Martin Parnell Finish the Race Attitude

Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #141
• Date: Sunday Aug 1st 2010
• Donations to date: $56,814.11
• Course: Mackay's Ice Cream Marathon
• Run time: 6hr 23min 37sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 96 BPM
• Temperature C: 12C
• Distance covered to date: 5,950.2km (3,694.2ml)
• Another Marathon in the World today: Yukon Valley, YK, Canada
• Total number of runners: 4

Today, Mackay's Ice Cream Store was sponsoring a marathon. I found out the history of the store, when I chatted with Mrs.Mackay Senior, a few days ago. She told me that the store was established in 1948 and originally sold general goods. It then went into ice cream and has never looked back. I ran from my house and on the way I watched the cyclists doing the bike portion of the Ironman 70.3 Calgary. They had swum in Ghost Lake and then rode the Horse Creek loop. They would end up in calgary and run the Glenmore reservoir.

I arrived at the shop at 10.00am and met store owner Rhona. Robin is co owner but she was away on a big hike this weekend. Rhona got the help of her niece Megan and they hung the Right To Play banner from the front of the shop. It was time for me to select my first ice cream of the day. The plan was to run the marathon on water, electrolyte tabs and ice cream. Fortunately, Mackay's have a "Performance Series " of cones so I selected the Halo Halo flavour to start with. During the day I had liquorice, maple walnut and milk chocolate almond flavours. Runners Kathy and Kevin joined Rhona and myself as we looped around and around the block. Unfortunately, no ice-cream eaters joined us for a loop or two, but no worries. Things were going well up to the 35km mark when I felt a twinge in the right leg. Having had a good day so far, I decided to walk home and not irritate it any more.

Mackay's had a donation box set up at the end of the store and they said that they would donate the proceeds from all "Kiddy Cones" sold. Also Rhona told me that the ice cream servers had decided to give all tips to Right To Play. Now that is very cool.

Ice Cream Quest 47

The challenge is to try all 47 flavours at Mackay's ice cream store before midnight December 31st.

• Today's flavours:
• #19: Halo Halo
• #20: Liquorice
• #21: Maple Walnut
• #22: Milk Chocolate Almond
  

Quote of the Day

"The coach's main job is 20 percent technical and 80 percent inspirational."

Franz Stampfl

Kathy, Kevin and Martin take a break

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #142
• Date: Monday Aug 2nd 2010
• Donations to date: $56,814.11
• Course: Cochrane Town Marathon
• Run time: 8hr 07min 03sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 83 BPM
• Temperature C: 12C
• Distance covered to date: 5,992.4km (3,720.4ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Hammerfest, Norway
• Total number of runners: 1

In Africa they have the Big Five: Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard and Rhino. In Cochrane we have the Big Four: Bear, Deer, Fox and Eagle. Unbelievably, Sue and I saw all four last night. It was a beautiful evening and we had decided to have our fish and chips on the deck. As we were about to start, one of the neighbours, two doors down, yelled "Bear!!!!". We looked over the river and on the other side, in a clearing, we saw a black bear loping through the bush. We settled in for supper and every so often I looked across with my binoculars. After 20mins I spotted a fox and as I was following it a huge bird flew into my field of view: an eagle. As we were cleaning up I spotted a deer skirting round the hydro line. Little did I know that Sue and I would have further dealings with the bear the next day.

I headed out at 7.00am and made my way to Crawford Ranch. Just across the river I heard a rustle in the long grass and a large black head popped up: Bear. My spidey senses went on full alert and I kept going. Half an hour later, returning across the bridge, I met Sue. She was out for a 30km run and was in a panic. She had encountered fresh bear poop and didn't know what to do. We did the only sensible thing and split up. After my first break I headed towards Fosters farm. My plan was to turn one km from the dwellings and not have a confrontation with The Alsation. As I approached the Ranche House I heard "Amazing Grace" wafting down the valley. Had the bear killed me and I was in heaven? (or hell depending on how you feel about bagpipes). No. It was the Men of Vision Pipe Band practicing in the Farmer's Market parking lot.

I had trouble getting home because of the bear. The Fish and Wild Life people told me not to use the paths. Then a policeman told me to use Hw 22 to get home. It got me thinking about the odds of getting killed by a bear or run over by a truck. Ironically, Sue was running the path and also came across the Fish and Wild Life guy who pointed out the bear and suggested she backtrack, added 2km to her run. Anyway, because of the bear, I didn't get my ice cream today. Darn bear.

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q: What happens when a cat eats a lemon?
A: It becomes a sour puss!

Quote of the Day

"Every run is a great run!"

