The worst part is how this affects my golf game. I start lifting my head to try and follow the ball, and that pulls my body off the ball, and the ball doesn’t go straight. Two wrongs, once again, do not make a right. If I were to just stay down on the ball, it would go straight more often then not, and I would not have to worry about tracking it — because I’d always be in the fairway.

I played 2 rounds of golf this week (Monday and Tuesday) at Carlisle Golf and Country Club. It’s a great looking course, with some challenge, even though it’s short (only 6673 yards from the tips). On Monday I got paired with these other two young guys who were pretty good. The one fellow had great ball flight. On Tuesday I got off alone, and finished my round in 2h40min. I don’t like the 6h rounds of golf, but I also don’t like the sub 3h rounds. They don’t last long enough. It feels like a rush. Golf is supposed to be a relaxing activity. In both rounds I couldn’t sink a putt to save my life, and ruined two eagle chance with the dreaded 3 putt. Missed a fair share of birdies as well. On the north course, hole 3, I drew a pitching wedge to 4 feet, and proceeded to leave my putt short. It’s immoral to waste such promising approach shots. It was after this missed putt that I knew what I must do. I knew what would improve my golf game — new equipment.

Yes. I needed a new putter. I needed a new golf bag. My putter is probably from the 1960′s or 70′s, and is an Arnie Palmer special. I’ve held onto it for years, always saying, “It takes skill to use this putter, and that’s what I have. Skill.” But to many strokes have been lost due to my pride. If magazines, TV, and celebrity spokesmen have taught me anything, it’s that new equipment is the secret to a good golf game. Off to GolfTown I went, and out came the credit card. Picked up a new putter by Taylor Made, and a new gold bag by Nike (I didn’t really want Nike, but it was the only one that fit well when I tried it on). I needed the golf bag because my current one is about 9 years old, and the individual club slots have all torn away from the sides. I was due.

So, with new equipment in tow I will again face off against the links. Only time will tell how I fare.

Today was the Nike runTO, a 10k run (its not a race) on Toronto Island. Despite the brief periods of heavy downpour and wind, it was a great day. This was my first 10k run, and I basically did no training. Not that I didn’t want to train, but I went out for a 10k run in my old shoes (that are great for the gym) and strained my IT band. This strain basically kept me off the path until run day. On run day I took about 4 aspirin, did lots of stretching, and wore a knee tenser bandage. When the race began the sun had come back out, but the weather stayed a nice cool. I lasted till about the 2.5k mark before my knee started to hurt. I was able to grin and bared through the pain, and it never got worse. I chalk that up to the atmosphere of the run. Running with 10,000 people, with water stations along the way, as well as onlookers cheering can drive up the adrenaline and make you forget about pain.

I finished the 10k in 53:59. I’d like to think I could have run it faster if I wasn’t bogged down in traffic at the start line. As I crossed the finish line and started to walk my right knee got stiff and sore almost immediately. But who cares. I made it 10k, and I beat my buddy Kurt. He actually got out for some training runs.

Overall I’d say RunTO was a great experience, and I’d be up for running another 10k run — but maybe next time for charity. It felt a little weird to be walking around the island and thinking, “Hmm, all these people paid $50 to Nike, just to run.”

First, I was mildly surprised to discover that my equipment still stands up to current styles. A ski jacket still looks like a ski jacket, and the only real cosmetic difference that has come along for skis since 1998 has been the twin-tip ( so skiers could do more tricks in the park). Which brings me to my main point — the terrain park.

This photo is taken while riding the chair-lift. It looks like my skis are on the ground, but I’m actually 15 feet high.

When I started skiing circa 1990 you could not jump. Oh, and snowboards were purchased at Canadian Tire, and strictly forbidden to be brought within 10 sq.km’s of any ski area (this restraining has since been lifted, as a settlement was reached though mediation). We’d try and find anything to jump off. That lip that got built up next to light poles. Deposits of snow left by poor grooming. Any path though the trees that provided a drop to the run below. We’d even try to build jumps (off to the side of the run where no one would be bothered). We wanted to jump and we’re willing to pay the consequences — and we did. Often. They had the nerve to punch your ticket if you got caught jumping. Two punches and they cut your ticket right off. Couldn’t they see what we were trying to do? Was our vision that unique? Suffice to say that when we did elude the authorities and take to the sky, we sucked. It ware rare for me and my friends to pull consistent and stylish 360 — just a whole lot of spread-eagles and twisters going on.

Circa 2005. Snowboards are allowed at Glen Eden. Jumping is allowed within the terrain park. Wonderful. Great. Bring it. Hmm? What? People still can’t jump? They get 1 foot of air? But I don’t understand. You have constructed kickers, bad-ass spines, and snakey rails. Why do you all suck? Needless to say, I was a little disappointed. I felt the need to show these kids what they should be doing with the gifts they have been provided, so I set down a little demonstration. People are still impressed by a laid out 360 thrown over a 6 foot box. My advice to them? Get off your butts and out of the prime line. If you’re gonna hit it, hit it. If not, let me enjoy what I fought so hard for. I don’t feel like repeating myself.

I always believed that Glen Eden provided great downhill skiing. It’s close, convenient, somewhat variable, and is lit for the night. I now see that belief was somewhat skewed, by the fact that whenever I went in high school, it was with a bunch of people. Skiing alone can be fun if the terrain is exciting, big, and demanding. Skiing Glen Eden alone blows. That being said, it was nice to get on the skis again after a 3 year hiatus.

Returning home I got stuck at a train-crossing. I missed the boxcars, and had to settle for the cylinder ones. Was taken with a 2.5 sec shutter speed.