Unlike Kirstie Alley - I Promise This Diet Will Stick

As mentioned earlier, I have recently proven that a person can gain weight fairly quickly on a vegan diet. I have gained somewhere between 10-15 pounds since November. I don't want to have to change the title of this blog to Being A Fat Vegan - I can't imagine anyone would want to read that. Alec Baldwin had already proved the theory that a chubby vegan can exist, but I had to try it for myself...

Why?

After almost 4 years of continuous 12 month per year hockey, 2-4 times per week, I'd had enough and started shedding nights. Three weeks ago, my Sunday night hockey ended for the season and my Friday night hockey that would normally go all year round, ended until September because we can't get enough people out. This is great because, come September when hockey starts up again, I should be back in love with playing the game.

Working out and running have been severely reduced. I have many excuses, of course! Weather, health (colds), high amounts of time spent on other projects...

My eating habits have gotten lazy as well. I can't seem to avoid that extra meal at 10 or 11 at night. I've got into eating a lot of processed food that, even though it's vegan, is simply not good. I haven't been preparing my lunches ahead of time so I'm eating fast food often at lunch. I'm also just beginning to drink more water again. I normally drink a ton of water every day, but with drinking more and more green tea while experiencing reduced physical activity, there were days when I wouldn't drink a single drop of plain cold, fresh agua.

What I've Learned

• Especially over the age of 40, there is no miracle diet (ok, maybe raw veg or fruitarianism...).
• Timing is everything! I know there's some dispute about when and how often you should eat. What works for me is a small breakfast, small lunch, small dinner and nothing whatsoever after dinner. When I go to bed hungry, I'm not starved in the morning, but I find it so much easier to get out of bed and I have so much more energy than if I ate a late snack or meal.
• Green Tea is a prince but water is king! Green tea is full of goodness but it also contains caffeine and is a diuretic. Therefore, if you only drink green tea, you will be in a constant state of dehydration.
• Even 100% whole wheat bread is not for those who want to lose weight! 160 calories for two slices of plain, grocery store whole wheat bread.
• Vegans can get sick, too. I never had a full blown winter cold. Instead, it just seemed to linger and put me at around 80% for what felt like forever.

What I Plan To Do

I promise that I will not be like any of the celebrities that represent Jenny Craig from time to time. Once I have my physical health back on track, I will not fall back! My personal challenge is to lose 10 lbs in 4 weeks. This is ever so slightly above the recommended 2 pounds per week but I'm not concerned. Actually, deep down, I want to shed 15 pounds in that time period but to announce that on this blog would be just plain reckless!

How Am I Going To Do It?

• Run every day. Even if it's only 5km, I must become a real runner again.
• Get up earlier each day to have a proper breakfast.
• Get up earlier each day to go for a walk to get the blood moving and boost the metabolism.
• Start each day with a minimum of 16 ounces of water, then keep drinking it all day long.
• No bread, sugar or processed food.
• Portion control.
• Update my progress here to make myself more accountable to this goal.
• Workout on a regular basis again.

Here's The Details

Current weight as of April 19, 2010: 189 pounds.

Goal weight as of May 17, 2010: 179 pounds (secret goal: 174 pounds!)

Running mileage total: 120 km

2010 Running Race Schedule

The dreaded holiday season is over and it’s time to get down to business and make 2010 the best damn year ever. I’ve been really taking it easy physically for the past 6 weeks. Daily exercise just didn’t happen over the two weeks in Panama because it was just too damn hot – plus recovering from the initial 44 hour day and all the stress that came with it took longer than I would have ever thought (maybe I am getting old...).

Despite the brutally cold temperatures outside (-15 celcius during the day, not counting the windchill) which are low enough to warrant a cold weather alert in Toronto, I must begin my running training for the upcoming season. I’m completely off the pavement this year. I’m planning on entering all 8 Ontario Trail Series races as well as 4 of 5 of the 5 Peaks Trail series. There is one conflict where there are two races on the same day. I may change plans and go in all 5 of the 5 Peaks races and 7 of 8 of the Ontario Trail Series.

I’m also planning to apply to the lottery for entry into the 2010 New York City Marathon. It occurs on November 7, 2010 and is quite expensive, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime runner’s opportunity. It’s rare to get in on the first try but on the 4th try, you’re guaranteed. Might as well start now and plan on being in the 2014 race.

There is still an outside chance that I will go in the Round The Bay 30k in Hamilton, Ontario at the end of March. It’ll depend on my conditioning. The first race of the Ontario Trail Series is just a couple weeks after...