Sasha Azevedo

Fresh Bear Poop

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #143
• Date: Tuesday Aug 3rd 2010
• Donations to date: $56,814.11
• Course: Calgary Pathways Marathon
• Run time: 7hr 39min 00sec (See garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 80 BPM
• Temperature C: 12C
• Distance covered to date: 6,034.6km (3,746.6ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Roseau, Dominica
• Total number of runners: 4 1/2

Runner Norine wanted to sponsor one of my marathons for $1,000 and run with me. She wasn't the first to do this but she was the first to fly in from Ottawa to do it.

She arrived in Calgary, with her husband Bill, on Saturday and yesterday they  visited Banff. Today we met at the Shouldice Pool at 8.00am and it was great to chat after the email correspondence. I had to let her know that I was walking today as I was trying to aid the recovery of my right leg. No problem. My friend Florin joined us and away we went. It was a beautiful day, a little over cast with light winds. Last night, Bill and Norine had been caught in a torrential downpour  and they asked if the weather was always this wacky. We said no.

Our route took us to Eau Claire Market and she sampled the coffee and berry berry muffin. Then around Fort Calgary and along the Bow to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. We spotted an Ospray catch a fish and a doe and baby deer cross the railway lines. On the way back Florin's wife and baby daughter, Alexandria, joined us. Alexandria is a month old and she is the youngest person so far to join me on one of my marathons. We kept a good pace and arrived back at the pool at 4.30pm. Norine and Bill plan to go and see the dinosaurs at Drumheller tomorrow.

I just want to say a huge thank you to Norine. It blows me away that friends sponsored her and she made completing the marathon part of the trip out west. The $1,080 she donated to Right To Play will help 21 kids get a Right To Play program for 1 year. That's what it's all about.

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q: Why are elephants wrinkled?
A: Have you ever tried to iron one?

Quote of the Day

"I believe that the Good Lord gave us a finite number of heartbeats and I'm damned if I'm going to use up mine running up and down a street."

Neil Armstrong on jogging, in an interview with Walter Cronkite

Norine presents Martin with a cheque to Right To Play for $1,080

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #144
• Date: Wednesday Aug 4th 2010
• Donations to date: $56,814.11
• Course: Cochrane Town Marathon
• Run time: 7hr 45min 24sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 77 BPM
• Temperature C: 9C
• Distance covered to date: 6,076.8km (3,772.8ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Fort-de-France, Martinique Is.
• Total number of runners: 24

Big day today. I had been invited, by the Cochrane Day Camp boys and girls, to be a celebrity judge of the cinnamon bun baking competition. I arrived at the field at 7.00am and started to do 1/2km loops around the perimeter. The kids began to arrive in one's and two's at 9.30am and by 10.00am they were all following me around the route. One little girl asked me where we were going and I said nowhere! At 10.30am they headed up to the club house and started the day's baking. I needed a coffee so I headed into town to Coffee Traders. There, I met Laywer Richard and we had a good chat. He has recently got into running and is feeling really good. Someone else passed by and asked me how it was going. I mentioned that I was walking the marathon because of an injury and they said that it must be like a "Day Off". No, walking a marathon is not a "Day Off". Contrary to popular belief, walking a marathon is the same distance as running a marathon, it's not shorter!!!!!

Then it was back to the club house for the big contest. The two other judges were "Judge Ziggy" and "Judge Troll" (my nephew Jon). Three groups of kids had baked a pan of buns each and we had to decide which were the best. The criteria were: Presentation, creativity, flavour integration and taste. Judges Ziggy and Troll were a little soft on the kids so I had to be the "Simon Cowell" of the group and say it the way it was. Amazingly when all the points were added up all three groups had scored 22 points. Great fun.

Finally I want to say congratulations to John Bosma, a local Triathlete. John had a horrendous bike accident on April 17th. He had a broken clavicle (in five places), a broken shoulder blade, multiple rib fractures, a punctured lung, and two broken vertebrae. On August 1st John complete the Ironman 70.3 Calgary and at the end of August he's going to compete in Ironman Canada. Now that's inspirational.

Ice Cream Quest 47

The challenge is to try all 47 flavours at Mackay's ice cream store before midnight December 31st.

Today's flavour #23: Mochachino

Quote of the Day

"Get going. Get up and walk if you have to, but finish the damned race."

