2016 Guelph 1 Sprint Triathlon

Last weekend, I raced the Guelph Lake Sprint triathlon and had my best race ever! First, what is a sprint triathlon? A “sprint” distance is generally a 750m swim (820 yards, yes over 8 football fields) a 20k bike (13.1 miles) and then a 5k run (3.1 miles).

It is called a sprint, because it is short, and you basically are going flat out the entire time. The longer distance triathlons, you often hold back and pace yourself because you might be racing for many hours.

There were 599 participants in this event counting both men and women. There were 33 men in my age group (45-49) and I got 4th!

Probably the biggest issue with these races for me is the swim. I never practice open water swimming or even practice swimming in my wetsuit.  The only time I do these things is on race day. So, I get panic attacks.

This race was no different. By the time I hit the second buoy, I could feel the panicked breathing starting.  Luckily, I just saw this video on YouTube a few weeks prior for how to make panic attacks go away. It worked! I just focused on these breathing techniques and by the 3rd  buoy, I was ready to push it again and was 6 of 33 for the swim.  If you have issues with panic attacks or at least panic attacks while swimming a triathlon, check out this video. This video isn’t for racing, but just in general.

My bike leg went well. I felt pretty strong and I feel like I passed over 50 people. But, the best part for me was the run. I ran at a 4:38km pace (12.6kph or 8mph) for the 5k leg. For me, this is really good, especially after just biking and swimming and it was an incredibly hot day on Sunday! (about 27.5c / 82F at race finish) .

A lot of people were complaining about the heat that day. Rightly so. But, for some reason, I really wasn’t feeling it that day. Maybe it was the new head buff I wore? Maybe just adrenaline?

The best part of the race was getting called up to the podium to get a 4th place finisher medal.

 

Paul Ryan’s Poverty Agenda

Paul Ryan “Claims” he is supporting Trump because he wants to get his “Anti-Poverty” agenda passed in 2017.

 

Do anyone really think if it is a good plan any democrat wouldn’t support it?  See my post how Bill Clinton supported the GOP agenda in the 90s.

 

Generally, the Dems aren’t obstructionists like the GOP has proven to be over the last 8 years.

 

This obstruction, by one party (The racist party, who just nominated a racist as their leader) – that does absolutely nothing, is a new phenomena since the US put a black man in office.

You suck Associated Press

The Associated Press runs a story declaring Hillary the Dem nominee the day before the big California election. This will obviously suppress the vote in California, hurting Bernie and helping Hillary.

No wonder so many American’s (especially Bernie and Trump supports) think the entire American system is corrupt and broken. That even the media is in the pockets of big business and the wealthy.

The AP could have run this story tonight and it still would have been a good story.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/779b7012af24446289623a968926ec04/ap-count-clinton-has-delegates-win-democratic-nomination

Why Paul Ryan Should Endorse Hillary Clinton

Paul Ryan says is supporting Trump because he thinks he will sign his legislative agenda after elected.  Doesn’t he remember when the last Clinton was in office with a GOP house?

 

Clinton:

• Signed Welfare reform kicking, people off welfare
• Signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
• implemented “Don’t ask Don’t tell” for gays in the military vs openly serving
• Reinventing Government Initiative reduced federal employees by 377,000
• Balanced the budget (Actually budget surplus)
• Signed NAFTA
• Signed that much maligned crime bill
• Added 100,000 police officers on the streets
• Signed GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and trade)
• Signed a Religious freedom memorandum for public schools
• Death penalty for terrorists
• Required welfare recipients to work
• Reduced medicare fraud by 1.6 billion
• banned research on human cloning
  

These are all Republican agenda items!

This is why Bernie Sanders supporters don’t want Hillary to be the nominee.
This is how she would govern too.

This statement isn’t in support of Hillary. It’s just an obvious fact.
You don’t have to endorse Trump to get your agenda passed, Paul Ryan.
Stop putting your party before your country, Asshole.

Why are razors so expensive?

Have you noticed how expensive razors are? Feel like you’re getting ripped off? That’s because you are!

Keep reading.

Reviewing Walmart Canada websites, here are some prices on 4 pack, 5-blade razors refills.

• $23 Gillette Fusion ProGlide Men’s Razor Blade Refills
• $24 Gillette® Fusion® ProShield™ Men’s Razor Blade Refills
• $24 Gillette® Fusion® ProShield™ Chill™ Men’s Razor Blade Refills
• $14.58 Schick Hydro 5 Refill Razor Blades
• $6.92 Wilkinson Sword M5 Magnum Refills

I have been using the Wilkinson Sword for over a year now. These work great for me. The only complaint is they don’t seem to have the cute back side razor for trimming very close to my nose.

Need more information to feel comfortable with this brand? Wilkinson Sword is just the European version of Schick. They are both owned by Edgewell Personal Care.  I don’t know why these are so cheap, but if you compare them to the Hyrdo 5, they look nearly identical. In England, there is a razor called the Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5.

Are you a lady and also want to save money? THEN USE THIS MEN’s razor. They are the same, just not pink. But, if you must have it in lady colour, then Sobey’s has a Women’s Compliments version of this Wilkinson Sword 5-blade razor that is also under $7. For your legs and pits, it will work awesome. I used it for that reason during last year’s bike season🙂 Also, women’s razors are about 20% more expensive than men’s razors for no good the reason. The only reason is probably because women do most of the family shopping and, since they are purchasing for themselves, they will spend the extra few dollars.

