The Vancouver Sun Run is an annual community 10km run in downtown Vancouver.  Although there is a competitive component, the main jam is 50,000 moderately sporty people walking, running, and wheeling their way through Stanley Park, Kitsilano, and ending in BC Place for snacks and a stretch.  I first did it in 1996 with Leif, and since then have done it 5 or 6 more times.  It is a fundraiser for BC Amateur Athletics Association, and Sports Science BC (formerly BC Sports Medicine Council) got in early to make it a “train for it” event.   There are community Sun Run groups at most Rec Centres, and in 2006 I was a group leader for one of these groups. The 16-week training program has been published for ages, with the idea that people start on Jan 2 and are ready for the full distance by the last week of April.  They have ‘fast running’ training programs, but also walking programs for people tackling the distance for the first time.  The event is way better for a walk or jog than trying to break a record, and there are bands along the way for folks to listen to and also water stations, and the route by the ocean is pretty spectacular.
Sun Run 2014 will be on Sunday, April 27. Â Since David got a hip replacement this June, it seemed like it might be a nice long-term event to plan for – he has run it a few times and is already quite mobile just a few months after surgery, so I anticipate this will be no problem. Â Elizabeth walks daily and is generally pretty fit and injury-free, so she may hula-hoop the whole way. My Mom likes walking and my Dad somewhat less so, but they also seem game for giving it a try. So, we can all keep up the mileage and consider the training plan; with so much time between now and then it should be no problem to build up the strength to do the whole thing. Â I propose pancakes at my place after!
Anyone else up for a 10km walk in April 2014? Â Any ideas for Team shirts? Maybe we can get a Game of Thrones-style family crest and motto. Â House Trask: Not driving this time