Rolf Devinci

Winter finally arrived to the East coast with a couple heavy snowfalls last week. Due to the high winds its hard to determine the amount of snowfall due to drifting but 40-60 centimeters is a good estimate depending where you are in the province. Heading into the February long weekend it meant I finally would have a chance to get outside on my snowshoes. Not only is it a full body workout but a chance to appreciate the beauty of winter. Saturday`s attempt was a hard slog. The snow was fresh powder and the drifts were substantial in the area I choose to hike within. Even with shoes matched to my weight I was knee deep for most of the outing. By Monday the temperatures had risen and with a melt the snow cover became wet and firmer and afforded far better snowshoeing opportunities. I  love the woods in winter, especially with a fresh cover of snow. A white blanket of winter snow over the landscape makes for some great scenery and, subsequently,...

It snowed.... ...we finally got enough of the white stuff to dig the snowshoes out of the storage locker. Yippee! It was a perfect day for a hike through the local woods. The temperature was around -1C, a decent amount of snow upon the ground and the trees still draped in their winter white. I love the winter woods.❤ With the exception of the hum of traffic upon the adjacent highway it was a quiet jaunt through a pristine winter landscape. Some critters were up and about; rabbit, squirrel and canine prints found in the fresh snow the only other indications of activity. My snowshoeing preference is a pair of Sorel winter hikers matched to a pair of waterproof gaiters. The leather boots are lighter than pack boots and far more versatile. I have poles that I rarely use, usually only when dealing with deep snow. Found some good sources of birchbark for the fire starter kit. Stuff burns hot and fast even when wet.  Perfect for fire building. As does cat tails. I...

Got nailed by that big old Noreaster that has wreaked havoc on the Eastern Seaboard this weekend.Looks like we did not get the huge amounts of snow that they got state side but the wind has created some crazy snowdrifts nonetheless. Factor in the drifting snow and snow plows meant I was doing lots of shovelling this weekend. I was concerned with the impact on my wonky shoulder but I was pleasantly surprised this morning. After shovelling three times on Saturday I expected to be incapacitated this morning but awoke to some stiffness but little pain. That`s a good thing because the wind came up last night and the snow plows were out in full force. Back at it this morning..... As the middle parking spot in a shared three car lot in front of the town houses I have the worst challenge of removing snow.I can pile it by the front steps(which I do for the top half of the driveway) but then need to "chuck" it across the street or an equal distance to either side while avoi...

After the dietary carnage of the last week I spent my Christmas day preparing a traditional meal of roasted turkey and all the fixings. It really is my favorite part of the holidays spending the day at home relaxing with some food and wine. So it is not a surprise I usually wake on Boxing Day feeling sluggish and achy. There was no exception this morning so I opted to take a hike through the woods since it was a glorious December morning. No wind and moderate winter temps combined with blue sky and sunshine meant I was keen to get some freah air. In fact the temperatures were surprisingly mild and on sun facing rock ledges there was actually Spring like melt. That melting did lead to some neat ice formations though....... There was a dusting of snow cover on the ground and was enough to determine the rabbits were active from all the prints found on small game trails. That said the big bad wolf...ok....coyotes (or dogs) were also around...

 After my bike commute home I opted to do some running and jumps since the rain had held off and it was a muggy Monday evening.Might as well earn the sweat. After a warmup loop of my fav trail I ran a set of wind style sprints. Total distance out and back was about 75 yards on a grassy field along the trail. Best time was 15.31. Found this ideal jump rock where I could add distance to the jumping equation. I call it the fire pit jump where you need to cover both distance and height to avoid the(imaginary) flames.The height of the boulder is about three feet with the jump distance from the base about the same. I usually do 8 reps per set or until the legs give out(wink). It is a real leg burner!

Picked up a new pair of runners yesterday since ball hockey and winter running had signaled the death knell of my former Aesics. I ended up with Adidas shoes as they seemed to be a good fit for my orthotics, available in my size and on sale. When it comes to runners I could care less about colors or style as long as they work for me and my wonky back. Since my cycling plans were put on hold with possible inclement weather I opted to go for a trail run and give them a test drive. The Uraha 2's are, by no means, an expensive shoe but perfect for a cyclist who dabbles in some light trail running and occasional intervals. They actually felt pretty good with my orthotics, much better than my last pair of runners. The Aesics were a little big for the inserts and resulted in the orthotic moving and bunching up. It was miserable. These shoes seem a better fit. Managed to get in some running, intervals and jumping including some short vids of step jumps and hill path intervals. All ...

