Michelle Penta Memorial Canucks Run Amok - 2010 Challenge: Canucks Run Amok

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Canucks Run Amok - 2010!

Join us for the Michelle Penta Memorial Canucks Run Amok - 2010 Challenge! Gather your team, hook up your pedometers and GO! It's a virtual race across Canada, from St. John's to Vancouver: an opportunity to work off any extra flab through a little "healthy"competition with other library folks. All you need to do is get your team together, register, log the weekly distance of your walks or runs, submit your group's distance weekly and watch this space to see who can travel fastest by foot from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This race is designed for teams of any size, as smaller teams (even of one person) will be awarded a handicap. The winning team will have an engraved plate with their Library's name on a beautiful trophy and bragging rights across the land. Teams from anywhere in Canada (or the world) are invited to participate. The contest begins May 17, 2010 and ends when the first team reaches Vancouver. See THE RULES for further detail.

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FAQs

1. Can I submit mileage for cycling, skating, skiing, swimming (or any other sport besides walking or running)?

No, because to weight these activities in the interest of fairness would be extremely complicated and time consuming for the organizers. We're in our employer's good graces so far and hope to keep it this way. So skaters, swimmers and others, please join your colleagues in a noon hour walk as a bonus to your regular fitness routine (or substitute, as you see fit). This rule will be reconsidered on a case by case basis ONLY if a potential participant has a disability preventing him or her from walking or running.

2. Can I put a pedometer on when I play soccer, basketball or any similar running sport and call that my mileage contribution?

No. Remember it's an imaginary race across Canada. You have to move forward to get there. Besides which, we cannot necessarily interpet which sports would be acceptable: a sport that involves "running" such as softball does not usually offer much in the way of fitness, although it may for some people. We prefer to keep it simple and ask you to add some walking or running to your regular sports routine.

3. When do I submit my mileage and to whom?

You must submit your mileage on the Monday following the week you are tracking. Submit it to your captain, who will submit it to the organizers by Wednesday, 4:00 p.m. Eastern. We will post it on Thursday.

4. Why is there a limit to the number of kilometres a person can submit each week?

This rule was introduced in 2009 to encourage teamwork. If one individual on a team regularly clocks extreme distances, there is no onus on the team as a whole to work together. Keeping up with the competition is a great motivator, but the point of the contest is to encourage as many people as possible to be fit and have fun. Beginning this year, no one participant can submit more than 50 km. per week.

5. Where do I get a pedometer?

You can get a pedometer at any large department store or at places like The Source, or at sports stores. Experts tell us that freebie pedometers (say, like those in cereal boxes) can be off by up to 25%. (!!!) Your best bet is to go for a mid-priced pedometer from a sports store. Hopefully you'll keep using it once the race is over, making it a very good investment. However, remember that if you do not want to get a pedometer, try http://www.mapmyrun.com/ and follow the instructions there for a simple tool to track your mileage.

6. How will we know how our team is doing?

Watch the blog. We'll update it weekly.

7. What if I am sick or go on holidays or am blocked in the house by snow? What do I submit?

There is no obligation to submit mileage each week. Do the best you can. Be aware, however, that if you NEVER submit, the rest of your team has to cover your part of the mileage. Don't sign up if you are not committed to participating at least some of the time.

8. Can I use a treadmill?

Yes. It's Canada, remember. Especially important for Albertans and New Brunswickians (?).

9. Can I use an elliptical trainer?

Yes.

10. My question isn't answered here. What do I do?

Email us: canucksrunamok@gmail.com

How a Handicap is Assigned

To enable smaller teams to participate in Canucks Run Amok, we assign handicaps to even the playing field. By our calculations (using Google Maps), the distance from St. John's to Vancouver following the TransCanada Highway is 7,313 km. We began by imagining a team participating with 50 members whose members would average 146.26 km. to cover the total distance, all things being equal (7313 divided by 50). Therefore if another team has only 10 members, they would only need to cover 1,462 km. (10 x 146.2) and would start the race not in St. John's, but some 1,462 km. east of Vancouver. In other words, they are given the distance between St. John's and that starting point "for free" at the beginning. Of course, a team made up of one person would start approximately at Hope, BC, which is 150 km. east of Vancouver. A team bigger than 50 would have to multiply the number of participants over and above 50 by the same average (146.26) and start the race even farther away than St. John's (i.e., in the ocean). It is anticipated that some members will walk or run further than 146.2 kilometres and others will walk or run less than this distance.

Michelle Penta Memorial Canucks Run Amok - 2010 Challenge

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Canucks Run Amok - 2010!

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Michelle Penta Memorial Canucks Run Amok 2010 Challenge

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The Route - St. John's to Vancouver

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How a Handicap is Assigned

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