Sunday, November 30, 2008

Olde Charlottetown Christmas Run & Party


On Saturday Night after the Santa Claus Parade in Charlottetown,
the group of PEI Road Runners at Queen Charlotte Armories for a 5km run and party.


It was 1 degree and little windy.
It was dark we wore reflective clothes and took the flashlight.


The 5km map on figure 8 at Victoria Park, Province House and Old Charlottetown.
The lights were on houses and trees and Victoria Row there were archways of lights
and snowflake lights in Rochford Park. It was a very nice run.


We went back to armories and have muchies and prizes and fun.
We all won a prizes and my mom won the 50/50.


I play the pool with my dad.

Next Saturday it was the last race of 2008, Souris Turkey Trot on the parade route.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Autistic runner finds friends, interaction on team

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/nov/28/Na1runner28/

Autistic runner finds friends, interaction on team

Roar of the crowd






The crowd began to roar as Joshua Otani emerged around the final turn.

Surrounded by teammates providing encouraging words, Otani pushed his legs through to the finish line.

The Pacifica High sophomore might have been the last runner to cross at the Pacific View League Championships, but the result was inconsequential.

Finishing the race was all that mattered.

Otani, 15, has autism, and joining the Pacifica cross country team this season was his first time participating in sports.

Keeping Josh running was a schoolwide effort from the administrators down to the students.

They watched over him at practices, helped guide him through races and provided new friends on campus.

"Cross country was such a confidence-builder for Josh," said Otani's mother, Susan. "When he is around regular kids he just stands taller and smiles more. It makes him happy to be able to have that interaction."

Autism is a brain development disorder that is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior. The cause is not known.

In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported one in 150 children has autism, and boys outnumber girls four to one.

Otani was diagnosed with autism at age 3 after his parents thought he had a hearing problem.

He is high functioning with no behavioral problems, but his verbal skills are very limited.

"He can understand when you speak to him, but his brain just won't allow the connection for speech," his mother said. "We always say it is just like a misfire. You know he understands you, he just literally can't answer sometimes."

Staying active

More and more autistic children are being encouraged to take part in physical education programs because of the health benefits and social outlet the programs provide.

During an adaptive PE class at Pacifica last year, Otani's special education teacher, Brian Murphy, noticed Otani's aptitude for running.

Murphy approached Pacifica cross country coach Jason Daw and asked if Otani could join the team this season.

"I am always open to anyone with a disability running if I think I can help them," Daw said. "Even if it's a little extra responsibility, I think it's important for the kids on the team to see that anyone can participate in this sport."

Otani's parents have always experimented with change in their son's life, and cross country provided another opportunity.

"He has got to live in this world, and he has got to be able to function. It's not like we can keep him locked up in his room," his mother said. "He has to interact and deal and be a part of society. It would be a disservice if we don't try to give him all the tools he needs to be productive."

After his first practice with the team, his mother asked, "Do you want to go to back tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Josh responded.

"He is a very passive kid even without autism, so when he lets us know there is something he really wants to do, you drop everything," his mother said. "You want to get it for him because he doesn't often initiate language without a prompt."

A typical teenager

Otani is undergoing speech therapy to try to draw more language out of him, but often his actions speak as loudly as words.

While at Frank Intermediate School, Otani thought he should be in regular classes instead of special education. So one day he grabbed his backpack and walked out of the classroom. He found another classroom, took a seat and remained there the rest of the year.

He let his parents know he had become a teenager by taking all the baby items out of his room and placing them in the hall.

In many ways, Otani is just a typical teenager. He enjoys browsing the Internet, watching YouTube videos and playing Wii with his younger sister, Mikayla.

"Mikayla was the biggest catalyst in getting Joshua a lot more social and verbal," his mother said. "When they were really young, she decided he was going to be her playmate and she was unrelenting. She said, ‘Joshua you are going to play with me and talk to me.' They are buddies to this day."

The stretch run

Otani completed three cross country races this season and made great strides along the way.

