Hosspro Services

Freddy Proia

2012-01-29T12:37:00.002-05:00

Freddy is an old pal from high school. We had lots of great times and I got the chance to see him work out his comedy routine in many classes. Among other things, like talent show tryouts, and sitting beside him in English class with him reading and answering Man of La Mancha in a Spanish accent for the entire class. It was hilarious because no one was expecting it (except for me of course - I kept encouraging him to do it), it came out of nowhere and no one knew if it would end. He followed through all the way.

Freddie is a funny guy and most importantly a great guy. I haven't seen him in while but I am a huge fan of his. He was named Canada's Funniest New Comic a few years ago - I believe he was awarded it by Joan Rivers too.

I've caught his show a few times and you should too if you get the chance. He has lots of great impressions and plenty of topical and situational stuff you can identify with. You will not be disappointed. Check out a sample below.

Great stuff all around

2012-01-04T01:11:00.000-05:00

I really dig this. I thank my friend Paul for sending this to me. Stay with it til the end.

Run like this during the winter

2012-01-03T12:16:00.000-05:00

What's the big deal? I run like this all the time.

Hoss TriYear in Review 2011

2012-01-03T01:59:00.000-05:00

Hoss TriYear in Review 2011

I will do a quick rundown of the things that left animpression on me in 2011. Let me start with triathlon. I will do it in a top 5format.

Top 5 Triathlon Performances

1. Paula Findlay’s 3 ITU World Championship Series wins.

- despite an injury plagued second half of the year, sheserved notice that she is a medal threat for London this summer. She is classyand humble too.

2. Craig Alexander’s Ironman & Ironman 70.3 WorldChampionship wins.

- not much else to say here. It is extremely tough to pulloff both but he did it.

3. Chrissie Wellington’s record breaking performance atRoth, and her 4^th Ironman World Championship win.

- I witnessed her race in Roth first hand and she is phenomenal.That course is not flat. And her 2:52:41 marathon in Kona proves she can runtoo (just 32 seconds slower than Mirinda Carfrae’s course record run).

4. Jeff Symonds third place at Ironman 70.3 Worlds.

- I met him in person for the first time while coveringIronman 70.3 Texas a few years ago and it has been great to see his progress.I’ve been waiting to see him use his run to break through and it happened itNevada. Hopefully, it is a sign of more big things to come.

5. Three way tie: Heather Wurtele, Kyle Jones, and BrentMcMahon.

- Heather defended her title at Ironman St. George and madethe trek out east to win at Ironman Lake Placid – both course recordperformances. She is also one of the nicest persons you will ever meet.

- I’ve been a big fan of Kyle Jones and it was great to seehim pull off 3 wins this year on the ITU circuit. He building up nicely headinginto the London Olympics and he is back with Coach Joel Filliol.

- Great to see veteran Brent McMahon come back from injury(that almost forced his exit from the sport) to great some great results andhis first World Cup win. I certainly hope he and Kyle earn team slots for theLondon Olympics.

Happy 2012!

2011-12-31T18:00:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

I promise a sort of a year in review post tomorrow or in a few days. Please check back!

Yes, daddy time is taking priority over blog time.

I'd have it no other way.

Bannister, El Guerrouj & Bekele

2011-12-12T20:00:00.000-05:00

RIP Glenn

2011-11-21T19:00:00.000-05:00

I feel sad that I have to do another post about another loss of life of a member of the triathlon family.

We are thinking about you Glenn.

http://triathlonmagazine.ca/2011/11/sections/news/glenn-van-zeumeren-lost-his-courageous-battle/

RIP Jerry!

2011-11-03T20:04:00.000-04:00

A great story written by a great guy about a great guy.

Make sure to check it out. The triathlon and running community just suffered a big loss.

http://ironman.com/columns/ironmanlife/kevin-mackinnon-reports-on-some-tragic-news-from-canada#axzz1chPAvC00

Kona Race Week!

2011-10-04T06:05:00.000-04:00

One of my favourite weeks is upon us and it all culminates with the Ironman World Championships this Saturday.

I will be glued to my Computer and TV screens all day.

I've written a few items Ironman.com and I will be posting stuff daily at Triathlon Magazine Canada.

Enjoy!

