About 17 TPWs showed up at High Park this morning at 7:00, and a handful more found their way to the trails a little later. We couldn't have asked for a more glorious day...sun shining, some breeze, and only the faint waft of garbage at one spot near the lake. Most of us were on the 13k week in our schedule, though a few intrepids such as Susan B, Ela, James, Rorie and Phyllis travelled many more, all to get ready for Scotiabank, Chicago and Baltimore. We heard that Lorna is training out in Mississauga and Helen was at the cottage.Knowing Helen as we do, we can rest assured she was out there somewhere putting in the k's.
Once again, Dragon Boat races added more colour and excitement to the already beautiful lakefront. And to risk sounding like a Hallmark card, I will say that Linda and I actually saw baby birds learning to fly. Anyone for a metaphor on persistence and effort?
After boats and birds, breakfast at Grenadier was the usual fabulous gabfest though the big distance walkers weren't back by the time most of us left. Hope they had a breakfast club of their own.
We talked about everything from Nuit Blanche tours of the Don Jail to upcoming races - A Midsummer Night's Run will be here before we know it,(Aug 22nd) Scotia Half and Full Marathon (for a few of us), the Island Women's Half, Chicago and Baltimore. Whew...quite the list of events. True, not all of us are working towards common races or goals, but we somehow manage to juggle diverse training schedules with relative ease.
On that, a number of us are not doing a marathon this year, while others are doing their first (yeeha!). We have talked on occasion about whether the lack of that one big hairy goal and the time/effort/mental preparation it takes gave us a tad more focus and motivation. Perhaps, but we are all feeling quite ok about 'only' doing halfs this year and realize that we still want to walk the distance, be with the group, and participate in this great adventure...even when we're drenched to the bone (last week) or freezing on the Mount Hope paths in winter or baking in the dog days of August.
We love it.
P.S.Will miss you all so much this next year. And the lake, the park, the cemetery, and the Firkin. Please come see me in Waterloo. (note: Walkers only 10k race on Sept 27th in KW) http://kwwalkingclassic.com/ How about a road trip for those not doing Scotia??
