SAYER BRINGS EXTRA FUN TO LATEST RUN
Janice Moult shattered this blogger’s junk-food-stained heart during last year’s Sun Run InTraining clinic when the cheerful Langley co-ordinator chirped: “Let’s face it folks, none of you in this room will win the 10K race in Vancouver.”
Still shocked why The Magnificent One would wait until Week 12 of our 13-week sweatshop sessions for this spoiler alert, another voice blurted from the back of W.C. Blair Rec Centre’s meeting room: “Notice how she stared straight at you when she said that, Gordo?”
That “voice” belonged to the Wonder Woman of Wisecracks, one speedy show-off named Sandra Jongs Sayer, an upbeat dental worker who week after week offered classmates an idea of what a real runner is supposed to look like. And she did it with a Dentine smile — and sometimes a tutu, or a leprechaun outfit, rocker-chick garb or a Valentine’s costume.
She was also the woman who accused yours truly of sucking up to the “amazingly wonderful” InTraining leaders, or of coming up with the lamest of all excuses to stop on hills to snap group selfies. My bad!
Turns out that Sayer, one of the pleasant people who made the early Saturday morning training class memorable, is back this year as the Big Cheese of the Langley city clinic. She’s completed the Sun Run 27 times, but is genuinely excited to lead the newbies from couch to starting line for the 33rd annual event, scheduled for April 23 — 89 more sleeps for those keeping score at home.
“I really want to make this year’s clinic fun, and we want to help people achieve their goals, whatever those goals may be,” Sayer said. “We want to help you run or walk safer, smarter and hopefully injury-free.”
Sayer stopped mid-sentence and admitted: “I’m new at this stuff, so if I sound stupid, please stop me!”
This writer assured her I’d have the next 13 weeks to do just that, but told her I was genuinely thrilled that a fun runner who loves the sport, people and the concept of healthy living was given an opportunity to spread the good word to the masses this winter.
“Hey, are you sucking up already?” Sayer asked with a laugh, while I tried to cover the tattoo of Janice Moult on my arm. “The Sun Run is an amazing event. You and 50,000 others get to enjoy a pretty special day running or walking in Vancouver. There is no other event in Canada like it.”
Sayer’s incredible leadership team — wink, wink — will be comprised of returnees Gary McGregor (now in his 16th year), Vern Ehrenholz, Moult and Crystal YarychPudsey, who will look after walkers.
There are SunRun InTraining clinics and passionate leaders all across B.C. who are committed to helping you crush it in 2017. Besides being great social outings with plenty of laughs, the clinics will help improve your pacing, your flexibility, your road awareness plus knowledge of nutrition, footwear and race-day etiquette.
And I’m not saying Sandra’s class will be the best, because that would be sucking up, but I’ve enrolled with her amazing group and can’t wait for 13 weeks of inspirational and flawless coaching. The fresh tattoo I have of Sandra on my left arm is pure coincidence.
Gord Kurenoff, a Sun Run InTraining leader last year in Walnut Grove, is the author of Fun On The Run, a regular blog that covers the Lower Mainland running scene. It appears online in The Vancouver Sun at vancouversun.com/tag/fun-on-therun-blog gkurenoff@postmedia.com twitter.com/Ohgord