Catch me here

2011-09-26T20:17:00.002-04:00

Sorry folks, busy providing daily content for this website.

http://triathlonmagazine.ca/

And soon, a bunch of articles for Ironman.com as the build up to the Ironman World Championships begins in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned.

RH

I can ride like this........in my dreams

2011-09-10T21:33:00.001-04:00

The same course but dry and a lot slower. Although the guy riding it rode it quite well.

Getting a Tattoo

2011-09-05T11:28:00.000-04:00

I am speechless

2011-09-02T11:23:00.000-04:00

Doggie Dancer

2011-09-02T11:15:00.002-04:00

RIP Jack Layton

2011-08-22T15:06:00.002-04:00

I can't recall voting for the NDP but I almost did because of Jack Layton. I had a few brief run-ins with him and he was always classy. He lost his battle with cancer today and he wrote this just a few days ago. I really love his last paragraph.

RIP Jack.

August 20, 2011
Toronto, Ontario

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.

I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.

I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.

A few additional thoughts:

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.

To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.

To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

All my very best,

Jack Layton

Finally some race reports

2011-08-20T23:41:00.001-04:00

I've been super busy so I combined 4 race reports into one.

Here you go:

http://www.teamrunningfree.com/blog/2011/08/20/4-reports-in-1/

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Mid-August Update

2011-08-18T11:34:00.003-04:00

For those that follow me I just have one thing to say....Sorry!

Controlled chaos is the best way to describe life right now.

Since coming back from racing in Germany at the start of July it has been non-stop action.

Racing at Gravenhurst; working for Ironman at Lake Placid; back for more racing at Bracebridge, and Cobourg; lots of writing; and coaching of course.

Oh yeah, and I try to get in some sort of training.

The last few races have been not up to my standards thanks to that lack of training. I gained 10 lbs in one month and that does not serve me well for those hilly courses of Bracebridge and Cobourg. But that has sparked me to get back on track, even though I do not have another Ironman race scheduled for the rest of this year.

Typically, that second late season one keeps me going but not this year since life will change big time very soon with the arrival of my first kid. I am more excited about that than anything else. But I still better get in some bikes and runs to make sure I don't approach Marshmallow Man status.

I try to get some race report done soon.
Till next time.
H

Robbie Alomar's Journey to Cooperstown

2011-08-03T14:05:00.002-04:00

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Roberto Alomar Hall of Fame Day

2011-07-31T23:38:00.002-04:00

My favourite Blue Jay, and the first pro athlete that I interviewed.

Friday Laughs

2011-07-29T18:50:00.003-04:00

These are a few of a whole collection of videos. Enjoy!

Running Free's July Sale Ends Sunday

2011-07-29T18:22:00.000-04:00

Lots of deals to take advantage of at Running Free.

The July Sale ends this Sunday July 31st.

Check it out here.

Blazeman

2011-07-27T14:25:00.002-04:00

Support the War on ALS.
http://www.waronals.com/index.php

No race for me at the 13th Ironman Lake Placid

2011-07-25T19:08:00.000-04:00

For the first time in 13 years, I was not signed up to do Ironman Lake Placid.

I've raced there every year (except 2008 when my achilles was ruptured), but I knew I'd be needed to do some reporting work this year so no race for me. Plus, my continuous streak was over anyway.

Not to mention that course doesn't suit my skillset. But I always raced faster if I had another Ironman scheduled weeks or months after it (unless a mechanical of course) so I liked doing it as a long catered training day with lots of people cheering for you. Lake Placid on race day is like nothing else.

Anyway, here is a small portion of what I did on race day.

My Ironman Lake Placid Write Up for Ironman.com

Great Places to get Sports Therapy

2011-07-18T21:09:00.003-04:00

As athletes, we get injuries from time to time.
Let me save you some time searching around for places to get help.
If you have a great health plan, then you've got total physio coverage, partial massage, chiro, etc.

Depending on what is ailing me, I've made use of any of the establishments below and strongly recommend them. All great people too.

Here we go - mainly in the Markham and Toronto area:

Absolute Endurance (115 Merton St., Toronto. 416-483-AETT (2388) )
- the total package. Chiro, massage, physio, tri coaching, you name it, they've got it.
- Cindy, Alan and the rest of the crew are the best.

