one thing, just one thing?

Daily writing prompt
What is one thing you would change about yourself?

I’d have more friends?…or a friend.

Why does Sasha throw eggs???

So todays my day….I’m the house cleaner….

So far, straightened out our garbage can….for some one I’m the only one that knows how to tie up the ends securely, and to be able to stuff all the bags in so the lid closes and the birds, crows and magbies don’t think it a smorgasbord…..

Then clean up the kitchen, wash dishes, wipe off the counters and table, sweep and mop…..

Vacuum the downstairs and the cold and hot air vents (we’re getting them and the furance are being cleaned next Thursday, so why not?) I did the upstairs yesterday……went back outside to clean up the garage…the garage mice have been helping themselves to bird seed, and make a mess while they do…so I swept all that up, which mean clearing everything off the work counters first…looks better, and the extra seeds went outisde to the birds…..

Laundry, got that caught up….played the guitar a bit…worked on my Deep Purple and Def Leppard riffs after a lot of tuning…..

And then, well, this is my daughter Sasha

It was time for me to attack her room…specifically one wall, and the flooring beneath that wall, that corner….

Sasha sometimes throws eggs……Sasha is autistic……in her 30s, …..she’s verbal, but a limited amount of verbal, she understands a lot, but doesn’t always understand, and she gets fruatraited….also she hates birds…..

Sometimes she’ll throw the eggs towards the brick post in front of house, or at the brick work in the front of our garage……and if she feels the urge, a wall, a random wall in our house, pretty much in her room….

At times we don’t notice right away…..if we get to the mess quickly enough, with some elbow grease, a mop, sponges, vacuum cleaner, not an big deal….if we don’t, a little more elbow grease……

I know it has, well maybe the birds…..outside her window there’s a huge tree that’s usually filled with sparrows and/or finches….

We do have a bird feeder that stays pretty busy so that’s attracts her feathered friends even more.

I don’t know if that’s the reason for the eggs, or if it’s just frustation…..

I’ve asked, we’ve asked…..but Sasha never says…

But that was my morning……swept the floor, vacuumed the floor, moped, scrubbed the walls, then swept, vacuumed and moped again…but looks better, and yes it looks like it’s time to paint those walls…

Now, it’s time for tea, lunch…grilled cheese sandwiches for her, left over pasta and sauce for dad….and watching docs on Apple TV…….one right now about a volcano explossion on New Zealand……the decision to cut out those 24 hours news channels continues…so lots of music, reading, and everything else but the news….going through things on the PVR that I’ve yet to watch, so watch and delete….

I guess I’m making dinner tonight, but I need a run either tonight, or may go twice during one of the up coming days to keep that 31 in 31 days on track…

I wonder how many calories I’ve burned doin’ the chores today…..?

w

Today I didn’t feel like running today

Interesting thing….did Starbucks today…..I guess I knew this, but more than just coffee!

Did a steamer (steamed milk) with almond flavor…..not coffee, not caffeine, but good..I guess, sure, sweet so sugar of some kind…..but may be a good opion for a month without tea or coffee….

I know running everyday isn’t always a great thing, but am going to just go and see how things go…I think running, edurance, and keeping active, keeping that metabolism up will help with the weight loss goal of 10 pounds off in 31 days…..I did start early, today was day 3 for 3, and along with the spin on my bike trainer Monday, I guess I’m on a good path…

It just felt good to get outside….not all that cold, I think it was -5C, which is – I have no idea what in Fahrenheit, maybe +23?……but actually felt a little over dressed…

I’ve taken to wearing a BUFF throughout the colder parts of the year…keeps the heat in, the cold out….and kinda cool..and with that I need all the help I can get….

I really didn’t feel like a run today, but figure whatever, go for 20 minutes, and start off that Advent Calendar on the right foot……head hurts now, another headache, am not sure where that came from or comes from…is it the 4 year old concussion reminding me that it’s still there and may be come cronic?….I’m gettin the eyes checked next week, my annual checkup, will have to see if that’s an issue…

I also received a new prescription for my enlarged prostate, so maybe that’s it….but otherwise, as with every run, feeling okay otherwise, actaually feeling good..

Along with a diet that involved real food, and lots of water, I’m kicking the habit of watching 24 hour news TV, and staying away from newspapers….am not sure when that all changed, but seriously the majority of time it’s not news, it’s editorials and opinions and commentary, which are all as valid as whatever those people in the senior’s corner at Tim Horton’s……so kicking a couple of habits for the month of December…so day 1…

So day 1…………….30 days to go

A Day. I Ran. I accomplished things. Anxiety

I guess I’m allowed to post a pix that I hate

It was a good day, an okay day…am allowed to say I’m happy I did stuff.

Someone else recently posted something about social anxiety, as I read it, and reread, and more I did, the more I thought, THAT’S ME!

I have to say though, I don’t know. Is it something I can hide….or fool others or myself ….?

As the day goes by, I put a virtual check mark next to anything……driving to get my car’s tires torqued, yeah done…had to talk to other people, and got that done….so a check marks and giving myself a pat on the back…not huge, but for me to leave my couch, from being in front of my TV and from my laptop is something…..then walked into COSTO, did some shopping, crossed with someone I hadn’t seen for a while, and yeah got it done, another getting out and about check mark..

Then getting home, throwing my gear on and went for a run……again, normally, I woud have said, I did a few things, that’s enough…now to cocoon?…..I’ve planned to run a lot for what’s left of 2023, so the goal was that I had to get outside, but still, amongst people?

Actually there weren’t a lot of people out on the trails, and actually no runners, just really dog walkers…but still I got outside, and out….and it was okay, and it felt good…

I stopped by my Running Room store for a social visit aftwards, and that felt good too…chatted with two I guess still are co-workers….it was good, we chatted…and then went home and made dinner for the family

I’ve always had this……..not well, understanding or trusting myself, or being comfortable with myself….

Always feeling out here on my own…

I have to admit, I like organizing things like this, but am constantly shocked when anyone shows up…..

I’m not someone that attracts, I occasionally feel like a bit of a fraud, and I’m pretty sure there’s other reasons that people show up and join in and run with me….I’m usually not someone other people think of, or if they do, I’m like their 3rd or fourth choices….and seriously, I wouldn’t think about me either…..

This is from years ago, another group, another run…….I do hate pictures of myself too….but yeah orgainzing is good, I think this is one of the runs, training runs I’d organized and people that weren’t even a part of our usual group, they just joined in

Ywah…I don’t know if you even get over this type of stuff…but at least it has a term social anxiety…..or maybe just depression?…..

But, maybe, just maybe there’s a path out of this?

A good Wednesday evening…..now for Thursday

Last night was good…a good run with friends, and Christmas lights!

Yep, it still surprises me when I organize stuff and stuff happens……

For our second Wednesday in a row we checked out even more Christmas lights….and it was fun and fine.

I felt strong, and because I was the only one that knew the route (yes, I got lost at one point…things look different in the dark)…..I got to lead…the planned route

This is what we did

So I think we took only one turn……

The attempt to get rid of 10 lbs before January 1st continues…..to do that, I need more runs like yesterdays.

My diet is fine…lots of water, and honestly our meals have always been all about veggies and healthy food…..tonight is all about tofu…at 65 I don’t imagine I’ll ever be slim again, but at least healthy and fit would be a good thing….

I seem to have an issue when it comes time to hit the gym or the pool…..running is okay, I just step out my front door, and spinning on my bike training can be done at home in front of my laptop…..but getting into my car and driving somewhere to pump iron on a regular basis, will it happen?…maybe…

Today’s work out will be a short run soon……and oh yah, COSTCO!

Game of Thrones vs House of the Dragon

Honestly, I’ve tried…and I’m going to though it out this evening, but House just isn’t doing it for me….

It did take me a few tries to get into GoT, but once I was in I was al in..and yes, I liked the finish…

House of the Dragon just, well isn’t….

Honestly, the Rings of Power seemed better, or made more sense…

Maybe it’s Matt Smith and I keep expecting the Tardis to appear, or it seems like the story just isn’t there…maybe it gets better….but so far, it seems like HoD seems to have taken the harsher moments of the GoT and forgot about everything else….you need a story line and characters you pay attention too……

And harsh is fine, dark is good…..I liked the darker Batman and the Titans…..but, harsh just to be harsh just doesn’t work…….

Anyway, dinner, then baby hit me one more time…..

I did get onto the bike a trainer for an hour today,

after my MD appointment..just a regular how are you doing meet..I lied, I said I was feeling okay…I’m not….but I do what I do, ignore stuff and expect things to get better and heal themselves…..then got my annual flu shot, and my COVID booster, and got my freshly baked cookie for dong so…I love my pharmacy…sometimes there’s ice cream….

I know, I know some believe that COVID was nonsense and the vaccines will cause me to grow a third eye or two extra arms or something…but I’m 35 days away from 65…I need to be bullet proof, and yes I underatand and believe science not mythology….

there may be some yoga and foam rolling this evening….cause, yeah, that 65 thing

w

Bif Naked.

One my favorite all time people period.

And yes, a west coast person….such an amazing history, and an amazing person….never minces words, always backs up what she says….powerful….means what she says, says what she means…

A survivor……not everyone’s cup of tea…I know a few that loved her music, but were offended when they heard her speak……I remember seeing her talking to a group of students at an event called Music West…

talking frankly to the group about life in the music industry, very frank…am not sure the teachers that brought the group to the event knew what they were in for….

Here’s the lyrics from one of my fave Bif tunes…..a but more blunt then some, but yeah.

he keeps looking at me with his groping, watching eyeballs:
gross! we women, we are supposed to just drop our eyes and be quiet.
just don’t look at the gross, gross man and hope he quits ogling.
believe it or not, i want to flip him the bird ya know?
but i don’t, cuz we women don’t. once i gave the finger to a bunch of
construction dudes, but they were yelling really bad stuff about my “cookie.”
it just got ’em all riled up, and then they yelled, “dyke!”
and i had pms so i cried all the way home.
gross, gross man still gawking as i sit here writing… what’s he thinking?
gee, maybe i’ll invite him up to my sex den and he can fondle my boobies…
yeah, right!
stupid gross man, quit staring! gosh, he just won’t let up.
it makes me feel really uncomfortable i wish i could just crawl under a rock!
‘cuz we women are supposed to just feel bad about ourselves:
like we’re doing something wrong. i’m not! i swear!
being “we women” sucks! fuck you!

Tough, but possibly the sweetest person ever….and still blunt, honest…..

I only crossed paths with her once actually at that event, a few phone interviews, and like pretty much all artists like Bif – there have been many – just a really good person….

It’s kind of weird comparrison, but, I think back then Bif was an independent artist, but like most of us runners, the most real and friendly group of people you’d ever cross paths with….and yeah, someone I felt lucky to have crossed paths with

When the head says no, sometimes it means yes

Yep, Run Club Wednesday….

I’ve been thinking lately, I haven’t missed a Wednesday since……way back when

This evening I wasn’t feeling my best, actually not at all day….so at about 430 I said (well to myself) that I’d just go out, send my crew on their way and then go home…..but well, I guess I got caught up in the moment and ran anyway…..and it felt great…

Just short of 7K…..not a bad pace, we had I think 15 runners out, a lot of different paces, no one ran alone, and I had fun…….for me, that’s what it has to be…..

And there were Christmas lights……….so great!

So yeah, sometimes, I guess no does mean yes……or never take no for an answer when it’s your head talking

OMG I forgot my watch! Does that run even count!?

Weird….I’d planned a longish run when I went to bed, woke up not wanting to run at all, and then about noon, I’m thinking WTF! am I doing?……..It’s sunny, it’s warm, set a good example, get the F out of the house and go for a run already……

Even after getting into my car (I sometimes have to go somewhere else to run….if I stay at home too long, ‘oh look facebook!’

Even then I felt like, do I want to do this…….?….I had to drop off an extra two bags of garbage at our store’s dumsper……we only have trash pick up every 2nd week now, and for some reason we seem to have too much garbage?

So went did that, and fuck it, drove to my fave location, (it’s called Kingswood Park) I started running there at the height at the COVID shut down….the washrooms and the building was open, and there are so many options, and my fave to go route is there……it’s an easy 5K, which I can always add on to…

This is embarrassing, but, I all of a sudden have to pee a lot?…..I do have an MD appointment coming up, and not a big deal…as a guy, I know this is grosse, I can always go anywhere there’s a tree……

And surprise surprise, once I started running, it felt good…..except for one thing…..I forget my watch!

How could I possibly run without this thing!

If you haven’t reocrded it, is it even considered a run?

But, well, I had my phone, I have STRAVA….a pain in the butt having to run with the thing in my hand…..but you do what you have to do……..couldn’t put it into my jacket pocket, which was even more uncomfortable…but well, did it…

It was only just under 6K, the pace was okay…….and done

I love this spot, I call it a Hobbit House…I’m guessing some kids, maybe some mountain bikers…..but kind of cool…….it used to be bigger, it’s kind of collapsed…but seeing things like this is one of the reasons I like running……..random, and unique….and something not everyone would ntice maybe….

Actually that’s a better picture of it…..

This house just sold….could not talk my wife into moving, it’s right beside one of my favorite short trails

I have no idea how many times I’ve either run or taken my mtn bike on this route….but it feels so good….it’s not even half a kilometre….but natural, and a relief…

And a mail box at the end…

Today was good……it felt right, and after, even better…

And as usual, all I had to do was begin

A virtual Run clinic because I can…

So I do this…I instruct run clinic…pretty much have been doing so since about 2006.

New runners, those learning, those with a lot of experience…half and full marathoners…some huge clinics, some smaller….100s, to 15 maybe…..sometimes 5..

COVID short of shut that down…I was instructing for the company I work for, the Running Room…so they shut that down, first because all their stores were shut down….then when everything opened up again, it took almost 6 months before run club, group runs began…..and then virtual clinics on Zoom…..that all started up in 2022? maybe…but really expect for that COVID break my life have been split up in groups of 10 weeks for most clinics, to 18 weeks for the half and full marathon clinics…

I do get paid for those…and I guess that’s okay, they do take over my life……it’s not a lot, if split in per hour, there are times when I think of nothing else….

In person vs Zoom meets have their pluses and minuses…..Zooms are all recorded, so those unable to attend still benefit and don’t miss anything…..and a Zoom meet can reach out to places of the planet where an in person clinic just isn’t possible…some have been people in remote places..and it is kind of cool to have people as far away as Peru, the Yukon, Minnesota, Newfundland, and northern Vancouver Island all in the same virtual clinic…..

And the recordings mean that those with access can rewatch over and over again forever…which, you just can’t do with an in-person clinic….

The in person clinics…..there’s that connection, and in person coaching, and encouraging……and in person cheerleader as opposed to a virtual cheerleader…..it’s hard to correct biomechanics for instance from afar….and, well, accountability….with a clinic with two in person training/group runs and the clinic run, corrections can be made, but also, those in the clinic are accountable to just show up….

Now I’ve taken a different step…..I’m yes taking on another Zoom/virtual clinic, but on my own, without the Running Room safety and on line presence………..

Today was day two….with 3 in attendance, and I talked for almost an hour about setting up a training schedule and stiking to it…

This was my day two of doing this……….and yes I can talk for an hour about almost anything running related…..

