A Gutsy Race and Podium Finishes for the Go Girls

Any doubts that the Go Girls are tough, gutsy, and talented runners were put to rest on Sunday, May 9 in Unionville at the inaugural Markham Women's 5K. The four Go Girls who participated in this event -- Joanna, Mariana, JaJa and me (T) -- represented the club well and demonstrated that maybe there is something to all those hill workouts after all.

In the end, JaJa finished the race in just 25:58.6 and placed fourth in her age group. This was a new personal best for JaJa. She was ultimately bumped up to third place since certain age group finishers in her division failed the drug test. (JaJa may have been hungover, but she does not do the 'roids.) Mariana and Joanna had a strong race. It was a difficult race due to the cold but they proved themselves to be tough. They finished in 35:27: a stellar outing, especially given that it was Joanna's first ever race! I completed the race in 26:05, a new personal best. I finished third in my age group, but I was also bumped up as one of the racers in my age group was not eligible for prizing. I therefore am listed as having finished second in my age group. Overall, then, the Go Girls put two runners on the podium and proved that each of their runners are capable for handling adverse race conditions. If prizes were awarded for toughness, Joanna would certainly have won a prize, while Mariana would have done well in the "Mentorship" category.

Credit for bringing the Go Girls to this 5K race goes to Joanna, who found the flyer for the race in the materials we received in the Harry's SRO kit. The cause, supporting the construction of a school in Tanzania for girls through the Because I Am A Girl project, is noble. The distance, 5K, seemed appropriate. And the date, May 9, seemed to be ideal, or so Joanna thought. Joanna reasoned that it would surely be warm by May 9. Yes, this is Canada, our intrepid Brazilian thought, but even Canada must thaw at some point and the polar bears and penguins must pack up and leave town by May 9, right?

Wrong. Here is the response of a local polar bear to Joanna's hope that it would be lovely spring-summer weather for the May 9 race:

I believe that this is bear for "Nah-nah!" To put the matter differently, it was cold. Almost polar bear cold, at least if you are a runner from Brazil who has not trained through the winter. The temperature was close to 0C, and dipped below zero with the wind chill. In fact, there were snow flurries flying through the air on the morning of the race. The race conditions were less than ideal, particularly for those from much hotter climates.

The two Brazilian Go Girls runners were bundled up and ready (more or less) to face the elements.

Nevertheless, Joanna and Mariana bravely donned their race gear and steeled themselves for the 5K race...on a course that featured plenty of places for the howling, cold wind to remind them that they were in Canada. I imagine it was definitely a "we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto" moment.

Meanwhile, JaJa arrived at the race notwithstanding the fact that she had hosted a soiree the night before. That is to say that JaJa arrived at the race nursing a little hangover. But she was there and ready to run.

Two warriors: JaJa was ready to battle through a hangover and Joanna was ready to battle through the cold.

As for me, well, my biggest challenge was the need for a snack. So I ate an apple. Ten minutes before the race. This is proof that even experienced runners make very stupid mistakes. Note to self: do not eat ANYTHING ten minutes before a race. Instead, use that time wisely. For example, go to the bathroom so when that cold wind hits your bladder, you won't start to pray for the development of a race series version of Depends.

Prado and Miedema pose for their traditional pre-race photo.

As we were participating in the inaugural race, there were some speeches before the beginning of the race. I think we would have all appreciated the speeches more if it wasn't so cold. Most of us stood shivering on the start line, tuning out the speeches and lost in our own thoughts...

Me: "I should have peed. Oh boy. I need to run fast. So don't think about it. Pee. Pee. Pee."

Mariana: "I'm pacing Joanna today. I am a mentor today. I will NOT run too fast. I will mentor. Mentoring is more fun indoors...did I pee already?"

Joanna: "Cold. COLD. Cold. COLD. Mariana better stay with me. COLD. COLD. COLD."

JaJa: "A hundred bottles of beer on the wall, a hundred bottles of beer! One should happen to slip and fall, what a waste of alcohol! Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer..."

The view from the start.

Soon enough we were on our way. As the race was only a 5K, it was essential to hit one's pace as soon as possible. The race was too short to slip into one's race pace over the first kilometre. The cold weather, however, had deterred most of us from warming up properly before the race. For many of us, the first kilometre was tough as we went from starting our cold engines to hitting race pace as quickly as possible. Focus was important at this point.

The race course took us over paved roads, some of which were bordered by open fields. At these points, the wind gusts were challenging. Not only was the wind cold, but it was strong and cut across the race course. While we were never directly running into the wind, we also never had the benefit of the wind at our backs either. Instead, we had a persistent cold howling in our ears. Oh, and a cold piercing wind cutting through our bladders. Did I mention that I forgot to go to the bathroom before the race?

