Wow… Today started out as such a great day. And then something set me right off!
I awoke the way a human was meant to wake up… by the warming rays of the early morning sunlight. Inspired by the day to come and maybe just the coffee I injected into my system I decided that a morning run was in order!
Anyone that knows me.. knows I am not a morning person. Mornings are meant for my parents. So anyway.. I run.. suck in lots of fresh air out in the glorious morning… almost 10 miles done.. 1.5 hours down and it is now noon. After some recovery I see a new follower on twitter.. Some person who aspires to be green. Great I think!
So I read his page.. Candle Light Vigil on parliament hill tonight to celebrate Earth Day or Earth hour.. or what ever these posers want to call it. Now you are probably thinking that this is an awesome idea.. but stop and take a breath.
Does burning .. I repeat .. Burning .. a candle to celebrate the fact that you turned out your lights really make sense? Candles give off pollutants.. In fact I would suspect that in Canada burning a candle gives of way more pollutants than my 15 watt CFL. Factor in that a percentage of that power is created though truly green initiatives like hydro dams, wind power and solar power.. I would suspect way less!
Anyway this is a pretty lame post but it really threw me for a loop that a person who claims to be an active environmentalist would suggest and promote such a ridiculous idea that will probably do more harm than good!
For those that really want to be green, don’t be a poser and celebrate earth hour. The hydro plants have a surplus of electricity at night anyway.. Do some real good and reduce your foot print on the world EVERY DAY. Recycle more, produce less garbage, drive less, plant a tree…. Don’t burn a candle!
You are probably asking what am I doing today.. Well.. I did not turn on my hot water tank last night.. The weather is at a point where my solar hot water system is self-sustainable and produces enough hot water for me without the need for electricity. I cooked 8 chicken breasts at once last night and froze them.. saving roughly 3 hours of oven operation… I won’t light my scented candles! lol
If you want the research.. Someone did it for me! You should read this..
Earth Hour, candles and carbon
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Man falls 5000 feet and survives, only to be killed and eaten by wild bears
Have you ever had one of those moments in life? One of those moments that just seems to be out of the ironic book of life? “Man falls 5000 feet and survives, only to be killed and eaten by wild bears”. Have you?
I don’t think I have ever had one of those… until now.
I am not sure how to even write this? Over the years I had let my weight spiral out of control to the point it was always a battle of the bulge. Just before I turned 39 I had realized that I was getting older and slower and this extra weight was not helping me compete against younger players.. who seemed to be getting younger every year.
So I did something about it. I picked up a book, The abs diet from Men’s Health. I read a book! And I incorporated its teachings into my life. After years of abuse I revved up my metabolism again!
I bought a treadmill so I would walk in the winter months to keep the metabolism fire burning.. The problem was, I hated walking on the treadmill. So One day I started running. Not much, not fast, but enough that 2 miles did not take me 40 minutes! The next day, I ran more. Then more, then longer and longer. Pretty soon I was able to run a full mile without quitting. Then it was 20 minutes… 2 miles.. 3 miles. I was hooked. I started a program in the summer to train for a half marathon. Was following it to the letter until a pulled hamstring from ball hockey forced me to modify it.. Then a more sever tear forced me to stop it for a while… Got up and back on the horse near the end of the summer.. This time a back injury
Things were looking up! A year later I was thinner, happier, more confident.. and then I got dumped. Two weeks later I turned 40.. two weeks after that I spent Christmas alone, 3 weeks after that the company I worked for filed for bankruptcy protection. WTF?
I then reconnected with an old friend who was one of my inspirations for running. We browsed many sites, read articles, forwarded each other articles, talked about things we found, did.. Well really I more listened but I want a little credit! J Life took an upswing again… Things looked good! I had things to look forward to again!
Then the flu hit me. I had just stated a new training program and in the second week I was couch ridden. The next week I took it easy and just ran a couple of 3 mile runs making sure I did not wear my body out (I did that last year). The next week I started the program up again! Today would have been my 8 mile long run for week 1.
However, I am writing this from a hospital bed. Seems that flu bug I had had a chemical make up similar to nerve endings. Also seems that maybe the antibodies did not stop at the flu bug but anything that looked like it. As a result, my lower limbs started going numb. My feet went numb.. and I went to the emergency.
The first one fast traced me into a dr. I thought that it was a small town so they were not busy. They asked some questions did some simple tests and got on the phone to Ottawa. “You should go to the Ottawa Civic and see a neurologists”
OK so what, I take some pill for now and see the specialist in 6 months when he has an opening?
