CaptainOrange

Crew 4:30 I set an alarm for 4am and people began arriving at my place by 4:15. at 4:35, I began along with James, Bri, David, and for the first time, Leora. When we picked an initial day to circumnavigate the city, it had been very hot. I was expecting 30 degrees C, which would have been pretty unbearable. It always excites me when there is an added bit of adversity. I don't do this trip repeatedly because it's easy. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I want it to be hard and I expect sometimes to fail. When it rained so hard earlier this week, I knew that it was going to make the trip tough. The nature of this walk means that we spend a lot of time in the new construction areas of the city. That means clay and mud. Lots of mud. Mud became the defining characteristic that I will remember about this year. Oh Lolli Lolli Lolli... It seemed dry as we began to walk towards the south of the city. In 15 minutes we were at the rail lines and it was apparent that we were g...

This post is mostly for me. As, I suppose, all of them are. I like to have a specific record of my exercise when I am trying improve on something difficult. I find that it really helps me to focus on the little things necessary to improve. When I share that with you, it gives makes the goal seem more real and somehow more important to achieve. Anyway, yes, I took a break from stair climbing during my healing process. But, I've been back at it pretty hard in the last little while. I thought an update was in order. In case you missed the first post on stairs. What's new? Below is my tower activity since injuring my ribs. I fill in a web form each time I run the tower and it updates a spreadsheet for me. As you may care to notice, I took some heart rate measurements at several points today (last row, right hand column). Times (usually) follow the format of hh:mm:ss.tenthsec 15/09/2013 10:04:30 Arts Tower run 17:31.5 5x u/d. 1st time on the stairs since my rib injury. S...

It's a whole new game. The score is tied at 3 victories a piece. I left the house at 4:40am--10 minutes behind schedule. I have often had company for this section of the journey, but this year I was on my own. The first new thing for this trip is the new Tim Horton's in Stonebridge. I availed myself of a little pick-me-up and headed East. The morning was cold and calm. The moon looked over my shoulder as I headed out parallel to the railroad tracks. All the rain we've had this summer meant healthy plant growth and the cool morning was heavy with dew. My shoes were shortly soaked through and I found it necessary to pause every couple of hours to strip off my shoes and dry them in the sun. A major change from previous years is that I didn't take a "real" camera. I had only my trusty iPhone3GS. I was feeling unsure about my ability to complete the trek this year and I was concerned about the extra weight a camera would add. That and Environment Canada pre...

Anwyn with an awesome Spread Eagle (working on knees and toe pointing) Leo's are better than mine. Happy/Sad at the same time. Just a quick note. I'm pretty excited this morning. My family has had the use of Liz's trampoline (in exchange for our swings) for the last 3 weeks. This coincided very nicely with the enthusiasm I have for exercise when the Olympics are on and lead to many hours of getting over my adult onset dizziness :( I remembered with a certain fondness performing crazy teenage antics on David Rabuka's trampoline when I was in high-school, back in P.A. Some tricks --the ones involving serious core strength-- have given me some trouble, but back and forward tucks, pikes and layouts came back to me very easily... except for wanting to violently eject my breakfast after 5 minutes. Back handsprings, on the other hand, have given me a lot of difficulty for 18 years --ever since I spent a week loading box-cars up with 100lb bags of lentils. Back inju...

We had a mostly fun drive from Ottawa to Waterloo -- we did have to go through Toronto, after all. It was pretty uneventful, but we did stop to have a picnic lunch at a small resort village where we feed some gulls. The place we stopped was quaint and quiet. There was an entire beach made entirely of the best skipping rocks ever. Wendy was sick or I think I would have stayed until my arm was spaghetti. Don On The Job The other reason to move on was the facilities. The place we ate was equipped only with a port-a-potty. Let me tell you, I don't think "Don" was on the job -- despite the assurance. I think I might have been nervous if he was there anyway. We arrived without incident and commenced with the visiting. Anwyn was in the second day of being sick, but recovered with all speed when there was an infant to hold. Max Gutoski (2 1/2 mos) I was amazed at how great the girls were with their new cousin, Max. Gus and Greta's first son will soon be 3 month's old and...

Several weeks ago, I posted on Facebook (via Twitter which now ends up at the bottom of this blog) that I have managed to beat the first of the records I am pursuing vis this year's Quest goals . I've been actively seeking the push-up goal, working on the plan posted at hundredpushups (which I have a few issues with). I came to the conclusion that I was not going to dedicate the time (right now) to making the hundred push-up goal. So, after eight weeks, I bailed out during "week 4" of the program. Anyway, I managed to eke out fifty consecutive push-ups. I am very excited by the success and am now looking forward to trying to get my right elbow back in shape from the injury I suffered a couple of months back. I am only posting this now for historical purposes. I actually typed this post weeks ago, but forgot to publish it. Sorry that you have to suffer. Old data. Pay it no mind.