During his first race at the Seaside Invitational, Otani stopped midway through and sat down on a log.

Daw, his coach, realized Otani needed to have someone running with him to keep him moving in the right direction.

"One of the kids gives up their race to run with Josh," Daw said. "The kids are cool with it, and they knew today is my day to help Josh out. It works, and the kids have a good feeling helping him."

Although she attended junior high with Otani, Andrea Oseguera never interacted with him until he joined Pacifica's cross country team.

"I think it is really cool because it is important to integrate special needs students into our program," she said.

"He has been improving with his running, and it's easier for him now. He tells me he likes it."

Hearing comments like that is the reason Murphy, Otani's teacher, encouraged him to join the team.

"It is a win-win for everybody. The students are aware of him as a person and treat him with respect and dignity, and Josh has made big progress," Murphy said. "His speech has improved, and he has really progressed socially."

Murphy ran a large portion of Otani's final race by his side for moral support.

"It was really emotional. I actually had to get away because I was crying at the end," Murphy said. "They are your kids and you are so much involved in them and to see something like that is the highlight of being a teacher."

Otani had a large contingent of fans cheering for him along the College Park course in Oxnard.

His father, Genji, asked for the day off from work at the post office to watch his son race for the first time.

He beamed as Josh crossed the finish line.

"All I want is for him to be happy, and if he enjoys being out there and running that is where I want him to be," his father said. "That is what matters to me the most."

Now that cross country season is over, Otani is considering joining the track team in the spring.

When an observer asked if he had fun running this season, Otani smiled and nodded.

That said it all.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Alex on Compass - iRun Award

Alex was quite thrilled to see the news of his iRun Award made the CBC Compass News Monday night. Not only did it catch the eye of folks I on local forums and Alex's Facebook friends but when I went to town today I was stopped by a few people who saw it and wanted me to pass on their congratulations to Alex. Along with the public messages of congratulations here, here and here, our mailboxes have seen plenty more. Thank you all. Alex has been reading them all and checking the comments on his blog regularly. Here's 30 more seconds of Alex's fame....


Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Alex in Hebrew


Remember when Alex was in Spanish? (La evolución de Alex Bain)

Well, now he's also in Hebrew.... אוטיזם הוא הילד. אוטיזם הוא הגבר.

Alex has a real love for the Japanese language. The day his story is told in Japanese will be quite a thrill for him!

Perhaps it's only a matter of time.....

Islanders on the Run - Last Weekend in Florida


47(Place) 9(Gender Place) 4:51:58 Elaine Burkholder Kensington, PE 11:09(Pace)


Island cross-country runners bring home medals from Atlantics


Congratulations Rebecca & Connor!!


Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

(Click on image to enlarge & read)

Monday, November 24, 2008

Recognition for autism run

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2008/11/24/pe-bain-irun.html

Recognition for autism run

P.E.I. runner Alex Bain has been named one of Canada's most inspirational runners by iRun magazine.

Bain's run for autism awareness is highlighted in the magazine's January issue.

The magazine outlines the 2006 run Bain undertook to raise awareness for autism. During July of that year, Bain covered 20 to 25 kilometres a day in a tip-to-tip run across the province.

Bain was diagnosed with autism when he was three.


My "Happy Song"

This morning at 6:15, as I was dragging myself out of bed, I heard Karen announcing Alex's iRun Award on CBC Radio Island Morning. Then, because the current contest they are running is "send us your 'Happy Song' and we'll play some of them" they went back through their mail and found an email I sent last week and read it in part:

These are Days
10,000 Maniacs

Takes me back to Alex's tip to tip run. As I accompanied him on my bike, this is the song I obsessively played on my MP3 player. To me, it was the theme song of his run.
(He used some different songs to accompany the video and stills when he made the video of that run: North Country by the Rankins, Think About the Years by Haywire, Old Man by Neil Young, Against the Wind by Bob Seger and Day by Day by Doug and the Slugs.)