No, you leave here and go directly there. They know you are coming. Go to the emergency and give them this.
So I do what they say.. Except I stop at home, pack an overnight bag because I think I will stay the night at my townhouse rather than drive back to the cottage.
Oh screw it.. I am tried of typing! Long story short, I got a LOT of special treatment and rushed into test ahead of others, into a bed. And diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Turns out it could kill me but only in rare cases they tell me.. Could paralyze me.. Could do a lot of stuff. Could never go away.
SO I sit there in the observation room thinking still.. OK where is my pill I am ready to go home when I overhear the nursing staff and drs talking outside my door. “Oh Jesus, that can degrade fast.” My first reality check.. I was not going home!
It is really fun to have to constantly report where the numbness in my limbs is ending and being told that if it goes higher than my knees that I needed to tell them.. ANY shortness of breath or chest pains, buzz then stat. And then I read abut this shit.. how your own bleeping body is attacking itself and can attack the nerves to the point that your lungs and or heart stop working! Yikes. Here I thought that the fact I had little to no sensation in my pecker was bad (he is after all the most important and most under appreciated person in my life:).. Death is worse!!
Oh well I am going out for another walk while I can. They keep trying to put me into a wheelchair and I keep telling them.. as long as I can walk, I am!” ..
Michelle I hope that you have not found my blog before I get out of here!
“Man drops 50 lbs, gets in shape, finds a passion in life as he turns 40.. then drops dead”. That hopefully will not be my ironic ending.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Runners are from outer space
“The thing about running for enjoyment is that it can't be explained by those who get it”
There are many reasons to run and people often look at me like I am from outer space when I tell them “I run for the enjoyment of running”. It is becoming increasingly apparent that you have to be a runner to understand the phenomena.
Wow, did I just classify myself as a runner? Eek.
So the question people can’t seem to understand the answers to
1) It clears the mind. It can almost be classed as spiritual! Stressed out, can’t get your most recent fight off my mind… strap on a pair of shoes, wire up your ipod and your fav tunes and head out for a short run. You may be shocked to find that you are 4 miles down the road with a clear mind before you realize it.. Good luck getting back J
2) The high. Yes behind all aches, pains and stiffness there is an endorphin release that your mind is telling your body.. Fight though this.. I like it! Maybe it is the fact that your mind is now clear (see #1).
3) The confidence. Every time you run, you complete something. As long as you set realistic goals you can push yourself to meet them. Job well done. Some days you will push though the wall and break your goals (and thus setting new ones!). Excellent. Some weeks you may do this 5 times!
This usually translates into real world success too, at least for me. I am far more confident today about everything I do, the way I look, how I interact with people than I was 2 years ago. Hey even when you fail, you still completed a run, which is more than the average person can say! There is always a start and an end to every run!
A tip for someone out of shape thinking it would be demoralizing to be seen running. I was 275 lbs when I started running.. Could not run a mile without stopping… was embarrassed how I must look to an observer.. but the cars honking for encouragement, people waving and the neighbors that comment on how awesome it is that you are doing it.. was wonderful! Not a single person ever put me down.. and a year later I am almost 50 lbs lighter and able to run 10 miles with 5 miles being an easy/average run.
4) A more positive outlook on things.. See #3. How can you not be more positive?
5) The ability to converse with other runners on running subjects that is almost like an exclusive club at first but as you run more, more closet runners come out of the wood work and before you know it you have a whole new click of good friends.. It helps (I find at least) that most runners are not judgmental. It does not matter if you run a 7 min mile or a 13 min mile.. You ran a mile and you get to talk about all these great facts!! Get to share tips, experiences and so on. It is all fun.
There are lots more reasons and I could probably go on and on about what I get out of lacing up a pair of shoes but I won’t. I am sure that it is different for each person so if you want to figure out your reasons throw out the excuses, strap on those shoes, and just do it.
I do often wonder how it must be to have completed a marathon? If you can run 26 miles and push though the pain and exhaustion you must have the mental capability to push though almost anything life throws your way.
“If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon." – Emil Zatopek, Olympic Gold Medalist.. With credit to Michelle who sent that to me.. and she would know completing the ING Ottawa Marathon in 2008.
There are many reasons to run and people often look at me like I am from outer space when I tell them “I run for the enjoyment of running”. It is becoming increasingly apparent that you have to be a runner to understand the phenomena.
Wow, did I just classify myself as a runner? Eek.
So the question people can’t seem to understand the answers to
1) It clears the mind. It can almost be classed as spiritual! Stressed out, can’t get your most recent fight off my mind… strap on a pair of shoes, wire up your ipod and your fav tunes and head out for a short run. You may be shocked to find that you are 4 miles down the road with a clear mind before you realize it.. Good luck getting back J
2) The high. Yes behind all aches, pains and stiffness there is an endorphin release that your mind is telling your body.. Fight though this.. I like it! Maybe it is the fact that your mind is now clear (see #1).
3) The confidence. Every time you run, you complete something. As long as you set realistic goals you can push yourself to meet them. Job well done. Some days you will push though the wall and break your goals (and thus setting new ones!). Excellent. Some weeks you may do this 5 times!
This usually translates into real world success too, at least for me. I am far more confident today about everything I do, the way I look, how I interact with people than I was 2 years ago. Hey even when you fail, you still completed a run, which is more than the average person can say! There is always a start and an end to every run!
A tip for someone out of shape thinking it would be demoralizing to be seen running. I was 275 lbs when I started running.. Could not run a mile without stopping… was embarrassed how I must look to an observer.. but the cars honking for encouragement, people waving and the neighbors that comment on how awesome it is that you are doing it.. was wonderful! Not a single person ever put me down.. and a year later I am almost 50 lbs lighter and able to run 10 miles with 5 miles being an easy/average run.
4) A more positive outlook on things.. See #3. How can you not be more positive?
5) The ability to converse with other runners on running subjects that is almost like an exclusive club at first but as you run more, more closet runners come out of the wood work and before you know it you have a whole new click of good friends.. It helps (I find at least) that most runners are not judgmental. It does not matter if you run a 7 min mile or a 13 min mile.. You ran a mile and you get to talk about all these great facts!! Get to share tips, experiences and so on. It is all fun.
There are lots more reasons and I could probably go on and on about what I get out of lacing up a pair of shoes but I won’t. I am sure that it is different for each person so if you want to figure out your reasons throw out the excuses, strap on those shoes, and just do it.
I do often wonder how it must be to have completed a marathon? If you can run 26 miles and push though the pain and exhaustion you must have the mental capability to push though almost anything life throws your way.
“If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon." – Emil Zatopek, Olympic Gold Medalist.. With credit to Michelle who sent that to me.. and she would know completing the ING Ottawa Marathon in 2008.
environmentalist at heart
It may surprise some people to know that I am an environmentalist. I live every day trying to reduce my footprint on the world. It does not always have to be big changes and it does not even have to be changes that really affect one but reducing your footprint on mother earth can be easy and not even affect your day to day life. For myself I have made some simple changes; some that cost money and consumed my own resources J and others cost next to nothing!
In the past my morning use to start at 7 AM when I woke up and had a hot shower to wake my out of my slumber and prepare me for the day to come. Afterwords I would putter around for 10 min and then let my dog out to do her duties. Often I would notice while standing outside, coffee in hand waiting for the pup to complete her task that 10 min after my shower, my gas hot water heater would still be running and made a mental note and went on with my day.
Arriving home at 4 PM the first thing I would do is let my dog outside. I would also make a mental note that the hot water system was running and preparing for the evening usage. Observing the usage on the water heater over time I concluded that a fully heated system would lose its heat over an 8-hour period even though there was no usage. This seemed like a waste to me! Even without using the system it had to reheat the water 3 times a day. Looking at my usage.. I needed hot water about every 8 hours and realized it ran about 6 times a day, 15 min a shot.
The solution.. a 9 dollar programmable timer with a remote control (my gas heater will not ignite unless the exhaust fan is running and that exhaust fan plugs into a standard wall outlet). I then took some time to determine when I needed hot water and how much I needed and how long a burn required to satisfy my needs. When all was done, I had spent $9 and my existing infrastructure and created a hot water on demand system which when refined over 2 years produced a 50% reduction in my natural gas consumption.
For bigger changes.. at my cottage I installed a solar hot water generator which allows me to run 99% off the grid in the summer months and helps preheat the water in the winter requiring less hydro overall. Also swapped out that 30 year old inefficient oil burning furnace for a high efficiency propane (saving me over $1000 a year!) and installed a clean and efficient fire place insert, added insulation to the attic, adding vapour barrier to the ceiling, CFLs everywhere, even the auto sensing outdoor floodlights (I want to see those skunks before I walk out at night!)
