On a day that threatened thunderstorms, 81 5 km power walkers, 776 5 km runners and 320 10 km runners completed the Burlington Orthotic Centre 19th Annual Moon In June Road Race in support of the Halton Trauma Centre. The 1 km Kids Run was dedicated in loving memory of Meredith Hagan, a powerful young woman, avid athlete and trainer who was well known and highly respected in our fitness community and who passed away only weeks ago in a bicycle accident.

The storm held off until the last racer was through the finish line. The Tread Powerfully^® group was lucky enough to take part both in the race and in the marshalling duties throughout the course. We were joined by four members of the Kitchener-Waterloo power walking group who organize and host the KW Walking Classic (www.kwwalkingclassic.com), one of our favourite races for the year, organized purely for the power walking community.

In this year’s race, we had over 25 Tread Powerfully^® members and family members walking and running in the race, with a great mix of first time racers and those out to beat a previous time. Joining them were large numbers of cheering squads along the way, giving that much needed encouragement at key points in the race. As one member noted, this was a community centered race where you were looking to encourage a neighbour, race beside a colleague or see your kids running with their classmates.

Many thanks to one of our key community partners, Burlington Othotic Centre, for sponsoring an amazing race and providing amazing shoe and gait analysis gifts which a couple of our racers were lucky enough to win!

Below are the results for both races. Congratulations to everyone who participated:

Racers doing the Mercedes Benz 10 k and the Waterloo Half-Marathon on Sunday April 25th peered anxiously at the weather forecast in the days leading up to the races, but that didn’t keep away the cold rain that fell throughout both races. We had 20 power walkers and 7 runners in the Mercedes race and 3 power walkers in the Waterloo race.

It’s amazing though that when you stand at that start line after putting in the training, the cold rain and blustering wind is secondary compared to your focus on the minutes and hours ahead. Once again, the Mercedes racers enjoyed a well managed and interesting course with 118 power walkers and 1,218 runners, and ended with an announced name call at the finish line.

The three TP members at the Waterloo race joined 365 combined running/walking racers and reported even more severe weather conditions, with a stamina-testing 4 km hill. In addition to those who did the Mercedes race for the second time and took off many minutes from last year, we had a number of first time racers who couldn’t believe the exhilaration of standing at that start line with the pounding music and feeling the power of the last 2 kilometres. Again, all a testament to the time and focus you put into your training and daily living.

Below are the results for both races. Congratulations to everyone who participated:

At a full-sun 8 Celsius, the day couldn't have been more perfect! As my daughter and I walked downtown and met up with two other TPers en route, I thought to myself, "Could anything be more perfect?"

The organization for this race was impeccable. Although there were thousands of racers, we were easily corralled into separate 5 km and half-marathon starting chutes, and the race start promptly at 10:05 am as promised.

As we tore down Brant Street, the half-marathoners turned right onto Lakeshore and the 5 km racers turned left...what a sight! My personal opinion was that this new course up and back along Lakeshore made for a more streamlined route and cut-down significantly on the impact to drivers, which made for a much more "happy" racing experience.

I loved seeing the racers at the turnaround point who were continuing on for the half-marathon route and as a 5 km finisher, I loved the chance to view the 5 km awards ceremony and still be able to run out to the finish line to cheer on our half-marathon finishers.

I had the pleasure of standing at the start line with two young racers, Olyvia and my daughter Kaitlyn. These two girls were totally pumped and could've leapt down that race course before the starting bell, they had that much excitement in them. Regardless of age, experiencing that "spark" of drive, determination and preparation is magical and I saw it in these two girls and thousands of others today.

Thank you to the TPers who came out to cheer us on as, no matter how many races you do a year, seeing that familiar face and hearing your name can chase away many tired feelings.

The medals for half-marathon finishers and age category winners of both races were very colorful and funky and I loved the printed strap that wrapped around the neck.

Compared to last year's race, the temperature over 0 Celsius this year felt like summer. We were lucky enough to be racing in single layers without our tuques and the rain didn't start falling until after the awards ceremony.

Congratulations to the 20 power walkers and three runners from Tread Powerfully^® who participated with 116 walkers and 826 runners. We were cheered on by many TP members and family members dispersed over the route with smiles, signs and cheers! We had a mix of racers...some were looking to beat their times from last year and many new racers were out to experience the thrill of seeing just how fast those feet can move when there is a race bib and timing chip attached to the body.

At the finish line, there was music playing and each of us received a Robbie Burns running caricature medal and, of course, were treated to the wonderful breakfast of hot oatmeal, fruit, bagels with all the fixings and wonderful hot drinks. The Burlington Runners organization really puts on a top race as they recognize individuals who have been dedicated to fitness for decades and at the same time, make it fun by raffling countless door prizes and highlighting those who really dressed-up for the event.

