So couple weeks since I have posted. Most of the weeks were on point, this week however is a bit of a disaster. Had a major flare up of gout, a nasty 24hour stomach flu and a migraine. So 0 workouts this week, hoping my maybe the weekend I get one in.
This did give me some time to think about my Movember plans this year.
For those of you that dont know, Movember is an organization that helps to bring awareness to mens health and mental health issues across the globe. This will be my 5th year as a participant and fund raiser for this organization. It being my 5th year I wanted to really push myself with one part of the campaign. There is a MOVE component each year where you get to set a goal for yourself on your movember page to get out and increase or maintain your exercise level. 
This year I have decided that I would challenge myself with running 100km in 30 days ( the month of November). I am hoping that people with pledge me an amount per kilometer or start their own MOVE challenge. I have not run over 15km a week in probably a year, and lately have only been averaging 10km a week as I have been focusing on getting my speed up for short distances and then increasing the distance. So this will be quite a challenge for me.
There will be alot of other events going on over the month, but I think this will be the one that I am really looking forward to taking on.  Polar Bear dip - Splash for the Stache - is of course still in the mix and a few other things will be on the go also.
As always whoever donates the most will get to pick which Mo I grow, so that is always an interesting contest. 
At then end of the day, I do this for my dad. He was only 69, he was taken way to early, much of which had to do with prostate cancer and other health related complications. Being a dad, and having my own health issues, I want to make sure that I am promoting a healthy, balanced lifestyle for my children and that by working to bring awareness to health and mental health issues by being apart of Movember other's get involved also. 
If you are interested on starting your own Movember fundraising campaign check out the following links:
Canada
https://ca.movember.com/
US
https://us.movember.com/
UK
https://uk.movember.com/
I will have regular posts on bigboyrunning and on my Movember page:
http://mobro.co/seanryan22 
So if you want to check in, pledge or donate, I will gladly and graciously accept whatever you can afford.
Kickoff starts November first!!!!!
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan

Photo Post Credit: Kristie Burke
So yeah, most of you that might happen to read these musing on my Big Boy Running page get access through my FB account. For the maybe one or two of you that I do not have on FB I will repost an episode that happened this week at the pool:
I get out of the pool this morning, pretty happy as I finally got to 20 lengths in 10 minutes, as i have stalled out at 18 the last couple of weeks. I shower, no one else in the shower, so bonus, and head to where I have left my shoes to get changed. I have been swimming now for at least 2-3 years straight, each time I go, i take everything to the pool deck with me except my shoes, which i leave in the same place each day. I mean who would want a pair of 13.5shoes. Most likely no one. Until today. I get back to the bench and no shoes. I start going through each locker in case a cleaner had been by and lifted them up so they could do the floors. Nothing. I go through each row, checking all the lockers. Nothing. I loose it. I start dropping F bombs like I am getting paid per F. Old men peek out from behind their towels and quickly avoid eye contact. Young men, start walking quickly in other directions. I start getting dressing in a fury of swearing and stuffing my still damp body into my clothes. I started to plan out my tweets, oh the public shaming I was about to unleash!!! I gather up the remainder of my belongs and stomp out into the hall to confront the desk staff in my bare feet, to ask if they saw anyone leave with a pair of 13.5 black dress shoes. They immediately start to laugh, and say that someone turned in a pair of dress shoes, because they had seen them in the same position for multiple days in a row. She further commented that you guys must be on the same schedule but just off in the timing each day. Sigh. I mention that if anyone comes out in the next 15 minutes and complains about a large man having a mental break, it was me, and to offer an apology on my behalf. I quickly jump into my shoes and get the hell out of there. I guess my creature of habitness got the best of me this time.
Yeah so maybe not the best way to handle a stressful situation but all i could think of at the time was having to walk barefoot out to my car, and then either drive home to get new shoes, or hope I still had a pair at the office to wear. I was not really thinking of those that I was affecting with my potty mouth. I know, I know, i typically dont care about such things, but after witnessing a gal go completely off the rails at an event this past week, knocking over pipe and drape, shoving security officers and gates out of her way, and flipping over sandwich boards, all the while cursing a blue streak it got me thinking that maybe I should try and get a handle on this sewer mouth of mine. I think the final straw was my daughter telling me that I swore about 10 times from our house to church the other day. That was a real bad beat for me. So the swear jar will be back in effect starting on Monday. Last time I did the swear jar it was about saving money for our trip this time, it will be about not having to put a single dollar in. Going to be some tough times, but I am going to include everything outside the house because last time was only in the house and out of the house was fair game.
Fingers crossed, we will see where it gets me.
In terms of the gym this week though, although i didnt get there as much as I wanted, I was fairly happy on a couple different fronts.
For the last couple weeks I have been focusing on the times for the indoor triathlon that will be coming up in a couple weeks. You get a 10 minutes swim, a 15 minute bike ride, and a 20 minute run. For each section you are given points based on your distance. 
I have been trying to get a 20+ lap swim in for a couple weeks but stall out at 18, so was really happy to finally get the 20 laps in, in under 10 minutes on my thursday swim. I was also able to get my highest miles on the stationary bike this week, in 15 minutes I was able to get 5.78 miles. I am shooting for 6 on that one. In terms of the run, a bit of knee trouble was getting in the way, but have been creeping the speed up the last couple of weeks to keep things between 4.5 -5.2 which is good for me! So all in all a productive week in the gym and the pool.
Would like to get out to run this week, have to keep an eye on the weather though, I hate running in the rain, or the sun hahaha.
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan

Some days you feel like the little welder girl that spun and spun into those stuffed shirts hearts, and some days you feel like the hunk of rusted metal being lit on fire and reattached to another piece of broken rusted metal. Okay that seems pretty bleak. 
Luckily last week was more little welder girl spinning into hearts that it was broken rusted metal.
So it has been an absolute grind to get back to my form in regards to workouts. I have def had some struggles getting to workouts and have not really had the enthusiasm for them while in the midst of the huffing, puffing and sweaty humaness of it all.
But last week, last week some hope returned.
The week went like this:
Monday: 1500m swim
Tuesday: 10mile bike
Wednesday: 2mile run + 10mile ride
Thursday: 1500m swim
Friday: off
Saturday: 2.5mile run + weights
Sunday: 4.75mile run + weights
I have decided I really want to do an Olympic distance triathlon next year. I think i need to shock my system and for something so crazy that I wont be able to give up on myself.
Something that will hopefully keep me goal focused enough to keep me on the right track. 
So the distances for an Olympic distance are:
1500m swim
40km ride
10km run
Right now, I can do the swim, on its own, for sure. But that is it.
Having said that, I decided to try a longer distance on the treadmill this Sunday, and aside from feeling a little tight afterwards, felt awesome to know that I could get through a longer run, even if it was on a treadmill. So with this new found feeling, I am going to go back to working on my running. So with that I need to get a handle on my weight. Yup here we go again. 
I am going to try a vegetarian protein powder meal replacement that friend of the show, Rob, recommended.
I tried a couple of the flavours and as with everything else chocolate was far superior to vanilla. The day I tried it, i used room temperature water to mix the powder and thought I was going to hurl. It tasted like vanilla chalk with some chunks of cardboard thrown in for taste. I couldnt get through a whole portion, and put the rest in the fridge to try the next day.
It went much better the next day with it being cold. 
The chocolate one the next day was better. And it actually worked and I wasnt hungry all day. So I will be jumping on board that train for a while.
I am also going to be trying a pre workout powder that is supposed to energize you, we will see if it has more power then my pillow, blanket and starting to be cool end of summer early morning breeze. Im guessing, that is going to be a no haha, but we will see.
So yeah, not a bad week, we will see what the next couple weeks are like with it being the busiest time of year for me at work, unfortunately this lasts for 8 months haha.
Lastly - dick move of the week!
So I am sharing a lane with another swimmer, we are the only lane with 2 people in it in the whole pool. I am coming back from a length down to the deep end, about 3/4 of the way to the wall, when I see a body move into my side view. I narrowly miss punching him in the face and stand up in the pool. Buddy keeps on swimming.
He got into our lane and started to cut down the middle of it. 
WTF?
There are 5 other lanes with only 1 person in it, why are you swimming in a lane that already has 2 other people I blurt out.
He keeps swimming. So i wait for him at the wall. Getting more and more annoyed.
He eventually makes his way back, and I stop him.
Hey, bud, why did you jump in this lane when there are other lanes with only one other swimmer?
This lane is wide so it can take 3 swimmers, and it has a ladder. He starts to swim again.
I stand there like a moron. Not quite sure what to say to this logic. What does it matter that it can take 3, the other lanes can take 2 and be way less - get a hand in the face - then a 3 person lane. AND THERE IS ANOTHER LANE WITH A LADDER IN IT AND IT HAS ONE PERSON!
So I stood there until he came back again, but he grabbed the wall at the other end and start doing fake pool exercise.
Holy Fuck. 
Not wanting to start a fist fight, I jumped in another lane, asking permission of the fella already swimming there if it was okay, LIKE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO, and began swimming again. Every time I swam past the other guy and I was breathing I would say 'Dick' as i passed him in the opposite direction.
After about 10 passes, he got out of the pool. Hope it was something I said.
Why, dear Jebus, is this lane etiquette so hard for people to figure out?
Just Keep Swimming
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan
​

Photo Cred: Tessa Burns
Okay, here it is. This week, month, year has sucked for me musically. All the issues with ACDC, Prince dying, and the Hip calling it a career this week because of Gord's brain cancer. 
CBC is of course airing their last concert as i am sure everyone in Canada knows, I just dont know if I can watch it.
Never in my wildest did I A. think there would not be a time the Hip wasnt going to tour again; and 2. that I would ever be this worked up over a band ending their career.
I think this triple kill of my fav music bands has added to my sense of sadness, but this is truly the last straw. 
I also know that people are getting together and having parties to watch the last show, but I somehow cant get up for that. If anyone has ever had a family member with a terminal illness, and had to watch them suffer, battle, but knowing the inevitable the whole time, going on pretending that everything is fine, this is the turmoil I am feeling right now.
I first remember hearing the Hip in highschool, like most Canadians I am sure. But this was music from their EP 'The Tragically Hip'. I was in a very metal phase at the time and their music was championed by the idie popped collar douche bags at my highschool so I wasnt really interested. I remember actually getting into a verbal altercation around music choices with some of the douchyest at the time, it ended with some adolescent fisticuffs, but when you identify with your music choices, thats what it takes sometimes. 
Once 'Up to Here' was released, I was in a bit more of a music exploration phase. I was also looking to identify with more Canadian music and was hooked from the opening of 'Blow at High Dough' and a lifelong fan by the end of '38 years old'. There have been many albums since, there are songs from other albums that I would say are better musically, but have a listen through this album again, there is not one bad cut.
I have to admit to loosing track of them for ' Road Apples', there was some personal upheaval with parents divorcing and a move from Ontario to Nova Scotia. During this time, I was struggling to find anything musically to identify with, because high school in Nova Scotia was waaaaaaaaaay different then Ontario. I remember the first dance I went to the DJ played a mix of 70s rock and county music. *sigh* They also danced in a big line down the center of the gym, but that's for another day.
Once I slipped into University years, the Hip was back in my life again. We are moving into 'Fully Completely' and 'Day for Night' at this point. This is prime time Hip. Their career was going more mainstream and the hits were fast and furious. You couldnt go to any party, gathering, study group and not hear a track of ' Courage' ; ' Fifty Mission Cap' ' Hundredth Meridian' etc. etc. etc. 
I remember stalking around campus in my grunge phase, with my WWE Undertaker hair and trench coat, blasting these albums through the spongy headphones of my disc man ( CD's were a form of music delivery system for all you younger readers).
9/10 times you would hear drunken off key belts of many Hip choruses out any given residence window. What a time to be alive.
As I graduated and took my talents to school in England, ' Trouble at the Hen House' was released.
One of my best Hip memories happens now.
It was May, I had been in England for five months straight, I was a month or so away from moving home, and was really getting home sick. Low and behold, Time Out had a big double page spread that it was Canadian Music Week! Great Big Sea did their first show outside of Canada at a goth club in downtown London. I dragged about 10 non-Canadians to this show. Every NewFoundLander and Cape Bretoner within a 100 mile radius was dancing and jigging up a storm while hard core goths, scared as fuck, huddled in the darkness waiting to get their club back. Beauty. Next night Headstones, next night 54-40. Boys from the band actually had beers with us afterward.
Last night the Tragically Hip.
It was in a 1500 seat theatre, by the time I got to get tickets, the ticket seller lady lamented that there was only cheap seats left. Fuck. Okay whatever. Give me 10. They were 15 pounds each about 30$ Canadian at the time, and I was determined to get some of my international friends to this show. I had been calling them the Canadian Beatles to get their attention.
As she passed me the tickets, i read General Admission - Floor.
Um what now?
I said excuse me, but are these floor tickets?
Yes its all we have left, no seats Im afraid. 
So like floor like near the front of the stage?
Yes, no chairs Im afraid.
NO PROBLEM, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
She started to laugh and explained a few other Canadians had the same reaction and then shook her head - i like to think and muttered crazy Canadian fuckers under her breath - but cant be sure.
So a couple of pre drinks and we were there, it was magical. One of my American friends remarked how polite the front of the stage was. No one was pushing, if they did, they apologized and then made room for me. 
There was every provincial flag there, I met so many Canadians that night, all of us with tears in our eyes watching this band play, screaming the words, high fiving Gord as he danced, rapped, and just did his Gord thing. It was the best live Hip experience of my life.
I never felt so much pride for this band and my country, everyone that I took to that concert talked about it for weeks, I left the concert sweaty, with no voice and contentment in my heart.
From 'Phantom Power' on through the rest of the discography there have been key moments in my life that I associate with Hip songs.
The funniest one, is our first wedding dance. We had planned like a billion other newly weds to have their first dance to 'The Way you Look Tonight' but the DJ misplaced the CD and we were in a panic so I asked do you have any Hip? Yeah the DJ said with a puzzled expression. Put on 'Wheat Kings' then!
But the song is about....
I know, i know, but I cant think of anything else...DO IT!
So our first dance as man and wife is to ' Wheat Kings' a song about a guy getting put in jail and wrongly accused. Hilarious, but not many people at the wedding knew what the lyrics were.
While life moved on for me, as it did for the Hip, more albums, some softer in tone, but still reflective of their lives, the Canadian landscape, and their musical style.
They never sacrificed their music for the American market. They have shows in the US, were on Saturday Night Live at the request of Dan Aykroyd but even then they didnt jump into their hit of the day, they played what they wanted to play.  I have always respected that.
Then the news broke. Shock and Awe amidst an already awful news music year. The no tour of the Atlantic, I was disappointed but could totally understand. Then 'In a World Possessed By the Human Mind' comes out. Completely gutted after I listened to this song.

Just give me the news
It can all be lies
Exciting over fair or the right thing at the right time
Everything is clear
Just how you described
The way it appears, "A world possessed by the human mind"

Then I think I smiled
Then I think you said, "it's fine"
And quietly I dressed, in a world completely possessed by the human mind

We're in awe of no one
We've none of their fear
Fighting's goin' nowhere and we stay right here
Where everything is quiet
A little super dangerous
"In the shadow of the law and with colours of justice"

Then I hope I smiled
Then I'm sure you said, "It's fine"
They got no interest in a world completely possessed by the human mind

Everything is quiet
A little super dangerous
Quiet enough to hear God rustlin' around in the bushes
Oh, but it was you
Girl, I was so afraid
You said, "You shoulda seen the look on your face"

Then I hope I laughed
Then I hope I said, "it's fine"
And quietly undressed in a world completely possessed by the human mind

Oh it was you
Girl, I was so afraid
You said, "You shoulda seen the look on your face"

I know it wasnt written during his illness, but holy fuck, how can you not see these lyrics and feel the absolute ups and downs of what Gord must be going through.
I had to take it off my playlist when we did our family roadtrip to the US. Everytime it came on I would start to tear up, and TheBoy would quietly advance the song for me. 
On the up side, I have had the chance to start his music education. When we are in the car now, he is searching out Hip songs on my ipod without me asking. He is starting to enjoy the rock, whimsy, and imagery that only Hip songs can provide. He loves to shout "You said you didnt give a FUCK about hockey" when we are driving. There is usually a quick nervous look my way, but I sing right along with him.
So I guess that is some solace. I get to experience the Hip again with him and BabyGirl ( who was also gutted on the ACDC debacle, as she is quite the little Thunderstruck fan).
God bless you Gord, and thank you Tragically Hip, for being there for some pretty great moments in my life, for being Canadian, and going out the way you want too.
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan

Hey yeah so how about that summer?!?
Why does it feel like every summer, my blog is more like a confessional then an empowering juggernaut of awesomnicity? Okay it has never been that, but I have pretty much completely fallen off the rails in regards to workouts over the last month. I was doing really well until mid to late July, but having a couple weeks vacation and almost no desire to keep up with my work out schedule I have had a wake up call last week and heading into this week as I start to get back into things. I can honestly say watching the Olympics have helped me want to get back at it. I know, I know, the Olympics are an evil corporation, relegating hosting country national issues to the background as not to smudge its world pleasing marketing image, but when you get to hear the stories of some of the athletes, Canadian or otherwise you start to get a little pumped up.
As for the weeks that I have missed, i honestly dont regret it at all. In life you sometimes only get one shot to do things right, and having my niece and nephew visit Canada for the first time, meeting us and their cousins, work outs needed to and were dropped down the priority list for those weeks. 
The photo above is a shot from the cottage we rented for a week in Grand Pre. It was amazing. You never know quite what to expect when you get "great ideas" like jamming two families together for a week that have never really met, with some minor language barriers, age gaps and some random little dude that is along for the ride. ( My brother brought one of his students along for the trip also.) 
Aside from one day that it rained we really couldnt have asked for better weather. We had the chance to get reconnect with some family and friends also, which was a real blessing. That week was def the highlight for the summer for me. All the little people got along, and so did the big people, with little to no mishaps.
In regards to workouts, well, I think I have been discouraged after such a poor showing from the Canada day events. Happy that I completely my goals, and got to do it along side my friend Dave, but shocked I guess at how badly my run went and how sore I was in the swim.  This visit also coincided with the triathlon I wanted to do this summer, so I didnt really get the chance to do another one, so once I figured that out, my training really fell off.
Have had some time to think about everything and am about 90% of the way there to committing to doing an Olympic distance triathlon next summer. 
I have always talked about it, but I am not getting any younger, so i should really shit or get off the pot.  I have started looking into training options, am still struggling with diet side, vegetarian may not be the thing for me so it might be back to the drawing board on that.
Going to spend the next couple of weeks looking at what I would have to do to get ready for one and then start setting my goals.
I am half thinking a coach may be in order or at the very least a training partner. With my new dadtaxi schedule I am struggling now with getting my workouts in, not sure how it will go if I need to start increasing time because of the distance increases.
That is going to be it for this week, in regards to work outs:
Monday: 40min swim + Angus cardio work out
Tuesday: off
Wednesday: 30min swim + 40min run
Thursday: 40min swim + 40 minute bike
Friday: off
Saturday: 2.5mile run + 10mile ride
Sunday: off
So not super standout in regards to distances or times, but starting to get back at it slowly; another added bonus, the boy wants to get back to the gym with me a couple times a week. I havent pushed for it so it was nice to have him come to me and want to start working out again. Its great to have him come with me a couple times a week!!
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan

First Race(s) of the season in the books!!
First off cant say enough about the fella pictured with me in the third picture, friend of the show, Dave Zinck. The amount of good vibes this guy outputs on a daily basis could change the world. The amount of positivity he gave me during the run and swim, honestly got me through some tough spots. So Dave, thanks again bub!!
So the week leading up, was not great. 
For a couple of weeks now I have had a strange neck pain, starting at the base of my hair line, down my neck and into my back, making it difficult to pivot my head right and left. 
Traveling did not really help matters, so I was really not trying to aggravate it last week before the races, so work outs were kept to a minimum. Didnt exactly build confidence but didnt want to ace myself out of them either.
I did try and get it looked at by an osteopath/massage therapist and it helped for a day or two, but looks like long term treatment would be my only option. Hoping it simmers down on its own, but we shall see.
So the week went like this:
Monday: 45min swim
Tuesday: 45min bike
Wednesday: 50 min swim
Thursday: 60min swim
Friday: ( raceday) 5km run + 5km swim
Saturday: nada
Sunday: nope
So the night before was a bit of a gong show trying to get ready, and ended up me having to stay home and drive up in the morning. Plan was to drive up Thursday night and stay at Dave's but just wasnt to be.
So with very little sleep, I was up at 5am, shower, and hit the road for 530am to get up to what I believed was a 9am start time for the run.
Those of you that follow along on the regular know that Dave and I did the swim last year, and after 5km climbed out of the water, elated, breathless, and then quickly very cranky to find out there was no medal. Not even a sniff of one. According to the way Epic Dartmouth goes, you need to complete a run ( get one medal) then complete a second event ( to get the EPIC medal). We vowed then to complete a run and a swim this year!!!!
So yeah, get to Daves, quick chats and away we go to the starting line for the 5km run. Its 8:30am. Its hot. Already. Like 28 degrees. Hot. This should be good.
As 9am approaches we get a little nervous, ah, there is no indication of where the starting point is. So I ask one of the volunteers. Um hey, so where is the start line for the 5km? Oh its right there on the street. (pause) Did we miss it? No, no they havent set up yet, probably be soon. Wasnt the race supposed to start at 9am? No 9:30am I think.
GAH
So we are standing around in the sun for about an hour before the run even starts. We quickly find some shade and try to stop sweating. After about 20 minutes we see the archway go up and make our way to the road. As we get close I see a guy in a Canada hockey jersey and a helmet strapping on a guitar. Very cool. They are going to rock out an O Canada solo. As we get closer, Im like, hey I know that guy! Its none other then Mike Kennedy, Acadia Alum, and exec team alum from the thousandths while I was the bar services manager for the SU there.
So cool.
I dont want to gush, but Mike is one of the best humans around. He is an active volunteer with many different groups around HRM, an avid runner and biker, entrepreneur, and leadership guru. It was great to see him again, share a high five and listen to him shred O Canada to start the race.
So off we go, the first 2km were fairly decent, good pace, not to rough on the joints, neck was keeping in line, posture okay. Then the hills of Creighton Street. Damn. It was brutal. 
Stupidly I have not done any hill training in at least a month and these hills and heat killed me. I pretty much had to walk all of them, and it was a little defeating. Dave though was having a great time. Dancing, jumping, doing Dave things. It def kept a smile on my inside face, because I am pretty sure my outside face was showing 'Jesus make the pain stop'.
After we get through the hills things flatten out and we finish the race. 42minutes and 17 seconds. Awful. I was working towards 38min over the last while so this was really disappointing.
On the up side the medal was cool, and it was really the swim we were after so back up to Dave's place to rest, eat and get out of the sun.
We hung out there for an hour or so, ate some great homemade pasta soup, lovingly prepared by Kelly, and then made our way back down to Lake Banook for the swim.
We had a great debate on to wear wetsuits or not wear wetsuits. We opted for no wetsuit, even though it would be a tougher swim because the wetsuit provides some extra buoyancy, the water was over 19 degrees, so our time wouldnt count if we wore suits.
So after a quick security briefing we made our way into the water. Clearly I am the fattest guy there, but, I am feeling good about my swimming and I am trying to not think about my neck. I ditch my big boy running shirt and away we go into the water.
These starts are always a bit of a mash of people, parts and waves and splashing, so we opt to let most people go ahead of us. 
As we start our swim I start to feel disoriented in the water, and get a little stressed out, but keep going.
Dave and I agreed before the start that if I wasnt feeling it at the 2km mark that we would opt out and not feel bad about it, so I knew that if things got bad I could always do that. Doing this type of activity is as much mental as physical.
As we finished the first side of the large rectangle, and second little side and started to head back towards the long swim back, I was thinking no way would I be able to do more then 2km today. Im just not in the right place, Im not feeling it at all. I got off course a couple times and then had to work hard to get back in the zone multiple times, Dave and I were not insync with our stroke count or pace, and my neck and shoulders were screaming. I was pretty defeated. I had looked forward to this for quite some time.
As I struggled to get through the long swim down to the 2km marker, I saw Dave waiting at the marker ahead of me. 
I knew that if I stopped, he was going to ask me if I wanted to quit, and if he asked me if I wanted to quit, I was going to say yes.
So I decided that I would round the marker and not stop, therefore not giving him that chance to ask, and me the chance to bail. I put my head down, moved up to a four stroke cycle and rounded the buoy to start the second 2km loop.
Talking with Dave after, he fully intended to ask me if I wanted to stop, knowing that I was going to say yes, but didnt want me to give up. He was relieved when I didnt give him the option and happy that I kept going. 
Dave could literally swim circles around me while we did this race, he is a natural athlete and has an ease in the water that is truly a gift. I cant tell you enough how his being there pushed me on, because I didnt want to let him down.
For some reason I finally found a good pace. We happened to fall in with a couple of other swimmers who were a smidge above my pace so helped me out so much to get into a groove. I also found the tie down lines under water so I didnt have to worry about landmarking which is such a brutal part about open water swimming. 
With the second 2km lap done, in probably my fastest 2km loop time it was on to the final 1km lap. I am pumped. I keep with my new found swim friend for about 600m, then I go. I want to be down. My shoulders are yelling now, I can feel the sunburn on my back, my legs are cramping, its time to end this. I start to sing some Rage Against the Machine. Might have freaked the lifeguard out with the Fuck, face in, You, face in, I, face in, Wont, face in, Do What, face in Tell Me!, face in pacing, but hey, whatever works.
We finished at 2:07. It was 14 minutes slower then last year, but we got er done. 
I was def done, but we got our frigin' second medal for the day!!
Not sure what is next for me in regards to events, maybe another 5km, maybe a sprint triathlon, want to make sure I am really ready though before I register for the next one. Maybe Melmerby at the end of the month, Ill try and figure it out in the next week or so, once I get the feelings back in my legs haha.
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan

HELLO!!! Sorry to the six or seven of you that happen along this page from time to time in the lack of posting, but a fella has been neck deep in conference season, and it requires me to be away from my computers, and put all my focus into the new and exciting things I am learning to take back to my organization. Might be a little fun, occasionally, every now and then, thrown in there too, you know to break up the learnin'.
My most recent adventure started a couple weeks back in preparing to go to Toronto. The week of, I was a rockstar with my workouts, I actually had them all completed by Friday of that week, knowing that I would be on the road Friday and Saturday driving ( yes, but there is a method to my madness) and wouldnt really be in Toronto until Sunday. The gym in Toronto doesnt have access to a pool, so those work outs were critical to complete. So the week went like this:
Monday: 45min swim + 4km run + 20min bike
Tuesday: 2x750m swim + 45min bike
Wednesday: 5km run + 35min bike
Thursday: 6km run
Friday: 60min swim
Saturday: off
Sunday: 30min bike + 30min run
So YEAH, i even did extra when the final tally comes in!
So with all my workouts in, I could focus on hitting the open road with the family. We were planning on traveling through the US, last year we made the drive and went through Canada, and I gotta tell you, I love Canada, but holy crap is that drive BOOOOORRRRIIIINNNNNGGGGG! On a motorcycle, probably awesome, in a car, not so much.
So with passports in hand, we made a run for the border. We also decided this time to leave at dusk instead of early in the morning. Mostly for the hopes that the kids would sleep more and ask "are we there yet, how much farther" a lot less. For the most part this plan worked incredibly well. The only flaw was Maine. The route we chose from the boarder to Bangor was a single lane road that passed through many mountains. At 2am, there are many, many animals that are trying to just be them at that time. We almost smacked into 2-3 deer, a couple of raccoons with glandular problems and many other startled woodland creatures that had a look on their faces like ' ahhhhh you know its like 2am right? Why are you coming up in here and making all this drama?' So our pace dropped incredibly. We made it up though once we hit the glorious twined interstates starting in Bangor. This was another plus of driving through the states, twined highways/interstates everywhere! Now there is the pesky toll system also, but Im sure that money goes directly to maintaining the interstate system, and makes sense. I really didnt mind the toll thing, because it meant we could really cruise along without a lot of start/stopping.
The sun started to rise and it was time to pull off for a break, and get some breakfast. We pulled into to a subway/gas station combo. I went into subway to fetch breakfast for the squad, and the squad got gas, and released it haha.
Now I appreciate good customer service as we all do, but the subway guy was the subway flare champion. He had more buttons then shirt, and was happy to not only explain them all, but share his life story as well. This was a little much, but like a good Canadian, I smiled and through out a couple, oh yeahs, and no ways, so that my order didnt take a wrong turn to spitsville.
Breakfast sandwiches in hand, i headed out of the subway into the gas station section to see if there were any lost squad members. The clerk comes out from around the counter and in a creepy/giggly way explains that he cant sell me any liquor until 9am. 
I did a bit of a double take because I dont remember asking to buy any liquor at 830am in the morning, but maybe I did?
I go oh yeah, no problem, on a long drive anyway. He asks me what rig I am driving, and I said a Kia Sorento.
The look on his face was priceless. 
He thought I was driving an 18 wheeler. I guess my long haul trucker look finally paid off! haha
He says, oh I thought you were a trucker and was going to sell it to you anyway because we are the only truck stop for miles that has liquor and not just beer.
Im not sure how this makes it better, but I stupidly say thanks anyway and beat feet out of the store.
Mental Note: look at all trucks currently in parking lot so as to not be near them on the road in a half hour.
We start knocking states down Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and finally New York state. The funniest moment for me along the way was one point in Massachusetts outside Boston. We had been driving for about 9-10 hours at this point, Daphne was getting near the end of a 4 hour shift. Our gps had not failed us once in these 9-10 hours. We were driving along looking for the exit repeatedly offered by the GPS lady, exit 8 10km, exit 8 8km, when all of a sudden Daphne goes, nope I am taking this exit, exit 12.
The GPS lady and I are shocked!! She is yelling REROUTING, REROUTING and I am half laughing and half questioning her decision making ability after nearly 4 hours of driving. Whilst trying to REROUTE back to good old exit 8, Daphne cuts off a not so happy driver, then tries to blow through a toll booth without collecting the oh so important turn pike distance ticket, resulting in her trying to back up on the unhappy cut off driver, then getting out and walking back a foot or so to get the ticket.
Comedy of Errors.
We eventually get back to exit 8 and as soon as possible switch out. Around 4pm we get to our destination in upstate New York. Hugs, greetings, a pool, a drink or two and its time for bed. I am leaving for Toronto the next morning while the squad is staying put for the week.
I will continue our road trip adventures with the #cigarSunday blog post coming shortly.
First big race of the season is in a couple of days EPIC Dartmouth, 5km run and a 5km swim. Pretty excited because friend of the show and fellow cigar smoker, Dave Zinck will be running and swimming with me. So might be a couple days before I get the #cigarSunday blog done, but keep checking back, featuring some great cigars, and a trip to a Blue Jays game that I mostly remember.
Happy Canada Day!
​Sean "bigboyrunning" Ryan