So onto my bigger question. Governments are fast to tell us to reduce but what are they doing to help? While driving though the city I often stare in amazement at the number of street lights burning away. I actually get mad at the number of street lights burning away lighting up the highways! The last time I checked, every car was mandated to have functioning headlights that illuminated the high way in front of you. Do I really need 1000 street lights burning to do the same job? 8 hours a night? It is not like pedestrians are walking down the side of the highway so you cannot tell me it is a safety feature!
My only conclusion is that hydro plants have an evening surplus and need to burn it. This is a best-case scenario for the cities but really isn’t there better ways to burn a surplus of electricity?
My first thought is that hydrogen is the fuel of the future. Production of hydrogen requires electricity. Obviously cold fusion is not a reality yet but if there is a surplus in the evening, would it not make sense to burn that surplus producing hydrogen for future consumption rather than lighting up highways for cars with built in lights?
I have often also wondered what is done with the excess gas that sewage plants capture and store. I had wondered why dumps were not used for the resources they give off. I am very happy to see that many dumps now capture the fumes given off by composting garbage to power generators. I have seen where the city of Toronto pulls cold water out of lake Ontario to cool buildings rather than using standard air conditioning. There are all kinds of good ideas around it is just making sure we implement them to the best of our abilities! We are making progress but it seems to be too slow, and I think that governments can be the role model in ensuring that the existing resources are being used to the best of their abilities!
In the past my morning use to start at 7 AM when I woke up and had a hot shower to wake my out of my slumber and prepare me for the day to come. Afterwords I would putter around for 10 min and then let my dog out to do her duties. Often I would notice while standing outside, coffee in hand waiting for the pup to complete her task that 10 min after my shower, my gas hot water heater would still be running and made a mental note and went on with my day.
Arriving home at 4 PM the first thing I would do is let my dog outside. I would also make a mental note that the hot water system was running and preparing for the evening usage. Observing the usage on the water heater over time I concluded that a fully heated system would lose its heat over an 8-hour period even though there was no usage. This seemed like a waste to me! Even without using the system it had to reheat the water 3 times a day. Looking at my usage.. I needed hot water about every 8 hours and realized it ran about 6 times a day, 15 min a shot.
The solution.. a 9 dollar programmable timer with a remote control (my gas heater will not ignite unless the exhaust fan is running and that exhaust fan plugs into a standard wall outlet). I then took some time to determine when I needed hot water and how much I needed and how long a burn required to satisfy my needs. When all was done, I had spent $9 and my existing infrastructure and created a hot water on demand system which when refined over 2 years produced a 50% reduction in my natural gas consumption.
For bigger changes.. at my cottage I installed a solar hot water generator which allows me to run 99% off the grid in the summer months and helps preheat the water in the winter requiring less hydro overall. Also swapped out that 30 year old inefficient oil burning furnace for a high efficiency propane (saving me over $1000 a year!) and installed a clean and efficient fire place insert, added insulation to the attic, adding vapour barrier to the ceiling, CFLs everywhere, even the auto sensing outdoor floodlights (I want to see those skunks before I walk out at night!)
So onto my bigger question. Governments are fast to tell us to reduce but what are they doing to help? While driving though the city I often stare in amazement at the number of street lights burning away. I actually get mad at the number of street lights burning away lighting up the highways! The last time I checked, every car was mandated to have functioning headlights that illuminated the high way in front of you. Do I really need 1000 street lights burning to do the same job? 8 hours a night? It is not like pedestrians are walking down the side of the highway so you cannot tell me it is a safety feature!
My only conclusion is that hydro plants have an evening surplus and need to burn it. This is a best-case scenario for the cities but really isn’t there better ways to burn a surplus of electricity?
My first thought is that hydrogen is the fuel of the future. Production of hydrogen requires electricity. Obviously cold fusion is not a reality yet but if there is a surplus in the evening, would it not make sense to burn that surplus producing hydrogen for future consumption rather than lighting up highways for cars with built in lights?
I have often also wondered what is done with the excess gas that sewage plants capture and store. I had wondered why dumps were not used for the resources they give off. I am very happy to see that many dumps now capture the fumes given off by composting garbage to power generators. I have seen where the city of Toronto pulls cold water out of lake Ontario to cool buildings rather than using standard air conditioning. There are all kinds of good ideas around it is just making sure we implement them to the best of our abilities! We are making progress but it seems to be too slow, and I think that governments can be the role model in ensuring that the existing resources are being used to the best of their abilities!
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