This year, the winners in age categories received beautiful plaques and gift certificates for New Balance products at Foot Tools. As we huddled in the auditorium and cheered for all those around us, it sure felt special to be a part of this wonderful group of individuals who decided to spend a Sunday morning together pushing the limits and celebrating a personal accomplishment!

Click here for coverage of the race on the insideHALTON.com website.

Canada's First Walkers Only Competitive Event

On Sunday, September 27th, 17 Tread Powerfully members made the drive to Kitchener-Waterloo to participate in the KW Walking Classic. This is the second year for this race and it is the only "for walkers only" race of its kind in Canada.

The walk raised money to provide athletic footwear for those with mental health issues, as Minds in Motion knows it to be true that people who are active are more able to deal with stress, depression and anxiety. The numbers are not in yet for this year, but last year's inaugural 2008 event allowed Minds in Motion to donate 72 pairs of shoes, with the goal for this year's race being over 200 pairs of shoes.

Upon entering the race headquarters, it was obvious that this was a well-organized event...from the amazing Saucony race kits, to the smooth chip pick-up, to the number of co-ordinators pointing you in the right direction.

It was a looped course, so the 10k racers left first and did two loops and the 5k racers left 15 minutes later and completed one loop. Thank goodness we built hill training into the training plan since there were consistent hills throughout the walk, with the biggest one occurring at kilometers 3 and 8! There was a great mix of competitive and recreational walkers en route and everyone worked together to share the road, with lots of volunteers cheering and pointing us in the right direction.

Something that we had not experienced before was a strict note that there would be judges on the course assessing our power walking gait to make sure no one moved into a jog or run. This introduced even more of a special touch to this race as we were being held accountable for our power walking sport and I found it amazing to see the discipline of power walking shine through in our racers and the hundreds of others in the event.

Not visible in the age category winning results below are the others in the group who knocked significant time off their last 10k race results and I must commend everyone for their vigilance in attending classes and training on your own. Each finisher was treated to a beautiful medal with a moving inside piece, great post-race food and a chance to win amazing door prizes...from new shoes to restaurant gift certificates to even a barbecue set won by Sue E.

www.thechocolaterace.com

Over 30 Tread Powerfully^® power walkers and runners travelled to Port Dalhousie on Sunday, August 30th to take part in The Chocolate Race - 14 km and 1/2 marathon race.

As we prepared ourselves at the start line it was announced that the 14 km route was being changed to a 13.35 km route which was met with a few cheers of glee! The weather was perfect...a little overcast, cool and the winds off the lake were welcomed as we looped in and out of parks, neighbourhoods and wooded areas.

We knew that we would be met with 4 chocolate stops along the way, but weren't too sure what to expect. I have to admit that when I saw the chocolate covered strawberry and marshmallow on a stick, I couldn't resist. Although I happily munched, I quickly felt my stomach clench up in rebellion and knew that my next chocolate stop would be at the Kawartha Diary ice cream truck after crossing the finish line!

Whether it was seeing familiar faces volunteering at the water stop, hearing our family and friend cheerleaders or cheering on fellow power walkers and runners at the turnaround, it was an emotional day for many who were doing their first race, celebrating their personal best achievement or celebrating weeks of dedicated training.

Beginning at 6 pm, the Burlington Downtown became race headquarters for the Burlington Orthotic Centre 2009 Moon In June Road Race. Under twinkling white lights, Tread Powerfully^® members and their families met on James and Brant Streets to join over 1,700 racers who were either participating in the Kids 1 km run, 5 km power walk, 5 km run or 10 km run.

The TPers looked pretty comfortable hanging out at the corner of Brant and Ontario in our home turf. The power walking category was new for 2009 and walkers kicked off the night at 8:45 pm, 15 minutes before the runners. The temperature was perfect, the skies were just beginning to darken and as the group lined up at the starting line the facial expressions read concentration, "get outta my way" and "it's onnnnn".

As I viewed the racers on Maple and at No Frills, all I could holler was, "What is this?" It was like the night energy had taken over and the speeds of the TPers were above anything I had seen in class or previous races. It was amazing to see the pace bicycles zoom by, followed by a couple top runners and then to see the TPers ripping up the sidewalk as they swarmed the Downtown.

Whether it was the hugs at the end, the individuals who completed their first race, having our own Lisa on the stage accepting the overall female award, the many age category awards or the big call-out for Tread Powerfully^® from Greg Pace and Far Samji and our responsive hollers ... it was truly a magical night under the June moon.