-jypsy


I just checked YouTube and, of course, there's a music video (and a live performance from President Clinton's Inaugural Ball). Here it is (and I still obsess on it):



Lyrics

These are the days
These are days you'll remember
Never before and never since, I promise
Will the whole world be warm as this
And as you feel it,
You'll know its true
That you are blessed and lucky
Its true that you
Are touched by something
That will grow and bloom in you

These are days that you'll remember
When May is rushing over you
With desire to be part of the miracles
You see in every hour
You'll know its true
That you are blessed and lucky
Its true that you are touched
By something that will grow and bloom in you

These are days
These are the days you might fill
With laughter until you break
These days you might feel
A shaft of light
Make its way across your face
And when you do
Then you'll know how it was meant to be
See the signs and know their meaning
It's true
Then you'll know how it was meant to be
Hear the signs and know theyre speaking
To you, to you...

Natalie's official website:
http://www.nataliemerchant.com/

10,000 Maniacs official website:
http://www.maniacs.com/


Sunday, November 23, 2008

2009 iRun Award Winner - Alex Bain




Inspiring, Moving, Empowering:
2009 iRun Awards


The 2009 iRun Awards go to:
  • Paul Franklin
  • Joanne Gunning
  • Derek Modry
  • David Daze
  • Matt Hill and Stephanie Tait
  • Gary Gobeil
  • Ken Hill
  • Dina Salvador
  • Amanda and Mark Collis
  • Rob Tolman
  • Cheryl Bartmanovich
  • Alex Bain

  • Alex Bain, Oyster Bed Bridge, PEI

    iRun for Autism Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion.

    At the age of 20, PEI native Alex Bain’s unwavering dedication to running already sets him apart from most of his peers. Bain races almost every weekend. He has broken the 20-minute mark in the 5k and is very close to breaking 40 minutes in the 10k. He just completed his first full marathon in an impressive time of 3:29:29.

    But his age isn’t the only thing that’s special about Bain; he was diagnosed as autistic at the age of three. Today, a huge part of Alex’s motivation each time he laces up his shoes is to promote awareness about autism – and the fact that he, and many others like him, wish for acceptance, not a cure. “Autism makes me different from my friends,” says Bain. “That’s OK.” As his trademark yellow race t-shirt spells out, Bain is “Running For Autism, Not Against It.”

    In July 2006, Alex (accompanied by his mother, Janet Norman-Bain, who played both support crew and videographer) embarked on a run from tip-to-tip of PEI to raise money for autism awareness and risk and safety management. But even this challenge – he averaged between 20-25k per day – didn’t quite prepare him for what the last stretch of his marathon would feel like: Bain admits he hit the wall with 10k to go, “the first time I’ve done three hours of running.” Still, he exceeded his projected time goal by more than five minutes.

    Bain is no stranger to awards; he has also been crowned PEI RoadRunners Rookie of the Year, Junior RoadRunner of the Year and Inspirational Runner of the Year.

    ~*~

    Thank you, whoever nominated him, they didn't tell me who you are.

    I've known about this for a while now but Alex only learned about it just now when I saw it had shown up up their website and showed him. They will be sending him a copy of the magazine since we are without a Running Room or Runner's Den here (you can pick up a free copy at any Running Room or subscribe here).

    Thanks too Jessica Aldred, Associate Editor, for so nicely capturing the essence of Alex in the bio she wrote.

    Congratulations Alex!

    "I like to thanks to Stanley Chaisson for training me, Chris Brake for inspiring me, my mom for drives to races and all members from PEI Road Runner Club. Special Thanks for Dianne and Elaine for big hugs." Alex




    PEI RoadRunners Responded HERE


Saturday, November 22, 2008

The Next Run - Olde Charlottetown Christmas Run & Party


PEI Roadrunner’s Christmas Party
And
5K Christmas Fun Run


Saturday – Nov 29 th

Run start: 7:30 pm
Social : 8:30 pm
Registration @ Queen Charlotte Armories 6: 30 pm
{Corner Haviland & Water streets-Army Tank in front yard!}

