Brock Skywalker

St.Albert Starrt Triathlon (sprint) · 5 September 08

8 days after the Quebec City Marathon I participated in the St.Albert Starrt Triathlon. “Sprint” is the fancy way of saying it was a half triathlon. 750 metres of swimming, 20 km of cycling and 5 km of running. Sounds like fun right? Well, YES it certainly was!

I took 1:42:08 to do all that (including the transitions). My goal was to finish in under 2 hours so I really exceeded my expectations! WOO! Plus, when I crossed the finish line, my first words to Ellie (after “I need some water” (I dropped my Gatorade about halfway through the cycling portion)) were “That was awesome!”.

I can’t wait to do it again and there has even been some chatter about me and my cousin training for the 2010 Ironman in Penticton. Now that would be something! We’ll see…

Anywho, it was a great time and I thank Dave and Bill for getting me on board. Dave bailed on the race itself but Bill kicked my ass with a time of 1:24:59. Next year Bill… next year!

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Marathon des Deux Rives · 4 September 08

So I did it. I ran 42.2km (in French) and cut 15 minutes off my best (and only) full marathon time. 4:35:53 is what I did in Québec on Aug 24, 2008. 4:50:51 is what I did in Victoria on Oct 7, 2007. So, that is a pretty great improvement, if I do say so myself! WOO!

It was something like 33 degrees and VERY humid and people were dropping like flies. The next morning the newspaper said 50 people were treated for heat related health issues and one 51 year-old, experienced marathoner, actually died 3kms from the finish line. Yikes! I watched no less than 5 of my fellow runners stumble and collapse in front of me. Which, I can’t lie, did worry me.

Myself, well… I was seeing double when I crossed the finish line and couldn’t really speak. But after I sat down in the massage tent for about 15 minutes, with a bag of ice on my head and put a litre of water in my belly, I was more or less fine.

The next day I was up and walking around Québec like a real tourist and 3 days later Ellie and I went on a 25km bike ride around Montréal. A successful marathon AND a successful vacation. Just what I always wanted.

Below is a Google map (generated by my awesome Garmin Forerunner 305) of the route. We started in Levis and ended right smack dab in the middle of Veux Québec. It was pretty picturesque running along the St.Laurence, I must say. Crossing the bridge was very cool too. Though once we were on the Québec side of the river there was no shade and it was getting close to noon and the hottest and sunniest part of the day.

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Did I mention... · 1 August 08

I got an iPhone!

Daveb and I got up early and joined the lineup in front of the Rogers Wireless store as 5th and 7th in line at about 7:30am (yes, we are nerds). We stood out front in the varying weather until the store opened at 10:00am and even though the Rogers network completely crashed and we didn’t actually have our activated and working iPhones until about 1:00pm – it was still well worth it and I don’t regret a moment.

With our new iPhones in hand we headed across the parking lot to the Mucho Burrito and celebrated our purchases with the best burritos in town since Whole in the Wall closed down. Sigh… I miss that place.

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Been there, ran that, got the shirt · 8 July 08

Well I did it. I ran the Alberta Jeep Dealers Half Marathon in Calgary on Sunday, and man was it fun! I placed exactly in the middle of my division (77th out of 144) with a time of 1:55:02.

I was really hoping to shave off more time from my Dashin’ for Compassion race (1:55:36) but, although it was a flat and “fast” course, us middle-of-the-packers got very bottlenecked a couple times (once on the way through the Stampede Grounds and one more time through the Calgary Zoo). I figure I lost about 5 minutes when my pace was forced down to 6:50-ish rather than 5:00 for a few Kilometres.

But, oh well, it was very fun and I felt really good at the end AND made it back to Kris’ house in time to catch the tie-breaks and rain-delays during the Federer and Nadal battle for the Wimbledon title. What a game! What a day!

Here’s a google map of the course, if you are interested in where we ran.

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21097.5 meters in Calgary · 4 July 08

Tomorrow Ellie and I pile into the car to drive 3 hours south. Not so we can go to the rodeo and take in the rest of The Stampede but rather so I can carbo-load and try to beat my Personal Best (1:55:36) in the Calgary Marathon.

I am doing the (not “just a”) Half-Marathon on Sunday – I am saving the big event for Quebec City where I will run the length of the St.Laurence… TWICE!

The Calgary Marathon is not quite as picturesque, though it does promise to be a rather flat and therefore “fast” course. We’ll see. I am trying not to think about it too much, though over-thinking things has never really been my strong suit. Heh… anyway, wish me speed and good hydration! WOO!

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iPhone - for real this time! · 18 June 08

As some of you may recall I tried to get an iPhone the less-than-legit way just before Xmas. Well, that didn’t go very well and now 6 months later I still have no iPhone (even though I actually was holding one in my hand in the Apple Store in New York and San Francisco last year). But now, for real this time, the iPhone is coming to me and the rest of Canada on July 11th! Praise be to the Almighty Jobs!

Now the only question is, will I be able to sleep between now and then? I doubt it. That is just how nerdily excited I actually am. WOO! iPhone! WOO!

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Dash'd and Compash'd · 12 May 08

I did it! I made a personal best. 1:55:36 for 21.1 km (8/14 in my division, 26/60 in my gender, and 49th overall). I had an awesome run and felt really good and strong at the end. I then ate my body weight in free brunch and went home for an afternoon of relaxing on the patio (and maybe a beer or two).

Thanks to all of you for your donations. I personally raised $800 for Compassion House and together I think I heard someone say that the run raised $16 000.00… so Woohoo! Those of you who didn’t get a chance to donate, I will be involving some sort of charity in every race that I can from now on, so just stay tuned – there will be other chances!

If you are interested in seeing more data about my run you can go to my Motionbased webpage. Or you can go to the Results Canada website to see all the runner’s times.

My next marathon is the Calgary Stampede Marathon on July 6th… and this time it is a full 42.2 km!

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Dash'n for Compassion · 5 May 08

Hey Folks,

I am running in the “Second Cups’ – Dash’n For Compassion Half Marathon, 2008” on Saturday (May 10th) and I would love it if you took a minute to read up on this charity and, if you like what they do, say and offer, go ahead and sponsor me for this run. Whether I finish or not (I will finish) – they get the money so… absolutely no risk AND you get a tax receipt for your donation! WOO!

Go here to learn about the Compassion House.

Go here to sponsor me online (on the Running Room website).

My goal is to raise $1000 and finish in 1:50. WOO!

Thanks everybody!

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Rockin' Brock on Glock · 28 April 08

I played Glockenspiel at the Wendy McNeill show last night. It was a hoot! I have never played Glock before and gotta say – it is pretty fun! I had pretty easy and well written parts to play (only 5 or 6 notes in all) so that probably made it more fun and less stressful.

Wendy sure does put on a good show. She had the audience eating out of the palm of her accordion-ed hand. I love seeing performers like that. I find it very encouraging as both a musician and a music lover.

I have a show this Friday with a cover band Paul Bellows, James Murdoch, Terry Palmer and I threw together. It will be fun… it won’t be pretty but it will be fun. Then I have show at The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse (Edmonton AB). I hope to have a (small) handful of new material for that night, so make sure you bring your listening ears. Oh yeah, but no Glockenspiel. That was a one time thing. Only for Wendy do I play Glock.

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Catastrophic Mechanical Failure? · 9 April 08

What the? How the? Yikes!

I don’t even want to think about what this could mean. At least they could have said whether it was plumbing or electrical… that would take some of the “yuck” out of it.

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