The first-ever Mercedes-Benz 10k race, held at Appleby College in Oakville, was a magical event for the 30+ racers from Tread Powerfully^®. From our invitation to the media launch to being pointed out as the loudest supporting group at the awards ceremony, we sure made a statement with our enthusiasm and heart.

Although the weather forecast shifted several times during the week, we were met with a mild start that took a sharp turn once we hit Lakeshore and were pelted with a brisk wind and rain. At this point we were very thankful for a large scattering of cheerleaders from the 5k mark on to the finish.

At the finish line there was an official announcer welcoming each person through the finish gate and we had our own crowd of TPers, family members and friends hollering at us as we drove to increase our pace and yet, keep it at that power walk stride. At one point the announcer was in awe as several TPers walked past the runners and he yelled into the microphone, "Wow, tell me about this whole power walking thing!"

With the temperature change and the combination of rain and sweat on our bodies, we quickly began to shake and made our way into the Athletes Village to enjoy the coffee and food (hosted by TP volunteers) before ducking inside.

After huddling inside to warm-up, we made our way outside to the awards ceremony to see if one of us would be taking home the Mercedes-Benz car or the barbecue. I'm sad to report that we do not have a new TP mascot to drive up and down Brant Street, however, we do all have huge shiny Mercedes medals, unlike any race "bling" I've seen.

This race is sure to be a repeat in 2010, and it will be opened up to 2,500 racers from the 1,000 cap this year. There were 119 people in the walking category and our division was complete with separate chip timing, separate coloured racing bibs and duplicate awards to those of the running community. The power walking division was also announced first at the ceremony, which revealed the respect this race held for our sport.

Completing a 10k distance is a huge accomplishment and attests to the careful planning and hours put into the distance, burst and interval training. Everyone crossed that finish line strong, with a few wrestling for those last seconds and for many, this race was a first and definitely not the last. Many in our group won age category awards and received a miniature tree in keeping with the "Green" theme of the race.

Here are the awards for the day:

On a cold night in December, seven devout TPers met in a downtown Burlington restaurant to seal their commitment to train for nine weeks to run the Chilly Half-Marathon (that's 13.1 miles or 21 kilometres). For four of these women, this was their first half-marathon and for all of us, it was a big challenge that would be met with conditions that were cold, wet, snowy and icy.

A training plan was created that involved three days of running, intermingled with TP classes and muscle training each week. We broke off after that kick-off night and trained alone, in pairs, and in groups, but we remained in touch over email, in classes and via the phone. Our hearts were connected, we shared our frustration over the icy sidewalks and the sore knees, we shared natural remedies and always, we knew that if one of us was struggling, someone could relate and give that assurance that we would get through it.

On Sunday March 1st at 9:40 a.m., we gathered together in our TP downtown and took a five minute jog to the start line (oh, and the porta-potties). It was a beautiful start to the coming miles that would be filled with many TPers along the route with pom-poms, signs, cheers, paparazzi techniques and smiles.

Alison, Debbie, Fiona, Sandra, Sheri and Suzy...you had the courage to take a risk, you had the determination to find additional hours in your already packed day to train and most of all, you had the guts to push the status quo to make yourself even more powerful, inside and out!

Congratulations to the 31 Tread Powerfully^® members who power walked and ran the 8 km Robbie Burns Race on Sunday, January 25th, hosted by the Burlington Runners.

The tartan jammie pants in our race kits, the pipers as we walked to the start line, the race course thrill, the oatmeal and bagels and the awards ceremony...it all added up to an amazing experience.

We all agreed that it felt colder than any TP class and the first leg of the race up Brant Street was especially frosty on the face (lesson learned: neck warmer a must).

This race was a first for many in the group and it caused additional butterflies just wondering what the pace would be and where they were going to be in the pack.

I was extremely impressed with the organization of the race and the positive energy and inspiration at the ceremony in seeing the wide range of ages and the health evident in the bodies and faces of the individuals.

Tread Powerfully^® was the group to get a big shout-out from Paula of Foot Tools as we gathered in the front right portion of the room and answered her call with a big "WOO-HOO!" We each exceeded our personal expectations and it felt amazing to sit there together as a group on the same mission - to be powerful in our lives.

There were separate power walking awards and I need to say a huge thank you to Bob Brake and Burlington Runners and Paula and John at Foot Tools for supporting the sport of power walking in Burlington.

We all received medals for completing our mission and a number of Tread Powerfully^® members made special appearances on stage to collect engraved medals and gift certificates to Foot Tools for placing in their age categories: