Firehall Paleo Roasted Sweet Potato Recipe

Apr01
2012 Leave a Comment

Written by Mark

Don't get derailed by poor nutrition

So we were at work at the Firehall and basically we were messing around with different ways to do sweet potatoes. The guy who does the shopping for the firehall gets to have more of a say as to what is for dinner, so more paleo friendly sweet potatoes it was. The firehall is a tough place to try new things, but this won those guys over and has since been a staple in my house. Credit goes to my buddy Scotty for helping out with this one and reaching for the right spices. This is a simple and easy recipe and another great way to do sweet potatoes for a post workout meal. They key here is finding that clubhouse Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic seasoning mix. This recipe is really easy to make if you follow these directions.

: Don’t get derailed by poor nutrition

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes (easy rule of thumb is 1 small one per person)
Coconut Oil
Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Spice
Black Pepper

Cooking Time: Approximately 45-55 minutes

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Peel sweet potatoes and cut them into chunks the size of regular strawberries (not the frankenberries)

3. Coat the pieces in a liberal amount of coconut oil. Melt if first so that you get better coverage. It melts at 24 degrees celsius. I usually throw it in a glass bowl and microwave it for a quick minute.

4. Coat with a liberal amount of Roasted red pepper and garlic seasoning and freshly ground black pepper.

5. Throw the cut sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet and fire them in the oven. Flip them about 20 minutes in and add some more seasoning as desired.

Take them out after 45-55 minutes when they are showing nice brown crispy edges and are soft all the way through. You are done! Don’t forget to flip them or they will burn and turn black. Enjoy

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged easy, firehall, firehouse, fireman, firemen, paleo, potatoes, quick, recipe, roasted, sweet, yams

Adventure Racing Training Courses

Feb05
2012 2 Comments

Written by Mark

FULL DAY TRAINING – A must do course!

“It’s crazy – we are not a fast team – but after taking the training course we would go by teams that should have been way ahead of us – we learned how to work as a team and use the tips we learned in the course – it was awesome!” (Full training course attendee)

Want to learn how to use your map and compass? Tired of getting lost? Want to do better as a team on race day? Well then maybe it’s time to take some adventure racing training. Trainers Mark and Heather are experienced adventure racers and have raced in short and long races around the world with top finishes. Learn the tips and tricks that will help you get the results that you desire! Come take the 4 hour navigation course, or the full day crash course that will get you through your first adventure race.

If you have 5 or more people that would like a course, you can select your own date and time and we will do our best to accommodate you. Call Mark or Heather @ 416.970.3727

Sunday April 29th, 2012
Sunday May 27th, 2012

Crash Course! - Navigation 101 / Paddling 101 / Mountain Biking for AR 101

START of NAV section: 8am START of Paddling / mountain biking 1pm

Where: The starting point for the full day courses will be Reebok CrossFit Firepower in Milton

Click here for a map. 509 Main Street East, Milton Ontario. Check out more at Reebok CrossFit Firepower

When:

The full day crash courses starts at 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. This session is a full day crash course in adventure racing that is meant to teach you how to finish your first adventure race. Save time, money and effort by doing this course!

Cost: If you would like to do the full day crash course then the cost is $110. If you have already taken the Navigation 101 class this year, then the cost of joining in for the mountain biking and paddling is an extra $50.

How do I sign up? Click here to register. Call us and book your time as spots are limited. We try to keep the instructor to racer ratio small so that you gain the maximum benefit of the course and time.

416.970.3727 Heather or Mark or via email

See description of training below.

Navigation 101

Reading a 1:50 000 topographical map

Using an orienteering map

Using your compass

Taking a bearing

Teamwork on your feet

Eating and Drinking on the go!

Trekking transition areas

Team Goals

Towlines, weight sharing

Getting to the finish line!

Paddling 101:

Even if you have done adventure races before this is a must take course! This will be part of the full day crash course.

Three people in a canoe

Middle seat designs

Using your compass and map on the water

Paddling transitions

Portaging and water reentry

Eating while paddling

Hydration on the water

Paddle strokes

Team communication

Canoe paddles versus kayak paddles

Some much needed paddling practice!

AR / Mountain biking 101

This will be offered as part of the full day crash course

Reading your map while biking

Actually using your odometer!

