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2009 Ladysmith Striders News Headlines
The level of support this year for the CBFR caused huge anticipation
and excitement for the event organizers as 427 runners and walkers
waited at the start for the beginning of the event. A quick head count
in the FJCC gymnasium as the the warm-up started tallied nearly 500
which included walk and run participants, support personnel, event
organizers, and general spectators. The survey confirmed the event
organizer's suspicions that it was the biggest crowd ever to attend
the CBFR since the event was first organized at Coronation Square five
years ago.
After an energetic warm-up routine guided by PJ Halliday, walkers and
runners set forth onto the streets of Ladysmith heading south on 6th
Avenue past the Fire Hall to Methuen. Both the 5K and 10K distances
were over the same course with 10k runners extending the course with a
second lap around. At the Dunsmuir and Bickle half-way point, Doug
Judson and family manned the water station to provide hydration to
weary participants as they crested the steepest hill on the course.
The steep hill gave way to a gentle kilometer and a one half downhill
which provided nice recovery for a slight uphill on 5th Avenue and
Buller and then a right hook onto 6th Avenue for the finish.
The Ladysmith Striders placed well in the events that they participated. Dialing long-distance for the marathon were Dolly Brown (3:46:16), John Mountain (3:57:25), and Debbie O'Shaughnessy (4:27:08). In the half-marathon, Phil Howard (1:42:15), Kimberley Judson (1:55:25) and Tiffany Smith (2:00:52) clocked in worthy efforts in a competitive field. In the 8K event, David Hope (35:01) was the first Ladysmith Strider to break the tape with Denise Aucoin (37:51), Heather Owsianski (40:38), Laurel Szasz (42:02), and April Deyaeger (43:45) recording spectacular times as well.
Running roads for exercise and good health is not the same as running railroads. That said, after the turn of the last century the term "running" could have been easily associated with my road running hobby because at that time in the southern interior, it was all about running railroads really hard in order to be first. Just as being first in a road race comes with prestige and notoriety, being first to build a railroad through the Coast Mountains would do the same because it would secure the only railroad route to link resource-rich southern BC to the coast and provide the winner with control over the movement of rich natural resources to tide-water at Port Moody and Vancouver.
Such was the case for control over the Coquihalla Pass which had only room for one railway within its river canyon where two railway giants battled it out to be the first one through the pass. I thought of this historical tid-bit while staying overnight in the southern interior town of Princeton recently and was excited for the chance to merge my running passion with a little historical exploration that would take me on an increasingly popular underground trail very close to where I was staying. I was very pleased to be running a portion of the abandoned railway line that not only burrowed under the town of Princeton, it was battle-ground zero for CPR and GNR in 1910 when both railroad giants started a race to the pass.
While dressing that morning, it occurred to me that I was "sleeping on" my destination - that is, the Sandman Hotel in Princeton stands on the hill firmly anchored in the ground where engineers began the shovel work that would finally join the two nearly completed lines. Almost one-hundred years earlier, engineers started burrowing a 324 meter tunnel south-west of the Princeton townsite that would finally join the already completed rail grade linking Coalmont and Tulameen with Princeton. I trotted out onto Highway 3 and descended into town.
My breath was puffing up in front of me this morning and was obviously cool enough that there were still remnants of Jack Frost hiding on the north-facing roofs. Jack was seemingly crouching down and away from the those first morning rays of sunshine that would finally banish him from the community for the rest of the spring. Even in the morning light, early blooming rhododendrons greeted those first rays of warm sunshine with brilliant colour trusses and dew-covered foliage which were received into loamy earth that was so recently returned by the receding snow. Running downhill into Princeton presented my senses with a variety of sights and smells and makes early morning running such a treat. Breathing deeply the scent of freshly sawn pine lumber from the nearby Weyerhaeuser sawmill makes one reflect on how many small British Columbia communities draw their wealth from the adjacent forestlands. Another deep chest-full through the nostrils tangles up the smell of bacon and fresh eggs together into the roof of my mouth where it congeals for a moment before dissolving into a smile. I can imagine the chatter of hard-wooden chairs scraping across the kitchen floors as a fathers push away from their breakfasts and prepare to head down to the mill to bring in their daily bread. All this in a running moment - all this while descending the hill - all this becomes another splash of colour on my canvas of thoughts. A transport truck jake-brake roars at me from behind and I'm now aware of my footing on the mushy roads which are becoming softer as I near the bottom of the hill. The wash from the transport truck going by propels me off the highway at the exact location where the both VV&E and KVR rail lines formerly merged at the old railway station pictured above; albeit it was now almost 100 years later.
