I was watching the news tonight.  I like to know what’s going on in the world.

Ok, you got me, I was really watching to see if the camera guy along the race route  yesterday was from the local tv  news or not.  And if he was, to see if he used the picture of my smiling face along the course.

I didn’t see myself on the local news.  And I didn’t think that 30 seconds of coverage was enough, but that is just me.

What I did see though, was an interesting story about how infrared sauna’s are the new “thing.”  That owners of the sauna’s are swearing how using them has helped them to lose hundred’s if not thousands of pounds in excess weight. 

I watched with interest where the reporter compared the calories burned in the sauna with the amount of calories burned through actual excercise.  And there it was, right at the end how if I ran a marathon everyday, I could burn an extra 590 calories. 

Wow, I thought to myself.  590 calories for every marathon I participate in!  I could burn almost 1800 calories each week if I ran three marathons a week.  And if I were feeling particularly energetic, I could throw in an extra one on the weekend.

That would take it up to almost 2400 calories a week.  Just think of the weight I could drop then.

But then I thought to myself, who would I get to run four marathons each week with me?  I suppose I could ask Jim to run with me one day.  And Dave the next.  But that would still leave me a little short.  Then there’s the fact that both of them are faster than me.  Especially after yesterday’s amazing effort.  

So I’ll find another way to lose some weight.  Secure in the knowledge that I can always find at least one or two other runners to keep me company while I run.

 “You cannot achieve the impossible without attempting the absurd.”

A runner in front of me for a bit at today’s Around the Bay Road Race had that quotation on the back of her shirt.  It really struck me in that moment how meaningful to me it was. 

To run a 30 km relay had been a rather absurd idea for me up until the moment I started to run.  I don’t think I was really prepared for what an impact running a relay would have on me.  I was glad that  it was raining this morning.  It’s a little easier to hide the fact that you are crying from other people running.

Before you think I was crying from sadness, let me tell you that wasn’t the fact.  I had a moment of pure joy when that gun went off.  I was surrounded by so many other people who all felt the same way as me.  I could feel the joy, the comraderie.

There was laughter and high fives as runners went off to run in either a relay or the full Bay.  What made it special was those small moments.  The guy who walked with me in the pouring rain to the start line and made small talk.

The guy who when I was calling Dave while several thousand people talked at the same time, calling to Dave and making sure that I had someone to run with across the start line.

To watching all those wonderful people who turned up in the pouring rain to make sure that the runners had someone cheering for them.

To the moment when the Gazelle crossed the finish line in his very first Around the Bay entry.  Absurd for me, yes.  But worth every minute knowing I had helped achieve something so special, so worthwhile.

As promised a few more pictures from today’s Around the Bay expo.  it was everything I thought it would be.  There was a real buzz to the event.  People were talking.  Giving last minute advice for tomorrow’s run.  Or talking of previous Bay’s they’ve taken part in.  There were great deals to be had.  Everything from Sport Beans to Mizuno shoes.  I was going to buy a hat, but decided that waiting until the last minute will liven things up a bit more.

I helped Yvetta out on Friday with early registration for the Road2Hope.  Esther is hoping for at least 4,000 runners for this year’s race.  We’re on our way!

This nice guy told me about a new resource for runners.  It has a raft of features that runners will find helpful.  I’ll post more about it in the coming days. 

Now, we get ready to run tomorrow.  I’ve had my pasta dinner.  My chip is ready and waiting on my shoe.  I have a jacket or two picked out, as well as pants.  My lucky socks are ready for me to slide them on.  Once I figure out exactly which shirts I’m wearing I’ll get my bib pinned on and ready.

I’ve got my attitude in place.  I am going to have a great run tomorrow with several thousands of my closest friends.  But most of all, I’m going to go out there and run my own race.

I had to drop off race bibs and cool running shirt to the third member of the relay I’m running with tomorrow.  It will be me, the Gazelle and a very nice lady named Chris.  I just met Chris last week.  She is running in place of my nephew who decided that doing a 5 km with a girl friend is better than running with his dad and aunt.

I dropped the race stuff off at a Cafe where a bunch of runners were getting together for a bit of breakfast before heading off to the Around the Bay expo.

I had planned on staying for a minute,  just dropping the stuff off and leaving.  But it turned into a half hour super session.  I love that about runners.  You can meet up with one or two and before you know it, you are talking like life long friends.

Today we were talking about the commemorative chip that Around the Bay organizers have decided to use.  It is unlike anything I’ve seen.  Or that anyone else has seen.   Not that I’m complaining.  I’ll take a picture of it and post it.  It is really cool.

That lead to a discussion about how we are going to get it off and on at the relay point. Especially if the weather man, Matt Hayes, is correct about the predicted weather.  It is supposed to rain and be windy.

But we runners are a hardy lot.  I’ve decided to coat my running jacket in a water retardant spray.  Hopefully some of the water will stay on the outside of my jacket.

If I do get rained on, it won’t matter, I have my friends to keep me warm.

I’m going to the Expo later today.  I’ll try to post more pictures from there.  I’m anticipating it being really, really busy there.  But I love the buzz that surrounds an event where lots of runners get together.  And the energy!  Who needs runners high, when you have all that energy?

This mornings blog said I would post some pictures from the Around the Bay expo being held today on the first day of race packet pick ups. 

I’m going to post a few.  Tomorrow I’ll be heading back to get pictures.  Seems I feel victim to Murphy’s Law.  I made it to the Road2Hope booth.  And had an amazing time talking to other runners! I hope I got a chance to talk to you!  I even convinced a couple people to register early for the race.  But when it came time for me to take pictures of the expo, Murphy stepped in to offer his two cents worth. 

The batteries on the camera died.  So, I’ll head back again tomorrow to get even better pictures than today!  And will post more then.  In the meantime, enjoy these ones.  This would be me in my “artsy” creative phase.

This is the Boxing Day Race booth.  I didn’t get the name of the helpful gentleman who tried to convince me it would be a good idea to do the run next Boxing Day.  I just might do it.  Even the hill at the end.

Matt Reid is the owner of the Waterdown Runners Den location.  He is also the man who runs the Fighting Koalas Triathalon Team.  I’m going to visit Matt at his store’s location on Thursday.  He says it will be moving to  a new location on Wednesday.  I can’t wait to see it.

This is Dan.  He managers the Westdale Runners Den.  He is hard to catch in one place.  He’s like his Mom.  A whirlwind.  But like his Mom he is just as passionate about running.

Stay tuned for more pictures.  I love that I am able to journal some of the sights at this year’s Around the Bay.

Is it normal to be this excited?

I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to be picking up my race packet today!  I am picking up my very first relay race packet.  Which in itself is pretty exctiting.  But I am also picking up my nephews first Around the Bay Road Race race packet today.  This will be the very first time he has done the Bay.  Legally.  That is a whole other post.

But the thing I am most excited about is what is going to happen after I pick up the race packets.  I get to go and help out at the Road2Hope booth.  I get to help promote an amazing race. 

Hamilton’s only marathon.  The race that the Gazelle is going to run so that he can qualify for Boston, the first time.

I am  very excited about the possibility of meeting some of the everyday Joe runners.  And if I play my cards right, I might even meet an elite runner or two.

Ok, I am most excited about meeting runners like me.  Who go out in all kinds of weather for the love of running.  Who get up before dawn on their days off work. Who get excited when Saucony announces a new running shoe.  And the occasional ice cream tossed in isn’t too bad either.

I’ll post some pictures tonight.  That way if you can’t make it down yourself, you can take a look.  You never know who you might see!