Here’s the planned sched as it stands now (all races fall on a Saturday):

April 17 – Seaton Trail 26k in Pickering – OTS
April 24 – Dundas Valley – distance tbd – 5 Peaks
May 1 – Pick Your Poison 25k in Orillia – OTS
May 29 – Sulphur Springs 25k in Dundas – OTS
June 12 – Durham Regional Forest 12.3k – 5 Peaks
July 3 – Creemore Vertical Challenge 25k – OTS
July 10 – Rattlesnake Point 12.7k – 5 Peaks
August 7 – Dirty Girls 30k in Mansfield – OTS
August 21 – Terra Cotta Conservation Area – distance tbd – 5 Peaks
OR
August 21 – Iroquoia Trail Test 32k in Kilbride – OTS
September 11 – Haliburton Forest 25k in West Guilford – OTS
October 9 – Albion Hills Conservation Area 21k – 5 Peaks
October 16 – Vulture Bait 25k in London – OTS

Challenge Update and My Panama List

I'm bravely trooping on with my challenge even though there really is no chance I'll finish it by the due date of November 16. What the hell, why not? I'm running anyway... I've put in some really good runs over the past few days and my body feels pretty darn good. I have two more days before departing for Panama and I hope to have two more good runs.

Here's where I stand at the moment:

I have compiled a list of things I want to do and see during my two weeks in Panama and I'd like to share them:

1. Get married. Yes, this is the purpose of the trip. My fiance and I are joining 29 of our friends and family at a beautiful beach resort in Panama where our wedding will occur.

2. Spend a day exploring and interacting in a small town away from the resort. I like all-inclusive resorts, yet I like to see the 'real' side of the countries I'm visiting.

3. See a sloth. My favourite of all jungle animals. Hopefully, I will see at least one. We will be spending our last few days at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort where we will supposedly see many different jungle animals in their natural habitat.

4. See a shark. This, I'm told, is not an easy thing to do near the resort, but I intend to find the majestic tiburon.

5. See a monkey. Come on, everyone wants to see a monkey. Don't they?

6. Collect all denominations of Panama coins. It's just a thing I do when I go to a different country. I like to collect coins. Yes - it's geeky.

7. See a local sports event live. I don't care if it's a local little league baseball game or soccer game.

8. Swim under a waterfall. Why? Why not?

9. Keep a daily journal. No-brainer.

10. Take a boat ride. Whether it's on the Pacific or on the Canal, I want to take a boat ride that is not necessarily a tourist cruise.

11. See a sunrise. Everyone can see a sunset, but most people, even if they see it, don't very often truly appreciate a sunrise.

12. See a sunset. Because I don't want the sunset to feel too inferior to the sunrise.

13. Stay up all night until dawn. Preferably on the beach. Why? Haven't done it in a long, long time and I just think it would be fun.

14. Learn something new. This is always on my list.

15. Teach something. Hopefully, I am of some use to someone in Panama.

16. Give something to someone less fortunate. This is something I've personally debated for awhile. Just because someone looks less fortunate, doesn't mean they are. Just because someone doesn't live in a big house and doesn't watch 8 hours of television each day on their $2000 big screen, doesn't make them poor.

17. Find Pitahaya growing wild. Dragon Fruit should be available nearby. I want to see the fruit I've fallen in love with in its natural habitat.

18. Play blackjack at a table at the resort's casino. I love to play blackjack online, but have never had the guts to play at a table.

19. Converse with a local in Spanish and have them understand what I'm saying. My spanish reading is top-notch but when it comes to conversing face to face, I just don't have the means to practise it.

20. Make someone else feel good about themselves. This is something I should be trying to do on a regular daily basis, but it's a habit I really want to start developing while on vacation.

21. Pictures, pictures, pictures. I always take pictures of the things I'm supposed to take pictures of but never the things that really interest me. Things like homes, back alleys, signs, insides of stores and restaurants - things that can't be found in 2 seconds by searching Google.

22. Spend quality time with each of our guests. I want to make every single person that has come down for our wedding to feel that they are truly an important part of our lives.

23. Visit a local farm. Obviously, a farm that doesn't specialize in livestock. I want to see how my tropical fruit is grown and even help out for a while if possible.

24. Run the beach everyday. More to the point - run every day. The beach in front of the resort is barricaded on one end by a rocky outcrop and the other by a river. The distance between the two, out and back is a perfect 5km, according to Google Earth. I also want to run the small dirt farm roads that weave throughout the countryside. The heat might be a factor but I'll just hyper-hydrate everyday.

Back on Track / Jesse Davidson

With my roofing fiasco behind me, I was able to finally get a run in today. I only had to wear shorts, no toque and no gloves! Finally, we're having some decent weather in Southern Ontario. This wasn't the case all week, when we were pelted with snow, ice, rain, high winds... - all the things that make trying to walk around on a roof quite fun. After waking up Wednesday, pretty much my whole left side was useless from the waist down. I even missed hockey Wednesday night - this, I assure, is not a regular occurance.

