i just thought i would publicly add my name to the list of frustrated customers who continue to experience problem after problem, week in and week out, while simply trying to relax and enjoy a few football games on tv!
one week it is picture pixilation. the next week, it's frozen screens, then it's no sound. then some days, the schedule is wrong, and games appear on different channels than advertised.. then sometimes, there are games on espn that aren't even covered on the program!
i agree that yes, the concept of this product is a great idea, but there appear to be many flaws that continue to be a problem year after year, and it seems complaining isn't leading to any change.. you'd think in 2009 that these folks would have a better grasp on the digital tv technology..
not sure if this is Rogers fault, or if this needs to be blamed on the American tv networks providing the feed, but for $40/month to Rogers, i'd like to think that after 5 years of problems, that they would have these sorted out by now..
i am going to think seriously about not renewing for next season unless i hear of significant improvements.
Jennifer
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
December 30, 2009 - 4000!!!!
well, i decided to get it over with today, and i ran the remaining 17.3k that i needed to make it 4000 on the year. that's makes 60k over the past 50 hours, which is nice to see that i can still do!
the initial goal for the year was 5000, but injuries forced me to tone it down at times at various points in the year. but to reach 4000 is a clear sign of persistence and commitment.
i will look forward to reviewing and breaking down my year end stats over the next few days, and to try to figure out how to goal set for the year ahead.
i got a really nice running jacket today from the running room as part of the registration fee for tomorrow's 5k resolution run. it was one year ago that i registered for a run as a female for the very first time, at this event. i was also 13 days removed from major surgery and found myself limping around the course that day, but it was a monumental event for me, and the year ahead that was to be turned out to be very challenging, but one that lead to many very exciting running achievements and milestones.
looking forward to watching more bowl games tonight!
Jenn
the initial goal for the year was 5000, but injuries forced me to tone it down at times at various points in the year. but to reach 4000 is a clear sign of persistence and commitment.
i will look forward to reviewing and breaking down my year end stats over the next few days, and to try to figure out how to goal set for the year ahead.
i got a really nice running jacket today from the running room as part of the registration fee for tomorrow's 5k resolution run. it was one year ago that i registered for a run as a female for the very first time, at this event. i was also 13 days removed from major surgery and found myself limping around the course that day, but it was a monumental event for me, and the year ahead that was to be turned out to be very challenging, but one that lead to many very exciting running achievements and milestones.
looking forward to watching more bowl games tonight!
Jenn
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
December 29, 2009 - a real long run!
great running weather today. 6 degrees, cloud, and low wind. i ventured down to quidi vidi lake and did 3 laps, then ran back home. that's 23.3k in about 2.30.00 of running time. you can add in an additional 30 minutes of breaks as i stopped to feed the duckies at long and burton pond, and feed barry the goose at the lake, along the way. i'd have to classify it as an excellent run, considering i ran 17.2k yesterday. the few extra pounds gained over christmas haven't slowed me down that much!
that's 3982.7k on the year. looks like i will hit 4000 tomorrow, and might get in a swim or two as well over the next few days!
now it's time to relax and watch some bowl games on tv! i'm now 7-4 in my pool, but likely out of it due to the magnitude of the points missed on 3 of those loses.
Jenn
that's 3982.7k on the year. looks like i will hit 4000 tomorrow, and might get in a swim or two as well over the next few days!
now it's time to relax and watch some bowl games on tv! i'm now 7-4 in my pool, but likely out of it due to the magnitude of the points missed on 3 of those loses.
Jenn
December 28, 2009 - couple of long runs!
17.3k today, including a lovely afternoon run around the ponds, and an evening run to do some boxing week shopping! it was the best my knees have felt in quite a while, so that is very promising news!
3 more days to get in the 40.6k that i need to hit 4000 on the year. i might have to skip a few swims, but i think getting in the 4000 will be a tremendous boost to my confidence and self-esteem, and will give me something positive to finish the year on, a year that has generally been very tough and miserable on many accounts.
Jenn
3 more days to get in the 40.6k that i need to hit 4000 on the year. i might have to skip a few swims, but i think getting in the 4000 will be a tremendous boost to my confidence and self-esteem, and will give me something positive to finish the year on, a year that has generally been very tough and miserable on many accounts.
Jenn
Monday, December 28, 2009
December 27, 2009 - long sleep and long run
wow, what a sunday morning. i slept in til 11 am! then i went for a long run outside, hitting the ponds and a few stores along the way to take advantage of some boxing day sales.
then it was an evening of watching NFL football, where there were many surprises...
looking forward to a nice run tomorrow
Jenn
then it was an evening of watching NFL football, where there were many surprises...
looking forward to a nice run tomorrow
Jenn
Saturday, December 26, 2009
December 26, 2009 - boxing bowl day!
wow, here's a really great story about a woman who has excelled in her job in what has, up til now, been a male-dominated profession, a football referee! a major congrats to Sarah for being, not only the first woman referee, but for apparently being one of the best ones too!
http://www.freep.com/article/20091226/COL08/912260346/Lone-female-ref-in-major-college-football-will-make-history-today
and wow, check out this video for a very inspirational story of a 12 yr old football fan who lost his site due to eye cancer.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX0ovhkgR7s&
the attitude of this kid is amazing! seeing something like this can make even me appreciate what i have in life...
anyway, it was a rather restful day for me as i continue to recover from a chaotic but amazingly awesome christmas. i had a light short run to the pond and over to friends for lunch, then a relaxing afternoon and evening of football on tv.
Jenn
http://www.freep.com/article/20091226/COL08/912260346/Lone-female-ref-in-major-college-football-will-make-history-today
and wow, check out this video for a very inspirational story of a 12 yr old football fan who lost his site due to eye cancer.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX0ovhkgR7s&
the attitude of this kid is amazing! seeing something like this can make even me appreciate what i have in life...
anyway, it was a rather restful day for me as i continue to recover from a chaotic but amazingly awesome christmas. i had a light short run to the pond and over to friends for lunch, then a relaxing afternoon and evening of football on tv.
