BOOK REVIEW: ‘Man Versus Ball: One Ordinary Guy and His Extraordinary Sports Adventures,’ by Jon Hart

 
At one point in Man Versus Ball, Jon Hart’s editor, frustrated by the author’s shenanigans, calls him “the George Costanza of journalism.” But really, he is the opposite of the bumbling Seinfeld character (save for being really funny). Rather than try to cut corners and take the lazy way out, Hart goes out of his way – often way way out of his way – to make his life as difficult as possible by diving head-first into whatever whacked-out sports-associated role he can find. 

I was surprised at how much I learned from Hart’s book. He introduces us to the cutthroat and surprisingly fascinating world of soda and hot dog vending at Yankee Stadium, takes us behind the scenes of pro tennis after qualifying to become a “ball person” at the U.S. Open, he shows us how amateur football players hammer their bodies to hell for no pay and rarely any glory, and he joins the National In-line Basketball League (which, yes, is basketball played on inline skates), a sport I didn't even know existed.

Among his many adventures, Hart essentially becomes a series of different real-life characters. He races up the Empire State Building as a stair climber, puts in a painful stint as a professional wrestler nicknamed Johnny Love, a Venice Beach party guy. After training with the top mascot guru in the business, Hart lands a role as a hockey mascot, dressed in a neon pink gorilla suit.

As “The Joggler,” I know all about running along the fringes of so-called real sports. After all, I did star in an award-winning documentary with the tagline, “Fame. Fortune. Usually neither.” The thing is, it’s not about all of that. What I've learned in my time as a marathon joggler is that it’s about doing the best you can, whether you’re running a marathon while juggling, dunking basketballs on inline skates or jumping around dressed as a pink gorilla. I was slightly disappointed that the book didn’t include any joggling, but will wait patiently for Hart’s sequel, Man Versus Juggling Balls.

Man Versus Ball is a raucous rollick along the frayed fringes of the sports world, where I think Hart finds more real-ness than you typically encounter in the major professional sports. “It’s not about superstars or championship teams,” Hart writes, but along the way, he does find plenty of superstars in their own way – all unheralded misfits, in one way or another, himself included. 

Find Man Versus Ball on Amazon HERE.

"Marathon Juggler? That's a Thing?"

Since the launch of the Fairfleld Inn and Suites #StayAmazing TV commercial, I keep reading on Twitter: "Marathon juggler? That's a thing?" That was actually my reaction in 2005. I had set the Guinness record for the "fastest marathon whilst juggling three objects" as a charity stunt, but quickly discovered that there was a worldwide community of competitive and recreational jogglers out there, who had being doing this for decades. 'This is really a thing?' I thought to myself at the time.

Fast-forward almost 10 years and here I am setting the new half-marathon joggling Guinness World Record at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. If you look down the list of joggling records, there are no easy ones, and the 1:20:40 half-marathon was no exception. A huge thank-you to everyone who donated to People to People Canada. Our team raised nearly $40,000 for AIDS orphans in Ethiopia.

The race's live YouTube coverage picked me up at about the 16km mark and did a full colour commentary of the joggling record attempt as if it were a real sport. A thing! It cracks me up to no end hearing Tim Hutchings, probably the best running commentator in the business, narrating my joggling, along with 2:28 marathoner Krista DuChene and Canadian Running editor-in-chief Michael Doyle.

It actually hurts my brain just to watch that footage again, because it's really quite astonishingly painful to run at a 3:50/km (6:09/mile) pace while trying to keep that cascade spinning around and not dropping a ball. So yeah, I can vouch for marathon juggling (and half-marathon, 10km, etc.) being a thing. It's absurd, funny and painful, but most definitely a thing.

Joggling in TV Commercial for Fairfield Inn and Suites

More on this soon, but I appeared in my first TV commercial. It's for Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott and it's amazing – as in, #StayAmazing amazing.

Half-Marathon Joggling World Record, By the Numbers

It's not too late to donate! Help me reach my goal to raise $1,000 through People to People Canada for AIDS orphans in Ethiopia. DONATION LINK HERE.

It takes a lot of focus to run a half-marathon as fast as you can while simultaneously juggling three beanbags. I tried to capture the experience with the some numbers.


