Run Sun Run

For months Mike had been verbally, and enthusiastically spurring me into training for the 10km Vancouver Sun Run. The only way I found to quiet him was by either announcing all the wonderful training I was doing (in the form of a couple of hours of snowboarding followed by a couple of hours at the pub) "Yeah, Mike, you should've seen all the effort I put in yesterday!" Or by just retorting that "the pub was great - how was your training?" In all my pre-race training entailed some concerts, snowboarding, beer drinking, but no actual running. (Am I taking too much pride in this? Hmmm...) I had long planned on "giving it a go" but with minimal effort. I had no delusions that I would beat 50,700 participants to the finish line and eternal glory.

Continuing my thus-far-successful training regime I prepped for Sunday's race by going to the pub on Saturday after work with a couple of mates. My fourth class of yoga was on the schedule but was rapidly scratched when the alternative was voiced by Joël, Vicky and Des. It didn't help that a beer was handed to me to make the last 10 minutes of that shift pass quicker. (Did I mention that I hate my job and the people that work there? No? That's because I don't!!) It was a brilliant day, sun was still aloft in the bluebird sky, and there was a certain al fresco feel in the air. The courtyard of the Kitsilano pub looked over English Bay to North Vancouver and the mountains beyond and was basically perfect. The company wasn't bad either. Can't remember the conversation - probably better that I don't - but I do have sore stomach muscles from laughing so much. After the pub we went to visit Adrienne who had returned prematurely from her trip to Costa Rica after a particularly nasty cycling accident. We weren't allowed in by her father as her face was badly grazed and bruised, but her emails suggest her spirits are still high (though the images disturbing!)

Sunday, the day of the race, was just as fine as the day before - perfect weather for a gruelling and entirely unnecessary 10km slog through this beautiful city. I warmed up by running after my bus as it shot past my stop and waved my fist in the air as punctuation. Being either too early or too late to our meeting place I made my way alone into the steadily swelling throng on Georgia St. 112 MEC employees signed up for this race, twice as many as last year, but I only spied one blue team shirt in the distance. It was Mike. We started together and finished together but ran our own race meeting only once or twice along the way.

Throughout the route of the race there were bands playing reggae, blues, jazz, rock, as well as a pipe band, a marching band and some guy sitting in his front yard with a drum kit. People lined the streets clapping and encouraging runners for the whole 10 km. The atmosphere was fantastic, and definitely constructive. My favourite was a girl of about 8 years old, dressed up in full regalia and Scottish dancing on a large square of cardboard at about the halfway mark. At the 8km mark I saw Mike and so ran with him for a while, but he took off when the finish line came into view. I kept up but didn't pass him, crossing the finish line just behind him. Rows of volunteers were lined up to remove the electronic timing chips - it was all I could do to stay standing. Mike announced that our time was 49 minutes and some seconds - I was too buggered to care. A few blue shirts arrived and we compared stories, I went home for some food and rest and by the time my pasta was finished I passed out on my bed.

Two hours passed in slumber refreshing me for more festivities - I called Charlie and we met Emilie and Melanie at Kitsilano Beach for an hour of afternoon sun before meeting Caroline at her house and then to the Skytrain for Edith and Remi (it was their last day in Vancouver). Havana's on Commercial cooks a mean burger but the sangria is the main reason to make the effort. Heading away from Havana's we me Roxanne and Stephanie and all went to the Brickhouse for a couple of beers. To get in we had to bang loudly on the back door in a dodgy alley - but once inside I immediately felt at home. This is the first pub that I've been to in Vancouver that did not offer table survice. Finally!!! I can seriously say I prefer to get up and order beer at the bar. It had books piled up against the wall behind some large comfortable couches across from the pool tables and was totally low key (kinda like the Century Tavern before the refurb). I was the only english speaker there, but everyone seamlessly switched to english whenever I joined the conversation.

It was midnight and with a 5.30am wake up awaiting me it was time to go. Hard to believe that I had run a short marathon earlier that day. Hard to believe, that is, until I attempted to stand up. Two days later and I am hobbling like I've lost my walking stick.

The race results were published in Monday's paper and before I had a chance to check it out Mike wandered over: "You beat me by 2 seconds!!"
"How?!" I couldn't tell if he was bummed or not. He had trained afterall, I had not. At least he could walk straight! Remembering that he had taken off and crossed the start line metres before me it became evident how I had beaten him by two seconds. My time was 49 minutes something, which placed me 3235th. My assistant manager finished 2111th and Manager finished in 41 minutes 587th.

As if Sunday and Sunday night wasn't punishment enough, Monday night was the metal equivalent of Pink Floyd - the Devin Townsend Band - in concert (I won't bore you with the details - except a play list: Truth, Regulator, Storm, Gaia, Pixellate, Sun Goddess (Epic version!), Life, Earth Day, Triumph, Deep Peace, Bad Devil (With Val from Zimmer's Hole - awesome), Vampira, Vampolka). Then Tueday night was Ladytron and the Presets. Awesome. Tonight I'll be taking a bunch of people from work climbing to Lighthouse park. I figure I can sleep next week. Maybe....

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