Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #137
• Date: Tuesday July 27th 2010
• Donations to date: $56,614.11
• Course: Cochrane Town Marathon
• Run time: 7hr 56min 59sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 84 BPM
• Temperature C: 15C
• Distance covered to date: 5,781.4km (3,589.4ml)
• Total number of runners: 1

We have reached a critical juncture in MQ 250. Plan A has been torpedoed and sunk. Plan A was a good plan. It was to run 250 marathons in 2010 and use the 12 spare days for injury. This plan took a major hit in February when my shin injury required me to take 11 of these days. Then, last Thursday, I had to take the final spare day because of an injury to my right thigh. This means we're into Plan B. This plan is not a great plan but realistically it's all I've got. I'm scheduled to run 5 marathons a week and have 2 recovery days. Plan B is to use a recovery day when nessessary for an injury. I had to use one on Sunday because I didn't run the San Francisco marathon. There is a Plan C but it's horrible. This plan kicks in when I've used all my recovery days and I have to run every day. Not good. Plan D is stay in bed.

I started the morning with a presentation to the local Rotary Club. They've been great supporters of MQ 250 and I updated them on how things were going. It was then back to the house and out the door. I had decided to walk today's marathon and see how the thigh would hold up. I didn't start until 9.00am and the sun was getting hot. I walked along the river path for an hour but had to come in. The b@#$%&y mosquitioes were eating me alive. I got the OFF and sprayed up. Back out for another couple of hours. I think I must have sprayed PAM on my legs because they started to burn up. The day dragged on and I began to overheat. By the time I had finished I was bushed. On the bright side the leg seemed to hold up.

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 #15: Dutch Apple Pie

Quote of the Day

"World records are only borrowed."

Sebastian Coe

Canada's most wanted. Martin at Alcatraz.

I didn't run the San Francisco marathon. It was a tough decision but, in the end, it was the only one that made sense. At the beginning of last week I had fallen twice and during the week a muscle at the top of my right thigh had started to play up. I had taken Thursday off and thought maybe I would walk a marathon in San Francisco. We flew to the City on the Bay on Friday morning and in the afternoon went to the race expo. I caught up with Bart Yasso at the Runners World booth and gave him a MQ 250 t-shirt and bracelet. Bart has recently come back from South Africa, after completing the gruelling 89km Comrades marathon. Pottering around the expo I met Dane Rauschenberg. In 2006 Dane  completed 52 marathon races in 52 weekends, finishing the majority of them in under 3hrs 20mins. I bought his book and wished him all the best.

Sue was a bit shocked when I told her I would not be running. The plan was to run together for the first half then I would finish up doing the marathon. But now that I was out Sue was on her own. Race day morning she was pretty nervous and so was I. Usually Sue is my support crew on crazy Ultras: Rock and Ice, Death Race, Sinister Seven and Lost Souls. Today it was my turn to take the spectator shuttle and follow her round the course. Bart counted down 5-4-3-2-1 and wave 8 was off at 6.43am. Sue headed towards the Golden Gate Bridge and for the next 2 1/2 hours I tracked her all around San Francisco, cheering and yelling. The finish was great with crowd shouting words of encouragement  to all the runners. Sue came in at around 2hr 30min (TBC), an excellent time considering the hilly nature of the course. She's really chuffed to have a medal I don't. We flew back today and tomorrow I'm going to do a walking marathon to test out the leg.

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q: What do you call a bear with no ears?
A: B!

Quote of the Day

"Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired"

Martha Graham

Bart and Mart: Twins seperated at birth.

Sue has a medal, I don't .

I decided to take today off. I thought about it as I was having breakfast. The two falls at the beginning of the week had really knocked the stuffing out of me and the pain in my upper right thigh didn't help matters. I figured that if I took a break today, then tomorrow would be a travel day. On Saturday, Sue and I are heading over to Alcatraz, the Rock. I had read about a triathlon that includes swimming from Alcatraz, then biking and running on the mainland. Maybe next year. The San Francisco marathon is on Sunday and it includes crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, on the road bed. Very exciting. Monday will be a travel day. So, in all I'll get four days off over the next five.