Ron Hill to Jerome Drayton during the 1970 Boston Marathon

Cinnimon Buns baked by the kids at the Cochrane Day Camp

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #145
• Date: Thursday Aug 5th 2010
• Donations to date: $56,814.11
• Course: Calgary Pathways Marathon
• Run time: 7hr 56min 12sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 87 BPM
• Temperature C: 11C
• Distance covered to date: 6,119.0km (3,799.0ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Caracas, Venezuela
• Total number of runners: 1

The story of Befeer Bear had a happy ending. When we last left him, he was being tracked by the Fish and Wildlife Officers, through the pathways of Cochrane. They tried tracker dogs but with no success. He was later spotted on a pathway in Glenbow, then up a tree. He was finally caught near the Bow River south of Griffin Road. A Fish and Wildlife Officier tranquilized him and the 3 or 4 year old bear was then taken on a long trip and relocated north of the Red Deer River. He certainly had an eventful couple of days. The Fish and Wildlife folk recommend that you don't use your bird feeder between April and October as they attract bears. Sister Sally in England, be warned!

Final walk marathon of the week and I headed into Calgary. On Wednesday I had crossed the 6,000km mark, only 4,500km to go. The right leg is feeling pretty good but I don't want to push it just yet. I headed west and strolled along the pathway by the Bow. Not much happened except I found some money. First it was a lucky 10c then a lucky quarter. Only problem was I put them in a pouch that had vent holes on the bottom and I lost them both. Easy come, easy go. The pathways had the usual mix of bikers, runners, rollerbladers, electric buggy's, dogs (on and off leash). It's great to see the paths so well used and if I ever planned to live in a city I'd look at the pathway system first and pick a spot.

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q: Why do elephants never forget?
A : Because nobody ever tells them anything!

Quote of the Day

"Running is one the best solutions to a clear mind."

Sasha Azevedo

Befeer Bear heads off to the Red Deer River area

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #146
• Date: Sunday Aug 8th 2010
• Donations to date: $57,094.11
• Course: Cochrane Town Marathon
• Run time: 8hr 03min 37sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 78 BPM
• Temperature C: 11C
• Distance covered to date: 6,161.2km (3,825.2ml)
• Another Marathon in the World today: Isle of Man, UK
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Yakutzk, Russia
• Total number of runners: 1

On Friday I headed over to Panorma Village, BC and met up with Videographer Cyrus. The plan was to shoot some video for Public Service Announcements (PSA's) and a "pitch" video for the talk shows. The top of our list was Letterman, Oprah and Springer. On Friday afternoon we did some Q and A's then on Saturday we headed down to the road leading up to the village. Out of the back of a car, with his dad driving, Cyrus took clip after clip of me running up and down the road. We decided to go to a local golf course and get a few shots of me explaining about the hydration pack and the Garmin GPS. As I was pointing out some of the features of the watch, a golf ball whizzed past my head and rested under a tree. That would have been a good You Tube moment.

Today's marathon was very pleasent. I still have a niggle in the top of my right thigh and I didn't want to push things so, walking it was. It was overcast and Weatherman Paul stated "Thundershowers throughout the morning with fewer in the afternoon with 40% probability of precipitation". I popped my Glad 3-in-1 rain jacket in a pouch and headed outside. Before leaving the driveway, I sprayed up with OFF. The bugs have been bad the last two weeks and I didn't want the little devils eating me alive. I covered some usual ground, out to Crawford Ranch and back. Along the way I met Sue. She was doing a 32km long run in preparation for the Regina Marathon in September. The kms and hours rolled by and as usual the highlight of the marathon was the ice cream stop at Mackays. They never run out of ice cream!

Ice Cream Quest 47

The challenge is to try all 47 flavours at Mackay's ice cream store before midnight December 31st.

Today's flavour #24: Nanaimo Bar

Quote of the Day

"We may train or peak for a certain race, but running is a lifetime sport."

Alberto Salazar

Sunday on the Bow

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #147
• Date: Monday Aug 9th 2010
• Donations to date: $57,094.11
• Course: Calgary Pathways Marathon
• Run time: 7hr 58min 27sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 76 BPM
• Temperature C: 11C
• Distance covered to date: 6,203.4km (3,851.4ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Kingstown, St. Vincent
• Total number of runners: 1

I really didn't feel like getting going today. I got up late and, as I got out of bed, I felt a pain in my right leg. Strangely, this was in a different location to the pain I had yesterday. I found two rotten strawberries and a mouldy blueberry in my breakfast and the weatherman Paul told me that there's going to be thunderstrorms. I got in the RX8 pace car and started it up: sounded like the muffler had fallen off! Can things get any worse???? Well actually, no, the rest of the day was excellent. I parked in the parking lot next to the Shouldice Pool parking lot (darn attendant) and headed West. Along the way, I met Phil from Swindon. Phil is visiting with his wife and kids and had got out of the house for a couple hours to do some cycling. He fancied himself a linguist and guessed that I was from Worcestershire and had been here 25 years. Not bad, I'm from Devon and have been here 33 years. He needed to use my cell phone to check in and good job he did as he was needed. I said goodbye to Phil from Swindon and was on my way.