I hope this gets bigger….it’s kind of cool, maybe stupid, but I’m just doing me for free, a free clinic …

no safety net, I should be able to use guest speakers, but, well….I’ve got the free time, I’ve got that Zoom account, so why not…..?

Today’s topic was all about setting up a plan

Next week…..effort. heart rates, VO2 Max…..and how to make use of all that within that training plan…

Tonight felt good, postive….felt right.

w

so this was really a good memory

And really cool

wow, November 1994…..

This was my life way back then……I think this was just a random visit to Vancouver, but with a purpose….I’m not sure…..

It was a day of two interviews…began with a meet with a singer names Alan Frew at a restaurant in Vancouver’s Coal Harbour…the restaurant was called the ARC….Frew was at the time going solo, was best known as a member of the west coast band, Glass Tiger..

It was an interesting chat……I never knew what questions I was going to ask, and a lot of time it wasn’t what the subject was always expecting….over coffee and I guess an early lunch we talked about music and the joy of singing..among other things….he had a solo album that was about to be released so yes, I remember that coming up…..but it was so cool….just me, doing this….I never took that for granted…

I was just some shmuck that got the golden key to do this….yes, I had an editor, but I always picked my subject matter…..and I was from this small British Columbia interior city writing for a small newspaper, and a few other magazines….but I just did what I did…..

This was a day to remember though……after that meet I headed over to meet up with Annette Ducharme, at her house just off of Vancouver’s Commercial Drive, and had coffee with her in her dining room…..her hubby was around as well…producer John Webster….who I think I’d crossed paths with before….he produced a lot of other musicians I’d know…..but Annette was so cool…and yeah we talked, again, I always thought of interviews as just as conversation that I’d share…..

I always looked at my goal was that of part cheerleader for some, and then to introduce those that read or watched what I did, to something, someone they may had never heard before, or heard of….

Sometimes it worked…..and yes, I guess it was a little vanity on my part thinking that I could do that….

I always also wanted to share all things Canadian….yes, we have kind of conquered some of the world now, Drake etc……but back in the 90s, things were amazing…so much, well, music….DIYs, the punks the new wavers, way so much Ska……so many great bands that I still listen too…..and it seemed like everything fit…..

At the time Ducharme’s album, sanctuary was out, and I thought she’d end up rulling the world, maybe….Sarah McLachlan had Fumbling Towards Ecstacy out at the time, 5440 were everythere…the Grape of Wrath, Lava Hay…..Bif Naked was everywhere….I thought everything from the west coast was going to rule the world….it was the age of cool…….

And Annette I thought was going to be a huge part of that…..

I was lucky enough to be there too……that time, about 1981 to the early 2000s, I was really lucky to be a part of that……so many memories

Some days a spin is all you need.

After 3 pretty good days….today felt like a good day to rest and recover….

I’m still figuring this out….at almost 65, how do workout and rest days work?….Recovery days, when….?

So today, a little stiff and sore, so chill…eat well, healthy green-ish food (dinner this evenings was chicken with a salsa sauce with a little heat, rice and stir fried veggies….)…..

At some pont, getting the bike trainer out felt like the right thing to do, to get rid of some of that lactic acid build up….

Just 45 minutes playing around with the gears and watching YouTube videos..

That felt good…yes I watched way too much TV…but finished off another shot at Stranger Things (when’s the next season!?)…….attempted into something called the OV, and am making a concerted effort never to watch or engage with the news…

Have to keep this up…

Hitting the weights on Tuesday was a good idea….I haven’t pumped iron since pre-COVID…so instead of loading up the bar with 45lb plates, so starting again with 10lb plates…..and more machines than free weights…..but yeah, sore in all the right places today….

Tomorrow, back at it……think I have a whole day of freedom, so a run, back to the weights….and work on an upcoming Zoom clinic….hopefully this time it’ll work, and I can get myself on my way..

A Letter to the Editor. A Rest Day

I may still will head out for a run at some point, but today seems like a good rest day, a day to get caught up on things..I do have a virtual zoom meet planned for 6:30 this evening…I’ll see how I feel after dinner.

I did something, because I think something should be said, and wrote a letter to the editor

I thought my words were balanced…I won’t post the on-line reactions and critiques…..but wasn’t surprised.

Anyway my one job today is to order flowers for my daughter’s bday..and have them delivered when it’s pretty much guaranteed to embarrass her, because that’s what dads are supposed to do.

This is what life’s supposed to feel like

GREAT!!!

Third day in a row, and am feeling pretty good…..

today was a house keeping day….and then a run.

I said yesterday felt good too………topped this last night, with dad’s turn to make dinner (actually that’s almost every day)…..

My wife works…I’m the retired guy that does a lot of things, and well, made it my job to do stuff around the house…..

Today began with waffles for my daughter and I – waffle and walk Wednesdays – sweep, mop, vacuum, dust, laundry, and dishes…..grilled cheese for lunch…and chill until that 6 o-clock group run

And a blast….a little quicker then I wished, but so much fun….a new route that took us on a few paths we don’t normally use, up a grassy hill in the dark (the headlamps worked great)…..a couple of hills……

and exactly 6.66K

The best, the two women I matched up with, well at least, pushed me hard…so that was good..I could still talk….I yap a lot whenever I run…even when I’m by myself……we kind of did 10 and 1 intervals more or less, but felt, and felt so good.

Now, after 3 good days, feeling positive…..

it feels…refreshing. I’m not going to weigh myself every day, but yeah, on the way back down to 170lbs…the Warren project continues

and how can you tell it’s all good….and I apologize, not a lot of time to catch up on my fellow blogger’s posts…….working on that…

w

The Warren needs to lose weight project?

could have been worse, and yes I could use a shave and a haircut….

But, don’t know why I ever hesitate going for a run

Today was a good case in point. I kept looking for reasons not to…maybe I’ll go at 6AM, but my kid and wife were up, so I can’t sneak out now?….then I slept in so, I have to have breakfast and coffee….I can’t run at 10AM, I just had my second cup of coffee (so much for me quiting coffee this week) finally I got out the door at 11:30…because ?….I just got pissed off enough at myself….and decided I’d just do 5 and 1 intervals, and if it didn’t feel good, I’d turn around and give up…..I always say that..and a secret, that never happens

I just need to get out that back door…..

I do need to get rid of a bunch of weight. I wanna be 170, I’m now over 180 which is also pissing myself off……I know my cholesterol is high…so I need exercise, I need to watch what I eat and drink…I never, never have done that…I’ve ocassionally tried that, but fuck that, if I wanna Big Mac, I’ve always just eaten a Big Mac…..now, well, maybe I still will, but there was a time when it was a Quarter Pounder, fries and a coke, supersizes every day…..maybe not so much now?

So the goal, among my so many other goals (a full marathon in 2024 for instance)..I wanna be 170 by January 1st, my gift to myself on my 65th birthday……that’s 49 days away…..so, can I get rid of about 10 pounds in 49 days – and keep those 10 pounds off –

If I got that haircut, would that help?

There are times in my life where I’ve had really long hair..and a full face of hair…but seriously I’ve always wanted the Geddy Lee look……

My parents were super super strict…alwats, so at the time, when I’d left home and moved to Jasper, than Vancouver, my rebellion was my hair……and weird thought, I wanted to put on weight at that time….I’d never been able to get to 150lbs…soaking wet…now I wanna go back to that…..

Anyway, tonight dispite what my kids say, we’re eating home made Indian Butter Chicken and red lentils….at least I will…..

And tomorrow….a run at 6AM…and we’ll think about that hair!..and RUSH!!!!!…

Game of Thrones? Jodie Foster = Bad Ass!

Yep, watched Nyad yesterday evening…..I will watch it again..an amazing story, but two of my fave all time actresses…..

Annette Benning and Jodie Foster……and they still are…

I’ve had a crush on Benning since I saw her in Grifters decades ago….

and the years have kept her great…like Diane Keaton or yes, Jodie Foster

wow….has she grown up in front of our eyes?…remember her in Taxi Driver?……

I like watching and rewatching shows that I like……..this is one of those..an amazing story, about a swimmer struggling to swim from Cuba to Key West…the first person to do so, and she did it at age 64, after 5 tries……I love her story and her quote, I think it goes, ‘you’re never too old to follow your dreams.’

I think Nyad’s friendship with friend and eventually coach Bonnie Stoll (played by Foster) is interesting. There are a lot of buddy movies/bios featuring female friends…I know there are some featuring male bonding…but talking to friends, there seems to always be that connection….men are always a bit distant or willing to share with male friends……and I can speak to that..my best friends, ones I’ve always trusted more have been female…..yes you can be just a friend…..I wonder if that’s just my observation or is there something to that

So will rewatch…but decided today to re do the Game of Thrones…it’s been about a year….it’s a huge commitment….that series takes a huge commitment…the first time, it took me I think 3 times to get past the first episode, but once I was in, I was in…….I came on board well after it began, but that first time I was like everyone else waiting for those final episodes of the final season..and liked the way it ended..I know many didn’t..but I’ve always been different than everyone else..I liked the endings of Lost, and Battleship Galactica….they made sense…

Winter’s coming, so I guess I’ll have time……

Weird thing about Benning…yeah, back to her

Yeah, that’s me at Death Race in Grande Cache in I think 2007…..getting ready to take on Leg 5…..with my team mate Kim….who I always thought was a dead ringer to Benning?………

anyway, back to watching CFL Football…and then, maybe GoT

w

Working on that collection. Book?

I guess on this day in 1993, I became a freelance writer?

Wow huh?……I’m trying to figure out how that happened…

I was volunteering at our local cable TV station…..Channel 10, where I began as a camera operator, and as usual, went above and beyond, started up my own program…videos, live music, and me…and then the local newspaper, Kamloops This Week, did a piece on me, and yes, my show (called Drawn to the Rhythm) and I asked, what would I have to do to write for that paper….’just write’…..so yep I did…

as my wife would say, ‘did they see what was coming’….

I ended up at the TV Station, basically doing everything all the time….producing, directing, digging up videos, book bands for live stuff off the floor, getting sponsorships, getting a license so we could actually show vidoes, going to record/music companies to get videos..and yes, working the cameras as well

It was a life..and then I started writing….between the two, I was able observe the 90s, the world of the DIY music scene I guess…I crossed paths with so many acts…for that day in 1993 into about 2000 something…I ended up covering things for the Chart Magazine

I basically covered the British Columbia scene…and then expanded after that…….I tried to keep myself to covering everything Canadian…..sometimes I would cheat..one band I wrote up had a member who went to university in Montreal for one semester, so that was Canadian enough for me….and I would go beyond just music though

when we moved to Edmonton I just carried on writing…for See Magazine, I did a few pieces for Vancouver’s Georgia Strait, and I did one music review that popped up on Rolling Stone Magazine’s on-line site…the funniest part of that, that story, I didn’t know about it, one of my industry buddies tipped me off….that group of people at some point became my cheerleaders….

Whenever I travelled into Vancouver from Kamloops, I would always stop in at least at two or three spots to visit with music reps, from EMI….Nettwerk, Sony….there were two, A&M and Polygram had offices just across False CReek from Granville Island, so I’d stop and see them, just to hang out, and they became friends……sure, interviewing Chris de Burgh, Sarah Mc, and others was cool, but I liked the industry stuff more….and sure, I liked being on TV at times….

I’m not sure why all this ended…busy with ther things……..had other things going on….

the world has changed so much since, my life…now I’m a runner, and a bunch of other things….

and now I’m digging through the archives to see if I can piece that life altogether in a narrative that others could follow…do I just blog, um, maybe a self published thing…..well, first step, get organized right?

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Remembering me…..

yep, a day off house work, and then going throw old clippings; my life as a freelancer…

I honestly don’t remember this interview or writing this piece…but have crossed paths with Grant Lawrence quite a few times back in my life when writing, doing some TV was my life…….I’m just going through his book

and honestly it’s bringing back a lof of memories of that time and those days….so many many bands, so many live gigs, some great, some fun, some excruciating, but yeah, lots of fun……

I think I have a goal now, digging through the archives, what I have…I don’t think I saved everything, and I did just throw out about a thousand cassettes full of interviews, I have some on VHS tapes, have no idea how I copy those, or even watch them…..but can I fit everything into a book…..maybe…..

There were a lot of interviews..and reviews, and a lot of life, just a little over a decade really….some were interesting and amazing….some were wth acts no one else ever heard pf and have fallen into the abyss of history……I was going to say rock and roll and punk new wave DIY history….but it wnet beyond that sometimes……like this

The subject wasn’t the most interesting part of this piece, but it was huge, a jazz singer that blew me away, I don’t remember the day this was published, but remember the day of the interview well…..I was here in St Albert, Allyson was in New Jersey, the day was September 12th 2001……the day after 9/11……I was surprised I got through on the phone even, after the terrifying of the day before…my sister was living in Stamford Conn. at the time, and worked in NYC, and her office was in the Fashion District….so I’d spent a lot of the day before on the phone, cell phone (remembering that clamshell Samsung) tracking down the sister..she’d stayed home that day, and I somehow got her on her cell…..and I had a few music friends in NYC..one, his office at Nettwerk Record’s office was really close to the WTC, and another who had a company called BeBop nearby as well……I had just been in both places in March/April in 2001….so lots of memories, but that interview was the best thing ever, I’d felt so calm after…

So now….do I catalogue, sort things into chronological order, and see what sparks a memory and scan everything……I don’t know or remember a lot of names..I wish I did…….actually, I just thought of something for tomorrow’s blog……

sorry to the Weavers, but I may just title everything, wasn’t that a time….

OMG that was fast!!!……

The first night run of the season.

Not the best day of my life……decided to take the day easy, read, write, study, and get ready for this weekend’s clinic….

Did a few chores around the house, and well watched maybe a little too much TV……decided it’s time to rewatch the Last of Us while waiting for season two……and neat thing, there’s a making of the Last of Us on Crave…..pretty cool…..I’m not sure why I originally watched because of the story, or that it was filmed pretty much where I live…and I know a lot of the places that arn’t here well….but well done.

At time’s I was thinking about skipping tonight’s run……..but, well, I went anyway..it’s just that first step…..

We had a good, great FAST group tonight….it felt pretty darned good….and I love winter runs in the dark…I seriously cannot wait for the snow to come….that but of bite in the air, that chill feel really good…

And finding places to run where there are not any street lights evening better, under the light of the moon and stars….

The pace was great…we had a new member join the crew that pushed us pretty hard…..and that felt so good too….glad I showed up…and I guess I have to, it’s my Run Club.

I have no idea how many weeks I’ve been doing this now…..it’s got to be almost into the 3rd year….every Wednesday…

actually longer than that….actually ever since I started running in 1996, Wednesdays, every Wednesday at 6PM……Sundays at 8:30….it hasn’t always been from my store here in St Albert…..it began in west Edmonton, I really didn’t join the St Albert group until I began running out here in 2014…….

The plan was, retire from being a railroader….work at the store a few days a week, instruct the occasional clinic…then I ended up instructing every clinic pretty much all the time, and I managed the store for 6 years….then COVID shut us down…..I started teaching virtual Zoom clinics (and that’s going on and on)…..worked at the store as a sales person, then well, quit that, now I work events, instruct Zoom clinics, lead our run club, and now I’m a race director….go figure…still busy, all the time..

That is a lot of running though, a lot of history……I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now?….maybe.

I turn 65 when the year ends, and the new one begins…….and life turns another page.

Two pretty good days…and yep got out for a run

So first I saw this

The I saw this

So, nope, not following that arrow, well, would there be Zombies?

It was a good late morning 6K……I have to say I was on the fence…it was foggy, a little on the cold side (which is stupid, because in about a month this will feel like summer(….and I was tired…

But,my daughter’s caregiver/aid/worker had arrived…I’d had breakfast, my two cups of coffee (nope, haven’t stopped that habit yet) and had nothing eslse to do….so let’s run..

and I did see a few birds…

Yesterday was kind of the same, sat around moping around, and finally got around to throwing my bike onto my bike trainer for 45 minutes, to start to get used to riding inside….it’s a new trainer, so gotta get over that learning curve

and yep, the diet is on…..cutting the amount of coffee and tea I usually drink…WATER WATER WATER….gotta get rid of a gut, and get my cholesterol numbers down, apparently my numbers are a bit high (WHAT!!!)…..so gotta get exersize…and watch that diet.

I wanna go vegan, I’ve wanted to do that for a while, I get a lot of pushback from the family, but, um, I do cook a lot of the meals…..but big deal, now I have to cook more meals, especially the evening meal, extra options…cause, apparently I’m the only one that like red lentils…..but, it is my health, so the battle continues.

now, back to the laundry…and grrrr…and will have to figure out why my Polar M460 will not connect to my laptop!

A New Beginning A new Clinic

So it begins…my very first virtual clinic via Zoom….without a safety net.

The first night. A small group, but well, I’ve got spare time, I have a Zoom account, so why not use it?

This going to be a challenge and interesting…walkers, runners, those just beginning, some with a lot of experience….I’ll cover all bases every week……

I guess I think running is something to be shared..so I guess that’ll be this clinic….every Sunday, without a net…

Normally I teach clinics backed by the Running Room and their platform……..now, well, it’s just me…

Because, I couldn’t think of a good reason not to….

So what if???

Just finished binge watching this two season series….not bad. it was okay, but it makes you think.

If say, the world was about to end. Say You knew that a planet ending rock, an asteroid was going to impact the planet in 5 hours…….what would you do?

Yes we’re all eventually going to die…..but what if this was the senario?

I’m going to have to sleep on this…..but, well, that would be the difference, you wouldn’t have that luxury….what would you do? what would you say? who would you say it to?

Would you hold hands with someone, hug someone….try to contact someone?…..

You would only have 5 hours. Is that even time to think? it would have to be a reaction, an automatic action….

So, why wouldn’t you do that one thing now?…Say that thing now? Make that connection now without impending doom?

Again, we never know when we’ll pass on. Even those on that death bed, with so many days, hours, months, don’t know the exact moment……and if you didn’t say those final words, say you loved that one person, you wouldn’t have a second chance.

I wonder, how many regret not doing that……someone important to you, leave the house to go for groceries, is there a guarantee they’ll come back? What if?

Again an okay series, but it makes you think….and maybe, act?

Clinic Prep. NYC and ’70s Heavy Metal

So yeah, a new virtual Zoom clinic tomorrow evening…this ones different.

I usual do this with my Running Room providing my support….a platform, tomorrow, it’s flying without a net….

It began with me posting this on one of my many Facebook groups

(2) Why not a Warren’s virtual clinic..if I do this will anyone come? | Facebook

and, well..people started say hell yes…..

It’s going to be an offseason about everything maybe 10 weeks, maybe forever……so today’s job, one of the jobs, clinic prep for day 1.

It’s New York Marathon eve….that’s tomorrow morning…..who’s idea was it to have a marathon on the morning of a time change?…yes I did it on 2009, the morning after Halloween in New York City, and after setting those clocks back 1 hour….so, less sleep…..but I did it, it wasn’t the fastest I ever ran, but seeing all the Buroughs of New York City in one morning was worth is…the tunes, the live music through Harlem, Marcus Garvey Park was worth the 26.2 miles…..

I’ve only been to Gothem twice in my life…I was lucky enough to be there in the spring of 2001….

from the top of the World Trade Centre…….I keep thinking of that day…..eating at a coffee shop across the street from Brooks Brothers, going up those elevators to the top, walking along the catwalk at the top and seeing someone on the edge welding…..going back to the bottom, asking a cop how to get to the subway…..having a hot dog on the street right across the street, and wondered, have always wondered, were all the people I saw that morning, were they there?……scary thoughts, sad thoughts…..

now to fun stuff….this….the 70s, the time when heavy metal, the new age of heavy metal was the thing..everything was loud…a song, loud stick goes boom….Krokus!

I think this was them opening for Cheap Trick……man I was close….never worse ear plus….imagine a sledgehammer hitting your chest…actually this might have been opening for Motorhead….

I think they were Swedish of something……and loud…

I remember driving home from work one night, parking our car in the garage, my wife going out to get groceries, I’d forgotten to turn the CD player down..she started the car, and BOOOOOMMMMMM….woops?

Anyway, now to get back to work

A Chill Day…Triumph in the fog

One of the joys of the days of working with film, you only had so many shots to get it right, and a lot of the time working with what lighting you’ve got and just hoping for the best….

Canadian band Triumph…again, must bethe late 70s……..and the fog machines were working overtime…

I’m a fan of the power tri, I like a lot at the time thought they were like Rush – lite….but really, more like a Canadian Van Halen with a hell of a guitar machine, that knew what they were…loud and proud, their shoes from the start were loud and active…lots of lights, light shows that bands of their stature just didn’t do…they played high school concerts, a cover band that came out like a headliner….

Then they got signed, started touring, headlining some of the biggest festivals, along with Van Halen, in North America. They were a bigger draw at one time in Texas then they were in Canada….

Singer, guitar god Rik Emmett, blonde, attracting female fans like the best of the best alays did, also became an amazing song writter..you want hooks, he had hooks….anthems, love ballads…..

Funny thing, or more interesting, he’s able to mimic other players, like Eddie Van, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, whomever…..note perfectly….and still does.

The band recently staged a reunion, and drew fans across and all over this continent. Triumph fans are almost like the Deadheads that followed the Grateful Dead….dedicated, and still follow where ever this band travels..

The story behind the photos…….I was living in Jasper at the time..in the Rockies….for a gig hound like me was perfect..Edmonton, Calgary, Kamloops, Vancouver were all an easy 3 or 6 hour drive away…..so I’d check newspapers (no internet back then) and would chow down on the concert listings and plan my life around who was where and what I wanted to see…..

At one point, I moved back to Edmonton for a summer, and made the decision to see anyone, no matter who, whether I’d heard of them or not, and just go an expore….crazy right….but what freedom…I’ll talk more about in blogs to come, but I’d see a poster on a light post, and immediately go and buy a ticket, or usually for my long suffering girlfriend and myself at the time…..and concerts were cheap……

Sure didn’t have a lot of money, pay was good not great, but a concert ticket wasn’t much more expensive than a copy of a record album…$10

These were for some of the biggest bands in the land………say, Fleetwood Mac at the height of their popularity, the Rumours tour….$10!…take that Taylor Swift!

Okay, so back to work…today is all about untangling and getting those Christmas lights up on the house and into the trees…..

Washing windows, washing and vacuuming the car and getting that ready for winter….and OMG!…Sunday, the day we all fall back, turning the clocks all back to Standard time……

It’s gotta be fun

No matter what? My M.O. is pretty much all about one thing, I’m all about one thing….I don’t do anything unless fun is part of the equation.

Last night’s run was a part of that…..making up the route for a group of people yesterday evening as we went along..it always amazes me whenever that happens……today’s run….partly forced myself to get my ass out the door for a run, whatever happened, and had another fun run…

It was kind of cool, started out with one route, part was familiar, then improvised…used a path I don’t normally use….popped out and the rest was the usual…..and yeah, forgot to press start on my watch..and found ICE!

Also I found a name. In a various locations along the trails and paths in St Albert, there are these benches

names added to them in remberance of someone special…..I and sometimes with my kids when they were younger, we’d try and remember the names, write them down, or take a picture of the plaques….this one…someone’s mom, wife, a local entrepreneur who owned a flower shop….others I’ve noted have been of other runners I didn’t know, but had crossed paths with…I remembered the faces, but didn’t know the names…some were doctors, teachers, and yes, other runners…..

Today, my second run after this was done

my first race as race orgaizer ever…..all done, now I can relax and run…..

the pix are starting to trickle in, and yeah, I, the race instructor, did get caught on camera a few times

Today, I also continued the dig through older photos…

I took this years ago at the Regina Folk Festival…..this is two of the members of Edmonton’s , I can’t remember the name of their band, Jen Kraatz (she’s the one not in the picture) Wendy McNeil, and Luann Kowalek…..three of my fave songwriters…the trip was worth it…also I’d never been to that part of Canada before, so I guess it was so worth it……….

I’ll post an old interview I have with them that I wrote about the same time……but yeah, worth listening too……

Lately I’ve been digging through a lot of tunes on YouTube, I love this Playing for Change version of Love Train….seems timely

and yes, Guns and Roses drummer Chad Smith

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hISTORY iN PICTIRES AND tAKING MORE

I used to take a lot of pictures…this was back in the days of analog, film, actual film, f stops, filters, and you had only so many shot you could take…..

As the usual nature shots, pix during hikes..like music was my drug….live, and until the now where every phone is in every pocket and that phone is now a camera, there was a time when it was hit or miss whether a camera would be allowed into a venue….there were two promoters, one was Brimstone, no cameras, Perryscope no problem..

Sometimes it was the act…I shot an entire show at the Commodore Ballroom with the new wave band, the Motels, which was amazing. The singer, Martha Davis was so worth the effort, but about 1 roll of film in, two big goons came and grabbed the film….

That top pix is Sheron Alton…..the band was Toronto….I saw them a lot, I was almost a groupie….

But always had my camera, the handy dandy Canon AT1….Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver…..always great..

Alton was married to the other guitar player in the band, Brian Allen, lead singer, Holly Woods….Alton and Allen were pretty amazing singwriters…..what about love was one of theirs…..which gave Heart one of their biggest hits of all time

Yeah, Heart…can’t remember the year, but this was at an all day out door concert at the Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium…..

I think one of the pix of Toronto was at the old Edmonton Coliseum, New Years Day…they were there with the bands Harlequin

and Streetheart…..

an amazing show, and lots and lots of images…and so many memories

Now? Well, I don’t take much, usually just things I see on runs and rides with my tiny Nikon…

My goal is to do more, more often..one pic a day…..Live music won’t happen, I don’t think…but, there’s so much more…

Also it’s time to dig back, where I was…expect for rock and roll pictures to come

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ohhhhhhhhhhh…..

Hey, yep, winter’s coming……and I’m f-ing ready….my snow tires are on!!!

And I found a huge number of birds…on Halloween….

While Costco was taking forever with the tire change..I went for a walk…and yeah, a massive number of Canada Geese……..they must really ike that lake …

I was just reading all about migration and birds, and wow!!!!….how do they do it…flying on a massive number of calories….they’ve trained their bodies to move on less…..the way they digest food changes, their bodies change……and they travel day and night, in the dark…how do they know where they’re going?…..it’s like humpback whales traveling from Hawaii to Alaska…..do they follow the stars?…

Managed to find a new park I hadn’t been to before…..

One thing about this area….lots of parks paths natural areas…..and as soon as a new development opens up, an effort to keep this practice up…and us runners appreciate it

Not at all impressed with Costco…they said 1 hour, I had an appointment for noon, 1 hour went by, a second hour, and they smiled and said oh, another 5 or 10 minutes….

But, I got to go for a looonnnnnngggggggggg..walk

so all good….

Am getting good feedback on my race, I guess people liked it…so, yeah I finally did something good and right…

decompressing. time to rebuild warren

So my race is done…..

Now all I’ve got is a relaxed Warren’s Zoom Run Clinic on Sunday evenings…well see how that goes.

Wednesday’s Run Club forever….I’m volunteering at an event on November 12th…

but the rest of the year, my life singing when I’m sixty four will roll along until my 65th bday on New Year’s Day!

I won’t lie, I am worn out…..just dead beat. I had a great sleep, but still woke up so tired.

It’s a good feeling though. Satisfied, thankful, actually okay…..a good event was held, now I get to relax and enjoy life.

I was planning on running this morning, but that little voice in my head said, one more rest day..and get back on that horse tomorrow.

It’s weird, I’m watching, binge watching a show called Salvation, I kind of need that….or maybe an epiphany…..or an understanding of where I am….and where I want to go…

Understanding that, well, you hear that right? I know it’s a Lululemon thing, I’ve heard it elsewhere, where do I want to be in 5 years….and what do I need to do to get there…well, in 5 years, I will be 70…how terrifying is that……70!

I guess one goal is to not be dead…..70? WTF!?…..what does 70 mean…?

I guess I’m not a kid anymore

I’m not big on making a big impression, leaving a legacy, I have no bucket list….I’m just me, and my family…what’s the future hold beyond 70?…….or until 70?

Seriously, now, I pretty much live day by day……I don’t really plan ahead, I just do…

Can I still do that for 5 years? Into my 7th decade?

I don’t know, is it about making every day count, or just keep on keeping on?

Yes, I’m thinking marathon next year, next spring…..more clinics, sure, another event next year..

But what about us?…..Yeah day by day..

Tomorrow, back on the move, more endurance, keep on learning, and living….

To tomorrow

14 hours to go……

There are so many moving parts to putting on an event like this..

It may only be 114 runners, 26 volunteers..a 5 and 10K….but, the same rules apply to this as does to next weekend’s NYC Marathon …. and it’s like hurding cats at some points, and at some points it’s amazing that so many want to help…..

I’ve been super luck, and blessed, I actually have so many people that have stepped up to help….yes some I wish had, but those that have…26 of them plus the 6 sponsors…..those that put up the posters, those that promoted this event on their radio station, in their blogs, and their events…that feels so good…

tomorrow morning this all begins…..at 930 the speeches, the warm up, and then I get to watch 114 people run, fill our trails…..I cannot wait for that to begin….

That’s the dream……..

7AM is going to come quickly……and then at about noon, this will all be done…..

lots of moving pieces….like a good car or rocket ship, 26 volunteers all working, the staff of my support team, the city support…..and the volunteers, at 12 different spots….all hopefully helpfully making this engine run smoothly……pointing partcipants in the right directions….feeding some, passing on hydration, cheering, putting on medals to those doing the kid’s run….warming them all up, then cooling them all after…….then coffee, hot chocolate, granola bars, chocolate, water…and yes a cool down…

Yes, I know, I haven’t responded to any of my fellow bloggers for a few days, once this is done, life as I know it will return and I’ll play catch up……..and then?

Start planning for 2024…

Binge Watching…..

So, Friday…race day is now almost here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, package pick up day…111 signed up, coming in to pick up race numbers/bibs, and their toques….

It looks like it should be a good Sunday….not HOT, but pleasant, no wind and the sun should be out…and the paved paths of St Albert will be filled with runners and walkers….and course marshals!

111….26 volunteers….and all, well…..I’m their race director!?

YIKES!

Now, it’s almost like getting ready to run a marathon….there’s absolutely nothing I can do or have to do before race morning…….nothing I can do to make anything better…….so just sit back and relax!

Yep, race package pick up continues tomorrow…..but, I have volunteers to look after that…

Sunday, wake up, and walk the course, put up al the direction markers so that no one gets lost…..

Organize the volunteers…..have the dignitaries make their speeches, get everyone warmed up…..then sent everyone on their way……take off after the race begins to grab coffee, cheer everyone in…..organize the cool down..and all then be done…

I AM TERRIFIED!

My first effort at this…..and I think I have all the bases covered, people in all the right places…..

I guess like a marathon it’s the nervousness of waiting for the event…..

legs are shaking……tired, and just waiting to get started….

Actually, it seems the best thing to keep me calm and relaxed and not obsessing…so tonight it’s back to Battlestar Galactica…… I bit the bullet and bought the DVD Box Set

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA — Pictured: (l-r) Grace Park as Sharon Valerii, Tricia Helfer as Number Six — SCI FI Channel Photo: Justin Stephens

I’m done with the Travelers….for now…it’s so good, it’s really hard to compare it to anything else

The writing, the story line…..so wel done…….

The coolest thing about the show is one of the actors is Mackenzie Porter, who’s also a singer…..

and a pretty great one too….

but yeah, the countdown begins………and now to find some way to chill….relax even.

Feeling okay, feeling lost, feeling BUSY!

5 more day to D-Day……Run LoSeCa Run…

Yeah I know, I know readers must be tired of hearing about my first forey into being a Race Director…but well, I’m going to keep this up until Sunday…

and then, well, the 2nd Annual Run LoSeCa Run will be my focus, Sunday September 8th 2024….

LoSeCa…Love Service Care…..have been a part of my family’s life for a few years…

Two of my adult children are autistic, my daughter need help 24/7…they’ve provided the help…

So this a part of me paying back….I guess; raising donations, fundraising….

I decided to do this back at the end of July..partly because, why not? Which is the way I do a lot of things, I just fall into them..

Right now…this is all about the final prep…..104 runners and walkers signed up to run either 5K or 10K and a kids run………I’ve I think 22 volunteers..they keep stepping up….

What does 120 bananas look like?

So yeah, this being my first year, I’m trying to use everything I’ve seen at races and runs that I’ve been a part of to try and do things better, or at least right…and it’s going to be cold, so am thinking water bottles, just water bottles won’t be enough….

The route is all set up, almost…there’s some construction along my original route, supposed to be done by Friday, but, well, I’m not holding out much hope….

The tough part?

Not training this week…the stress, the time commitment, I just said, no running until after the run….

Which seems ironic, but my heads just into so many things, something has to take a back seat..

And we have Gators…this should be an interesting race…a local tri training group/team has many members signed up, hopefully they’ll inspire me to get back into training…

And looking through the list of competitors, those that I know, there are some speedsters in the group…but also every other pace, and some walkers…..

Tomorrow, the goal is to take a day off…..I actually wonder what this works out to, per hour…because since that day in August, it’s all I’ve thought of 24/7….

I will have to see how that goes, and think about that day after.

WINTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Um, yeah…I still haven’t got my snow tires on, and over night, winter has now arrived.

It seems that yesterday was summer, or at least autumn…the leaves were so pretty, a run in the river valley was amazing

Now

A bit of a challenge…..

So today and the rest of the week, race day!……

Now is all about groceries…..what do I need to get to keep everyone happy..well, coffee….will there be enough coffee?…how many bananas and cereal bars do I need to have for 104 people (so far)…?

and why do so many wait until that final week to register?….OMG…I was hoping to get 100, and we got there last night…this morning, and that was the limit I set….100…I don’t want to overwelm the trails, and scare others using those trails that arn’t a part of the race…..but, well, the benefit is a charity, so the more, the more $$$ for that is a good thing…balance, I have to keep that balance…

When I started this I thought 100 participants, 20 volunteers….well, now, 104, and 21, and they’re still signing up……it’s gonna be a busy Sunday!

This was my yesterday

Runnin’ with the kids…..that was part of my day..getting my ass kicked by kids…..I need to really start training…

But, 6 days to race morning, a few things to do, but I worry every day, every hour…..24/7…so Like I said a few blogs ago, taking a training break until Monday…then back at it…..for now, focus on one goal at a time

Now off to buy groceries, and make even more lists..

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9 Days………

Run LoSeCa Run…….it’s almost here…..

Finally

95 participants have signed up

I think I’m now at 20 volunteers……

This has gotten scary…do I tell people to stop registering?……

It’s weird I thought I’d have way too many toques..now I’m worried I won’t have enough…..

There’s really not much I need to do or can….next week is all about gathering the post run food and drink…and now another challenge….I wasn’t going to have coffee or hot chocolate..now, sure, coffee, it’s going to be cold!!!!

Or at least chilly…..

but 9 Days?…….

Have to say this has been a little work, and there’s 9 days of organizing and checking my lists once or twice or more……I know what needs to be done…but coffee???

in 10 days, I can rest

I ran today. I walked today

Yep, proof, aliens are real..and they ride flying discs!

Today started off slow……still figuring out this race thing…almost just 9 days away, and I need to figure out coffee!…I wasn’t planning on adding coffee to the post run snack deal, but, it’s gonna be a chilly Sunday, so there’s better be coffee…..I don’t have time to try and find a sponsor to donate, so will have to purchase….two urns, coffee and hot chocolate, and I have 9 days to try and make that happen….

I finally dragged my butt out the door at lunch time for an almost 8K run….

honestly I had a hard time comvincing myself to get out the door…but used the old…just go somewhere, start, and if it feels good just carry on, if not, don’t…it felt fine

the final sunny and warm day of 2023, started with a hill and a climb which got me warmed up…I stuck to intervals, and if felt oh so good…….a beautiful autumn day in the big city.

That all it takes really…ya just have to start…which, as the year gets colder, chilly, and well then snow….but as long as the door hits my ass as I get out the door, all will be good..and then you get to brag about just doing it

Then tonight a walk….I don’t normally do that..I run, don’t walk…..but tonight, I’d promised my clinic folks that yep, I’d do this outside…..the deal was to have our last meet with everyone from where they ran….I guess I was the only one that got the memo……….so yeah, a short 3K walk, just before sunset…while chatting on my phone with 7 people…..I was hoping for 31, but 7 who’s just run their first full and half marathons this past weekend…that was good.

We finished just before the night fell….and well, the wind will blow…we’re going for +20C today to maybe +12 sometime tomorrow, and then minus something next week…..but the point, the walk felt right..am thinking I will add an evening walk to the routine…

Tomorrow, tomorrow..still focusing more and more on race, less and less on training…..but still, getting outside, it’s amazing at what fresh air and a little sun dones.

Vancouver…my life there..and a great cause.

I wish I was there this weekend..

https://www.fcancerconcert.ca/?r_done=1

This is on in Vancouver this weekend…wish I was there. A good cause, great tunes, and bands that I followed like a sick puppy when I was younger…..Colin James, Chilliwack, Doug and the Slugs, Prism…..I did follow them, to Vancouver’s west end and elsewhere on the left coast.

Yes my time in Vancouver……..sob, sob, sob…….

I don’t know if I ever talked about this, but, yep once I settled into the West Coast, I made the move from New Westminster to Vancouver’s West End…just off of Beach Avenue….

At that time (the Early 80s) New West was a little run down, the main street was not appealing….

It was a good location because I was close to work, just across a bridge…..but I was spending the majority of my time driving back and forth into Vancouver proper…..so yep, driving to the train yard at midnight, and driving home in the mornings was a challenge….but I was doing that anyway….so yep.

I’ll dig around a see if I can find pictures, but the 8th floor of a highrise on Harwood Street. A block away from English Bay, Sunset Beach….Davie, Denman….and walking distance to the Commodore Ballroom, the Railway Club, The Orpheum Theater….and Stanley Park. Loved it.

Weird thing….I was working mainly graveyard shifts, and had a hard time sleeping on my days off…..so I spent a lot of nights around downtown Vancouver after dark….which was so cool, cause I wasn’t alone.

I remember a few coffee shops and restaurants that stayed open all night long, and you’d see and meet some amazing people….and yep, women don’t have an Adam’s apple…I learned that then…but no big deal……

Right now for some reason I miss a burger with a slice of avocado on it..

And music everywhere…I think that the Vancouver folk fest had just started up down at Jericho Beach, it was cool to go down the day after, and there’d always be something…..a drum circle, a bunch of people with guitars…..

The only issue I had, the rent for my batchelor apartment was $400 a month…..yep, off of Beach Ave for $400…..and I got pissed off at having to pay $15 a month for a parking space…..yes, 1983. So pre-Expo 86, prices were still, I didn’t think so at the time, cheap…come on, $400…wonder what the rent is now huh?

So I moved after a year….to Kitsilano…..a house keeping suite in a huge house on W13th…..$150 a month!

No way huh?……free parking. And just up the hill from Granville Island, the beach….okay so uphill after, but that was perfect…shared the bathroom and one washroom, a tiny kitchen…but was so cool.

I miss it always….so yeah, Vancouver was my heaven..but, well, you get a girlfriend, then a wife, then kids, then you move..and then back to Aberta, to St Albert..I can still visit….but good memories.

So there was a coat rack

Yep…….Amazon gave me something to do yesterday…put together a coat rack! Yay me?

Well, that wasn’t all my Saturday duties…I was back to being the race event guy again..me and my buddy Gabby…made our way down to our Emily Murphy Park

to help out a run called the Run without Borders, raising funds and awareness for Doctors without Borders….

I didn’t run this weekend..it seems as I get closer to my Run LoSeCa Run the more I’m spending on this thing, and getting Race Day organized…..I have no idea what it takes to put on a major event like the NYC Marathon or this weekend’s TCS Marathon in Toronto with 20, 000 runners…..but my race so far, 83 participants…and so far 14 volunteers, so getting close to where I want to be…

I seem t be making a lot of lists…that stuff to get done before race day October 29th……I want it all done before Race Package Pick Up Day on October 27th….and I’m almost there..gotta pick up the groceries for race morning…

I still struggling with that…yes, lots of water, water bottles, (on that list, oh ya I need cups!)……bananas, granola bars, chips……do I do coffee?…..It’d be great if I could, but that would take more volunteers, more work….maybe in 2024? This year, the first year, is to keep it simple stupid…

Someone said to use chalk to mark where I want the volunteers, an idea….I’ll call that on race day morning…cause, well, whe will winter arrive?

Beside all that, today, pretty much since this morning I’ve been watching the TCS Toronto, the live feed on YouTube…a lot of people that were/are in my current half/full marathon clinic…I spent the morning tracking those running the full and half marathons, and they all ran really well, some amazing times…..now I’m just watching the final finishers…because this is what I do..

Today, a sunny Sunday in St. Albert…….14 days?…OMG 14 days….the race will get done, and it’ll be time to aim at 2024?

w

I Ran. I lived?

I guess the beavers wanted us to go that way?

Today was a bit lazy, lots of time on this thing…tracking down possible volunteers….I’ve got 11, could really use another 7…..kind of a challenge, I know I’m not the only race organizer facing this issue…ever since COVID volunteers are few and far in-between….I don’t know if runners just don’t understand the deal is to give back?……Without volunteers races and fun runs just don’t happen.

I managed to get out for a short almost 7K run…it felt good. Ran the fun run course plus a little bit more…..made a pit stop at my former place of employement, my local Running Room…..but the weather was perfect, not too cold, just cool……

and then I did an add on

Felt good after…..

Then this evening just picked up all the equipment I needed for tomorrow’s race….working a fund raiser fun run for Doctor’s without Borders…..a good cause, 86 runners booked…..timely..

It’s going to be cold, but, well..I get paid, I have some fun with a co-worker named Gabby…..

And just hooking up and visiting the stotre, hanging out for a bit, then doing something, everything, anything always feels good..just getting out, sometimes just saying hi, hello, waving at a fellow runner, random runners…some say hello back, some are just so focused….but we’re all on the same team.

I’m feeling a little edgy, thinking I need to do more……run more, socialize more, connect more…so yeah, I guess that’s telling me I’m on the right path..

w

A Good Evening doing what I was meant to do?.

A good evening with my Wednesday Night Run Club….

A good day around the house…spent the first 3 hours cleaning out the garage…..getting ready for winter….sweeping, organizing..and oh my god the mice!

We have a lot of stuff, I should start downsizing…as in throwing stuff away……pieces of wood, lumber, stuff I or we’re never going to use….old xc skiis, kids stuff, a kid carrier for a bike that I don’t think we ever used….

apparently mouse dropping are toxic, so who knows, now I may be dying???

and then a great evening…it felt good….felt loose and alive even

Yeah, I need to be doing more of this…days like these…no pressure, not working……enjoying me just being me…..

w

Took a sad song and made it better…

yep……ran across the universe

and it’s getting better all the time…….way too many times I feel like that fool on the hiil, but honestly,

every day seems to feel right, good…..I feel a lot of energy, instead of putting stuff off, I just do….no more, but procrastination….not really a huge thing…I do seem to spend too much time not doing stuff, but on the other hand, I spend a lot of time trying to fill my spare time up……is that retirement?

Yeah, I’ve been retired almost 10 years, it’ll be a decade come next February, in I think 79 days, I’ll have to change the words to when I was 64.

Today’s run took a while to get to, it seems that lunch runs are now my thing..after a full breakfast…

Did that Yesterday, which seems so far away…..but running is feeling still good…I now need to pick up the pace….so, the more, is better, stronger is better…..variety is needed…..and great.

That was today, just made it up as I went along, a few turns I don’t usually do, and I’m starting to feel strong enough to run with a little help from my friends…….someone to push me every so often, and also to force me to run in new places, to get my ass back into being comfortable with being uncomfortable…

Tomorrow never knows, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow….

planning, looking ahead, and reaching out…..I believe
This is heaven to no one else but me….

So tomorrow…….maybe it’s time to get on the bike

love this…..and says a lot to me

A headache, but I need to run!

so I woke up feeling like not good?

Funny, yesterday evening I read how bad milk/dairy is for us…as well as eggs, sugar and meat.

I did my usual milk and cereal before bed, slept well, but woke up feeling ill with a headache…the headache is familiar, the stomach upset wasn’t….so I’m all in….on cutting all that out….I have been cutting back a lot on added sugar, eggs, sure…..meat?….my wife and kids will be a hard sell, but I guess we can cook meals for them and another for me……but dairy?

The story on dairy I get, we’re the only species that consumes milk, the milk from another species, and the business on selling dairy is aweful, the drugs involved…and yes, a lot of $$$$ involved in all….dairy alone is a huge employer…..

I do use yogurt, and love some cheeses, I could cut out some of that….but there’s a history, milk has always been around…farmers always had farm fresh cream….and I’ve heard about the differences between whole milk and processed homogenized milk, jersey milk….and I have used non-dairy milk…it’s not that expensive, and I have tried making my own…so I may have to go that way…

But the story of what causes heart disease, some cancers, has me rethinking what I put in my body…you know, when you break a bone, everyone says calcium, drink milk!….well, what now?…..

I have that half marathon on Sunday, I have to be healthy….I’ll start no matter what, on my own or with a group……but how do you change a diet?

Black coffee this morning, no dairy…..I’ve got to make waffles tomorrow, but no eggs….time for a change?

Train. Don’t get injured. No Stomach Upset.

That seems to be it.

I’ve been at this for a while. I’ve seen training plans come and go. Heard all the advice. I teach this.

The current group I’m working with, half and full marathoners…some getting set for their first, some with more experience, and half way through this…for this clinic that began about 9 weeks ago, I’ve pretty much thrown out the usual script.

Usually, I talk a lot about product, footwear, apparel, watches, heart rate monitors….while the topics have come up, I’ve focused more on process, the actual training, the running part…….the program….because, well that’s basically it.

Train, rest, recover, nutrition and hydration, don’t get injured, stay away from things that upset your stomach/your GU…..and that’s it…..if you want to become a better runner….RUN!…that’s it…

This past week, I had great guest speaker talking about injuries..prevention, and what to do when one appear……but, she mentioned a couple of things that I don’t completely agree with, and I think make people think too much.

Heel striking isn’t the huge issue every other coach seems to want to make it…..it just depends on where that foot lands…as long as it’s beneath that center of gravity, you’re fine….knees lead, and you’re good….

When that fad of insisting that everyone had to do a mid-foot landing first appeared, I looked to people that actually coach the elites….when you over stride, yep, that’s a problem…coach Brett Sutton who coached tri legend Chrissie Wellington says that….ultra marathoner legend Scott Jurek the same thing…

to change a stride takes years and years of drills that’s not unnecessary… I remember watching the summer Olympics from Tokyo, the women’s 400 meter relay, heel strikes, feet always land underneath them….quick leg turn over…that’s that secret, not heel strike, but 90 strikes per minute, that’s it..

Junk miles is another bone of contention for me…it’s not junk miles, it’s not listening to your body, it’s not understanding the science behind rest and recovery…..it’s like weight training, if you don’t gove the muscle time to heal between work out, injury, burnout and no progression…..train, rest, recover, nail that and that nutrition…..that’s it…..it’s just running!

We seem to want to find some ways to make this all easier…running a marathon, your marathon distance is hard work….that’s why not everyone commits to doing that…it takes time, it takes time to condition the body to run 26.2 miles, there’s a need to focus, but there’s no magic pill, nothing you can buy in a bottle, you have to train, be consistant, and train…that’s it……

And 26.2?….for some, but for some, 5K is it…..it matters on a lot of things…does your life give you time to train for that run…?…..do you have space for a 3 hour run, an 2 and a half hour run, week after week?…if not, pick something else…..I discovered that trying to become an Ironman Triathele…I did two of them in 2009 and 2010…that was a busy time…working full time, 3 growing kids……and training all the time in three different disciplines……it took a lot out of me, and since,wrapping my head around that time commitment just doesn’t work….so shorter, even a half Ironman is possible…but that almost 230K in one day swim, bike, run….not in the cards…..so a self evaluation is important….

So yeah, Run, Recover, Eat, Drink…..that’s it…don’t get injured, stay away from things that upset your stomach….that’s all anyone needs to know, not a dozen books and coaches with a magic pill….

I hate VACATIONS!

I blame my parents….we always had to go on vacations. Not just vacations. They had to be very specially constructed, and we had to do vacation type things….the tourist stuff….see the tourist sites. it was a crime to just sit and chill, and live like a local….relax, and enjoy where we were…

We’d drive forever to some places…not stops allowed, rest stops, never…you had to hold it!…..

Nope, a site of interest…we’d drive right by…..

and omg when we started winter vacations to Hawaii and Mexico…..forget it….nope, can’t just lie on the beach…well the parents could, me, you had to go do something….

then the tourist traps!….Mexico, omg don’t drink the water!…don’t swim in it….ever….and nope, no kicking back and relaxing….

Things changed when I grew up, could travel on my own…..WE’RE STOPPING EVERYWHERE!

well I am…..

that may be why I love Vancouver so much….I can just be there, and enjoy being there….do stuff, but not because the tour guide tells me to…

yes, Maui is making me think about this…..I loved the trips my wife and I took there…we may go back..

There is no way our two autistic kids will ever last on a plane flying anywhere…yes, decades ago we did Disneyland and San Diego…..they liked Disney, I liked Shelter Island…….but yep, we still had to make like tourists….

I keep looking for that ideal spot….Penticton was pretty close….beaches for the kids, a laid back vibe, and a lot of places for dad to bike, run and swim…..

But a looooonnnnnnggggggg drive….

We haven’t really done the vacation thing for a while, I like and ave worked on the vacation at home, but again, I seem solo on this endeavor…. with this goal.

It’s August, no plans so far this year….with my life and work schedule, two or three days at a time is all I can currently manage……

My first goal is to get three family members to WALK!…..grrrrrrr…….nothing. two of them, Jim and Sasha used to walk, ride bikes and swim…….now, not….

I have to find them an interest..something..other than not doing anything at all….sure, that blows my first point….but walk something..even to a hotel pool would be nice…a goal…

Tomorrow I have an 18K run in my future….then, my goal is at least a walk with my Daughter Sasha……what the H, it’ll be a start

Some Days you just don’t run. Rest days

Yeah, so May 1986 on Maui….scary, scary times. Maui is such a cool place…Lahaina, so laid back a beautiful. Some day it’ll be back, we’ll be back…but will it be the same?

It’s Hawaii…..it wasn’t just the weather or the ocean, it was the people, the places, that vib….and yes the surf, the food….

So today…not running…some days you need that break, that rest day…some days that means nothin’!

Some days active rest, do something that isn’t repetitive high impact, so no pounding the pavement…or hard packed dirt…..today, hop on the bike and ride around the neighborhood for about 20K….

It’s a sunny warm day, a sometimes just stretching the legs calms the head..

Running should never be just running…it should be everything. Yes, running is easier…a pair of shoes really is all you need…yes, the right technical clothing, a cap, some hydration…..biking, swimming, whatever, a little more involved…a well rounded athlete/runner…

Sure, if you’ve an event coming up, focus on that….but, don’t forget to make used of everything else….an well rounded athlete makes a better runner, and a stronger runner…endurance is the key ingredient, fitness yes, but the other things all add up to a better, um, runner….

Tomorrow will be complete rest….I’m home with my daughter, a lot of yard and house work (laundry) to do…and family bonding stuff…..and rest. A half marathon just over a week away…while I’m still going to train, I’m looking at that 21.1 something kilometre as part of the final goal, part of the training…..the plan…but I still have to get through it, so a minor taper…eat, rest, train, relax, and then run 13 miles….

I’ve been stuck to the news from Maui for the past few days, the ride helped get me away from that…….

good night Maui

Junk Miles? or Just a Run

Today was good……busy and a run.

Started out getting to a place called Elite Sportswear to order up hats for my Fun Run on October 29th

waiting for what it’ll look like with the artwork……sometime next week…

Plastered posters all over the city….need more and more…gotta get people registered..

yes groceries, Costco…..all done in time for a run…

Yes, yes, runs have to have a point. If not, they’re not supposed to be run…only runs that have a reason, like hills, speed, distance, whatever….but I don’t follow that rule…..I just like to run!

Yes, I do cross train….swim, bike, strength……but I just have to lace up my shoes, and go….so I do…

I don’t over do it, I know to be aware of OVER TRAINING ….the real culprit is not recovering between training runs….nutrition, rest, SLEEP, and more of the same….run as much as anyone wants, but recover..

Today was a bit about exploring, found this neat new boat launch…or is it going to eventually be a new food bridge? But kind of cool…

And maybe found a lake…..lots of standing water, well, because we’ve had a ton of rain…so the trick is to keep the feet, sort of dry….huh…

One mistake today though…..swapped footwear

went to the Holas…Arahi 6s…My On Could Surfers were still soaked from my Wednesday night run through water puddles…and just not as good….I haven’t run in them a lot, so I don’t think they’re used, but the cushioning felt really hard, like there was no cushioning….which is odd for Hoka…

Just didn’t have that bounce…I still have my Arahi 5s, an older version still around….they’d become my everyday yard work shoes, but will give them a bit of a try to compare…I don’t think they hurt me at all, but no comfort at all, I need that little bit of bounce…..

The race stuff is coming along, but is getting expensive…..hopefully a good sponsor comes along soon to help with that

A Run Club Run. Leading the group

So we got soaked tonight….rained cats and dogs……….

But all good…..the Run Club seems to be getting back together…..ever since the COVID shut down, well we’d broken up…slowly though, things are getting back, some have taken a while, and some are starting from scratch….so not a problem…and all good

It’s just gotta be fun….or at least enjoyable….a couple of our group hadn’t run at all for a while, maybe long walks…and few just wanted an easy run with a marathon just a week and a half away….so broke everything down into a Warren 1 and 1s…sometimes a 2 and 1, sometimes a little more…promised a 4K, so that worked,,,,,

one crew went to the hills and then well, down hill, our hard core speedsters, I mapped out a route for them to keep them happy….all good they, and a few weren’t surprised when I missed a turn, and we ended up with a bit of cross country, a bit of mud, and yep, very wet running shoes and wet.

And once the rain came down, well, we just kept running…..the group gets it, and yeah, running through a downpour alone actually does suck…

Yep, a quicker evening fits into my training, but big deal, I got some fitness out of tonight, the group got some benefit….and I can hot the trails tomorrow……all good

I’m a pretty lucky guy. I get to do stuff.

I don’t think ahead very well. I just do stuff. I wanted to take up weights and strength training. So I just did. Then I thought, body building judge, why not, so I took that up….and that was amazing…

Could I be a music teacher? When I was in highschool….I did that…….could I host, produce and direct a TV program,? could I work a camera for others, so I did that?….become a freelance writer, yep….why not?…..a life interviewing people like Chris de Burgh..or who ever…done…

Then, running, marathons, triathlons, Ironman, I have done a lot

I sometimes have to remind myself of all this…..and since I got married in 1986, about 36 years ago, yep, a lot of support, and a wife with a lot of paitence….hopefully she knew she was marrying a dreamer?

oh boy…..but, still married and with 3 kids, so, so far so good

Today, and this past few months are a pretty good example of how this head works……

yes I also teach clinics, virtual..they were all in person before COVID..at one point, 5 different ones at time….I look after a group run every wednesday evening……I’m an events guy with the Running Room now, so setting up and taking down everything at the start and finish line, and a lot of what makes races and fun runs happen…

And now, Race director…

Yep that’s mine….

and oh yeah, I did once have a job, a career as a railroader….a rail traffic controller

That’s me and my dad….

So now, today…woke up, a quick breakfast, waited for my daughter’s caregiver to arrive, and then finally went out for my run…..

I have 12 days to the Edmonton Half Marathon….yikes, my training has sucked big time….today, my longest run in a while, I survived 16K…my pace not all that great (6:40 per km)….but, well, that 5K short of that 21K goal…….so I guess I’ll be okay…

It was a good run….I stuck to 30 and 10 intervals (run 10 minutes, about a 30 second march/walk)…at some points, if after 10 minutes I feel like keeping on going, I just do….

As usual, I made the route up as I went along…..I do always have an idea where I want to run….but, well, you just need to run…..there was one nice climb, today was about endurance not strength training, so that was good enough……and yeah, 16K…..a good morning…

A good run boosts that spirit…and pointed me into yet another direction….went a visited a local pub manager, and set up a pub night run for next month, because, why not?

A good day, and as the chief cook and bottle washer, I guess I’d better get too it….that may explain that 36 years of marriage…..

life is grand, but, well, life’s good, and by sheer luck

w

a fun 10K you just need to take that 1st step

Another day when it took me forever to get out the door, BUT I DID IT!

The original plan, 16K in the Edmonton River Valley, and then became, why? I can do that from home in St. Albert, why drive all that way?…..this was why…if I had done that, 16K would have been done….but

Nah, let’s plan to go from home…..then, well, this bed is so comfortable, why on earth do I have to wake up at 7:30?…….then why not sleep in until 9AM?….and then, well I’m hungry, so how about run at noon?

So, not what was planned, but 10K done, exactly 10K…I never do exact anything, but today…I had to do a bit of a backtracking to get that 10K even…

The run started hard…the body was arguing and felt weird….which has been normal, but as I tell people in my clinics….just start, push through the ‘ah I don’t want to do this.’ It’ll get better…or not.

My head’s been an issue lately….really tired (age? overtraining? something else?)

Today, that was the start, started in a fog…..even after a good breakfast and coffee…..but after about the first 10 minutes, I was good…a pit stop at the Running Room for well, a washroom break….then another stop after running across a friend and got caught up……..

Then I make the #rageagainstthewarren hill an destination, because, well, it’s named after me……..I’m trying to figure out the mindset of the one that mapped out this hill in STRAVA ……it begins and ends before and well after the climb…so you really have to put the effort in to get your name on there…

Interesting thought, when I first started running about 26 years ago, this loop was my usual….there where weeks when I would run this 10K every day….and I knew it was 10K back then…it usually took me about an hour, so figure 60 minutes, 10 minute miles, 6 miles = about 10K…the math worked back then, before we had GPS and HRMs..I had a Timex Ironman watch….that was it……a lot of the tme running in cotton

Tomorrow, more or less an rest day…but waking up early to volunteer at a triathlon (a 5AM wake up call, yikes) then next week, time to get hard core with much running….and hopefully, a swim and bike ride, or a few of ’em can be fit in….that half marathon on August 20th won’t run itself

What Gets You Outside?

Yep, the start of August….

At one time in my life today meant hitting the highway, and heading to Grande Cache for one of my fave events of all….the Canadian Death Race……I haven’t been up there since 2008….but driving into that mountain town was like coming home…..much like Jasper Alberta, or Vancouver BC, it just always seems like where I’m supposed to be, where I was meant to be…on top of mountains.

Today was…..was supposed to be going long-er than usual, but well, I began with no motivation….

After a lot of coffee (yeah I know, I know, I’m still trying to quit) and lots of paper work, yep, working on the fun run, watching the news……I finally got my butt out the door.

Lately, just stepping out the front door was good enough…but today a trick I use….drive somewhere, and well, you’re there, so you might as well run….

Made up a new route..not a direction I’ve run often, and then I improvised…..yep, I took one wrong turn and well went around in a circle…..and I found a nice collection of moquitoes…lots of them

but my kind of run, and once you start, you wonder why you took so long to begin.

Some days, there’s always that feeling…..someone may see me?…..I think more than a few runners…that self consciousness….for me anyway…I don’t have a lot of self confidence, which is weird right? I’ve only been at this for almost 30 years….but it’s there…..

I think the trick is to just start….and for me, not to have a set plan….because for me anyway, that always changes….yes I train, but I run to have fun, to relax, to enjoy myself….sure, races and runs are a goal, like Death Race….but, secret, I’m almost always undertrained…..weirder even..my first attempt at an Ironman Triathlon…I was focused……not really stuck to a schedule, but seemed to always be training….there was a lot of it…and I sucked on race day….my training crew could not believe it, I trained as hard or harder than anyone of them…..the following year, I training, but just enjoyed the training, and I did well…I finished.

The first step is to move…

It’s the weekend, and even though I can’t get to Grande Cache…well, going to Grande Cache in my mind…maybe 2024?

this is real now. race director now what?

Yep…registration has begun…….OMG!!!!!

87 Days to go…..no sponsors yet, I’m ordering toques tomorrow, still haven’t got one sponsor yet…that’s the next key to this….

I could use a few volunteers and advisers … and people that are better than me at reaching out to potential sponsors, so far I such at that…..all I need is $$$$ to help cover costs, and post run food and hydration…..that’s the next week’s job

the toughest thing is to not think about this ALL OF THE TIME!

so now…wednesday run club, virtual clinics, events guy and now RACE DIRECTOR guy….life’s now running stuff all of the time…..I’ve got to figure out how to deal with structure…..tomorrow may be an off day……I’ve got to do that…..

So step one done……the learning curve continues

a good night!

So still no sponsors….not yet, but the fun run is progressing….product, the toques are about to be ordered…..I got one $50 gift card so far for post run nutrition…and an awful lot of emails sent…the search continues…

I’ve someone working on the logo

I’ve a minion to help with creating a poster…..registraition should begin this Friday……yikes, this is real

A great run club run tonight..a bit of an adventure as I made the route up as I went along….but a group of 10, some new members….if we get everyone together on one evening we’d have 20 easily……it gets better and better each week!

w

I Ran…and the life of a race director..yaaaaaa!

maybe time to shave, a huge nose, grey and reseeding hair line…yikes…I guess = 154 to 65!

This organizing a run/race is draining me…finally got the paperwork done, by Friday registration begins…..a 5K 10K and kids run….and toques (for my American followers, that’s a knitted thing you put on your head Michael in the Monkees used to wear one)

…….instead of t-shirts, because who needs yet another race shirt, and one size fits all!….I’m hoping for 100 partcipants..the 1st ever Run LoSeCa Charity run….it’s a start, hope to make this an annual thing, so may go bigger in 2024?

And this may get expensive…unless I find sponsors while deep pockets…I’m trying to keep this as simple as I can..but even the toques, bananas, water, juice boxes and, coffee nutrition bars for 100+ people costs mega dollars…so either I win a lottery, or get a lot of financial help……I’ve aproached a bunch of possibles so far, but, well, one gym offered to help with the warm up, I’m thinking yoga after……but yeah, stuff.

So yeah, no that…down to business…..and HELP!!!

Managed to get out for a 6K run this morning, well, more like lunch time..and decided to give myself a break….decided August 20th, I’m in no way am going to be ready for a half marathon, I can save that for Victoria in October…..the 8th, so before the race…so yes, more pressure….

Yeah, looked happy last year right….so yeah…a little relief valve has been opened up, but yep, this being race director is eating up a lot of time…day and night (I think about it before bed, after and during!)….I’ve gotta think about taking the occassional day off….if that’s at all possible

I sabotage myself. how do I stop that?

This is my life…I can go to bed all pumped up and ready to roll….walke up today…

nah…giving up on eerything, no more race, bailing on two half marathons, and no run at all today…WTF!

Now I’m stuck in front of the TV, watching the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which is stupid exciting…but feeling like nothing, and looks like another day on the couch in front of the TV…

Okay, so cleaned my autistc daughter’s room and fixed a light switch in her room, cleaned up a bit of the back yard…..but yet another day alone, bored, frustraited, angry, pissed off at the world and myself..I should be a newspaper columnist?……I’ve had too many days like this…

I just check STRAVA, friends are all out doing something, I’m watching TV and watching life go by outside our front window…..life going by…

I needed an active weekend, a week, right now I feel like nothing….

I guess I’ll get caught up on reading other blogs, and maybe Monday will be better…

I So Needed That!

So a Zoom meet gone wrong (what do you mean it didn’t record?

The the race, the run is a whole 93 days away, and I’m still sitting in the on-ramp…..

Everything’s almost set to go…..well, except I need the charity’s bank name and address and need one signature to take care of the tax receipts…and we’re done, and registrations are set for people to register for the Run LoSeCa Run…….grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

so….GO FOR A RUN!…damit!

So I did……I had to put together a talk about hills to make up for the non-recorded Zoom…so ran, ran hills and talked and recorded, then pieced everything together and run and done…almost 6K with hills…..so good

I know running every day should not be a goal, but that’s the one thing holding me together….and it feels so good and right….almost like a step back to the good old days.

Back when I ran a lot and ran a lot with friends…I know I couldn’t possibly keep up with me as I was back then, but I feel in the same universe…..I guess I have to give myself permission to feel good, and get right back where I once was….I can’t get get back to the future…but can I do all that and more, at 64.6 years old, still recover, and not die?

I know the rules, rest and recovery…..older runners need more of that, less high impact repetitive pounding the of pavement, more biking and swimming, and I will get to that….but I gotta run run run away…

gotta keep busy, active, it just makes me feel so good….and if it feels good..just do it huh?

A Half Marathon in 25 Days…can it be done?

It’s not like I’m starting from scratch…..but sporadic training is a question that needs an answer.

I am working through some stuff (if you’ve followed this blog you’re now sayin’, no sh*t right?)

So I’ve made another decision….

Yeah, I need to change a few things, and myself….I’ve got the Wednesday night Run Club…..my half/full marathon Thursday night virtual Run Clinic….and working Running Room events….even though there are no events until September, but still that’s something……setting up, tearing down and hanging out and cheering…..so, I guess I’m busy

yep, that’s me….

So?

25 days…not going for a goal time, just for the 21. 1K or 13.1 miles…..I guess 2:30 wouldn’t be the end of the world…..better would be better……but I’ll get there….and have 3 weekends to practice…will just watch that pace, that heart rate, sweat and once you start, you always finish…

25 days from today….it’s also not like something foreign to me, I have run the distance before on almost no training, but I was 55…..

I know the pace bunny I want to run with….August, near the end of that month, is always perfect for a morning long training run, so why not run for that t-shirt, August 20th..run long warren, run long, and believe in myself?….if I don’t, who will..

So…..

A Day of Nothing. After a sleepless night

Yeah, 2nd night….is it because of the change in the weather?

Lots going through my head…organizing a run is causing my head to explode.

This is a first time thing for the both myself and the charity I’m doing this for…I’ve been involved in a lot of events, so I know how this rodeo goes….but the ins and outs of collecting donations, tax receipts and that whole deal, all new to me as well…

It’s just paperwork…filling in boxes, a form with a ton of information…figuring out what to charge for the race, how many races to have (a 5K 10K and a kids fun run? or ?) t-shirts or cap or a toques? Hydration, post race goodies, finding sponsors, finding volunteers, and staying f#*king calm!

I’ve got I think 96 days to put this together and get it done, and I haven’t even got beyond step 1 yet….city persmission done, route, done, I know how many volunteers I need, I know and have a way to get all the equipment I need, the hydration station is planned, who I want for a sponsor, the post race plan…all of it…I just need to fill in that form!

Yesterday, well, for past few days I’ve felt pretty awful, and not hopeful at all…..I’m still not all pumped about this, tomorrow, D-Day ……tomorrow’s post should be interesting…..

or, do I skip doing the charity thing and just make this a Warren run?

A Morning of Disappointment. Time to shut down.

A run that’s not going to happen……grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I had dreams of being a race director for this, to start an annual fun run, collect donations for a local foundation….but, well, no, two frustraiting groups to work with, so before it’s too late, pulling the plug……sadly, but let’s bail….

And yeah, no half marathon for me this summer…pulling the plug on that too…

My training has sucked, I needed a long long run this weekend, or at the least today, did not and will not happen…so instead of beating a dead horse pulling out of that too…..

Not a good start to the week….but, well, here we are…..

it’s early, I’m sure the rest of Monday isn’t going to get any better

A good way to finish the day…..

After a day of emails and phone calls and chasing the dream of a fun run

this evening’s Run Club Run was a relief…..just a 5K run with a huge group, larger group…but split up into a variety of groups…..we seemed to have lost one…am not sure how that happened….we had runners ahead of her, my group was sweeping behind everyone else….way behind everyone else….

It’s amazing what sunshine does….lots of people, runners and yes a dog…..a social run.

It’s why I do what I do……

so, didn’t run today….well, maybe

Today was good.

When you’re instructing a couple of virtual run clinic….you spend a lot of time with emails. Initiating, and answering…so that was the start of my Monday morning….I covered some about nutrition, and how to run quicker, or at least effortless….

Then well, I also lead a run club….Wednesday evenings, so that means more emails, and setting up events on 3 different spots on Facebook…so everyone knows, the regulars, the past runners, and those that wanna join us…..

I’m also, for some reason, now a race director….I have no idea yet what that means….I sort of do, a lot of work…..but add that to my days….sponsors, lots of emails and phone calls…so why not?

I managed to get out for a few Ks….5.53 in the hood, yep yet again 6:34 per K…..it felt good, I call this site seeing…through a fave neighborhoods, a bit of a hill…so, fun fun fun on the sun

crossed paths with a friend and took that break for a chat – you can’t do that sitting on the couch watching TV…..so yeah, I love runs like today…it’s why I run, the fun, it’s got to be enjoyable…I’m not ever going to be quick, at least not now at almost 65….the days of me running a 5 minute K is in my past, now I just run for me….I like groups, the social aspect……and I like eating

I miss those days when all I did with friends was train and eat…Friday nights we’d swim, and then go eat, Saturdays we’d swim, ride, and then maybe run, and go eat…..Sundays we’d run, and go for coffee afterwards……so trained and ate, it was a lifestyle…..for some reason I don’t do that anymore…..

Also I was younger..and thinner…and wore a condom on my head….

anyway, tomorrow

A rest day and memories….

OMG I look young!..I think this was at the end of Leg 5 at Death Race in Grande Cache Alberta in, 2001?

So much fun running the dark…..there are so many things on that long weekend in August that bring back so many awesome memories…

sharing a hotel room with 6 other guys, because there were no other rooms available…

sitting comfortably in our room, thinking our Leg 4 guy was no where near done, then casually driving out to the transition spot, and finding out Rod had been waiting almost 30 minutes for us/me..then me taking off like a rocket on the route….along the highway, up through the trees, eventually on a gravel road, in the dark, scrambling down a slippery hill to get to a jet boat that took me across the Sulphur River to a crazy climb….did I say it rained like crazy!…..scrambling, then running along a trail covered in roots and branches and rocks….and what was that I heard in the trees (a bear? cougar? a mouse?)…and yes, if I slipped and fell to the left, I’d end up falling into those trees, if I fell to the right, off a cliff into that river I just crossed….more trails, then another gravel road, and of course up hill, back into town and to the finish line….

I returned 9 more times…the last time was in 2008….I’d run legs 2, 4 and 5…my final goal was to start and finish leg 5 before the sun went down….and I did..

honest, it was daylight..the camera just had a slow shutter speed…

Since then I’ve taken part in other off road races…..they’ve all been fun, but not like this……on that weekend every August, Death Race and us is the only thing going on…..I love the drive up to Grande Cache, as soon as I’d pull into town it felt like I was home, where I was supposed to be….

quite possibly my favorite pix of all time…that was I think team 2006…..I was leg 5 yeat again

me on Leg 2, 2005?….

Good, great times, with good friends…..

now, looking forward to tomorrow…and more tomorrows ahead

Putting in the Work. Life on the other side of races.

I’m working at a lot of these….races, setting up and taking down that start/finish line…..direction signed, directing racers..and yes cheering others….and yep, without us and the volunteers these events and races wouldn’t happen…

Early mornings…yesterday was a 8:30 set up time (I’m always at least 30 minutes early…..so yep, awake at 6:30)…..that was for an event called the Midsummer Mizuno 5K race…and yes a race…it looks like something different, a lot of racers, track stars, and those training to BE FAST!……Yes there were a handful of us age groupers out for a Saturday morning 5K….but the first runne was done just under 15 minutes….just under, and there were a lot of kids just blasting out that 5K….

Something about that, yes I like working at these race events, I actually screw myself out of running in them myself, yesterday, and today’s Moose is Loose Half Marathon would have been fun…maybe…

Not wat I do isn’t fun….I have a blast, the work fits me, I like doing stuff, and it’s only 3 to 6 hours of the day…hard, tiring, especially on hot days like today (+30C)….but feels good to do…social, and I know a lot of those in these events, so, yeah, a positive experience…..and I can always take part in some of the races, I just have to pick my spots…

Today was kind of different…..I started by helping to set up that start/finish area…set up tents as well, then, well help was needed directing traffic, setting up aid stations on course, more direction signs, pylons so runners know where to go….and to give directions……

Yes that is my thumb……

I think I’ve guzzeled two bottles of water, and two of Gatorade since…..no coffee today, didn’t eat a lot…..but a full day, a full weekend…..all good…and being on your feet for a constant length of time = some fitness….and watching motivates so much…..so all good.

And I got to run carrying a pylon today for a few K….and there is no way I cold have run afterwards, so yeah, another good positive day….all good

A Good Ride…very Random

so not a very good selfie, but it is what it is..and yes, the grey beard is coming back….

This was really random. I wasn’t sure I wanted to get out, my legs were killing me – some left over lactic acid? – and as usual, as soon as I spun the peddles around I was gone…..and had a blast…

Some paved paths where I was stuck behind a few seniors (yeah I know, I’m one too, but there were just annoying, I could not get by them!)…when they went left, I kept going forward – I crossed paths with them way later on – took a spin up my fave hill called Oak Vista…..I love that challenge….and on bike, not running, I always to add a few climbs…..headed off down Coal Mine Road, around a round about, back on the path where I met those seniors going the opposite way – they must have stopped for coffee – up another hill into a neigborhoud, around a garbage truck, then out towards big lake, through a park, and home….almost made it home without swearing…some jerk decided to back out of a driveway without looking….I practise my swearing abiities at the nutbag….was just over 30K…but felt oh so good…

Today’s been a pretty good day overall……started off slow…a fantastic ride, and threw together dinner for the family….a chicken curry thing with rice and stir fried veggies……

and then it’s time for the Zoom half/full marathon clinic…..guest speaker joined us to talk about using max heart rate to govern our training….was the best ever……it went well…love that!….I always freak out a bit before every clinic, and every one turns out so good…the speaker, Sonya, a really fast runner, but so many common points……it was a wonderful meet…….and yep, inspired me and hopefully everyone else as well….

Tomorrow, time to run, and to look for some stairs or hills…..I’ve gotta train!

I actually hate myself

Just being honest…I seriously do not like the guy I see in the mirror…..aging hasn’t helped.

I remember reading something somewhere about looking back at himself as a child, and wondering what he’d say about what he’d become…

I didn’t have really high expectations….still don’t…..I think those two pictures have to be 61 years apart….

I guess I look happy back then…..thinking about it, when did I stop being happy?

Why?

Some days maybe better than others..like something else I’ve read…decades of dread, minutes of happiness….

Did I let myself down? It seems I’ve always have been looking for something else…..not sure what?

And yes, a lot of the times when I wanted to turn left, I was directed/forced to turn right or just go backwards…

Am I actually happy right in this moment, as I write this?

content maybe…it was a good day…rising early to work at an event called the Alberta Dental Run for the Alberta Dental Association….

Doing something, helping others do what I love to do…run….I love right now, a lot of what I do….Run, Bike, Swim……share that while running our Run Club

instruct clinics and interact with others….and all about today was positive………

But then….I didn’t run this week, I may actually play my guitar later….but I look back on the plans for last week, and how quickly that all fell apart….best laid plans.

Just finished off two run clinics this past week…and a few people in them reached out and thanked me….not all of them……but that was kind of kind of affirming….

Watching my fave vid….yes also have the recording which is awesome…so that kind of makes me happy now

Haven’t watched or listened for a while…yes, I like the orignal Tubular Bells….but this is way more a fusion, and sounds so good…..it’s interesting and amazing and good how every little piece, every voice and instrument fits together like a jigsaw puzzle…..

So happy, but hate myself…..still…how do I reconcile that?

Yes, moments positive, years and years of dread, worry, fear, depression, and yes, now add lines on my face…so many lines, and grey hair (I have hair, which I guess is a good thing)……

I know, I know, we should never look back, the past is past, but, well didn’t that past make me what I am now? and where I am?

Throughout my life, there’s so many things I wanted to be , dreamed of being….rock star, folk singer, teacher, music teach, social studies teacher, tv show host, body builder, body building judge, runner, triathlete, beach bum………now just a dad, husband, retired railroader…retired running room sales person…..

How does this become

This….

Almost 65 years of this……….65 years of not really being happy…..not really being me, and not really understanding why I’m me, what does that mean……and how to become me?

life continues

Not my best moment. Dad has a melt down.

So, yeah…my daughter is autistic, a challenge, an adult, 30ish, but a lot of time it’s like she has the terrible 2s.

She’s on the needs a lot of mentle support of the spectrum….and some days, just does not listen.

Some days I’m not sure if difficult because, or because she’s just being what she is, who she is, or, can I say it, just being a jerk…..

That was today/this morning.

But, I became one….I became a little unhinged, or maybe a lot unglued…involved milk, two classes, and a lot of spilling, and when I demanded only 1 glass, well, yeah…..not good…….I yellled a lot…

Was it just that?….I had planned on an early morning run this morning….after a restless sleep, decided sleep was more important, but yeah frustraited…

Then, oh yeah, it’s my turn to do dishes, clean out the dishwasher, a couple of loads of laundry and clean the kitchen before making waffles because it’s what I do……would it be out of the question to put the breakfast away and wipe off a table and counter before my wife went to work this morning?…is that expecting too much?

So yeah, wasn’t in my happy place from the starting line….

I get it. my wife works, I’m kind of semi-retired (run clinics, run clubs, run events, so still working) so yes, house chores, I’ll do them…inside and outside, but it’s gotten to the point where it’s all on me (yes I’m venting)……but, it would be nice to wake up one morning and not have to start cleaning the first thing – those bread crumbs don’t magically disappear!

Finished off a learn to run/5K clinic this morning after breakfast/before melt down that was great….45 minutes of me talking, interacting with other runners, instructing, answering questions…it’s what I do, so I was happy for about 45 minutes..and then kaboooom!

Sometimes life is like this I guess……but, not good……..

I’m going on strike a little, and no, I’m not making lunch!…the grilled cheese sandwiches can make themselves….

A walk was planned, and again, not happening…another spouce/caregiver issue….I’m home with the daughter Wednesdays and some Saturdays..I plan to keep her active, go for walks, help her get fit….but

for the rest of the week, that’s not happening, so when I want to, there’s usually a fight, and well, no walks, to outside time….so frustraiting….I need to find some way to get everyone on side…

As well as an issue (I hate calling autism a mental health issue, it just is…its like being left handed) there’s a health and fitness issue…nutrition, and active…..she used to be active, now not so much….she’s now become a sedentary, milk, grilled cheese sandwich, pizza, McDonalds, deep fried fish sticks person…which, what?

But, well…..it’s an issue all around…..

Can I say I love my kids, and want them to be better….and my wife too (she does not understand and thinks anything beyond driving to the grocey store is nonsense)……is this the definition of frustraition….grrrrr

Too many days end up like this…me in one room, or outside doing stuff, and everyone else, elsewhere….and this drags me down too…..I should have run, done some drills, planks, foam roller, whatever, but just get so wound up, I just say f – it, and you know, set my sights on Sunday to try again..

At some point, the point of this blog was to strategize, get back and to where I want to be, and I want the whole family back…..my wife and daughter are at the point where booking a room at a hotel connected to West Edmonton Mall is a vacation…..for me Vacation is ocean and running and biking and walking and hiking….we all used to do that….I don’t see that happening again ever again….ever?

So a vent……..the story continues….tomorrow I’ll get back to running…….

Mind over Marathon….

I just watched this, and inspiring…..so true?…..yes, I was pretty happy during my life of marathnons….

I’ve only run 9….I want to do number 10, just not sure when..or if?

Can I, should I?…..watching this BBC documentry had me thinking maybe….I’m 6 months from turning 65….which is a concern…..and where?

Yes, I’ve watched Run Fat Boy Run

which was okay, maybe motivation…though, well, fiction….yeah, you run a marathon and your life changes to amazing…not really…

And of course Brittney Runs and Marathon

There are others, and yes, if it has the word Running in it, or marathon I have to watch…..

My last full marathon was a while ago, 2015….and it wasn’t all that fanatastic, but was done….I’ve run them in Edmonton (3 times) Victoria (4) Vancouver, Kelowna and New York City, my quickest 4:04:55, the slowest was 5:11:52…..and I was a lot younger….so, 8 years since my last (I don’t have any pix) my first two were 25 years ago in 1998…..before I turned 40….

The plan right now is the Edmonton Half Marathon on August 20th…..and I think depending on how the summer goes, and that race, I’ll decide then on the full, maybe Victoria on October 8th….I’m registered for the half there right now, but, well, I’m going to sleep on that…..at least I know the course….

I’m roughly 18 weeks away…..so, week by week, day by day….

Also, I’ll be spending the summer instructing a half/full marathon clinic….so hopefully that’s keep me motivated and inspired as I try to inspire and motivate others…..

Onward and upward…

You know what really sucks, I do not have a lot of pictures from those marathons, and none of the first 3 that I ran…..not sure why that is…

I do have the bibs

And at least part of a t-shirt…

I’m not sure why I don’t have picture of my last…but lots of others

I’m not going to worry about speed, I’ll just try and get it done….I do have a training plan for 18 weeks, who knows, maybe I’ll stick to it…I’m famous for not doing that….I like doing a lot of other stuff, biking and swimming..and family life is kind of consuming….but I think I’ve had an epiphany, keep things, do one thing at a time…..keep things simple and easy and just focus on one thing at a time, day by day….

18 weeks actually starts this Sunday, June 3rd….so, I’ll spend the weekend figuring out day by day, my training days, my rest days….My Sunday long runs are going to be an issue, life just makes Sunday too busy, so may have to improvise and do some long runs on Saturdays, or more likely Mondays…..

day by day

finally on the bike. 213 to 65

I haven’t been on my bike, or any of my bikes often enough in years….and every time I take a spin, I regret not riding more.

It was only a bit over 30K, the avg speed 20 KPH….but felt so often.

I always over think dealing with traffic, but I’ve been riding for so long I’m pretty much built for drivers with limited skills…and some that think they own the road…

I always head to roads that arn’t that busy a few highways, but have to ride to them….there was some construction and some unexpected gravel roads….and a beautiful day out…

I’m thinking I must have a bug of some kind, breathing isn’t a challenge, but the chest feels a little stuffed up….hopefully that goes away…maybe the more I train the better that gets…….

Someone just asked if I’d be interested in joining a team for a relay race at Sinister 7 in July….I’d love to, but nah….I’m no where ready for that….my leg would be 27K, and lots of climbing…so yeah, but maybe not this year..

Am looking toward a good weekend…and staying active for the next 213 days..

Tonight was a good night to be a runner…

Running Room, Run Club Wednesday……it’s what I made for?

A variety of runners, I map out the route, and I send everyone out…..I tag up with the back of the pack to keep their pace, encourage, instruct….and then when that group is done, I turn around and catch up, or latch up to the rest…..I usually try to make sure the route is designed that way….they either catch up to us, because we turned around short, or I run past the starting point to meet up…..we all run, we all get what we want…and a run club..or I like a the definition or the term group run better…

The weather was perfect….just before a rain storm…lightening all around, lots of dark clouds, and the temp was perfect….a good run, a good night……

this morning was hard and I don’t know why?

I don’t look really happy huh?

It was okay, just a really hard run this morning for some reason…..heat, the pollen in the air hammering my allergies, tired? My legs seem to be struggling with recovering between runs….I may have to resort to running every other day…

After spending yesterday evening and this morning trying to decide where to go, I settled on the same old same old down in the Edmonton River Valley….a route I know well, one i can add on to, shorten, easily…some options for unpaved, and one honking big climb…and well, I wanted to swim after, and grocery shopping after…so yeah why not.

I love my river valley…hard to believe, since probably junior high school, maybe before, I’ve been biking, walk or running in it most of my life……sure, not when I lived in Jasper, Vancouver or Kamloops, which works out to about 16 years, but that gives me almost 50 years, here….there have been a lot of changes, now more pavement than way back when…but the same river, the same valley ….though I will say the river looks really low for this time of year….and always beautiful and amazing….

Yes, I love Vancouver, and cannot think of anywhere else that would suit me better…a place where people spend the majority of their time outside doing stuff…and being on a bike, or walking is as normal as driving anywhere…..

The one thing that’s changed, is my car……going to the Hyundai Kona, something that’s more reliable than my old Nissan Altima, and frankly more fun to drive….has changed things….I’m still getting used to it, but the tinted windows, being a little higher up, the smaller compact driving size (like Doctor Who and the Tardis, it’s bigger on the inside) it’s fun to drive……a blast….which I have to pull back on though….because, well, I really don’t need any speeding tickets. I have to learn how to drive more conservatively…and not so aggresively….so, there’s a goal.

The run was done…hills, a few spots where I just kicked back and enjoyed the ride, and I saw a dragon

and then I did find some off road territory

I finished off the morning with a quick 1,000 meter swim, 23 minutes, felt great, and the into the hot tub at the Kinsmen Sport Centre….

Weird thing too…. lately, the hot pool has been giving issues, I’m usually in their for only 5 minutes, more or less, today 6….and have felt faint ever since……it’s usually an adventure to get into the shower room, dry and change….so, maybe it’s time for a doctor’s appointment?

I’m also focusing on making life simple….just relaxing, picking one goal for the day, if I have time or can do something else, added on, so be it….but, yeahh, balanced, doing what I want to do…and leaving it at that

A hard day, an adventure…..a good day….

That was an okay run. just a run.

Oddly, I did take one picture during this morning’s run……that’s a first?

I had a moment this morning when I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go for my run, or even if I wanted to go.

Then I just went…

I’ve a lot on my mind, and yes a lot of personal issues bothering me (yeah, just follow this blog)

so every morning is like an adventure for me…..wondering, do I really want to get out of bed this morning?

This run began with up hill…..a hill, I thought why not…

funny story, yesterday evening I had my Run Club run, and I ran with one of our group, who’s just beginning, we did about 3K at one and one intervals (one minute run, one minute walk)…and I hadn’t reset my watch for this morning’s run….so my timer kept ringing every minute….so, I just counted the rings and concentraited on that…

During the run I was thinking about my 10K clinic talk, it’s going to be about speed training….and thinking about how to address it with about 40 runners of a huge variety of abilities….so throughout the run, I was thinking of that, and why I would talk to someone who’s only goal is to run 10K about sprinting, or surging or speed play……and I decided just to use that talk to reinforce stride and biomechanics….and hey free speed…

This clinic with lots of different participants is a challenge, just stick handling around everyone in the groups….I get the whole universe..younger, older, experienced, never run before and are taking their fist steps..and men, women…the goal is to address and working with every particpants…sometimes that works, sometimes there some in the group that I never see or hear from……some I’ll see in the weekly Zoom meets, but some, I guess they watch all the vids, they read all my long winded emails…I always reach out, I ask, I make sure they know I’m always accessable, but they’re like ghosts…

Then there are those I hear from constantly, which I love…that interaction makes me think, and I know I’m helping……

The weird thing I’ve found recently, is during the Zooms how many will not show their faces…..I just see a blank black space with a name….I may hear a voice, or a question in the chat…..but no face…I need that…..it’s good to see the reactions and I do get it, some are not always in a position that they want to be seen (it’s breakfast or dinner, their hair’s a mess..they’re eating breakfast?)…..

and this just happened recently…it’s like one clinic, everyone’s live, the next, it’d be like being Taylor Swift and looking at the crowd and just seeing empty seats with names in them…..weird.

I’m feeling a bit more up, or kay than I was a few days ago…..I’ve a busy weekend coming up, I’ll be almost forced to be in a social situation…with actual live people, so, am kinda sorta looking forward to that…..and tomorrow….it’s time to crank the bike up…and take a day off of the high impact part of this life

I’m giving up…..all by myself…

I actually haven’t left my house (except for my back yard) since Thursday morning.

Yes, did some yard work, taught a couple Zoom run clinics, I had to mail a letter yesterday, and that was it.

Otherwise watching a lot of TV (binge watched the Mission Impossible movies so far)….drinking coffee, looking outside, and planning for, well, tomorrow, always tomorrow.

Life is overwelming….I really have no idea how to turn, whch way to go, what to do, where to reach out, how to dig myself out of this funk……

I keep planning out runs, biking, swim….just getting out and doing stuff, and just seem to be stuck.

I’m just not really up to doing anything…with anyone (just realized, other than family, I don’t have a friend)

I’ve given up on one of my run clubs…..everyone in it is pretty quick, and well, even if I take part (I’m not longer leading, I was kind of kicked out) I’d end up on my own anyway, so why bother…

I keep trying to spark and reboot myself…but a lot of the time it’s just me

I always remember the story of Johnny Carson…you think friends, he on the Tonight Show inspired so many, he helped launched so many careers…think everyone from an unknown comedian named David Letterman and beyond, he’s the reason why they are where they are now…but when he passed away, no one showed up at his funeral.

I know I’ve walked away from a lot of things, maybe that’s where I lost a lot of friends…..or sorta friends?….I know I’ve been bitten a few times, associated myself with people I thought were friends that turned out to be leeches….that just drug me down and away from things I loved……

I also walk away from things I don’t feel comfortable with….and at some point I finally decided, I’d do things for me…that I liked….if everyone else was turning left, I’d turn right……you know the locomotive and not the caboose….sometimes that got lonely…

But, well, I have a good family….wife, kids that parts okay, a challenge, but good….there’s issues, aging parents that were always either very strict and always in control, and controlling, now, aging and need a lot of help…..

But yeah, otherwise, lonely……really frozen in spot alone…..I feel like that movie where I may start talking to a soccer ball, or this lap top…..I have had a lot of really really low moments lately..I’ve actually broken down to reaching out to ChatGPT, and yeah, there was one thing it refused to help me with….but it does say to reach out and talk to a real person…so that’ll be next/soon

Today, I’ve already given up on the day……I may weed something in the garden….but right now, well, writing on the ASUS, watching the Eco-challenge on Amazon yet again, may just binge watch everything I can today that may involve things I like to do, like eco-challenge is close………maybe I’ll plan the rest of the week yet again…

I do have to get ready to instruct two more clinics with two more talks, and oddly enough, the topics, motivation, and the mental side of running?…….yeah, I can inspire others, but not my sorry own ass.

The Monkees once sang, tomorrow’s going to be another day?…….well, I’ve had another lot of days…..just too many are here, on my couch, not even out here on my own, in here on my own…….all by myself.

