All my paths always seem to lead to some sort of stoicism. I have just started to read a book called Stand Firm. The theory is we live an what the author calls an accelerating culture. You must consistently improve, do more for even just holding your current position is effectively going backwards o...

With age comes fun stuff such as skin cancer screening day. Given how much time I spent in the sun, the fact I had two Basal skin cancers was not a huge surprise. They were both removed right in the office and healed quite well. But the dermatologist thought it was a good idea for a six month follow...

My dad would always say he was passionate and not overly emotional. One of his favorite songs had a line about standing outside of the fire. He did have the strength of a 50 year old when he was 69 but he could barely move. It would take him several hours just to "warm up" in order to play...

What really sucks about getting old is that I am an idiot and now cannot get away with anything. I have been riding once a week at most on my road bike for the last few weeks. Work and weather more than anything. But today, 16 degrees, sunny and light winds. So I was off on the bike and had a notion...

When I was a kid, it was hockey and soccer. Then as a university student, hockey. As a young adult, soft ball with a few light and simple weights. There was some golf and then a lot of golf. That transitioned into running and a full gym membership. Then races, marathons and then trail running. I eve...

I thought I may not be a total idiot who grossly over does it but rather the Crestor might be responsible for the on going muscle pain as that is a common side effect of that drug. So I stopped taking it for a few days and I am just as sore as ever. So I am as dumb as I thought. But there is some ro...

I did not realize how much FOMO has impacted my life until I used some legal cannabis to relax and unwind. FOMO or Fear Of Missing Out may also be another term for being too connected. To always being "on". To comparing yourself to others on a personal or even theoretical basis. I have ove...

I did not realize how much FOMO has impacted my life until I used some legal cannabis to relax and unwind. FOMO or Fear Of Missing Out may also be another term for being too connected. To always being "on". To comparing yourself to others on a personal or even theoretical basis. I have ove...

The question I continue to struggle with was it worth it. The pain. The Suffering. The missed golf games. The $1,000 or more in treatment. Was it worth it to ride 100 miles and then a very fast, for me, 100 K in September. Oddly, the answer is both yes and no. Yes in that if I never did another &quo...

My back was sore but I thought I would take a chance and try out my mountain bike one more time. My theory is that if I stuck to mostly city based trails, I would get a good workout and not risk an adverse outcome. So off to Bowmount and rode for about 11.5 K and with 180 m of elevation gain. I fini...

Going to pick up some studded tires for the mountain bike I found on Kijiji. At one time the theory was I could ride out in the mountains on that bike instead of a fat bike for in Calgary, the melt freeze would allow someone to ride a mountain bike aside from a few weeks here and there. And it would...

Calgary got hit with around 25 cm of snow. Although my area of the city is technically in the foothills and tends to get a few more cms. In any event, the snow stopped, sun is out and the streets and sidewalks were mostly wet or with some slush. Had to get a new mouse and some groceries so decided t...

I am back. Not so much to provide an update as much for myself as anything as to my daily activities but this time to be the grumpy old man on my porch yelling at the kids to get off my lawn. More metaphorically of course. I put my mountain bike up for sale on three sites. The base model was worth a...

A quick Addendum: Still old, still stiff and sore. I am now doing a little bit of everything and enjoying that. Decided to sell the mountain bike. When I told my wife, her response was thank goodness. She told me when I came back from a road cycling ride, I might look sweaty and a little tired. Afte...

In a first world sort of way, this year has been tough on me. It is when I have really, really noticed the aging process. Where the limitations and restrictions of the same have been noticeable. Whereas before, I could write something off as a minor set back. Something I could bounce back from, now ...

I am a little tired, a little sore but … the opportunity to ride with my summer kit is quickly fading. There is even a talk of snow by this time next week. And so why not get on the road bike and cycle out of a coffee. The only problem with this is that I am a little tired, a little sore and going t...

This getting old is really starting to get old. I would better understand and accept the current state of my body had I attempted to do much more than I was capable of doing. Had a tackled a much harder trail and/or gone much further or for a longer period of time. So when I turned around when I did...

Mountain biking has mountains and bikes so what more could one ask for. I had been quite excited for with my last mountain biking ride , I thought I have figured out a way to have a good workout but without too much damage or punishment. As it turns out, even an hour of riding with some moderately d...

Got what I needed to be done at work, the weather was cooperating and I felt the need to get out and to something. So off I went with my mountain bike. I was not in a great frame of mind. Maybe I should go for a road bike ride or a jog instead. Or instead of the foothills, ride Nose Hill in the city...

The left lower back and right calf are sore this morning and given the chronic issues are right lower back and left calf, at least this was a nice change of pace. The pain is more achy than anything so good to see I survived the bike ride of yesterday. Went for what is becoming a very good and norma...

I woke up this morning feeling old. There was a mix of sun and cloud but it looked cold. I was a little depressed as well. The same old political arguments with people who parrot what political pundits have to say. Our tribe is right, your tribe is wrong. Even if the other tribe has some policies th...

I went to bed last night and the only rational explanation as to why I felt the way I did this morning is that sometime during the night, I was involved in a full body UFC match and I lost. The much less likely and alternative explanation is that I am getting old. I did have a theory that highway dr...

I had a meeting in Lethbridge today starting at 10:00 am. Just a few years ago, I would have been on the road around 7:00 am, arrived in Lethbridge around 9:15, had time for a coffee and to collect my thoughts. Finish the meeting and get back into my car and drive straight back home. Now, I left my ...

Great race on Saturday where I exceed my wildest expectations. I thought if I had a absolutely perfect race where I was at exactly 100% efficiency and did not make a single pacing error, I just might be able to squeeze out a 3:15 if I were lucky. I had hoped I might be in the 3:25 range but 3:30 was...

One of the best investments I have ever made was to buy a infra red sauna. Yesterday, I could never quite seem to get my metal focus. There were even a few times I felt light headed, even a little dizzy. As with a car, you can only push your body into the red line so often before - unfortunately the...