So I realized something this year, If you are a runner and a Canadian you’re kind of a dick if you don’t at least sometimes do The Terry Fox Run. I can say this because I was that dick. I remember doing it a few times as a kid at school but it sort of fell off my radar. That was until this week when I saw the signs posted and realized I’m a huge jerk for not participating! Here I am participating in races about 6 or 8 times a year, advocating for at least sometimes doing charitable ones rather than big shiny for profit ones and I’m not doing Terry Fox? What is wrong with me? Well I fixed that this year.
Wouldn’t it be a great tradition for Canadian runners to visit new places by participating in a new Terry Fox Run each year? And on those years you just can’t swing it or you like your routine participating in your own. So if that sounds like fun to you here is all you need to know about participating in the one in Hubbards Nova Scotia. My home town!
A bit about the ‘race’: The annual Terry Fox Run is held in over 9000 locations across Canada to raise money for leading edge cancer research. But you don’t have to pay to participate. You can run, walk or bike. Terry Fox was a cancer patient and amputee when he started his run across Canada in 1980. He ran more then a marathon a day for 143 days before stopping to receive more treatment in what he called the marathon of hope. His last wish was for his run to continue and so it has for 37 years. Check out the foundation’s site for more information and to register for next year!
But this is about the run in Hubbards mostly. So like all 9000+ (that’s a mind blowing number one for every 5000 Canadians) the run in Hubbards is totally volunteer driven. The run starts at the Shore Club, a local lobster supper and on Saturday a nights dance hall. The family that own the Shore Club the Harnish’s get total credit on this one since the run has been there for as long as I can remember like 25+ years. Definitely one of those pillars of the community families that I talk about in this post about the goods and bads of living in a small town. The run claims to be a 10k but I had it at 8.22 km today and you can run, walk or bike. But Hubbards is a pretty laid back place so I would imagine scooting, skate boarding, hover boarding or anything similar would probably fly too. Also they make it very clear that it’s okay to cut some loops, or all the loops or turn around before the end of the road if you want to. So it’s way chill!
Parking and weather: It was 20 degrees, with no wind, overcast and 90% humidity. So even though I wore my coolest feeling tank I still stripped down to my sports bra 3 km in even though I really didn’t want to. Since I know everyone I didn’t really want to be topless but one you do it to deal with warm weather it’s hard to put that genie back in the bottle! Ps I did wear my new (to me) super cute, super cheap ($1.15) running skirt and it was sort of the best part. Since only about 40-50 ish people participated and lots ran or biked there parking was a non issue. Hundreds of people cram that place on a Saturday night so there is room for growth!
Cheer Squad: So officially not applicable since I went by myself but… I ran into one of my favourite Tuesday night yoga ladies which was awesome since I haven’t been there much lately. This girl is my hero in her 50’s still regularly Boston qualifies and paced a 1/2 marathon at Maritime Race Weekend YESTERDAY! I also got to chat with some friends, customer’s and a cool are guy that helped start the Valley Harvest Marathon years ago and has done half Irons! I saw a few peeps that I went to elementary/high school with but unfortunately just waves and no time to chat.
But… an adorable little kid came up to me and told me he recognized me from honey’s youtube channel and he got to play with my big blue RC truck at the beach once. It was pretty flattering and kinda fun, turns out to at least one person I’m youtube famous ya’ll! As much as I tease honey when he gets excited when it happens to him it was pretty cool! But it was anticlimactic just getting in my truck and driving away at the end.
Course: It’s a 10k on the site and even though I did the whole thing with all the options, at least I’m pretty sure I did, I clocked in at 8.22 km. There’s not a lot of info online about the route which I think is typical of Terry Fox Runs and this one is a bit complex. So I decided to put some effort into getting it out there since inquiring minds might want to know. So here it is. This route takes you all around the stunningly beautiful Hubbards Cove. I’m a bit spoiled and I get to run here all the time but it is incredibly picturesque and as far as I’m aware the only event in town that will bring you around the loop. So there is my plug for getting out here and doing ‘our’ Terry Fox Run. Check out the graphic I made of the route with all 10 steps outlined.
Logistics and support: You will be totally self supported on this one. No water stops, no traffic control and no turn here signs. It’s just a run through a small town. I almost hate to suggest this since it’s totally asking those that do the most to do more but… At the halfway point you’re basically at the (%100) volunteer fire department… Seems like a natural spot for a water station…
Race goals: Finish and don’t hurt yourself. That is all. Maybe also to go fast enough to not embarrass myself and impressing one person int he community would be a bonus. Got one impressed smile and energetic wave from a friend of my mom’s so it might have worked.
Swag: a sticker, a little ribbon and you can buy a shirt for $25. But totally not the point here. Also it’s not timed and there is no bibs just so you know.
Results: Just my time here I guess it was a tad bit fast. I did 8.22 km in 54:30 and the elevation chance was 85m. I found this one a tad bit tougher than my average 10k. Not sure why. I’ve been running a bit less, well less than peak week for 1/2 training last year. I went a bit faster than I have been lately or planned on. Maybe it was the humidity but my heart rate was way up there and I was an unusually sweaty beast. Or it could be that I split 5 chord of wood and piled it for 3 hours on Friday and 11 hours the day before. We rented a splitter this time but there is another three chord coming maybe for next year for me to hand split.
Sweat Sweetly 