MmmmmmKFC

Jon Hein has one of my dream jobs. Now I've got a craving.

Just a quote today

I am not a quote guy but I love this quote:

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

----Theodore Roosevelt

Train hard, smart, and safe.

RH

Bravo Brent & Ryder!

Another banner day for Canadian Sports. Love it!

Brent McMahon secured a third starting spot for Canada at the London Olympics today in Madrid.

Ryder Hesjedal wins Giro d'Italia! First Canadian to do so.

And a great Weekend of racing at Woodstock.

So inspired I had to get out for a wicked bike ride today. Thanks to my riding partners for the invite. I needed that after a cruddy race Saturday. More on that later.

Shop at Running Free on May 16 and 5% goes to help kids

May 16 is Running Free's Child Poverty in Canada Awareness Day

More than one in seven Canadian children lives in poverty today. Children who experience poverty, especially persistently, are at higher risk of suffering health problems, developmental delays, and behavior disorders. They tend to attain lower levels of education and are more likely to live in poverty as adults. Start2Finish - The Running & Reading Club program is currently operating within multiple inner city schools, servicing over 1,400 children across Canada, from Halifax to Vancouver, including several First Nations communities.

Running Free recognizes the significant impact the program has had on the lives of many and on May 16th will donate 5% of sales towards this important nation-wide program. To find out more, visit www.start2finish.org. Running Free is proud to have been a supporter of the program since its inception in 2004. Shop at any Running Free location or online. Find locations at www.runningfree.com

Vintage Canadian Cycling

I love this stuff:

Macca on Aussies Abroad

 A must watch in my opinion. Lots to learn whether you are a fan of Macca or not.

A Note to Chuckie V

I am a big fan of this guy.


On the Road with Chuckie V. from Anne Pazen on Vimeo.


He definitely brightened up the triathlon circuit. Beyond the mohawk he is a bright mind with some refreshing views on the sport - training, tactics, etc. I am pretty sure I've recommended visiting his blog on a few occasions to check out some incredible posts.

However, I just tried going to his blog and it is on lockdown for whatever reason. I know his last post did not make him a fan fave around his house - Angela Naeth (his athlete and partner--I believe). His twitter is gone too - as of this posting.

I hope he returns to the internet or somewhere where his thoughts can be read or heard. However, he is a guy who speaks his mind so I suspect if he can't do that then he might not do it at all.

I hope to see you back soon Chuckie V...... Censored or otherwise.

A bit of fundraising

I am doing some fundraising for Kids and Families with Cancer.

If you feel inclined, please feel free to donate to the cause - The Inside Ride.

Thanks

RIP Randy Starkman

Randy Starkman, one of Canada's top writers on amateur sports, died today.

Read more about Randy:  Toronto Star’s Randy Starkman dead at 51.

I regularly checked into his Olympics Blog.

His great journalism will be sorely missed.

My condolences go out to his family.

 

More Hall & Oates - The Greatest Duo of All Time!

A variety of stuff from the greatest duo of all time.

80's Pick of the Week #9 - Dance Desire ++

Here is a great band from our smallest province (PEI). Haywire.


Dance Desire




Standing in Line




Black and Blue




Fire




I am breaking the rules with the next few (1992 releases) but I want to stockpile all of their stuff in one place.

Get Back




Wanna Be The One - probably my fave of theirs

80's Pick of the Week #8 - Heart of the City

I can't seem to break away from the Canadians.

Here is another, The Arrows. I remember them coming to play at my high school.



Heart of the City









Meet Me In The Middle









Talk Talk









You can see the real video here.

Quintana Roo

Yes, I am a Litespeed guy, but QR is part of the ABG (American Bicycle Group Family). That side of the company is the one banging out the most aero tri bikes right now.

QR is the original tri bike, so maybe it is only fitting that as a old school Ti guy, that I stick with the originators in this sport.

Is a QR is in my future? Hmmmm.

2012 QR Tri Bike Line up

Illicito - lowest drag numbers I've seen

CD0.1 - pretty darn close to the Illicito, but provides great value

Will get to ride and test out a few models. Stay tuned.

80's Pick of the Week #7 - L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say To Me) ++

I love Jean-Marc's voice and I remember having a tough time tracking down CD's from these guys. Thanks to YouTube I can not only find the songs but see the videos from back then too.
I will post more than one so I can come back and check it out from time to time.

Here is Montreal's The Box.

L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say To Me) - perfect for that video era.

Closer Together - some more signing here




Ordinary People




Inside My Heart - Not an official video. But a tough song to find.




Live Performance on French TV

Tennis Fun

I love this type of stuff. Tennis is supposed to be fun.

80's Pick of the Week #6 - My Girl

More Canadian content and from the first compilation albums I owned.

Chilliwack (guess from where) with "My Girl".



See you next week

80's Pick of the Week #5 - Dirty Water

Last week I posted a video from the Payola$. They eventually became Rock & Hyde.
Here is another classic.



Catch you next week.

80's Pick of the Week #4 - Eyes of a Stranger

I love the Payola$. I was captivated by this song, video, and Paul Hyde's voice.



Stay tuned til next week.

80's Pick of the Week #3 - This Mourning

I first saw these guys when they opened up for Tom Cochrane. I immediately went out the next day and got their albums. A great band. I will post more than a few of their videos in the upcoming picks.

Chalk Circle - This Mourning



Here are the lyrics too.