Upon reaching the old station, which is still standing on guard beside the now abandoned grade and now a Subway sandwich shop, I doubled-back left and join the old bed which is now part of the Trans-Canada Trail system. I marvel at the rock-cut on the edge of the highway just above me as it is offers a beautiful pattern of red-layered strata. Prior to 1860, Princeton was know as Vermillion Forks; "Vermillion" meaning the mercuric sulphide compound that produces a brilliant red pigment that I'm sure was part of the rock-cut above me, and the "Forks" because the Similkameen and Tulameen rivers converge there. In 1860, Vermillion Forks was renamed Princeton after the Prince of Wales. And just past the station site is the junction of the Copper Mountain tracks which brought rich ore down from the region south of town. West of Princeton, the rail line shadows Similkameen Avenue before joining hands with the Copper Mountain sub-division, a couple of sidings, and a turn-around loop before plunging into the hillside under the upper reaches of the town. Approaching the tunnel on the old grade is easy and comfortable as the surface is mostly asphalt which gives way to hard packed gravel as it nears the tunnel ramparts. The old rail bed remains gravel right through the 1,062 foot-long tunnel to the other side.
Click to Enlarge Photos for Viewing It took me nearly three minutes to run through the tunnel and even though I had my running head lamp lit, the head-lamp had difficulty piercing the darkness causing some anxious thoughts of stumbling over discarded trash or old ties, or even worse, crouching mountain lions or starving coyotes. Emerging intact on the other end I was presented with the sound of a rushing river - the Tulameen River in its final approaches as it winds its way into town.
The old rail grade continues straight out from the hill and steps over the the river on steel bridge. From the steel bridge, the rail stretches out to Coalmont as part of the Trans-Canada Trail system and exhausts itself well past the towns of Tulameen and Brookmere in the upper reaches of the Coquihalla Pass. My running journey stops here and I take a moment to drink in the beauty of the moment before heading back.
If time is available, exploring while I run is always fun. And I'm glad to have the opportunity to explore interesting and wonderful places when I travel which sometimes includes old rail beds and tunnels. I like local histories and my run today allowed me to combine both of my passions.
A field of over 350 runners from all over Vancouver Island enjoyed a sunny and warm Sooke morning along with a rolling hills of the Sooke River 10k course. The Ladysmith Striders - in similar fashion to last year - brought down a large contingent and entered 22 runners. But unlike last year, Ladysmith Striders this year legged out some spectacular times with nearly half of the Strider field placing top ten in their specific age groups resulting in huge dividends for club points. Twenty-two Ladysmith Striders deposited 200 points into the club standings kitty during this race which was absolutely phenomenal. Cracking the top ten in their respective age groups and harvesting huge points for the club were Bala Naidoo, Denise Aucoin, Nikki Van Horne, Tiffany Smith, Heather Owsianski, Pauline Naidoo, Ashley Marston, Barb Bradford, Marie Witt, and one of our youngest runners Larissa Beeston. Congratulations for a solid effort on this hilly course are also are extended to Phil Howard, Allen Rettig, April DeYaeger, Wade Meunier, Laurel Szasz, Peter McDonald, Gayla Hunter, Derek Beeston, Kathy Bouma, Rosemary Quin, Sandi Kingsnorth, and Lisa Beeston. This huge Sooke River 10K performance by the Ladysmith Striders also secured third place laurels in Group 3 of teams taking part in the Vancouver Island series of races and when combined with ninth place overall is quite an achievement for such a small team as ours. Pauline Naidoo accepted the 3rd place plaque on behalf of all Ladysmith Striders and the plague will be handed over to the Town of Ladysmith for permanent display at the Frank Jamieson Centre. Thanks to the Frontrunners Island Race Series for sponsoring the road racing series in 2009 and to the Island Road Racers for their contribution to final event in Sooke. The Ladysmith Striders wishes to thank the Island Road Racers for sponsoring the event and extends further thanks to the race volunteers and organizers. The Ladysmith Striders results are outlined in the table below with apologies to those whom I may have missed. Click the participant names to view individual statistics which will open in a separate browser window.
Photos courtesy of Tony Austin Photography
More photos below courtesy of Ashley Marston - Click images to enlarge.
The multitude of runners and walkers traveling up-island for the Merville 15K included thirteen Ladysmith Striders and thanks to this dedicated group of die-hard runners and walkers, the Striders currently hold down eleventh place in club standings with 76 finishers over seven events. Traveling to Merville for the event were Bala and Pauline Naidoo, Phil Howard, Lloyd Ladoucier, Denise Aucoin, Tiffany Smith, April DeYaeger, Ashley Marston, Heather Owsianski, Nikki Van Horne, Allen Rettig, Gayla Hunter, and John Mountain. Congratulations to Bala and Denise for placing top three in their respective divisions, and to Phil Howard for locking into and maintaining a 4:51 pace in the 15km distance - a steady pace that he has now sustained in four out of the seven Frontrunners Island Race Series events. So Phil has remained rock steady at 4:51 in two 8km distances, a 12km, and now 15km... way to go Phil!
Click to Enlarge Photos for Viewing Thanks to the River Runners of Campbell River for their race sponsorship and post-race goodies. Again, and I have repeated this often... to all the River Runners organizers and volunteers who looked after the runners, the Ladysmith Striders offer your club our gratitude for putting on a fine event. The Ladysmith Striders results are outlined in the table below with apologies to those whom I may have missed. Click the participant names to view individual statistics which will open in a separate browser window.
The grand finale of the Frontrunners Island Race Series takes place on April 19th in the community of Sooke. The Ladysmith Striders hope to sport a large field of runners and walkers for the Sooke River 10K sponsored by the Island Road Racers. The Frontrunners Island Race Series awards ceremony follows this last race in the series.
Almost immediately after the gun went off, Jonathon Withey (Prairie Inn Harriers), Mark Cryderman (River Runners) and Stefan Jakobsen (Frontrunners) broke away from the field. They stayed together until the 13th kilometre when Cryderman and Withey pulled away. Wth two kilometres to go Withey found an extra gear and left Cryderman behind to win in a time of 1:11:48. Cryderman wasn’t too far behind with a personal best of 1:12:06. Jakobsen rounded out the top three with a 1:13:23.
As always, the host Road Runners were well represented with Wayne Crowe coming across the line first for the club in a time of 1:20:08, which again, allowed him to capture the 50-54 year old title. Running hot on his heels and posting a personal best, his son Brad Crowe was the second club runner to cross the line in 1:23:26. For the women, Kathy Rung was the fastest Road Runner with a time of 1:37:43. The recession didn’t seem to affect the generosity of any of the local and community sponsors. The draw prizes seemed endless with the grand prize being a bicycle donated by Black’s Cycle. The Road Runners continued their tradition of donating a portion of their proceeds to local community charity organizations. Benefiting charities for this year’s event were the Lush Valley Food Action Society and Dawn to Dawn: Action on Homelessness Society. Behind the scenes, the seasoned race committee along with more than 70 community volunteers were out on course directing traffic, handing out water or making sure the food tables were well stocked. Ladysmith Striders that traveled up-Island to take part in the half marathon were Bala Naidoo, Phil Howard, Allen Rettig, Tiffany Smith, Nikki Van Horne, and Denise Aucoin. Congratulations to all on an awesome showing in a big field.
Photos Courtesy of Norman J. Wilson Photography Thanks to all the Comox Valley Road Runners organizers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication that makes this race possible. The Ladysmith Striders results are outlined in the table below with apologies to those whom I may have missed. Click the participant names to view individual statistics which will open in a separate browser window.
Next race is just north of the Comox Valley in Merville and is sponsored by the River Runners of Campbell River. The race starts and finished from the Merville Community Hall on April 5th and is the final Frontrunners Island Race Series race in the north island area.
While the Ladysmith Striders did not contest the frontrunners, honorable mention goes out to Denise Aucoin for another third place finish in her age group - that's four third place finishes in the first five races of the Frontrunners Island Race Series. Oh yes... congratulations are due! A contingent of Ladysmith Striders race walkers also joined the usual group of Esquires Division Ladysmith Striders for this race. A shout out to Diane Webber, Shirley Naylor, and Evelyn Kaatz for finishing strong in their race walk. Nine Ladysmith Strider finishers in this event placed the club in eleventh position overall for recognized running organizations registered in the Frontrunners Island Race Series. That gives the Ladysmith Striders a solid thirty-seven points ahead of Sooke Trail and Road. Ladysmith Striders would like to thank Synergy Health Management Ltd. Bazan Bay 5k volunteers and race organizers for the post-race festivities and understand that takes allot of time and effort to bring a road race together. The Ladysmith Striders results are outlined in the table below with apologies to those whom I may have missed. Click the participant names to view individual statistics which will open in a separate browser window.
Next race is way up island in the Comox Valley on March 22nd where a half in on the running menu. The Comox Valley 1/2 Marathon is sponsored by the Comox Valley Road Runners and is the only half marathon road race in the Frontrunners Island Race Series.
The narrow laneway start bunched the runners up on the line as usual and when 11am arrived, Frontrunners knifed out quickly and stretched out the rest of the field behind them as everyone else followed down the hard-surfaced funnel before spreading out near the seaside car parks. Once past the beach and car parks a shallow uphill grade teases your lungs to busy your heart-rate in preparation for the hills ahead and as the road begins to tilt upward the course veers right onto a forested out-and-back leg and delays the inevitable climbing pain for a few more minutes. Sustained effort on building elevation gives way to a tight pivot at the top on the turn-around marker cone and the downhill return allows some time for a short recovery.
Once cresting the hill, the balance of the course enjoys the protection of forested pathways and dirt trails that weave through the underbrush and along the perimeter of the Royal Roads grounds. A final uphill on a second out-and-back leads to a section on dirt trails and then down a long hill where time can be reclaimed for those that use care with the turn-over of their foot strikes. The bottom swings into a swampy glen where the race course levels and provides a bit of recovery time and respite for weary legs. Here the air is heavy with scents of decaying biomass and pungent skunk cabbage which gives a temporary diversion from the work at hand; finishing strong just a kilometer ahead. A sharp left and a sweeping uphill curve to the right leads to a dip and a climb over a bump called the "Little Bugger" presents runners with their final punishment. Once over the "Little Bugger", a flat under the protection of early budding maples gives way to a hard-surfaced downhill that beckons runners into the finishing chute. Cheering spectators line the last 500 meters and compel many runners to empty their tank completely by gutting it out for glory with sprint to the clock. Although gray skies threatened rain for the entire event, the rolling clouds spared participants the misery of muddy trails and wet socks by moving over and out of the area without dampening race results. The Ladysmith Striders were not put off by any threat of inclement weather as thirteen runners traveled down Island for this