Anywho, I was able to put in close to 10km today and add a bit of red to my map of Orangeville in my quest to complete my latest personal challenge. Normally, I run in the evening or hit the trails on weekends. Today, I was reminded just how bustling a little town Orangeville is. I was also reminded about how that drives me up the wall. Crossing streets becomes a nightmare on the weekends here. I did, however, get through my run without getting hit or hitting anyone else. Here's the latest updated picture:

I would also like to bring to light the unfortunate passing of Jesse Davidson at the age of 29. Jesse was from my hometown of London, Ontario and was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the age of 6. His father, John, a local newscaster in London, refused to do nothing about his son's rare disease. in 1995, the two embarked on a 3000+ km trek on foot across our province of Ontario, with John pushing Jesse in his wheelchair. The two brought awareness to this rare disease and raised much needed funding for research. From this, the Jesse's Journey Foundation was formed. The website can be found here .

John later walked across the country of Canada to raise even more awareness. Some countries qualify their heroes by the number of lives they've taken in combat. In Canada, I like to think that our heroes are measured by the number of lives they've saved or have made better. In the tradition of Terry Fox and Rick Hansen, among others, Jesse Davidson will always be remembered as a True Canadian Hero.

Global Warming Ad / Pet Rescue Fund-Raising / Challenge Update

First off, the following video is making the news from the UK. People are complaining that it is too scary. Yes, reality is scary. Unfortunately, they address the cause of global warming as using too much to heat our homes and driving our cars too much. When will the issue of animal farming being one of the major causes of global warming ever be accepted?

And next...

I have heard from a reliable source that this website is legit. Give them your clicks and they will provide food for animals in shelters. According to their website, response has been very positive.

And lastly...

A little more red on my Orangeville map:

Here are the previous updates to my running challenge:

October 31
October 29
October 27
Initial Challenge Post

Update On Personal Challenge

I was able to put in a good 12.8km run tonight between work and the Halloween festivities. My map got a lot of extra red put on it. I decided mid-run that I'm going to change the rules slightly for this challenge. It's my challenge and I can do that! I've excluded any roads that are cul-de-sacs or dead ends. I've never lived on a cul-de-sac so I feel I have no need to respect their existence. Besides, they're an un-sociable road. They only want to be friends with one other road - two roads is way too many.

However, if I can, I will run on as many dead ends as I can before the November 16 deadline. The best thing is, my achilles did not bother me over my almost 13km today and there was a significant amount of hills on the run. That bodes well in the completion of this challenge before jetting off to Panama.

Here's the latest map udpate:

Here are links to my other posts for this challenge:

October 29

October 27

October 26

Challenge Update and My Opinion On H1N1 Hype

I took yesterday off to rest my achilles. It feels pretty good after putting in 8.7km tonight and making my map a little redder. I played hockey last night and it really seems to be the miracle cure for the achilles problems. The day after playing hockey, I can feel no pain at all in the heel.

Here's my pretty map:

About the H1N1 hysteria...

Anything that the government and the media are hyping as urgent, can only mean there's a hidden motive. I, nor anyone in my family, will not be taking any vaccine that has been created and mass produced in such a short time with supposedly already known side effects. Especially, since it is for a virus that, in reality, affects very few people in proportion to the population and kills an even lesser amount. I've heard it said by reputed doctors, even on mainstream media, that the odds of dying from H1N1 are about 1 in 8,000,000. I like them odds.

For all those germiphobes out there, that do nothing else to ensure a healthy body, but believe constantly washing your hands is going to be your saviour: think about all the hands that have touched every food product you buy at the grocery store. Are you scrubbing down those cans and jars? Are you really cleaning your raw fruits and vegetables? What do you do with the receipt that the cashier with the germ covered hands has just ripped off the cash register and handed to you? She/he also had her/his fingers all over your credit card, debit card or cash change.

The cure for this and any other manufactured virus, is to eat properly, exercises daily and sleep when needed. What we don't need is more crap injected into our systems. It seems in the last 10 years, governments of the world have done nothing to calm and ensure their citizens. Instead, they seem to thrive on creating hysteria and paranoia. What is their motive? It certainly makes the citizens of the developed world live in fear. Are they trying to keep us from travelling to less developed countries and realizing that we don't really have it as good as we've been told? Are they trying to suppress us so that we buy and use less products and commodities and therefore bring down the economies of emerging markets such as China, India and the Middle East?

I'm certainly not one to throw a complete blind eye to threats to my health. I just believe that H1N1 (or heiny - 'high knee' - as my 85 year old Mom calls it), SARS, Avian Flu or any other virus of the day can be overcome and even prevented by living a healthy, vegan lifestyle. One must also go against the western world's idea that sleep is bad and lazy and missing work is such a mortal sin. Sleep cures all. Work just isn't that friggin' important.

My message is: Don't succumb to the paranoia. Continue to live a healthy, active vegan lifestyle and we'll all disappoint the politicians when their game doesn't go as planned. Yes, I still support non-violence but I'm also feeling rebellious lately. Don't even get me started on the Catholic School Board in my area banning Halloween costumes from school!

