Walk: Mon. Dec. 1 @ Loblaws

Zen Things
Originally uploaded by theshorethings

Will you remember the first of December? If so, please join us for a first-of-the-month 6K. See you at 7 pm.

Next weekend, a few of our members will be Santa Shuffle-ing. There's time to join them if you're interested. The race is in support of the Salvation Army, who do good works especially at this time of year.

Most races in December fall into this "fun run" category. We need to create a rhyming term like that for walkers -- "walk 'n' talk"?

After the holidays, we'll start training for early spring races. I've heard at least one murmur about the Peterborough Half in February. Then there's our Shore Things 10-Miler (that's 16K) at the end of March. Also on my list of spring possibles is the Waterloo Half in April.

Let me know what your races are, so I can plan a dated schedule. Generic/undated schedules are already on the blog.

Walk: Sat. Nov. 29 @ Tim's

Here's how our intrepid duo Marg and Rainer looked after last weekend's Whitby race. A polar bear medal graces their gear, to go with the snow.

This Saturday, let's take advantage of the predicted sunshine for 8K on the Spit or the Boardwalk. Now's the time to voice your pick.

Calendars have arrived -- and they land at a good price, thanks to the group discount: CDN $25.61. I'll bring them, and the yearbooks, on Saturday. Not to seem like a broken record, but please bring a cheque, not cash. Thanks!

Looking forward to seeing you for our last walk before December. Hasn't this year sped by!?

Walk: Wed. Nov. 26 @ Shoppers

Rain. Snow. Rain. More rain. Snow.
We interrupt this weather for a brief Tuscan moment. (Jaunty Tuscan musical interlude. Spot olives in tree on the left. Gaze at landscape. Smile.) Thank you, Dawn and Charlotte.

Now, back to reality. If it's slippery on Wednesday, we won't be walking. Otherwise, I hope to see some of you out at 7 pm for 6K.

Congratulations to Marg & Rainer who did the Whitby Waterfront Race last Sunday. Marg was 3rd walker overall, chip time. Well done!

And congratulations to my guy Robert for his first gig with The Nerve. Thanks to everyone who came out to support him at the Black Swan.

FYI, Calendars and Jean book reprints have been ordered, and should be here on Thursday. I'll email you with the final cost, but the calendars at least look like they'll be a little less than expected (touch olive wood). I'll bring them on Saturday. Please bring a cheque, not cash.

Till then, see you Wednesday at 7 pm.

Walk: Mon. Nov. 24 @ Loblaws

A big gang for minus-ten weather
Originally uploaded by theshorethings

Great turnout on Saturday: 26 walkers on our first day of wintery, sub-zero temps. We all deserve a gold star!

Soon, we'll have a calendar to put one on. I'm ordering this weekend, so they should be here Thursday. If you decide you want more, I have 40 days to reorder -- you just won't get the 10% discount.

I've also received more orders for the Jean hardcover book. If you want one too, please email me by Sunday noon, which is when I'll be ordering the reprint. Grouped orders save a little on shipping.

Two new races are now on our race calendar: the Eggnog Jog 10.8K on Dec. 14th -- highly recommended by Joanne Burton of the Stellar Runners -- and the Okanagan Half in October (no 2009 date yet, but Sheila plans to walk it). Check them out if you're considering new things to try.

Also, the Robbie Burns 8K now has an official walkers' category -- yay, them! Sign up soon to get your tartan PJs. A race designed to bring out the Scot in all of us.

While the icon for Monday's weather shows rain and snow, the actual precip looks minimal. Let's plan to be out for our 6K, dressed for the weather. If there's any change, check the blog comments for news.

See you tonight at the Black Swan -- or see you Monday at 7 pm.

Walk: Sat. Nov. 22 @ Tim's

Here is a happy dance from Olwyn -- she has just been told her name has been added to the Toronto Women's Half. If you haven't emailed to ask to be on the waiting list, it wouldn't hurt to do so. And, if you've received a confirmation, please let me know, so I can put a star beside your name.

Saturday will be wintery, but fingers crossed, not snowing. Let's take our winter route and head through Riverdale to Broadview and Danforth. That's about 8K.