Jenn
Friday, December 25, 2009
December 25, 2009 - Christmas morning run
wow, i was up at 4.30 am today to prepare for a 6 am run over to my best friend's house to help with christmas morning festivities, where her two young girls were extremely excited and fired up to see so many presents under the tree! i also played the role of video camera woman, and i managed to capture some great memories throughout the day. the food was excellent too, with turkey dinner for lunch and supper! i had some nice phone calls to my own family members who are celebrating in their hometowns on the mainland. i look forward to returning to the mainland in 2010 to visit soon!
well, it's currently warmer right now in St. John's Newfoundland Canada than it is in Nashville Tennessee, where the titans and chargers are battling it out on the gridiron in freezing temperatures, in the NFL christmas day classic, a great game so far featuring two teams jostling for playoff positioning.
well, my bowl pool has already become a disaster, with just a 3-3 start, which includes losses in the two games for which i was most confident in, and hence, ones which i assigned the most point totals too. oh well, it will still be fun to watch the remaining games.
i hope everyone reading this has an enjoyable holiday season...
Jenn
well, it's currently warmer right now in St. John's Newfoundland Canada than it is in Nashville Tennessee, where the titans and chargers are battling it out on the gridiron in freezing temperatures, in the NFL christmas day classic, a great game so far featuring two teams jostling for playoff positioning.
well, my bowl pool has already become a disaster, with just a 3-3 start, which includes losses in the two games for which i was most confident in, and hence, ones which i assigned the most point totals too. oh well, it will still be fun to watch the remaining games.
i hope everyone reading this has an enjoyable holiday season...
Jenn
Thursday, December 24, 2009
December 24, 2009 - white christmas, perhaps?
well, the temp has dropped to -3 today and we have gotten some snow sprinkles. it's nice to have a little snow for christmas, just as long as we don't get a major storm! i had a lovely 4k run to the pond earlier this afternoon to give the duckies their christmas present (their customary daily dose of birdseed.. lol).
it's going to be a busy couple of days for me as i will be spending christmas with my new adopted family here in newfoundland. going to be some great fun with some great food!
then we will get down to some serious business to see if i can hit my adjusted annual goal of running 4000k and swimming 360k for the year. i still need 24k in the pool and 76.8k on the road. should be easy to attain the running totals but not likely to hit the swimming with the pool closed for the next 2 days. ...and then it will be the infamous jan 1/10 weigh-in, where i don't expect to see a number on the scale that will make me happy.. lol oh well, can't win them all!
Jenn
it's going to be a busy couple of days for me as i will be spending christmas with my new adopted family here in newfoundland. going to be some great fun with some great food!
then we will get down to some serious business to see if i can hit my adjusted annual goal of running 4000k and swimming 360k for the year. i still need 24k in the pool and 76.8k on the road. should be easy to attain the running totals but not likely to hit the swimming with the pool closed for the next 2 days. ...and then it will be the infamous jan 1/10 weigh-in, where i don't expect to see a number on the scale that will make me happy.. lol oh well, can't win them all!
Jenn
December 23, 2009 - last minute shopping done!
well, i'm pretty much ready for christmas. it was another warm drizzly day here that melted off almost all of the snow. i managed to get over to the pool for an evening swim, which went fairly well. i swam 2.8k in an hour, which is a little slower than usual. this leaves me 24k short of my year end goal of swimming half as much as i did last year. not sure if i will get in the 24, but it's gonna be close enough.
just one week away from the new years resolution 5k run, which will represent the one year anniversary of my first running event for which i was formally registered as female. it's been an interesting year of running, as i have made much progress in terms of gaining acceptance and credibility among the various running organizations as a transwoman runner. it's just too bad that the quality of my running has suffered so much. but it is what it is, and i knew this would happen.
Jenn
just one week away from the new years resolution 5k run, which will represent the one year anniversary of my first running event for which i was formally registered as female. it's been an interesting year of running, as i have made much progress in terms of gaining acceptance and credibility among the various running organizations as a transwoman runner. it's just too bad that the quality of my running has suffered so much. but it is what it is, and i knew this would happen.
Jenn
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
December 22, 2009 - clean teeth!
well, it was an early morning dental visit for me today. then a run home in the rain. nice to know that the teeth are in good shape. the knees are another story though.. lol
very windy day here, combined with 4 degrees temp actually has lead to most of our snow melting! Long pond had melted too and there were duckies swimming there. didn't think i'd see that until May or June!
i spent the rest of the day inside relaxing as i wasn't feeling too good. the early wake up call set me back a few hours sleep!
well, bowl game #4 is underway tonight, and my team is losing badly early on. hard to believe my #1 pick of Fresno State blew a lead and lost in overtime to the huge underdog Wyoming team. gee, hard to believe that i have essentially been eliminated from the pool in the very first game!
oh well, at least my pro football pics are better than those of dan marino, boomer esiason and mike ditka!
Jenn
very windy day here, combined with 4 degrees temp actually has lead to most of our snow melting! Long pond had melted too and there were duckies swimming there. didn't think i'd see that until May or June!
i spent the rest of the day inside relaxing as i wasn't feeling too good. the early wake up call set me back a few hours sleep!
well, bowl game #4 is underway tonight, and my team is losing badly early on. hard to believe my #1 pick of Fresno State blew a lead and lost in overtime to the huge underdog Wyoming team. gee, hard to believe that i have essentially been eliminated from the pool in the very first game!
oh well, at least my pro football pics are better than those of dan marino, boomer esiason and mike ditka!
Jenn
Deceember 21, 2009 - quick update
5.4k run, 2.1k swim. fairly sluggish day, not much energy. but still got in a good work out.
Jenn
Jenn
Sunday, December 20, 2009
December 20, 2009 - drizzle
just a brief 4k run in the drizzle for me today, my customary daily run to Burton's Pond with a bag a birdseed. always fun, even in the rain!