To follow my latest challenge, check out these posts:

Update 1

Update 2

Challenge Update

Here's the latest update on my latest personal challenge. Okay, it's a little crappy quality but I've scanned up a map of Orangeville and I'm using the old-reliable Microsoft Paint to fill in the roads I've run on. I put in between 7 and 8 km tonight and filled the map in a little more. I may have screwed up my Achilles tendon again, though. I had a sharp pain early on going up a particularly steep hill for Orangeville. I was able to finish up the rest of the run in relative comfort and actually did the run at a decent pace even though I was trying to shuffle along as slow as possible.

Here's the blank map of Orangeville:

Here's what I've run so far. The roads in red are obviously the ones I've knocked off:

Just an update on some important dates coming up very soon:

November 1 - Of course, it's World Vegan Day! I'll be celebrating on Sunday, I hope you will be too.

November 4 - Celebrating my first full year of being Vegan! I'll be cooking up a storm on that day.

November 16 - I depart with 28 of my closest friends and family members for two weeks at the Decameron Beach Resort in Panama! Actually, the last two days will be at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort on the Canal. Of course, the highlight of the trip will be my wedding!

There will certainly be more to come on the challenge at the other three items happening in November.

New Personal Challenge: Run All The Streets Of Orangeville

I've slacked off on major personal challenges lately but the running season ended last weekend with the Vulture Bait 25km Trail Race and I've got three weeks before I'm in hot and sunny Panama for two weeks. That gives me three weeks to do something with my running that I've wanted to do for a long time: Cover all the streets in my town, Orangeville, Ontario, Canada.
If you want to find Orangeville on Google Earth, just input into the 'fly to' box, these co-ordinates: 43 55.0682N 80 05.5114W and you should be directed right to the centre of town. Orangeville is not a large town at approximately 6km long from east to west and 4km from north to south. With a population of 30,0000, it serves mostly as a bedroom community for people who work in the Greater Toronto Area.
I'm going into this challenge having done absolutely no math on if this is possible in three weeks or not and what mileage I'll need to put in on a nightly basis if I'm to seriously consider completing this. I'm pretty sure it can be done - I just have a good feeling! One of my rules for this challenge is that all runs must start from my home on William Street. My strategy is to plan each night's run to hit a point on the outskirts of town before returning on a different route. With a series of runs that kind of look like a spirograph drawing from the 1970's, it should be fairly easy to cover all the pavement in a fairly efficient manner.
I started this challenge last night with a 7.8km run through town. I'm taking tonight off and will be back at it tomorrow night. I'm just in the process of getting a semi-interactive map up so that I can post my updates in a graphic form. Wish me luck - I wasn't overly successful in a few of my challenges over the summer, so I'm looking for a big win with this one.

Race Rating: Vulture Bait 25k Trail Race

It was during the beautiful 25km journey through the trails along the shores of Fanshawe Lake in London, Ontario that I realized my rating system was flawed and gave too much emphasis to things that only big budget, big draw races could provide. I resolved to amend the rating system for 2010 with a handicapping option that would help reflect the true quality of the race.
Until then, I would like to note that the Vulture Bait race was one of my favourites and has spurred me on to participate in the Ontario Trail Series next season and possibly the Ontario Ultra Series in 2011.
But, to be fair to the other races I've completed this season, I will rate the Vulture Run according to the original rating system.

1. Bathroom facilities - 3 (plenty of park facilities and a forest full of other options)
2. Race day organization - 3 (a running race run by runners - can you ask for anything more?)
3. Course scenery - 3 (autumn in the woods in Southwestern Ontario - awesome!)
4. Course creativity - 3 (despite the obvious run around a lake, the race took advantage of pretty much all of the conservation area's nature trails)
5. Value - 3 (great value!)
6. Shirt or gift - 3 (the shirt was very basic with nothing at all on the front and a text line on the back. normally, I would find this to not be a good thing, but in this case, it represented the race to a T. no flash, no phony crap - just the basics. just the running)
7. Parking availability - 3 (free, bountiful and at the start line)
8. Website quality - 2 (all the basics - could have had more race day details)
9. Online registration - 3 (very simple)
10. Accessible for spectators - 3 (because roads also circle the lake, the trails intersected at several points and gave supporters the opportunity to see their runners at many locations)
11. Convenience of race packet pickup -3 (race day only - no need to take the day before to go to some inconvenient hotel banquet hall to pickup)
12. Pre-race expo - 0 (not available)
13. Entertainment on course - 1 (no official entertainment, but car stereos were blaring at more than one water station)
14. Post race food - 3 (as this also serves as the year end banquet for the Ontario Ultra Series and the Ontario Trail Series, the food was pretty darn good. I could only eat the salad, however, if I'd inquired, I think the bountiful lasagna and pasta may have been void of meat)
15. Race day vendors/exhibitors - 0 (but that's okay...)
16. Volunteers/marshalls/police & emergency services support - 3 (as usual... most were runners and were full of info and sincere encouragement)

Well, apparently my rating system can reflect the true quality of this race. At 39 points, this is by far my highest rated race this season, 5 points higher than the next best, the Run for the Grapes Half in St. Catherines last month.

