Galloping Goose Personal Half Marathon

By Maggie

Watching the smiling STARRS rack up the kilometres during the Vancouver Island Circuit Challenge and May Marathon Madness fired me up. Although I was injured for much of it, reading Leslie-Ann’s reports, chatting with members online, watching Megen’s girls hiking away, and (of course) seeing everyone’s footage for the video inspired me. So when I was fully recovered, I decided to try a half marathon--not for any virtual race, but just so I would know that I did it.

I was up to 20km towards the end of July, when I had another fall at Elk lake and it moved my training back. The half marathon was not to happen by my birthday as planned. My personal theme over the last few years has been finding the balance between accepting what I am able to do in the moment and pushing myself safely to be the strongest I can be. So I tried to shake off the fall and keep moving towards my goal.

On August 19, starting in the morning fog, I completed a whole 21.43 kilometres on the Galloping Goose. My original plan had been to run from the poleyard to Matheson and back, but a spasming calf muscle made me decide to turn back at Sooke road and keep closer to the parking lot (just in case). The muscle spasms started at 3 kilometres and forced me to stop, stretch and walk and contemplate the possibility that it might NOT be my day after all. However, after the third time stopping, stretching and walking, the spasms subsided and I was able to keep going for the last 15km (except a couple of short water/Gatorade walks). My new route included a couple of out and backs to the second trestle. My time was 2:36:57.

As the fall and winter begin to descend on us, likely without live races, I hope the club can focus on how we can encourage each other in our training within the “new normal.” For me, creating a goal for myself, sharing it with others and then celebrating my success has been a wonderful experience. If I hadn’t told every single person that I talked to about my half-marathon plans, I may have waffled at the last minute (I don’t think I would have, but I will never know). Also, when I see members running and smiling and doing their best, it makes me want to do the same! So a big thank you to all of STARR for your support on my journey.

STARRs Crush Mizuno Midsummer Virtual 5K

July 9th was a beautiful night for an evening race, and some STARR members gave all they had on a flat out and back 5km route for the Mizuno Midsummer Virtual 5k.  4 STARRs participated in the race: Steve Eriksen, Maggie Curtis, Megen Seysener and Nicola Turner.  Maggie, Steve and Megen ran on July 9 on the Galloping Goose trail from the poleyard on Sooke River Road towards the trestle bridge.  Nicola did her 5km in her neighbourhood (Steeplechase, Caffery, Church and trail to Seaparc) on the fine morning of July 12 in the company of her twin sister.

Steve Eriksen led the pack with an outstanding time of 21:30, coming in 8th overall in his age category (40-49).

Maggie Curtis came in at 33:00, with Nicola right behind at 33:20. Megen Seysener ran a 39:48.  Megen’s dog Sprout also ran a 39:48 and although not officially registered for the race, we are proud of her efforts.

Toryn, Brynn, and Jason came out to view the excitement on July 9.  Louie also made an appearance, and seeing his face seemed to give Sprout that extra push at the end. 

This virtual event had some great swag, including Mizuno running shoes and Goodr sunglasses, as can be seen above in the photos.

385 people participated in the event, with many racers coming from Edmonton where it was organized by the Running Room.

With many “in person” races being canceled due to Covid 19, virtual races are becoming more popular and the Mizuno 5km was well organized with runners from all over Canada taking part.

Steve, Maggie, Megen (and Sprout) rocking some strong finishes!

STARR May Marathon Madness Results

Megen, Teresa and Magge - 4 marathons!

By Leslie Ann Bent

May was a fantastic marathon month for STARR, with some great mileage and some inspiring virtual marathons and ultras.  Our final report shows:

·       31 runners and walkers participating including children – 20 female (65%) and 11 men (35%)

·       5,330km covered in 31 days – that’s more than 126 marathons!

Brynn - 3 marathons!

·       We’ve had 4 marathon memory write ups, 1 half marathon recap, and 2 virtual marathon stories.

·       We also had 7 youth clocking the kms with their parents. Nice to see the youth out.

Top Competitors

Female –1st Pauline (283.8k), 2nd Emily (273.7k), 3rd Megen (182.3k), honorable mention Teresa (182k)

Male – 1st Danny (710k), 2nd Greg B (421K), 3rd Greg C (365.6K), honorable mention Robin (323k)

Special recognition prizes

Glow Stick Award goes to someone who brightens everyone’s day – Maggie

Abacus Award goes to someone we can count on, for all his behind the scenes work for MMM - Robin

Mountaineer Award for many vertical (reported) kms – Carol with 21,000 vertical meters of climbing

Cheerleader Award for those who cheered on our runners the most on the STARR website and Facebook –  tie, Jenny and Jim G

Father’s Day award for a father inspiring his children in fitness – Steve E. for encouraging his 2 daughters (ages 9 and 12)

Running with the Bulls Award for the runner who takes the most risks with trying new and challenging routes – Many are looking forward to those challenges again when we can run together - Jackie

Leslie Ann and Andy

Winners will be contacted by email to receive their prizes.  Megen and I will be reaching out to winners for pick up or delivery later this week. We must say that Danny has earned his Man-Sized Treat Basket hand-created by Megen including a beverage or two if you believe the rumours. She calls it “Take the Load off Danny.”  In among Pauline’s prizes is the book “Running with the Kenyans: Discovering the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth.”

So, what marathons have we virtually completed?  There have been so many so I will just name a few. Danny added a marathon for each province in the second half of the month. Carol and Wayne both tackled ultras. Wayne completed the Squamish 50 miler and Carol the Canadian Death Race plus the Lost & Found 30k. Jackie stayed close to home with the Victoria, Vancouver and Port Angeles marathons. We did lose Donna somewhere on the Goose at the half way point!  She is still out there somewhere, I hope. Ken, Mark and I all did Dublin. Andy tackled Barcelona and Boston. I am half way through the Loch Ness Marathon and I am still looking for the Loch Ness Monster.  I haven’t found it yet.

Here are the results to May 31

Ultras: Wayne (105km into the race), Carol (155km)

How many marathons?

