Luckily, this Salon has been rescheduled for Nov. 28th. It will be complete with a slide show, so it will be extremely cool. It will be a full house as several local running groups and other meetups will also be present.
This is a great chance to hear from a remarkable individual - Gary Robbins. He'll be talking to us in an intimate setting and sharing his amazing experiences with us. We'll also get a chance to ask questions (like, "Who in their right mind enters a 100 mile trail race with 20,000 ft+ in elevation gain?")
From Gary:
I'm going to start off addressing who I was and what I did (drink n party in Banff), my turnaround, my pursuits since then, including many of the hardest expedition adventure races out there, 2006 Primal Quest Utah (700km) , 2007 Raid The North Extreme Queen Charlotte Islands (500km), 2007 XPD Australia (800km), the pursuit and efforts involved around taking a team from scratch to a fully ranked overall finisher. The dedication involved in achieving something like this and how it relates to other aspects of life. Leading into my ultra running pursuits over the last few years with 2x 100mile races under my belt and counting, including a few 'death marches' where most sane people would have quit on themselves and gone home, etc, etc...this is just off the top of my head this morning.
Basically I was the guy next door, in the sense that I was not a born athlete and that it's never too late to make major changes in your life. The dedication and perseverance associated with getting to where I am now, and how it's helped change my life for the better and allow me to be more confident in all life pursuits.
Prior to March of 2004 I'd only run more than 10k three times in my life and could basically count on my fingers and toes how often I'd run at all. In 2008 I was awarded Canadian Ultra Runner Of The Year and I now hold course records on three local courses.
There's also a serendipitous side I'll touch on as I was a dive master working in Honduras when I was told I'd never dive again due to an ear issue which is what forced me into finally pursuing this idea...etc.. Just have to get it onto paper and make a presentation out of it...I promise it'll all make sense by then Kerry!!!!
Gary is also one of the most down to earth and enthusiastic people I know in the local running community. He is VERY well informed about all aspects of running and is likely to share some local tips for people who like to hike/run anywhere in BC.
If you would like to know more about him, please refer to his extremely entertaining blog: http://garyrobbins.bl...
You can read a short interview with him done prior to his Western States 100 Ultra race here: http://www.mindovermo...
This Salon will be a blast!
The format for the evening will be:
COME ON TIME!! PLEASE.
30 Min - introductory discussion/introduction facilitated by me (Kerry) where we'll talk about our own physical Adventures.
60-90 Min - Gary will present to us and answer questions.
20 Min - Break with light, healthy refreshments offered
10 Min - Musical or Poetry/Prose interlude with special guest.
45 Min - Follow up group conversation: Subject TBA
These Salons are stimulating and fun. There is lot of networking that goes on - and you may find yourself befriending some fellow-Adventurers - or perhaps even registering for a future Ultra race!
Even if you are not a runner (or even physically active), come and hear some great stories and meet some great people in a friendly and supportive environment.
Seating in chairs may be limited, so if you'd like to bring a pillow to sit on, that would be great in case we run out of chairs.
What is a Salon? And why should you attend?
The short answer is that you should come because it is good for the health of your soul (seriously!)
Historically, the word Salon appeared in 1664 in France. It is derived from the Italian word salone, the large reception hall of a mansion.
At Rediscover the Art of Adventure, a Salon is a congregation of people who gather to socialize and interact with the intention of creating an elevated and eclectic discourse. This type of event is altogether too rare today, but vital in maintaining our positive social Adventure sphere.
Why the $5 fee? In the past, these RAA Salons have been quite full. I plan and budget for space, food and drink according to the numbers of RSVPs well before the event happens. Some members have a habit of either no-showing (poor form) or changing their RSVP at the last minute to 'NO', which essentially robs someone else of an available place. Please come if you RSVP, yes, okay?
$5 is not a large amount. However, if you cannot afford this, let me know and you will be welcomed, anyway.
A surprising amount of love, planning, money, care and energy goes into putting events like these on.
Hope to see you there! Gary is a very colorful character and I can't wait to see what he has to say.
“ I had a fantastic time! Gary is such an inspiration, even if I can't quite understand why he would do a 700km adventure race :-) Thanks so much for organizing, Kerry! ”
“ Fascinating talk, interesting group of people. ”
“ We had a really good turnout of 28 people from several different meetup groups. Gary had prepared a stellar slide show to accompany his story. The mix of people in the room was really nice, too. Great interaction and participation. Thanks again, Gary! ”
Annik (+1 guest)
EanJackson (+1 guest)
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