Vulture Bait 25k Trail Run: Race Report

The weather co-operated nicely! Although frosty and around zero near the start of the race, the temps rose to scorching highs of around 8 celcius during the run. The wind was negligible and the surface conditions of the trails could not have been better. In contrast, the morning before, the city of London was blanketing in a white layer of snow.

I reached my goals that I laid out in this post. I finished wonderfully injury free. At no point in the run did I even have to slow down in fear of a twinge turning into a tear or strain.

I enjoyed seeing the old trails that I spent so much time on 16 years ago. I was disappointed that the race didn't run down my baby - a trail extension that I built. In fact, I missed the entrance to the trail and I'm under the impression that they may have closed it off.

I finished in 2 hours and 31 minutes. I was a minute over pace at 5km and 7km then I never saw a marker until the finish line. Finishing with little struggle and only a minute over 6 minute km pace has to be attributed partially to the fact there were no km markers. I didn't have to think and calculate every passing kilometer. I just relaxed and enjoyed the trail scenery. The fact that the trail was thin enough at points that passing was almost impossible, made me slow down and take a rest every so often when I got behind a pack of runners. And yes, I was able to be back in Orangeville to watch my oldest son play his hockey game.

The shirt and medal were pretty cool. Not flashy, but to the point. Just like everything else that made this event wonderful. It was a running event for runners. There were no packs of joggers that had been training for a whole month leading up to the event. There's nothing wrong with that, it's great that thousands of people embark on a running journey with little or no training each weekend, but the distance and the running surface here called to a different type of runner.

There was no speech by some local celebrity at the starting line. There was no aerobics warmup put on by some local fitness club before the race. There was no starters pistol blast or air horn to signify the start of the race. Apparently, someone said 'go' and we 'went'.

Throughout the 25km, whenever I was around other runners, I enjoyed listening in on their conversations. For a lot of the runners, this was the last in the Ontario Ultra Series and many were running the 50km race. With the relative silence of the wooded trail, it was quite easy to listen in on conversations many metres away. I listened to more than one conversation that evolved around how they were going to do at the Toronto Marathon - the next morning! One guy was doing the 50km then the Toronto Marathon then a 90km somewhere in the U.S. next weekend.
I forgot to enquire at the finish line whether there was an award for the most falls on the course. I went down twice, tripping on roots. On the first, I had an audience as I somersaulted down the trail. On the second I was alone - too bad, I was much more spectacular. I was disappointed that I didn't draw a trickle of blood down from my knee to impress the spectators and other runners!
The after race meal was pretty spectacular - for a non-vegan. Lasagna, meatballs and caesar salad was on the menu.

In short, I loved this race. More to the point, I loved this running community. It's a running community that I want to be part of. I'm not sure I can be ready for a full Ultra Series next season, but I definitely want to move in that direction (yes - running the actual ultra distances and not the junior version like I did yesterday). I've also realized that when I do my race rating in the next couple of days, the love of this race will not be reflected in my race rating system. I think I have to revamp the race rating system for next season by maybe changing categories or adding a handicapping system for races under 1000 entrants - there are simply things that smaller races cannot or will not provide that the bigger ones can. These items (on-course entertainment, pre-race expos, super ultra websites), I've realized, although making the whole event experience better, these items do nothing to make the race better. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Vulture Bait 25k Trail Run: Pre-Race

Just got back from my last training run before Saturday's 25k trail race. I felt sluggish but finished the 8.5ish km run without any serious problems with the achilles, calfs, hamstrings, etc...

The Vulture Bait 25k is a loop around Fanshawe Lake in London, Ontario. The main event is the 50k, which, of course, is a double loop. 50k is not my thing yet but hopefully by this time next year I will have tasted my first ultra (and lived to tell the story).

I'm off after work tomorrow (Friday) to spend the night at the ol' family home in Byron (west-end London) with Mom and Dad. Then it's off to the far Northeast end of town for the 9am start. The start time is perfect for those like me who absolutely do not like to rise early on weekends. It also will give the air a chance to warm up out of the negative digits (celcius).

The weather shouldn't be a huge factor mid-October in Southwestern Ontario but as it has for the past many, many months, the temps are way below normal and the air is going to be crisp on Saturday AM. At least, the sun should be shining and hopefully the winds will stay calm.
My goals for this run are pretty simple:

• finish without tearing any of the iffy muscles and tendons that have signalled that my body has peaked already for the season. My message to them is that after Saturday, it'll just be nice easy runs mixed with hockey for the next month. Then the big treat comes when they get to do nice barefoot jogs on the beach in Panama for two weeks.
• enjoy and reminisce about the trails that I helped maintain and build for a summer back in 1993 when I was a college student. 'Trail Guy' I believe was my official title that summer as I was hired as a fresh student out of the Parks and Forest Recreation program at Sir Sanford Fleming College in metropolitan Lindsay, Ontario.
• be done in time to be back to Orangeville to watch my oldest son's hockey game at 2:30.
• snag a pretty cool shirt that should make me look like a rugged, tough guy - it will say 50k on it as well and if people assume that I was tough enough to go in that, well, I'll just have to let them think that...

That's it! Hopefully I'll have nothing but good things to say on the other side.

Race Rating: Run for the Grapes Half Marathon

The Run for the Grapes Half Marathon is run in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada and the vineyard region on the western outskirts of town. The race is run in September. My overall view of the race is that it is well organized, scenic, fast, and an overall good experience for most any runner.


1. Bathroom facilities - 1 (As far as I could tell, there were only 6 portapoddies for 1000 runners and their families and friends - however, I may have missed something as the lineups weren't outrageous. Therefore, I'll give the benefit of the doubt with a 1 instead of a 0.)

2. Race day organization - 3 (Fantastic. This was a very smooth operation from the minute you pulled into town.)

3. Course scenery - 2 (City, vineyards, corn field. It is the Run for the Grapes...)

4. Course creativity - 2 (There was only one out and back section. The starting and finishing 4 or so km were duplicated but, not being from there, I hardly noticed...)

5. Value - 3 (Entry price was quite reasonable. The shirt and medal were good quality and some of the best I've seen. Parking was cheap, ample and close.)

6. Shirt or gift - 3 (The Merrell shirt is truly one of the best I've had in 20 years of running, as is the medal. I have a picture of both up on the race report post.)

7. Parking availability - 3 ($2 flat rate - not as good as free but pretty darn close. The municipal lots were within a very short walk of the start / finish.)

8. Website quality - 2 (The site had all the necessary information but had an awkward design due to it being part of a whole running series at the same site. The site lacked any photos or race history.)

9. Online registration - 3 (Very simple link from main website.)

10. Accessible for spectators - 3 (Very spectator friendly. Those on bikes could follow the race as the roads were only closed to traffic on one lane.)

11. Convenience of race packet pickup - 3 (There was no unnecessary picking up of race packet the day before. Because of the later, 9:00, start time, there was plenty of time to accommodate everyone before the race start. There was no race day registration, so everyone was there to simply pickup.)

12. Pre-race expo - 0 (There was none.)

13. Entertainment on course - 0 (None.)

14. Post race food - 2 (Standard. Although, this was the first time I've ever been limited to one trip through the food line - ensured with a bingo blotter stamp to my race number.)

15. Race day vendors/exhibitors - 1 (Merrell, of course, had a big set-up. Other than that, just the usual back specialist and a table with some running pamphlets.)

16. Volunteers / marshalls / police & emergency services support -3 (Awesome as usual. The Niagara Regional Police were some of the friendliest cops I've ever seen marshall a race!)


For a grand total of 34. This score makes Run for the Grapes my highest ranking race by 1 point over Toronto Pearson Runway Run 5k and Rattlesnake Point 12.7 Trail Run. I will do this run again - maybe not next year because I really do want to get to Montreal in September...

Race Report: Run For The Grapes Half Marathon

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect when I arrived in St. Catherines Sunday morning for the Run For The Grapes Half Marathon. I'd never heard of the race before and despite travelling through St. Catherines quite often, I've never really stopped to take a look around.

Overall, it was a great experience. The 500 or so entrants made it just the perfect size race, not too crowded, yet you were in contact with other human beings at all times. The weather was incredible. I would put the start line temperature at around 15 degrees Celsius and according to my internal thermometer it never rose above 20 degrees during the race. However, my internal thermometer has never been known to be incredibly accurate! Add to that, sunshine and a slight breeze and the conditions were very comfortable.

My one concern was the lack of washroom facilities at the start / finish line. By my count, there were only 6 portapoddies available for around 1000 runners (there was also a 5k event). I may have been misinformed because I did see runners entering a government building adjacent to the start area. It didn't bother me much as the parking spot I chose was in a perfect treed corner of a lot near the start...

The course was nice. For maybe the first and last 5km, we ran through the downtown and residential areas of St. Catherines. The in-between 10 or 11km were run on rural roads to the west of the city. Most of the rural route was through vineyards. I was a little misconceived by the elevation profile on the official website. It looked to me like it would be a fairly hilly course. It wasn't. I didn't actually look at the elevation intervals on the profile map beforehand and they were indeed quite small.

An interesting quirk about the race was the periodic 'cannon fire' in the vineyards. Also called 'bird-bangers', these are propane powered blasts to scare the birds away from the grapes. There were a few times when I was zoned in on my running and one of the blasts would scare the shit out of me. These periodic adrenaline boosts are probably partly responsible for me shaving 10 minutes off my last half marathon time.

I would also like to apologize to the female runner that was ahead of me at around the 14km mark. I looked up and saw her move from one side of the road to the other as if in search of something. I then forgot about it and zoned out. Soon after, I heard rustling in the bush at the side of the road. For some reason, despite not hearing any barking, my active imagination assured me that a farm dog was loose and about to rush through the bushes at me at any time. I, of course, craned my neck to see where this 'dog' might be. When I realized, too late, that it was the unfortunate female runner having what seemed to be a very urgent and possibly painful pit stop, I was rather embarrassed. At least, I didn't yell out to those behind me, "Watch out for the dog!"

If the goodies are one of the reasons you enter races, I have to say that the shirt and medal were the best I've ever seen. If parking and convenience are on your list, this was also one of the best. Despite the fact that St. Catherines doesn't have free parking on Sundays like a lot of municipalities, the parking was a very reasonable flat rate of $2 and was steps away from the start / finish.

As for my personal race, I started strong and remained strong. I concentrated on turnover rate and not getting lazy and moving to a longer, slower stride. My time was 1 hour 51 minutes and although not my personal best, it was 10 minutes better than the Mississauga Half earlier this year and not far behind my best ever at the Toronto International a few years ago. My goals for the race were to complete the race injury-free - which I did; To beat 2 hours - which I did; To enjoy my experience from start to finish - which I did; To partake in the wine festival that the race was a part of - which I did not...

My race rating for this run will follow shortly.

Run For The Grapes - Race Strategy

The Run For The Grapes Half Marathon in St. Catherines, Ontario is upon me. Tomorrow morning at 9:15am, I will join approximately 500 others to run 21.1km through the city of St. Catherines and the wine country on the outskirts of town.
The forecast is looking great with a morning temperature of 13 degrees celcius, going up to a high of 23 with nothing but sunshine. Can you ask for anything better in the latter part of September in Southern Ontario? Unlike this morning, I shouldn't have a layer of ice on my windshield when I get up...
Judging by the profile on the official website, there will be a few more hills than I've had in most of my race events this year. This is not a bad thing as my training runs in and around Orangeville are never, ever flat.
My goals for this run are:

• To complete the race injury free.
• To beat 2 hours.
• To enjoy my experience from start to finish.
• To partake in the wine festival that the race is a part of.

Pretty simple. The conditions are good. The course is good. The number of entrants is neither too many or too few. My health is excellent. This should be a good time! Plus, the gift is a tech shirt from Merrell - a nice change from NB...

Pinery Provincial Park - Outdoor Fitness Hotspot

For the Labour Day long weekend, I made my return to Pinery Provincial Park for the first time in 22 years, give or take. The park, located a short drive southwest of Grand Bend, Ontario, is one of the province's busiest.

Despite my usual complaints about crowds, inadequate washroom facilities, high fees, too-small dog beach, crowds, oh - did I mention crowds... I enjoyed the park for what it is, a recreation area. Ontario Parks may have a different idea about that, considering it a Natural Environment class park.

The park has 10 'Interpretive Walking Trails' ranging from 0.8km up to 3.0km. These are well-groomed trails with no serious technical terrain. These are perfect for those living the shareware, bubble-wrapped version of Life 1.0 but not much of a challenge for any serious athlete. Yes, that was a little harsh, but I don't mean it in a condescending way - really. Click here to view the park's trail map.

However, most of the trails are connected via a 14 km biking trail that loops around the park. Still not overly technical, the bike path does provide endless possibilities as far as distances are concerned. Add to that the beach that runs on seemingly forever and a municipal trail that runs along highway 21 from the park gates 8.5km to the town of Grand Bend, and you can put in some serious running while enjoying the great outdoors.

Possibilities for water sports are endless at the Pinery. Canoeing and kayaking can be done on the river or on Lake Huron. Swimming is great in Lake Huron and the water is clear enough for snorkeling, however, there probably won't be much to see other than sand, old band-aids and the odd rock.

I should say something about my earlier complaints. If you're like me and don't much like crowded trails or crowded anything for that matter, do not go to the Pinery on a long weekend in the summer! The park becomes one giant mass of humanity. Trails are crowded, beaches are crowded, roads are busier than a city street with drivers travelling at well over the speed limit and kicking up dust.

As for the washroom facilities, they would be fine if the park was running at about 30% capacity. There are 100 sites per section and you'd have to figure an average of 3 people per site. That's 300 people sharing 6 toilets (3 men's and 3 women's). If you have a site within a few hundred feet of the washrooms, you will smell it and it won't be nice.

There are 9 parking areas/beaches. One of them, #9, is the only one where dogs are allowed. Parking for this beach was overflowing by noon on any given day. The other 8 beaches had ample free parking and were not nearly as crowded. It looks like there are a lot of people camping with man's best friend these days and the park needs to allot more space to accommodate.