Now is the time to dust off the Yaktrax for winter traction. Watch out for damaged ones, as they can snag clothes and trip you. We won't always need them, but it's worthwile to have Yaktrax in your winter wardrobe.

Bob's gig is Saturday evening. Hope you can make it out for an evening of musicianship. Details still posted on our blog.

The Shore Things 2008 yearbooks and the Jean book have arrived. I'll bring them on Saturday -- please bring a cheque (I still have to calculate the amount). Saturday will also be the last day to order a calendar, in person or by email. They'll be ready the following Saturday, or before.

To close, a very belated birthday to Ruth! Hope it was a great celebration.

Walk: Wed. Nov. 19 @ Shoppers

It's that time of year when proper warm up and cool down or stretching is particularly important for cold muscles and cold weather. Let's remind each other to do that. (Comic credit to the "for dummies" cartoonist, Rich Tennant, courtesy of Ruth).

It'll be 6K again on Wednesday. Just enough to keep us hot blooded.

Speaking of hot blooded, a reminder that our own speedy guy Bob will be demonstrating his speedy fretwork this Saturday, Nov. 22nd at The Black Swan on Danforth, between Chester & Broadview. The band of Jan's son Alan will be playing warm-up. It has been a great combination in the past, so come out and catch the best of musicianship, emerging and emerged, with an all-originals evening. The music begins around 9 pm. A $5 cover charge goes straight to the musicians.

FYI, Apple has just emailed to say the yearbooks are on their way. Once the charge comes through, I'll let you know the final cost. I'll be ordering calendars next weekend so that everyone who wants one will qualify for the 10% discount. Saturday will be the cut-off date, so please confirm asap.

Failing a blizzard, see you on Wednesday at 7 pm.

Walk: Mon. Nov. 17 @ Loblaws

Another rainy Saturday! Yet, you can see by the tiny specks disappearing along the road we still had a decent (albeit waterlogged) turnout. We Shore Things rock... and sometimes we drip.

Looks like the weather will be much nicer for Santa's visit tomorrow (good luck, Mona!), and also for our Monday evening walk. Let's keep it to 6K during this recovery period, especially during this iffy, in-between weather. Once we know our spring events, we'll kick it up.

Generic schedules for both a half and full marathon are now posted on our blog, for your walking pleasure. Simply print them up and insert your dates.

Let me know if you've signed up for races. Check these ones out -- most have links on the blog. Strangely, they still haven't cut off the registration for the Resolution 5K.

You might be chuffed to know that nearly half of those currently registered for the Robbie Burns 5K are Shore Things!

And, if your swag bag is still hankering for your very own Santa suit, take a look at the Cedar Springs Pharmacy and Levelwear Santa Jingle Run, a 5K race in Burlington on Saturday, December 13th. It's Canada's first All-Santa-Suit race. As that's what you gotta wear, of course that's what you get in your race kit. Sounds fun. Fees go up after Dec. 1st.

See you Monday at 7 pm.

Walk: Sat. Nov. 15 @ Tim's

Light rain is predicted for Saturday morning, but that doesn't mean we can't get out and clear the cobwebs with a brisk 8K.

As more inducement, this brief articlette in today's Toronto Star suggests that walking fast will help us live longer: 3.6 mph is the ideal rate. So come on out and pick up the pace. We want to have you around for as long as possible!

See you Saturday at 8 am, dressed for the weather.

Meanwhile, don't forget to add your thoughts and wishes to our events and activities listings for winter and spring. Visit the blog to read and write some ideas.

Spring Shore Things Discussion

Here are some of the ideas for spring events -- post your comments with ayes or nays:

- We have five walkers signed up for the Chilly Half on March 1st, so you'd have company if you're interested -- there are still a few walker places open

- We're also proposing our own Shore Things 10-Miler on March 29th (we'll need participants, volunteers and organizers -- please step up)

- The Canada Running Series is offering a "combo pack" discount (including a number of Spring races we might consider -- Harry's Spring 5K/8K in April and Sporting Life 10K in May)

- Incredibly, they still have not set a date for the More Marathon/Half in NYC -- stay tuned

- There's also a waiting list being generated for the Toronto Women's Half on May 31st, if you want to get your name in just in case.