Avatar Marathon Martin has made good progress since Detroit. Yesterday he was in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Things are not good in Kalamazoo. They're in the middle of a big clean up from an oil pipeline spill and they're not very happy. Avatar Marathon Martin decided to visit one of the top attractions in the area, the Air Zoo. This facility was founded in 1977 and holds hundreds of aircraft. Avatar Marathon Martin is a bit of an aviation buff and has his gliders license. His favourite plane is the Lockheed SR-71B Blackbird and in a flight simulator test, at the facility, he only crashed four times.

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q: Where do cows go on Saturday nights?
A: To the MOOO-vies!

Quote of the Day

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."

Anon

Lockheed SR-71B Blackbird

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #148
• Date: Tuesday Aug !0th 2010
• Donations to date: $58,094.11
• Course: Cochrane Town Marathon
• Run time: 7hr 46min 49sec (See garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 78 BPM
• Temperature C: 10C
• Distance covered to date: 6,245.6km (3,877.6ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Bogata, Columbia
• Total number of runners: 1

A very nondescript day. No rotten strawberries or mouldy blueberries in my cereal bowl. My right leg felt OK, no new pains and the old ones felt the same. The day was the same, 10C , as the day before and the day before that. I think this whole exercise is slowly turning into groundhog day. So, I decided to do my favorite route, over to Crawford Ranch. I've noticed, over the last 7 1/2 months , that the Bow River is incredibly low first thing in the morning. Then at 11.08am or sometimes at 11.09am they must open the flood gates at Ghost Dam. One day I'd love to be at the bottom of the dam when they open it up and surf the wave all the way into Calgary.

This coming Friday night we're holding a fundraiser for Marathon Quest 250 at the Cochrane Legion. The start time is 6.30pm and it's a dinner, dance and silent auction. Tickets are $20 and if you're only a flight away from Cochrane then drop me a line and I'll save you a ticket. We have a top DJ, Dr J Frid who's trade mark is a mix of uptown, downtown and motown. We've had a number of interesting silent auction items donated. There's a hockey jersey signed by Lanny McDonald and Guy Charron, a hockey puck signed by Paul Henderson and a beer fridge from Big Rock brewery. My favorite item has been donated by our running friends John and Joanne, 40lb of Bison meat. Now that's a whole lotta burgers. Joke: Q: What's the difference between a Buffalo and a Bison? A: You can't wash your hands in a Buffalo!!!!!!

Ice Cream Quest 47

The challenge is to try all 47 flavours at Mackay's ice cream store before midnight December 31st.

Today's flavour #25: Orange Float

Quote of the Day

"Running is like mouthwash; if you can feel the burn, it's working."

Brian Tackett

Bison or Buffalo?

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #149
• Date: Wednesday Aug 11th 2010
• Donations to date: $61,020.01
• Course: Canada Olympic Park Marathon
• Run time: 8hrs 24min 32sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 75 BPM
• Temperature C: 8C
• Distance covered to date: 6,287.8km (3,903.8ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Bridgetown, barbados
• Total number of runners: 9

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday was a bit blah, same old, same old. Today, I headed out to Canada Olympic Park on the West side of Calgary and had a blast. I got there at 7.30am. This was a little before the day campers arrived, so I decided to head up to the top of the ski jump and check it out. Climbing the hill alongside the jump got me thinking about the 1988 Olympics and Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards. I've talked about him before and I'll talk about him again. We seem to have lost that "give it a go" attitude. All the pro sports are like fish bowls. We look in and the fish swim around. However there is hope. The marathon is one sport where you can run with the best. You want to run with Haile Gebrselassie, men's world record holder then sign up fpr Berlin. You want to hang out with Paula Radcliffe, women's world record holder then enter the London lottery.

I met Nattalie in the big day camp tent. She said that Team Austria would be going out exploring at 10.30am and that I was welcome to join them. I did a few loops of the complex and on one loop found a lucky $5 note. I wasn't sure what to do with it, buy Enbridge shares or buy a latte?. I decided to buy a latte and I didn't spill any!  At 10.30am I met up with Megan and Grace, the group leaders, and six lads aged 7 to 12. We headed off to the east side of the park and spent a couple of hours following trails through the bush. We found a burnt out snow tractor and car. They then went off to play camouflage and I headed home. As they say, today's marathon was the propverbial walk in the park.

Ice Cream Quest 47

The challenge is to try all 47 flavours at Mackay's ice cream store before midnight December 31st.

Today's flavour #26: Orange Pineapple

Quote of the Day

"The New York Marathon: a fantastic event."

