I left it off my post yesterday, but have since collected my thoughts about what I think was improved over previous years, and what could be improved upon even more.
The route
Having walked it 6 times before in Toronto I loved that it was totally different this year. I loved everything about the first day, except perhaps that huge hill going up the side of the St. Clair reservoir! I particularly liked going north over the 401 and being in a completely different hood than we've seen in prior years. Personally, I didn't mind going through the industrial area at the end of day 1, although the gravel road was a bit challenging for a few on my team. What PO'd me was when a few vehicles came in using the gravel road and threw up dust... they weren't going fast, but why they had to be there at all was what I was asking myself.
Personally, I didn't enjoy the 2nd day as much. I found there was a lot of walking on wide busy streets, rather than through neighbourhoods. College Street was a blast, Lawrence not so much. Not sure if it was because I was walking fast, but I found that there was very little neighborhood participation once you got away from the Town of Weston, which was a bit of a shame. I felt the route was a bit contrived to get us to walk past Shoppers Drug Mart, rather than focussing on what might make the walk the best for the walkers themselves. Going down that huge hill in Christie Pits only to walk up it a few minutes later seemed silly.
But all in all, loved that it was different!
Food
As a fast walker, I never have a problem with access to food and water, so all was good by me, including the BBQ. Lots of food at the pit stops as always. Why was the gatorade in bottles - I found that odd and wondered if there would be enough for everyone at the end.
T-shirts
Okay, it's not about the shirt. That said, I used to look forward to putting on that nice warm long sleeved comfy shirt at the end of the walk when you're feeling a bit sweaty and chill up as you stand there waiting. As people have already commented, the shirts this year were REALLY small... I ended up in mens large. Teeny tiny 25 year olds on my team that should be in a small took larges. I vote go back to the old shirts - or a nice warm hoodie... that's what I'd really like!
Oh, the other thing... sorry, hate to be negative about this... but that color combination of pink and fuschia was so ugly. Reminded me of something a 3 year old might pick out. Seriously. I don't mind giving up the breast cancer pink, but let's just go straight to purple... there's so many nice shades of purple - lilac, royal purple, grape, etc.! I will never ever wear that shirt again.
Sponsors
I actually enjoyed the extra sponsors and what they brought to the table in terms of giveaways and goodies. Surprised me. I did feel that the opening ceremonies dragged on, and liked the suggestion already made that the formal part occur, then the stretching and a rah rah and off we go. We loved the royale toilet paper, pink hair extensions, chocolate coated raisins, etc. etc.
Volunteers
As always, the crew rocked! thank you every one of you. I noticed the Event Participation crew this year - not sure if that was new but it was fun. Felt like there was less of a theme / music / costumes to some of the pit stops... used to like that. Loved Oscar at the Hollywood stop! I had massages both days (a perk of getting in early) and it was great, as was the stretching on day 1. Looked for it on day 2 and didn't see any? Some of my team-mates took a shuttle or two and enjoyed themselves - love that this isn't about failing to complete the whole thing but rather about having fun with the sweep crew.
Pit stops
It wasn't as hot this year, therefore we didn't feel we needed to drink as much, and therefore didn't need to pee as much... but I kept on reminding my team we could still get dehydrated. So, what I think was better in previous years were pit stops you had to walk through, as opposed to going in and out of. I know it's only a few extra steps, but we skipped more pit stops this year than I ever had before, and I think that was part of the reason why. There was one on day 2 about 10K in that was at a school and you couldn't even see the portapotties because they were in the back. Those ones would have done much better in the parking lot past the school, which we walked right by.
CNE
Found it interesting that the indoor space wasn't rented. I may have been tempted to stay for closing ceremonies if it was, but I was feeling cold. Not a big deal... but it would have been awful if it had rained. Loved the long carpet walk in, although I liked the big screen thing last year better.
All in all a great walk... I think they just keep getting better year after year.
xo, Julie
-- Edited by JulieK on Monday 13th of September 2010 08:04:20 PM
OMG A HOODIE!!! You are a genius!! Haha. For the shirts, they were really nice, and I think a 2XL would have fit me pretty well, but as I didn't get in until 4pm, there was no way any were going to be left. I took a tight fitting XL telling myself I will lose some weight and fit into it, but I think we all know the likelihood of that happening ;)
I agree with you about it being like a walking tour of toronto's shopper's drugmarts. And I really missed walking along the water.
Loved the royale kitty and abundance of toilet paper.
Loved going through weston, as always.
As always I had a great time. Even when my feet swell up or I spend lunch at sunday sitting in the rain eating a soggy sandwich I always say that. It's a testament to all the hard work that goes into the event from crew and staff.
I think the only thing that really had me sad facing was the 20 minute line up to get a hot dog and florecent lime green coleslaw and the stomach ache that followed. It was a good idea, but I think in practice it's just too hard to coordinate.