Drafting

Technical riding

Eating and drinking on your bike

Towlines

Biking transitions

Bike shoes vs cages vs flat pedals

Bike safety

Time in the saddle!

If you have 5 or more people that would like a course you can select your own date and we will do our best to accommodate you. Please let us know if you are interested in a certain date and we will send out the info to see if it works with others schedules.

Posted in Training, video - Tagged Add new tag, adventure racing, adventure training, ar training, canada, canadian, Crossfit, esar, firepower, map and compass, milton, ontario, orienteering, reebok, rockstar, Storm, storm the trent, Training

CrossFit Sissy Test

Dec09
2011 Leave a Comment

Written by Mark

Tell these guys they are sissies!

“The Sissy Test” Sometimes called “21″ or “BlackJack” since all your reps add up to 21…looks easy doesn’t it?

Give it a shot and let me know how it works out for you. Did this yesterday and took me about 35 minutes. I personally feel that when a workout takes this long then the intensity has to suffer, but it is a good metcon and a tough mental conditioning wod. Not to mention a brain buster adding all those numbers together in an oxygen depleted state to 21. Have fun!

Prescribed Weight 1.5 pood (55lbs) for guys 1 pood (35 lbs) for the ladies

20 Burpees /1 KB

19 Burpees /2 KBS

18 Burpees /3 KBS

17 Burpees /4 KBS

16 Burpees /5 KBS

15 Burpees /6 KBS

14 Burpees /7 KBS

13 Burpees /8 KBS

12 Burpees /9 KBS

11 Burpees /10 KBS

10 Burpees /11 KBS

9 Burpees /12 KBS

8 Burpees /13 KBS

7 Burpees /14 KBS

6 Burpees /15 KBS

5 Burpees /16 KBS

4 Burpees /17 KBS

3 Burpees /18 KBS

2 Burpees /19 KBS

1 Burpee /20 KBS

Posted in Training - Tagged 21, blackjack, burpees, Crossfit, kettlebell, sissy test, wod

Try Organic Food … or as your grandparents called it, “Food”

Sep29
2011 1 Comment

Written by Mark

Posted in General - Tagged called, food, grandparents, inspirational, organic, real food, sign, try organic

Coyote Attacks on Runners.. or Why you Should Still Run in the Woods.

Sep28
2011 Leave a Comment

Written by Mark

Some people are afraid of coyotes and don’t run in the woods because they feel they are going to be ambushed and ravaged by a pack of these legendary jogger eaters. Sure in many urban areas there are lots of coyotes, and i’m sure you can even hear them lots of times at night. Coyotes are a very adaptable creature and currently they co-exist very well in green belt areas close to built up urban areas. We are infringing on their territory, but don’t worry they haven’t declared an all out war on the invading species.

Lets deal with some facts:

1. Coyotes are small animals, and you probably should be more afraid of the neighbours dog. They are smaller than Labrador retrievers and generally weigh from 15 to 45 lbs.

2. Coyotes in urban areas are well fed as they eat your neighbours pets like cats and small dogs, and maybe some garbage left out. They aren’t going to bother with a runner. Don’t leave fluffy out in the back yard, especially if they are yappy or would fit in a purse, this equals lunch to a coyote.

3. There have been only 2 recorded fatalities involving coyotes in North America. , one was a small child, and the other was a folk singer (does that matter… maybe). With the folk singer they also belive it was a wolf coyote mix. Wolves are much larger and meaner than coyotes. Once again, if we put things into perspective, you are in more danger wearing your ipod crossing the street then taking a long run in the woods and facing the danger of being attacked by a pack of coyotes.

Don’t be afraid of this small little cousin of your family pooch, grab your own pack of friends and run where you were designed and destined to run.. in the woods. If you aren’t running in the woods, then you are missing out on a very enjoyable, relaxing back to nature approach with clean air and a better view. Trail running allows us to go back to our roots.. no pun intended.

Don’t worry about the coyotes… its the Cougars you have to worry about

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged attack, attacks, canada, coy dog, coyote, human, jackal, jackel, jakal, jog, joggers, ontario, prairie wolf, runners, running, trail running, trails, urban

“Race Insurance” – 6 Pieces of AR gear that you shouldn’t leave home without!