Jenn
Jenn
Saturday, December 19, 2009
December 19, 2009 - snowy saturday, but let the bowls begin!
wow, another awesome swim today for me at the pool. 4.5k in 88 minutes. strong for the most part, but slowed down towards the end. snowy and freezing rain here today with high winds. not exactly the nicest running weather, but i survived the 4k to the pool and duck pond before and after my swim.
NCAA Bowl Season starts today. I've signed up for a free complex pool over at CBS sports website, where you have to pick the winners, and rank each game in terms of confidence levels from 1-34 to your pics. the higher the confidence, the higher the score for a right pic. for example, my highest game will be worth 34 points, where my lowest game will be for 1 point.
out of 34 games, i've got today's New Mexico Bowl as my highest ranked game, with 34 points on the line as i am extremely confident that Fresno State will take care of Wyoming. I've also got 32 points on the line as i feel Rutgers will take care of Central Florida later tonight in the St. Petersburg Bowl. in all, i am going with 9 upsets out of the 34 games, although most of my upset pics are for lower points. my most risky upset pic will be Idaho over Bowling Green for 16 points. i am also going with the third highest underdog out of all the bowls, Cincinnati, who i feel will shock the world by beating Florida; but this is only for 2 points.
a total of 595 points are on the line. and it is likely going to take a perfect 34-0 to win the pool. grand prize is $10000, which would definitely come in handy!
here's what my pics look like in total. Note, spread only included for interest sake. this pool is strictly for picking winners.
2009-2010 CBS NCAA Bowl Pool
rank - date - pick - spr - opponent
34 - 12/19 - Fresno State -13 Wyoming
33 - 12/24 - Nevada -13 Southern Methodist
32 - 12/19 - Rutgers -4 Central Florida
31 - 01/06 - Central Michigan -4.5 Troy
30 - 12/31 - Houston -7 Air Force
29 - 12/31 - Missouri -6 Navy
28 - 01/02 - Arkansas -10 East Carolina
27 - 01/02 - South Florida -4.5 Northern Illinois
26 - 01/02 - Texas Tech -9.5 Michigan State
25 - 01/02 - South Carolina -3 Connecticut
24 - 12/27 - Clemson -7.5 Kentucky
23 - 01/01 - Auburn -4.5 Northwestern
22 - 12/29 - UCLA -4 Temple
21 - 01/07 - Alabama -4 Texas
20 - 12/26 - Ohio -4 Marshall
19 - 12/31 - Minnesota -1.5 Iowa State
18 - 12/31 - Virginia Tech -4 Tennessee
17 - 01/05 - Georgia Tech -3.5 Iowa
16 - 12/30 - Idaho +1 Bowling Green
15 - 12/31 - Stanford +7 Oklahoma
14 - 01/01 - West Virginia +1 Florida State
13 - 01/01 - LSU +3 Penn State
12 - 01/04 - Boise State +4 Texas Christian
11 - 12/28 - Georgia -4 Texas A&M
10 - 12/26 - Southern California -7 Boston College
09 - 12/26 - Pittsburgh -2 North Carolina
08 - 12/30 - Nebraska PK Arizona
07 - 12/22 - Oregon State -2.5 Brigham Young
06 - 12/23 - Utah +2.5 California
05 - 12/29 - Miami, FL -6.5 Wisconsin
04 - 01/02 - Ol’ Miss 2.5 Oklahoma State
03 - 01/01 - Ohio State +2 Oregon
02 - 01/01 - Cincinnati +10.5 Florida
01 - 12/20 - Mid Tennessee State +6 Southern Mississippi
if the pool is tied, then it will be up to a tiebreaker of predicting the total points scored in the Alabama/Texas game, and i am going with 53. should make bowl season extra fun to watch, that's for sure!
rain in the forecast all night and into tomorrow. i am hoping to get over to the pool again for another swim. i need 28.9k more in the pool to reach half of what i swam last year. i am now at 3899k running, so 4000k should be easily reached before year end.
Jenn
NCAA Bowl Season starts today. I've signed up for a free complex pool over at CBS sports website, where you have to pick the winners, and rank each game in terms of confidence levels from 1-34 to your pics. the higher the confidence, the higher the score for a right pic. for example, my highest game will be worth 34 points, where my lowest game will be for 1 point.
out of 34 games, i've got today's New Mexico Bowl as my highest ranked game, with 34 points on the line as i am extremely confident that Fresno State will take care of Wyoming. I've also got 32 points on the line as i feel Rutgers will take care of Central Florida later tonight in the St. Petersburg Bowl. in all, i am going with 9 upsets out of the 34 games, although most of my upset pics are for lower points. my most risky upset pic will be Idaho over Bowling Green for 16 points. i am also going with the third highest underdog out of all the bowls, Cincinnati, who i feel will shock the world by beating Florida; but this is only for 2 points.
a total of 595 points are on the line. and it is likely going to take a perfect 34-0 to win the pool. grand prize is $10000, which would definitely come in handy!
here's what my pics look like in total. Note, spread only included for interest sake. this pool is strictly for picking winners.
2009-2010 CBS NCAA Bowl Pool
rank - date - pick - spr - opponent
34 - 12/19 - Fresno State -13 Wyoming
33 - 12/24 - Nevada -13 Southern Methodist
32 - 12/19 - Rutgers -4 Central Florida
31 - 01/06 - Central Michigan -4.5 Troy
30 - 12/31 - Houston -7 Air Force
29 - 12/31 - Missouri -6 Navy
28 - 01/02 - Arkansas -10 East Carolina
27 - 01/02 - South Florida -4.5 Northern Illinois
26 - 01/02 - Texas Tech -9.5 Michigan State
25 - 01/02 - South Carolina -3 Connecticut
24 - 12/27 - Clemson -7.5 Kentucky
23 - 01/01 - Auburn -4.5 Northwestern
22 - 12/29 - UCLA -4 Temple
21 - 01/07 - Alabama -4 Texas
20 - 12/26 - Ohio -4 Marshall
19 - 12/31 - Minnesota -1.5 Iowa State
18 - 12/31 - Virginia Tech -4 Tennessee
17 - 01/05 - Georgia Tech -3.5 Iowa
16 - 12/30 - Idaho +1 Bowling Green
15 - 12/31 - Stanford +7 Oklahoma
14 - 01/01 - West Virginia +1 Florida State
13 - 01/01 - LSU +3 Penn State
12 - 01/04 - Boise State +4 Texas Christian
11 - 12/28 - Georgia -4 Texas A&M
10 - 12/26 - Southern California -7 Boston College
09 - 12/26 - Pittsburgh -2 North Carolina
08 - 12/30 - Nebraska PK Arizona
07 - 12/22 - Oregon State -2.5 Brigham Young
06 - 12/23 - Utah +2.5 California
05 - 12/29 - Miami, FL -6.5 Wisconsin
04 - 01/02 - Ol’ Miss 2.5 Oklahoma State
03 - 01/01 - Ohio State +2 Oregon
02 - 01/01 - Cincinnati +10.5 Florida
01 - 12/20 - Mid Tennessee State +6 Southern Mississippi
if the pool is tied, then it will be up to a tiebreaker of predicting the total points scored in the Alabama/Texas game, and i am going with 53. should make bowl season extra fun to watch, that's for sure!
rain in the forecast all night and into tomorrow. i am hoping to get over to the pool again for another swim. i need 28.9k more in the pool to reach half of what i swam last year. i am now at 3899k running, so 4000k should be easily reached before year end.
Jenn
December 18, 2009 - long run, finally!
finally got out for a decent long run this week. 17k around the snowy trails down to quidi vidi lake and back. had a nice lap around the lake too. fun to see this city in winter. the snow can be so pretty on the trees. hoping for a long swim tomorrow
Jenn
Jenn
Thursday, December 17, 2009
December 17, 2009 - one year
wow, it was one year ago that i was in Philadelphia having one of the most unusual of surgical procedures. the infamous bilateral orchiectomy! (look that one up on google if you don't know what it is!).
it's been an amazing year for my body, as the hormonal changes have had both positive effects, and negative side affects. but looking back, i am 100% happy and confident with the decision i made to pursue that surgery, rather than wait for full SRS to have those two little thingies removed.
the most noticeable change has been in the energy levels. less energy all the time, and more energy required to do less. today was a rare throwback swim for me, as i managed to survive 90 minutes in the pool at a consistent pace, covering 4.5k. this type of swim used to be the norm for me, but now it is considered a major accomplishment. it was a great feeling to have such a strong and long swim today. and unlike a year ago, it completely wiped me out for the rest of the day.. lol
well, according to the often-criticized Stockholm Consensus (the International Olympic Committee's protocol for transitioned athletes), it takes 2 years to feminize a male body to the point where it can be deemed fair and suitable for competition without having an advantage. but according to recent research by Athletics Canada, it appears that 1 year is more reasonable. it is going to be very interesting to see if i managed to get any weaker in terms of strength, speed, endurance, and energy levels, over the next year ahead. Quite frankly, i would find it hard to believe that i couldn't be deemed at a competitive disadvantage already at this point. if you look at my running results this year compared to last year, i have gone from a front-of-the-pack male runner to a mid-packer among the female runners.
oh well, speaking of running, i have had a couple of light days, after a couple of off days.. so in theory, the legs should be well-rested... but the right knee continues to be a problem. i'm still not convinced that there isn't some minor damage to a ligament or the cartilage in there.. i'm probably going to take it easy for a while yet..
Jenn
it's been an amazing year for my body, as the hormonal changes have had both positive effects, and negative side affects. but looking back, i am 100% happy and confident with the decision i made to pursue that surgery, rather than wait for full SRS to have those two little thingies removed.
the most noticeable change has been in the energy levels. less energy all the time, and more energy required to do less. today was a rare throwback swim for me, as i managed to survive 90 minutes in the pool at a consistent pace, covering 4.5k. this type of swim used to be the norm for me, but now it is considered a major accomplishment. it was a great feeling to have such a strong and long swim today. and unlike a year ago, it completely wiped me out for the rest of the day.. lol
well, according to the often-criticized Stockholm Consensus (the International Olympic Committee's protocol for transitioned athletes), it takes 2 years to feminize a male body to the point where it can be deemed fair and suitable for competition without having an advantage. but according to recent research by Athletics Canada, it appears that 1 year is more reasonable. it is going to be very interesting to see if i managed to get any weaker in terms of strength, speed, endurance, and energy levels, over the next year ahead. Quite frankly, i would find it hard to believe that i couldn't be deemed at a competitive disadvantage already at this point. if you look at my running results this year compared to last year, i have gone from a front-of-the-pack male runner to a mid-packer among the female runners.
oh well, speaking of running, i have had a couple of light days, after a couple of off days.. so in theory, the legs should be well-rested... but the right knee continues to be a problem. i'm still not convinced that there isn't some minor damage to a ligament or the cartilage in there.. i'm probably going to take it easy for a while yet..
Jenn
Dcember 16, 2009 - back at it
miserable freezing rain today but i managed to get out for a light 6.6k run. i felt more energetic today but still not where i had hoped. it's been a busy week with many resumes being sent out all over the place. strange to find more job openings than usual on my favourite job boards at this time of the year.
Jenn
Jenn
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
December 15, 2009 - one k!
wow, it's been an incredibly busy couple of days. i won't go into detail but i finally managed a run today, albeit of only 1k.. funny how i could take a couple of days off, yet be totally exhausted. oh well, i am working hard on a job hunt, and other strategies to find employment or other monies. so hopefully it will all be worth it. i had a meeting with a special adviser who has given me some great ideas, so i will be pursuing them in the near future.
oh well, hopefully i will get a good sleep tonight and be ready for a great run and swim tomorrow
Jenn
oh well, hopefully i will get a good sleep tonight and be ready for a great run and swim tomorrow
Jenn
December 14, 2009 - update
another day off running and swimming due to a variety of other things going on today..
Jenn
Jenn
Monday, December 14, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
December 12, 2009 - Barry the Goose!
well, it was a fairly calm day here in St. John's, which meant it was nice running conditions. I ventured through the snow and ran all the way to Quidi Vidi lake, where i had a visit with Barry the Goose and his many duckie friends. Here are a few pics that i took down there last winter. The scenes this year aren't very different, as there continues to be a large flock of birds who enjoy being fed. In addition to ducks, there are also pigeons and sea gulls. Legend has it that the goose was once a pet that was abandoned by its owner. It has been down there as long as i have lived here. He is very friendly and will eat out of your hand. He's also very vocal with his famous honking noise! I have given him the name of Barry in honor of a good friend of mine who likes animals. Visiting this goose always makes for a fun afternoon. 
The run back home went well, so that gives me another 11k to add to the totals. I am planning another evening run tonight, which should take me over 100k for the second week in a row. The knee was pretty good this afternoon, only acting up twice.
Jenn
December 11, 2009 - awesome day
well actually, it was a cold windy and snowy day, but that didn't stop me from having 3 separate runs, totaling 23.8k. i also had a sluggish 71 minute 3k swim in the pool. it's great that i am feeling good enough to have back to back strong days! hoping for a good weekend of running and swimming too. gotta keep the momentum going!
well, once again, our lovely city council has decided not to budget for shoveling snow off sidewalks. i have had some terrifying experiences running right on the streets, which is the only place to run in the city in the winter. angry residents are starting to make some noise about this issue. a recent article in the Scope about the topic has lead so several comments. Take a look: http://thescope.ca/city/how-much-of-a-priority-is-sidewalk-snow-clearing-for-st-johns-city-council/comment-page-1#comment-7951
in addition, a protest event has been organized thru facebook. details here: http://www.facebook.com/#/event.php?eid=193213137223&ref=nf
Jenn
well, once again, our lovely city council has decided not to budget for shoveling snow off sidewalks. i have had some terrifying experiences running right on the streets, which is the only place to run in the city in the winter. angry residents are starting to make some noise about this issue. a recent article in the Scope about the topic has lead so several comments. Take a look: http://thescope.ca/city/how-much-of-a-priority-is-sidewalk-snow-clearing-for-st-johns-city-council/comment-page-1#comment-7951
in addition, a protest event has been organized thru facebook. details here: http://www.facebook.com/#/event.php?eid=193213137223&ref=nf
Jenn
Thursday, December 10, 2009
December 10, 2009 - snowy run!
wow, i was up bright and early to make the 22k run to and from the doctors office. it was a slow and steady run through what was mostly unshoveled sidewalks. my energy levels were strong all the way thru, even though i did not sleep well last night. good news from the doctor, as she suspects the knee issue is just a matter of a little internal bruising, and not a ligament problem. she encouraged me to carry on with my normal running routine, but to come back if it gets worse. everything else appears to be in good order so i am essentially deemed healthy! i got the regular flu shot today as well, so that takes care of that!
Jenn
Jenn
December 9, 2009 - another great swim
7k run today, in winter boots, thru thick snow, plus a strong 3k in the pool. feeling great, as energy levels are high.
Jenn
Jenn
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
December 8, 2009 - 2 year anniversary of major significance!
yup, it was two years ago today that i got rid of the male clothing and got rid of the androgynous look and went 100% full time as a woman. it was clearly the best decision i have ever made. it's definitely been a challenging 2 years as i have struggled to gain acceptance among my many neighbours, friends, colleagues, etc... but it has helped bring inner peace, and it has finally given me a focus on the meaning of life, my life.
two years that brought me tremendous bad fate. this appears to have cost me many important people in my life, including many long-time friends, and even some family members.. i've also lost what appeared to be a very good and very secure full time job. i've also lost a great deal of strength, speed, endurance, and energy as i have struggled to adapt to a new feminine hormone regime. i also find myself dealing with a government-run health care system that refuses to pay for the majority of medical treatment that my doctors are saying that i need, and given that loss of employment, i am no longer in a position to be able to afford to pay for much of the care that i need..
but on the positive, i've made many new friends, including several people who i consider to be my adopted new family. it has also brought me into alliances with people and organizations that have allowed me to pursue my passion for promoting human rights and equality around the world for a diverse body of minority individuals, including members of the LGBT family, and specifically trans people and trans athletes.
it's given me a chance to sit on committees, deliver speeches, and help education people about something that society knows little about. it's also helped build me a title of 'well-known athlete' in my community, which has brought on a variety of additional interesting opportunities, including media attention for being an athlete, and the excitement of being a volunteer health, fitness, diet, and running consultant to other local athletes.
the next 2 years are certain to be equally as challenging, but if i can weather the storm and continue to take small baby steps forward, this transition will reach its pinnacle and i will eventually start to be seen and accepted in society as just another one of the many lovely women that live in the community, and the discrimination i face will hopefully cease. the momentum is heading in the right direction, and i read about many great things happening around the world every day regarding the acceptance and the equality of transpeople. jurisdictions around the world continue to add anti-discrimination law that specifically focus on protecting the rights of trans people.
anyway, it was 10.7k of light running today, as i continue to use running as my primary mode of transportation around town to do errands. much cheaper than taking a cab, that's for sure! i'm fortunate that i can still run on this knee, but i won't be doing any hard running until i get to the bottom of this injury.
Jenn
two years that brought me tremendous bad fate. this appears to have cost me many important people in my life, including many long-time friends, and even some family members.. i've also lost what appeared to be a very good and very secure full time job. i've also lost a great deal of strength, speed, endurance, and energy as i have struggled to adapt to a new feminine hormone regime. i also find myself dealing with a government-run health care system that refuses to pay for the majority of medical treatment that my doctors are saying that i need, and given that loss of employment, i am no longer in a position to be able to afford to pay for much of the care that i need..
but on the positive, i've made many new friends, including several people who i consider to be my adopted new family. it has also brought me into alliances with people and organizations that have allowed me to pursue my passion for promoting human rights and equality around the world for a diverse body of minority individuals, including members of the LGBT family, and specifically trans people and trans athletes.
it's given me a chance to sit on committees, deliver speeches, and help education people about something that society knows little about. it's also helped build me a title of 'well-known athlete' in my community, which has brought on a variety of additional interesting opportunities, including media attention for being an athlete, and the excitement of being a volunteer health, fitness, diet, and running consultant to other local athletes.
the next 2 years are certain to be equally as challenging, but if i can weather the storm and continue to take small baby steps forward, this transition will reach its pinnacle and i will eventually start to be seen and accepted in society as just another one of the many lovely women that live in the community, and the discrimination i face will hopefully cease. the momentum is heading in the right direction, and i read about many great things happening around the world every day regarding the acceptance and the equality of transpeople. jurisdictions around the world continue to add anti-discrimination law that specifically focus on protecting the rights of trans people.
anyway, it was 10.7k of light running today, as i continue to use running as my primary mode of transportation around town to do errands. much cheaper than taking a cab, that's for sure! i'm fortunate that i can still run on this knee, but i won't be doing any hard running until i get to the bottom of this injury.
Jenn
Monday, December 7, 2009
December 7, 2009 - monday!
well, the city is still digging out of the 40 cm of snow we got yesterday. i managed to get out for a 7.5k run. the ponds are already starting to freeze! the poor duckies don't quite know what to make of the snow and ice.. they were glad to see me with some bird seed today.
i also had a light 68 minute swim, where i covered 3k, my first 3k swim since late october. i'm hoping to get over to the pool every day this week for 3-4k.
i seem to have had minor nagging knee problems for the better part of 3 years now, but i am starting to think that one of my latest knee issues is more serious. i took a bit of a nasty fall on some stairs on nov 5, and things haven't been the same since. i've done some research, and judging by the symptoms, i am starting to believe i may have a minor tear in my ACL and/or MCL. i'll be booking a doctor visit in the near future to have this examined further. let's hope it isn't going to be a major setback.
Jenn
i also had a light 68 minute swim, where i covered 3k, my first 3k swim since late october. i'm hoping to get over to the pool every day this week for 3-4k.
i seem to have had minor nagging knee problems for the better part of 3 years now, but i am starting to think that one of my latest knee issues is more serious. i took a bit of a nasty fall on some stairs on nov 5, and things haven't been the same since. i've done some research, and judging by the symptoms, i am starting to believe i may have a minor tear in my ACL and/or MCL. i'll be booking a doctor visit in the near future to have this examined further. let's hope it isn't going to be a major setback.
Jenn
December 6, 2009 - snow!!!! and bowls!!!!
well, as advertised, 30-40 cm of snow fell today. i went outside for a short run during the early stages of the storm. it was very windy too, so the snow was blowing all over the place, making it hard to see. i felt very sad and depressed. i'm not one of these people who enjoys winter! then again, i'm usually pretty good at making the best of things. since moving here, i have enjoyed winter activities that i haven't done since i was very young, such as building snow men and skating on ponds! the ponds are not frozen yet, but the temp is scheduled to be below freezing for most of the next 7 days, so i'm sure ice will start to form. the poor duckies looked so cold and hungry when i visited them today. it's very cute when they get snow on their beaks though!
oh well, the city is very good about plowing the streets (not so good about side walks though), but with careful planning, i should be able to map out some good running routes on the side streets to give myself plenty of challenging runs this winter. i also might finally find myself over at the pool more often. i missed most of this week as the flu shot left my arm sore for a couple of days, so i am anxious to get back in the pool.
i ran 100k this past week, the first 100k week in a while. nice to be back at it in full swing after a 6 weeks slow-down.
well, the 5 major college football bowl games were scheduled tonight, and 32 of the remaining 33 bowl games were scheduled as well (the last one will be decided next week as there is still one more regular season game to be contested that has bowl implications). of course there is always controversy when you have polls determining which top 2 teams will play in the so-called 'championship game'. this year, there were 5 undefeated teams, so in the end, we all knew that 3 of them would get screwed out of the big game. in the end, they decided to match up 2 sets of undefeated teams, while scheduling the 5th undefeated against the 6th ranked 1 loss team. the rest of the bowls will feature teams with 2 losses or more. in all bowl games, it will feature teams from different conferences playing each other, which will be a great way to attempt to prove which conferences are the best.
here's some brief thoughts on the big games (with Associated Press rankings)
Rose Bowl: #7 Oregon vs #8 Ohio State. i can't say that i am really excited to watch 7 vs 8. basically a meaningless game from that stand point. but on the positive side, this is another edition of the storied rivalry between the PAC-10 Conference winner vs the Big 10 Conference winner. we've got 2 high profile schools that are sure to bring their best on game day.
Fiesta Bowl: #6 Boise State vs #3 Texas Christian. well, we've got 2 teams from non Bowl Championship Series conferences in the Bowl Championship Series, a first! sadly, they have these two undefeated teams matched against each other, rather than give them a chance to prove their worth by playing against, and beating, teams from BCS conferences. given these two school's status as being non BCS conference teams, the tv coverage for them has been limited. i was lucky enough to catch 5 of Boise's 13 games, and they looked awesome, especially on their dominant win over Oregon. Not even 1 TCU game televised here in Eastern Canada, even with the Super Sports Package. ultimately, there will be many who have never watched either, and this game is a great chance for both schools to get some exposure in front of a national audience.
and for the winner, a chance to lay claim to being the 'real' champions, having gone undefeated and winning a major bowl.
Orange Bowl: #9 Georgia Tech vs #10 Iowa. i really hate to say this, but this is a meaningless game. you've got the ACC winner against the Big 10 runner up. the two weakest conferences out of the big 6. i would have much preferred to see both of these schools matched up separately against the undefeated Boise and TCU, so that both Boise and TCU could prove their worthiness and both finish undefeated. on the positive side, Georgia Tech did win their conference and they had a great year. Iowa had an amazing run in the first half but stumbled a few times down the stretch.
Sugar Bowl: #4 Cincy vs #5 Florida. Ok, i totally don't agree with Florida dropping to #5 after losing one game this year, which was to the #2 ranked team, who is now ranked #1. I also don't like Cincy being here either. Cincy is the #2 in the country as far as i am concerned, and it's sad that they won't get a chance to win the official championship. but at the very least, this is the game with the most implications. a chance for the often-mocked Big East conference to make a statement by beating the #2 SEC team, and the team that was ranked #1 for the entire regular season. It will be very interesting to see how Florida does. Last year, the SEC runner up was so disappointed at losing their conference and missing out on the title game, that they gave no effort in the Sugar Bowl and got pounded by yet another non BCS team. Tim Tebow is a great leader and i suspect he will not let this happen to Florida. This is certain to be one heck of an offensive shoot out, the type of game Cincy is very comfortable with.
So-Called National Championship game: #1 Alabama vs #2 Texas. ok, Texas really shouldn't be here. they should have lost the conference championship game when the final play of the game was an incomplete pass. inexplicably, the ref decided to put one second back on the clock and give texas one more free play, which they used to kick a field goal to squeek by the much lower-ranked Nebraska. Sure, a win is a win, and texas is 13-0, which is awesome, but they struggled to get by a couple of weak teams. their strength of victory does not compare to that of any of the other undefeateds, and their strength of schedule is no tougher than Cincy's was. Alabama is also 13-0 and they did so against one of the toughest schedules in the league. they dominated almost all of their opponents, including 3 teams who were ranked in the top 10 at the time they played.
ultimately, on the positive side, if Texas can pull this one off, then they will earn my respect and will certainly deserve to call themselves co-champions along with any other undefeated team that wins their bowl. i can only hope, for the sake of the league, that this turns out to be one heck of a game, and not a one-sided blowout win for Alabama.. but quite frankly, i have my doubts.
in the end, here is how i would have ranked the top teams:
1 alabama
2 cincy
3 texas
4 florida
5 boise
6 tcu
7 oregon
8 georgia tech
9 ohio state
10 louisiana state
11 iowa
12 penn state
and here's what i would have done with the BCS bowls to make them more meaningful:
so-called championship - alabama vs cincy (the 2 teams i think are the best)
fiesta - tcu vs texas (talk about bragging rights in the state of texas!)
rose - ohio state vs oregon (keep the tradition alive, big 10 vs pac 10)
sugar - florida vs boise (let's see how good boise really is!)
orange - lsu vs georgia tech (sorry folks, but i think that a 3 loss SEC team is better than any big 10 team, LSU deserves to be here. if they didn't have to play FL and AL, they would only be a 1 loss team, talk about a tough schedule! yes i know, no conference is allowed to have 3 reps here, but this is my fictitious BCS so i can change the rules if i want).
oh well, if we can't have this, at least we've got what we've got. 34 great bowl games ahead, and i will be glued to the TV for each and every one of them! let the games begin!
Jenn
oh well, the city is very good about plowing the streets (not so good about side walks though), but with careful planning, i should be able to map out some good running routes on the side streets to give myself plenty of challenging runs this winter. i also might finally find myself over at the pool more often. i missed most of this week as the flu shot left my arm sore for a couple of days, so i am anxious to get back in the pool.
i ran 100k this past week, the first 100k week in a while. nice to be back at it in full swing after a 6 weeks slow-down.
well, the 5 major college football bowl games were scheduled tonight, and 32 of the remaining 33 bowl games were scheduled as well (the last one will be decided next week as there is still one more regular season game to be contested that has bowl implications). of course there is always controversy when you have polls determining which top 2 teams will play in the so-called 'championship game'. this year, there were 5 undefeated teams, so in the end, we all knew that 3 of them would get screwed out of the big game. in the end, they decided to match up 2 sets of undefeated teams, while scheduling the 5th undefeated against the 6th ranked 1 loss team. the rest of the bowls will feature teams with 2 losses or more. in all bowl games, it will feature teams from different conferences playing each other, which will be a great way to attempt to prove which conferences are the best.
here's some brief thoughts on the big games (with Associated Press rankings)
Rose Bowl: #7 Oregon vs #8 Ohio State. i can't say that i am really excited to watch 7 vs 8. basically a meaningless game from that stand point. but on the positive side, this is another edition of the storied rivalry between the PAC-10 Conference winner vs the Big 10 Conference winner. we've got 2 high profile schools that are sure to bring their best on game day.
Fiesta Bowl: #6 Boise State vs #3 Texas Christian. well, we've got 2 teams from non Bowl Championship Series conferences in the Bowl Championship Series, a first! sadly, they have these two undefeated teams matched against each other, rather than give them a chance to prove their worth by playing against, and beating, teams from BCS conferences. given these two school's status as being non BCS conference teams, the tv coverage for them has been limited. i was lucky enough to catch 5 of Boise's 13 games, and they looked awesome, especially on their dominant win over Oregon. Not even 1 TCU game televised here in Eastern Canada, even with the Super Sports Package. ultimately, there will be many who have never watched either, and this game is a great chance for both schools to get some exposure in front of a national audience.
and for the winner, a chance to lay claim to being the 'real' champions, having gone undefeated and winning a major bowl.
Orange Bowl: #9 Georgia Tech vs #10 Iowa. i really hate to say this, but this is a meaningless game. you've got the ACC winner against the Big 10 runner up. the two weakest conferences out of the big 6. i would have much preferred to see both of these schools matched up separately against the undefeated Boise and TCU, so that both Boise and TCU could prove their worthiness and both finish undefeated. on the positive side, Georgia Tech did win their conference and they had a great year. Iowa had an amazing run in the first half but stumbled a few times down the stretch.