HALF-MARATHON JOGGLING BY THE NUMBERS

16,547
Approximate number of tosses

16,546
Approximate number of catches

1
Times I dropped a ball

1
Times I swore very loudly after dropping the ball

2
Times I heard someone shout "Show-off!"

80
Number of kilometres per week I ran to train for the record

45
Number of those kilometres per week I joggled

4
Number of half-marathons I've completed while juggling

1:20:40
Official Guinness World Record time

3:50
Pace per kilometre

6:09 
Pace per mile

9.8
Equivalent treadmill speed

1:23:49
My previous best half-marathon joggling time, set in Montreal in 2009

2,792
Approximate number of times I said to myself "Don't stop, don't drop" during the race

341
Approximate number of times I actually said the previous phrase out loud

4.3
Number of times I questioned my sanity during the race

10
Number of years since I set my first Guinness World Record for fastest marathon pushing a baby in a stroller

5
Number of Guinness World Records I've set at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon races

40,000
Number of dollars People to People Canada is hoping to raise in this event to help AIDS orphans in Ethiopia: DONATION LINK.

1:20:40 World Reocrd

1:20:40!!! New Guinness World Record for the fastest half-marathon while juggling three objects.

Please donate to my fundraising campaign for AIDS orphans in Ethiopia with the fantastic charity, People to People Canada. DONATE HERE.

Joggling in the Toronto Star and Meeting Yifter the Shifter

First off, please consider donating (any small amount will help) to my fundraising campaign for AIDS orphans in Ethiopia. P2P Canada is doing inspiring work, and your money will go a long way toward helping these kids in need. SECURE DONATION LINK HERE. Thanks to everyone who has donated so far.

Toronto Star reporter Katrina Clarke did a great job with this story on my joggling Guinness World Record attempt for the half-marathon at tomorrow's Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Another version of the piece also appeared in Metro. Video journalist Chris So also put together this nifty clip:

The weather looks pretty good for tomorrow's race, but maybe a little cold and windy for joggling. The overnight low is just 2 C. I really don't want to wear gloves as they cramp my style and make it quite a bit more difficult to joggle. I think I'll just tough it out barehanded and hope my fingers warm up during the run.

A legend and a clown. Miruts Yifter meets The Joggler.

Yesterday, I did a fun video segment about my record attempt and fundraising for the People to People Canada charity for AIDS orphans in Ethiopia. It's going to air during the live YouTube broadcast of the race, and they plan to film me joggling live sometime around the 16K or 17K mark. I said I'd try not to drop a ball at that point.

The cool part was that I got to meet Ethiopian running legend Miruts Yifter "The Shifter," who is leading the 5K event for P2P. If you want to know why he's called "The Shifter," just watch this clip of the last half-lap of his 5000m gold-medal run at the 1980 Moscow Olympics (where he also took home gold in the 10,000m, which you can watch here). I asked Yifter, who is now in his 70s, how he managed to accelerate so quickly and he said simply: "It's an Ethiopian thing." We had a good laugh at that.

Miruts Yifter "The Shifter" (right) shows some young Ethiopian marathoners one of his Olympic gold-medal races.

While we were waiting to shoot the video, Yifter also met a bunch of the young elite Ethiopian marathoners who are town for race, giving them hugs and words of advice that I couldn't understand. My friend Lynn Kobayashi, who is one of the organizers of the P2P charity and a fantastic runner herself, looked up one of Yifter's Olympic races on YouTube and gave her phone to Yifter so he could give a play-by-play for a few of the Ethiopian runners nearby. It was quite a moment to see the looks on their faces as they watched this race that took place before they were born.

Mizuno Wave Ekidens and Sport Juggling Co. racing beanbags

I will be way way way behind those Ethiopians, but hopefully keep a pace for a 1:23 half-marathon. I can't look at my watch while I'm joggling so I'll have to ask other runners for splits. I'll be running in my new Mizuno Wave Ekidens and my Sport Juggling Co. racing beanbags. The racing bags are smaller and lighter than my training bags, but a little harder to catch.

Finally, a big shout-out to my amazing wife, Dianne, who just ran the Chicago Marathon in an 8.5-minute personal-best time of 3:24:17, at the age of 41.

Dianne and the kids in Chicago.

NEWS RELEASE: Michal Kapral Joggling for AIDS Orphans at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Races

Great news! I found a fantastic charity to work with for my joggling half-marathon Guinness World Record attempt. Not only that, but I'm also on the same charity team as Olympic legend Miruts Yifter "The Shifter"!

Please make sure my frivolous joggling pursuits aren't for naught by making a donation to help AIDS orphans in Ethiopia. Click HERE to donate.

Here's the news release from P2P Canada.