Physiobility (1-227 Main Street, Markham. 905-471-6422)
- Tony and his crew got me back to 100% after my Achilles rupture.

Running Free (708 Denison St. Markham)
- Massage with Angela Lloyd. Simply great. Just leave me some bookings.

Balanced Living (2673 Bur Oak Ave., Unit 1, Markham. 905-209-1005)
- Brian can do massage and ART. He's saved me a bunch of times.

Markham Pain Clinic (8312 McCowan Road, Suite #12, Markham. 905-470-2626)
- I've known Dr. John for 20 years and sought out treatment on and off during that time.

SEMI (Sheppard Centre, 2 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 601, Toronto. 416-223-SEMI)
- Dr. Stoddard and his team can handle anything. When something really serious strikes, this is where I go to find out what is wrong because he deals with sports injuries specifically. Lots of different therapies too.

One place I'd never go in Markham.

Rhymes with "Apple Creep". I'll let you figure it out.

I can elaborate if you inquire during a face to face conversation. I rarely speak badly of anyone or anything so you know this has got to be good/bad. But if you trust my opinion don't go there. We have other options in Markham.

Welland Swim/Bike Race Report

2011-07-07T04:43:00.001-04:00

I did my first Swim/Bike race at Welland.

Check it out the report here:

http://www.teamrunningfree.com/blog/2011/07/01/welland-half-iron-swimbike/

Binbrook Race Report

2011-06-27T07:57:00.000-04:00

On June 18 & 19th I raced two races in two days.
I biked well in both.

You can read my Binbrook Race Report here.

Blind runner to complete 100 Miler

2011-06-25T07:45:00.000-04:00

Simon Wheatcroft and his 100 Mile Ultramarathon.
What's so special, if running that crazy distance isn't enough?
He's blind.

Check out more here.

Clean Water & Surfing

2011-06-23T07:55:00.000-04:00

Season Opening Race at Woodstock

2011-06-20T21:19:00.002-04:00

Had a great opening race at Woodstock last week. The race report is here if you are interested.

I also had a fun couple of races this past weekend at Binbrook. Report to come.

Holy Crap...pun intended

2011-06-20T21:10:00.002-04:00

I am for protecting the environment and all, but I won't be eating this.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20110615/tc_digitaltrends/japanesescientistscreatesmeatoutoffeces

Bike Lanes - NYC

2011-06-11T22:16:00.000-04:00

Beauty hit - reminds me of when I played net

2011-06-06T23:56:00.000-04:00

Foo Fighters - Walk

2011-06-03T17:51:00.001-04:00

Another classic video from the Foos.

Foo Fighters - Rope

2011-06-03T17:45:00.000-04:00

Cool stuff for the power geeks

2011-06-01T00:48:00.004-04:00

Power Analysis from a Tour of California Rider

Check out the whole analysis here.

Equality

2011-05-24T20:32:00.001-04:00

Running Gear for the Summer

2011-05-18T23:48:00.002-04:00

It is finally starting to feel like summer around here so this is a great time to post this.

Kevin Mackinnon and I tried out a bunch of gear and put this together in the latest issue of Triathlon Magazine Canada.

http://triathlonmagazine.ca/2011/05/sections/gear/run-gear/run-apparel/summer-running-apparel/

K-Swiss Blade Light Review on Running Free

2011-05-05T07:18:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates and fresh content.

Here is my latest review.

K-Swiss Blade Light.

Everlong

2011-04-13T23:22:00.002-04:00

The greatest rock band right now! One of the few gems in the music business in a sea of absolutely horrible stuff that is somehow considered music.

Saw the documentary tonight and the performance of their new album via satellite.

Awesome! The new album "Wasting Light" is out now. Get it!

Here is the full Special Letterman performance.

Foo Fighters Website

Long Runs

2011-04-06T22:16:00.002-04:00

Stop Running Long on Sunday
http://www.endurancenation.us/blog/2011/03/28/stop-running-long-on-sunday/

An interesting concept for some but I've been doing this for a long time now, especially when it comes to crunch time.

