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Reflections by Ken Michelin
Posted Sunday, 13 Jun 2010, 11:27 am ADT
The following blog is a cross post from our guest book. It was fun to read and if other readers have reflective stories like this, we'd love to read them!
Ken Michelin
Location: Formerly of NWR, now living in Halifax since 1993
II have a story for you folks...:- ).
When I was a teenager and in pretty good shape, my brother and I (Big Al as he was known then) agreed we would run a 'marathon ' from Goose Bay to NWR. This would have been in the late 1960's, before the 'striver ' road was as straightened and well before it was paved.
Anyone who remembers how much 'fun' that road was to drive on would remember it had well over 100 turns from the Goose River Bridge to the Cable Car in NWR Quite a number of the turns were rather sharp to say the least. But I digress... The total distance we were to run I believe would have been around marathon length, somewhere around 23 miles or so. The weather that day was around 20 Celsius with a blue sky, though it was frequently lost in the dust that was kicked up by the many vehicles that drove by us. I'm sure they thought these two young fellows were nuts…
I forget exactly where we started but I do remember we left some water/juice a couple of spots along the route. Big Al, being a faster runner than me, left me in the dust after a few miles and believe me it was a dusty run as cars/trucks passed us frequently.
I don't recall doing much training at all for this run, but being young and having played lots of hockey, I was in pretty good shape, but not in the kind of shape one would expect to run a full fledged marathon!!!
Al managed to run all the way home, my energy lasted till we were about 4 miles from NWR and I couldn't 't go on any longer- legs were cramping up probably from being poorly prepared for a run this long and lack of fluids…
… Fortunately I got picked up by one of the residents driving from GB to NWR at the end of his work day.
Al was always in top shape and he finished without any problem and I have vivid memories of him teasing me afterwards for not being able to finish!!! No sympathy from him!!! Fortunately my mother had a mothers touch and made me rest and ensured I replenished the fluids I had lost. I felt much better the next day. Now I know why running is not my favourite sport and I truly admire anyone who is able to run marathons, particularly all the training that is required leading up to an event like that.
No doubt, the run now would be a beautiful event as there would be no dust, all the fall colours and likely lots of support along the way!! Keep up the good work and best of luck to all who participate!
On a side note, and related to the name of your event, both my grandfathers were trappers from NWR, my father and several of his brothers along with several of my mother's brothers were trappers too( her maiden name was Goudie) and she and us were related to Aunt Lizzie Goudie, the author of 'Women of Labrador' .
END
Ken Michelin
Location: Formerly of NWR, now living in Halifax since 1993
II have a story for you folks...:- ).
When I was a teenager and in pretty good shape, my brother and I (Big Al as he was known then) agreed we would run a 'marathon ' from Goose Bay to NWR. This would have been in the late 1960's, before the 'striver ' road was as straightened and well before it was paved.
Anyone who remembers how much 'fun' that road was to drive on would remember it had well over 100 turns from the Goose River Bridge to the Cable Car in NWR Quite a number of the turns were rather sharp to say the least. But I digress... The total distance we were to run I believe would have been around marathon length, somewhere around 23 miles or so. The weather that day was around 20 Celsius with a blue sky, though it was frequently lost in the dust that was kicked up by the many vehicles that drove by us. I'm sure they thought these two young fellows were nuts…
I forget exactly where we started but I do remember we left some water/juice a couple of spots along the route. Big Al, being a faster runner than me, left me in the dust after a few miles and believe me it was a dusty run as cars/trucks passed us frequently.
I don't recall doing much training at all for this run, but being young and having played lots of hockey, I was in pretty good shape, but not in the kind of shape one would expect to run a full fledged marathon!!!
Al managed to run all the way home, my energy lasted till we were about 4 miles from NWR and I couldn't 't go on any longer- legs were cramping up probably from being poorly prepared for a run this long and lack of fluids…
… Fortunately I got picked up by one of the residents driving from GB to NWR at the end of his work day.
Al was always in top shape and he finished without any problem and I have vivid memories of him teasing me afterwards for not being able to finish!!! No sympathy from him!!! Fortunately my mother had a mothers touch and made me rest and ensured I replenished the fluids I had lost. I felt much better the next day. Now I know why running is not my favourite sport and I truly admire anyone who is able to run marathons, particularly all the training that is required leading up to an event like that.
No doubt, the run now would be a beautiful event as there would be no dust, all the fall colours and likely lots of support along the way!! Keep up the good work and best of luck to all who participate!
On a side note, and related to the name of your event, both my grandfathers were trappers from NWR, my father and several of his brothers along with several of my mother's brothers were trappers too( her maiden name was Goudie) and she and us were related to Aunt Lizzie Goudie, the author of 'Women of Labrador' .
END