Pope John Paul II, 1982

COP Kids

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #150
• Date: Thursday Aug 12th 2010
• Donations to date: $61,020.01
• Course: Cochrane Town Marathon
• Run time: 8hrs 03min 58sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 87 BPM
• Temperature C: 11C
• Distance covered to date: 6,330.0km (3,930.0ml)
• Total number of runners: 1

Last night I dreamt that I was running my 150th marathon, bare foot, along the boulevard outside Eau Claire Market in Calgary. The birds were singing in the trees, the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. On either side of the road were hundreds of school children cheering me on. They all had ice cream cones in their hands and they were trying to give them to me. Up ahead I could see Dr Randolph Randolph, his son Randolph II and grandson Randy Jr. They all had cheshire cat smiles and as I passed Randy Jr yelled "Rubbish tan line fatboy!" in a very sarcastic tone. Next to them was a two headed Llama, a WereRabbit, a WereSquirrel and Befeer Bear. They were all jumping up and down and shouting encouragement. As I crossed the line Dr. Greg (AKA Dr. Pain) lead me to a massage table and as I lay there I noticed a number of wicked looking tools hanging from his belt. In his hand he had a large "Bone scraping" bar and, with an evil glint in his eye, he said "Let the games begin". Very weird.

Reality was some what different. At 6.30am I chatted with Buzz Bishop on AMP 90.3. Buzz has been a big supporter right from the start. We talked about my recent injury and the fundraiser on Friday. It was then off to Stoney Trail Mazda to get the muffler fixed on the RX8 Pace car. While I was waiting, I did loops of the dealership lot and accumulated 7km. Then back to Cochrane and the pathways. The weather in the morning had been every pleasent but as Granny Parnell used to say "Forewarned is forarmed". Weatherman Paul stated "Variably cloudy in the morning with showers developing in the afternoon". Well, it was that with bells on! The black clouds rolled in about 2.00pm. Then came the thunder and lightning, followed by the wind and rain. The temperature dropped like a stone and in the end I was trudging along in full rain gear with winter mitts and hand warmers. Very weird.

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q: When is it bad luck to see a black cat?
A: When you're a mouse!

Quote of the Day

"I don't jog.  If I die I want to be sick. "

Abe Lemmons

150 marathons - 15 pairs of shoes!

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #151
• Date: Friday Aug 13th 2010
• Donations to date: $61,020.01
• Course: Cochrane Town Marathon
• Run time: 7hr 52min 41sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 81 BPM
• Temperature C: 9C
• Distance covered to date: 6,372.2km (3,956.2ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Glasgow, Scotland
• Total number of runners: 4

A short blog tonight. Sue and I have just got back from the fundraiser and I'm headed to the airport in 6 hours.Today's marathon was as follows: I went out and got wet then I came back in again. Coaches Sherrie and Rona joined me for the next part. We went out got wet and came back in again. For the final 10km Runner Frank joined me, we went out and so on.

I'm in Ontario for 12 days and my schedule is as follows:

• Sault Ste Marie marathon: Start: 8.00am Location: Quality Inn
• Sudbury marathon: Start: 9.00am Location :Laurentian Track
• Sudbury wedding: Start: 3.00pm Location: Fielding Park
• Toronto marathon: Start: TBA Location: TBA

I'll report on all the events when I get back. Next blog August 25th.

Be safe out there!!!!

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q: What happens when a frog's car breaks down?
A: He gets toad away.

Quote of the Day

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."

Albert Einstein

Sherrie, Martin and Rona. Those are not their real noses!

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #152
• Date: Tuesday Aug 13th 2010
• Donations to date: $61,220.01
• Course: Sault Ste Marie Marathon
• Run time: 7hr 46min 01sec (See garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 79 BPM
• Temperature C: 11C
• Distance covered to date: 6,414.4km (3,982.4ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Port-of-Spain, Trinadad
• Total number of runners: 2

After a very enjoyable three-day break, it was time to hit the pavement. I had flown from Calgary to Toronto on Saturday, then driven to Sudbury. On Sunday I hung-out with Kristina, my daughter, and grandson Nathan. The lad is one year old and is trying to walk. On Monday it was off to Sault Ste Marie,  to meet up with my son, Kyle, and his girlfriend April. The plan was to meet at 8.00am the next morning, in the lobby of the Quality Iinn and head out to do a marathon together.

Kyle was there at 7.45am and by 7.55am we were heading towards the water. We had decided to walk the boardwalk along the lock system. Sault, Ontario lies across from Sault, Michigan and the International bridge seperates the two. We made our way towards the bridge and crossed a canal to Whitefish Island. This was a beautiful spot with ducks and beaver dams. We established a 7.5km loop and for the rest of the day, completed loop after loop. The biggest challange was the weather. Waves of rain then sun came at us and jackets kept coming on and off. Kyle did great. He's more of a mountain biker than a walker but he hung in there and completed the whole thing.