PEI Roadrunners $5.00 & Guests $10.00
Chili/Munchies & a Beverage,
Draw prizes


Be sure
to bring
a flashlight
and/or
glowstick
&
wear

plenty of
reflective
clothing
it will be
dark
as we
run

the city
streets


To ensure sufficient food for everyone

*please confirm attendance*

before Wednesday, November 26th, with:

Judy West 894-9936 jalmwest@hotmail.com
OR Bethany Lucas 566-4062 bplucas@eastlink.ca


T'was a SNOWED OUT Month Before Christmas Run

"Due to the weather conditions, a decision has been made to cancel the T'was the Month Before Christmas Run."


http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?pei2
Winter storm warning for
Queens County P.E.I. continued

Snow at times heavy and blowing snow occurring.
Snow at times heavy will become mixed with rain over the eastern half of Prince Edward Island this morning before tapering off to flurries or showers near noon. Colder air strong northwest winds and periods of snow will return to the island this evening.

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/pe-5_metric_e.html#detailsf
Friday Night: Snow at times heavy and blowing snow beginning overnight. Amount 5 to 10 cm. Wind becoming northeast 20 km/h near midnight then increasing to 40 gusting to 60. Low minus 3 with temperature rising to plus 1 by morning.

Saturday Day: Snow at times heavy mixed with rain ending near noon then cloudy and 40 percent chance of rain showers. Risk of a thundershower early this morning. Snowfall amount 10 to 15 cm. Blowing snow this morning. Wind northeast 40 km/h gusting to 60 becoming north 60 gusting to 90 early this morning then northwest 30 gusting to 50 this afternoon. High plus 3.
Night: Cloudy. 40 percent chance of rain showers early this evening. Snow and blowing snow beginning this evening and ending overnight. Snowfall amount 10 cm. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 increasing to 50 gusting to 80 this evening. Low minus 7.
~*~

This is only the second time in Alex's history with the PEI RoadRunners that a race hasn't gone because of the weather. The other one was The St. Patty's Day Run in 2007 which was postponed for a week due to freezing rain.

The weather the day of the Freeze Your Gizzard Run in 2005 was as nasty as today, if not a bit worse, and although we made a valiant attempt to get there, an hour after we left the house we were still not out of Oyster Bed Bridge. (One of the handful of races on the PEI RoadRunners schedule that Alex has missed since his first run, Proudes Shoes 5K, in May '04)

I trust Elaine will have better weather when she runs tomorrow!!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Runman's First Marathon - The Video

This is the movie I made about the my first Marathon. My mom took pictures and my dad took the video. My song about the waves like the first 10km.

Autistic Teenager Runs, and Makes Strides

Autistic Teenager Runs, and Makes Strides

Published: November 14, 2008

West Hempstead

Kirk Condyles for The New York Times

Jonathan Brunot, wearing his New York City Marathon medal, with his running coach, Vincent Del-Cid.

Brightroom.com

IT took Jonathan Brunot, undeniably handsome at 19 yet so profoundly autistic that the most rudimentary attempts at communication can provoke a wild-eyed struggle, six years to learn how to tie the laces of his sneakers. It took him a lifetime to master 10 words: not just to say them, but also to grasp their meaning as he blurts them out.

Bathroom, a hygienic necessity, and rice, a favorite food, are two of his verbal accomplishments. He recognizes and repeats his own name — sometimes. He has to be in the right mood. And he usually needs prompting from a teacher (he attends the Genesis School in Plainview, where all 25 students are autistic) or a family member.

“Communication is his enemy,” is the way Vincent Del-Cid of Bayside, Jonathan’s running coach and, during long-distance training jaunts, his fleet-of-foot singing partner (“Old MacDonald” is their theme song), summarizes his protégé’s social skills. Virtually nonexistent. But it turns out his athletic ability is off the charts.

