Corner Gas is one of my favourite shows. Remarkably it ran for six seasons. My favourite shows usually top out at three seasons, with threats of cancellation during the entire run. This is not because I have poor taste in shows, but because the rest of North America has poor taste in shows. Two and a Half Men. I rest my case.
In the 3rd season of Corner Gas two of the series regulars, Lacey and Wanda, start a running club so they can train for an upcoming 10K fun run.
Posted in Reviews on the Run
Tagged exercise, fitness, fun run, health, running, TV, TV show review
Longtime readers may recall that I cancelled my cable subscription 9 months ago for two reasons: to save money and to reduce my time-consuming TV viewing habit. Continue reading
You know what would make running more exciting? Fighting.
It works for hockey. Continue reading
Posted in Running Tids & Bits
Finally, a reality show I can stomach. I’m looking at you The Biggest Loser (which, by the way, I stopped watching after I cancelled my cable … turns out I didn’t download like it, I just PVR liked it) and you The Amazing Race (which devolved into the Amazing Cab Ride Race and I lost interest).
My latest discovery is a two-part reality show about running. Continue reading
Posted in Celebrity Sneakers
Tagged Boston Marathon, exercise, fitness, health, marathon, running, TV, TV show review
I am so disappointed. Project RUNway has nothing to do with running. This inappropriate use of the word run is reaching the criminal proportions of the oft misrepresented marathon.
This reminds me of my letdown/horror when the New Year’s Jersey Shore Marathon was not a 42.2K foot race between “The Situation” and “Snooki”. Some things you can’t unsee. Or unhear.
Title: A-Ha – The Sun Always Shines on TV. 1985.
Lately the morning has been winning. And I’ve procrastinated going on my run until 10 or 11 pm. Dirt tracks by moonlight. 30K runs along dark and spooky waterfront trails that end at 1 am. It’s just a matter of time before I’m eaten by a coyote.
But this morning I won. And the universe rewarded me with 18K (of a planned 31K, oops) of freezing rainy misery.
Title: Hair - Good Morning Starshine. 1966.
I have already written sarcasm-laden posts about the Biggest Loser 4-Week Marathon Training Plan. I just never thought I’d be following it. But that’s a post for the Bermuda Marathon in four weeks. The 3rd Annual TBL Marathon (“surprise”, you have to run a marathon in four weeks) aired last night and four new losers completed 26.2 miles. I won’t even say anything about the contestant (except don’t vote for HER) who proclaimed during the race I’ve never run more than 8 miles because the show’s legal team wants you to believe they are totally fit for this challenge. After signing all those waivers I would be too tired to run.
We say time doesn’t matter, but secretly we really want to know how fast they ran. The newest losers are marked with an asterisk (*).
Daris (Season 9): 4.02 at 197 pounds (down from 346 pounds).
*Ada (Season 10): 4.38 at 167 pounds (down from 258 pounds).
Tara (Season 8): 4.56 at 159 pounds (down from 294 pounds).
*Patrick (Season 10): 5.45 at 244 pounds (down from 400 pounds).
Helen (Season 8): 5.48 at 147 pounds (down from 257 pounds).
*Frado (Season 10): 5.51 at 221 pounds (down from 367 pounds).
Koli (Season 9): 6.08 at 218 pounds (down from 403 pounds).
Ashley (Season 9): 6.26 at 231 pounds (down from 374 pounds).
Michael (Season 9): 6.26 at 299 pounds (down from 526 pounds).
*Elizabeth (Season 10): 7.27 at 177 pounds (down from 244 pounds).
Mike (Season 8): 8.58 at 214 pounds (down from 388 pounds).
Ron (Season 8): 13.16 at 279 pounds (down from 430 pounds).
Title: Eminem – Lose Yourself. 2002.
Posted in Celebrity Sneakers
Tagged exercise, fitness, health, marathon, running, TV, TV show review
I grew up in snow country. Yesterday almost three-feet of snow came down and snowed-in my parents. Now I live a bit more south and although we don’t have three-foot deep snowbanks I’m pretty sure it has already snowed more here this year than it did all last winter. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas (or whatever December holiday you do or do not celebrate).
Every holiday season I watch 12 festive movies. I call it my 12 Movie Nights of Christmas. Bask in my originality. This year I am looking for festive movies that fit in to my training program, which largely consists of watching other people running in my TV set.
On the First Movie Night of Christmas my true love gave to me … Robbie the Reindeer in Hooves of Fire. Songs don’t need to rhyme. Enjoy these two sneak peaks.
p.s. Who do you think gets DQed for doping?
Training:
Racing:
Title: Gene Autry – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. 1949.
Posted in Reviews on the Run
Tagged exercise, fitness, health, movie review, movies, Olympics, running, TV, TV show review, weather, winter
Title: Heart – Stranded. 1990.
The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper stretches before a run
I love when my two favourite activities (running and TV viewing) intersect. It happened again last week.
In an effort to live forever, or at least until the Singularity (when his consciousness could be moved to a robot for eternal life), Sheldon goes an ill-conceived health kick. That’s right, Sheldon Cooper took up jogging.
Running is a natural first pick activity for Sheldon, with his extensive background in the sport. In his own words, I’ve run from bullies, dogs, angry chickens and one particularly persistent PE teacher determined to bend me over and give me a scoliosis test.
His reluctant trainer, next-door neighbour Penny, follows this well-known plan: I just run until I’m hungry, and then I stop for a bear claw, which Wikipedia tells me is a pastry popular in the US.
Sheldon’s running outfit, complete with black dress socks, Flash t-shirt (a happy coincidence as it was Flash t-shirt day anyway) and technology, is sure to aid any ambitious new runner with goals of immortality. As Penny guides him through a series of stretches she asks, can you do this (weird yoga pose) and he dryly replies, “we’ll never know“.
Sheldon studied up on biomechanics (which is good, because his are terrible), but we’ll also never know if he can really run ….
Title Reference: Barenaked Ladies – The Big Bang Theory. 2007.
TV Reference: The Big Bang Theory, Season 4, Episode 2, Veggie Fail. September 2010.
Posted in Celebrity Sneakers, Running Tids & Bits
Tagged exercise, fitness, health, running, TV, TV show review
My Running Shorts, noun: brief stories about life on the run.