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q. What does a kitten become after it's three days old?
A. Four days old!

Quote of the Day

"Act like a horse. Be dumb. Just run."

Jumbo Elliott

Kyle and the Three Bears

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #153
• Date: Thursday Aug 19th 2010
• Donations to date: $61,420.01
• Course: Sudbury Track Marathon
• Run time: 6hr 39min 13sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 89 BPM
• Temperature C: 9C
• Distance covered to date: 6,456.6km (4,008.6ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Dublin, Ireland
• Total number of runners: 17

The drive from Sault Ste Marie to Sudbury was uneventful except for one amazing incident. I recieved a call from Reporter Steve at the Sudbury Star newspaper and I said that I would to pull in and wait for a call back. I stopped at a Trading Post and waited. While I was in the car, an old SUV and a small trailer pulled in. On the side it said "Mexico to Canada - A marathon a day". Turns out Cole Choken, a 24 year old First Nation Anishinaabe, had started running on Jan 1st (same day as me!) from Mexico and plans to arrive in Winnipeg on Oct 2nd. Check out his website at www.colechikencancerrun.com. When two marathon men meet. Unreal.

On Thursday I was woken by the sound of thunder and the rain hammering on the window. Not a good start. I grabbed a quick breakfast and got ready for the day's marathon. My first piece of business was an interview with CBC Sudbury at 7.40am. I drove down to the studio in downtown Sudbury and waited 15mins in the car. I was only 10 feet from the entrance but knew that if I made a dash I would get soaked. At 7.35am I had to go in. I met Interviewer Megan and we had a good chat.

I made my way over to the University of Laurentian track but, before I could get to the parking lot, I had to pass through a Sudbury tradition, a picket line.  Runners Vince, Stephanie, and Jesse were already there. With no hesitation, off we went into the rain. During the day, many people dropped by; old running buddies Monic, Shelia, Louis and Shawn. Buddy Dawson and his son Ross (Canadian World Juniour 5,000m) dropped in. Ernie and Rippy came by with a Tim Horton's coffee and 5 yr old Keeton, with his mum and dad, said "Hi." The biggest thrill was having grand-daughter Autumn (age 6 1/2), join me for 4 laps. She beat me.

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q: What is a crocodiles favorite game
A: Snap

Quote of the Day

"Marathon running is a terrible experience: monotonous, heavy, and exhausting."

Veikko Karvonen, 1954 European and Boston Marathon Champ

Autumn (6 1/2) and Papa Martin

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #154
• Date: Tuesday Aug 24th 2010
• Donations to date: $61,740.01
• Course: Toronto Right To Play Marathon
• Run time: 6hr 12min 59sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 111 BPM
• Temperature C: 14C
• Distance covered to date: 6,498.8km (4,034.8ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Douglas, Isle of Man, UK
• Total number of runners: 28

The wedding on Saturday was brilliant. The bride looked stunning, the groom handsome and the sun came out. In the evening we had a reception and after the meal I noticed grand-daughter Autumn running around and around the  hall. As she went round she would stop at the tables and people would give her money. After she had finished I asked her what she was doing and she said      " I'm doing what you do Papa Martin, I'm getting money for children without toys." She raised $9.50.

Wednesday morning was clear and warm. Tom and I headed over to Nathan Phillps Square and met reporter Connie and Cameraperson Tina from CBC TV. Right To Play's Kristyna had set the day up and at 8.30am Right To Play Boss Johann joined us. After a few words and a warm up we were off. The route was around downtown Toronto and, because of the traffic lights, was a run / walk. My right leg felt pretty good and the first 8km loop took 1 hr.

My cycling friend, David, who I had met on The Tour D'Afrique expedition five years ago, joined us, as did Runner Harold and a number of RTP employees. We had some great support from a number of Torontonians, whilst others were not quite as encouraging. RTP PR person Ashton had lined up a live CBC TV interview at 4.40pm. So on the last lap we headed over to the studio. I chatted with Reporter Carol and then completed the last 4km. I must mention one person who did the whole marathon with me. Robin is organizing a "mini-marathon" at her kids school and I had the pleasure of meeting her children during the run.

We finished the marathon at the Winston Churchill Statue in Nathan Phillips Square. This seemed very appropriate as the great man once said "It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what is required."

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q. What do you get when you cross a parrot with a pig?
A. A bird who hogs the conversation.

Quote of the Day

"The thinking must be done first, before training begins."

