I wasn’t 100% confident in my hip, it was a very hard decision not to run the Ottawa Marathon but Dave and I think it’s the mature one. I’m sticking with elite marathon for a few years more so want to treat my body well and hopefully it can return the favor in the near future with a fast time.

I’m now in Ottawa and will still be apart of this great race weekend. I’ll be at the following.

Saturday

2:00pm, Expo for a Q&A with runners and to talk about your experience as an elite in the media booth – see Star on the map: http://www.runottawa.ca/exhibitors/expo-map

6pm-7pm, 10K Finish Line for live broadcast of the Ottawa 10K – you’ll find info about the roster here: http://www.runottawa.ca/media/registered-elites/2013-elite-news  It will be my first time ever doing commentating a race, should be fun.

Sunday

8:30-9:30am – Marathon Finish line for Marathon broadcast with Mark Sutcliffe and Krista Duchesne

The Ottawa Marathon and Ottawa 10K will be broadcast worldwide at www.runottawa.ca and locally on Rogers-TV (channel 22).

When in Kenya this past winter I met Johana Kariankei, a runner and bracelet making who owns a small shop called Olympics Corner located just outside High Altitude Training Center.

Over my time there I got to know Johana, buying bracelets and going for runs with him. Upon my return to Canada and deciding to run the Ottawa Marathon I inquired about getting a pacer, it worked out and I asked Johana if he was interested in coming over to pace me, he haply said yes. We worked it out so he would come over two weeks early to get in a race. That’s what he did, and ended up winning the 10k run in Toronto.

With me no longer running the Marathon race officials were kind enough to switch Johana over to the 10k, runs Saturday night at 6:30pm. Johana is very excited to get the chance to compete in this IAAF Silver label race, only second time racing outside of Kenya, and first was in Toronto!