FAMILY There has been a constant flurry of activity around the house, now that school is over. My usual slow paced serentity has been replaced by a frenzy. It's mostly good, but always takes some adjusting. Wendy comes home in full battle-school mode. Leora and Anwyn come home forgetting that the whole world doesn't celebrate summer holidays like elementary school children. Parents, see below... Anwyn - "I thought summer was for totally relaxing and doing what you want." Father - "Right. But between you and your sister being home, that's eleven extra hours of home and yard messing that happen every day." Leora and Anwyn - "Daaaaad!" Father - "I'm only giving you an extra hour of chores per day. compared to your share of five and a half hours of messing, that's a pretty sweet deal." We have now all signed up for a summer chore schedule which takes a lot off of my plate. This is good, because I am taking a lot more ...

Well, there is nothing for it. I have to plug Earth Hour on my blog. If only to improve upon my percieved sincerity for those of you who read or will read the article in today's Star Phoenix. Betty Ann hooked me up with the reporter who did the story. She seemed to think that I was doing somebody a favour, but I feel that I am the one who benefitted. The hour that I spent talking to the reporter was quite enjoyable and a good opportunity to continue to reflect on some of the lifestyle choices that many of us have been wrestling with over the last days, weeks, and years. I am only advocating for Earth Hour because it is an avenue for self-reflection. How much will your life be changed by turning off your lights for an hour? Not at all. I don't really care if you "believe" in global warming. This issue trancends the concept. For me it is about wanting and having less. Using what we need and no more. Enjoying your loves -- be they people or activities, or things -- ...

I was 24 years old . The previous year had seen me secure both my degree in English from the U of S and my wife. It would still be 2 1/2 years until Leora was born. In the most cliché sense, I had the whole world ahead of me. Of course I had just spent the last 4 months of 1995 living apart from Wen (as she tested out her first teaching job in Rosetown (wikipedia)). Shortly, I moved out of 518 Albert Ave. and into our first apartment. Small town life didn't agree really agree with me. Being an unconventional egg-head/vegetarian/freak from the big city, I felt watched and overtly judged wherever I went (but only because people were watching me). View Larger Map A perfect example is the cooking job that I got there at the Blue Baron -- a restaurant attached to a road-side motor inn. I was ´let go´ there after my 3 month probation. I challenged the owner (who was almost never in the kitchen) to tell me why I was being fired, and I was told that it was because the quality of the food ...

That's right. It is once again Quest New Year. For any requiring some historical info... here are my last 3 years posts: QE 15 QE 16 QE 17 But these posts are hardly Questing in themselves. They do, however, represent to a degree what my mental space is like during this spring-time of change, challenge and renewal. Last night I was up with a serious case of angst-induced insomnia. I have been concerned all this week that my old nemesis, Rust, was up to his deleterious ways. I'm finding it hard to push myself. To drive boldly ahead. Or rather, I'm not sure what those things are anymore. Winter is certainly playing a part, as it always does. But there may be more here... I've been Questing since my first year in university. QE 1, for me, was March 17 th , 1991. I draw a large part of my Quest ' mojo ' from those formative years. The problem is that those years were about becoming an adult, not just nominally, but literally. Transitioning to adulthood without losin...

I had a lot of trouble sleeping the night before I was to embark on this years circumnavigation attempt. At 4am it was storming fiercely with high winds, lightning, rain, and hail. In a fit of depression, I phoned Jim K and called the walk on account of the weather and went back to bed. By 5am it was obvious that the storm had passed and I had failed. Failed the test of the weather. By 7:30am I was sulking something fierce and Ms. Orange told me to just get off my duff and go -- late or not. (Sadly, to no avail) I left a message on Jim's cell and headed out the door around 8:30am. And to everyone who wished that we could start at a more reasonable hour... IT WAS TOO LATE! Too Late to finish (for me, anyhow), but not too late to have a fantastic day. I walked a little over 12 1/2 hrs. I haven't mapped it yet, but I'll go on a limb and estimate about 40 km. I had a lapse in my mental game when I realized that it would certainly be after midnight before I could finish and cal...

The weather for the next few days looks crazy hot, but Saturday still looks reasonable. You should consider only light activity for the next few days. You will want to feel as fresh and strong as you can. Get such sleep as you can given your twisted and painful lives. On the evening before, you will want to pack a bag. Make it a smallish backpack. Here is what I will have on me and in mine... I will wear comfortable, snug, broken-in shoes with two pairs of socks. Put Vaseline on your feet before you don said socks. Just get some on your fingers and smear it around. It is a trick I learned when prepping for my marathon. It will help prevent blisters which are likely to be your greatest enemy! I will begin the day in light long pants, long-sleeve shirt over wife-beater followed by a windbreaker, shedding layers and putting on shorts as it gets hot. A wide brimmed hat and sunglasses would be wise. In my pack will be a camera (you are welcome to all my photos, but may be expected to shoot ...

