1st Friday Night Skate. 2005

My first ever Friday Night Skate was in 2005 when I participated in the kickoff to the 2005 season in early June.


My buddy Jason Strimas did it with me. You can see various TISC/TBN friends like Kevin M, Randy, Richard A, and Mike L in attendance as well.

I can't believe in all my years in Toronto as a Rec Skater I had never heard about this weekly fun skate through the downtown core. I wish I could do this skate more often.

Hamilton Boxing Day 10 Miler 2005

One would think there is a scarcity of running events in December given the holidays, but there were actually quite a few fun runs out there during the holidays that kept us running in anticipation of the Disney Goofy Challenge in mid January of 2006. The Hamilton Boxing Day 10 Miler was yet another winter run in cold, wet conditions, but it was made pleasant by the running into our good natured friend Martini, who worked with Jen at Texas Instruments. I ended up doing the run with him, and there were some challenging hills on this course! Despite the freezing rain, it turned out to be a much better experience than the New Years 5km we did less than a week later that had Jen and I sliding around in a heavy snow-storm. I found it next to impossible to run in a foot of snow on top of ice.

What I love most about athletic events is the swag, particularly when it departs from the usual t-shirt (my walk-in closet is drowning in race t-shirts). Registering for the Boxing Day 10 Miler earned us those snazzy red quick dry running vests complete with pockets for water bottle and an embroidered snowman.

Missauga Half Marathon 2005

This day was memorable because Jen posted a new PB at close to the two hour mark in the half marathon.

Falling Rampage 10km Inline 2005

The Rolling Rampage earned the nickname "Falling Rampage" as the quality of the pavement had greatly deteriorated from the previous year. It is primarily a wheelchair race, who's participants could easily roll over the rough pavement, potholes and tar snakes that typified the pavement on the stretch of University Ave surrounding Queen's Park. However, for the Inline racers, it was a disaster. My friend and fellow Marathon Dynamics Inline Group member Kevin Mount (in the green below) took a spill on the timing mat around the finish area during the second lap, and I had to leap over him rather than dodge around in order to ensure my timing chip registerered my lap. Kevin only suffered a bit of road rash and finished the race. I later learned from Jen that another friend, Andrew T wasn't so lucky and dislocated his shoulder.

Photos courtesy of Peter and Kevin Noh.



Poor Andrew T!


In the photo below, I know it appears that Dave, Jen and I are cruel and heartless people laughing at Marathon Dynamics Coach Stephen's mishap. He actually was among the few who did not fall, but was simply resting on the comfy comfy concrete immediately following the race.


Despite the conditions of the road, I have to admit that I mourned the loss of this race the following year when there were no Road Races organized at all in the Greater Toronto Area in 2006, let alone a venue in the downtown core! I'm hoping that Queen's Park circle gets paved so that we can return to racing in downtown Toronto in the Rolling Rampage.

Friday Night Skate 2005

Friday Night Skate happens every Friday night departing at Yonge and Bloor at 10pm sharp, and is run by a gentleman by the name of Anthony who also runs the Toronto Blading Yahoo Group.

Anthony has been leading these skates for a number of years and I started doing it on occassion at the urging of friends like Angela, Richard, Randy (seen in the pic below) and Mike L.





Photos Courtesy of Peter.

There is an entire subculture of urban street skaters that you only see at Friday Night Skate. They are certainly a colourful group of characters.

DISNEY HALF MARATHON 2005

The very first running Marathon I did without Jen. She was doing the Full Marathon, and at that point I had not yet done one of those and opted for the half instead of waiting on the sidelines to cheer her on. What a fun race this was. I generally don't like running, but this event is so entertaining and everyone seems to be in such great spirits, despite the crowded conditions of the Course.

My friend Scott from the Marathon Dynamics Inline Group who also ran the half (while his wife was doing the full) dropped me an email commenting that I probably would have come in at a better time if I didn't stop so often to get my picture taken with all the Disney characters. I figured what's the point in doing this race if you don't keep stopping to have your picture taken with the Disney characters?

Little did I know at the time I would be returning to this event the following year for the Goofy Challenge!

Angus Glen 1/2 Marathon 2005

Angus Glen is a Golf Course in my home-town of Unionville.

Another wet race. Things are starting to dry off as we approach the finish.

Run for the Toad 2005

The Run for the Toad is one of my favourite local running events. It's a 25km cross-country off-road race through a conservation area. You would not believe the incredible grade that we just finished climbing up from in this photo (note the tiny people down below in the background... not an optical illusion!)

Hannukah Hustle 10km 2005

Much of my off-season cross-training this particular winter involved running with Jen in various races. This was one of many suprisingly scenic runs out in the Hamilton area.

We were looking for events to keep us running during the Christmas season because we had registered for the Disney Goofy Challenge in January. While there were no Marathons in the GTA and surrounding area, we found quite a few holiday oriented fun runs, including the pre-Christmas 5km Jingle Bell Run, The Hamilton Boxing Day 10 Miler, The Resolution Run 5k taking place New Years Eve, and the Hannukah Hustle ending in Hamilton's Shalom Village where they fed us Latkas (Jewish Potato Pancakes) in Apple sauce.

National Capital Inline Marathon 2005

This was the year that I broke in my beloved Rollerblade Lightning 100's and cracked the 1:30 barrier. Once again finding myself in a large pack with many familiar faces from Ottawa Inline, Team Stamina, as well as my friend Kevin Mount (in the green) from Marathon Dynamics Inline group and TBN.


















Me with my training partners Dave and Andres! These guys are awesome. I really enjoyed our daytime skates along the MGT. We often went out to Port Credit and back as our regular routine.





Jen had an incredible day as well. She skated the half marathon, and then went on to run the half marathon!!!

High Park Spring Run-off 2005

Traditionally the first run of the season. 10km in high park. In my experience, it's inevitably a rainy rainy experience.

I love the optical illusion in the photo below. It looks like Tara is carrying me on her back like Luke Skywalker carrying Yoda through the Dagobah Swamps.

Chilly Half Marathon 2005

Jen had been doing this half marathon out in Burlington for the past couple of years and when she suggested I try it with her, I have to admit I thought the idea was nuts. Why would anyone want to run in the cold weather? It turns out that as long as it's a day where the pavement is clear and it's not too cold and wet, it's actually quite pleasant given the fact that you are generating a great amount of your own heat as you run.