Peter Coe

Live at five: CBC Toronto

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #155
• Date: Friday Aug 27th 2010
• Donations to date: $66,791.19
• Course: Calgary Pathways Marathon
• Run time: 5hr 31min 01sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 110 BPM
• Temperature C: 9C
• Distance covered to date: 6,541.0km (4,061.0ml)
• Total number of runners: 2

Sue is in training for the Queen City Marathon, in Regina on September 12th. and today was her last long run. We headed into Calgary and didn't park at the Shouldice Pool parking lot. There had been a huge storm over night but by the morning it had cleared. We started off with the temp at a very pleasent 10C and made our way along the Bow River. Coffee and a pumpkin muffin was followed by a 12km out and back to Eau Claire Market. The final 10km was completed under clear skies and the 34km run was finished in a very respectable 4hr 18min 18sec. I must admit I felt good today and was finally able to do a decent run / walk. I finished up my marathon in Cochrane with no bear sightings. However........

Avatar Marathon Martin has recently spent some time in Chicago on his virtual trip around North America. He is a huge American Football fan and his team is the Chicago Bears. His favourite player is Jim McMahon and he watched all of his 21 straight victories as a starter in the 1984 to 1987 seasons. Avatar Marathon Martin was lucky because, when he visited Soldier Field, he was asked if he would play on a special team as a short receiver. He said yes and because of his size he was able to nip between the legs of the defensive line and score a touch down. Is there no limit's to this man's talent?

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q. What did one flea say to the other flea?
A. Shall we walk or take the dog?

Quote of the Day

"Everybody and their mother knows you don't train hard on Friday, the day before a race. But a lot of runners will overtrain on Thursday if left on their own. Thursday is the most dangerous day of the week."

Marty Stern, women's coach

The Chicago Bears and their Short Receiver

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #156
• Date: Saturday Aug 28th 2010
• Donations to date: $66,791.19
• Course: Bowness Park Marathon
• Run time: 5hr 45min 16sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 105 BPM
• Temperature C: 10C
• Distance covered to date: 6,583.2km (4,087.2ml)
• Total number of runners: 9

Today was Dr. Antosz's picnic fundraiser. Dr. Antosz is an Orthodontist and every year he has a big picnic for family, friends and patients. All the money they collect, from games and food, goes to a charity. This year the choosen charity is Right To Play. I arrived at the park at 7.45am and started to explore. I found a great 3km loop along the Bow River, over some miniature train tracks, across a lagoon, through a deep, dark woods and back to the picnic site. I had completed a number of loops when a truck arrived and started to unload a bunch of gear. There was a bouncy castle, climbing wall and tons of sports gear.

Parents and kids started to arrive at 11.00am and at 11.30am the master of ceremonies, Captain Canada (AKA Gery), welcomed everyone. During the afternoon, the kids played lots of games. I joined in a game of soccer but I was hacked down but an 8 year old girl. Captain Canada didn't hesitate and gave her a red card. A little harsh, possibley. A number of the kids and their parents joined me for a loop around the park and several wanted me to come to their school in the fall. The highlight of the day was throwing cream pies at Dr Antosz. He was a good sport and must have taken 30 pies in the face. Mine was not one of them, as I missed. At the end of the day the picnic had raised $1,200 for Right To Play and everyone had a blast.

Ice Cream Quest 47

The challenge is to try all 47 flavours at Mackay's ice cream store before midnight December 31st.

Today's flavour #27: Pina-Colada

Quote of the Day

"If you want to tell something to an athlete, say it quickly and give no alternatives. This is a game of winning and losing. It is senseless to explain and explain."

Paavo Nurmi

Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #157
• Date: Sunday Aug 29th 2010
• Donations to date: $66,791.19
• Course: Calgary Pathways Marathon
• Run time: 5hr 55min 06sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 97 BPM
• Temperature C: 5C
• Distance covered to date: 6,625.4km (4,113.4ml)
• Total number of runners: 1

I was very disappointed with Weatherman Paul . He told me that today would be "Cloudy with sunny breaks in the morning, becoming mainly cloudy in the afternoon." If he had switched the word "Sunny" for "Rainy" he would have had it exactly correct. I arrived at the parking lot next to the Shouldice Pool parking lot and pulled over. As I got out, I noticed race "Start" signs, starting mats and a timing clock. They really shouldn't have, and infact they didn't. Runner Alan told me that today was the Calgary Women's 5km and 10km races, which were scheduled to start at 9.00am. It was 7.40am so I decided to head off and beat the crowd. The rain was steady and it wasn't long before I brought out the Glad 3-in-1 rain jacket. So far this year I've used 7 of these jackets, but it's no real problem because there's still 93 left in the box.