Some of the reasons were stated in the article, but mostly out of mental convenience. For me, I like to get that run over with and banked. If I let it go til the weekend and something comes up, then long run missed. Some thing for long rides. If I can get it done during the week then I will. Especially if there is a shorter race scheduled on the weekend.

Mostly though I think you just have to mix things up all the time to give your body a jolt.

Last year during the winter I ran on Sunday's so I could run with some cool people in a local running group. But once the weather got better I got those runs over with on Wednesday or Thursday. This year, Friday seems to be the magical day, that used to be my day off. But even that may shift in a few months. Work, family, races, etc., have all gotta be taken into account.

Train safe and smart
RH

Never Give Up!

2011-03-30T17:09:00.003-04:00

I always say "Never Give Up" to anyone (those I coach) who wants to listen and here is a perfect example why. Enjoy!

Vintage Hollywood Squares

2011-03-21T14:02:00.001-04:00

Colin James on Q107

2011-03-18T10:21:00.001-04:00

A Canadian guitar legend. Catch him in concert if you can.

Sammy Hagar on Q107

2011-03-16T01:09:00.002-04:00

Sammy Hagar on Kim Mitchell's Q107 show.
I am a big fan of both these guys.
I'll be reading Sammy's new book - Red.

My next race

2011-03-07T23:50:00.001-05:00

VCA 2010 RACE RUN from changoman on Vimeo.

Getting amped for race season

2011-02-24T17:06:00.000-05:00

Don't Eat the Popcorn..or maybe not so much

2011-02-24T10:13:00.003-05:00

Been to the movies lately?
If you indulge with buying the popcorn combos from the concession stand then take a look at these numbers:

* this info is from this article.

Cineplex Odeon
1,141 calories
67 g fat
1,128 mg sodium
Cineplex said a large popcorn had 850 calories, 40.5 g fat and 399 mg sodium

Empire Theatres
1,116 calories
51 g fat
1,695 mg sodium
Empire said it had 637 calories, 28.5 g fat and 1,297 mg sodium

AMC
1,060 calories
62.6 g fat
883 mg sodium
The company didn't provide us with their own nutritional information

As for why there were such discrepancies, the serving sizes we picked up at the theatres were larger than the ones the companies used in their testing. Both companies also blamed human error for inconsistent methods used to prepare the popcorn.

When the same large bags of popcorn were analyzed with buttered topping, the calories jumped to 1,400:

Cineplex Odeon
1,420 calories
100 g fat
1,095 mg sodium

Empire Theatres
1,225 calories
67 g fat
2,114 mg sodium

AMC
1,138 calories
69 g fat
694 mg sodium

Roddick's Diving Winner a few days ago

2011-02-22T01:04:00.000-05:00

Canadian Tennis at it's Peak!

2011-02-19T18:51:00.006-05:00

Aside from the night I beat former World Number one, Ivan Lendl in a tennis match -- for fun of course, tonight and tomorrow is history in the making for tennis in Canada.

3 Canadians are in the finals in Memphis.

Tonight Rebecca Marino plays in the women's final.

And tomorrow, Milos Raonic plays in the men's final, and Daniel Nestor (I great guy who I grew up playing against, he even umpired one of my matches once when one of my opponents acted a bit dishonest) plays in the men's doubles final.

Crazy or what? This is incredible stuff and I am so glad that Sportnet has stepped up to change it's regular programming to broadcast it. Including some of the lead up matches.

Go Canada! I'll be watching all of it, or at least following it on the ATP/WTC App.

An oldie but a goodie

2011-02-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

Cool or what?

2011-02-12T22:56:00.002-05:00

Team Running Free - I'm back

2011-02-10T13:04:00.002-05:00

I am proud to be back with Team Running Free for 2011.

Running Free is an great store (stores actually), it is staffed and owned by incredible people.

If you need to get some gear, I suggest that you check there first. You'll get no better combination of service, selection, price, and satisfaction.

Use coupon code 11296 to save a few bucks too. Shop online at Running Free.

Two Legends of Media Together

2011-02-07T20:18:00.004-05:00

Last Thursday Howard Stern appeared on Letterman and this was one of the greatest guest appearances of all time. On this night Letterman obviously beat Leno in the ratings. Letterman is such a better interviewer and the show is so much more clever. Who is watching Leno's show to make him slip by Letterman on a regular basis? Hard to believe or even watch that show.

