweeeeeeet…

And in the race kit? Aveeno products!.  Then they tell you that you can go get a locker in the change room.  And that’s what I do!  The Angus Glen hosted the Canadian Open some year and they named each locker after the pro who used it?  I guess? Anyways, this was mine!:

IMG-20120415-00206 IMG-20120415-00205
Luxury!

I have no idea who Wes Heffernan is.  But he is probably better at golf than I am.  And who cares!  Look at that locker!  The last time I ran a race I waited in the cold for 45 minutes trying to get my bag.  This time, I get my own locker.  With showers!:

IMG-20120415-00213 Are those shampoo and conditioner dispensers?  You bet your booties!  I think the third one dispenses Bryl-Cream.

Then it’s time to line up for the start.  Here’s the start line!  It’s inflatable!:

Markham-20120415-00199“ I once ran a race…this long!!!!”  Or… “Behold!!!…the Starting Line!!!!”  I really am not quite sure what I was thinking here.

I am hustling up to the front when the gun goes off!  I miss the first wave of runners.  But that’s ok, I will go in the next wave starting in 2 minutes.  I get to the front of the group and wait.  And we are off!  And I am in the lead of of the second wave!  Awesome!  Exhilarating!  Cannot see anyone in front of me! Until I start to panic because I can’t see anyone in front of me and what if I am going the wrong way?  And worse, what if people are following me off the right track!!!??  And I become the pariah of the race!!?? “Thanks a lot, loser!!!!”  “You suck, jerk!” Ahhh! Too much pressure!!! Where are some volunteers!?  Or pylons!? Or something!?  But then I see the pylons! and the volunteers!  I was on the right track! Huzzah!
Almost 1km down, look at my super-duper awesome GPS watch, which tells me I am running at a 4:09/km pace.  Yikes! Too fast! Whoa boy, let’s take ‘er down a notch! Now, don’t get me wrong, I like to start out races fast, but I have learned the hard way about moderation.

Now on a good pace!  A beautiful course.  Just basically running along the golf cart paths.  The only issue?  As it’s a golf course, there are lots of ups and lots of downs.  None too big, but constant.  Up…down…up…down, with a few plateaus and valleys in between.  And I’ll tell you something I have not really noticed before:  A lot of people are not too good at running hills.  I mean, they can go up ‘em ok, but on the down?  Nope.  At least in my opinion.  Who knows, I could be doing it wrong.  But I saw tons of people slowing themselves down and keeping themselves completely under control on every down slope.  Man, how much energy does it take to do that?  Makes no sense! Just let gravity do the work!  Running lesson over!  You’re welcome!

Ok, maybe just one more.  Any of you kids out there, when you run your first race, the race organizers are probably going to urge you to put your hands up in celebration when you cross the finish line.  Now, there is nothing wrong with this whatsoever, and there are many pictures of people doing it that warm the cockles of my heart.  But me?  Just not my personality.  My first few runs I did do it, and I look less celebratory and more like someone has run out on the course and stuck a gun in my back.  So my piece of advice?  Either commit to it, or don't do it at all.  Just run across the line like you've been there before and will be again.  Ok, now I am REALLY done.

Anyways, keep running, keep running.  Nothing much else to report.  Except the last km.  I pass this guy.  I pass by a spectator who I guess is the significant other of this guy who yells some words of encouragement.  “Go, So and So, go!”  I can hear him behind me speeding up, energized by his cheering section.  Trying to pass me.  I get it.  I would have done the same thing.  And, I am all for cheering and it was very touching and all, but there was no way I was going  to let this guy pass me, if I could help it.  So I kicked it up a notch and ran away from the dude.  So, sorry for that, man.  Nothing personal. And, whatever,  I am sure he had a good finish time nonetheless. 

Finish the race and right to the shower.  Civilized!  And had a beer! Civilized! And then they have a buffet lunch!  Civilized!  With hot dogs and hamburgers! Kinda civilized!

And how did I do?  Well, keep in mind that the average age of the runners was 46 years old.  But ole’ JJ finished 23 out of about 400.  I’ll take that.  I will absolutely take that.  And I think I might just be back next year!

Toronto-20120415-00223After the symbolic “Hanging of the Medal Off the Curtain Rod”!  Sorry you missed the ceremony! It was quite something!

JJ out!

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Memories of The Capital

Generic Picture of Ottawa!

Well, Inty, last week ole' JJ was in O-town for a few days.  Yup, the old stomping grounds.  Lived there for just short of six years.  To paraphrase Neil Young: "A significant number of my changes were there." (Get it? You get it.)

My first 10k, 1/2 marathon, marathon, triathlon.  Met some absolutely incredible people.  Friends for life! Yes! Oui! Oui! Oui!  But the biggest thing (Obviously!) - both of my sons were born in Ottawa. G-man was five when we left, E-man, two.

Everytime I go back now, there's always moments of nostalgia.  Just too many firsts not to.  First steps, first words, first laughs, first skinned knees.  Etcetera!

One day in particular I keep thinking about.  No, not the time I was out boozing with my friend Ryan, where he took off his shirt while on the dance floor in some bar in the Byward Market and because I was drunk and thought it was funny (and probably if I looked close enough at the why there may have been some smallness there that I was jealous that he had the kind of body that he could do that, so lets not look any closer! Ugh!)  I took his shirt and threw it as far as I could and somebody caught it and this instant bucket line formed in front of my eyes except that instead of a bucket it was Ryan's tshirt and in about 5 seconds he had his tshirt back.  Man, I am still amazed by that. Toss! Pass pass pass pass pass, "here you go"...  But no, that's not what I think about!  What I think about is the spring of 2005.  March, I think.  Gabriel was a year and two months old. Ish.  At the stage where he could walk but was still shaky.  Here's a pic from around that time!

Still not totally steady on my feet, dad!

With the snow and ice on the ground, there was no place outside for Gabe to try out his new walking skills!  Especially in all the layers you have to put a one year old in! You know!? Michelin kid!

On this day, the sun was shining.  And warm.  But the ground was still covered in snow and ice.  So maybe still not time for Gabe to go for a stroll outside, but I can still take him for a walk in his stroller.  Give Momma a chance to nap!  Let's go!

Our apartment at the time was relatively close to Sussex Drive.  So we walked down there.  Where better on a spring day!  The canal! and the Ottawa River!  The Parliament Buildings!  Chateau Laurier! Ottawa might not be the most exciting city.  But man that part of it is so pretty.  Except for the paper mill on the Quebec side beside the Musuem of Civilization.  They got to get rid of that.  Eyyyyyeeeeessssore!  Ok, and the US Embassy.  The embassy itself, is maybe kind of cool (it's a submarine!) , but the oppressive security surrounding it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. 

And one other building.  This one:



Yes! The National Gallery! Except that the spider wasn't there yet!  Built in 1988, with a glass facade and a glass tower intended to mirror the Library of Parliament which sits opposite the Gallery across the Canal.  Is it pretty? I'm no Architect.  It could be the Nickelback of buildings, for all I know.  But to this layman, it seems pretty darn nice.  
  
The first time I was there? When I interviewed at the Department of Finance.  My friend Tim had made his case to me regarding the painting "Voice of Fire", by this dude, Barnett Newman.  Tim's view was that he figured it was a good piece of art and that the controversy surrounding the $1.8 million the Gallery spent on a painting of three vertical lines was unwarranted.  To which I eruditely responded "Voice of what?  By who? Controversy?"
Turns out, Tim wasn't fibbing!  It's true.  The Gov bought it in 1988. Paid lots!  People objected! Well, now it was kinda on my mind.  So when my interview with Finance ended and I still had 2 hours to get to the airport, what did I do?  To the Gallery!

Up O'Connor to Wellington! Down Wellington to Sussex!  Go go go!  Get there!  Man, I just rocked through that place searching and searching.  The sound of my dress shoes echoing around the cavernous white-wallled rooms.  Time ticking down... then turn a corner...Behold!

That dude's not me!  He's just for scale!

I dunno.  I kinda liked it.  But of course I am not an artist either so it may be the Nickelback of paintings (poor Nickelback...so butt of jokes..if only they had tons of dough to salve their wounds...).

Admired it for a minute, then time to go fly back to Winnipeg, a more learned man.

But anyhoo, that was 2002 and I am talking about 2005!

The Gabe and I roll up to Sussex Drive.  The glass facade reflecting the spring sun had melted the snow on the pavement beside the Gallery.  Outside walking...possible...? Yes!  Oh my goodness, Gabe, go to it!

Well, let me tell you, that boy teetered and tottered and laughed around that courtyard all morning.  And in that warm sunlight, and that beautiful laughter, beneath the hill where the bronze Champlain endlessly looked to his astrolabe, I swear I felt like no matter what, everything was going to turn out ok.  Whatever that meant.  But it was there.  Just a perfect moment.