Well Hallo.
Sorry to the loyal readers that i have not been able to post for a bit, but with family and work obligations there has been little 'me' time as of late.
Most recently I have been traveling a bit. The first trip was to Vancouver for a board meeting that I hold a volunteer position with through my work. I was pretty pumped to get the opportunity to travel to the left coast as I have never been before. And although i hate all the rigamarole that goes along with traveling by plane anywhere the excitement to check out another part of Canada took precedent over my typical travel crankiness.
Even though there would not be a ton of time to do some sight seeing, i would at least get a chance to maybe meet up with a friend or two and try some food that does not exist in the Nish.
So Monday of last week my journey started.
I drove up to Halifax and stayed the night at a hotel close to the airport as i had a rediculously early flight on Tuesday morning and the thought of having to drive 2 hours before even getting on a plane was not giving me the happy feels.
This was an excellent decision and one that I would do again as it really simplified my usual level of stress with traveling. Understand I am not a nervous flier, far from it, i hate all the crap you have to go through with kiosks, baggage people, security machines, gate people, cramped seats, over head storage, getting to connections or baggage claim/baggage roulette, taxis, hotel room readiness, and really the list goes on.
So a quick pop over to the baggage check in, a little issue with the reader on the self deposit baggage thingy, but not a biggie.
Of course i got dinged to go into the circular xray thingy, but i prefer that to the pat down and fondle. 
Up the stairs, short wait and off we went.
Flight to TO was uneventful aside from the disaster that Jurassic World was that Chris Pratt couldnt even save it from itself.
So far so good, short wait in Toronto and then off to Vancouver.
So a couple things. I am a big dude. So i get the exit row when i book flights. On this particular flight the exit row was massive, which is great for leg room, but the wall of the plane pouffed in, in a weird way and was pushing me into the chair beside me. So this guy and I were fighting over pole position on the arm rest for 4 hours. Brutal.
I know I know, #thirdworldprobs but he didnt speak any english and would give me these hateful looks everytime i shifted on the arm rest and would try to take up more territory. It was like the yakuza vs. the irish mafia fighting over turf. Luckily we hit some turbulence and he slid off so the Irish moved in for the win.
Landed safe and off the plane, baggage was a little slow, 45minutes before a bag came down the shoot, but mine was there so BINGO!
At this point it is 11am in Vancouver but it feels like 3pm for me and i have been up for 12 hours so far. 
Hope in a cab and off to the hotel, ride in was uneventful aside from the huge homes and cloud covered mountains.
First impression, Vancouver is awesome.
First impression of the hotel, this would have been awesome in the 80's. Not that it is old or dirty or anything like that, it is just a little dated in terms of the architecture.
Greeted by a happy hotel staffer, plus, unfortunately the room isnt ready, which was a blessing in disguise. I am trying to keep awake so i dont get too effed up with the time change.
So off for a walk of the neighbourhood. Couple liquor stores handy, two or three cigar shops - NIOCE - and pretty much any ethic food you would ever want. I am in my happy place.
Get back to the hotel, and BINGO, my room is ready.
It is now around 2pm ( 6pm for me and 15 hours awake).
Off to the pool to keep this party going.
Now the pool, well, its a little creepy.
It is in the lower parking garage, and the walls are painted a dark purple and black so it feels cave-ish.
There is one dude doing a water check dressed all in grey, who does not say hello or look up when i give a ' how she goin'.
Did the math on the shorter length of the pool and a 1500m swim will be 100 lengths. So away I go.
The week ended up like this:
Monday: 5km run
Tuesday: 1500m swim
Wednesday: 5km run and 5km bike ride
Thursday: 1500m swim
Friday: off
Saturday: a lot of walking 
Sunday: off
This dude would also scare the crap outta me on Tuesday morning as there was no one in the pool area one minute, then the next breath he was standing over where i was swimming. I did a short scream under water and then started to swim in the middle of the pool, if this dude was going to SwimFan me, then he was going to have to get wet to do it.
Monday night, met up with the gang for a taste sensation: the Legendary Noodle House. This place was so freaking awesome. All the dishes we had looked amazing and were so GUD.

I mean look at those dumpling, noodles, peashoot goodness. I cannot wait to go back here in May.
So we finish dinner and its 9pm so 1am for me and 22 hours awake.
I say my goodnights and I am off to my bed. I had a serious awesome sleep which is rare for me in a hotel, but was so ready for it.
The rest of the week was filled with more great restaurants, a meet up with a former friend and coworker as pictured above. We had some awesome catch up chats about our fellow former coworkers and some great laughs about some of the shananigans from back then.
My meetings also went really well and a lot of work got done, so YAY Team!
It was time for me to get back headed East for my next adventure, but a #cigarSunday was earned and I couldnt wait to have it in a really special, new to me location. But more on that in the #cigarSunday post soon to come.
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan

Happy Thanksgiving all! For the couple of you viewers that may be American, yes we celebrate this a little earlier they you do but the intentions are similar, family, a large roast turkey dinner with all the fixin's and hopefully some football, or baseball as the case may be today. Now while I am not a fan of baseball, i will add a polite Go Jays and leave it at that.
This was actually a very good week with the old work outs and decent for food consumption. I also started checking my sugars again which is something that I had been intentionally neglecting all summer, yes bad diabetic, i know.
I have been testing my sugars in the mornings this week and have been landing between 6.0-7.0 which are not awful, but the 7.0 one is definitely a little high for me.
I also wanted to do a Sprint Triathlon check in this week, as I have not really done all 3 distances in the same day since the actual triathlon this summer. I also wanted try a 10km run this week, just to see if i still had the legs.
The week went something like this:
Monday: 2500m swim
Tuesday: off
Wednesday: 2000m swim
Thursday: 5km run + 10mile bike
Friday: 1500m swim ( 35:30 min) + 13mile bike ( 37 min) and 5km run ( 42 min)
Saturday: off
Sunday: 10km run
So the indoor triathlon check in, I did swim double the sprint distance, and I was half thinking i would double up the running and biking, but happy I didnt because I was starting to run out of gas on the run and was just pleased that I got all 3 done.
I wanted to attend the Valley Harvest running events this weekend with a few friends that were planning on going but it being turkey day, and the 6 hours of driving there and back really didnt get me too pumped. So i ran my own 10km distance this morning here. Now there were no medals or cool swag to go along with it, but I was pretty happy to actually do that distance as it has been quite some time. 
Now it was not a pretty run. Even in the gym. Snot bubbles and darth vader impression aside, I was still happy to get that distance in the books on my treadmill.
In terms of food this week, all I can say is that I didnt always make the best choice, but I made better choices then I have done through the week. But that is more of a locational thing then a want thing. It took everything in me to just go to bed as early as possible each day and not stay up under the cover of darkness and eat all the things that I have to try and avoid.
So continues the battle.
I also had the chance to get my voting done this weekend as I will be on the road when the hammer falls on the 19th. Voting is such an interesting thing we do as a people. Now while I am not a political person, my job forces me at times to be way more engaged then I want to be, and you cant help but get sucked up into the enthusiasm that is being shown in this election by the 10-22year old age group. I do hope the enthusiasm doesnt just end with the cool facebook profiles and funny Harper memes, but turns into actual votes for which ever candidate they decide to cast their ballot for.
Not really going to share who I voted for, but I went with the who in the local riding has done a shot of Jager with me, and thats who I voted for. Simple but effective.
#JagerWinsVotes
Not sure how you may make up your mind, but as long as you get out and vote that is the main thing.
I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving, my goal is to not have to change into sweat pants later today.
​Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan 

Second milestone of each year has been and passed, Homecoming 2015 is now in the books. This year also marked the 50th Anniversary of the organization that I work for. We had a small but extremely fun little shindig on the Saturday evening of homecoming for all past and present staff and volunteer alumni for our organization and probably about 100 attendees. It was a very fun evening, getting to meet some past execs, and reconnecting with some of the folks that I have had the chance to work with over my short time in my job.
It was great to hear some stories from years before, hear how full of spirit and enthusiasm those that worked here remember their time, the ups and downs, the events and the advancement they were trying to push on behalf of the students they were elected or hired to represent.
In all the lead up to this event it was tough to get the work outs in because i knew there was no way Sunday was going to be an option as a hang over in some form was definitely in my future. So i had to do a couple of double days to get everything in. The week went like dis:
Monday: 12 mile bike
Tuesday: 2km swim + 4mile run
Wednesday: 3.5mile run + 1.5km swim
Thursday: off
Friday: 3km swim
Saturday: 5mile run
Sunday: sleep, doritos, more sleep
I was planning on doing the Alumni 5km on the Saturday morning but elected to go to the treadmill in the gym. It was pouring down rain, and yes I am sugar so I will melt in the rain. Actually though, i have avoided the frosh week flu for a few weeks and didnt want to get soaked and cold in the rain, plus now that its fall I am way to clutzy to be running where wet leaves are on the ground. If I fall i would be taking as many people with me as possible, and no one needs that headline, "tragedy at homecoming fun run as large man twists ankle and takes out 20 other runners" okay that is too long for a headline but you get the point.
The other part of my day on Saturday was running around trying to buy 5$ and 10$ bills from local businesses as we ran very low after and uncharacteristic busy night in our pub the night before. I am not bragging but I am pretty good at doing this. Businesses never want to give up change, especially not to someone from the University, who most people blame for all the ills in the town, so if I am able to bargin a deal to get that change, its weird but i love it.
So a couple of quick emails to some of our local supports. 3 straight up no's and one yes. So off to the Yes and swap out about a third of what I was looking for, no fuss no muss.
Now the fun part - cold calling.
Off to Wally World. Now historically we have had success in the past in getting some money switched out from Wally World, but it does take patience and you have to deal with a few levels of permission before you get to talk to the person that make the decision. On this Saturday morning it was 3 people that I had to convince to sell me change. After about 30 minutes of explaining our "dire" situation, success! Another third of the money we needed swapped out. 