Anyway, enjoy the clip below, and if you are into TV, read Bill Carter's "The War for Late Night." It looks into the whole Conan/Leno debacle. Quite fascinating if you are into that sort of thing.

I get chills everytime I see this

2011-01-31T07:48:00.000-05:00

A little reminder of when the Leafs used to be good.

Gotta love the old Maple Leaf Gardens and vintage Bob Cole.

Down goes Brown

2011-01-27T11:14:00.000-05:00

To go with yesterday's Sportsline post.

Classic call by the Great Joe Bowen - the best play by play man in the business.

Glad to see Sportsline back

2011-01-26T11:05:00.002-05:00

I saw the commercial for Sportsline a few days ago and it brought back some great memories.

Before the coming of all the sports network stations on TV, there was Sportsline. I remember watching it every night at around 11:30pm and it was the best sports show around because it had the full highlights that the regular news wouldn't cover.

And the hosts - Mark Hebscher, Jim Tatti, and Don Martin rocked. They were funny and just plain cool. The Hebsy Awards were great too. I think I had an old VHS tape somewhere will each month's collection on them - I gotta find that thing.

Anyway, the show is back on CHCH. Although it is just Hebsy returning.
http://www.chchnews.ca/index.php/home/item/1469-sportsline-mon-dec-6-2010

What is Jim Tatti up to? Real Estate - likely more money in that anyway. He still talks sports with his blog.

And Don Martin? I don't know where he is right now but the last time I ran into him he was playing golf in Ballantrae. Many moons ago we played the old shinny game together, and as a reporter a few times when he had a better position than me in a scrum of reporters he generously grabbed my tape recorder for me to get my voice quotes. A really good guy.

Anyway, glad to see that the show is back. I hope all those guys are doing well though.

Check out this vintage footage of when Bob McCown hosted the show.

Clijsters busts Woodbridge

2011-01-25T23:30:00.000-05:00

It's crazy out there...beware

2011-01-03T17:14:00.005-05:00

Protect yourselves.

http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-electronic-pickpocketing-story,0,5636726,full.story

Happy New Year!

2010-12-30T22:26:00.003-05:00

If you are staying in on New Year's Eve (or if not you can record this) and want to see some REAL musicians in action, check this out on WGN on New Year's Eve at 11pm to 1 am (replayed at 1 am).

In Canada it is showing on Rogers on channel 345.

See below:

LIVE FROM DARYL'S HOUSE A NEW YEAR SPECIAL TO AIR ON WGN AMERICA ON NEW YEARS EVE!

On New Year’s Eve, WGN America will air an exclusive broadcast of Live from Daryl’s House, A New Year’s Eve Special, hosted by award-winning singer/songwriter Daryl Hall, founder of the legendary music duo Daryl Hall & John Oates. Live from Daryl’s House, A New Year’s Eve Special, will air on WGN America from 11pm-1am East/8pm-10pm West and will include music from Rob Thomas, Neon Trees, Train, Smokey Robinson, Todd Rundgren and more.

Find WGN in your area here

Happy New Year Everyone!

A crazy 70.3 sprint finish

2010-12-29T00:29:00.001-05:00

MultiSport Canada Awards Day

2010-12-12T19:56:00.002-05:00

What a cool awards day we had a few weeks ago. Two-time Olympic medalist (gold and silver) was in the house to answer questions, share stories, presented us with our awards and posed for pics. An excellent day! Thanks Simon!

R.I.P. Mark Dailey

2010-12-06T17:39:00.003-05:00

If you live in Toronto you've heard these words - "CityTV, Everywhere!"

Well, that great voice is now lost to us because the legendary Mark Dailey died of kidney cancer today at the young age of 57.

I watched his last news broadcast when he said he would be back soon (he beat prostate cancer before), but it was not meant to be. I was saddened and a bit shocked to hear the news an hour ago.

The nightly news will never be the same, and neither will those cool movie intros.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Cancer is such an evil disease. Do what you can to raise money to help bring a cure?

CityTV article

Livestrong

Conquer Cancer

My American Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T16:29:00.001-05:00

My body weight is getting out of hand and I better step up the training soon. Until then maybe one more feast to join my American friends.

Visions of my next Triathlon

2010-11-22T11:01:00.000-05:00

I'll be busting out these moves at my next triathlon.
And since I'll be on a Tri Bike and on the aerobars, wouldn't that be more impressive?

Goodbye Pat Burns

2010-11-19T23:31:00.003-05:00

The last time the Toronto Maple Leafs were good and worth watching and cheering for, Pat Burns was the coach.

I'll never forget those years. The team played with the same passion that Burns exhibited. I had the great fortune of meeting him and during those boom years and he was friendly, courteous, and welcoming. Not like the grizzly, intense, mean looking guy behind the Leaf bench.

Unfortunately, Pat Burns lost his battle with lung cancer today at the age of 58.

Leaf fans will always be thankful, and are thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Pat Burns (April 4, 1952 – November 19, 2010)

Some great articles about Pat.

http://www.thestar.com/article/894172--dimanno-pat-burns-a-man-s-man-with-a-tender-heart

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2010/11/19/16229576.html

http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101119/mtl_burns_reax_101119/20101119/?hub=MontrealHome

2010-11-12T01:20:00.002-05:00

An excellent video. I had my own version yesterday except not in song, just me letting some kids have it - in my own special kind of way.

Enjoy!

Description from YouTube:

On November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a drug store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the stores PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.

Terry was impressed with the stores leadership role in adopting the Legions two minutes of silence initiative. He felt that the stores contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable.

When eleven o'clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the two minutes of silence to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect.

Terry's anger towards the father for trying to engage the stores clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, A Pittance of Time. Terry later recorded A Pittance of Time and included it on his full-length music CD, The Power of the Dream.

Thank You to the Royal Canadian Legion Todmorden Branch #10 and Woodbine Height Branch #2 for their participation in the Video.

Please visit www.terry-kelly.com

Lest We Forget

2010-11-11T01:25:00.000-05:00

The Great Haile Retires

2010-11-07T14:34:00.000-05:00

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

2 Videos for my Triathlete Pals

2010-11-01T19:20:00.002-04:00

Check out these 2 great videos that address Triathletes swimming at Masters Swim Clubs.

Holy cr.......Chrissy

2010-10-27T20:13:00.001-04:00

This guy should be on Dancing with the Stars

2010-10-25T21:53:00.007-04:00

The folks at Challenge Roth posted today that they will not have a warm up swim prior to the race. Instead they will have everyone do this warm up dance.
It looks fun! 2000 plus people doing this will be interesting.

Macca talks about his big win

2010-10-18T17:57:00.000-04:00

Great video of one of my Fave Athletes winning again

2010-10-16T00:47:00.000-04:00

Missing post from MySportShooter last Monday (Oct. 4)

2010-10-10T21:27:00.002-04:00

This wasn't posted on MySportshooter last week and I didn't want it going to waste so here it is.

Roger’s World – Monday October 4, 2010
Short and sweet

This is going to be one of those nutty weeks for me so I’ve got to make this a quick one.

Moments after writing this, I’ve got to pack for a 3 day overnight trip to Muskoka where I have to pleasure of supervising a large group of Grade 9’s. I’ll need a vacation after that.

And if that wasn’t enough, the Ironman World Championships take place this coming Saturday, so I’ll be busy prepping and reporting for my favourite sporting event of the year. You can read my pre-race and post-race articles here at Triathlon Magazine Canada’s website.

Finally, my Run For the Toad 50 km a few days ago didn’t go quite as planned. I pulled the plug after 30 km when the trails got so muddy from the cold rains that wouldn’t stop. I was just slipping and sliding all over the place. I could no longer run a good portion of the course (took me 23 minutes to go 2 km at one point) so I spared my wife and myself the agony of spending another 4+ hrs in the cold and called it a day. Sometimes you have to pick your battles and this time run/walking/sliding another 20 km to finish 50 km was not worth it to me. The Run for the Toad folks put on an incredible race though and I am sure I’ll be back.

Be safe and happy training,
Roger

Macca pre-Kona 2010

2010-10-06T21:49:00.001-04:00

Get a Retul Fit

2010-09-30T21:58:00.003-04:00

I got a Retul Bike Fit back in June (Tri and Road bike), and by far it was the best bike fit I've ever had.