Instead, today was a day of chores. I headed into Stoney Trail Mazda and picked up the RX8. A new engine and mechanic Brian had given the car a clean. Thanks Brian. Back home, I booked the seats on WestJet for the trip to San Fran. Got an email from Runner Vince to say that the track at Laurentian University had been booked for the marathon in Sudbury on August 19th. Thanks Vince. Prepared the Marathon Quest 250 Bi-weekly Report for Right To Play and other team members. While I was having a cup of tea and a couple of chocolate digestives (thanks Linda) I read today's paper. I was sad to read that a beaver had been shot and killed in Red Deer. I don't know what to say. A dog had been killed by a beaver (same beaver?), who was probably protecting it's young. So let's go and shoot a beaver? Give me a break.

Dr Randolph Randolphs book of animal jokes

Q: What do you get if you cross a fish with an elephant?
A: Swimming trunks!

Quote of the Day

"It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars"

Garrison Keillor

New Engine for the RX8 Pace car

Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #136
• Date: Wednesday July 21st 2010
• Donations to date: $56,414.11
• Course: Calgary Pathways Marathon
• Run time: 7hr 27min 38sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 118 BPM
• Temperature C: 12C
• Distance covered to date: 5,739.2km (3,563.2ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Anguilla, Anguilla Island
• Total number of runners: 1

Not a good day. I ran the first 7km west from the Shouldice Pool and then had to stop. The top of my right thigh was giving me jip, so I decided to walk the remaining 35.2km. When I got back to the pool car park, the Calgary Parks person said that if I parked my car in the pool parking lot again it would be towed. Not a good day.

There was a tragic story in the Calgary Herald today about an 82 year old women who was struck by an in-line skater, on a Calgary pathway, and was killed. I've run over 1,100km on the pathways so far this year and I've observed some very bad behavior. Top of the list is tri-guys who ride the paths on their tri-bars: are you nuts!!! These are pathways not a race track. Next is the dog owners, who think the pathways are an off-leash zone. Think again when Fido comes back to you with tyre tracks down it's back, from an encounter with the tri-guy. Finally there's the geese: They're just a pain!

Avatar Marathon Martin made good time from Niagara Falls to Toronto, arriving early one morning. He decided to visit the headquarters of Right To Play.  Robert and Kristyna welcomed him and the three of them chatted about the marathon that Martin Parnell is going to do on August 24th. The location hasn't been decided yet, but it is sure to be a fun event. In the afternoon, he headed over to the Sky Dome and caught a baseball game, Blue Jays vs Yankees. Go Jays Go.

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 #14: Cotton Candy

Quote of the Day

"Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best"

Tim Dunca, basketball player, quoting his mother

Avatar Marathon Martin standing in a lake with Toronto behind him

Below are the Latest Marathon stats:

• Marathon: #135
• Date: Tuesday July 20th 2010
• Donations to date: $56,414.11
• Course: Cochrane Town Marathon
• Run time: 5hr 58min 24sec (See Garmin Connect)
  
• Aver. Heart Rate: 97 BPM
• Temperature C: 8C
• Distance covered to date: 5,697.08km (3,537.0ml)
• Equivalent Flight distance, Calgary to: Panama City, Panama
• Total number of runners: 1

At least I didn't fall down today. I guess the training wheels I attached to the "Clown" Nike's must have helped. Another day of possible: rain. hail, sun, cloud, snow, sleet, thunder, lightning, or sand storm. I was feeling pretty blah as I staggered out the door and plodded the first km down to the river. Soon, the muscles started to warm up and I was in my stride, headed towards Crawford Ranch. The loop to the ranch was 13km so I wanted to go 17km on my second loop to hit 30km by lunch time. Sue had warned me that I shouldn't mess with "The Alsatian" but that was the way I headed. At 8.5km on the second loop I was still 1/2 km from Fosters. We would meet again, but not today.

After leaving Michael and the gang in Scranton, Pennsyvania, Avatar Marathon Martin made his way to the honeymoon capital of Canada, Niagara Falls. He took a trip on the Maid of the Mist and met many tourist from around the world. They were handing out blue rain ponchos for the trip, but luckily Marathon Martin is laminated so he didn't need one. In the afternoon he visted the wedding chapel where Pam and Jim got married. Avatar Marathon Martin isn't married himself. He would just like to meet a nice laminated girl who had similar interests to him: Ultrarunning, old Dr. Who episodes and Nickelback. Here's hoping!

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 #13: Cookies and Cream

Quote of the Day

"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going"

Beverly Sills

Avatar Marathon Martin at the Falls