Off to the next location, this place is almost next door to Wally World and typically we dont usually get lucky for a change swap from them as we have poached a few of their disgruntled staff over the years, but hopefully I'll catch a break. Walking in, not a good sign, the place is packed. 
So after a few minutes waiting at the customer service desk, an out of breath staff person comes back, starts pounding on the keys to the computer and abruptly starts opening and shutting doors. About 2 minutes in she looks up and says 'Can I help you sir' in more of sneer then a question.
I launch into my spiel and ask to speak to a manager. 
The discussion from this point is like a tennis match of aggression from her side, and i go with polite, calming and thankful returns. She agrees to bypass the manager after some match point sympathy by me for her obvious busy store today and she is on the phone to the bowels of the store and whoever is in charge of the change.
Within about 5 minutes I have swapped out my last third and have a connection in case we need more later. YES! The call back.
Back to work with my bounty of change, and load up again for a second round.
Just as I am leaving I get a call from an original 'No' that because the rain killed some of the activities they would now be able to help up. Double YES.
Another chunk swapped out and I think we are good to go for the night.
It is probably strange that I get that much joy out of something so silly, but i love it.
Anyway, the rest of the night went well, and even the Sunday wasnt too bad. Netflicks, burnt pizza and half a bag of doritos, couple naps and some water and I was ready for work later that night.
Food wise, maybe not the best week, but still trying to keep track with myFitnesspal, no stats this week though, because I have the dumb tonight and just cant push through.
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan

Finally!!
Some updates I guess to the old Weebly website because I have not been able to get in to share my words of wisdom about last week until now.
So last week wasnt the best, wasnt the worst. Work outs went like dis:
Monday: 2000m swim
Tuesday: 6km run
Wednesday: off
Thursday: 2500m swim
Friday: off
Saturday: off
Sunday: 8mile bike + 6km run + 1.5 hours of Badminton
According to ye old myFitnessPal for the 5 days that I tracked i averaged about 2080 calories a day, which is about 180 calories over my daily goal. Out of the 4 days of work outs i averaged 719 calories burned. So definitely a crappy week on the food side. The week we are currently in now should be better but there have been a lot of meals on the fly, so not sure how it will all stack up.
So my daughter tried badminton in a after school program last year and loved it. I admit when I was younger i really loved playing badminton in the summers and in school. So when she wanted to join the local club, i thought it was a great idea. it is very cost effective and there are multiple nights for her to practice and play. So off we went to the first night last Tuesday. There was a very low turn out, especially for her age group, but one of her friends was there so that always helps. She did great, she has a natural sportsy ability but doesnt get too stressed out about not being able to be awesome at first swing of the racquet. 
There were some older kids and adults also practicing and as I watched them play and my daughter play, I was like, i think i want to play too. So after she was finished I talked with one of the coaches and found out the membership costs, the dates and times of the week that they have court space booked and agreed to give it a go on Sunday.
So Sunday comes around and I convince my son to join us and they can take some friends along too. Off we go. I think the coaches were suprised to see me and my gaggle of wee ones coming but were pretty pumped to see the new faces.
My daughters friend from the other day was there and she began to take us through some hand/eye coordination drills for about 30-40 minutes. It was pretty hilarious watching all of us running around chasing shuttles ( they frown on calling them birdies, or shuttlecocks fyi), running into nets and almost colliding into each other. Some very narrow misses, but a lot of fun.
After the skill drills we are paired up to have a match.
I am paired up with Marley's friend. So I am pretty pumped, she is quite good and has been playing over a year. We are paired up to play the main coach and one of the older kids who is in the same boat as I am this is her first time too.
I quickly find out the coach likes to talk, a lot. I also find out Marley's friend has an aversion to running, but a proclivity to pointing out ineffective shuttle retrieval in others. Its going to be a long game.
I wish i had a camera to film it because in my head it looks like this:
Small child standing perfectly still, yelling YOURS, and a fatter, sweaty, exhausted version of the Tasmainian Devil cartoon running up and down and around around the court, and like an idiot apologizing for not getting to the effing shuttle in time. The worst is i cant swear for fear of scaring this child, but every now and then catching my son's eye, and him giving me a shit eating grin because he knows I am getting frustrated with my "partner". 
Now I am not going to be so bold to blame this little angel on our performance, but i plan to bring a hammer next time to remove the nails in her feet if we are destined to be paired up again. God bless the children.
About after an hour and a half we are all exhausted and all four of the wee ones with me are looking at me with like I am in charge of picking the last people to get on board the rocket that will preserve humanity from the world exploding. So a couple of quick goodbyes and we are on the road.
Everyone did seem to enjoy themselves though, and i was sweating buckets, again not that hard, I sweat thinking about sweating sometimes, but I will be including this in my weekly activity when I can over the winter.
And just because I am 5:
SHUTTLECOCK SHUTTLECOCK SHUTTLECOCK SHUTTLECOCK!
Okay, I may have that out of my system now.....maybe.
​Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan