Advent Conspiracy - (Canadian Version)

What if?

Winter Stuff

It’s warmer this week. In fact, it’s raining right now so most of the snow that landed over the weekend is disintegrating. I’m pretty happy about that. The guys at work are talking about building an outdoor rink for the kids. It’ll have to get quite a bit colder for that to work – likely after Christmas.

As a kid, I spent hours on the ice. I learned to skate and play hockey on an outdoor rink. Every community had one and I was lucky enough to have one in our backyard. Nothing beats shinny on the pond, a bonfire, and hot drinks to share. These pics are from a couple of years ago: A few of you have suggested that shoveling is a good bit of cross-training. I guess, maybe, it is. I’ve never thought of it as such (more of a necessary evil) but it does offer a thorough full body blast. I said to my wife on Sunday, “I feel a little stiff today. Not sure why”. She reminded me that I’d shoveled the driveway.  

RunnerMom questioned how any person could train for a marathon in the snow and cold. It’s not a big deal really. I don’t think any half-sensible Canadian will run in a blinding snowstorm or in the extreme bitter cold (I’ve done both but have yet to declare myself half-sensible). I actually like running in the winter.

What do I wear? Probably the same stuff you do. I hate being too hot and I dread weight of any kind. I may drag my iPod Shuffle but no water, phone, keys, Kleenex – nothing. How do I stay warm? It’s always cold at first but I quickly warm up. Say the outside temp is 25 F – I’ll dress for 45 F. I add 20 F degrees to the current temp so that I don’t overheat. Often, during winter runs, I’ll not bother with a jacket at all. I will don a breathable toque and thin gloves if the air temp is at the freezing point or if there is any kind of NW wind. There is plenty of good cold weather gear on the market. I think I like UA Cold Gear the best. Some runners wear YakTrax. I’ve never tried them but they are a cheap and safe accessory. I tend to throw on a reflective vest too because all of my running is in the dark. No sense getting run over by the snowplow or salt shaker.

I hear it’s Thanksgiving in the USA. Be thankful and happy. Take care of each other.

Reasons...not Excuses

No excuses – only good reasons for not getting out on the road this morning. You see, a warm woodstove casts a certain warm and lovely hypnosis. Add a delightful cup of coffee and a footstool and soon all thoughts of running a few snowy kilometres at -10 seem futile. I did, at least, wear my running gear.

We got dumped on over the weekend. About 40 centimetres of snow (about 16”) fell Friday night and into Saturday morning. It was quite a surprise. At home, we had a tough time to dry the kids’ snow pants and mitts fast enough! There is rain and warmer weather in the forecast this week so hopefully we’ll see the bare ground yet again this month. And, maybe I’ll get out running tomorrow morning. Maybe.

And the goofy poll about washing your running gear. Yeah, that was an experiment of sorts but interestingly, there is a tie between the 'once-a-day-washers' group and the 'when I can't stand the smell' camp. Personally, I have to throw in with the 'when I can't stand the smell' people'. Thanks for your consideration.

And, I bought a new strap for the Timex Ironman. That's the third strap to match a third fresh battery. Guess I'll keep it for awhile.

Fiddles & Dancing Girls

Caught these guys last night in Halifax. So, completely maritime cool. Have a great weekend. Ashley MacIssac, Marc Boudreau, JP Cormier, Allan Dewar and the dancing girls.

Fundamentals

Thanks for your input on the last post - I want a Garmin 405 but might not be able to justify the "investment" right now.  I'll probably get a new strap for the old Timex.  I appreciate all of your comments and email!

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Marathon training begins on November 30th.  I plan to run the The Blue Nose Marathon  again in May of '09.  I ran it in 2007.  It was my first and only marathon.   18 months ago, I was hoping for a 3:30 finish until the wheels fell off in the late going.  Certainly, there is no shame in a 3:53 finish, especially for a rookie.  I have no regrets whatsoever.

I learned some things:  

• Miles are just miles without friends.  Next May, I will be less about business and more about fun.  I know a few more people now that I hope to connect with before, during and after the race.  
• I cannot will my body to do more than it can do.  Mind over matter does not always matter. There's not much a person can do when a foot cramps up - except walk or stop or both.  Who cares.  Whatever happens...happens.  
• Smile more.  I appeared way too serious in the '07 race photos.   I believe there is no harm in a goofy grin.  I will high-five more kids.  
  

So you see, there's a bit of unfinished business.  Despite the fact that I have not run much during the last 5 months every new step feels like new territory - again.   As much as I struggle with form, stride, suffer heavy legs and burning lungs I realize that I've never been this mentally prepared to run the distance.   

More Than Just Time

My old Timex Ironman Chrono is about done.  I’ve changed the battery 3 times.  I’m ready to buy another new strap.  The ‘Indiglo’ feature died a couple of years ago.  It’s just old and tired.   I would love to collect a bit more info about my runs.  I see the value.

So, I’m considering a couple of options.  I thought the Nike+ Sport Band might be fun.  I'm not so interested in the iPod Nano+ thing but could live with the shoe pod.  I've read the odd review of how inaccurate they can be.  The deeper I dig the more I fix on a Garmin Forerunner.  The 405 is so sweet and versatile.  It’s looking pretty sexy here in green – heck, the darn thing even tells time!  For a dude who likes tech it may be too complicated.  I'm not so sure. I would like to hear from you if you use the Nike+ system, Garmin, Polar or whatever.  Post a comment or email robbcusack (at) hotmail.com

Have a good weekend.

Real Guitar Heroes

Kids are full of surprises aren't they? If you haven't heard, my two oldest boys play a lot of music together. They continue to perform as an acoustic folk duo (fiddle, guitar, whistles, mandolin, drums, etc) but have recently been stretching their wings a bit. Chris is 13. He plays in the high school jazz band. Jon, at age 11, is a fiddle prodigy but he will play any instrument you set before him. I mean...anything. The boys pooled their loot and bought a burly black electric bass. It's a new Ibanez 5 String BTB305FM with Bartolini pickups. Big fat sound. Yup, you guessed right. They both play it well.

In this smudgy little clip, their buddy Jake takes the new bass for a spin. Jake is a decent player - he has his own bass. Jon fills out the rhythm on drums while chewing a halloween sucker. Chris is playing lead. Remember the Scorpions?