challenging Frontrunners Island Race Series road race. Ladysmith Striders standouts for this nasty bit of road racing were Phil Howard and Pauline Naidoo who were absolutely mechanical and positively disciplined with their race pace. Both Phil and Pauline - who train train together with Bala Naidoo in Saltair on a regular basis - handled the hills with determination as they aced their pace by exactly matching their previous individual paces that were set at the Cedar 12K two week earlier right to the second. Well done! Congratulations are offered to Pauline Naidoo, Denise Aucoin, and John Mountain for top ten finishes in their respective age divisions. As mentioned above, Pauline paced out a second place finish with Denise again placing third in her division as she did in Cedar. John managed an eighth place in a field of thirty-four in his age division. Other runners presenting well for the Ladysmith Striders were Allen Rettig, Nikki Van Horne, Tiffany Smith, April DeYaeger, Lloyd Ladoucier, Laurel Szasz, Ashley Marston, and Angela Sampson. For many Ladysmith Striders the hills on the Hatley Castle 8K were a reminder of home territory hills that crowd the Town of Ladysmith; that said, I suspect some first timers to Hatley Park at Royal Roads found the 3K mark hill to loom steeper and longer and possibly more challenging than any of the formidable slopes found on their training runs. The post-race food provided by the Royal Roads Running Club was both plentiful and delicious. Ladysmith Striders know what it is like to prepare post-race festivities and appreciate the time and effort that the volunteers and race organizers go to offer snacks after the race and they would like thank the Royal Roads Running Club for serving up a bountiful table. This Frontrunners Island Race Series road race is a major challenge and if the truth be known, many Island runners skip this difficult event which sad because the competition is keen and the food is great. To all the Royal Roads Running Club organizers and volunteers who looked after the runners, the Ladysmith Striders offer your club our gratitude. The Ladysmith Striders results are outlined in the table below with apologies to those whom I may have missed. Click the participant names to view individual statistics which will open in a separate browser window.
Photos Courtesy of Adam Lawrence Photography Next race is back on the Saanich peninsula where the Synergy Health Management Ltd. Bazan Bay 5k will commence in Sydney on March 8th. This is by far the fastest road race in the Frontrunners Island Race Series and the Ladysmith Striders are sure to be there.
As this is the closest Frontrunners Island Race Series road race to Ladysmith, the Ladysmith Striders usually highlight their calendars and turn out in numbers. Challenging the Haslam Road hill this year was Laurel Szasz, Nikki Van Horne, Lloyd Ladoucier, Denise Aucoin, Tiffany Smith, Phil Howard, and Bala and Pauline Naidoo. Phil Howard paced the course with a extremely handsome 4:51 minutes per kilometer for a 58:14 finish and Denise Aucoin must have been "cooking-with-gas" as she placed top three in her age group with a one hour forty-four at just over a five minute pace; both runners presenting well for the Ladysmith Striders. Another hard-fought road race for Bala Naidoo as well with the veteran runner placing fourth in his competitive M6569 age group and proving that wise runners have the knack for flattening-out the hills. There was lots of great food and drink for all runners after the race and Ladysmith Striders wish to thank the Bastion Running Club for presenting another fine Cedar 12K. This Frontrunners Island Race Series road race is favourably viewed by most runners because the awards and draw prizes are presented in a sensible fashion which allows runners participating from farther distance to get home in a timely manner. Thanks to all the Bastion Running Club organizers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication that makes this race possible. The Ladysmith Striders results are outlined in the table below with apologies to those whom I may have missed. Click the participant names to view individual statistics which will open in a separate browser window.
Next race is a Royal Roads Running Club sponsored 8k race at Hatley Castle in Colwood on February 22nd. Ladysmith Striders are sure to be there challenging the hills.