Live in the US? I can’t find as good of a deal as this. The closest I can find is to use Schick or Personna brand, which is also Wilkinson Sword.

Mitt Romney’s State of the Race Speech

I just watched Mitt Romney’s state of the 2016 Primary race speech.

Transcript

I would like to start by saying, I really liked it and thought Mitt did a good job. Honestly, when Mitt was running against Obama, I didn’t think he would do a bad job and  the country would be ok. Perhaps the country might have been even better because the rabid tea party caucus, that was destroying the country’s ability to self govern, would not have had Obama as the enemy anymore. But, who knows, we can’t run that experiment.

Here are my thoughts when I apply my critical thinking skills on what Mitt said.

Romney attacked Trump on many different fronts. On policy issues his main points were:

1. A bad trade policy that would put the US into a severe recession
2. Creating scapegoats out of Mexicans and Muslims
3. Foreign Policy with ISIS is bad
4. Healthcare Plan for Repeal and Replace of the Affordable Care Act is bad
5. Admires Vladimir Putin

He also attacked him on matters of personality, but I am not going to comment on those. Those are obvious.

For items 2-4, scapegoating Mexicans and Muslims, his ISIS Foreign policy and his healthcare proposals, there is almost no daylight between Trump and Cruz or Rubio.

• When Trump proposed banning Muslims from entering the country, almost all the other candidates jumped on board with “ME too!” Even Jeb.
• All of them are attacking Mexico and they are running on who is the most brutal towards the people who are harvesting our produce and keeping our food supply chain operating.
• Cruz has the same middle east policy. Carpet Bomb them all! Turn the sand to glass!
• Cruz and Rubio have no credible Repeal and Replace plan for Obamacare. All of their plans result in millions of people losing the healthcare they have now. All of their plans are a disaster.

On the issue of Vladimir Putin, all Trump was doing was repeating what is said on Fox News and Right Wing News blogs all the time. Romney must be living in a bubble if he doesn’t  realize this.  The far right loves Putin and would prefer him to Obama as the president. If Romney is going to criticize Trump on this issue, he has to criticize almost ALL of Right Wing media to consistent!

The one issue that Trump is different from the rest of the party is his trade policy. Trump is making a very good counter on this argument in his retort.

Hilariously, Romney is saying there are some secret tapes that the NY Times has that indicates Trump really isn’t so severe on his immigration policy has he has been saying. That it is all bluster.

So, what point exactly is Romney trying to make here?

Trump, you are racist against Mexicans, release the NY Times tapes so I can prove you aren’t really racist. The country needs to know! You aren’t qualified to be our candidate because you are a racist, and you aren’t really qualified because you aren’t racist enough!

For Romney to attack Trump on these 5 issues as disqualifying policy positions, then only John Kasich is qualified to be the Republican candidate for president right now.  Except for the trade policy issue and personality issues, I think every one of Romney’s  points can also be directed at Cruz and Rubio.

Cruz: You’re not a true conservative if you don’t let people “die in the streets”

I watched most of the last Republican debate. The thing that shocked me most, and got close to ZERO media coverage, was Cruz basically accused Trump for not being sufficiently conservative enough accept letting people without healthcare “die in the streets”.

All Rubio could add to the conversations is “Republicans don’t talk about this”.

I have had these conversations with “anti-healthcare” people before. When you get to this point in the conversation, they get all jittery and start to bob and weave when you get to the logical point in their argument. That is, if you implement what they say should happen, then one must be ok with letting people who can’t afford healthcare to just die and you wipe your hands of them.

For all of Trump’s faults, on this issue, he was the most compassionate on the stage.

---

 CRUZ: Donald, true or false, you’ve said the government should pay for everyone’s health care.

TRUMP: That’s false.

CRUZ: You’ve never said that?

TRUMP: No, I said it worked in a couple of countries…

CRUZ: But you’ve never stood on this debate stage and says it works great in Canada and Scotland and we should do it here.

TRUMP: No, I did not. No I did not.

CRUZ: Did you say if you want people to die on the streets, if you don’t support socialized health care, you have no heart.

TRUMP: Correct. I will not let people die on the streets if I’m president.

CRUZ: Have you said you’re a liberal on health care?

TRUMP: Excuse me. Let me talk. If people…

CRUZ: Talk away. Explain your plan, please.

TRUMP: If people — my plan is very simple. I will not — we’re going to have private — we are going to have health care, but I will not allow people to die on the sidewalks and the streets of our country if I’m president. You may let it and you may be fine with it…

CRUZ: So does the government pay for everyone’s health care?

TRUMP: … I’m not fine with it. We are going to take those people…

CRUZ: Yes or no. Just answer the question.

TRUMP: Excuse me. We are going to take those people and those people are going to be serviced by doctors and hospitals. We’re going to make great deals on it, but we’re not going to let them die in the streets.

CRUZ: Who pays for it?

RUBIO: Well, can I just clarify something?

BLITZER: Gentleman, please.

RUBIO: Wolf, no. I want to clarify something.

BLITZER: Gentlemen please. I want to move on.

RUBIO: This is a Republican debate, right? Because that attack about letting people die in the streets if the government doesn’t support health care? That’s what Democrats say.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/wait-was-ted-cruz-advocating-for-people-dying-on-the-streets-over-obamacare/