JaJa had a very strong start in the race and I was not far behind JaJa. As I closed in on JaJa, I can only say that she was tearing up the road. It was hard to believe that this woman had hosted a party the night before and had a hangover. JaJa, you were amazing! At one point, I passed JaJa, but she later caught up to me and passed me before the end of the race. I finished about ten seconds behind JaJa. Being able to see her green shirt ahead of me helped me to pace myself and keep me on track for a good steady race pace. I did cramp up (never eat an apple ten minutes before a race), beginning around the first kilometre mark. Being able to keep a pace by following JaJa was therefore a great help since I was tempted to slow down to deal with the cramping throughout the race.

At various points, JaJa and I passed by Mariana and Joanna since the race included several turn around points. We were able to wave at each other. Initially we might have shouted a quick hello, but as we progressed through the race, we all just gave a wave and saved our breath for running.

For me, the race felt slow in the beginning and faster at the end, probably because my muscles were cold at the start. It was not long before the finish line was in sight. JaJa was able to sprint the final stretch, as was Mariana and Joanna. I was not able to do so, unfortunately, due to the ongoing cramps. We each received a carnation at the finish line, which we used to celebrate our victory.

JaJa and I used our carnations in our victory photos.

VICTORY: Joanna and Mariana bring it home!

The Brazilian contingent, fresh from the Finish Line.

After the race, we retired to the finishers' area for hot coffee, juice, fruit, and snacks. It was time to celebrate our accomplishments. More importantly, it was time to warm up and revive ourselves. As we gradually uthawed, we compared notes about our respective races...

Here is Joanna urging JaJa to "at least act like you're a little bit tired!"

We also took the time to play with our food...

Joanna "Quick Draw" Noronha attempts to blast potassium at participants using her banana guns.

And we posed for post-run photos...because we are stars and our public demands it.

Post-race smiles.

Miedema and Prado and the spoils of victory: juice and bananas. We run for the treats!

If a photo tells a story, then the photo below should say a lot about our race. We are still standing. We're smiling. We're a team. We remember the kids for whom we are running.

On the whole, the Markham Women's 5K was a success for the Go Girls. I observed JaJa tearing up the road throughout the race; this woman can fly. I watched Joanna brave cold conditions and push through what was a difficult race. She demonstrated mental toughness, a trait that cannot be taught. Either a runner has it or she doesn't, and Joanna definitely has it. Finally, I watched Mariana progress from being the mentee to being the mentor. Mariana has not only become a true runner, but she is now helping others to make that transition. In sum, this race demonstrated some of the strengths of the Go Girls.

Now if only we can get our act together for the 2012 Olympics in London...

Why Cats are Not Coaches

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

The Go Girls Tear Up Yonge Street in the Sporting Life 10K

There is a moment when a person who runs becomes a runner. At that moment, the person moves from being someone who runs to stay fit to someone who runs to run. A person who runs may occasionally participate in a race; a runner races in a race.

In this year's Sporting Life 10K race down Yonge Street, I could see that Mariana has completed the transformation from being a person who runs to a runner. I could see it in her confidence and excitement at the Starting Line. I could sense it in her strong strides down Yonge Street and her final surge toward the Finish Line. It was manifest in her smile at the Finish Line -- a grin that said that she could easily and happily have run another 5K. I don't think that I ever doubted that Mariana could become a runner. I just never realized that she would become a runner in such a bad ass fashion.

But I am getting ahead of myself in this post. Let me return to the race itself. The Sporting Life 10K is another Canada Running Series event. It attracts approximately 15,000 runners. Part of the pleasure of running the Sporting Life 10K is the route: a good portion of the race is run on Yonge Street. As a runner, it is great fun to run down Yonge Street with thousands of other runners. Note the word "down". The race runs down Yonge Street, so part of the race is downhill. Yes, we know that running downhill is not as easy as it sounds. It is hard on your quads and knees. But still, it feels easier than running UPhill and it certainly is easier psychologically!

A glimpse of the throngs of runners streaming down Yonge Street. It's great fun to take over Yonge Street, even if only for an hour or so.

The race began at 8am. The Go Girls arranged to meet at a familiar, though slightly unsettling, landmark: Trull's Funeral Home, a few blocks north of the Start Line. There were a few anxious moments for Mariana and Nana since I was rather late in arriving due to delays down at the CNE grounds where I left my car (so that the car would be waiting for us at the end of the race). Of course, it did not help that I forgot to turn on my mobile phone. When Mariana and Nana attempted to call me to determine where I was (and to confirm that I was NOT still sleeping!), there was no answer. Thankfully, the Go Girls are accustomed to my less than stellar use of my mobile phone and they did not panic.