NEWS RELEASE

Michal Kapral Joggling for AIDS Orphans at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Races

“The Joggler” returns to his favourite record-breaking race to go for the half-marathon Guinness World Record and raise funds for P2P charity

Toronto, ON, October 6, 2014 – On Sunday, October 19, one of the world’s most famous multitaskers, MICHAL “THE JOGGLER” KAPRAL of Toronto, is joining two-time Olympic gold-medallist MIRUTS YIFTER in raising funds for AIDS orphans in Ethiopia with P2P Canada at the 2014 ScotiabankToronto Waterfront Marathon races. Michal is going for a new Guinness WorldRecord for the fastest half-marathon while "joggling" three objects (yes, that's running while juggling).

“I can’t emphasize enough how tough it is to race a half-marathon while juggling every step of the way” Michal says. “I hope to get enough donations to the P2P charity so this absurdly difficult challenge will make the world a better place.”

Michal, 42, is the current Guinness World Record holder for the fastest joggling marathon of 2 hours 50 minutes and 12 seconds and also holds the 10K record of 36 minutes and 27 seconds. There is no current Guinness record for the joggling half-marathon, but Michal has joggled an uncertified 1 hour 23 minute half-marathon in the past and is hoping to beat that time. Guinness World Records will have an adjudicator at the race to validate the record on the spot.

While best known for his joggling feats, in 2002 Michal was the overall winner of the Toronto Marathon in a time of 2:30:40 after taking up competitive running just four years earlier. He also won the Burlington Marathon in 2003. A father of two girls, he set a Guinness record in 2004 for running a marathon while pushing a baby in a stroller, with his older daughter Annika as passenger. This summer, he ran a personal-best of 2:03.07 for 800 metres, a non-joggled time that ranks him in the top 20 in the world for his age group.

Michal has joggled seven marathons, three half-marathon and the famed Around the Bay 30K Road Race, as well as several other 5Ks and 10Ks. His battle for the marathon joggling record with American rival (and friend) Zach Warren garnered international media coverage that included appearances on CNN, ABC, CBS, NPR, an award-winning CBC-TV documentary with Evan Solomon and an award-winning feature film, Breaking and Entering. Michal will be starring in an upcoming North America-wide TV commercial and advertising campaign for Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott, set to launch in late October.

Earlier this week, People to People Aid Organization Canada announced that the great Ethiopian Olympic hero Miruts Yifter joined the P2P Canada Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 5K Charity Challenge as honourary team captain. Yifter has wholeheartedly embraced the cause of children orphaned by AIDS in Ethiopia and Michal is pleased to joggle in his footsteps. Team P2P hopes to improve upon the $20,000 raised in 2013 to $40,000 this year. All of which provides life sustaining support to HIV/AIDS orphans in Ethiopia.

MIRUTS YIFTER made his Olympic debut at the Munich Olympics in 1972 where he won a bronze medal at the 10,000m finals. Between 1972 and 1980 Miruts handily won numerous international long-distance competitions, setting world records in many of them. His crowning achievement was winning gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m finals in stunning fashion at the Moscow Olympics in 1980.

Miruts followed in the footsteps of the great Abebe Bikila – the first African athlete to win gold at the Olympics – and he himself inspired the many supremely successful Ethiopian long-distance athletes that came after him, like Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele and many others. In his heyday, Miruts was known as YIFTER THE SHIFTER due to his unique and abrupt change in speed when executing his devastating kick to the finish.

We call upon the P2P community, supporters and fellow Torontonians to join us on October 19. Run or Walk with Team P2P and the great Miruts Yifter and Michal “The Joggler” Kapral to help raise the funds – which translate into hope – for the tens of thousands of HIV/AIDS orphans in Ethiopia. Join our team today!

To make a donation to Michal’s campaign, please visit: https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?registrationID=2637636&langPref=en-CA

Going for the Joggler: Half-Marathon Guinness World Record Attempt at Toronto Waterfront

The half-marathon joggling Guinness World Record may not attract the same kind of press as my marathon record, but the difficulty level is still about an 11 out of 10.

I've run a 1:23:49 joggling half-marathon in Montreal and a 1:24:32 in Burlington, Ont., but never registered those times with Guinness World Records. On October 19 at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, a representative from GWR will be there to certify records on the spot, so this time, it's going to be real.

In order to get an official record, Guinness World Records tells me I need to at least break 1:30, even though there is no current Guinness World Record in the books for the fastest half-marathon while joggling three objects. My marathon record is 2:50:12, so I'd like to run a sub-1:25.

Here's what makes the half-marathon joggling record a tough one: Maintaining a pace of about 4 minutes per kilometre (or under 6:30 per mile) is no small feat while trying to maintain a drop-free three-ball cascade. The pace eventually catches up to your brain and the last 5K or so are an absolute torture, maybe even more so than the marathon. With the half-marathon, you have almost no time to warm up and settle into a rhythm – it's just go go go.

