Interprovincial sisters master the art of walking and talking
Every Wednesday at 2 p.m., sisters Joy Dobson and Helen Bailey walk and talk.
Dobson, a doctor, lives in Emerald Park, a small community just east of Regina. Her sister lives in Chilliwack. They began what they call their “walkie-talkies” last year, while preparing for the 2021 Sun Run virtual race.
“We go at our own pace and talk for an hour and it goes by like nothing,” Dobson said. “COVID made us think of different ways to connect.”
What do they talk about? “Garden club.”
“Oh my God,” Bailey said. “Everything. I love to have Joy's ear because she's such a talented, smart doctor. I'm whining about everything. I wish there were a few dead silences. But no.”
Now 65, Dobson was a runner in her younger days, then started again in her 40s.
“I thought the reason for my back troubles was that I was out of shape,” Dobson said. “And then I got tricked into running a half-marathon when I turned 50. Now I am no longer a runner. Personal best times are not in my ambition. My goals now are always finish upright, smiling and injury-free.”
The sisters began walking together about a decade ago, for the Queen City Marathon in Regina.
They've been participating in the Sun Run since 2018. Last year, when the race went virtual, Bailey didn't hesitate.
“We'd had so much fun doing it in real life so I thought, why not sign up and do it virtually?” Bailey said.
They began training together, heading out the door at the same time and gabbing on their phones.
“The training is one of my favourite parts because you get to do a lot of walking and talking, two of my favourite things,” Bailey said.
Prior to last year, she was registering her sister for the in-person event as a birthday present. For the virtual race, she “probably gave out 10 registrations. It was an excellent gift.”
Bailey figures she did the virtual 10K at least four times last year because she'd purchased so many registrations for people.
Bailey usually walks the Rotary Trail along Vedder River.
“It's one of the most sensational walks on the planet, in my opinion,” she said. “I also have a nice neighbourhood walk but it's a little hillier. I have to be ready for it.”
Dobson has routes mapped out from her half-marathon days.
“I've got a route of every distance up to 18K all through walking paths in our community,” she said.
Saskatchewan winters can be a challenge.
“My rule has always been, if it's above 10 below Celsius, you can run outside. You need long sleeves and long pants or leggings. When it's zero you can have one or the other, bare legs or arms. If it's above 10, you can have both.”
For this year's Sun Run, Dobson has bought a plane ticket.
“Things are settling down a bit even though Saskatchewan is maybe not quite as good a space as B.C.,” Dobson said. A former anesthesiologist and critical care physician, she now works in a medical leadership role in system-care.
“I am hoping to do it real life with Helen on the actual day. This will be the first trip I have done outside my little corner of the province in the last two years.”
“It's become such a family tradition that now the grandkids are in the mix,” Bailey said. “They did the 2.5 last year. One thing about the Sun Run, anybody can do it.”
This will be the first trip I have done outside my little corner of the province in the last two years.
In 2019, the sisters came in fourth last because Bailey's twoyear-old granddaughter wanted to keep up with them.
“She must have walked 8K, that little tyke, she was so determined,” Bailey said. “Hopefully I'll bring the babies again, the moms and the strollers, and that will slow Joy down a little bit. I remember in 2018, around the 7K mark, she said, `Let's ditch the babies.' ”
Bailey loves the energy of race day, something she missed last year.
“I have a picture I took at the last in-person Sun Run and it's a sea of runners,” Bailey said. “There were a lot of comments along the lines of, `I wouldn't want to be with all those people.' But there was so much room, and everyone was so friendly. While the virtual was fun, I'm looking forward to being in a big group and all that energy and all the people cheering you on. It's really a fantastic way to spend a morning.”