The Sking is Still Great

On some cloudy, cold and windy days in March you begin to wish you could get on your bike and ride, or run on streets that aren't covered in ice, but then there are days like today.
It was clear and sunny and only -5 and the X-country skiing was great at the Blowmedown trail. You then realize how great it is to glide along and get in your 20k, while enjoying the view, the animal tracks and the perfect trail conditions.

Rocky Harbour in February

Visitors to Gros Morne in the summer months enjoy the view of Lobster Cove Lighthouse. For those who don't get that chance in the winter, here's what it looked like this weekend. It was -17 and very windy. We stayed at Gros Morne Cabins with a view out to the lighthouse. Apart from a few gulls, about 30 common goldeneyes were swimming and diving outside our window.

Tour de France in England

When I heard that the Tour de France was going to start in England this year and go through my hometown of Dartford I had to go. I got to London to watch the riders arrive at Trafalgar Square for their introductions and stayed to watch the Prologue the next day with a million other people. Then on the first full day I stood on East Hill in Dartford and watched them come through. I then drove to Canterbury to watch the finish. I got there before the riders and had time to have a pub lunch and watch them ride through the Kent countryside on a big screen TV.
I am posting pictures of the Tour on Flickr.

Running with CBC Radio 3

I had hoped to say that I and a few other friends from Corner Brook had successfully completed the Cape Breton Fiddlers Marathon but mother nature won out. It was so windy that the porta-potties were blown over and the rain was causing poor visibility. The police advised the organisers that they should cancel the run. There was some disappointment but we did run the half marathon course when it cleared up a bit.

The real marathon then started with a 24 hour wait at the Sydney ferry terminal and then a 26 hour "cruise" on the Smallwood. The ferry couldn't dock in Port aux Basques. "Because of the wind" was Marine Atlantic's explanation. But we knew that the Smallwood, the only operable ferry at the time was having problems with the bow thruster.

Anyway, back to running. This Sunday three thwarted marathon runners ran 30km on local woods roads. Not quite the marathon distance but we had to contend with ice, snow and rough roads. This is where CBC Radio 3 comes in. I carry my iPod along with my gels for sustenance on long runs. At 24km my brain went. My legs felt fine but I had no will to go on. So on with the headset, crank up the volume, and get the Radio 3 podcast going. It was like a shot in the arm. I had soon caught up with my colleagues and finished the last 6 kms with the beat. I finished with the sounds of hip hop in my head, not something I usually listen to, but it gets me moving with a steady pace.

Iron Maiden in Deer Lake

Just learnt from an interview on George Stomboloupoulous' The Hour with Iron Maiden about their new release, that the lead singer, Bruce Dickinson, is a commercial pilot and he frequently flies the Humber Valley Resort charter from Gatwick to Deer Lake.

Shakira in Toronto

We saw Shakira live at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto last week. Here are some pictures from that show.

An athletic summer

Quite a few events kept people busy here this summer. The Cycle Solution Cycling Group sponsored criteria in Pasadena and Corner Brook and road races in Pasadena and Corner Brook and the very successful Tour de Port au Port 97 km race. The ITU had the last world cup Triathlon in Corner Brook for the time being. The following week we had the World Cup Duathlon. I was on the Canadian team and was pleased at least to beat the 80 year olds who competed. In running we had the 5km Down Town Dash and the 4th annual Race to the Sea. This is the team relay that starts at Cape Anquiile and finishes at the Rose Blanche light house about 12 hours later.

The Northern Peninsula Food Desert

Went back up (or down, as some prefer) the Northern Peninsula again last week and enjoyed the new production in the round of Tempting Providence in Cow Head. We stayed in the area for a couple of days and it brought back my conviction that there is nowhere to have what I would call a decent meal between Rocky Harbour and L'Anse aux Meadows. That's over 200 km.
My daughter reinforced that view when she complained of finding nothing but Newfoundland meat (or fish) and vegetables on her recent trip.
My advice is to enjoy a great meal at Java Jack's in Rocky Harbour and make do with whatever you can find until you get to the Norseman Restaurant in L'anse aux Meadows.
Vegetarian pastas or any sort of imaginative menus just don't seem to exist between these points. If you know of any let me know.