The Eco Dad

I know I haven't been around in a while. I've been pretty busy dadding and whatnot. Things I've managed to do: blow out my left knee, acquire achilles tendonitis and, if all that wasn't bad enough, I just ran a 10k race today and picked myself up two new blisters. Given the lower body ailments, I haven't exactly been on top of my cardio, so of course I thought I was going to die. "Beautiful, scenic hills," is code for death trap. Need to induce a heart attack? Hills. Bit of a masochist, are ya? Hills. Why do this? Because the cause was one close to my heart - SickKids Hospital. My cousin has cerebral palsy and spent some time at that hospital and throughout his various stays there I saw, first hand, the amazing things the staff do there. My two boys had a 50/50 chance of being affected by hemophilia, but as fate would have it, they were born completely healthy and I'm thankful for that every day. Had either of them been affected, we'd have been o...

So, my knee injury from months ago isn't much better. I may just relent and go see a doctor, but not before I kick the shit out of them one last time. 😕  The question begs: why? Because I had to go to Ukraine for work when this particular race took place. I registered for a 5k on a Friday with a follow up 10k the morning after. Why would anyone do that? Because the funds raised went directly into the small town my mom moved to and you got a bonus medal if you did it. Let's have an honest moment between us here. I just wanted the bonus medal. Oh, and I wanted to complete approximately 4 races this year. Race day came and went while I was off travelling for work and I was saddened I didn't get my medals or complete my races. Another moment of honesty, if you'll allow it: I had more fun in Ukraine, but that's not the point. Resigned to waiting until next year, I was pleasantly surprised when the event organizers created a virtual race. What's a virtual race? Wel...

I'm still on the fence as to whether I even like this running thing. I'm going to be honest, I hit the 2k mark of this last 10k and I thought, WTF am I doing?! Where's my runner's high? Then I remember why I'm running - to do good. This 10k was done to raise funds for research on heart and stroke PLUS I got to run with these beauties below. Check those sweet finisher medals! Together, as a team, we raised over $1000 for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Afterwards we got to hang out and have some brunch. Throw in the fact we all got some exercise and I suppose there really isn't any reason not to run. Tonight I just signed up for another 10k, and this one will benefit the SickKids Foundation in order to support SickKids Hospital in Toronto. So far I'm solo. One of the other guys in the photo has said he'll run it with me. I'll try and convince a few others because, hey, nothing like raising funds for a good cause with good people. My goal...

I've been slowly getting back into running, and I haven't decided whether I like it or not.  It's a weird sorta love/hate relationship. It impedes my ability to gain weight and ruins a weight lifting day, but I know it's good for my heart health, not to mention the runs I've been doing have been geared towards good causes. For instance, my upcoming 10k run is for Heart & Stroke. My grandmother suffered from a stroke that crippled her mobility, ended her independence and left her in a home. I'm glad to run and raise funds for research geared towards heart disease and stroke. That being said, you can donate to my run  here . SHAMELESS, I know! Besides spreading good in the world, all this running is taking a toll on my one pair of running shoes. Solution: buy shoes! Of course, I couldn't just walk into the nearest Nike/Reebok/Running Room/(insert good place to buy running shoes here) and pick something off the rack. Nope, this dad has been looking for ...

This post is breaking away from my usual minimalist (I'm hitting a plateau in that department), anti-consumerist (still not buying new stuff) and/or reducing my environmental impact (I'm trying) posts. Today's blog focuses on personal health. It's probably just disguised bragging/boasting, but I'm proud of what I've accomplished. What have I done, you ask? Well, I ran my first ever 10k race! The previous 5k races and CN Tower stair climb were for good causes, but I can't even tell you what my 10k was in support of, other than a smorgasbord of local NGO's that work within the geo-political boundaries of Mississauga and, maybe, the Region of Peel. I did this one for me. Sometimes we lose sight of ourselves. We try to do so much for others and the world around us, but what's the point if we're not looking after the person in the mirror? How can we sustain a lifestyle if we don't enjoy it or it runs us ragged? For this 10k, I did it, in all hones...