Running Week In Review Part 10, 11, 12

Mileage for the Week of August 19 - 25, 2007: 42.11km


This is the where I had my first encounter with a bear in Massey, Ontario. I was unleashing the dragon on Sagamok this week, and when I told the kids that I was going jogging they all warned me to watch out for the bears. They advised me to stay within the town limits of Massey, which is just minutes from Sagamok.

I managed to stay within the town limits for the first two runs, then I got bored of running on the same streets so I manned up and went out of town. About 150 feet ahead of me on a dirt road just out of town I came face to face with my mortality. Actually it wasn't that dramatic, it just looked at me and kept walking across the road back into the bush.


Mileage for the week of August 26 - September 1, 2007: 43.11km


This is the week I was in Hearst and Constance Lake and also the week my new friend Peter Gagnon saved my life from a savage bear attack. The bear kinda looked like the one below, but not as fierce looking.

The Stanley Bear Attack Story

by: Vince Turbulence (my new writers name)

The names have been changed for their protection from the media

The evening was warm and dry as opposed to cold and wet. The running conditions were perfect as opposed to dangerously slippery.

Turbo takes a deep breathe as he pulls out of the parking lot of the Companion Motel in Hearst as he mentally prepares for his evening run. Tonight, a his routine 10k....Or is it? At the same time, Peter Gagnon, a loyal 79 year employee of Tremblee Vachion Inc calls it a day and drives 25 minutes home to his beautiful 23 year old wife and 14 children. Peter thinks his work day is over...Or is it?

As Peter is driving home, he sees this strange figure running with completely impecabble form along side of the highway. He thinks to himself, "only if I could do all over again, I would done it all again and taken up running to the fridge." Instead his wife and his children do all the running for him. But it wouldn't be the first time, someone has been inspired by Turbo.

Turbo is in his usual form, passing by bikers and taking no prisoners. He has to slow down, because the insects crushing up against his forehead could leave scars that could prevent him from modelling in another safer sex poster. As he negotitates the trail and running through the gontlit if insects, he doesn't notice the savage beast just off the trail that in 15 minutes would eat him for breakfast. But it's the evening you say, breakfast? The bear is on different time then us, he just got up.

Peter is cruising home to his favourite band, Ernest Moonias. You see, he has been threatened by his boss for wearing his Ernest Moonias World Tour T-shirt to work. His boss would says "who the hell is this Ernest anyway? And a world tour? He only went to Kash, Fort Albany and Six Nations. Take that damn blouse off."

Peter has driven this road his entire life and drives with his mind on his money and his money on his mind. Paying little attention to the road and glaring out his window and the beautiful Canadian Sheild of Northern Ontario. He notices a bear off in the distance and slams on his breaks and pulls over, becuase he recalled seeing Turbo a few kilometers back. He is determined to save this mans life.

And he does, because when Turbo catches up a few minutes later, Peter tells him all about the bear who is now sitting on Turbo's shoulder ready to bite off that yummy looking growth on his muscular shoulders. Turbo then makes a move right from the Matrix and sends that grizzly animal crashing into the trees. To their amazement, the bear turns into agent smith. And slowly but surely, agent Smith begins to transition into another being..another person. "Holy Zion, they yell, it's Ernest Moonias and he's pissed. He wants his t-shirt back.

Turbo and Peter look at themselves, put on their sunglasses and climb into the truck and hit the road at top speed. Turbo picks up his cell phone, calls Morpheus and they both get beamed back up the Nebuchadnezzar never to see Ernest again.

The End... Or is it?

In all seriousness, Peter was on his way home when he spotted the bear in the bush with me running passed without noticing. He stopped his truck and waited for me to return just in case the bear came close to the trail to eat me. I was so thankful that someone who had no clue who I was would do something so thoughtful.

Now that's what I can making a difference.

I got kinda spooked the next time I went running, so my friend, Wendy let me borrow her mase the next time I went out. I was just hoping to see a bear so I show him who's boss. But alas, it never happened.

Mileage for the week of September 2 - 8, 2007: 80.00km

Now, I've hit the big time! This week I will never forget, definately a turning point in my running career. A new Stan World Record, shattering my previous weekly best of 70km. Get this, I took one day off and still acheived my new record.

I have been running for years, putting in at least a few thousand kms. This week has motivated me to get more serious about my fitness. In the past, I would run hard, and eat like a pig. I would tell myself I could eat whatever I wanted and run it off, but that's dangerous thinking. Why have I been running so hard to get in shape just to waste it all on cheesecake or extra large nachos. So here's my promise I made to myself. To put in more mileage and to watch my diet so I can lose my weight to get in better running shape to.....RUN A MARATHON on October 14. That's in one month!


This will surely be me after the Toronto Marathon, except browner, more dead looking and possibly even beaten up.

Next weeks prediction: 90kms (A new world record)

Wanna cheer me on? Check out the site and let me know. http://www.torontomarathon.com/