After getting back from Vancouver I was reminded very quickly that Nova Scotia has not caught up to the fact that it is close to summer. Seriously it rained 6 out of 7 days last week. When you go from listening to your playlist, running and frolicing around the sea wall in Vancouver to the treadmill at the Antigonish Goodlife, there is much to be desired. It was to the point i had to change my playlist because it was making me depressed. Oh on this song I was usually by the inuksuk, and by this song I was by the outdoor pool, because here the views, although at times expansive ( guy on the eliptical in front of me), did not register the same motivational scenery.
The week went like this:
Monday: 1500m swim
Tuesday: off
Wednesday: 2000m swim + 10mile bike
Thursday: 4km run + 5mile bike
Friday: 5km run + 2x750m swim
Saturday: Mega Chore Sunshine Fun Day
Sunday: 13mile bike + 6km run
So not a shabby week, all workouts were accomplished.
I guess the only thing that is weighing on me, is my weight. Granted even with the vegetarian thing on the go, i still make bad decisions with food, but I guess I didnt realize how bad I looked until some of the pics from Vancouver rolled in over the last week.
I am hoping the camera adds a good 140lbs but I dont think that is it. I really am having a hard time doing as much as I am doing in regards to work outs and not seeing any physical benefits. I suppose I should be grateful for the general wellness I feel after a good week, but holy fuck its getting annoying to keep seeing pics and Im like is that me? Is it the angle, the clothes, my posture? how can I look that fat? I dont feel that fat, when I look in the mirror at home I can live with it, so what the hell. For the most part I actually feel pretty good. In the forties now, so I dont expect to be able to do what I could 10 years ago, but Im in the game, and for the most part I am enjoying what I am doing. 
I mean if this all comes down to food, Im fucked. I dont see a point in my life where Im going to give up more then meat. I try to manage carbs as much as possible, but when there is no meat its a def go to. So maybe this it, this is as good at it gets? Maybe thats not so bad? My problem is I have tasted a leaner me ( okay that sounds way grosser then I thought it would) when I was hitting 240-250lbs but I felt like crap most of the time, really militantly structuring my food, and not only that but judging others for the things they were eating. A thiner me was a crankier ( i know, how is that even possible), food cop. I guess that is a way to go again, but I really dont want to.
I guess Im stuck. I could change up my workouts again, try my fitnesspal for the 100th time, but I like what Ive been doing, and the goals I have set. I guess I need to find a food path that I can live on, I am a bit all over the map with changing to the vegetarian path, but I really dont want to change that either as my inside belly health has been the best its been in a long time.
Heading to a Health conference in Toronto next week, so hopefully I will get inspired to tackle food again after that. We shall see.
Shoot me your two cents if you have a food strategy that is working for you!
Sean 'BigBoyRunning' Ryan

What a couple of weeks!!!! Getting ready for my second trip to Vancouver, traveling, meetings, conferencing, meetings and back home again, it has been a very busy time. But, I am happy to say that my workouts didnt suffer that greatly even though I totally broke the rules for #cigarSunday a few times, Im okay with my decisions.
So the last couple of weeks went like this:
Monday: 1500m swim + 13mile bike
Tuesday: 2 x 750m swim 
Wednesday: 5km run + 10 mile bike
Thursday: nadda
Friday ( travel to vancouver): 5km run + 10 mile bike
Saturday: 5km run ( sea wall) + 1500m swim
Sunday: 6km run ( sea wall)
Conference Week:
Monday: 7.5km run ( sea wall) + 1000m swim
Tuesday: 1500m swim
Wednesday: nadda
Thursday: 6km run ( sea wall)
Friday: 8km run (sea wall) + 13 mile bike + very long walk around Grainville Island
Saturday(travel home): nadda
Sunday: nadda 

So yeah, got a little spotty the second week, but the running outside on the sea wall was absolutely awesome. There was so many things to look at, plus the view of the water, mountains and skyline were all pretty amazing.
Couple of funny things that happened to me while out amongst the people of the sea wall. I did get chased by one over zealous Canadian goose, I was running by and had that strange feeling like i was being followed I looked over one shoulder, nothing. Kept running, but the feeling didnt go away, so I looked over the other shoulder, nothing. But something around my foot happened to get my attention. It was a Canadian Goose shooting off, and chasing after my ankle. I usually only have one gear, but kicked it up a quarter notch and jumped onto a nearby bench. The goose - Im calling Larry, circled the bench once like an extra from Michael Jacksons 'Beat It' video, gave me a final honk and waddled off with all the swagger of Jose Bautista after a winning solo shot into fourth deck.
I also had a very interesting thing happen with a homeless fella. 
Now as I have been completely honest about in past blogs, I am a crazy slow runner, i dont even know if you can call it running. Trotting is my preferred designation. Well as I was trotting along the sea wall one morning in my usual state of ' why baby jesus why do i keep doing this to myself ' 
One of the homeless guys camping on one of the beaches, flags me down. Now I am like okay what is going to go on here? Do I stop, do I not, maybe he needs help, maybe he thinks Im a big killer easter bunny, who the crap knows. So I decide to do a half stop and take my earbuds out. I ask ' are you okay?' he gives me a strange look, and says ' I was stopping you to ask you the same thing, when you ran by I wasnt sure if you were breathing to hard or not so I cleared a spot for you if you needed a rest'. 
So in one shot I felt amazed and depressed. Amazed that someone who didnt know me, and quite clearly had some bad beats, would still be concerned enough to try and help, and depressed that my running is so energy sucking that I basically look like Im trying to breath all the oxygen at once.
I thanked him and explained, no this is just how I trot around, shook his hand for offering to help and moved on with my air sucking trot.
My next run, I stuck a little cash and some pieces of fruit from the market across from our hotel in my pocket, but he had moved on, and i didnt see him on any of my other runs that week.
Its nice to be reminded from time to time that there is a genuine kindness out there.
As much as the out door runs were amazing, the pool situation was not so much.
The hotel pool wasnt awful, but it wasnt to many steps above. I dont think I have ever swam in as murky a hotel pool in my life. It was like swimming through foggy water. I kept expecting a Sherlock Holmes type villain to appear from the murky water with some mysterious dagger that would free the soul of the devil. Okay that might be a little far fetched. 
What was not far fetched was the first swim, I ran into 5 douche bags just home from some EDM rave where they clearly did not 'just say no to drugs' because there was so much chin wiggling and jaw clenching you would have sworn they were either part snake or witnessed some NoteBook-esque movie and were holding back tears.
Anywho, as they all de-pants and jumped in the hot tub, I decided to get out of there, as they were really fucked up. As I approached the table where I placed my towel, shirt and hotel key. There was a mismash of their cloths, towels and keys.
Awesome
So I grab what I think is my towel, and get my shirt on, one of the jaw rockers comes up and asks me what I am doing.
I explain that I am not sure which card is mine, I pick up a pair of skinny jeans so I can see if my card underneath.
Even sketcher wiggle jaw comes ever and explains in his douche way that the card isnt in those $75 pants so I should put them down. 
This guy and his pants are literally 1/4 my size. So I start to laugh, which does not go ever well with the band of merry idiots. 2 more get out of the tub.
In my firmest Dad/Bar Manager voice i say " OKAY boyz. I dont know what you think is about to happen here, but I have no interest in his pants or anything else, I just want my fucking hotel card, which was right here with my shit, until you guys through all your stuff around. Im taking this card here, and Im leaving."
I guess on second thought, a 300 pound, tattoo'd, mega mutton chopped dude in an Iron Maiden tshirt didnt seem like the type of action they wanted as two of them slinked back to the tub.
I grabbed a card and left. Stopping at the hotel desk, got my card check and suprise suprise, it was not mine. 
They recoded it for me, and I was back to the elevator.
The door pops open and there is $75 pants and Jaws, I explain to them they most likely have the wrong card also and to get it coded. They mumble a thanks and ask for me to hold the elevator for them while they go get it coded.
Sure thing I say, and hit the close door button immediately after they get out.
Suck it Druggies!!!
So yeah, couple of adventures in my attempts to keep to my work outs while away. Heading to toronto in a couple of weeks, so more adventure awaits!!!
Sean " BigBoyRunning" Ryan