Aug08
2011 2 Comments

Written by Mark

I see many teams that get hung up with a problem in their adventure race, and then suffer or pack it in for the rest of the race. Who wants to give up? Not me! Problems will inevitable arise in any race and it’s not that your team has back luck, because it’s happening to everyone. Who wants to have a great race experience and have your friend buy you a drink at the end of the race while you sit there like MacGuyver and Survivorman, and can actually call yourself a good team mate. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist, but let me share some tips with you.

1. A towline – Bike towline or trekking tow, if you don’t have you you should be slapped.

2. Electrolytes – It may feel like you are going to die, and that you can’t go on when you get full leg cramps, but take some electrolyte powder or drink and give it 15 minutes. You will be back in the game. Ideally you want to get to the cramps before they happen. Pringle’s chips will work as well, mmmm tubular goodness.

moleskine

3. Moleskin – any hot spots on your feet should be taken care of right away. A little covering of moleskin will fix that. Also good socks and foot lube will help too. Duct tape will work in a pinch.

4. trekking poles – if you roll an ankle or the legs just aren’t working any more, these things are like portable crutches. If you have to bust them out, then you probably have already taken that person’s pack and saved them carrying extra weight.. right!? They may be a bit of a pain to bushwhack with, but they are worth it.

5. Derailleur Hanger – For the extra 20 bucks that it costs, you can recover from a catastrophic bike problem. You won’t have to make your bike a singlespeed for the rest of the race and it’s pretty easy to do, probably easier than the singlespeed fix. Buy one, put it in your seat bag and carry it with you, you can buy me a beer later.

6. Tubeless tires – Sure they may weigh a little bit more than your super light racing tires, but the added rubber prevents against slashes in the sidewall, and riding tubeless allows you to run a lower tire pressure and is much more comfortable. Here is where the real secret comes in. Run a sealant in those tires and that is where you make your system bombproof. Stan’s No Tubes works great here. I can’t comment on the other systems because I just stick with what works. If the tubeless tire sealant system craps out on you, then your fix is to throw a tube in and you are back rocking. Heck, you have to carry the tube with you anyways as part of your mandatory gear.

Follow these 6 steps and carry these “race insurance items” and you will have a much greater chance of finding the finish line, happy and all together as a team. Isn’t that what adventure racing is about?! Preparation is the key to success in adventure races, and races are won and lost in the training and preparation, not on race day. Ok, now who is going to buy me a beer?

Posted in General - Tagged 6 tips, adventure, derailleur, electrolytes, moleskin, race, race insurance, racing, towline, trekking poles, tubless

The New Company Vehicle

Jul30
2011 2 Comments

Written by Mark

Just a quick note, have been busy with RockstAR adventure race and getting ready for Wilderness Traverse and also moving our operations to Collingwood. Got a new vehicle a Land Rover 110, some people call them “Defenders”. I’ve wanted one for years and the timing was right to get one. There was one that fit the bill and is a great vehicle. Things just seemed to work out. The truck has some work to be done, but in the UK they still make them, so it is really just a matter of sourcing out the parts and getting them shipped.

Insurance
Wow this is bit of an issue because of the whole right hand drive thing. I have driven it a couple times and have found that it isn’t that weird being on the other side of the vehicle, but apparently in Ontario, all the insurance companies have banded together to just exclude insuring right hand drive vehicles (RHD). I found the Silver Wheels company who does antique vehicles and all was good until they wanted me to just send back a note saying that I wouldn’t do any hauling, towing, no winch use, no off road use, and no driving in winter. Well all that being said, it’s pretty much NO FUN. That’s why I bought this vehicle, it is the ultimate utility vehicle and if I’m moving up into the snow belt, then heck, I want to use BOTH the winch and drive it in winter, maybe even off road! I feel better about getting this out there, but I’m still looking for insurance… Trucks still in the shop and awaiting some parts. It will be great though..

Insurance Saga Continued

I’ve called the following companies:

* Intact Ins Co = no

* Gore Mutual Ins Co = no

* Aviva (Pilot) Ins Co = no

* Economical Ins Co = no

* Waterloo Ins Co = no

* Dominion of Canada = no

* Jecvo (substandard market) = no

*RBC insurance = no (there was some comments online that they would, but no luck here either)

* PC insurance = no

This may be different if you are actually insured with them to start with, but in my experience they won’t touch you if you are a new customer to them with a RHD vehicle in Ontario.