The New York City Marathon? Jonathan aced it Nov. 2 on his first attempt in 4 hours 49 minutes 20 seconds, including timeouts for a slight tantrum at Mile 22 (he refused to drink his PowerGel beverage), a slight leg cramp at Mile 23 (payback for not hydrating) and a slight fumble near the finish line (he paused to wave and scream and applaud himself when he caught sight of his tearful mother, Olga, in the bleachers).

Jonathan doesn’t know he didn’t quite nail Mr. Del-Cid’s goal of 4:30. He also doesn’t know Mr. Del-Cid’s goal for 2009 is for Jonathan to run the marathon in under four hours. Time and goals are irrelevant concepts to him. But he will surely recognize the race: It’s word No. 14 in his lexicon. “Vincent,” and “to run” are words Nos. 11 to 13.

Jonathan dressed himself in running gear and bolted down two bagels before the race, and he heard, parroted and retained a complicated new word: marathon. Or, as he gleefully mispronounced it the other day, “Malathon, malathon,” while squirming self-consciously next to his coach on a sofa in the home he shares with his oft-exhausted parents. They double as his 24/7 caretakers. Though he is much less exhausting since running liberated him and, in a sense, them.

“I want to be blunt and honest here,” said Mr. Del-Cid, an accountant who left his job as a financial analyst for Merrill Lynch because it had gotten “too depressing.” Too many clients crying, he explained, over lost investments. “Jonathan has two older brothers who are extremely successful, but what could his mother be proud of after all the hard work she put into him? I told her, ‘If you allow me to, I’ll help him run the marathon.’ ”

Olga Brunot, a nurse, told him he was crazy; then she reconsidered. “I said, ‘If you can do it, I will kiss your feet.’ ” Consider them kissed, hypothetically. “Vincent is an angel.”

Until he began training with Mr. Del-Cid, Jonathan was a hyperactive, overweight teenager trapped in the psyche of an antisocial toddler. He still plays with toys and dances alone to the “Mary Poppins” soundtrack. But he is a rail-thin running machine.

According to autismspeaks.org, the odds of a child becoming a professional athlete are 1 in 16,000, the odds of a child being given a diagnosis of autism 1 in 150. The odds of a severely autistic runner (Jonathan is at the most debilitating end of the spectrum) completing a marathon have not been tabulated, if Mr. Del-Cid’s research is accurate. Just figure it’s a rarity.

“As a runner, he’s a normal person,” said Mr. Del-Cid, 52, a member of the Queens-based Alley Pond Striders, a veteran of 20 marathons and, most important to Jonathan’s family, a volunteer coach for the Rolling Thunder Special Needs Program.

Before Jonathan was paired with Mr. Del-Cid 18 months ago, he often refused to run at all. His mother attests to that. “He became my biggest enemy when I tried to get him to run,” she said of her attempts to use the Rolling Thunder program. Not anymore.

At Mile 25, when he was yanking his shirt above his washboard abs for ventilation, a quartet of female spectators noticed the name pinned to his singlet by his coach, and hollered, “Ooh la la, Jonathan!” Inspiration? They couldn’t know he was autistic and, presumably, immune to Francophile flattery. Although, come to think of it, his parents, Haitian natives, speak with heavy French accents even if he does not.

After 26.2 miles, he celebrated with two more bagels and an autographed photo from Deena Kastor, the 2004 Olympic marathon bronze medal winner whose inscription encourages him to believe in his “wildest dreams.”

Not that running a marathon was his dream. But now it is his reality: he has a medal that proves it, even if he broke the ribbon on which it is strung. The medal meshed nicely with his Superheros T-shirt when it was time to take a photo, though getting him to smile and say “cheese” was problematic. He lost interest and wandered off.

Did Jonathan believe himself capable of running the marathon? “Of course not,” said his father, Dr. Verlaine Brunot, now so convinced of the marathon’s positive impact on Jonathan that he is training him for the bicycle phase of an Oyster Bay triathlon.

The biggest concern about Jonathan for Dr. Brunot, a pediatrician, was a marathon injury. Had Jonathan gotten hurt, he said, “my wife and I would have felt guilty for letting him run, knowing he can’t tell us if something hurts like his brothers could.”

Not that either of them ever ran a marathon. The older Brunot siblings, Verlaine and Oliver, went to Juilliard on violin scholarships before attending Duke University. Prelaw and premed. The Brunots’ joys of raising their third son got sidetracked when, at age 2 ½, he stopped calling them Mommy and Daddy and, worse, withdrew his affection.

“We had no clue that something like this was down the line for him,” Dr. Brunot said. Clinical detachment went out the window. “You are a doctor yourself and then it hits your house and you think, ‘Why me?’ At first you are in shock. Then you recalibrate yourself to being an autistic parent, a lifetime situation. But seeing him run that race, reach that level of achievement, I cannot even describe it.”

Neither can Jonathan.

After posing with his medal, he bade his visitor goodbye with a handshake, gave his mother a peck behind the ear and bounded upstairs for more “Mary Poppins.” The handshake was prompted. The kiss? His own idea.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

The Next Run - T'was The Month Before Christmas


T'was the Month before Christmas Run

Saturday, November 22, 2008
Distance: 5K & 10K
Starting Time: 9:00 a.m.
Registration: 8:00 a.m. UPEI Sports Centre. $10.
Fund Raiser: PEI RoadRunners Club. All proceeds/donations will go back to the club for supplies, programming, etc.
Course Description: Looped course (2.5K) all on Campus at UPEI
Contact: Kim Bailey, 368-9019, dkbailey@pei.sympatico.ca

There will be post race snacks and, as in past years,
if you bring a door prize, you'll get a door prize.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Recycle Run 2008

It was cloudy and 11 degrees.

The Recycle Run at Confederation Trail in Montague.

The 5km and 10km out and back course on trail.

Debbie collects shirts and shoes for FAME.

I finish in 42:42 and came 9th out of 24 runners.

Steven Baglole won the race and Jen Nicholson for the top female.

Eric Deveau won the 5km an Sarah Jane Bell for the top female out of 5 runners.

Official Result: 9th out of 24
10K in 42 minutes, 42 seconds

More Photos



Wednesday, November 12, 2008

This Saturday's Run - The Recycle Run in Montague

Saturday, November 15, 2008
Recycle Run
Distance:
5 & 10 K
Starting Time: 9:00 am
Registration: 8:00 am - Montague Train Station, $5 for 16 & over (under is free) plus a donation of clean old runners or t-shirts (These items will be sent to a developing country through the FAME where they will be put to good use.)
Sponsor: Shoppers Drug Mart
Fundraiser: FAME - Fellowship of Associates of Medical Evangelism
Course Description: Out and back course on Montague Confederation Trail
Contact: Debby Hughes, 838-4527

Saturday Morning Runs

As well as the informal Sunday morning runs, there's also a group running Saturday mornings:

http://b4.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?action=read&id=1225387264&user=greta

Charlottetown Saturday Morning Runs

Posted on October 30, 2008 at 12:21:04 PM by Mike Meacher

Come join us! A group of runners gets together for a run ( normally about 12km although it can be more or less for any individual) almost every Saturday morning at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel at 7:30AM. Afterwards, some retire for coffee at BEANZ or facsimile. All are welcome.


Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Sunday Morning Runs

An informal and unstructured running group has decided to meet at the Farmers' Market (Belvedere Ave, Charlottetown) every Sunday morning at 8:30, rain, shine, snow, or sleet.

"Informal and unstructured" means just that! There is nobody in charge, there are no reminder emails, there are no weather-related cancellations, and there are no predetermined routes or distances or paces. We just show up, form groups of runners with similar goals (distance and speed), and run for the joy of it. In all probability, groups will run out-and-back on the Confederation Trail while the footing is suitable, and switch to the roadways when the trail is unsuitable, but that is the decision of each individual group.
While there are no rules, there are some guidelines:
  • please be there by 8:30;
  • please head out by 8:35;
  • please stay in the group you start with (do not run ahead of your group, and your group should not run ahead of you); and
  • please do not let anyone run alone, because of either injury or inability to keep up.

On our first morning (2 Nov 2008), groups ran 8, 10, and 16km, so there was something for everyone, although there is no guarantee that these exact distances will be run each week. These Sunday morning runs are great training for WR3 day on 4 Apr 2009. Bring a running buddy if you can, but don't be shy about showing up alone and meeting other runners.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Google Map of PEI RoadRunner Runs


We've made this Google Map of the runs & races on the PEI RoadRunner schedule.

  • The blue point marks the start line and/or registration location.
  • If we're off on any (the New Harmony Woodlot?) please let me know.
  • If we missed any that should be added, please let me know.
  • We have left in the descriptions (in brackets at the end), the dates of the 2008 runs that have already happened as a guide to when the 2009 runs might be.
We'll update the information when the 2009 schedule comes out.

This link will be over in the column on the right, below the PEI RoadRunners logo,
for future reference

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Alex on Halloween.... Trick or Treat?!

Alex on Halloween

No... not really, just a Trick & Treat from photofunia.com
as are these:

(click on image to enlarge)











Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Monday, November 3, 2008

Gearing up for Games


Ian MacGougan of CBCL Consultants looks over the progress made to date on sports fields adjacent to Summerside's Credit Union Place.

Ian MacGougan of CBCL Consultants looks over the progress made to date on sports fields adjacent to Summerside's Credit Union Place.

Gearing up for Games

NANCY MACPHEE
The Journal Pioneer


SUMMERSIDE - With 284 days remaining until the start of the 2009 Canada Games, work on facilities across the province is, for the most part, on schedule.

In Summerside, a multi-sport artificial turf field, beach volleyball courts and tennis courts should be complete by mid-November and sports fields at UPEI are 85 per cent finished.

But in Montague, where work has just started, it's another story.

"That has been delayed and delayed," said host society president Joseph Spriet. "It's started now, but there is a bit of concern that they are not further ahead than they are."

The venue is slated to host female wrestling. Spriet has been in talks with two facilities interested in the event if Montague's wellness centre isn't ready.

"We're building that for the purpose of the Canada Games and some money was leveraged to get that done so it would be a shame if we actually couldn't host games there," said Spriet, who optimistically added, "I'm sure it will be ready."

Canada Games is putting a total of $14 million into upgrading existing facilities or building new fields and venues. In Summerside alone, a few million is being spent, with $2 million funneled to Credit Union Place for the opening ceremonies and to get ready to host basketball.

"Really, I am beside myself and I don't want to shout too loud, but it's wonderful to be in a position where we are now," added Spriet. "It's quite rewarding to see what has happened."

The Games will leave a legacy on P.E.I. and its athletes, said facilities co-ordinator Robert Arsenault.

Communities will be beneficiaries of improved and, in some cases, new facilities, along with equipment.

"It certainly gives us an opportunity to host national scale events but also gives our home athletes a training venue," said Arsenault.

"That home field advantage just doesn't last for the two weeks of the games. It's ongoing."



Mult-use field nearly ready

Work should be complete by mid-November on construction of Summerside's multi-million Canada Games sports fields.

The work, adjacent to Credit Union Place, has a $2.9 million pricetag.

First, there's a multi-sport synthetic turf field, located north of Willow Avenue. The 76x108-metre regulation soccer field with turf end zones, which can be later used for football, will be used for men and women's soccer.

Technical services director Aaron MacDonald said preliminary work is done. All that's needed is the artificial turf, which is currently being fabricated.

"We are waiting to hear word from them when they plan to arrive to install it," said MacDonald.

The artificial turf will be laid before snow falls and, once spring arrives, the field will be ready for use as soon as the snow melts. Adjacent to that field is a small gravel parking area.

South of Willow Drive along Greenwood Drive are the two beach volleyball courts, each measuring 26x36 metres.