- And I know that our power-hikers have signed up for a 3-day Bruce Trail Hike over the Victoria Day long weekend

Those are just some of the possibilities -- all links can be found on the blog. Please sign in and voice up.

Walk: Wed. Nov. 12 @ Shoppers

A very (very) quick post to invite you out for 8K on Wednesday -- hope to see you then -- and to wish Libby a happy birthday.

Spring event discussion thread will follow in a separate post.

Winter Shore Things Activities

This is the first post in our planning discussions. Please use this post only to discuss winter activities for our group. Add your thoughts as comments. Other seasons will follow.

Racing: I'm up first with a few suggestions. Looks like it might not be too late to register for the Resolution 5K, so check that one out asap. Also, in January, there's the Robbie Burns 8K. We already have Shore Things signed for both these races. Links are on our blog site.

Skating: When it's cold enough for natural ice, I'd love to get a group together for a skating evening at Cedarena just outside Markham. It's a wonderful old rink sheltered in a cedar valley -- like stepping back into the nostalgic past. Here are the instructions:

Public skating: Tues. (adults only), Thurs., Fri. and Sat. 7:30p.m. to 10p.m. and Sun. 1p.m. to 4p.m. Admission $5 for 16 and older, $2 for 15 and younger. No skate rentals. Take 401 to Markham Rd., north to Steeles Ave., east to Reesor Rd., and north 1 km to 7373 Reesor Rd., parking lot on east side. Call beforehand for ice conditions: 905-294-0038.

Skiing: Sheila passes along the following about an open house at MEC for the Five Winds back-country ski club she belongs to. Click on the image for a larger view and details. The live link will also take you to their website.

While I'm interested in x-country skiing, I'm not experienced enough to go for six hours yet. So I found some info on the Scarborough Cross-Country Ski Club, which gives lessons. That sounds good to me. It means I might not have to take my skis off when going up or down hills!

Please voice up with your own suggestions. This is the time and place.

Walk: Mon. Nov. 10 @ Loblaws

This shows one reason why we're so lucky to walk in the Beach. Another is the people we walk with -- many of whom were out in numbers last evening.

Now I'll get the walk part out of the way early: Monday's weather might be rainy, so we'll aim for a brisk 6K. See you at 7 pm.

Thanks again to our kind hosts for making us welcome in their lovely home on Saturday evening -- especially as they'd both spent the day banging nails and wielding drills at a Habitat for Humanity build. Wow.

Thanks also to the awards committee: Ruth (with help from Henry), Cheryl, Sharon, Cynthia and, humbly, myself. And thanks to everyone who brought the yummies. Recipes have been requested -- so send them along. Perhaps, next year, a recipe book is in order?

As for races next year, I'll be issuing a series of blog posts, one for each season. Please note your interests as comments. If you're really blog-averse, reply to the email you receive. That will come directly to me, not the group, but I'll collate the info. Once we have identified some group activities, I might use the online poll feature to gauge numbers.

Some photos from our party are now on Flickr. You'll see a few in our Flickr badge on the website. However, you'll have to sign in to see the whole set. Please add your images to the site. If you don't know how to do either of these things, reply to this email and I'll remind you. Then, please, I beg you, save the instructions somewhere safe.

Orders for the Shore Things 2008 book and calendar: If you weren't at the party, you can still order our 2008 photo album and calendar. It will be approx. $70 for the book and $30 (or a little less) for the calendar. I have 23 calendar orders now, so we'll likely qualify for the 10% discount for 25+. With 12 book orders so far, it looks like the $70 price will be fixed -- contingent on U.S. currency exchange and shipping costs. As I want to upload these only once, give folks till the end of November before ordering, so get your orders and cheques (not cash) in, please.

See you all Monday.

Walk: Sat. Nov. 8 @ Tim's (and Party!)

Thanks to our hosts, Marg & Rainer, for opening their home to this unruly bunch for our year-end party this Saturday. The festivities begin at 7 pm. I've received confirmations for 23 people (including spouses), but I know that some have replied directly to our hosts.

