Rolf Devinci

At least in regards to the road bike. Circumstances have changed that has had a profound effect upon my road cycling. Foremost among them was my dissatisfaction with the cycling club.I'm not liking the vibe nor the heavy handed dictatorial approach of the current executive. I have lost all inclination to participate in club rides, a sentiment I believe is shared by many club members. The decision to cease racing has also had an impact. No longer does the competitive fire force me out to train so it is harder to motivate myself to allocate the time. Instead i have broadened my sporting opportunities to include other passions; archery, ball hockey and softball. I enjoyed racing but cost, age and the dangerous nature of road racing made the decision easier. A major crash in a race this month in the C pack certainly drove that point home. I would have probably been in the middle of the chaos. Working most Saturdays has certainly cut into saddle time. I do bike commute as much...

The Spring season in the ECBHL wrapped up last night with our win in the championship game. It was a hard fought contest against a determined squad.The two teams were well matched and it showed as the game was back and forth throughout the three periods. We knew the other team were going to start fast and we found ourselves down 4-0 midway through the first period. With several veterans of the league on our team there was no panic-we had to weather the storm then get back to our game; a strong fore check and smart defensive play in our end. The goals would come- we just had to slow down our opponents first. With two late goals in the first period we carried the momentum into the second period and tied the match.Feeling better about our game and some solid goaltending by our keeper we took advantage of their tiring defense to take a two goal lead. They were a resourceful squad and rallied to net a couple goals midway through the final period to knot up the score at 7-7. We had dec...

With the arrival of some nice early Summer weather comes the opportunity for barefoot sprinting. Besides the fact that lush green grass just feels so nice on the feet I enjoy doing sprints unencumbered by footware. Not only does it feel natural but i instinctively run on my midfoot-which does not always occur while shod. The benefits of sprinting are many- it can be a time effective workout that works the whole body but is far more forgiving than long cardio sessions. Hard effort followed by recovery x however many sprints you decide to do. I love the burn sprinting causes during and afterwards. The nature of the spring also works the core muscles quite effectively,especially when you incorporate some pilates or other ab exercises into your regimen.  

Unable to resist a good opportunity to pick up a hand and a half sword on Ebay I purchased a replica blade copied from A477 of the Wallace Collection. The modern replica mimics A477 quite closely right down to the flattened oval cross sectioned 30 inch blade, straight quillions, ringed guard, pear shaped pommel and blued hardware furniture. The blade type originated in an earlier Medieval period as a one handed arming sword and was retrofitted with the two handed hilt assembly during the 15th century. The resulting blade is a true bastard sword able to produce powerful two handed cuts but also capable single handed strikes despite weighing around the four pound range. This is a "blue collar" blade and I cannot help but think it was designed for men at arms, infantry or mercenary usage in the melee. I also see in the sword the roots of the side sword that became popular during the Rennaisance era possessing a cut and thrust capability and the elaborate ring guar...

The winter season of the ECBHL finished yesterday with a championship win by the Blazers.We got off to a slow start this season but gelled as a squad heading into the playoffs. With solid defense and balanced scoring across the forward lines we dominated our playoff games. Most importantly we got solid goaltending from KW who limited rebounds and subsequent scoring opportunities. When it comes to gym ball hockey that is crucial to success on the smaller surface. It's been a successful winter of ball hockey for me winning both the Fall and Winter seasons. The body has held up well, specifically the neck and shoulder. I ended up 5th in league scoring for the Winter season and high in playoff scoring(yet to be tabulated). The credit goes to JD who is a talented athlete and makes his line mates better. If you find space and keep your stick on the floor he will get you the ball. The Spring season begins in two weeks with a new draft so lets see if I can keep the ball rolling.....

Unfortunately this is not a post upon medieval bastard swords but rather my possible carpel tunnel syndrome. My symptoms afflicting my dominant right hand have progressively been getting worse. Numb fingers and tingling that runs up my forearm that gets worse at night. With the numbness I feel like I have only half a hand most days and the feeling of weakness resulting in dropping things.Most annoying.Of late I have been experiencing some swelling on my fingers-especially in the knuckle of my middle finger. I need to get an actual diagnosis but my visit to the clinic last week saw me leave as the wait list was crazy long.No doubt the result of the Flu season here in Canada. I have to get back to consult a doctor but in the meantime I discovered my archery bracer does keep my wrist in a neutral position while sleeping. I have also begun a regime of alternating heat and cool along with consuming more anti inflamation foods as part of my usual intermittent fasting way of eating. A...

Traditional archery with a decided medieval flare.