I am hereby announcing my intention of doing another trek around the city of Saskatoon this summer. My proposed date is Saturday July 7th (4am-ish). I'm pretty solid on that date, but I would be willing to negotiate with anyone who is actually serious about coming along for the trip. There are two things I have learned from my previous attempts: Prepare. That is mentally and physically. If you aren't running, or at least walking (a lot) yet... START! With construction and all, we could be looking at 65 km or more. For perspective, that's coming up on 1.5 marathons. Involve such family as you have. People walking stretches with me and meeting for picnic lunches, etc... were both encouraging (trust me, it's a long day) and just plain fun. Wendy will be heading up my support committee. If you are going to come along you should have your people talk to my people. Here are the links to my trip from last year. lead-in , ramblings and pictures

I was out having a great time this Friday. I wanted to share some of my unending childhood with you. It is part of the Quest project I have been working on this year. Will it be ready for this QNY? No. I'm sad to say that I had big dip in my enthusiasm for working on it during the winter. But, I am still enamoured of the idea of trying to create a multimedia representation of my personal approach to questing. The world will just have to keep holding its breath.

This post will soon be a glorious and philosophical examination of my trip around the city of Saskatoon. For now, I want you to know that I have been successful in an all too short 16 hours and 17 minutes. Perhaps obsession would be too strong a word to describe it. But, I have been pursuing this goal for more than 10 years. Sometimes without diligence and sometimes with everything I had in me. Why? I have heard that question more often than any other in association with this quest of mine. Some people decree that it doesn't really seem that difficult. Why bother? Some think that it is an inane way to spend 16 hours. Could I be just a little bit crazy? Recently, Wendy wanted to know why it was so important? Why keep going back to this seemingly innocuous task? After all, since my first attempt I have lived in three different towns/cities, I have had two children and I have backpacked through Italy. It seems as though a walk around town should hardly register on the radar. I didn...

I've been waiting for the opportune moment. And here it is. Saturday, Aug 26 will mark my third attempt to walk around the city of Saskatoon in a single day. Here, roughly, is my proposed route. As you can see, it clocks in at around 60km. A pretty heavy investment. Lots of it is asphault, but even more of it is gravel and a fair chunk is just plain off-road. I'll be leaving from my house around 4am (if I can manage it, ug). If I could manage a consistant pace with a few stops, I should be able to do it in 12-14 hours. Tidbits: - first attempted with a group of questers in about 1994. I had to stop (about 38km) due to excruciating joint pain which largely abated, yet lasted for several weeks. -Second attempt in 2005 (completed about 41km). This particular excursion was called on account of the impending hypothermia of my companion. There was a lengthy deluge of rain and hail in the mid to late afternoon! I would love to see any or all of you for portions of the journey. I will ...

My Quest goals have been bouncing around in my head. I finally realized that if there will be a theme to this year for me it will be just that. Marathons. Rehearsing for Kiss Me Kate is a lot like training for a marathon. It's really more time than you want to spend, but you know you have no choice if you want to succeed. After it is finished I will be doing pursuing that ever elusive goal of walking clear around the city in one go -- clocking in around 60km, it will be more than a marathons worth in distance and stamina. Later in the summer, I hope to run my own personal marathon along the riverbank. I hope to beat my 4h 56min time of several years ago. I believe I also mentioned earlier, wanting to do a solid 24-hour stint in an attempt to write a (potentially) Quest themed play. Finally, I am working on what can only be described as my mammoth Multimedia Miktacular, Miktacular. My statement of beliefs and feelings on the Quest as a way of life. This one has been on the back-burn...

Quest New Year was a rousing success for me. I can't speak for everyone else, though it seems as though a good time was had by all. I managed to get to our meeting spot in record time (which for me was 6:45pm). That gave me time to wait for a good table, do some last minute reading and set up the pool from which participants collected this years Quest branded gift of slate coffee coasters hand carved with the Q symbol. I had a really tough time hanging on to them until new years as I made them well before Christmas. As I had planned, they were snagged b y the Questers as they arrived (after 8pm) at the table. Me, Dave, Geof, James, and Vin. There were some good books picked for this year. As I recollect however, there was almost no discussion about last years picks. Without Vin's early prescence, there was just no one to jumpstart the HoL discussion. Other than that, there was plenty of fun discussion of goals for the year (mostly mine) although James, Dave and Geof all seemed...

It's no bit secret that I begin to feel quite shitty towards the end of the coldest season. I'm trying to keep the wolves at bay (as it were) by getting a little bit healthier and trying to keep busy without going overboard. Trying. My eating habits are in need of adjustment. It seems like only yesterday that I had totally sworn off store-bought junk food. I kept to that for over a year and then slipped back into familiar patterns. Well, I'm back on the wagon. I know, you aren't going to cry for the 5 or 6 pounds that I am irritated with. I understand, and I'll thank you to keep your comments from reflecting on the nature of my neurosis. That's just how I am about this stuff. Here is something you can feel good about. My computer usage isn't at its healthiest. I'm going to try and back off a bit. A few days back I found myself pressing the "stumble upon" button 30 times or more without even looking at the pages. Nothing was interesting me, but ...