In response to questions: yes, it's a true pot luck, so if we end up with 23 plates of brownies, we'll just have to live with that. Remember that brownies are one of the important food groups.

To whet our appetites, I propose 10K along the Boardwalk. It's good to throw in a longer walk during maintenance mode so our bodies don't become complacent. As you know, there are easy turnbacks for those who want something a little shorter. Please feel free to invite your friends.

See you Saturday, one way or another!

Walk: Wed. Nov. 5 @ Shoppers

Please excuse the lateness of this message -- it's crazy few weeks for me, workwise. There's a mouthful.

Sad news for JeansMariners: it's official, Bob and Jean are calling it quits. What's to happen next is still in question. I've heard talk of an alum reunuion, but nothing definite.

Whatever anyone else thinks, I know I wouldn't be here writing this blog for you if not for Jeans Marines. I'll keep you posted if there's anything to post. Meantime, feel free to send them your private messages.

This Wednesday, let's do 8K, as the weather is supposed to be unseasonably nice. If winter makes a comeback tomorrow, we'll reconsider.

Belated birthday wishes to David, and Happy Birthday to Karin. Also, congratulations to the Bruce Trail hikers, who if memory serves have walked 130K over two weekends. You rock, gals!

A reminder that our year-end party is this coming Saturday. If you haven't RSVPd, please fire off a reply to this email.

Enjoy the day today. It's one of the last gifts of summer.

Oh, one last thing -- so important, I almost forgot. Michelle has looked into a possible volunteering gig for us for next September's Weekend to End Breast Cancer. A number of us expressed interest. Below are the details. Please email me (not blog me) if you can help.

60km that can change the world: Sept. 11-13, 2009
Toronto Weekend to End Breast Cancer

I have spoken to Kristi Balmer at endcancer.ca’s about this event. After asking questions about our group, she offered two opportunities for us to volunteer as a group over a specific period of time. It’s our choice. Location likely Downsview Park or Exhibition Grounds. Can change, though. The two opportunities are:

Friday registration of walkers, 2 to 8 PM. She needs a total of 70 people for this, so if we could commit to providing 20-30, she would be very, very happy.

Saturday afternoon tent assignments, 2 to 8 PM. Needs a total of 30 people. Would love it if we just take full responsibility as a group. Maybe in concert with the Stellar Runners?

Kristi also mentioned they need individual volunteers for working the phones at their office (Yonge & Adelaide) throughout the year, and for leading walker orientations and weekend training walks through the spring and summer.

Walk: Mon. Nov. 3 @ Loblaws

Photo opportunity on the Spit
Originally uploaded by theshorethings

Sometimes procrastination is a useful thing. This weekend, it has allowed me to gather important details for the blog. First, the walk:

Monday we'll keep it short, with 6K. Please come out and join us.

Okay, now for news: Congratulations to Margy who did a Personal Best in the Angus Glen 10K with 1:18. Way to do, girl! Remember that almost this time last year Margy was hobbling around on crutches.

Haven't heard from our hikers yet, but boy they had ideal weather for their back-to-back 20K+ hikes. I think this is it for their season -- right?

Early registration begins now for the Midsummer Night's 15K (or 30K if you're up for it). They have a draw every week from now till race day, and all those registered qualify... every week. This is one race I'm lobbying for for next year. It's nearby and neat. See the blog for links.

For those for whom orthotics are, er, dear to your soles, Norma sent along a link to a revealing Marketplace feature, which I've pasted below. (It should work in your email, but if you're accessing this link from the website, it might not be live, as Flickr's "blog this" feature doesn't let me style the text. Don't worry if what I've just written makes absolutely no sense to you: if the link doesn't work, copy and paste it into your browser bar.) Here's the link:

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2008/02/20/sole_patrol/#comments

Pictures will also be available soon from the Kitchener Waterloo Walking Classic. You might have already received an email about this. Here's a link to their gallery -- long-winded parenthetical remark above also applies:

http://kwwalkingclassic.com/gallery

Bon voyage (in Italian) to Charlotte and Dawn who will be flying over Montreal on their way to Tuscany about the time we meet at Loblaws on Monday evening. Have a really, really great trip, gals!