Eventually, I did arrive and we began to make our way to the appropriate start corrals (after a final stop at the Port-a-Potties, of course--it's a running tradition!). We did take some photos for the "Before" part of our race collection. The line-up to use the Port-a-Potties provided the opportunity to get in our pre-race photo shoot.

Mariana and I, preparing to kick some butt down Yonge Street.

Mariana and Nana, looking decidedly relieved that I had finally arrived.

Nana, looking like a seasoned pro, and me (T), looking like a goof. You know, the usual.

This is a photo of the back of the shirt I wore for the race. The shirt is actually a cycling jersey which I choose to wear because it has extra pockets in the back. I was planning to wear a running vest, which also has pockets. But Dave the Cat peed on my running jacket and my running vest the night before the race, a fact that I did not discover until I arrived home at 11:30pm. So I moved to Plan "B": a Snoopy cycling jersey. But the message is appropriate, isn't it? "Get Going, Snoopy!" As it turns out, I would need to remind myself of that message periodically during the race...

For the most part, the race went well for the Go Girls. The weather was quite good for racing: it was cloudy and relatively cool, though humid. Runners in the race were assigned to colour-coded corrals based on their expected finish time and the race began in waves, with different corrals starting at different times. It was not long before we were off! Here is where our experience of the race begins to diverge, with some of the Go Girls enjoying themselves as they virtually floated down Yonge Street while others (okay, me) struggled to continue running. Both Mariana and Nana report having great races. Having personally witnessed Mariana's race, I can confirm that she had a great race with a strong finish. I'm not even sure she broke a sweat. She finished with a chip time of 55:57.4, shattering our previous 10K run time of approximately 1hour 10minutes set in the Nike 10K race we did last October. Mariana would have finished faster if certain other runners (me) had been able to maintain pace.

Nana reports that she felt good throughout the race. When she hit the 8K mark, she realized that she was having an excellent race and determined that she would finish strong. Nana tore up the road in those last 2Ks. She completed the race in 1:08:53.7, breaking her race goal of 1:10:00.

As for me, well, it was not pretty. Or at least, it did not feel pretty. I did not have a particularly good race. In addition to having a poor night of sleep prior to the race, I was also dehydrated. (Note to self: do NOT drink wine the night prior to a race!) I bonked. I cramped. It was ugly. But Mariana pulled me through this race. She shared her water with me. (I lost my water bottle early in the race.) She stayed with me even though I was running at a slower pace. This is what it means to be part of a team: we stick together and drag each other across the finish line! I finished a few seconds behind Mariana, with a time of 56:00.1.

The juxtaposition of Mariana's and my race experience highlights some lessons in terms of race preparation. Mariana did everything right: she carb loaded; she avoided booze the night before the race; she was hydrated; she ate a banana shortly before the race; and she was well rested. I did everything wrong: I did not properly carb load; I had wine the night before the race; I was dehydrated; I ate breakfast very early (520am) and was bonking by the time the race began at 8am; and I did not get much sleep the night before the race. Mariana had a terrific race: she felt good and had a strong run. I had an awful race: I felt terrible and ran slower than I usually do. Lessons learned: sleep more; drink more water and less wine; and eat something about an hour before a race.

In any case, once crossing the finish line, we ALL felt great. I had predicted that Mariana and I would finish the race in about 58 minutes; I was delighted that I was wrong by about 2 full minutes. Given our successes, it was only natural that we then retired to the Monk's Table for a hearty brunch. Of course, we did take VICTORY PHOTOs!!!

Mariana and I, post-race, pose with our trophies: medals around our necks and food in our hands. Yes, it's true: we race to eat. Note the Port-a-Potties in the background. Do we ever take photos away from those things?!

The official Team Victory Photo. Here we are, post-race, post-brunch, in all of our glory. WE were all feeling good since we had warm and dry clothes on our backs and food in our tummies. And look! Not a Port-a-Potty in sight!!

As a final note, take a careful look at the above, post-race photos. In them, you will see three runners. Not three people who run, but three runners. And having seen Mariana's performance in the Sporting Life 10K, I think it is only fair to put the running community on notice: my friends, Mariana is now a runner. Stand back! I don't know how big this thing gets!!

(Road) Hockey Night in Canada

Hello Canada and Hockey Fans from United States and Newfoundland, it's Hockey Night in Canada...

Okay, actually it's road hockey afternoon in Toronto with the Go Girls. But I trust you will still be interested. After all, what could be more fun than chicks with sticks in the 'hood?