Ladysmith Striders were represented at second race in the Frontrunners Island Race Series Cobble Hill 10K with fourteen entrants scampering the course which was a combination of out-and-back and loop segments from George Bonner Middle School to Cobble Hill Village and back. The course was fairly flat with some minor undulating hills that gradually build elevation to about 5.5 km at which time it was all downhill to the finish. This was a great race for negative-splits as I'm sure many enjoyed favourable results. Congratulations to Pauline Naidoo as she again placed top three in her age group and to her husband Bala Naidoo who placed again in the top-ten for his age group. And "way to stick-the-pace" acknowledgement to Tiffany Smith, April Deyaeger, Gayla Hunter, and Ashley Marston who ran pretty steady minutes per kilometer paces in both races nearly identical. Talk about locking into a pace! Wow! The Ladysmith Striders results are outlined in the table below with apologies to those whom I may have missed. Click the participant names to view individual statistics which will open in a separate browser window.
Next race is a Nanaimo Bastion Running Club sponsored 12k race in Cedar on February 8th. Hope to see a good contingent of Ladysmith Striders there.
Ladysmith Striders are no strangers to the Frontrunners Island Race Series and a number of them drove down Sunday morning to Saanich to check out the competition. The Ladysmith Striders results are outlined in the table below with apologies to those whom I may have missed. Click the participant names to view individual statistics which will open in a separate browser window. Congratulation to Pauline Naidoo for her bronze medal finish in her age group and to her husband Bala Naidoo for placing in the top-ten for his age group.
Next race is a CEEVACS sponsored 10k race on the Bonner School course at Cobble Hill on January 25th. As a friendly reminder to Ladysmith Striders, the Cedar 12K is coming to our area on February 8th and it would be tons-of-fun to make that road race out Sunday morning run. Hope to see you all there!!
Courtesy of Tony Austin
For your further awareness, runners who complete all eight races in the 2009 series, or eight races and volunteer at their own race, will receive a gift certificate from Frontrunners entitling them to 50% off the series registration (without shirts) for the 2010 series. Check out the schedule below. Frontrunners Island Race Series 2009 Schedule
Click here to register online. Click here to download the Full Series entry form. Click here to send in your questions or comments. Individual race forms are available by clicking the appropriate race name in the table above. |
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Volunteers provide the fuel that drives the Cinnamon Bun Fun Run
engine for without volunteers the event organizers - volunteers
themselves - would have never been able to conclude this fundraising
event. A core group of volunteers through their generous offering of
time and energy have made the event happen by setting up the venue,
shepherding participants through the registration process, marshalling
the roads, dispensing water on the course, managing the participants
event data, and offering hot beverages and cinnamon buns to all.
Cinnamon Bun Fun Run event organizers had no idea that the support
this year for the Ladysmith Food Bank would be so tremendous and we
owe recognition for any successes that were achieved solely to those
volunteers that came out and gave their valuable time. And for that,
the CBFR Organizing Committee feels a great deal of gratitude to all
the event volunteers.
railway. 
Fastest
men’s Master was Hugh Trenchard of Team West Coast who ran the 21.1 km
course in 1:14:58. Royd Burkart was again the fastest local, posting
an incredible time of 1:15:33. Professional triathlete Sara Gross,
racing for Zoot Sports, ran a great race finishing 22nd overall and
winning the women’s race in a time of 1:22:04. For the Masters women
it was Nancy Baxendale (Prairie Inn Harriers) who ran a fantastic time
of 1:23:29. 
![Phil Howard - 1:50:20 Photo No. 211](http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?user_id=53792&tmpl=61&event=267960&action=viewphoto&photo_id=16032829&album_id=268088&pcount=45" alt="IMG_0211.JPG" target="_self">)
But
pain arrives when the course swings right and muscles brace for the
grind up the steepest hill on the entire 
Ladysmith Striders is a organization of casual runners and walkers who are committed to promoting fitness and recreation in a friendly club environment. All levels of runners and walkers are welcome! Our running/walking group is located in the beautiful town of Ladysmith and include the surrounding areas of Saltair and Cedar for regular exploration. Ladysmith is known for its hills... and the Ladysmith Striders are known as "The Hill Tamers"