Some specs.

1989 Land Rover 110

200 Tdi diesel engine

No Air conditioning

Bad ass winch

Utility light

Dual Battery system

Basically this is the truck you want when the apocalypse comes, or to take the kids to the mountain to ski

More pics

Posted in General - Tagged 110, 130, 90, british vehicle, defender, insurance, insurance company, land rover, ontario, RHD, right hand drive, uk

Team Hark Events / New Balance Hill Training

May20
2011 Leave a Comment

Written by Mark

Training at the Devil’s Pulpit. The trip takes about 6 minutes up and the same time down. Very rugged little section of the Bruce Trail. It is located in Belfountain Ontario Canada, although this morning it felt like we were trekking the West Coast Trail in B.C. We were using our New Balance Minimus trail shoes and they worked amazing and gave us great trail feel and the Vibram soles gripped the wet rocks and moss.

To find this section of the trail you have to look here, and then follow the blazes up..
View Larger Map

Interested in becoming a better racer and training smarter? Take our Adventure Racing Training Courses!

Click here to learn more

Posted in video - Tagged adventure, adventureracing, AR, bruce, caledon, devils, hark, hark events, hill climbs, NB, pulpit, racing, trail, Training

How to Weatherproof your Maps for Adventure Racing

May16
2011 Leave a Comment

Written by Mark

Posted in video - Tagged adventure, bugsinteeth, care, map, maps, maptac, proofing, race, racing, sealing, waterproofing, weather

“Less is More” NB Minimus set to Capitalize on Minimalist Running Movement

Apr25
2011 3 Comments

Written by Mark

NB Minimus Click to Enlarge

Words are coming on this one, I am super excited to get a pair of these shoes to check out. They aren’t due out until March 2011. Vibram soles on a NB lightweight minimalist upper, sounds like a match made in heaven. More to come…

April 2011 Update:

Got my New Balance Minimus Trail (aka MT10) and the day of getting them, I was itching to get them out on the trail and really test drive them. The weather here has been raining for the past few days and the area around here is all clay based, so it was promising to be a slippery muddy one.

more like a neoprene glove. There is some stitching on the inside of the shoe, but the tongue of the shoe is connected to the outer fabric to prevent any twigs or dirt from getting in the shoe. One other thing that they have changed from these pictures shown is that they have changed the insole from a white colour to a solid black. Smart if you are using the trail exclusively for trail running.

The time is 9:30 p.m. and the fog is thick, I grab my headlamp and we we quickly disappear into the inky night to hit the trailhead 800m from my house. The road feel of these shoes is similar to the MT101′s that I had and a little cushier than my VFF’s. One issue that I have had with my Vibram KSO is that they had no real tread, I know the new ones do, but it made some of my winter running and muddy conditions quite slippery. The first hill climb on the first hill was covered with mud and the Minimus peformed well. How can you go wrong with a Vibram outsole? The multi-directional tread pattern performed well on uphills, downhills and off camber trails, no complaints here. A couple creek crossings later and a few puddles showed me how quickly these orange foot socks drained, and the soles seem to shed mud very well. Compared to the NB MT101′s these shoes had a much grippier sole and I found it noticeably less slippery while scrambling over roots and rocks. Because you have a pliable sole and a minimalist upper, the shoes gives you a great ground feel and I feel you are less likely to roll and ankle or hurt yourself wearing these. With less fabric and rubber between you and the ground, you get a better signal and more biofeedback to let your feet and brain to work in conjunction.

Probably the most unexpected and surprising with these shoes is the feel and fit. My feet are a little chewed up from a recent orienteering race and I’ve got toenails turning black and falling off, (was using my Saucony Xodus) blisters that are healing over and some blisters in between my toes from my Vibrams from other runs. I was really expecting a break in period with them, but right out of the box they fit and after a 8 kilometre trail experience I had no hot spots or rub points on my feet. These shoes feel very similar to a pair of shoes I used to have a few years made by ecco called the reese, if you haven’t owned these shoes, then the best comparison that I can make is that they feel like you are wearing a pair of moccasins. I like them. More to come.

Click to Enlarge

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Posted in General - Tagged 2011, aegis, collection, competition, flat, images, lss is mor, Minimalist, minimus, MT10, NB, new, new balance, orange, pictures, running, shoe, sole, vff, vibram