A bit of background to RHAT (Road Hockey Afternoon in Toronto...RHAT, pronounced like 'rat'): the Go Girls is a wonderfully eclectic and diverse group of individuals. Our club includes not just Canadians, but Brazilians and Americans, as well. As good citizens, we Canadians in the Go Girls felt that it was incumbent upon us to share with the foreigners an important part of Canadian culture: hockey. But since most of the Go Girls cannot skate, we determined that we would share the very next best thing to hockey: road hockey.

As it turns out, most of the Go Girls had never actually played road hockey, even the Canadians!! I (Theresa) was utterly shocked that my fellow Canadian Go Girls had been deprived of the experience of playing the good ol' road hockey game. I have played a lot of road hockey in my young(ish) life, including a four year stint playing in the St. Hilda's Road Hockey League at U. of T., where I played for 9T6's Alfresco with an Attitude. I must add that Alfresco was the reigning champion in the League. 9T6!!! But I digress. Back to RHAT...

We assembled on a Sunday afternoon on a vacant parking lot near Nana "the token Yank" Brown's house. After we (a) kicked around a soccer ball for a while (where there are Brazilians, there are soccer balls); (b) cut down and taped up sticks; and (c) carefully measured out goal posts, we assembled in the centre of the lot to make teams. At this point, I explained how road hockey teams are made:

Step one: everyone throw your sticks in the middle. Seriously, it's okay. Just put down your sticks. C'mon...throw 'em in the pile! (It took a bit of convincing to get some of the Go Girls to put down their new hockey sticks.)

Step Two: Someone (Joanna) has to close her eyes and mix up the sticks. Don't worry, we won't tickle you. Seriously. Hey! Stop tickling her! She has an important job to do!

Step Three: Keep your eyes closed and separate the sticks into two separate piles...

Step Four: Two piles of sticks = two teams. Go find your stick and your team. And so our teams were made.

Team WICK: Mariana, T (me) & Joanna:

FYI, "Wick" refers to Wickenheiser. What? What's a Wickenheiser? Oh, dear...we have so much work to do with you...

Team EXPERIENCE: Nana (in yellow jacket), Jacquie (in red), and Olga (in grey, to the right of Jacquie):

Why Team "Experience"? Uh, well...some of us (you) have had ample life experience and, uh, well, hey, isn't that Hayley Wickenheiser over there?! Let's play ball!

Once our teams were made, I proceeded to explain the traditional way of starting shiney and road hockey games: the "three stick crosses face-off". You start like this, in a traditional face-off position, with the ball between the players from each team:

See that orange thing between the stick blades? Yes, that's the ball.

Next, the players cross their sticks and then touch the sticks back to the ground again, like this:

Cross those sticks!

And back to the ground again. Hey! No laughing!

We do the "stick cross" three times and then it's GAME ON!

Alternatively, it's stand around and look cool time...

...or it's "turtle T time"...

Explanatory note: "turtling" another player means pulling her jersey over her head so she cannot see in order to enhance the ability to pound the turtled player in the tummy (but mercifully, Jacquie did not beat me up).

...or, for something entirely different, it's Rock Band Time:

After a rousing rock 'n' roll introduction, the Band moved to a wonderful rendition of Stompin' Tom Connor's classic, "The Good Ol' Hockey Game".

The band closed with an operatic flourish, singing O Fortuna from Carmen. They said that the song reflected the gravity of RHAT that fateful afternoon...

Of course, we also did play some road hockey. There was much laughter, screaming, body checking, and goal scoring. Well, I should qualify the comment about goal scoring: Team Wick did quite a bit of goal scoring (13 goals, not that we were counting), while Team Experience mostly got in the way. Team Experience scored 3 goals, not that anyone was counting. The final score was 13-3 for Team Wick. But we weren't really counting goals. Naturally, we also played the "Next Goal Wins" rule. And which team scored next? That's right...Team Wick. As it turns out, the Brazilians are not only natural soccer players, but also natural road hockey players, as well.

After the game, we celebrated with a lovely potluck dinner. All animosity from RHAT was left behind. More or less.

We also celebrated the "Canadian-ization" of our two favourite Brazilians, Joanna and Mariana.

Mariana was outfitted in a Toronto Maple Leafs T-shirt and she looks like a real Torontonian when she wears it.

Note: T would very much like Mariana to wear a Calgary Flames shirt, but you can't win them all.

Joanna was presented with an authentic hockey puck. We're not sure whether she will use it as a puck, a paper weight, or a weapon.

As you can probably tell, the Go Girls' first RHAT event was a tremendous success. We had a lot of fun. We probably got just as good a work out from laughing so hard as we did from running around playing hockey. The only thing that remains to be said is...

"Stand back! I don't know how big this thing gets!"