Completed 10 or more: Danny (16.8), Greg B (10)

Completed 6 or more: Greg C (8.7), Robin (7.7), Pauline (6.7), Emily (6.5)

LIla and running companion Maisy

Completed 4 or more: Jim G (4.4), Andy (4.4), Megen (4.3), Teresa (4.3), Mark (4.2), Maggie (4.2)

Completed 3 or more: Jackie (3.9), Steve E & Carol (3.7), Leslie Ann (3.6), Lila (3.4), Stephanie (3.3) , Vanessa, Toryn and Brynn (3.1)

Under 3: Wayne (2.5), Kari (2.3), Ken (2.1) Jenny (1.6), Jodie (1.4) Willow, Haley & Jesse Wow a marathon! And Skyler wow a half marathon!

Congratulations to everyone.  A special high-five to the youth who showed grit and determination.  All will receive treat bags made by Megen as well as certificated designed by Maggie and signed by our president.

Toryn - I’m done!

May Marathon Madness: Virtual Yukon River Trail Marathon

Ken’s Marathon Madness – a few memories and virtual racing

Rin and Ken at Athens Marathon

By Ken Pungente

Hello all! Here are my thoughts and experiences about marathons. First, my own bucket list of marathons which will now only happen virtually as I'm getting too old to risk another actual one:

1. Istanbul Marathon that goes from Asia. This is one of my virtual marathons this month as I run along West Coast Rd. & pass into Sooke from Otter Point - that's me going from Asia to Europe. https://worldsmarathons.com/marathon/istanbul-marathon

2. Midnight Marathon in Tromso, Norway. It is one that I was planning to do with one of my angels, Leigh Walters but never happened, so again this is my second virtual marathon this month because I'm still waiting for it to warm up here. When I left Sicily at the end of January, it was in the high teens to low 20s. I talked to a friend there 2 days ago and it was about 35C. https://www.msm.no/en/

3. Budapest Marathon, Hungary https://marathon.runinbudapest.com/

4. Great Wall of China Marathon, but you only do about 2km on the Wall https://great-wall-marathon.com/

Ken and cousin Ronan

In reality, I've done two marathons. My first was in Dublin 2009, three years after I had open heart surgery with 5 by-passes, which I did with my cousin Ronan, which was also his first. Okay, Okay, first I have to stop here to tell you something about myself. Although my last name is Italian as is my father, my mother was born in Dublin, Ireland, which made for a pretty fiery youth for me. The Dublin marathon is very picturesque, relatively flat and a full circle. You leave the heart of Dublin and pass over the famous Liffey River (2 blocks from where my grandmother was born) and head out towards Phoenix Park. One thing about a full circle or point to point marathon, as apposed to an out & back is when your my age, you don't have to watch the elite runners heading home when I've still got 2/3 of my race to finish. So, if some of you are waiting to do your first take that into consideration. The other thing I noticed at the start of the race was here I was in my shirt and shorts and I see all these people with expense jackets, gloves, water belts, timing gadgets & I felt like a amateur. But when I got to the 34 to 35km mark I saw all that fancy stuff thrown of to the side of the road to shed weight, because that last 8km all comes from inside you and that's where your training will kick in. The year I ran it 12,000 registered, but 10,437 finished.

My next and last marathon was in Athens the following year, 2010, which starts in the town of Marathon and ends in the Olympic Stadium in Athens. It is where the concept of the marathon comes from, following the path of the soldier Pheidippides who was sent from Marathon to Athens to announce the winning of the battle against the Persians. For this marathon I was joined with a good friend Rintge Raap, a fellow STARR who I trained with for years who has ended his path last year. In this run Rin caught up with me around the 33km mark. We ran for a couple of kms together but I was feeling sick in this race so he went ahead & greeted me at the finish. Although it is a hard marathon going uphill from 10km to 30km the finish is worth the effort. The last 100 or so meters is in the oval Panathenaic Stadium first built in 144AD & renovated for the 1896 modern day Olympics which is made of all marble. I believe it holds about 80,000 people. This is where I slowed right down and tried to imagine the stands full of people cheering me on (as I've said before it's all about the accolades, I've got lots of hardware). The results? In 2010, 12,000 registered, 10,371 finished. A marathon is no easy task so if you've done one be proud, unless your one of those people who dress up in firemen or military gear, or carry a ball & chain or dress like a marijuana leaf, but those are the same people who do those Ultras & for them it is like a walk in the park. We know your names.

Stay hungry. Stay foolish,

Ken P.

May Marathon Madness: Virtual Walt Disney World Marathon

May Marathon Madness: Andy’s Jungfrau Marathon

By Andy Smith

Last week I completed my first virtual marathon as part of STARR’s May “Marathon Madness” event. I would like to tell you about a favourite marathon called the Jungfrau Marathon. In 2004 Leslie Ann and I took a family vacation to Europe with Leslie’s parents and her brother and sister-in-law. We chose the scenic town of Interlaken in Switzerland. Nestled in the Swiss Alps Interlaken literally means “between lakes” and it’s a popular tourist destination. It’s also the start line for the famous Jungfrau marathon, a unique race up the Jungfrau mountain as far as you can get on foot. Our trip coincided with the event, so Leslie and I decided to register! Destination marathons like The Jungfrau are a great way of combining a vacation and also a running event. Indulging in local cuisine is less guilt-inducing once you have run a marathon!

This race is different than any other we have attempted. The spectacular route is uniquely challenging due to the altitude, vertical, and mixed terrain. The Jungfrau is known for its spectacular scenery. Limited to 4000 runners it sells out every year. The Jungfrau peak is 4000m high and is sister to the Eiger and Monch. These three mountains make up a trio of famous Swiss peaks in the Bernese Alps. The marathon course climbs 1800 meters, from the village of Interlaken gradually following a mountain stream through the scenic villages of Bonigen, Wilderswill, and Lauterbrunnen, before turning violently vertical up the famous Wengen ski hill; home to iconic world cup downhill skiing races. At the top of the ski hill the course continues above the treeline along an alpine plateau before the final stretch of the course climbs single file up an esker from the mountain pass at Kleine Scheidegg to the finish line at the foot of a glacier at Jungfraujoch, sometimes called “the top of Europe” where there is a spectacular view across the alps. The scenery on this last part of the course is breath taking as there is a vertical drop off on either side. No passing, even if you still have the legs and lungs to make the attempt!

We were warned at the pre-race dinner to add an hour to normal marathon pace. Important because there are time cut-offs along the course. Tempting as it may be to take photos of the mountain scenery, many runners are disappointed to get cut off every year. If you are planning to run a fast time its important to pass other racers early in the race as the course gets progressively narrower and steeper as the race progresses. The last kilometers are steep and single file. On race day we were blessed with sunny weather as we passed flag dancers, alpine horn players, and locals cheering and ringing cowbells as we ran through postcard villages on our way to the foot of Wengen. From there the route turns from a road into a hiking trail gaining vertical rapidly as we ran-hiked up switchbacks past the treeline. The terrain constantly changes as you climb from forest to alpine meadows, ending up at the foot of the glacier on mountain rock and gravel. Scenic Swiss farms dot the lower and middle part of the course with cows wearing bells like a scene out of “Heidi” or “The Sound of Music”. A famous narrow gauge alpine railway carries spectators to the top of the course and competitors back down (it took 17 years to build!). The sense of occasion takes the sting out of your legs. It’s hard to focus on your footing when there is so much to look at! I paced myself for the final climb and arrived at the finish exhausted but exhilarated. It was wonderful to see Leslie waiting for me at the finish line (unfortunately she was one of the unlucky one’s to get cut-off).

The sense of accomplishment crossing the finish line at the foot of a glacier is hard to explain. I marvelled at the vertical as we descended the railway back down the mountain. As predicted my time was about one hour slower than my previous marathons, but it remains my favourite marathon.

As I add kilometers this month, either here in Shirley, up in Sidney, or along the galloping Goose it’s fun to reflect on some of the events we have been fortunate to have participated in. I’m still thinking about my next virtual marathon course…. maybe Dublin…. or Barcelona? If you would like to run a virtual Jungfrau marathon, check out the course map on the web along with the great photos. Here are a couple of mine!

Andy.

https://www.jungfrau-marathon.ch/en/race-infos.html

May Marathon Madness: Cape Cod Marathon 1987

By Mark Ziegler

This week I intend to finish a virtual Cape Cod Marathon. This challenge brings back memories of the same race which I ran in 1987, back when my legs were stronger, I puffed less on hills and had more confidence as a runner.

The marathon was on November 15th , south of Boston, in the historic port town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, about half way up Cape Cod.  The morning was cold and bright, with a light wind off the sea.  More than 400 runners lined up on the main street for the 8:00 am start.  The coffee shops looked warm and snug – many of us wondered why we weren’t inside with a Sunday paper and a steaming mug.

I had tried to qualify for the Boston Marathon seven weeks earlier in Montreal.  My start was too fast and I was already suffering at 21 km.  I ended up walking and jogging to the finish, feeling depressed and embarrassed.  After the race, I decided to “re-group” and use my base level of fitness to train for another race that fall.  Cape Cod, the New England championship, was the obvious choice.  On weekends and in the dark after work I ran along winding bike routes in Ottawa.

So Cape Cod was another chance to qualify for Boston!  I decided to run a smart race – at a set pace that would bring me in under three hours.  I kept monitoring my breathing, my legs and my overall energy level. It did not matter when other runners passed me. The important thing was to stay on pace.

The course was beautiful, with rolling hills covered with pine forests, brilliant red cranberry marshes, long sand beaches and villages dating back to well before the American Revolution.

My strategy thankfully worked.  With two miles to go, as I passed the lighthouse at the turn into Falmouth, I knew that I could make my target time.  A powerful woman was running a few hundred metres ahead and a little voice tempted me to go for broke by trying to catch her.  It didn’t help that my brother-in-law, Gerard, was very worried that I was cutting it too close!  I decided to stay with the same pace and trust in the digits on my Casio watch.

I crossed the line at 2:58:40. It was not my fastest marathon but it was the most satisfying. There was both joy and relief at the finish. 

https://capecodmarathon.com/

May Marathon Madness Memory: Flora London Marathon 2007

By Leslie Ann Bent

The STARR Marathon Madness month has inspired me to reflect back on some of our memorable marathons. Andy, our close friend, Dave, and I were doing an annual marathon together each year in that era. By 2005, I’d accomplished 5 marathons including 3 of the world’s 6 major marathons with them. So, why not pick a 4th of the 6 we thought? After Chicago, New York City and Berlin, the next obvious choice was London. There were a ton of reasons to select it – the sights, the location and the event itself. The race was well organized and provided a good location for exploring parts of the UK after the race. This would be our first spring marathon together. It was difficult training through the Ontario winter and thus we showed up not quite trained (ok, not trained) but ready never-the-less for a marathon adventure. I bought matching tech shirts and using fabric paint, made our own signature race shirts. I admit it, Megen I am not but we wore them anyhow. We arrived two days before the race in hopes of acclimatizing ourselves to the time zone and ridding ourselves of jetlag.

The London marathon is interesting right from the start. With over 35,000 runners, the event has three start lines to accommodate the mass of athletes. You must know which start-line is yours as they are in different locations and converge about 2.8 miles into the race. The start is in Greenwich and winds its way around London finishing on the Mall at the House of Parliament, just beyond Buckingham Palace. The marathon is a point-to-point race and is fairly flat. It attracts runners looking to run a personal best. The prize money is good and so elite runners are also part of the field each year. According to an article I read, the London Marathon holds the Guinness World record for the largest fundraising event in the world. About a third of the runners are running for a charity. Those charity runners know how to create elaborate costumes too. We saw many – a chain gang of 16 runners tied together (imagine running for 42.2km tied to 15 other runners), a rhino and a gorilla among many others.

Race day started with an early breakfast and decent commute to Greenwich. The temperature was hot at the start for a London April morning – about 16C. There was a wide-open field for us to mill around in before the race. At that point we were able to observe the competition. Many runners were in costume. Many were warming up. We just sat and chewed the fat until the race started. I don’t think we intimidated anyone with our internal winter padding.

Courtesy of The Telegraph

I don’t recall all of the race in detail but what I do remember is that within the first few kilometers, I was passed by a huge boulder. The boulder was set up with a spindle handle through the middle that a runner on each side used to roll the round 350-pound boulder and a guy at the front pulling it. Later I learned that the runner was a past soccer player raising money for Leukemia and he modeled his costume and challenge around a scene from an Indiana Jones movie. Other runners were invited to help him roll the boulder along the course. I didn’t volunteer. I had my own challenges with a less than ideal training behind me.

I also recall the sound of thousands of feet pounding the pavement as we approached the converging runners. We could hear the feet long before we could see the runners. Quite frankly, it sounded like thunder. The crowds and volunteers were enthusiastic. The scenery well worth it.

The course really gets exciting as you cross the Tower Bridge. The bridge is a well-known landmark. It also marks the halfway mark. Balloons decorate the bridge, spectators cheer wildly, and this point you can start to see other points of interest. The sun was hot that day with no clouds in sight, and a temperature climbing to 22C by the time I hit the bridge. I took my time alternating walking and running.

I passed the Tower of London, St Georges in the East, hugged the Thames River for a while, saw Canary Warf, Blackfriars Bridge, crossed under the Waterloo Bridge and then saw Big Ben before the grand finale. By this point I was dead tired and my legs and feet were killing me. Once I saw Buckingham Palace, I knew I had less than a kilometer to go. I was parched. The water had run out. Before I knew it, I was on the Mall. I saw the House of Parliament and the finishing chute. Whoohoo. With renewed energy, I did my famous sprint to the finish line. As I crossed the line, I was smiling. Andy was waiting for me, freshly showered and dressed cheering me on. Dave was having a power snooze in St James Park. All was good but my poor tired legs.

A marathon of this size in highly unlikely this year. Who knows what is in store post-Coronavirus. Currently the event has been moved from April to October 2020. We would highly recommend this for the experience if ever you get the chance. It is not the race though for social distancing in its current form.

https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/

Courtesy of The Telegraph

May Marathon Madness: Marrakesh Half Marathon 2016

I don’t honestly consider myself a runner but I run. I run for various reasons including fitness, scenic beauty of the places I run, peacefulness, solitude and conversely for camaraderie when running with friends. I started running as a new fitness challenge about 20 years ago. I enjoy being active and with running, you can do it anywhere given a pair of running shoes are at your disposal. That first learn-to-run clinic in Oakville, Ontario was challenging. I was breathing hard within the first minute or two of the run. I didn’t notice my surroundings. I didn’t hear the birds or the traffic. I couldn’t take in the neighbourhood smells of the downtown restaurants. All I could hear was my heavy breathing, my feet pounding the pavement and I suspect that my inner voice asking that all encompassing question, “Why am I doing this?”

Package pickup

Twenty years later, I have more reasons to run. A few years ago, we ran the half marathon in Marrakesh, Morocco after touring the country for about 10 days. It was an opportunity to see a corner of the world, experience a bit of culture while accomplishing a fitness goal with my husband, Andy. Against the backdrop of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, I ran beside runners decked in hijabs and djellabas, men and women wearing everything from short shorts to long pants, and skin shades representing the globe.

The January 20 degree heat didn’t faze me at first despite the sub-zero temperatures back in Oakville at this time of the year. I zigzagged around donkey carts and behind trucks spouting exhaust liked I’d never breathed in before, choking and gagging me at times. I ran by rose gardens and orange tress. I had time to think about the highs of this Moroccan vacation of the past two weeks. Lost in my thoughts, I meandered by people-filled markets, and coffee shops with men sitting outside solving modern world problems through the heavy smoke of their cigarettes and sips of strong sweet black coffee. I saw kids playing soccer. Running is the one time of any day that gives me solitude and inner reflection. Time to plan, time to appreciate what I have, and time to just enjoy the moment. At moments during my race that day, the thousands of people around me faded and I was alone with my thoughts. I love that. Despite the 21.1km of hard work, huffing and puffing, walking when my lungs or legs were too tired, feeling the heat of day, I still remember that sense of satisfaction crossing that finish line, grinning ear to ear, with a smiling patient husband, Andy offering me my water bottle once I was on the other side of the finish line and done. I had found that inner strength to sprint that last 100 meters when moments before, I was dragging my carcass as if my energy was completely depleted. The good endorphins also pop their heads out, but only when I’ve taken my last step on that road to completion and wearing finishing medal around my neck.

I hope that you too, can find your peace with running, be it for competition, fun, meditative reasons or eventually back to it being a social activity.  Stay tune for some marathon stories in coming weeks, especially if you are new to running.

https://marrakechmarathon.com/

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Vancouver Island Circuit Challenge

By Leslie Ann Bent

Day 8

April 18

It was a solid day of running and walking! Guess what? We’re done! We more than exceeded our expectations. We had 13 runners and walkers, and clocked 126km. Our total mileage is 1,483.2km. Megen was the runner who took us over the finish line today! She earned bragging rights for sure. What an inspiring group. Today we started at Mt Troubridge area of the trail on the final stretch to Saltery Bay. Since we can’t celebrate together, pat yourself on the back, pour yourself a drink of choice and put your feet up. You earned it.

If you were wondering how our day went, here’s the recap. When we woke up today, we only had 23.6km to finish our epic challenge but many of you got out there to help make it happen and it did. Here are today’s runners and walkers. Kudos to all of you – Stephanie (10k), Robin (10k), Megen (6k), Kari (7k), Vanessa (7k), Andy (23.2k), Jackie (10k), Danny (10k), Jim G (9k), Teresa (6.6k), Leslie Ann (6k), Jonathan (14k) and Emily (7.3k).

While I was out running this afternoon, I had the time to reflect on the week (when I wasn’t huffing and puffing). It was an opportunity to stay connected with the club in uncertain times during an unprecedented time when we couldn’t be together to push and encourage each other. Whether you clocked low mileage or high mileage, had an opportunity for setting some goals or not, used the time for stress relief, fitness, hard training or full enjoyment of solitude with time to think with no distractions, it was a great way to welcome spring and just be out there getting some fresh air and taking advantage of what Vancouver Island, especially Sooke has to offer us. We are lucky to live here. We all fit in what we can and every step counted.