Sand is currently being laid, work that's expected to be done before winter.

Built on site is a 9x12-metre clubhouse/storage building, which includes two single washrooms, small storage area and electrical room.

Underground conduit is in place to allow the area, which currently has no lighting and won't for the Games, to be illuminated in the future.

Three tennis courts, each regulation size, are being constructed in the area south of Willow Avenue along Greenwood Drive. These courts won't be used for the Games. Tennis competition will take place in Charlottetown.

The city has "greened" out another area for a future field.



For more on the Journal-Pioneer's snapshot on how the Island is getting ready for the Games, pick up Monday's paper edition of the Journal-Pioneer.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Islanders on the Run - This weekend in New York City and Moncton

New York City Marathon

*Islanders*
(click on image to enlarge & read)

Paul's time above is not correct, read Paul's comments here

*Tyler McNeil*
(click on image to enlarge & read)

Top-ten finishers (unofficial times):

MEN -
1. Marilson Gomes Dos Santos, BRA 2:08:43
2. Abderrahim Goumri, MAR 2:09:07
3. Daniel Rono, KEN 2:11:22
4. Paul Tergat, KEN 2:13:10
5. Abderrahime Bouramdane, MAR 2:13:33
6. Abdi Abdirahman, USA 2:14:17
7. Josh Rohatinsky, USA 2:14:23
8. Jason Lehmkuhle, USA 2:14:30
9. Hosea Rotich, KEN 2:15:26
10. Bolota Asmerom, USA 2:16:37

WOMEN -
1. Paula Radcliffe, GBR 2:23:56
2. Ludmila Petrova, RUS 2:25:43
3. Kara Goucher, USA 2:25:53
4. Rita Jeptoo, KEN 2:27:49
5. Catherine Ndereba, KEN 2:29:14
6. Gete Wami, ETH 2:29:25
7. Dire Tune, ETH 2:29:28
8. Lidia Simon, ROU 2:30:04
9. Lyubov Morgunova, RUS 2:30:38
10. Katie Mcgregor, USA 2:31:14

  • Finishers in Time order will be available HERE
  • Search for a runner by Last and/or First Name, Bib, City, Country, or Team HERE
Legs for Literacy
Full Results at Atlantic Chip Timing

Legs For Literacy (MARATHON)

1 - Leo McCosham - 2:56:58*
2 - Mark McCoshom - 2:57:29*
5 - Edwin Gillis - 3:14:21*
28 - Lora Kemp - 3:29:25*
53 - Michael Irvine - 3:43:08
81 - Maureen Leard - 3:58:10*
83 - Trudy Aitken - 3:58:27
94 - Dianne Pye - 4:07:56

Legs For Literacy (HALF_Marathon)

39 - Jennifer Nickerson - 1:39:50
47 - Bev Walsh - 1:42:06
65 - Kelly McCosham - 1:46:04
78 - Loretta Van Ekris - 1:47:42
105 - Pamela Campbell - 1:50:12
110 - Cheryl Paynter - 1:50:43
161 - Mike Murrins - 1:55:23
219 - Pam Schurman - 1:59:30
226 - Bj Willis - 2:00:27
228 - Catherine Vaniderst - 2:01:07
244 - Eric Deveau - 2:02:28
252 - Debby Hughes - 2:03:37
259 - Cheryl Tanton - 2:03:48
352 - Myrtle Jenkins-Smith - 2:15:37
353 - Debbie Doucette - 2:15:37
419 - Arlene Edgecombe - 2:35:21
424 - Tracy Gillis - 2:41:28


Legs For Literacy (10K)

21 - Billy Van Ekris - 46:22
23 - John Van Ekris - 46:43
141 - Cynthia Paynter - 34:50
250 - Karen Wortman - 1:09:15
253 - Alicia Arenburg - 1:09:15
330 - Darlene MacLean - 1:40:11


Legs For Literacy (5K)

141 - Cynthia Paynter - 34:50

Congratulations Everyone!