At the Good Earth Cafe, in the Eau Claire Market, I thought it would be a good idea to have a latte instead of a dark roast but this decision would come back to haunt me later on. The rain didn't ease up and I trundled around Fort Calgary and headed west along the Bow River. Lots of fisherman out today and as I passed one boat a fish was being landed. However as it was being brought on board it slipped the hook and made it's get away. Well done fish. At the 25km mark my stomach began to churn and it was a case of running from one porta-potty to the next. Luckily with all the construction going on in Calgary there's loads to choose from. Now that's a relief!!!!!

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q. What do you get if you cross a crocodile with a flower?
A. I don't know, but I'm not going to smell it!

Quote of the Day

"To a runner, a side stich is like a car alarm.  It signifies something is wrong, but you ignore it until it goes away."

Author Unknown

This was one race I was not going to win

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #158
• Date: Monday Aug 30th 2010
• Donations to date: $66,791.19
• Course: Cochrane Town Marathon
• Run time: 5hr 57min 42sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 94 BPM
• Temperature C: 4C
• Distance covered to date: 6,667.6km (4,139.6ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Liverpool, England
• Total number of runners: 1

I was ready to head out this morning at 7.15am, but was stopped in my tracks. My Garmin 310XT was as dead as a door mouse. I had left it on all night and so had to put it on charge. I used the time wisely and booked Sue's and mine air tickets to Las Vegas. The Las Vegas marathon is December 5th and there's a gang of us heading down. I finally got away at 8.00am but I didn't have much energy. The first loop was Crawford Ranch and when I got back to the house I had tea and toast with my step son Cal, who is over from England. My next destination was Big Hill Lodge. Christina Mackay, founder of Mackay's Ice Cream store had won a Marathon Quest 250 T shirt and the #150 race bib at a silent auction during the recent Right To Play fundraiser. I dropped by the lodge at 12 noon and gave Christina the shirt in front of the lunch crowd. She was well pleased.

I've been asked a number of times "Which is the hardest, toughest race around?" I've heard a number of claims but I decided, in my spare time, to search the world. I checked out Africa, Asia, Australia but I think I've found one in the old US of A. I used the criteria of percentage of participants finishing. For example in the 2009 Kona Ironman 1777 started and 1650 finished (93%). In the 2010 Badwater (135mile) Ultra 80 started and 73 finished (91%).

The race I found is simply called the Barkley. It's held at the Frozen Head Park in Tennessee in late March. In the 10 years the Barkley (100mile) Ultra has been run 700 have started and 9 have finished (1.3%). Yes, just 9 finished. The race is quirkey. Registration is an old licencee plate and participants must collect pages from a book at the check points along the way. The Barkley motto could be "If you finish you are a winner: literally!" You've gotta love it.

Ice Cream Quest 47

The challenge is to try all 47 flavours at Mackay's ice cream store before midnight December 31st.

Today's flavour #28: Pistachio - Almond

Quote of the Day

"Ask yourself: "Can I give more?". The answer is usually: "Yes"."

Paul Tergat

Registration for the Barkley is a old license plate

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Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #159
• Date: Tuesday Aug 31st 2010
• Donations to date: $66,791.19
• Course: Calgary Pathways Marathon
• Run time: 7hr 05min 06 sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 78 BPM
• Temperature C: 5C
• Distance covered to date: 6,709.8km (4,165.8ml)
• Total number of runners: 1

The last couple of weeks I've been having a battle royale with my arch nemesis "The Brain". In the morning when the alarm goes off, "The Brain" says "Oh Martin why don't you just roll over and grab another 1/2 an hour snooze. The duvet is so warm and the pillow so soft." After breakfast, "The Brain" says "Why don't you just have a quick rest on the couch, it's only 10 minutes!". Today when I parked up at the parking lot, next to the Shouldice pool parking lot, "The Brain" said "How about popping in a CD of Paul McCartney and Wings and catch a few winks?". " The Brain" is always questioning which route I should take. This one is too hilly, that one has too much traffic. Then there's the weather. Too hot, too cold, too wet.

So how do I handle this 3lb lump of gristle, encased in a bone box, located at the pointy end of the body? Well I trick it. I tell "The Brain" that I'm only going for a 10km run and then I'm going to have coffee and a muffin. This continues until the marathon is completed. Sometimes "The Brain" is correct. I've had several injuries and "The Brain" has told me to stop. This has proven to be the smart move and allowed me to get back to the marathons. "The Brain" is now telling me it's bed time. Good idea.

Ice Cream Quest 47

The challenge is to try all 47 flavours at Mackay's ice cream store before midnight December 31st.

Today's flavour #29: Praline and Cream

Quote of the Day

"It is true that speed kills. In distance running, it kills anyone who does not have it."

Brooks Johnson

Public Enemy #1: The Brain

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