This is a screen capture of our meal plan. It is basic and I am sure it will be changed/added too as time goes on, but here it is.
A Few Notes:
I have decided to run my first marathon. This will be the first time I have run more then the 10 km Terry Fox run and 4 years ago this would have been unthinkable. Here is a summmery of how I started working out and why...
MY BACKGROUND:.Woke up one day about 3 and a half years ago and discovered that I was fat( SEE BEFORE PIC FOR PROOF)! I looked awfull and worse...I felt as bad as I looked. Sick of being tired, out of breath and lazy, I made the decission to do something about it and started to a low Carb diet and managed to lose 95 pounds in just under 4 months. I was very proud of doing so, but wanted a way to keep it off and so I looked to exercise.
I started by lifting 3 days and cardio 3 days and heavy abs rountine 3 days , every week . I HATED it for the first 2 months, but kept with it..even though I wanted to quit daily. After some time, it became less of a pain in the ass and turned into my personal daily Challenge. I look forward to each work out and have made some great gains.
STATS:
I have completed all of my fitness goals except the last one and the time has come.
I will be doing the Port Perry Half Marathon. In case you may not know (as I didn't) , a half marathon is 21 km (13 miles) and a marathon is 42 km (26 miles). I had originally thought of doing the Toronto Marathon, but settled on the half marathon. The half should prove as good a test of my fitness test and by the end I will know if the full marathon is for me.
I will have to modify my training routines in order to be ready for the September 9th marathon. My weight training and abs workouts will continue untouched throughout, but the same can not be said of my cardio training.
I presently do 30 minutes of cardio, 7 days a week and keep my target heart rate of 145 bpm (beats per minute). I alternate between running, stationary bike and the stair master.
This is my marathon training program and it will start June 3rd, 2006 and continue right up to the day of the race Sept 9th, 2006. You will see that there are 2 off days on the running schedule and on those days I will do my normal cardio.
The thought of failing to reach this goal scares me a bit. When it comes to health/fitness I am very dedicated and proud of what I have accomplished. . I am not sure if I can do this and scared of what effect this may have on my training if I fail. Mostly, I fear that any failure here could derail all of my efforts.
You see, in many other parts of my life I have failed or just given up before I failed, but I can honestly say that for 4 years I never have when it came to working out or nutrition....Never.
This is why if I am going to do this, I not only want to finish, but finish strong for no other reason then to prove to myself that I can...
Yes today I turn 35 years old and to celebrate I bought myself a couple of gifts for the trip with my birthday money…yes I said birthday money, but let me explain.
Ever since I was a kid I was given money on my birthday and despite the fact that I am married, have 3 kids, a home and both of us are gainfully employed…my parents and my parents-in-law give me money every year.
I actually look forward to it…why? Well it is easy to deny yourself something with your money when you could be paying a bill, contributing to RRSP’s or buying something the kids need, but you can’t do that with birthday money. That money has to be spent on me. It would be contrary to the the birthday gifting process to do otherwise and I am not about to screw up the system for everyone...Well that, I just like getting new stuff…
Enough of the explanations and on to the gifts:
First off, what a great Easter weekend! We spent the Friday with my parents at their place in Uxbridge. My sisters Jo and Kate were there as well with there family's. It is always great to get together with them, but for no particular reason this holiday meant more to me then usual. The rest of the weekend was spent at home with the kids. The weather was incredible and we took full advantage by going to the park and just playing outside without the need for coats for the first time this spring. Again ...a great weekend!
Gerry and I got together Friday night just to hang out, talk and play some xbox. When the conversation inevitably turned to Algonquin, we decided to finalize our travel plans. The original plan was for us to leave home at 5:00 am on Aug 3rd and we would arrive at Brent around noon. Keeping in mind our goal for day one is to make it from Brent to Burnroot Lake before sunset. Although this is not impossible, with us leaving Brent so late in the day, it would make having to go at 90% for about 6-7 hours a must. This is not to say we are not up to the challenge, but we would also like time to take pictures and appreciate the natural wonders.
This is when Gerry came up with a brilliant idea...leave the night before! So instead of driving up that morning, we will leave at 4:00 pm Wednesday Aug. 2nd and arrive at Brent around midnight. We will either sleep in the car or more likely on the ground for the night and in the morning we will grab some breakfast in Deux Riviers, before we pick up our canoe from the store at Brent. By doing this we can be on the water by 9:00 am (if not before) and be on Burntroot Lake by late afternoon. What a great idea!