Great week this last week! All my workouts were in so #cigarSunday was going to be a thing, and it was delightful! But that is another blog post.
So the week went like this:
Monday: off
Tuesday: 1500m swim + 13mile bike
Wednesday: 5km run + 2x750m swim
Thursday: 5km run + 10mile swim
Friday: 2500m swim with Dave
Saturday: 4km run (outside) with Dave + 13mile bike
Sunday: off
I was really looking forward to this week, 99% of the time my workouts are solitary, I dont attempt much social interaction at the pool or gym, and the few times I make it outdoors, the pitying stares from people as I trudge by is enough to make me want to break out in a turrets fueled rampage that would make paint curl from the wall. 
But for 2 workouts this week, one in the pool and one outdoors, I was going to have friend of the show, and Epic Canada run and swim partner in town for a couple of days. So we scheduled a swim for Friday morning and a run for Saturday so he was free in his afternoons to inspire the young minds that were here on our campus. 
So the swim, well right off the bat, no bones about it, Dave is a much better swimmer then I am, but his is also very kind and is determined not to swim ahead of me more then a length or two so I can landmark him when we are on our actual 5km swim.  Now that that is cleared up, it was a great swim. We were a little lane crowded, but for the most part people stayed out of our way as we were on a mission to get in 2500km in less then an hour so that we would be on pace with our time last year. After a few wardrobe malfunctions ( damn my lack of hips) we finished out our 100 lengths at about 57min. Not awful. But that is only half the distance we are swimming, so much more practice is needed.
Next up was our run. Now Dave doesnt really run although he is extremely active. Again, as stated, many, many, many times throughout this blog, I am not a fast runner, in fact, I am more of a trotter, but saying im going for a trot just doesnt sound that appealing.
I was debating on taking him around Antigonish's many hills, but decided on a more scenic route on the landing. It was a little cool, but the sun was out and it was a very good morning for a run/trot. Right away I could tell that Dave could totally do this way faster then I can. But like a good friend he basically ran on the spot all the way while I trot/ran our route. As we were approaching the half way mark, we started to get swarmed. No not by Dartmouth mall parking lot hooligans, but bugs. Hundrends, nay, Thousands, nay MILLIONS of the little friggers.YUCK. Frig I hate those little bugs that seem to land in your face holes.
They got so thick I was actually breathing them in and out at one point. After about 15 seconds of the bug cloud, we turned and started to run back. I was hacking and coughing like a 15 year old taking their first hit off a dube. One little frigger got caught in my throat and I kept hacking and gagging the whole way back. #classy
We did tack an additional amount on the end of the run, but probably were only around the 4km mark. Again not awful, but the goal was 5km.
As much as I like running in the fresh air, i think i appreciate the treadmill more. Climate controlled, ready access to water, a selection of programming on the overhead tv screens ahhhh delightful. Outside bugs, dogs, at the whims of the Nova Scotia weather system, pot holes, mean dogs, gah what a disaster.
Yeah okay, I suppose the scenery has its value, and maybe if I was not a trotter and more graceful I might appreciate the outdoor running a bit more, but right now, I would take a treadmill anyday.
This next week is going to be interesting as I have a trip to Vancouver in the mix. I will be forced to do some outdoor running there as the hotel gym, upon last inspection, was a little lacking in the equipment section. The treadmill there had a stutter in it that almost sent me flying back into the weight rack stand. So Stanley park it is, hopefully I wont be stabbed by a heroin junkie trying to trainspotting me.
Sean"BigBoyRunning" Ryan