I am riding faster and totally comfy. This means I can stay aero all day!

Where to go?

Ian MacLean at IMFIT.ca

I've had regular bike fits with Ian in the past and but once he added Retul to his services I had to give it a try to see what it was all about. It truly takes bike fitting to a new level.

You can throw down big money on any bike but if it doesn't fit it wont make a difference - but you sure will look nice as your fellow racers pass you by in comfort or later in the run.

Seriously, a bike fit is the first thing you should get done. I suggest to consult with Ian first, he can get your measurements and suggest what bike to get, and then return to get the full fit. It is money well spent and you will not regret it.

Check out IMFIT.ca and the video below which shows some "average" guy getting a Retul fit - not with Ian though. But you will get the idea.

Simon x 2

2010-09-29T16:48:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Nike kicking off their efforts to step up the promotion of running at the high school crosscountry and track level, I got a chance to attend a really cool XC Coaching Clinic last night.

Simon Bairu (Canadian National XC champion -- running the New York Marathon in 6 weeks) and his coach Jerry Schumacher spoke to us, and it was hosted by a special surprise guest - Simon Whitfield.

Check out this clip.

Climbing Carnage - enjoy!

2010-09-28T16:06:00.000-04:00

Big Bang!

2010-09-22T13:57:00.000-04:00

Our whole universe was in a hot dense state,
Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait...
The Earth began to cool,
The autotrophs began to drool,
Neanderthals developed tools,
We built a wall (we built the pyramids),
Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries,
That all started with the big bang!

"Since the dawn of man" is really not that long,
As every galaxy was formed in less time than it takes to sing this song.
A fraction of a second and the elements were made.
The bipeds stood up straight,
The dinosaurs all met their fate,
They tried to leap but they were late
And they all died (they froze their asses off)
The oceans and pangea
See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya
Set in motion by the same big bang!

It all started with the big BANG!

The new season starts tomorrow. Can't wait!

How chains are made?

2010-09-09T18:39:00.000-04:00

A really cool look at how bike chains are made.

3 Flats....but IM #17 in the books

2010-09-06T13:41:00.005-04:00

I was on my way to a 11:30ish Irondistance finish on Saturday but the 3 flat tires put an end to any thoughts of that goal time. I considered bailing but glad that I didn't. I think if you quit a race once (when you are physically able to continue) then it becomes easier to do so the next time. I don't want to start down that road.

Anyway, here's a brief report on my day.

Canadian Iron 226 - Ottawa (Sept. 4, 2010)

Swim - great for me 1:18:46. My right shoulder was messed up, and slowly made it's way back into its socket throughout the bike ride.

T1 - 8:00. Took wetsuit off at the beach, and made the long run to transition. Chilly conditions meant a bit more time in T1 to put on more gear.

Bike - On pace for 5:30-5:35, then had 3 flats (maybe if I carry less spares I'll have less flats? Hmm) - dreams of a PB was over. Rode the last tire on less than 20 psi (i checked later) for 11 km). Serious gale force winds almost blown off my bike at least half a dozen times. Suggestion to race organizers - mark the potholes! I snapped a piece of my aerobar off in addition to getting flat #1. I was not the only one as there were quite a few bottles at the side of the road at that spot. I really don't know how my wheels or fork didn't crack or how I avoided an "endo". That was not the only hole in the road either. Bike completed in 6:26:34. Below is a picture of me riding to the aid station on flat tire #1 (rear) hoping they had a real pump.

T2 - I looked at the time, and calculated that I could still bang out a better than 12:30 finish - even with my injured hamstring which was feeling quite decent. However, such an effort would have beaten me up for a finish time that would have meant not too much. So while my goal time was out of reach, I decided to wait for my buddy Ace and be his personal pace bunny to get him a PB - whether he liked it or not.

I chatted with Allan Chud (won his age group for the Iron 113) and Cindy Lewis (8th overall woman at Ironman Louisville last week) of Absolute Endurance for a while, then changed out in the open. Yes, public nudity! The change tents were blown apart with the crazy winds. Ace came in, I waited for him to change, then we headed out. I spent 19 minutes and 6 seconds in T2. Yeah baby!

Run - 5:35:35. Basically, I served as the "no walking" police, rather than a pacer. I'd allow walking through aid stations or to let heart rates to come down but that was it. The first 15-18 km was a struggle but once over that hurdle Ace was a machine. He got stronger and this is the way to do an Ironman run.

In the end, Ace ran a PB, and beat his previous Ironman time by over 90 minutes! That made my day and I'll always remember it. Especially when we approached the finish line and he refused to cross the line ahead of me. Being the classy guy that his is he said, "Either we finish together or you finish ahead of me." We were at a standstill a few metres from the finish and I am sure the spectators were wondering what was going on. Since he would not move an inch, I grabbed his arm and we crossed the line together. I am so glad I didn't quit because I would have missed this incredible experience and a memory to have for a lifetime. Ace - you rocked it today my friend. Prem - congrats on your finish too buddy.

Final time - 13:48:00

Final thoughts - Brutal conditions today. Many will say this is an "easy" course but I say no Ironman distance race is easy. You still have to cover the distance. Sure the potential for fast times is great with a flat course but this means you are pedaling the whole time, there is no time for rest or coasting down hills. This will take its toll during the run. In my experience these flat course also tend to have a lot wind (ie: today in Ottawa, last year too but not as bad as today, and at Ironman Arizona). A race course is as hard as you want to make it. Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other - sorry I could not resist the Jerry Springer reference.

PS: Major thanks to the best in-laws a guy can have. I truly hit the jackpot in that department. D & L - thanks for making the trip, and enduring the windy and chilly weather a little longer than expected. And I really didn't need a jacket out on the run, it was cold but we so called athletes don't feel the chill until we stop moving. Thanks for the concern though. BB - as usual you rule too!

See you at Lakeside or if you need a 2:15 (10 and 1) pace bunny at the Scotia Half, make sure to search me out.

Oh, and if you think my KFC thing is a joke, check out what I had for dinner last night.

Happy training and racing.
H

My favourite commerical

2010-09-03T04:18:00.000-04:00

Review - Mizuno Nirvana 6 & Elixir 5

2010-08-30T23:58:00.002-04:00

Mizuno Wave Nirvana 6 & Elixir 5 Review

Just Great Stuff

2010-08-20T00:37:00.001-04:00

Kurt Kinetic Trainers - Best one I've tried

2010-08-20T00:12:00.004-04:00

I got my hands on one and it is the best trainer I've ever used (besides the Computrainer but that is more than 4x the price). And their lifetime warranty is no joke either. I had an issue and got a replacement resistance unit within a week. Now you can see what is going on inside the unit.

Toronto Island Showdown

2010-08-18T12:55:00.001-04:00

Not really, but we did run the first 10 minutes together.
Check out what happened here.

http://mysportsshooter.com/rogers-world/fantastic-%E2%80%93-part-2

A Real Family!

2010-08-11T16:11:00.000-04:00

Read this:

A Real Family!

Heavy Rain on Mysportshooter

2010-08-10T12:53:00.000-04:00

My post on Mysportshooter.com - Heavy Rain.

One more season of Friday Night Lights

2010-08-06T14:41:00.001-04:00

Dexter - A definitive end?

2010-08-06T14:37:00.000-04:00

A bit of info for fans of the show Dexter.

Jimmy and Drake - enjoy!

2010-07-30T23:53:00.001-04:00

IMLP - 12:56

2010-07-27T12:10:00.003-04:00

A full race report is upcoming but until then here is a quickie IMLP race report.

Swim – 1:22:04
Over 2600 people in the water, I got beat up, I did some beating up, did not swim in a straight line, my right shoulder popped but my full wetsuit helped keep it in and functional.

T1 – 10:47
Spent way too much time here. Cycling top zipper stuck. Got nice and lubed.

Bike – 6:46:47
Back did not hurt at all. Rode very easy. Avg hr 140's.

T2 – 8:19
Did a complete gear change. Lubed from top to bottom

Run – 4:28:11
Again, kept it totally in the 150-155 range. All manageable aerobic pace. Best run at an Ironman.

Final time – 12:56:08. Best at IMLP. Great note to end on.

The full report is here.
RH