Photo of the day

snow at the ice rink

Onwards

check out this very cool little cartoon. sit, watch, enjoy... Now get out there and run!



if you can't see the video click HERE to go right to the source.

thanks to The Adventure Life for the heads up!

Oprah, KFC and me...

Ok it’s no secret I have a soft spot for KFC. Yes I know the wonderful irony that I am a vegetarian, but on occasion I eat KFC. Long ago I decided to eat the chicken of doom in every country that I visit, or at least every country that has a franchise. Perhaps it all stems from a very funny question a friend asked me years ago, “What do you call a vegetarian that eats chicken?” I thought it was the start of a joke, but it turns out she was honestly curious. I was dumbstruck and had nothing to offer.

I’ve been a veggie for years for a variety of reasons – heath and land-use ethics are the main ones – but another reason is discipline. I like the idea of facing a craving every day and saying no, not because of an ideological subscription, but by a conscious choice I make every day. To me this is a very powerful decision to make - a much harder one than simply saying that, 'I’m not allowed' and turning away. I say no to KFC (most of the time) because I choose not to and for no other reason.

So why am I babbling about KFC today? Well Oprah, yes that Oprah (she’s so entrenched into the cultural zeitgeist that ‘Oprah’ is pre-loaded into the Word spell-check – with Obama, iPod, and Facebook all getting the underline treatment) has decided to give everyone in America a meal at KFC. Go to her website and print out a coupon for a free meal at the grease pit. Apparently it is to promote some sort of healthy meal they are introducing.

What the fuck?

You don’t have to be a nutritionist to know that smelling KFC let alone eating it will take tangible amounts of time off your life expectancy. And not only is the most influential woman in America, no, the World saying it’s ok to eat it, she’s giving the shit away? I say again, what the fuck is up with that? I could go on for hours on the inevitable corporate kickbacks and dietary ramifications of such a credible celebrity (sorry does that sound like an oxy-moron to anyone else?) endorsing what is likely the most unhealthy meal on the planet but I’ll save you from that. I guess it’s just another strange turn of events in an already strange world…

I am still waiting for my free Dr. Pepper because Chinese Democracy hit the shelves before China became a democratic nation…

For more on my history with KFC click HERE. For more on celebrities selling out to fast food click HERE.

Photo of the day

Tuesday double-shot - Washers & Remarks

The Double-Routeburn

Those of you following long on my Twitter feed (hit that big logo on the right to get into it, or click HERE) will have been catching hints this week about my next adventure. This Saturday, so in 5 days, I’m going to be running a rather ambitious ultra-marathon. Here’s the story – there is an annual race just outside of Queenstown called the Routeburn Classic. The run takes place on the Routeburn walking track, a 38km hike that most people do over the course of 3 days. The path crosses a full mountain range and gains somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000m before losing it all again before the finish. The classic does this track all in one, very fast day. The top runners will complete it in around 3hrs. Now 38km of mountain running isn’t anything to make light of – but it isn’t exactly an ultra-marathon. To be an ultra it has to be at least longer then a standard marathon, or 42km. Where the ultra part comes in when my good friend Christian and I get to the finish. Instead of grabbing a beer and putting our feet up, we’re going to turn around and run back to the start. That’s right, 76km of mountain running all in one day.

So is this a wise plan? Probably not. Why are we doing it? Well the easy answer is that it sounds like fun. Now that sounds insane. I guess the reality is that we really want to challenge ourselves – not just physically but mentally. By the end of the day we are going to be totally and utterly worked and in many ways that’s the point. It’s in those moments of frailty that you really get a glimpse at what we’re made of. We’re going to be filming it too – so even if it all goes pear shaped and we turn into babbling, whimpering fools – it’ll all be on tape for your entertainment!

From the seed of ambition, both greatness and folly grow.

Have a look HERE for more info about the event and check out this video for a bit of a preview of what it’s all about.

Ripples

I’m especially excited to post this video clip today for a couple of reasons. First off, it’s a beautiful piece of imagery that makes for truly hypnotic viewing. The second reason is that this clip was filmed and edited by none other then my rather talented and always amazing wife, Sophie. I love this video and not just because I’ve got a soft spot for the artist… Enjoy!

Photo of the day

Photo of the day

Photo of the day

Photo of the day

The view out my front door – Queenstown, New Zealand