Well it has been months since I last blogged about my challenge of running 45 races in a year from when I turned 45 in June. I have completed 9 races since my last blog leaving me with almost half a year to knock off another 13 – more than doabale I reckon, so I think I will check out the MyNextRace calendar after this and select some interesting races!
So these 9 races have included a couple of runs dressed as the world famous Jefferson the Dog Mascot, a Guinness World Record, a another couple of races across the Atlantic and a run on the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Yes the highlight was becoming a Guinness World Record Holder. Conditions were ideal for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon and despite a fall (which resulted in a email from a runner a few days after the race kindly telling me to watch where I was going – she unfortunately was the runner I landed on!) I was able to lower the previous record by about 14 minutes. There was fantastic energy and buzz on the course with lots of support from fellow runners and spectators. Was capped by getting interviewed post race and it appearing on the TV news that night and surprisingly despite my accent and wearing the costume head they did not have to subtitle my words!
Due to family illness I again visited Scotland and was able to knock off another couple of runs. One of these was round Edinburgh’s famous Arthur’s Seat – this is actually an extinct volcano and entails running round and up it followed by round and down it – very challenging to say the least because both the ups and down are verrrrrry steep. I actually fell on the way down and didn’t have the excuse of not being able to see where my feet were this time (see above). The volcano has a few loose stones and rocks which regularly fall of it and it was one of these that I misjudged and resulted in what I am sure was a rather entertaining tumble.
And on the subject of tumbles I took part in the successful inaugural Toronto Midnite New Year’s Eve 5K Run and yes I had yet another tumble! This time though I had plenty of excuses – couldn’t see my feet and it was very dark! I was actually trying to catch the runner ahead of me but tripped on a dip on the road and despite managing to not fall on the ground I was not able to stop my head flying off! Ah well, all part of the entertainment which goes along with running races as a big furry dog!
With Roula and Anthony (who defended his title) post the Hair of the Dog 9K
And finally to start off the New Year I ran the well organized Hair of the Dog 9K in the Beaches – good flat out and back course and great food afterwards.
So what’s next – well I don’t know myself yet………….okay how does this new MyNextRace calendar work?!?
David ‘The Running Scotsman in Toronto’
Races so farJune 28th (my birthday!) – Tim Hortons Peach Bud 5K- 19:29 – 18th – 2nd age categoryJune 28th Tim Hortons Peach Bud 10K – 41.18 – 51st (10 mins after completing the 5k!)July 1st Roseland Law 5k – 18:43 – 21stJuly 2nd Pride and Remembrance 5K – 18:38 – 33rdJuly 7th Honda Indy Track 5K – 18:27 – 2nd – 1st Master (okay only 23 people ran this race!)July 9th Free to Run 10K 41:20July 9th Free to Run 5K 20:21July 14th Eaton Downtown Dash 10K – 39:33 – 15th – 4th age categoryJuly 16th Twenty Valley Run, Wine & Dine 10K – 41:22 – 17th – 1st age categoryJuly 17th Twenty Valley Run, Wine & Dine Half Marathon – 15th – 1:36:47 – 1st age categoryAug 14th Acura 10 Miler – 1:05:37 – 68th – 3rd age categoryAug 18th Sunset Shuffle – 22:28 – 15thAug 20th Midsummers Night Run 30k – 2:16:49 – 35thAug 27th Children of Merondon Mountains 10K – 40.38 – 3rd (an embarrassing 6:16 behind the 2nd place, yes that is over a mile!) – 1st MasterAug 27th Slainte Summer Classic 5K – 17:42 – 6th – 1st age categoryAug 28th Element Racing Mine over Matter 8.1K Trail – 32:07 – 2nd – 1st MasterSept 10th Waterfront Trail Double Crown 5K -18:14Sept 10th Waterfront Trail Double Crown 8K – 30:50 – 1st age category for combined 13KSept 10th Toronto Energizer Night Race 10K – 50:31 (having missed the start by between 5 and 10 mins!)Sept 18th Great North Run Half Marathon – 1:24:15 – 312thSept 25th Pitlochry 10K – 38:36 – 7thOct 2nd Great Edinburgh Run – 39:08 – 95thOct 10th Guelph Thanksgiving Day Races – 1 Mile – 5:33 – 4th, 5K – 19:20 – 9th & 3K – 11:16 – 2nd. 3 in 1 event – 2nd (beat by a 15 year old!)Oct 16th Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon (as Jefferson the Dog) – 1:46:52 (New Guinness World Record for Mascots running Half Marathon)Oct 21st Oakville Trek or Treat 10K – 39:33 – 4th – 1st MasterOct 30th Bolton Haunted Hill 10K – 40:39 – 6th – 3rd MasterNov 12th Tim Hortons Casablanca Classic 8km – 30:57 – 34th – 3rd age categoryDec 3rd Santa Shuffle 5K – 19:20 – 5thDec 18th Queens Drive 5K – 21:19 – 26thDec 26th Space to Breathe 5K -19:19 -7thDec 31st Toronto Midnite New Year’s Eve 5K Run & Party (as Jefferson the Dog) – 23:18 – 16thJan 1st Hair of the Dog 9K – 37:05 – 11th Running total 32 – 13 to go!
Peter Donato
great work David, sounds like you are perfectly suited to wear fur in a marathon one day….