This is a great example of how our styles compliment each other. I am a concrete thinker and I do my best when able to work in facts, research, organization and information. Gerry is an able bodied concrete thinking, but his real strength can be found in his ability to think in the abstract. I strongly believe that this is why we are such an effective team and it is these traits that will prove handy once we are put to the test this summer.
I had a request for directions to the town of Brent in Algonquin Park, so I have attached a link to Mapquest. The directions will not take you directly to Brent, but to the logging road that leads from the main highway. You will have to edit the starting point...unless you live in Newcastle that is...
Driving Directions from Newcastle, ON to Deux river's, ON
I have also added them to the LINKS list in the sidebar. 
I would also like to thank all the people that have shown interest in either joining our trip or having us go on a trip with them. To date, I have received 7 offers and they continue to trickle in daily.
Although this has given us both something to consider for future trips, for now neither of us are ready to add members to our trips.(despite your being knowledable and friendly)
Thanks again for your interest...
Today I called and booked our sites through Ontario Parks. I was a little surprised that they 
wanted to reserve where we were staying each night while in the interior. Not the exact site, but what lake we were going to be staying on. This seems strange….I mean what is to stop someone from staying an extra night on a site they particulary like? If that happens, does it not make the “Reservation” useless?
We hope to stick to plan reserved with Ontario Parks, but even the best plans were made to be broken.
The plan I reserved with Ontario Parks was as follows:
I added the "Algonquin 2006 Countdown" to the top of my sidebar over the weekend. This started as me thinking it would just take a minute or two and turned into an hour I can never get back. It was not as easy as I thought it would be, as most of the countdown timers require uploading to the host server and from what I could see on blogger, this would not be possible. So this one is not as elaborate as the timer I originally wanted, but it does the job. It is cool to see the time tick away and in case you were wondering...yes it is in real time! I just hope that I have not made the blog look junkie by adding some extras and I trust that someone will let me know if it does. (Yes Gerry, I am talking to you)
The weekend was quiet, but just what I needed. Gerry and I got together Friday night and we managed to have a few laughs, share some bottled water and talk about the trip. I could talk Algonquin 24/7 and fortunately for Gerry, this is one of many areas where he and I are so similar. In my world he is one of few people that have the same passion and thirst for information. It is very cool to know that my best bud and I can talk about all things Algonquin without getting the usual blank stares. ( See our wives for an excellent example)
I have to get back to it, but I would like some feedback on the countdown and if anyone has suggestions on better ones I would like to hear them...
Well the time has come for me to start my gear list. For those that know me, this will come as no surprise. I am completely obsessive compulsive when it comes to all aspects of organization and my need to make lists is a natural extension of that compulsion...The list will be a work in progress and I will constantly be updating this post as things are added or removed,
LAST UPDATED ON APRIL 10, 2006:Gear List for 5 Day Canoe Trip
Gear List for 5 Day Canoe Trip
Clothing: (Including Clothes worn):
Here I am sitting at my desk this morning, when I look up and 
notice that the month on my calendar needs to be changed. So as I flip the page on my "Ontario Outdoor Adventure" calendar from the cross-country skiers of March, to the Point Pelee Marsh picture in April, I notice the date...
Today is April 3rd and we leave for our trip on August 3 rd! This means just 4 short months until Gerry and I leave for our trip. (...and I figured that out without the use of calculators, sliderules or an abacus...thank you Mr. Link and your patience in Grade 9 math class)
It may seem like a long time away, but we have been planning this trip since we returned from 
the last one and that 8 months ago. Wow...hard to believe that eight months has gone by that quickly, so the next 4 should just be blur.
On a different note, I had some of the pictures from last years trip enlarged to 8 X 10 to hang in my office ( I have included them in this post). I just bought a bunch of cheap dollar store frames and hung them all in a row. They look great and it may seem kind of corny, but just having them on the wall makes me happy. One of the unexpected things from last years trip was how much I enjoyed photography. I had never really had much of an interest, but I found that I loved finding that perfect shot and if I may say
so, I think some of the pictures are rather good.
Last year Gerry and I shared a camera, but this year we each have our own. This year we will both have our own digi-cams, so this has the potential for some heated competition...as do many things with Gerry and I.
Example: "The who can throw the pinecone closest to the center of the dirt circle game" We invented/played last year and it is soon to be included in the Olympics.
Although Gerry claimed victory last year, I have reason to believe the French judge had been bribed.
I should get back to work, but it is great to know that the trip is just around the corner.
Well after a week and a half at the new gym I am happy to report that I love the new place. I still miss some of the things at Lifestyles, but with all of the new equipment and many familiar faces it is not that bad...in fact, it is pretty cool!
My new tent on the other hand is a bit of a disappointment. A while ago I decided to go super lite on my tent to save hauling my 9 lb, 2 man + gear tent. In order to do this I ordered a Lite Bivy Tent on eBay. From the pictures and the measurements it looked perfect...not to much extra space, store the gear outside....no problem!
When it arrived and I set it up it became clear that it was going to be too small for both Gery and I to sleep in without spooning. Unlike Gerry, this was not a selling point for me (just kidding buddy!).
The new tent will not go to waste though, as I will use it for my kids and use my heavy , but great tent on the trip(Mine tent is the Edmond Hillary on the left).
It's only money right?
As I was working out on Friday I noticed the receptionist speaking to several members and shortly after they walked out looking angry. As I continued my routine, I notice the receptionist was going from member to member saying something. This was unusual, as she was not know to be very friendly and this was the first time I had seen her pry herself out of her chair! I thought that something was wrong at it was. When it was my turn she let me know that the gym would be closing within the hour and she was unsure when it would be open again. My business has the same landlord as them, so I placed a call. After speaking with him it was confirmed, the gym that I have called home for almost 5 years is closing their doors for good.
Turns out my gym Lifestyles, has been struggling financial for a long time due to some bad management and I (along with the other 350 members) were now "gym orphans".
This gym had it's problems, but for me it was perfect and a far cry from the crappy "cookie cutter" franchise gyms I swore I would never join. Yes they are cleaner...Yes they have new equipment and better facilities, but it is lacking in personality and physically fit members. Say what you will about my old gym, but every guy there was working hard and form me, it was easy to get motivated when everyone around me was giving 100%.
But with the sting of having my gym ripped away still fresh in my mind I took a deep breath , drove to Goodlife Gym and made my deal with the Devil. I hate this type of gym, but I hate not having one much more.
So my training continues...with me a little disappointed with the new location, but for the most part... same me.
A few months ago, Gerry had seen an advertisement for The Toronto Outdoor show. We thought that it would be cool to check out the vendors of gear and just have a night out, so we agreed to go.
Well today was the first day of the show, so I had made plans to leave work a few hours early, grab the GO train to Union Station, north on the Young subway, then just a short walk to Gerry's office. Then we could hit the show and go out after without having to take separate vehicles. So far so good!
Everything was going fine until I was about to leave the office to catch my 2:50 train. I had just come back from the gym and getting dressed when I realized that when packing my bag I had forgotten one thing...my pants! After franticly checking my bag for the third time to no avail, I knew I had to go home to retrieve my trousers and time was not on my side. I rocketed home in record time and switched my stinky workout gear for the neatly pressed pants. In no time I was back on the highway speeding (literally) towards the train station. As I got off the highway, I could see my train was already in the station. I managed to nail both of the notoriously long lights when green, parked in the farthest/only parking space available and sprinted to the station. I bought my ticket and the race was on, as I now would have to run all out to make it. As I started to run, several people behind me started to laugh, I am sure I looked crazy, but I had to make this train! Just as I stepped through the doors of the train they closed and the started to pull away.
As I took my seat, I could see the 3 teens that were "too cool to run", throw their arms in the air as the stood on the platform. If this was the Olympics, my seat was the gold medal and the only reward for the 4th, bronze and silver place teens was a 45 minute wait in the cold. Sometimes it pays to be uncool.
Unfortunately the show was very disappointing. There were more travel agents then anything and it seemed that most of the vendors had the same things. I guess I was thinking that this was going to be a show of new products and that, it was not. One of the highlights of the show was when we were looking for a parking spot and Gerry had dismissed some of the available spaces as being " too far" from the entrance. After finding a satisfactory space and he pointed out how being to lazy to walk an extra 20 feet was "probably not in the spirit of the outdoor show."
To summarize : the most memorable part of the show was the parking lot.
After the disappointing show, we went for dinner at Dipamo's barbecue. I had never been there before and is was great. This is what we had and a brief description:
"Barbeque heaven
$45.00 "Put some south in yo’ mouth!" A heapin’ helpin’ of slow cooked heaven. St. Louis side ribs, pulled shoulder, brisket and chicken served with sides of French fries, Dipamo’s pit beans, mustard slaw and roasted corn."