4th time walker, signed up for next year. I loved the event and can't wait to do it again, just wanted to get some feedback down for the organizers.
Saturday Lunch
My team skipped lunch and we never miss out on food! The line ups were ridiculous and we thought the food would just be too heavy for us. Also would have been nice to have more space to stretch out.
Route
The end of day one was just too desolate and quiet and boring and long! We really struggled going through the back of Downsview with no scenery, no cheering! Other than that we thought the route was fine, the park for lunch on Sunday was great.
Shirts
Okay, it's not about the shirts but we really look forward to that token of our achievement and it was so sad that people couldn't even get a shirt to fit! I miss the cotton "I am the..." shirts, I really love them!
Camp
This was our first time not staying at camp and I think it is safe to say we will never camp again. We're just not hearty enough! That being said, the food and beverages were great, liked the entertainment and shopping opportunities and LOVED the stretching. We felt great on Sunday morning thanks to the lovely yoga instructor.
Overall the event was amazing! The crew was awesome, loved the new sponsors (but thought we went by too many Shoppers Drug Marts considering some of them didn't even decorate for the event?) Can't wait for next year!!!
Oh Hoodies would be AWESOME!!! Yes!! Brilliant... but I bet they'd be too expensive. I would love to just go back to the nice long sleeved cotton shirts.
I can't say enough about how wonderful the crew was. They work so hard and I am so very grateful for everything they do. The sponsors were awesome too. Did everyone go to the Royale site for Facebook and click on "LIKE"??
I hated that last desolate walk into Downsview Park this year. That was depressing. My buddy was almost in tears she was so sore and tired and that long, lonely walk really made it so much harder for her.
If there are lineups for food next year, we will be skipping lunch and buying lunch. I was so sick from that burger, it's not funny. It really sucks walking with the runs and cramps. Loved lunch on Sunday..that was yummy. Breakfast was amazing!! Don't know whose idea cheese omelettes were..but BRILLIANT!!!! and ever so tasty!!
I'm glad I have the energy and strength to do this walk. I am blessed to be able to. And it's always so amazing to meet so many wonderful people along the way. Thanks to everyone who was there..who made it such a wonderful event!!
the grab and Go at the school you refer to.. port a potties at back, we had to do that as there was a saftey hazard on the sidewalk in front of the school so we had to re-direct all our traffic to the back,, We tried to let everyone know that if they just kept moving in the same direction you would come back out on route, and no need to backtrack the steps,, hope it worked out
Hoodies would be awesome, I agree!! The idea of a hot lunch sounded great on Saturday, until I tried the burger. There was no line up when I arrived, but the burger was terrible. Lunch on Sunday was fabulous! Just loved the chicken strips and pasta salad! The walk into Downsview was a disappointment, with the gravel and desolation. This was the first year in a long time that I bawled my eyes out coming into the DEC. The fact that they narrowed the walkway into the centre made a HUGE difference. Much more personal with people in close proximity to you cheering you on as opposed to people spread way, way out, cheering for you. Overall though, this being my 8th year... I LOVED it. As I always do. I've already signed up for next year. I spend all year looking forward to this walk.......and then it's over in a weekend. LOVE IT!!
I'm disappointed there was no free field to type in for the survey!
I stored the bulk of my comments to type them where they were solicited. So I'm gonna type 'em here to get 'em out.
2011 Registration I don't know why but registration wasn't letting people try on the shirts - it's really difficult to tell what size you are when they just hold them up. I crewed with team 2011 for the ride to conquer cancer, and there were no issues with people trying on shirts. What gives!
The Route. The end of the route into downsview on day 1 was less than stellar. Difficult to walk, nothing to look at, little support, and EXTREMELY LONG. If it wasn't, it sure felt like it. At least you could see the end in the vague distance.
Also seemed like there was less support from neighbourhoods this year than in past years. Perhaps because of the updated route. And I really miss walking along the waterfront.
Having PMH toward the end of day 2 was just the pick-me-up needed to push through, but on the other hand it's nice the day 1 walkers got to experience that.
Also at times it seemed like we were on a walking tour of the Shopper's Drug Marts of Toronto. I know they are a title sponsor, but do we have to detour the route to constantly go by them? I would rather walk along neighbourhoods where you're not going to find a shopper's drug mart than commerical streets as well.
Cheering Stations Shopper's don't exactly seem like the greatest choice of locations for cheering stations either.
There was one cheering station at a shoppers on weston that was *right* after a pit stop - it would be better to space these things out.
Lunch Lunch on day 1 for me was... a disaster. When I get to lunch I like to grab my food and sit my butt down. Instead I found myself waiting in a 20 minute line. BBQ'd food generally doesn't agree with me. This one was also... cold. Which is weird when you consider the line. The coleslaw was lime green, and basically I hated EVERYTHING about lunch, including the massive stomach ache I got afterward. I normally wouldn't have eatten it but I was REALLY hungry. My friend didn't eat most of it. She said it tasted weird. I guess she wasn't as hungry as me.
Aside from the fact that a bbq like this doesn't really seem appropriate (too many people to serve, too many stomach aches after), if I had known in advance that lunch WAS bbq'd burgers, sausage, and hotdogs, I would have planned to have someone drive me out a sandwich.
Lunch on day 2 was great though!! It was delicious and healthier and I was able to grab one immediately upon arriving without standing in a huge line.
Event Guide ("The weekender") I really missed having this. Knowing the opening and closing times of the pit stops was handy for knowing how far off you were from them, and having the weather report there, and the inspirational story. I don't think they did it before, but they -could- put the location of lunch & dinner and what we're having in this to help out people with dietary restrictions at least a little in advance.
Parking As for parking... my boyfriend tried to meet me at the ex, but all the lots only took cash, and he didn't have any on him. He ended up missing me coming in the finish line while he drove around looking for parking that took credit or debit. That was... really disappointing. Is it really necessary to have the surface lots for friends & family & pickups be paid parking anyway?? I recognize that this may be outside of the control of the event however.
Anything I didn't mention here was great. Feedback usually ends up focusing on constructive critism, or negatives if you will, but obviously this is a great event. For the most part it's well organized, and the volunteers are fantastic. If that wasn't the case, so many people (myself included!) wouldn't keep coming back.
Hi all. Just to start with some positives - the Weekend was an amazing experience & I am in withdrawal from all of the love & positive vibes of the weekend. The crew, especially the traffic control folks were wonderful - great spirit! The base camp dinner and show were fabulous & I especially appreciated the wine. Great event! I'm signing up for next year.
I do, however, have some constructive criticism. Similiar to everyone who posted earlier, I was not impressed with the 'tour of Shoppers Drug Marts', shirts were very small, the Saturday lunch was absolutely disgusting - it felt like a slap in the face after all of our fundraising and walking. Next year our team will have someone bring us lunch. Also - similar to others, I agree that the last few kilometres, especially the gravel road was so lonely and desolate. My team & I kept wondering where were the sweepers in this last stretch? If we were going to keel over, it would've been on the last km on the gravel road. Point taken from someone earlier about vehicles kicking up dust, but at minimum, would have been nice to have crew cheering us on and checking in to see if we were physically OK. This is where we needed attention more than on any other part of the course!
At the 1st day finish, as you know, it was really cold. One of our team members was feeling ill & took a bad case of the 'chills' (I know - not very medical sounding, but she was quite in distress and shaking.) Another team member went to medical and asked for a blanket. They asked if she was a 2-day walker and when the answer was 'no-she's a 1-day', they refused to give a blanket. That was totally unacceptable! Only 2-day walkers are deserving of keeping warm after walking 30+ km? My team member was really not doing well. A friend that was with us had to go to back to medical & I don't know what she said, but eventually came back with a blanket.
Closing ceremonies - So emotional & beautiful, but i do have one issue: my team captain was a month out of chemo & I was amazed she did the walk - so standing over an hour at the ceremonies, after walking 60k, was physically a lot. Also, separating the survivors & other walkers was difficult for both her and us. We would have all liked to stand together instead of having her by herself with people she didn't know.
Re: parking - just to address someone earlier (so sorry your boyfriend missed u finish), there was actually a free lot a bit North of the Ex (Princes Gate) on the East side of the street. It wasn't advertised, wasn't staffed & maybe shouldn't have been open, but a lot of us used it and no tickets....
Even with all of the irritants, crossing that finish line with my captain & my team was one of the most amazing moments of my life. I will never forget The Weekend.
Leigh, I missed that one page hand-out too. The one with the day's meals, a walker story, etc.
Now that you say this I remember, they DID have the food in there.
The hand out was one of the first things I went to find. I had to talk to a staff member before anyone know wtf I was takling about. He said something about cutting down on paper. I'd rather they keep the weekender handout and send me 1 less printed donation form in the mail, personally.
As a sweep member sorry about the gravel road into Downsview but we were unaware of getting in there so that we could offer support. Also as sweep I agree that all the main street walking made it a little more difficult to do pickups and I think at times spread us out too much. As a sweep we wished we had known about the huge hill on day 1 because driving into that area to drop off and have walkers be told about the huge hill and to stay at that spot to be picked up to go around was hard for us. We had a few that we had to ask to get out of our van because we were on duty from the stop before to this point but if we had known ahead of time maybe we could have done a straight drive to the top instead of making those that were struggling get in and out of vehicles. Since this Weekend is always a great experience except for a few small things, I will see everyone next year.
I particularly liked going north over the 401 and being in a completely different hood than we've seen in prior years. Personally, I didn't mind going through the industrial area at the end of day 1, although the gravel road was a bit challenging for a few on my team. What PO'd me was when a few vehicles came in using the gravel road and threw up dust... they weren't going fast, but why they had to be there at all was what I was asking myself.