$1000 in donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association!

I passed the $1,000 figure in donations since the official start of the fund raising campaign September 1. With 2 months to go until the run in Negril, Jamaica on December 5, 2005, I know I will achieve my goal of raising $10,000 for the Canadian Diabetes Association http://www.diabetes.ca/.

For those of you who have already donated, thank you very much. Your generous support provides inspiration and motivation.

Here is how you can donate:

To donate with your credit card:

• Print the form above
• Complete the form with your name, address (including postal code)
• 'Check' the box with your donation amount
• 'Check' the box with the type of credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express accepted)
• Complete the credit card information (including signature)
• Mail the completed form to: Canadian Diabetes Association, 4 - 556 Bryne Drive, Barrie Ontario, L4N 9P6

To donate with your cheque:

• Print the form above
• Complete the form with your name, address (including postal code)
• 'Check' the box with your donation amount
• Make your cheque payable to: Canadian Diabetes Association - Reggae Marathon
• Mail the completed form to: Canadian Diabetes Association, 4 - 556 Bryne Drive, Barrie Ontario, L4N 9P6

Diabetes can be controlled! Awareness is key. Combined with the information provided by the CDA and their leading-edge research, you can play a part in helping to reduce the ravages of this disease. It works for me! It's why I started running.

Until next time...

What I learned from my road trip to Montreal

Road Trip!

My son, Court and I went to Montreal last weekend to see my youngest son, Holden compete against the University of Montreal.

Holden is in his 4th year of playing football with the Acadia Axemen in Nova Scotia.

After graduating from high school, he got the football bug seriously when he played with the Mississauga Warriors. At the time when I asked him what he wanted to do after that he did not hesitate in his response: "I want to play football at university, Dad". He wanted that more than 'breathing'. He has been single-minded since and plays hard. Goal setting and achievement at its finest!

Since I can't get to his games in Nova Scotia, the chance to see him in Montreal was irresistible. I follow him on-line here http://www.acadiau.ca/sports/football/index.html

While the Axemen lost, Holden had the biggest grin on his face when we caught up with after the game.

Check out the picture. Now you know why I am a runner.

Holden is built like a truck and can run through a brick wall. And I have learned what 'quickness' is: Zero to full speed in 2 steps. The Defensive Ends have no chance when he is on the field. And he was just having fun.

Some other random learning from the weekend:

• Schwartz's Deli on Saint Lauren Boulevard in Montreal http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/ serves the BEST smoked meat. You do not need to eat for the rest of the day.
• Montrealers are happy people. We soaked up the ambiance. I will vote against separation!
• Beer in moderation, warm fall day, football game all go hand-in-hand
• Sleeping in the passenger seat of a Saab while being driven 'at speed' is great. Good driving Court.
• "Monster" energy drinks work. Do they ever! http://www.monsterenergy.com/. "Monster" energy drinks work ... oh, did I say that already?
• Don't eat cold sausage at 1 am in the morning. Never. Ever. I felt it the next morning in my long training run with the Wasaga Beach Road Runners http://sites.google.com/site/wasagabeachroadrunners/

Life is funny. As a parent we hope we teach our children to be responsible, respectable and good. And then you have an experience like I did this past weekend where I learned from the kids: play hard, have fun, smile a lot. Go figure.

Until next time...

Article in the Wasaga Sun Sept 23 on the Reggae Marathon

This article appeared today, September 23, the one year anniversary of Dad's passing.

I am pleased that I can use my energy to raise money in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association. Since the official launch of my campaign September 1, over $1,000 has been raised toward my goal of $10,000 before the event in Negril, Jamaica on December 5, 2009. All the money raised goes directly to education and research in Canada.

You can donate directly by going to this link and following the directions: http://mykalsreport.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-donate-to-reggae-marathon-run.html

Until next time...

Formula One Sucks!

I am disgusted with Formula One!

In case you haven't been following, Renault F1 boss, Flavio Briatore was booted this week ahead of a special hearing to determine if orders had been given to his driver, Nelson Piquet Jr to crash out allowing his team mate, Fernando Alonso to win a race in 2008. Turns out to have been true. Renault gets a suspended sentence, Briatore gets suspended 'indefinitely' and Piquet gets a slap on the wrist for putting his life in danger. http://www.thestar.com/article/698975

Disgraceful!

Contrast this to the previous scandal last year in which MacLaren Racing gets caught with hundreds of pages of Ferrari technical data. Their fine: $100 million.

Let me see if I have this straight: steal data get fined; endanger life get suspended sentence.

Both suck. But when the value of life is worth nothing, I'm out.

This race is over for me.