Yesterday Carol won a headlamp (donation from Greg B so much thanks!) and Megen won a vegetarian cook book. Today we all have some bragging rights or perhaps an incentive to set some new goals. I think we rocked.

If you are someone who likes stats, here are a few for you to summarize our last 8 days:
Average daily km covered: 185.4k
Top female distances reported over the challenge: Jackie (82k), Pauline (70.2k)
Top male distances reported over the challenge: Danny (220k), Jonathan (112.5k), Greg B (112k), Wayne (74.5k)
# participants: 33

Thanks again to all of the children who worked on the great signs for us. They really helped make the recaps come to life. Many were out with their parents on walks and runs so great job kids!

If you are a prize winner and haven’t received your loot, I will be dropping them off on door steps over the next few days. You know who you are. E-mail me your address if you haven’t already.

We are all looking forward to viewing Maggie’s video to remember the event. Yay Maggie!

Stay tuned for May Marathon Madness. It will be an individually driven initiative if you want to participate - low tech, no daily reporting and an opportunity to think about weekly goals and what’s next in running when we can get out there and show what we’ve got. (ie. races). Happy running.

Day 7

April 17

It was a solid day of running and walking! We had 13 runners and walkers, and clocked 147km. Our total mileage is 1,357.2km. We are ALMOST there but not quite. What an inspiring group.

Today we started just beyond Lund and made our way all around the long winding trail - along coastal shorelines, creeks, lakes, through old growth forests and mountain tops. The guide books and on-line apps will tell you varying ways to travel with many side trails and distances can be confusing. We are going by the trail’s official website. We have a mere 23.6km left tomorrow to end this epic tour. I know it was worth it. We are in the Mt Trubridge area of the trail on the final stretch to Saltery Bay. We will finish! Today’s prizes were won by Carol and Megen. Details will be announced tomorrow.

If you were wondering how our day went, here’s the recap. When we finished the day yesterday, we had just started to tackle the Sunshine Coast Trail. Teresa (7.5k), Greg B. (16k), Andrea (6k), Jim G (17.5k) Jonathan (10k), Carol (18.5k), Wayne (10k), Robin (2k), Ken (10k), Danny (30k), Megen (5k), Jonathan (second run, 11.5k) and Leslie Ann (3k) all continued along this majestic trail without incident but with lots of natural inspiration.

The most interesting and inspiring story came from Carol. As she hiked along this gorgeous tranquil trail, she spotted something colourful on the side of the trail. She did a double take and wow, she found inspirational rocks most likely just meant for STARR as we were ending our week long journey through our regions of BC, inspiring each other virtually as we went. The rock captions read “smile,” “stay strong,” “believe relax” and “live, love, laugh.” She took photos so that we can all share in this inspiration.

I was the last one on the trail today. I thought I’d share some photos of the trail where we are. I took the liberty of searching on-line and took some Sunshine Trail and Sunshine Coast tourism which I hope is ok. I have added some links to help. If you want to see more, I suggest you search the internet for Mt Troubridge and you will be delighted with what you see. I saw Stephanie taking the night shift on the trail so we will awake tomorrow with some more mileage clocked.
https://sunshinecoastcanada.com/explore/
https://hikebiketravel.com/hut-to-hut-hiking-from-mt-troub…/

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Saltery Bay Trail June 26 from Sunshine Coast Trail website

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Sunshine Coast-Trail Mt. Troubridge

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Troubridge Hut from Sunshine Coast Trai

Day 6

April 16

It was a solid day of running and walking! We had 14 runners and walkers today, clocked 166.9km. Our total mileage is 1,210.2km. Today we have a shout-out to Danny who consistently has clocked 30km every day since we started. Amazing. Today we finished The Goose, making it to Victoria and later to Swartz Bay and Thetis Lake, completing part 2 of the challenge. We have just started the Sunshine Coast Trail, leaving 170.6km left of our challenge. Will we make it tomorrow or will it be Saturday?

If you were wondering how our day went, here’s the recap. When we finished the day yesterday, we were around the 42km marker on the Goose. Greg B. (19k) and Sarah-Mae (6.3k) apparently spent the night on the Goose giving us a good start this morning. Then Jonathan (11k) and Greg B. (11k) continued along the Goose getting us a mere 700 meters from the Johnson Street bridge. It was Jenny (10.3k) who completed the Goose for STARR and continued the scenic route towards Sidney, winning a red Niagara Falls marathon tech shirt.

Then, Andy (11.3k), Carol (5k), Wayne (5k), Jackie (16.5k) and Jodie (4.3k) enjoyed the beautiful weather and views of the Juan de Fuca Strait as they meandered along the coast to Swartz Bay. It was Jodie’s first day in the challenge and beginner’s luck was with her. She sailed into Swartz Bay without a meter to spare, earning her a water bottle for this destination. Talk about exact timing.

The next section took us through Brentwood Bay giving us a nice breeze off the Saanich Inlet as we traveled towards Thetis Lake. Jason (10.2k), Kari (7.5k), Danny (30K, again!), and Leslie Ann (5.5k) also got a scenic tour of the Saanich Peninsula. Sarah-Mae (4K) came back for a second round of running. She must have wanted to make her run harder as she completed this run with the weight of a three-year old child on her back for her last km, ending a mere 600 meters before Thetis Lake. Can anyone else relate to a young child wanting to be carried?

It was Robin who took over from her and crossed to Thetis Lake for STARR, ending part 2 of the challenge, and earning a Niagara Fall marathon tech shirt. Robin was able catch a private plane across to Sarah Point on Desolation Sound, to start the last phase of our journey - the Sunshine Coast Trail. We end the day 9.4km along the trail. Robin has passed Lund with its bakery and restaurant. Did he sample anything? Only he will know. His goal for tonight was the Malaspina B&B – no trail camping for him, I guess.

We will start from there tomorrow. As I type, Teresa is out on the trail and will be our first runner of the day tomorrow. I wonder if anyone will get a hut or if it will be side of the trail camping.

Day 5

April 15

Well STARR, we had its lowest mileage day our virtual circuit today but we made it home to Sooke 4 days ahead of schedule! Yay. We had 11 runners and walkers today, clocked 104.8km and now, after a bite to eat and a shower, and a big applause, we are on the Galloping Goose Trail, part 2 of our challenge. Our total mileage is 1,043.3km.

Part 2 option takes us along The Goose to Victoria, and along the water, taking the scenic coastal route to Swartz Bay and back along the west side to Thetis Lake (170k). Part 3 will take us on some rugged trail as we tackle the Sunshine Coast Trail (180k). We should have this all wrapped up by the weekend. There will still be some “fabulous” prizes along the route. Our total new distance will be 1,380.8K!

So here is how our day went. When we finished the day yesterday, we had 20k left of the West Coast Trail. Greg B (8k) and Andy (11.3k) managed 19.3k. It was left to Kari to finish the last 700 meters to Port Renfrew. She managed that and more (4.5k). The last stretch along Hwy 14 was tackled by Jonathan (5k) Carol (10k), Stephanie (7.5k), Leslie Ann (3.5k), and Wayne (15k). This is a route we know well, passing Botanical Beach, Sombrio Beach, China Beach, and Mystic Beach. Danny had the better part of the route passing through the very famous Shirley, then Otter Point and into Sooke. He could have won the big prize for completing the course for the team, but sadly, he already won The Soup Bible. So, after checking on the house and making sure his truck was still running (it wasn’t yesterday, but that is another story). He headed out on the Goose, starting at the km 55 marker.

After a few clicks, Danny gladly handed over the torch to Melanie (7k) who won the Sooke mystery prize (being the next runner after Danny who hadn’t won a prize yet). Robin completed the day with 3km and so we’re now around marker 42K on the Goose. Greg B will be running through the night to be the first in tomorrow with some mileage, and Sarah-Mae is bustling along right behind. I wonder if she is busting his butt. Stay tuned tomorrow. We will have a small prize bag for Hannah, John, Lila, Georgia and Willow who made such amazing signs for us. (Brynn, Toryn, and Gabe won on previous days). Thanks so much! The signs were excellent.

We are dedicating today to our club members and their families who are working each day in the front lines of COVID-19. We are grateful to all of you. The photos of us clapping or using noise makers are to applaud the healthcare and essential workers on the front lines of COVID-19 crisis. You won’t hear us from our balconies so please recognize that we cheer you from where ever we are.

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Day 4

April 14

Well STARR, we had decent day of progress on our virtual circuit today and we could easily be home in Sooke tomorrow. We had 15 runners and walkers, clocked another 142.3km and now we are on the West Coast Trail. Our total mileage is 938.5km – just under 100km to Sooke!

There was an error in the report yesterday. I mentioned Steve B. and it should have read Jim B. Apologies. The text has been fixed.

Rumour has it that for those who would like to extend their journey to the end of the week, will have a part 2 option to explore parts of the island we haven’t yet explored on this challenge – Victoria and Sidney taking the scenic coastal route. More on that later.

Today we had 54km to run to make it to Gold River. Six runners took on that first section. Jonathan (9k), Robin (3k), Sarah-Mae (8k), Jenny (10.5), Jackie (11) and Steve K. (11k) all took their turns and got us to the outskirts of Gold River without incident. Jim B. (10k) was destined to take the torch for STARR. He ran the final km into town centre. Gold River seems so big now with its population of 1,200. Jim was welcomed by Vanessa’s daughter, Willow in Easter mode, and although Jim got no Easter eggs, he did get a navy tech Montreal Marathon shirt! Taking his shirt and a float plane to Tofino, Jim was welcomed yet again by another STARR offspring – Robin’s daughter, Lila.

The stretch from Tofino to Ucluelet shows off Vancouver Island’s wild coast and is a beautiful more populated section of the route since we’ve had in a while. Ken (10k) and Danny (another 30k!) took on this part, with Ken earning a small mystery prize as he watched the surfers! It was Danny’s turn to take the float plane – this time from Ucluelet to Bamfield, the start of the West Coast trail. Danny was happy to have some encouragement in Bamfield from Robin and Georgia. It is always nice to see familiar and smiling faces.

Finishing up our day and enjoying the rugged West Coast trail was Donna (5k), Vanessa (5k), Steve E (8.8k), Robin (10k, since he was in Bamfield anyhow, a second stint of the day), Teresa (4k), Jason (5k), Megen (5k) and Leslie Ann (5.5k). For those of you who know the trail, we are beyond Bonilla Point – 55ish km along the trail with 20km to Port Renfrew.

Tomorrow, it’s Sooke or bust. Wow, such an impressive club! When we all have a chance to get home and get showered, we will do a big cheer for our accomplishments, but more importantly to also acknowledge our club members and families who are working each day in the front lines of COVID-19. We are grateful to all of you.

Please send in a photo of you and/or your family clapping or using noise makers to applaud the healthcare and essential workers on the front lines of COVID-19 crisis to be included in tomorrow’s recap.

Then, for those who would like to add about 300km to our challenge, continue to clock your mileage and send it to Leslie Ann nightly. Part 2 will include the Galloping Goose to Victoria, Victoria to Swartz Bay via the coast, and to Thetis Lake for a total of 170.8 additional kms, or 1,200K cumulatively. Part 3 mapping is under way and will revealed tomorrow. Part 2 will provide about 1,300k of cumulative distance.

Day Three

April 13, 2020

Well STARR, we had another great day on our virtual circuit. If Saturday was impressive in terms of kms completed, and yesterday a good slog, today had its moments of excitement. We had 16 runners and walkers, clocked another 158.4km and now we are somewhere between Tahsis and Gold River, literally once again in the middle of nowhere. Our total mileage is 787.2km! Today we have seen bears, been to an emergency room, found a STARR hat in a most unusual place, had some family time and exercised the dogs beyond their norms. Motivational signs of various sorts were seen. Does anyone have a sister? Not bad for an Easter Monday on the island.

Yesterday we just had left Port Alice and Robin’s welcoming team with Lila and Georgia. Jim B. (10k), Robin (3k) and Wayne (10k) kicked off Day 3. There was a very long stretch between towns and we mentioned yesterday that this remote area is known for nature and its natural beauty. While Wayne was making his way towards Zeballos, he noticed three fuzzy brown things moving ahead – a mother bear and her two cubs! “I sat and watched the cubs wrestle with each other for about 5 minutes until mama moved them along. It was so amazing! They fueled the rest of my run,” said Wayne. The bears must have been guarding our STARR prize because Wayne passed kilometer 650 and found a One More Mile tech shirt in his size!

After that excitement, Steve E (15k), Carol (18k) and Jim G. (10k) continued our journey south in relative calm. With 15.1km to Zeballos, Megen (9.2k) and her daughters took the reins. In the wilderness, anything can happen – even hallucinations. Can you believe there was a STARR hat hanging from a tree on their stretch? Megen got the photo to prove it.

Then, Maggie (7k) was bound and determined to be the one to make it Zeballos and she did, but not without a fight. At some point into town she had a feeling someone was chasing her – a bear? Jackie? Pauline? She was sure that there was a prize waiting for her and needed to be the first one there. Fortunately, there was a prize – a Brooks Rock and Roll tech shirt!

Welcoming her into town were Stephanie’s children John and Hannah, holding a beautiful banner. Unfortunately, Maggie took a bad fall on the last turn, cut open her knee which required stitches. It was truly a miracle that Zeballos with its mere population of 107 does in fact have a health clinic. Six stitches later, Maggie is on the mend but has to end her Vancouver Island Circuit Challenge.

The next stretch to Tahsis was uneventful but absolutely the place to be if you wanted to get away from it all. Tahsis is a community of 316 and known for its ecotourism. Runners Greg B (6k), Leslie Ann (5k), Pauline (11k), Stephanie (7.6k), Robin (3k, his second stint for the day), and Danny (30k – wow!) took short and long turns to the outskirts, while Emily (3.6k), Donna (5k) and Teresa (5k) got us 12km beyond it. To their surprise, a welcoming committee supplied by Sarah-Mae was waiting for them in the heart of Tahsis. Donna was the lucky winner in Tahsis of a water bottle. Sarah-Mae’s son Gabe earned a prize bag for his great signs.

Congratulations to all of the runners. Stay tuned tomorrow. The next destination is Gold River which is 54km away, and there could a float plane or two depending how we progress. We are STARRs. We will have no trouble getting back to Sooke this week.

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Day Two

April 12, 2020

Well STARR, we had another great day on our virtual circuit.  We had 13 runners, clocked another 177.9km and now we are somewhere between Port Alice and Zeballos, literally in the middle of nowhere. We made it to Port Hardy!  Yay and now we are returning back to Sooke via the west coast. Our total mileage is 628.8km!

A few highlights from yesterday that didn’t get mentioned were two excellent cheering stations. Maggie ran to the outskirts of Fanny Bay and did the exchange to Sarah-Mae.  She was delighted to see Brynn and Toryn there welcoming her to Fanny Bay (known for it’s oysters) as she hit the city centre.  We got a photo!  Then, later on in the day, Greg Carson was chugging along and got some inspiration from Vanessa’s daughter, Willow in Campbell River.  There was no chocolate from that Easter bunny but he did get the shirt and we got the photo.

Today the more detailed story is that Teresa (6k), Emily (10.6k), Robin (10k), Sarah-Mae (7k), Andy (23.2k) and Carol (8k) got us to Port McNeil the first town en route since yesterday. Then Wayne (8k), Jason (10.2k), Leslie Ann (7k) and Pauline (9k) got us close to Port Hardy but 4.6km short.  Who would be the runner to get to Port Hardy?  Emily's second run of the day (11km) took STARR to the heart of Port Hardy. Once again Brynn and Toryn were there to welcome STARR to their final destination, well almost final.  We do have to go back to Sooke.  Emily earned a Brooks World marathon tech shirt for that final push.  Brynn and Toryn earned a cheering team & sign makers’ prize bag.

STARR is not a club who rests on their laurels. There was no overnight in Port Hardy.  So back towards Sooke we headed. Teresa (6k) came out for a second turn, and Al (6k) and Danny (30k) did their stints too. Jackie (22k) was the next prize winner of the day, bringing us to Port Alice, town of 664 people, known for its natural beauty, salt water fishing and a pulp mill.  Here Jackie found the next prize of the day, a Brooks tech Rock & Roll marathon shirt! Emily seemed not to tire so finished her day with a late afternoon 3.9km walk bringing our total mileage to 628.8km.

Tomorrow it is 81.1k to Zeballos or bust! New maps have been added for the return. Congrats to all of our STARR talent. 

Alex holds Woss sign for big day one accomplishment.

Day One

April 11, 2020

Today was the kick off for our first annual Vancouver Island Circuit Challenge – 1,030km in 9 days by accumulating our daily mileage (in kms!). Can we do it? If today was any indication of how focused and pumped the club was, I have a strong feeling we can. The skinny is this - 25 runners covered 450.9km of distance today. That was an absolutely awesome achievement. I was so impressed by everyone’s results and I know many worked hard for STARR today setting goals higher than typical. We did have some virtual cheering out on the course too thanks to some of our STARR families. We ended the day just 4km past Woss and have 62.7km to Port McNeil tomorrow, our next destination. We are a mere 103.6km from Port Hardy. Eight of our 25 runners found “fabulous” prizes along the route. You could be next. Here is how the day shook down.

Duncan welcome - Megen & girls

Steve K (10k) was up at the wee hours of the day kicking off the STARR challenge. Next Andrea (7k) and Robin (14k) took the reins to take us past Langford. Al Walker (6.5k) was next and must have been a smooth talker to get the section just before the Malahat (nice job, Al!), handing off to Jenny (6.2k). She took one for the team, getting up to the top of the Malahat and also passing our marathon distance marker. Not ones to slack off, Melanie (6k), Jackie (22k) and Jim Gable (13.5k) embraced the challenging sections on to Duncan, where Jim scooped up the first prize to be had (a Brooks tech Rock & Roll marathon shirt). To his delight, he was welcomed by the first cheering squad (one-household!), consisting of three young blondes – Brynn, Toryn, and Megen! What a great bunch of supporters with their home-made professional looking sign, too.

Bent cousins in Ladysmith

Robin welcomes to Parksville

Then Carol (15k), Wayne (17.5k), Megen (along with Brynn & Toryn, 7.3k) and Stephanie (9.1k) carried on for STARR to Nanaimo. Wayne made his way through Ladysmith and noted the Bent cousins (one household) cheering him on and welcoming him to their town. With a no-contact air high five wave, Megen and her daughters took the next section. Stephanie took over the final kms of this section hitting Nanaimo and finding the second prize of the day (a Brooks tech Rock & Roll marathon shirt). Kari (13k), Ken (10k) and Leslie Ann (7k) were next, but it was Danny who got us to Parksville at 168.4km and beyond. He was delighted to see Robin holding a sign (one household!) welcoming him to Parksville after this very long day. In Parksville, Danny won the third prize of the day, The Soup Bible cookbook. I wonder who will get the most use out of it, Danny or Jackie?

Sarah-Mae and offspring welcome STARR to Woss

Tired after 30km, Danny handed over the reins to Vanessa who took us to Qualicum Bay. Vanessa (10k) too found a prize today (a Brooks tech Rock & Roll marathon shirt which seems to be today’s theme!). Maggie (13k), Sarah-Mae (5.6k), and Steve E (14.4k) continued en route taking us to the outskirts of Courtenay. Pauline’s 52km was more than enough to get us through Courtenay and with Jason’s help, finished up just outside of Campbell River. Pauline too picked up a prize for passing through Courtenay – a Brooks tech Rock & Roll marathon shirt. The final legs were done by Greg Carson (52k), Jonathan (52k) and Greg Balchin (52k). After a brutal day of running, Greg couldn’t be happier than to see some friendly faces in Woss cheering him on (one household!). Six-year old Gabe (Sarah-Mae’s son) had been practicing his letters this week and made Greg a sign. The last prizes of the day were in Campbell River, Sayward and Woss. Two of the lucky winners earned – you guessed it, a Brooks tech Rock & Roll marathon shirt. Greg B will find out what his prize tomorrow. It is not a Rock & Roll marathon shirt.

Rumour has it that a few of our runners are on the night shift and are making their way to Port McNeil as I write. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s update.

Congratulations to all of our runners for such an impressive and amazing first day. Thanks to all of the families who made signs too.

Ladysmith cheering squad

Fanny Bay greeters

Around the Bay – STARR Virtual run March 2020

Steve shows off his Around The Bay shirt.

This weekend should have marked the 126th anniversary of North America’s oldest running race, Around the Bay (ATB) 30km in Hamilton, Ontario. As we all know at STARR, the coronavirus pandemic has had severe implications to our communities across the country, and for runners, club runs have been cancelled, and road races have been cancelled or postponed. This included the ATB race as well as our STARR club run in its honour. We originally had planned to simulate the race here in Sooke this weekend by offering a club run with the same distances as The Bay – 30k solo, 2-person relay (15k each) and 3-person relay (10k each). For those who “registered,” we changed the race from a simulation one where we’d all be running the same course at the same time to a virtual one. While a virtual run doesn’t have the same as the vibe as an in-person run with a group of people running together or chasing each other down, and cheering each other, the virtual run offered some fun, on-line comradery and bantering, and some stress relief after some challenging weeks of uncertainty. We left the rules loose and suggested that everyone do their own run when they could swing it.

Although some results may still come in this week, I thought I’d share some success stories from the virtual run and hope that they might encourage you since there won’t be any races nor race reporting for the foreseeable future.

Stephanie

First to complete the course was the 3-person team of Robin, Jackie and Steve with an estimated time of 2:52 for the 30k. As I understand it, each runner ran the mapped course along the Goose. Poor Steve got shamed into changing his own route to the official route and so as far as I know, they all completed and tested the official route with lots of enjoyment. Yeah! Robin said, “My run was nice. I started just before 8. It was cool and only a little rainy at a couple points. Very nice! I hadn't run 10K in a whole so I did 8 and 1 intervals to ensure I survived it.” Jackie was next to run. This was a lesson learned for me, the organizer, as I hadn’t been clear about the turn arounds because we had planned to have marshals there. so Jackie may have gone a bit long or short (no watch!) but close enough. “Well my time, I will call 53 min. Wasn't 100% sure where the second turn was so I went to the second falling rock sign must have been close.“ Jackie later said she will “up her game” when she has some competition out there to push her along.

The second team to check in was the two-person of Maggie and Jenny. Maggie went a bit far but together they covered about 26k or 27k. The ladies clocked 3:17. Jenny went short (10k) but might just make up her 5k later on this week. Here is what Jenny had to say, “Well I finally got out for a run today. I opted for the last 2 thirds of the distance I had registered for, running 10k. I will aim for the 15k when we are able to reschedule :)” Later she added, “…already thinking I'll go out for 5k this week...have to make up my portion and support my team partner, Maggie :)” This is what encouraging friends can do, push us to go further.

Andy and Stephanie have also been out pounding the pavement. Stephanie is splitting her 30k into manageable parts as is Andy. Yesterday, she completed 10k in the rain. Andy ran a 20k this week mostly on the 30km official route. Stephanie is sticking with beautiful, hilly Shirley.

We will re-schedule the club ATB run when it makes sense to do so. Check out the facebook page for updated photos as they are added this week. In the meantime, I hope these runners have inspired you to continue running and reaching for your goal.

Updated April 5 – We had a few other teams complete their ATB virtual runs this week.  First was Wayne to complete his 15k section on Monday with a time of 1:39:59. He said that the running gods were with him as he dodged the rain and had cool fresh conditions.  Later this week Vanessa, Kari and Leslie Ann completed their three-person relay with each achieving 10k. Vanessa and Kari slugged it out in the rain so an extra kudos for them.  Liz and her daughters scraped through also each completing their mileage.  Congrats to everyone and hope you all enjoyed your runs.

Maggie

First turnaround point

Second turnaround

Jenny's run

Robin's watch

Andy March 28 run

Andy March 24

Wayne

Leslie Ann

Vanessa 10k in the rain

Vanessa watch