Not a bad Tuesday, looking forward to a Wednesday run

Yesterday turned out okay……did a few things around the house before heading out, but the joy of being the house husband while the Mrs. is working, and plus, I’m OCD when it come to that anyway…I’ve redone laundry….because it wasn’t done right?…it’s amazing after 36 years we’re still married, or that I’m alive…

The run was good, a good pace, 6:24 average….that’s okay, I did take a couple of walk breaks….and I enjoyed myself, I got outside for some play time

yes, yes, yes, I need a shave and a hair cut…..

Sometimes a run is just a run (actually for me, most of the time)…there doesn’t have to be a set distance (though I am leaning towards every run being about 10K) or a planned route…..it’s about getting outside and enjoying myself, being alive…..and yes, just moving….

I did have a bit of a heavy chest yesterday, the air is filled with smoke from nearby grass and forst fires, there are a lot of them already this spring…..and along with allergy season, that is a concern, but seriously I know I should be careful, I just never let that stop me…

Today?

Well…it’s me and Sasha…(time for that refreshing nostalgic picture…where?)

so far, dad’s made waffles, swept and scrubed the floors, swept the deck and onto the second of three loads of laundry…then the group run tonight…

So have the mapping program up, called on the go…https://onthegomap.com/#/create…… consuming lots of coffee, and it maybe time to stop watching videos of winter in Vancouver https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSlzoaEdxXg&t=209s…..get the guitar out for a few minutes and then back to the laundry…

oh the life of a retired senior

……the time feels right..

I don’t know why I imbedded this YouTube vid…I just needed something to inspire myself….

Today’s the day….I walked away from what was a dream job

Yep that’s me..and the Running Room Run Club gang…….it was a good 9 years. Yes not always the best of times, but there was always something every day that made it a special happy place…….

After telling trains where to go for 35 years, it was quite a change…..but really….I sold shoes; for about 6 of those 9 years, I ran the place….the best part, hiring the best staff ever….sometimes that was a good thing, hiring, and yes there were some mistakes made, but, honestly the challenge was worth it…because when it worked, when the place had the right staff, that store rocked…..

I’m not going to post pictures or name names, but I’m thinking of 6, the super six, that made my life awesome…always positive, always fun, and they all just worked…….hard, and well…the best staff ever…..the best ever…I used to brag abut them, to other runners, other staff, our other stores…….our other store managers, they were that great……I’ll miss that and them….I already do…a special group of people….

So, why am I walking away….?

It’s just time….I walked away from managing about 3 years ago…..for 6 month my replacement was possibly the most miserable person I’d ever met…..awful……terrible….and yes, my life was hell…but…I still loved the place, and still felt a responsibility to it….for it…so worked, ran the run groups, taught virtual clinics, and did whatever I had to do to make it all okay…and in the end, she left, to be replaced by someone I knew work be perfect, and it has been…

Problem…..it’s been 9 years…I’m seriously old….64.3?…..I look old, I don’t really feel like I fit

the other thing…lots of staff…..maybe more than we need……I really don’t need to be there….I leave, others get more hours…..

simple math I guess…I can still run, I can still organize our Run Club, our Run Groups….I can still instruct and help out……I’m not absolutely walking away…….I will still be around..just not working or, selling……

It was weird working today…everything seemed normal…..as usual, I tried to keep it at that……unpacking boxes, doing my thing, selling shoes, being the best I could be……and then at 2:30, walked away….I didn’t even log in or out…I figured, the final day, do need to get paid?

That’s been the weird thing, it’s never been about getting paid…I never really cared…even when I was the boss and could…I would just be there, not on the schedule, not collecting hours, just running and looking after the store….one of my area managers pointed out that I hardly ever worked 20 hours a week, I pointed out to her that just because I wasn’t on our planner, it didn’t mean I wasn’t at the store………and another higher up said that I shouldn’t be at the store when I wasn’t paid….seriously..I couldn’t have cared less……I just liked being there…liked doing…..

Tomorrow’s going to be another day……do I change anything? Yes, that’s changed…..now it’s time to turn a page, and well, reboot?

sad, but an opportunity…..?

and memories…

good bye 2022……the year it was….

365 days that we’re….

highs, a few lows…I seem to think there were too many lows, but really not?

Most, if not all we’re self inflected….

I have to say, as usual the reality is a lot better then how I felt…or feel, really.

I remember hearing this, well, in this final episode of Cheers, as Mayday Malone said then, words so true….I’m possibly the luckiest SOB on the planet.

Seriously, I do not know how this all happens, but I’ve been pretty lucky…somehow I’ve managed to convince people that I’m a good guy or something……I’ve been given so many opportunities that we’re pretty amazing….not sure how or why, but it happens?

I’ve became responsible for not one but two Run Clubs, two groups of runners, which at times, most of the time, both groups were, are, kind of the same group of people….but wow….every Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, a group of people to run with, new routes…one for the Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club, the other our Running Room crew…not huge, but I run, they run faster…kind of amazed by that, and feeling really, blessed? to have that..

The Sturgeon Valley folks, SVAC, is an amazing opportunity. Actually pretty special….a free membership to probably one of the best gyms I’ve been in. An amazing crew of people…social, and comfortable…it’s kind of become my happy place….I’m always never comfortable….always looking for that trap door….but so far, so good….

Sometimes the groups are larger, sometimes smaller, sometimes just me and one other who’s really really quick….way too quick for me……but there’s also a benefit for because of that…I’ve become a little quicker…not super quick, not like me as a 30 year old, but a lot stronger…..I’ve had to get there just to keep up, or try too.

Our Running Room club was a surprise,

but a pleasent one, and one more thing, chance….I get to run, yet another evening, another group….and again, it seems like the same group week after week, 3 times a week…..how cool is that.

Racing has been almost non-existent… I did miss a few, a few did not starts….but a trip to Vancouver, only an 8K, but that was fun too…..and hey, a trip to the west coast, worked a shift at the Expo, which was kinda fun…and stayed in an Air B&B on Melville Street..the perfect location..I look like I’m actually enjoying myself…had a blast when the start, with that half hour late start…..but Vancouver?…I’m skipping the event this year to run here at home, but may head their at some point later in the year….

August got me to a 10K in Edmonton, a good pace, a good morning…actually felt effortless….and fun…I got to connect with a few folks to run with, and with a STRAVA friend…and yeah, I was outa breath…

The fall got me to my first 5 Peaks race for a while…and had an absolute blast…

The trails of Devon..again surrounded by so many people I knew, not sure why I skip so many of these things…like the Woodstock of running….

And yeah, a year of instructing clinic after virtual clinic….wasn’t sure how that would work at first, but as usual the Running Room asked, I said sure…

I actually like it….huge groups, the Zoom meets have been good, an amazing group of runners, Learn to Runners, 5K, 10K, and Half Marathoners….people from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland, Yellowknife, Whitehorse, from the States, and Peru…..

The best part, guest speakers. I never know why, but so many have helped, guest speakers, experts in everything, and they just help, and those in the clinics, and I, get to learn so much….grateful is way to simple a word, but thankful, feeling blessed…..I just reach out and ask…..so many connections with so many amazing people….

Seriously, the topics seem endless..I have to say getting to set up a talk on women and running for two groups so far has to be the most amazing thing ever…a topic I knew was important, but never found the perfect a way to make those connections…and it happened, and seriously I never want to say anything like this was the best, but it was perfect..just what the doctor ordered..

But again, blessed, it happened with a lot of help from a lot of people…..

Seriously, this as been the story of my life…it seems like people, some friends, some random, some just through connections, but everything just seems to work out….with the help of a lot of, friends?

2023? Hope for more of the same. I know I’d like to make my 65th year on this planet special…there seem to be some hurdles in the way, but as 2022 has shown me, things are possible….with a lot of help from a lot of people……grateful, thankful, appreciative, blessed? Yep…..

Goals…….a Run Sunday morning, what used to be called the Resolution Run, 5K….I’ll do a little extra before…..gotta get to about 12K total…

There’s a few other races….but, the first Five Peaks race of the year will be in May, July a visit to do leg 6 at Sinister 7 (I’d better start running hills, a lots and lots of distance) and then why not a full Marathon in Edmonton in August…

I know I have a few issues that may derail those plans……life, family……but I’m selecting races far enough apart so that a little bit of improvising will always be an option…

More and more clinics…may see if there’s some way I can get to that on my own…and why not see if I can get myself certified at something along the way……because, why not, I’m retired and I have 365 days to fill…

That’ll be key for 2023…remembering that….I’m retired.

I’ve all the time in the world to do everything and anything…..yes,

I have no excuses..I can do almost anything at any time….I know I’m old(er) so I’ve gotta be careful, but, well, just do it!….and get rid of a lot of fat…

Bring on 2023!……

w

32 to 64. Dipped my toe into the snow….

Okay so I’m devistated…….rest in peace Christine….does this get any sadder

Maybe it’s that time of year, next week, 42 years since John Lennon…..33 years since 14 women were killed at the Ecole Polytechnique, two shocks, horrible horrible shocks……but this…just sad.

Yes I’m digging through vinyl, CDs, old t-shirts and posters, whatever Fleetwood Mac….I guess, former bandmates Dann Kerwin, Peter Green, Bob Welch and Bob Weston are up there, Christne McVie has joined the band…….beyond sad.

Got my ass out the door…-23C with wind chill making that feel like -30C this morning…I needed to get those hill repests in..only 4 with a short warm up and cool down, AND IT FELT GREAT!

I really wanna go over everything I wore….it worked, was it too much…nah, it was -30C with the windchill – I loved learning about that though, wind chill is just how it feels, it’s not the temperature, if it’s -30C, it’s -30C, if the weatherman says it’s -40C with the windchill..yeah, that means exposed skin will develop frost bite ASAP….but, well my take away, it’s subjective..

Let see, my Saucony Peregrine+ were perfect.

I didn’t need to resort to my YakTrax…yet!

the snow on top of the ice gave me enough traction….my Stance Rolling Stone socks

were not the best, I needed something maybe warmer…..but again, after about 30 minutes I was okay…my Running Room tights

worked, they sometimes feel a little restrictive, but those panels on the thighs work….the underwear

to keep that body part warm and protected is important too…..really, once I begin moving my lower body parts never really feel that cold…bearable I guess if the right word, I know when I strip off afterwards I can see my skin has turned red and has yep, gotten cold..

Upper….3 layers..one close to the skin to keep me warm, from the Running Room, a little thicker,

the next is my handy dandy Craft top

I think I bought it 6 years ago, it works…then my thermal New Balance Jacket (yes that is my snot….)

…..and on my head, the Maple Leaf Buff

stuffed into the top of that jacket to keep the warm in, the cold out…the balaclava to cover my mouth at times

..and that Brooks toque…..

I’m going to have to dip that toe into the cold a few more times before I feel comfortable…it’s not like throwing on a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and shoes anymore…it’s about being carefull….frost bite is not a good thing right?

and oh yeah my hands..really fun gloves from Running Room and my Little Hotties

Also with it being darker later into the morning, and darker earlier in the evening..a headlamp and lots of reflective stuff will become more and more important…

it was a good morning, glad I did it, my heart rate was good…avg was 138, upper was 159….so that’s low….I’ll be back out on Saturday for something short…Sunday long, am concerned about what the traction will be like, but…well, that’s part of the leaning curve as well…

Hello. I’m a Runner and I’m 63

I turn 64 is about 153 days.

I’m the father of 3…two are adults, autistic, and are still at home.

I sell shoes for the Running Room.…I lead 2 different Run Clubs, 4 runs every week.

I have run marathons (10) half marathons, every other distance you can think of..5K 10K 15K 4 milers.

I’ve taken part in a variety of triathlons…Olympic, half and full Ironman…

Took 2 shots at Ironman Canada….2009 finished the bike portion and bailed, 2010 finished upright and smiling.

I’m now navigating how a retired older guy is supposed to be.

Some days I feel 30ish, some days 63.

I have had a fractured lower left fibula in 1998.

I fractured my occipital bone in 2019.

I own three bikes, my Felt B12

The Cannondale CAAD 8

and my main form of transportation…the good old Marin Bear Valley

and obviously a lawn mower….

I love riding, just don’t currently do it enough…..and still love running and swimming…

It’s been a while since any kid of serious race..my last triathlon, Ironman 2010 in Penticton

my last full marathon…..2015 – Edmonton as a pace bunny..and oddly enough, I don’t have a picture

just this one of the Edmonton half marathon in 2016?

But I have run the SeaWheeze Hal in Vancouver, my last half marathon in 2019

Kind of slow and I show it huh?

My most recent race…the BMO Vancouver 8K this past May

Again I don’t look as happy as you’d think I would…it was actually a fun run……55:54 wasn’t a great time, but enjoyed it…

I am still struggling…I’ve sort of been doing that since 2010 at the Ironman……..just have seemed to have lost my way…

Right now, I do feel good…I have couple of good goals this year….as a 63 year old…..

the main one..a Half Marathon in Victoria

in October…I’ve done it before, I’m pretty sure I can again….I have a few 10Ks before then…..

My main goal, as always…to get myself back to where as I was a 50 year old….so 13 years ago…..

It’s now August 1st……..I turn 64 on January 1st 2023……

I love what I do…I instruct Run Clinics….right now everything is pretty much virtual…but still love that…I don’t know how many clinics I’ve taken on since 2016, but I just divide my life into 10 and 18 week sessions……I like to share, and I have the experience…

I’d like to become certified as something…maybe enough to lead a spin class…..I’m currently working on that..there’s a lot to learn certainly, but why not, I’m retired, I’ve got some free time…

As that, as an instructor, leading run clubs…yes, some personal trainers feel they need to be the best of the best, and maybe their clients expect that….but, well, my best half marathon time was 1:51 about 22 years ago

My best full marathon was I think 4:04..so I’m not a rock star…more mid pack…..but I know what to do, what needs to be done, how to get to wherever anyone needs to go…the best hockey coach wasn’t the best hockey coach right…..

so pretty much have been there and done all that…….am trying to figure out what those shoes are?

So that’s me…all about me……kind of love where I am right now…at 63…but well, 69 days until the Victoria Half Marathon…time to get serious?

A Great Month. Boy am I sore!

This has been a month of a lot of stuff………biking, spin classes, some strength training, running, walking and swimming….it all adds up, and all good……

This was the morning of a spin..wow, an early beginning…..it was for a fund raising for an Edmonton Children’s Hospital called the Stollery….it was at my gym, the Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club, some of my mates started off a lot earlier then I did, some for 24 hours, me I just thought it’d be a good to wake up at 4AM on a Saturday morning, and rode for a couple of hours…..it was kind of fun, okay it was…..some of the riders had been enhancing the experience with a few spirits, and they were in good spirit…

I think I’m in there at the back……it was fun…..and a, well maybe a good way to wake up…..

I’ve gotta admit the legs have been a bit heavy lately, I seem to have an issue with recovery….and I’m guessing it’s partly age, party, well, I just like doing a lot of stuff……so have come to a bit of a decision…I’m cutting my run training to 3 days a week, making those 3 days count…and then adding cross training, time on the bike, in the pool, in the gym, and spin classes……..am thinking cutting back on the high impact will do the body good, and I’ll still get my endurance from the rest of the training, so all good…..

My run club runs have been great….I’ve a lot