[Argh]

It's 11 o'clock and they talk of him
About the eve of destruction
And a new ray gun
For my defense
A mended fence

When my head hits the pillow
Am I looking up at ground zero?
For heaven's sake
I am wide awake

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

Left in the dark with fear and blindness
Certainty has left me helpless
The most the other dream
To see twilight again

If a man in the street can get to sleep
The city is busy digging graves for counting sheep

Then you'd blow him away
He won't see the day

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

Oh, [argh]

The morning comes soon (soon)
This mourning makes me blue (makes me blue)

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

Oh la la la la no na no
Ooh, no

Makes me blue now
Oh, oh
Makes me blue, blue, blue, blue, blue

RIP My "Bobo"

My sweet full of love Bobo (Bowden - named after Canadian Triathlon great Lori Bowden) died this morning.

The family all feels a little empty inside right now. It will be hard to get used to no more greetings at the door, lick attacks, and begging for kitchen scraps.

She will be missed and there will be no other like her.

Here she is "riding my bike", she always rode my bikes first before I gave it a go out on the road. I am not sure I want to find another to take over the tradition.

Goodbye Bobo

We lost a special friend today
the kind you can't replace,
and looking at her empty bed
we still can see her face.

We see the endless energy
the sparkling puppy eyes,
not the tired, fragile friend
we had to bid goodbye.

We know she's in a special place
our Lord has for such friends,
where meadows, fields & flowers
help make them strong and whole again.

We remember how she'd run to us
to greet us or play her favorite game,
and how her ears would perk right up
when she heard us call her name.

But as those precious years went by
and we both aged and grew,
we’d find her often slowing down
but-we had still so much to do.

We’ve noticed in the recent times
Her ears were not as sharp
There was a touch more white than black fur
The years have shown their mark.

She started sleeping on the floor more and more
was this her special clue?
Because she felt the end was near,
we only wish we knew.

Our Bobo was a special loving dog
we know she gave her best,
but as we looked deep into her eyes
we knew it was time, for her to rest.

It will truly be a struggle
we don't know how we'll face each day,
we have to let her go--we know
but in our hearts she'll always stay.

This special place our Lord has made
Health and strength, wait for her there,
so with our very special friend
we are sending all our prayers.

We know she's watching over us
She'll be with us when we cry.
So with a few more rubs on her beloved head,
we whispered to our Bobo – “we love you and goodbye."

* Adapted from Christina Tronnes' - Special Friend

80's Pick of the Week #2 - Tonight I'm Yours

Here is pick #2, a classic by Rod Stewart.



Come back next week for another blast from the past.

Danny Hart Helmet Cam

This guy is an artist on the bike. Love this stuff.


Fox Presents Danny Hart Fort William Helmet Cam Run May 2010 on pinkbike.com

Bruce Dern on Ironman

Great stuff here. Bruce Dern, yes the actor Bruce Dern did this little story about Ironman way back. Check it out.

80's Pick of the Week #1 - You Make My Dreams

Okay, I love 80's music. It is my go to channel on Sirius Satellite Radio.

And after checking out a few videos today and reliving some memories. I came up with the idea of posting an 80's Pick of the Week.

I remember saving up my allowance and buying my first 45 single, "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates. Curiously, my 5 month old daughter has taken a liking to this song and I have to bust out in song whenever I need to calm her down.

If you are a fan of REAL music, you need to tune into Live From Daryl's House to witness outstanding musicianship. I know I've mentioned it before but I will keep on plugging it because it should not be missed. Make sure to check it out here.


The music there is a lot different than what you will see in the video below. But I love it all.

Enjoy this classic hit and video.



Catch you next week for another blast from the past.

Great finishes

Enjoy these great finishes. Lots of lessons to learn here.



















Probably the most famous and important of all:

Freddy Proia

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

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

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

Hoss TriYear in Review 2011

Hoss TriYear in Review 2011

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

Top 5 Triathlon Performances

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

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

2. Craig Alexander’s Ironman & Ironman 70.3 World Championship wins.

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

3. Chrissie Wellington’s record breaking performance at Roth, 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 run too (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 covering Ironman 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 it Nevada. Hopefully, it is a sign of more big things to come.

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

- Heather defended her title at Ironman St. George and made the trek out east to win at Ironman Lake Placid – both course record performances. 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 see him pull off 3 wins this year on the ITU circuit. He building up nicely heading into 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 and his first World Cup win. I certainly hope he and Kyle earn team slots for the London Olympics.

Happy 2012!

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

RIP Glenn

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!

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!

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

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

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

Getting a Tattoo

I am speechless

Doggie Dancer

RIP Jack Layton

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

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

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

Part 1




Part 2



Part 3

Roberto Alomar Hall of Fame Day

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

Friday Laughs

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

Running Free's July Sale Ends Sunday

Lots of deals to take advantage of at Running Free.

The July Sale ends this Sunday July 31st.

Check it out here.

Blazeman

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

No race for me at the 13th Ironman Lake Placid

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

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

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

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

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

Season Opening Race at Woodstock

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

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

Beauty hit - reminds me of when I played net

Foo Fighters - Walk

Another classic video from the Foos.

Foo Fighters - Rope

Cool stuff for the power geeks

Power Analysis from a Tour of California Rider



Check out the whole analysis here.

Equality

Running Gear for the Summer

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

Sorry for the lack of updates and fresh content.

Here is my latest review.

K-Swiss Blade Light.

Everlong

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

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!

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

Colin James on Q107

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

Sammy Hagar on Q107

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

VCA 2010 RACE RUN from changoman on Vimeo.

Getting amped for race season

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

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

Canadian Tennis at it's Peak!

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

Cool or what?

Team Running Free - I'm back

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

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

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

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

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

It's crazy out there...beware

Protect yourselves.

 

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

Happy New Year!

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

MultiSport Canada Awards Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Great Haile Retires

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

2 Videos for my Triathlete Pals

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

Holy cr.......Chrissy

This guy should be on Dancing with the Stars

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

Great video of one of my Fave Athletes winning again

Missing post from MySportShooter last Monday (Oct. 4)

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