Coffee, Anytime, Anywhere

Another Footwear Site

As written about before, safe footwear for winter walking is a big deal for the Shore Things, with all-too-real consequences when things go wrong. The following link is to the KITE Research Institute, the research arm of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute at the University Health Network located here in Toronto. KITE is home to WinterLab, which performs experiments and tests inside a 5 meter by 5 meter room that is attached to the top of a motion base that allows the entire space to be tilted. It has a floor made entirely of ice, refrigerated to below 0 temperatures, and can simulate winds up to 30 km per hour! Scientists can study winter slips and falls and the extremes of cold air and wind, without exposing participants to the risks in real life. The site includes ratings on a number of winter footwear brands. This might guide your purchase, if you are inclined (but not too much, in case you slip).

Spring Races

If anyone wants to raise their training up a few notches, there are a couple of Spring races that might pique your interest. From Lee Scott, via Ruth…

LIVE RACES are coming back.

“Under Armour Spring Run-Off in High Park will be held virtually, and in-person on April 9. Also, there is a combo in-person+virtual event which might be fun! I imagine the in-person event will be limited in numbers, so if you want to participate…register soon.”
https://raceroster.com/events/2022/54979/under-armour-spring-run-off-2022
“The other nice touch is that for the Spring Run-Off, Under Armour has posted the measurements for their shirts (or, anyway, the specifications they gave their suppliers), so it may be possible to get a shirt that fits. The information is hidden under FAQ -> how do the shirts fit -> check out our sizing charts here.”
https://canadarunningseries.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2022-SRO-Shirt-Size-Selection-Grid.pdf

“The second Spring race is the Toronto Marathon on May 1st (in person only as far as we can tell). FINALLY, organizers have decided to start the walkers first rather than last (I wonder if this will last, once the elite runners find their way blocked by first-time walkers). Of course, after years of us sneaking up into earlier corrals, I wonder how many runners will sneak up into the walking start. Although there is the early start for walkers entered in the half marathon, there are no walking prizes.” 
http://www.torontomarathon.com“

Birthday Wishes

It’s Dawn’s turn to celebrate on Monday, both her birthday and Valentine’s Day. Much love then!

Weekly Walks

Saturday’s forecast: Considerable cloudiness. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Morning high of 0C with temps falling to -9 to -7. Winds NW at 25 to 40 km/h.

So leave your sunglasses at home and join the gang at Loblaw’s (or are we ready to go back to Tim’s…just asking?) at 8:00. Some interest is out there to walk east along the lake and catch possible work on the Winter Stations. We will achieve some kind of consensus Saturday regardless.