Heading into the first race of the season(mid May) I am feeling strong and my training rides have all been excellent to date. I have noticed a definite improvement in my climbing ability and overall wattage on the bike. I can only attribute the improvement to my workout regimen this pass Winter and Spring with a focus upon developing lower body strength and overall power in more of a natural setting..... I call it my Outdoor Gym. It does seem complimemtary to my Primal WOE; both being simplistic in approach, functionality and form.It is all about getting outside for movement, exercise, sun and air making use of whatever nature or urbanization offers along the way to help facilitate a workout.. Trail Run - I use this as my warmup from home on trails that are wooded and covered in woodchips. Very forgiving to the body unlike pavement or concrete. Sprint Intervals - I follow Tabata style sprints. Twenty seconds of hard effort followe...

Having awoken to a beautiful early Spring day(sunny and 0C) but unable to get out on the bike due to ball hockey commitments this afternoon I opted to go for a short trail run, some intervals then do some bench/rock jumps. Since I decided early to do this I figured it would be a good idea to test the fasted training concept so I opted not to take any calories beforehand. A couple cups of coffee and I was good to go. The run portion was really just a warmup before I did some Tabata style interval sprints at the local softball field. Probably no more than three kilometers(of running) in total but the intervals sure hurt. I then did two sets of 8 reps of bench jumps that were surprisingly easy. My jumping was improving! Thats when I eyed one of the big rocks along the trail. I had noticed it before but the height was beyond my ability but today was another day. Almost flat on top it offered a stable platform.The ground was sloping away from the base of the rock so I estimate ...

Discovered this on Mark's Daily Apple and I`m thinking it`s an ideal exercise to add to my winter running. I had started doing hill intervals last week and will now incorporate Tabata sprints as well. They certainly compliment my running goals of shorter, higher intensity efforts. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-are-tabata-sprints/ They should definitely improve my ball hockey fitness which is all about short hard efforts followed by brief seconds of recovery while on the floor. Tabata sprints can also be used on the bike as well. Nice! Post Script - Jan 4 2011 Did my first set of sprints.I didn't push too hard(icy conditions) but it still hurt.

 I have discovered the joys of winter trail running so today I opted to go for a much needed run.My route was through the Mainland Common and wooded environs out to the Bicentential Highway. Sadly it is all scheduled for development so it is only a matter of time before urban sprawl will consume the vast majority of it.  Under overcast skies with -4C temps(-14+ with windchill....46kph gusts) I headed out dealing with icy and crusty snow conditions. It actually was pretty good to run upon - yesterday's rain had melted the snowcover to a couple inches so it provided mostly staple footing with a little give that is easy on the body.The biggest challenge was determing where icy patches may be or semi frozen marshy sections that resulted in wet feet.   Dressed in running tights and a MEC mid weight jersey, PBK winter gillet and LG shell I was toasty warm even when idle and exposed to the gusting wind. The(new) winter gillet is fast becoming m...

Awoke this morning to a beautiful Saturday morning....blue skies, -4C, no wind and a coating of gloriously white puffy snow over the HRM to add some color to the grey wet weather we have been experiencing of late. For a brief moment I planned on a bike ride but my fears of black ice upon wet pavement just does not thrill me as I have experienced that particular hazard one to many times for my liking.Instead I headed to the market for some grass fed beef and free range eggs while enjoying the atmosphere of the Seaport Farmer's market complete with a cup of French roast. Quick stop at the Virgin Mobile kiosk to pick up a gift for my daughter then home to gear up for a trail run. I have experienced a renaissance in my running after I decided getting "faster" and running "farther" was no longer my(only) objective. What I have been doing now is more akin to cross country trail running over undulating terrain, natural obstacles and fields at varying intensities. I...

....and jumping on the box. I think this winter I will try to mix up my training by incorporating some cross fit techniques to help improve strength and power. Box jumps.... http://www.brassringfitness.com/workout-techniques/box-jumps/ Walking Lunches.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYTNEh4r5PI Medicine Ball Squats.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC2dKbkWANI Today I completed a routine. 5km bike commute 1.6km(1mile) run 3 sets of box jumps 3 sets of walking lunges 3 sets of MB squats Finished with  a set of ab exercises Lets see how the lower body feels in the morning? Post Script - Jan 3 2011 I have incorporated box jumps into my trail running using rocks, benches and other suitable obstacles.