Sugar Bowl: #4 Cincy vs #5 Florida. Ok, i totally don't agree with Florida dropping to #5 after losing one game this year, which was to the #2 ranked team, who is now ranked #1. I also don't like Cincy being here either. Cincy is the #2 in the country as far as i am concerned, and it's sad that they won't get a chance to win the official championship. but at the very least, this is the game with the most implications. a chance for the often-mocked Big East conference to make a statement by beating the #2 SEC team, and the team that was ranked #1 for the entire regular season. It will be very interesting to see how Florida does. Last year, the SEC runner up was so disappointed at losing their conference and missing out on the title game, that they gave no effort in the Sugar Bowl and got pounded by yet another non BCS team. Tim Tebow is a great leader and i suspect he will not let this happen to Florida. This is certain to be one heck of an offensive shoot out, the type of game Cincy is very comfortable with.
So-Called National Championship game: #1 Alabama vs #2 Texas. ok, Texas really shouldn't be here. they should have lost the conference championship game when the final play of the game was an incomplete pass. inexplicably, the ref decided to put one second back on the clock and give texas one more free play, which they used to kick a field goal to squeek by the much lower-ranked Nebraska. Sure, a win is a win, and texas is 13-0, which is awesome, but they struggled to get by a couple of weak teams. their strength of victory does not compare to that of any of the other undefeateds, and their strength of schedule is no tougher than Cincy's was. Alabama is also 13-0 and they did so against one of the toughest schedules in the league. they dominated almost all of their opponents, including 3 teams who were ranked in the top 10 at the time they played.
ultimately, on the positive side, if Texas can pull this one off, then they will earn my respect and will certainly deserve to call themselves co-champions along with any other undefeated team that wins their bowl. i can only hope, for the sake of the league, that this turns out to be one heck of a game, and not a one-sided blowout win for Alabama.. but quite frankly, i have my doubts.
in the end, here is how i would have ranked the top teams:
1 alabama
2 cincy
3 texas
4 florida
5 boise
6 tcu
7 oregon
8 georgia tech
9 ohio state
10 louisiana state
11 iowa
12 penn state
and here's what i would have done with the BCS bowls to make them more meaningful:
so-called championship - alabama vs cincy (the 2 teams i think are the best)
fiesta - tcu vs texas (talk about bragging rights in the state of texas!)
rose - ohio state vs oregon (keep the tradition alive, big 10 vs pac 10)
sugar - florida vs boise (let's see how good boise really is!)
orange - lsu vs georgia tech (sorry folks, but i think that a 3 loss SEC team is better than any big 10 team, LSU deserves to be here. if they didn't have to play FL and AL, they would only be a 1 loss team, talk about a tough schedule! yes i know, no conference is allowed to have 3 reps here, but this is my fictitious BCS so i can change the rules if i want).
oh well, if we can't have this, at least we've got what we've got. 34 great bowl games ahead, and i will be glued to the TV for each and every one of them! let the games begin!
Jenn
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Dec 5, 2009 - last day before the snow!
well, with major snow in the forecast for sunday, i decided to make one last long run around all my favourite trails to all my favourite ponds. i made the treck to burton, kent, and then up the nasty 3k of hilly roads to left pond, where i haven't been since Sept. left pond is so lovely. the freshest water you will ever see. 100% drinkable! 17.8k of running today, giving me an even 100 for the week. it's nice to be back in the groove after several weeks of reduced workload.
Jenn
Jenn
Saturday, December 5, 2009
December 4, 2009 - rough day
didn't feel very good today. perhaps it was the lack of sleep the night before. i had a headache for most of the day, perhaps side effects from the H1N1 flu shot? i got out for a light 6k run in the freezing drizzle, then spent the rest of the day inside. hope to get a good sleep tonight and head out for a long run tomorrow
Jenn
Jenn
Thursday, December 3, 2009
December 3, 2009 - more wind!
wow, another very windy day here in Newfoundland. But it was a beautiful sunny morning. i was awake bright and early for a doctor appt, which went very well. The day continued with a visit to the lake to feed the Goose, and his many duckie friends. Later, it was a trip to the infamous H1N1 vaccination clinic, where after 3 unsuccessful attempts on previous days (they were already full), i finally got in the door!
I also had the excitement of submitting a 300 word bio and photo to the race director of the Big Sur International Marathon, who is planning to put together a special commemorative 25th anniversary program book, which will include some details of the infamous "Boston 2 Big Sur challenge", and the special runners who are attempting this feat!
well, it's time to tune into a football doubleheader, where the Bills and Jets are playing a game in Canada, of all places. Then later, it's the PAC 10 Championship game, where I predict the Oregon State Beavers will upset the favoured home team, the Oregon Ducks (what, Jennifer going against the Ducks?!?! Can this be for real???)
Jennifer
I also had the excitement of submitting a 300 word bio and photo to the race director of the Big Sur International Marathon, who is planning to put together a special commemorative 25th anniversary program book, which will include some details of the infamous "Boston 2 Big Sur challenge", and the special runners who are attempting this feat!
well, it's time to tune into a football doubleheader, where the Bills and Jets are playing a game in Canada, of all places. Then later, it's the PAC 10 Championship game, where I predict the Oregon State Beavers will upset the favoured home team, the Oregon Ducks (what, Jennifer going against the Ducks?!?! Can this be for real???)
Jennifer
December 2, 2009 - very windy!
70 km/h winds were blowing for most of the day here! but that didn't stop me from heading out for a light 14k run down to quidi vidi lake. It was colder too, temps around 1 degrees! oh well, might as well get used to it. winter is coming. the sun was shining bright though, which made for a pleasant afternoon. the run felt great. i showed no signs of wear and tear from my 24k yesterday. seems the reduced workload over the past 6 weeks has paid off!
Jenn
Jenn
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
December 1, 2009 - serious running
wow, quite the windy day here, but it reached as high as 15 degrees! i took advantage and went out for 3 runs, 2 of which were in summer running attire. i covered 24k today, 19 at slow-long-distance pace, and 5k at half-marathon pace (faster.. lol). it's time to officially start thinking about the Boston Marathon and preparing to get myself into the shape i'll need to be in order to hit my yet-to-be-determined goal for that run.. lol this means logging tons of km for strong basebuilding, a weekly speed work session, more time in the pool, and healthier eating.. should be a long cold but fun winter!
Jennifer
Jennifer
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