All three participated, though Linda and Cheryl were my pit crew; there were two other wheelchairs with pit crews too. Here we are ready to start: Linda and Cheryl for the 5K and me for the 10K (Cheryl noted using her cane that this was one of the few races that promoted and LIKED people with disabilities; becuase this was an event ABOUT getting to get together to remember Terry Fox. Some thought her skull tricked out cane was "cool.").Here I am on my second lap, around 6km or so, I was one of the first 10 to the 2.5 km mark....but that was mostly downhill!
Once I had to do the 2.5 km back uphill I quickly moved back into the pack. Some people recognized me from the HBC run. It was nice: not a lot of 5K, 10K where you see, foot scooters, children's bicycles, mountain bikes, two unicycles, some wheelchairs, an elderly woman using a walker with wheels, a guy on crutches, some children with their parents on tricycles and let's not forget some people running and walking.I will try to catch up with the whole story one I am a bit more recovered. Or at least not hurting so much. I bet Cheryl will be cursing me for convincing her to do it in the morning (but I was really proud and happy to be in a race with Linda and Cheryl). Plus, she carried the med supplies to clean out and bandage my bleeding knuckle (that whole not feeling thing).
Posts
22 comments:
I'm not cursing you but I am thinking that I need to workout more. It was really cool doing a race with my sis. I wonder how it would be to do that course with the handcycle. I'm thinking the uphills could really take it out of a person.
Seeing all the little kids taking part was great. I did get to chat with some really nice people as I walked and all the encouragement from strangers was great. It is a little disconcerting getting lapped by octagenarians who appear to be in better shape than I was even when I was a competitive cyclist.
Thanks for encouraging me to take part.
I am so proud of you for doing this! What a wonderful thing this was that you accomplished!!! I know you will be paying for it in the upcoming hours, but no one will ever be able to take this away from you, and that has got to feel amazing!!! Way to go Elizabeth, keep it up!
SuperYuriBeth wins the day!! (I DO hope I've got that girl/girl anime term right?!?)
You all look wonderful, especially Beth in the racing chair.
Now,if you can survive Monday through Wednesday and still look that good, we'll all be very happy for you.
Cheryl, I don't walk as fast as I used to, and it's quite annoying. Age is only supposed to be a number, isn't it? That doesn't mean I'm supposed to actually act as if I AM that number, I hope.
Cheers and hugs all around,
Neil
You look like you are having a great time. Clearly, you should do all your marathons in the fall.
I'm impressed that you got Cheryl moseying her way through the 5K. You must be infecting people with something.
Oh, and I forgot to write this and hope that Cheryl will see it. Years ago we did a time share presentation. Anyway, we got to stay at this resort for a two days. They had free country line dancing lessons. I told hubby we should try it, after all it was free, and we had never done anything like it before. I got there and was not too worried because everyone was over 60. Well, long story short, we sucked! The little old ladies made us look like crap. They shook their hips and butts, and we tried to not fall over laughing.....at ourselves!
Spectacular!
And I've now got your photo - the racing wheelchair one - on my "desktop" to encourage me when things seem to be getting tough... just to remind me what "tough" really means.
Some great stories coming out of the Paralympics as well, I think.
A postcard is on its way to you, too, by the way. (The last one you sent was posted in USA and had a US address for you on it, too, but I'm still sending mine to the Canadian address I have for you - hope that's right.)
Go you!
Wonderful!
And extre applaud to Linda and Cheryl. I really liked those yellow creww member tshirts.
Congratulations to all three of you! We are all thrilled for you.
Congratulations to all 3 of you! Great pictures, you all just ooze spirit.
Love the racing chair thumbs up pic and am again overhwelmed by how beautiful your surroundings are.
GO BETH!!!!!!
Take those painkiller candies and I expect a full recap once you feel better, missy!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
And you look gorgeous in the pictures in the last post, as always. I think I like naughty schoolgirl better than PVC mermaid, though. I can see why you turned so many heads playing dressup!
How was the first aid tent this time? That's what, four that you can review and compare now?
By the way my own blog is active again for the moment :P
Great photos! All three of you look amazing - go TEAM!
It really made me happy to read your description of such an inclusive event; makes me wish I had been there. Glad you were all able to be. :)
So far, one word: OWWWW! It turns out that wheeling hurts. But the good news is that I am GOING TO BADMINTON tonight, on the theory that....it can't hurt more, right?
Cheryl: Yeah, work out more because we have the Breast Cancer 5K in a some weeks, so that would be a cool one to do together, no?
That's one thing I do miss in a wheelchair, I am either faster on the downhill or WAY slower on the uphill so I don't get to pace with someone and talk to them.
Shea: That's how I feel, yeah, pay today, pay later but I'll still have the ribbon and certificate and I still did something for cancer. And for myself. I wanted to do THIS race, no winners, only participants, to do what you can, in what condition you can. The guy with crutches and an high leg/hip amputation did his 5K in the time I did 10K, we both were on our own journey - doing what we could to challenge ourselves, to go as fast as WE could, as far as WE could - regardless.
Neil: You have it right, Yuri is girl/girl. Well, Linda did a great job taking pictures.
And I hope I don't look like I just got hit by a truck (becuase that's how I feel) for many days. Like you said, I don't have to ACT what I am, right?
Yanub: Yeah, people sort of tend to get dragged along into things when I am around, for some odd reason - I am glad you are posting - and have connection with IKE passed by. And I do thing the cooler weather and having people pour water over me every 2.5 km did help. Since I only passed out once, a little, hardly anything compared to before! So yes, I hope the future ones this fall are all as sunny and all as less taxing on my body.
KateJ: If you have a Canadian address you can use that - I am glad you are back into blogging and will have to change your link. Yeah, I kind of wanted to BE in the paralympics just to see what catagory they would debate about putting me in - would I be all on my own - are there any other neuro-degenerative althetes there?
I should probably do that too but I put pictures of me in Goldstream kissing Linda to remind me what is worth fighting for.
Devi: thanks!
Anna: I'm glad you like the shirts, they were a present from Laura so everyone with me could see me easily, and I could see them, there is a logo on the back, I have a picture of and will post it on the full account - which won't be today I'm afraid - too much OW!
Tom P: thanks at least from me. I know Linda is glad (but also going, "I should be in a jogging class").
Lene: Thanks, it was a calm and beautiful day right by the oceanside, so yeah, if I didn't have to stare at the pavement to stop from flipping, I would have looked around a bit more. Thanks.
Veralidaine: Thanks, I am taking a few pain pills (haha - ow!), and I will make a full report, Tuesday or so I hope. I've never done, "Naughty" pics so I like the naughty schoolgirl but the PVC demure is also very nice, I was just glad to get some use out of my outfits (yeah, we sell off my suits becuase I won't be able to work so my closet is rather kink and corset inclined right now)
The tent was the St. John's ambulance and actually they didn't notice even though I was passed out right outside and in the end Cheryl disinfected my bleeding finger and bandaged it - so the "Cheryl first aid" gets top points (since she did the race Carrying a backpack with first aid equipment), but St. Johns gets a not so high rating because....they never looked down!
Lisa: Yeah, it was very much an inclusive event, I wish there was some way you could have come (I could have lent you my possessed electric wheelchair - of course, you might have ended up in the ocean!).
Yeah, it was nice to be a team - there was a group of 20 people or so all wearing t-shirts from another team; I think they were corporate - we aren't corporate yet ("brought to you by EFM incorporated....")
You Guys are AWESOME..congrats to Cheryl, Linda and Beth. It is an amazing feeling to do a walk with people you care about for a cause you believe in. We also think these walks get a little adictive...I can't wait for the next one.
Well done Ladies
Collette and Victor
You go ladies! EFM, Linda, and Cheryl rock the Terry Fox Run!
Here's hoping you don't suffer TOO badly.
Yanub - Beth does infect people with something! I'm going to make sure there's room in a short, timed triathlon in February for a person with disabilities (me!)
And congratulations, Beth! That's a brilliant picture of you on the race course. I can't wait for the whole report! I hope the next few hours and days aren't too rough on you.
Well done! (and to Cheryl and Linda too). It's sounds like a great race from what you have written - I like the way it included all sorts of people. I look forward to a fuller account.
You never cease to amaze, impress and inspire me.
Congratulations on what sounds like a great race. Can't wait to hear more.
Way to go, Team EFM!!! You all look fab. I'm so pleased you were able to do this race, Elizabeth. I can picture the whole rambling, crutch, wheel-driven, will-driven lot of you doing this very meaningful race. Sounds like a very good crowd to be in and feel connected to. I'm proud of all three of you.
First Aid Station rating:
The St. John's ambulance guys did come by when Beth passed out briefly and asked if we needed help. We explained that we just needed the usual cool down, rehydrate time. The one guy kind of watched until he saw that Linda and I had things under control. Then he said to call him if we needed him and went back to the first aid area.
Finally, an aid station staffed by someone with a clue. They trusted that Linda and I were more familiar with Beth's needs and let us do what we needed to without interfering or trying to take charge. They also trusted that we would get them if we needed their help.
I give them a pretty high rating.
Congratulations! I'm glad this race was staffed by inclusive people who have a clue.
~yakiikaonastick
Post a Comment