I think this would be a place my dad would enjoy as well. The portions are best described as perfect. I give this restaurant my highest rating 5 Canoes out of 5!
Since this years trip is going to be lightweight, I have had to do my homework on what is the best gear for my application. This has resulted in a constant battle:
didn't want to go cheap on my pack, as everything I read placed this as the one piecee of gear that can be the difference between a good trip or one in constant discomfort. I was fortunate to find a used 75+ Liter pack on MEC's gear swap and ended up getting a practically brand new, high end pack for $150.
have paid it, but I put a "stove wanted" posting on the MEC gear swap page and managed to negotiate a price of $92 including delivery form British Columbia. It included all the accessories I wanted and I managed to save over $80. Another great deal!
night, but by day it converts into one of the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat in. I found one for sale on eBay, won the auction over 5 weeks ago and still no mattress. When I contacted the seller he claimed it was a "shipping error" and blamed UPS for the delay. I spoke to him last thursday and he claimed he sent it again and that it should be here by tomorrow (Tuesday). Track the delivery of my "mattress of mystery" UPDATE: It arrived as promised and just as described.Here are three 20 second video clips from last years trip. They were taken using a digital camera. They are short but still kind of cool.
This is a video compilation of the digital pictures from the same trip. I am particularly proud of this one, as this was my first time doing anything like this. I think it turned out rather well. You be the judge! (for this one turn on your speakers)
We have decided on where will be cutting our teeth this summer. It will be a "loop" that starts in Algonquin Parks northern most access point in Brent on Cedar Lake and then cut through Catfish and Burntroot lakes before slowly winding our way back up the Nippising River and returning to Cedar Lake. This will be a good challenge for both of us and it will be invaluable experience for our future trips.
The map is one I borrowed from one of the great sites in my links. We plan to make it all the way to our site on Burntroot Lake by the end of the first day (marked on the map by a "2"). We will then spend nights 1 and 2 on the site on the island on Burntroot and while there do some day trips to the southern part of the lake. Day 3 we will continue on and go and check out the remains of an old World War 2 German POW camp and spend the night at one of the sites at the top of High Falls. Day 4 we will continue up the Nippising River and plan to stay at an incredible site described in the link below and indicated on the map by a number 3.
http://www.tunacanexpress.ca/2003/2003day3.htm.
The Details:
Now that we have been planning the 2006 trip for almost 6 months, I realize why the folks at the Algonquin Outfiters in Brent (where we rented our canoe and put-in) were quietly laughing at the amount of gear we had. I think Gerry put it best when he described it as "car camping without the car". How much gear did we have? Take a look at our canoe loaded for bear.
I now realize that by backpacking standards, this was disgraceful and we deserved all the smirking and finger pointing we received.
In retrospect, I do remember having trouble fitting everything in the trunk of Gerry's Jetta which should have been an early clue. After taking another look at this picture it should not have come as much of a surprise. Damn that's allot of crap in that canoe!
Hey, I am Jim and the picture below is Gerry. This is my first attempt at logging everything that goes into planning our annual canoe trip through Algonquin Park, located in Ontario , Canada.
I live in Newcastle, Ontario with my wife of 8 years and our 3 kids. Newcastle is a small town and I would not have it any other way. My canoe partner and best friend Gerry is also my neighbor. He is also married and has 3 children of his own. Having my buddy live as close as he does is very cool and that is just another reason why I love my little piece of suburban paradise.
It was Gerry that first introduced me to what canoe camping was all about. The fist time I went on an Algonquin trip was in August of 2005. We spent five days on an island on Cedar Lake and on day 3 we did a portage up the 
Petawawa River to see the small and large waterfalls. The portage was a smaller one (715 m) , but it gave both Gerry and I a taste of what doing a "real" canoe trip would be like. As we returned from the falls and dipped our 75 lb Gruman aluminum canoe back into Cedar Lake, both of us vowed that next year we would plan + complete a serious interior canoe trip and along the way, earn back our camping self respect. We then paddled back to camp, plugged the radio into our portable power generator, pulled our lawn chairs up to the Coleman coolers and started to plan.
I was sent these this morning and although I am not fond of the hundreds of joke filled emails I get, these made me smile and for that are worth posting.