And lastly, the fees... Close to $37 per night is now the going rate for a basic site with no electricity or water. That is getting up there with the price of a cheap motel room. At least put in some extra bathrooms to justify the cost!

As far as being environmentally conscious, the park has a good idea in promoting their 'park once' program. They encourage people to park their vehicle when they set up camp and not move it until it's time to go home. Great program. Large park. They could probably throw in a shuttle or two for trips to the beach, etc. Also, I think making sections where you park in a large lot and have to hike in your equipment would be a cool idea. This would certainly encourage guests to avoid their vehicles as it would be a hike just to get back to them. It would be so nice to not have cars constantly whipping by your site, kicking up a perpetual cloud of dust on all your belongings.

Would I go back? Yes, but as I couldn't state any clearer, not on a long weekend.

Midsummer Night's Run Photos

Posted on the Midsummer Night's Run website, there is a picture gallery from Vlad Litvinov with many, many pictures of the run. I was fortunate enough to be in two shots. Unlike most runs, Vlad's pictures are free to download. Thanks, Vlad!

Above are my two shots. I'm the one in the ratty Adidas hat, blue shirt and green shorts. In the first I'm way at the back but the second features my sorry ass.

Also, I've started another blog featuring a picture each day from my travel collection followed by a little commentary on the shot. It's a pretty simple project but the pictures are pretty cool.

End Of August Update

I thought all was fine after the Midsummer Night's Run 30km, until I tried to play Ultimate Frisbee on Wednesday. My right calf muscle twinged a bit during the last 10km of the race on Saturday but after taking Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off, thought nothing of it - until I played the first minute of the Frisbee game. The calf muscle didn't want to co-operate and I even missed hockey that night. It's now the next Monday, 8 days after, and I'm pondering my first run since the 30k.

Needless to say, my goal of doing 180km for the month of August was blown all to hell by the injury. However, I did achieve my weight goal of 169, touching as low as 168 at one point. I'm pretty satisfied with my weight level right now and just plan on maintaining for the foreseeable future.

I've committed to the St. Catherines Run For The Grapes Half Marathon on Sunday, September 28. The price was right at $45 and the course, despite being relatively close to home, should be rather interesting. The half runs through St. Catherines and the nearby wine country and coincides with a wine tasting festival (yah!). I just hope to beat the time I put in at the Mississauga Half earlier this year.

I have yet to find nutritional data for radish seed pods. I received an e-mail back from Health Canada - they were intrigued but had no information for me.

I have started another blog at picoday.wordpress.com - it's basically just a different picture from my archives posted each day with a description attached. Nothing too crazy, just building a nice photo collection on-line to browse.

Race Rating: 2009 Midsummer Night's Run 30km

I've had a few days to recover and think over the race on Saturday. Here's the third installment of my race rating series, the 2009 version of the Midsummer Night's Run 30km road race. As usual, the score is from 0-3 and my comments are in brackets.

1. Bathroom facilities - 3 (plenty of porta-potties and some great natural bathrooms!)
2. Race day organization - 3 (it has to be noted that the baggage check was the best organized of any race I've ever been in)
3. Course scenery - 3 (great scenery at all times)
4. Course creativity - 3 (great use of parkways in the lakefront area)
5. Value - 3 (got my money's worth)
6. Shirt or gift - 3 (very nice long sleeve, purple(!), New Balance tech shirt and a stainless steel water bottle at the finish line)
7. Parking availability - 0 (no parking on site - minimum $10 to park and take a shuttle)
8. Website quality - 2 (needed more details about history, previous results, confirmed entries, pictures)
9. Online registration - 3 (very straight forward)
10. Accessible for spectators -3 (with two out and backs centering around the same focal point, this race was very spectator friendly)
11. Convenience of race packet pickup - 0 (pickup was at a hotel several kilometers away at a major hotel in downtown Toronto with no free parking)
12. Pre-race expo - 0 (n/a)
13. Entertainment on course - 1 (there was no official entertainment, however the runners dressed as fairies were enough for 1 point!)
14. Post race food - 2 (standard)
15. Race day vendors/exhibitors - 0 (nothing, which is surprising considering there was a whole park that could have been utilized)
16. Volunteers / marshalls / police & emergency services support - 3 (awesome as usual. police were exceptionally helpful, friendly and supportive and as I mentioned earlier the baggage check was amazingly organized)

...For a grand total of 32. 1 point behind the Toronto Pearson Runway Run 5km and the Rattlesnake Point 12.7km trail run. This is a relatively new race and is still morphing into a great race. I will most likely return next year and I know that the rating will go up.

Associated Content Article - 9 Races Beyond 10km In Toronto

Just another Associated Content article. A runner's quick guide to races beyond 10km in the Greater Toronto Area.

Check out my recently published content on AC:

Toronto Races