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GREEN DRINKS GEORGINA

The Green Drinks worldwide movement has come to Georgina! Have you ever just wanted to gather together with like-minded individuals, and talk about sustainable ideas? This is your chance to mix with adults of all ages to share information and make friends!

Green Drinks has no agenda: green drinkers mingle and share insights and inspire each other. There are no membership dues or commitment, just a chance to meet every month and chat, debate, socialize and connect with others that are passionate about the environment!

WHEN: The 2nd Wednesday of each month – 1st one was Wednesday March 10th, 2010!
TIME: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
WHERE: Boston Pizza Keswick, 253 The Queensway South
HOW: Walk, Cycle, Bus, Carpool ...
WHAT: Conversation, Drinks, Food (half price appetizers) **Please drink responsibly**
WHY: Fun, Contacts, Info, Inspiration, Business, Pleasure.
CONTACT US: Questions? Comments? Want to join our email list? Please email us georginagreendrinks@gmail.com or check our Facebook Fan Page

ABOUT US:

The idea of Georgina Green Drinks was born in September 2009 during the first ‘Up The Maskinonge With A Paddle’ event, while launching boats from the parking lot of Boston Pizza Keswick. For several months; Lindsey Pullin, Debbie Gordon and Renee Blake planned this new local chapter!!

Green Drinks International was born in the UK in 1989 and continues to grow into the worldwide movement it is today with over 480 cities around the world! Please visit www.greendrinks.org to find out more.

Debbie Does the Boston Marathon (42.2 km)
by Frances Connolly

Non-runners may not realize the Boston Marathon is the place to prove that you are a "runner".

Many people try to go to Boston, but not everyone can run the Boston Marathon. Boston is a race that requires you to make a standard qualifying time, so to runners it is like the "Super Bowl" for runners. You can also run Boston if you are running for a charity or if you live there.

Well Mount Albert is honoured to have one representative in the Boston Marathon this year. Debbie Vanderwal who has been a part of the Mount Albert Run Club since it started has run it this year. The Boston Marathon is 114 years old and has taken place on "Patriots Day" since its inception, which is part of the tradition. The whole town basically shuts down during the event and the runners are treated as "Gods". The whole city along with the families of the runners come out and line the sides of the streets to cheer them on and give them support... which adds up to around 50,000, the 2nd largest spectator event behind the Super Bowl. In some areas the crowd is so thick you cannot see the background, 10 and more people deep.

To run this marathon Debbie had to run a qualifying time of 4 hours and 5 minutes in the age group of 50-54 females. Most runners do not make their qualifying time at Boston because of the very challenging course. The first 4 miles is down hill, which plays havoc on your body – and from there it’s a constant up and down. At around mile 19-21 there comes a series of up hills in Newton, which comes at a time in the marathon where your body is rebelling; these have been rightly named "Heart Break Hills".

Even that did not stop our Debbie. After training through our Canadian winter with all the hills we have around here. Boston is held on April 19 or the closest Monday to that date – so it can be spring weather or summer like weather, you never know. For Debbie it was perfect spring weather; she said, "you couldn’t have asked for a better day".

The runners are bused out to the start in Hopkins and finish in Boston. The logistics of setting out 40,000+ runners makes it a challenge. Debbie was bussed out at approximately 7:00 a.m. and didn’t start the run until 11:00 a.m. Her finishing time of 4:19:09 was great – placing her quite high in her age group.

I asked Debbie:
How did it feel?  Glad it’s over and after doing 16 marathons this is one was the hardest.
Would you like to do it again?  Yes, in 5 years or if a group of friends were going I would love to go back, Boston is such a great city.
What did you eat before the race?  Well that was a problem I didn’t get a chance to eat my usual breakfast so a banana on the bus was it.
Did you enjoy yourself?  Yes the people of Boston were the friendliest you would ever meet in your life, outside of Mount Albert.
What was the most memorable part of the race?  That was probably the spectators and the amount of them.
Do you recommend this race to others?  Yes everyone should try it.