Ean Jackson's blog

Less than a week until the end of 2011.  With the finish line in sight, I suppose it's OK to take score and see how I did relative to my friends and peers who were bold enough to share their fitness resolutions about this time last year...

Hoping to run for fun and try to dial up the speed a bit in 2011.  Here are the specifics of how I propose to measure my athletic success in the new year:

Running and related events

The 7 "official" starters of the Fat Ass Fondo, Summer 2011 edition, on Saturday 13 August.   From left to right:  Reza Ghazizadeh, Rob Jones, Ean Jackson, William Jans, Paul Burns, Eric Derbez and Ron Adams.

Mount Apodaca. A-po-da-ca.  Sounds like some exotic peak in the Pyrenees or maybe the South American Andes, doesn't it?

In fact, Apodaca is a pimple on the face of Bowen Island.  OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration... it's a festering boil on Bowen's butt end.

Last night was the 9th annual MardiGras version of the Club Fat Ass Capilano Canyon Night Run. This run takes about 90 minutes and is a great way for trail and road runners to get a feel for what it's like to run in the night. It's a very low-key event: Nobody really cares how far or fast participants run. There are 12 and 17-kilometer run courses, but there's also a "roll-your-own" distance for those who want to run farther, shorter or to accommodate those who get lost. 

The Squamish Scrambler has got to be my  favorite winter running event.  Held every February in the mountains above Squamish, BC, it's a magical half-marathon on snowshoes.

When asked, "What's your favorite sport?", I always have to stop and think about the question. 

I love sliding on snow in all of its forms (downhill, cross-country, back-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowboarding.)  If I could do anything I darn-well pleased and money was no object, it would surely be descending steep slopes of deep, dry, untracked powder on a sunny, sub-zero day.  Unfortunately, heli-skiing and cat-skiing are more addictive and expensive than crack, so I don't do them that often.

This past Saturday was the 9th Annual Seymour Super Fun Run.  Although I signed up for the 27K, I had no intention of running that far.  Saturday was supposed to be the day I cleaned the gutters, raked the leaves and completed other yard work. Have to be responsible, after all.

Last year saw me with a ripped calf for the first couple of months, but otherwise, 2010 was a great year.  I completed my 100th ultra, finished a 100-miler and bagged 48 peaks in the Bagger Challenge.