I'm feeling good despite my advancing age (now in the masters category) and will go for the joggler and try to hit 1:22. My 1:24 in Burlington was in the winter, and I'm pretty sure the GoPro I had strapped to my head slowed me down. This time I'll be back at the favourite record-breaking marathon course and hopefully set a new Guinness record 10 years after my first one at the Toronto Waterfront race, when I pushed Annika in the stroller.

Basic Juggling Tricks

Here I am, not joggling, but these are some of the little tricks I like to do while I am joggling.

Joggling Beer Mile World Record (By Default)

I'm officially a choggler. A couple of weeks ago, I completed what I believe was the world's first ever joggling beer mile. The time was very slow. There was a humiliating penalty lap. But it happened.

Now all of you kids out there, don't try this unless you're of age. If fact, even if you are of age, the beer mile is not for everyone. And if my most recent result is any indication, it may not even be for me. 

The beer mile, if you don't know, involves chugging four beers, which must be 355mL and at least 5% alcohol (no shotgunning allowed), one before each of four laps around a 400-metre track, plus an extra 9 metres before the start to make a 1,609m mile. There's a penalty lap for vomiting.

As you know, I enjoy running while doing other things, so the beer mile has also had a special place in my heart. For the most part, it's been an underground pastime for runners who enjoy beer -- which, by my experience, is most runners -- but thanks to expat Canadian James "The Beast" Nielsen's recent record-breaking sub-5-minute beer mile performance, it's made the esteemed Wall Street Journal's front page.

Last year, I ran a decent 7:17 (VIDEO), putting me at 574th on beermile.com's all-time top 1000 beer mile record list. I hoped to run and chug even fast this year, despite adding juggling into the mix, but too-cold beer and an off day for my chugging, left me gasping for air right from the start. Coordination became an issue by the third lap. The juggling pattern blurred and my tosses became more haphazard. In short, I looked like a semi-drunk guy trying to run and juggle, because that's what I was. I gagged just after finishing my last beer and suffered the indignity of a penalty lap, joggling in for a glacial 11:19 finish, more than four minutes slower than last year.

Still, it's a record, I think. The advantage of being the only one. Still, I think I need a do-over, so there's another one planned for September 19.

Joe Salter Sets Backwards Marathon Joggling Record

Joe Salter, the man who introduced the world to triathlon juggling, is back at it again. This time, Salter ran a marathon backwards while joggling. Check out his video from the Quad Cities Marathon, which Salter completed in 5:51 with two drops, the same number as my forwards marathon joggling record.


Thanks to Salter, I guess I now need to start specifying the forward part when I tell people about my record. And Wilson Kipsang also needs to be clear that he holds the world record for the fastest non-joggling, forward-running marathon.

Soon-to-be Guinness World Record for Joggling 800m

Success! Sort of.

I ran. I juggled. I didn't drop. I set what will likely be a new Guinness World Record for the fastest joggling 800m (pending verification) with a time of 2:15.61, but fell short of the overall best recorded time of 2:13.24.

It's important to stick your tongue out when joggling at high speed. Photo: Doug Smith.

Ontario Masters Athletics organized a special joggling exhibition race for me at the Relay Ruckus this past weekend at York University in Toronto. Since there were no other jogglers around and I had no pacer this time, I ran the race solo.

Under near-perfect conditions, I took off at a solid pace with a 64.5-second first lap – right on target. I was hoping to hold on for a 66- or 67-second second lap, but things started to fall apart with about 200 to go. At this point in an 800m race, you really need to dig deep and go for it with everything your body has to give, but when you add juggling into the mix, this becomes absurdly difficult.

The last time I attempted this record indoors, I dropped with 100 to go, and now that I've tried this a second time, I know why: the full-body fatigue messes with your motor skills. Juggling three balls is really easy standing still, but at this point I had to concentrate on every toss and catch as if I were just learning how to juggle.

I slowed down, but didn't drop, and crossed the line in 2:15.61. Now to send off my documentation to the good folks at Guinness.

Guinness World Record Attempt for Fastest Joggling 800m

Let's try this again, shall we?

On August 25, I'm going after the Guinness World Record for the fastest 800m while joggling. The unofficial record for the distance is 2:13.24, but Guinness tells me that there is no official mark logged with them. This means I basically just have to finish the thing, sort out my paperwork and video evidence, and I'll be guaranteed the record. Not a bad deal.

When I tried to break 2:13 earlier this year indoors. I dropped the ball near the end and never bothered to log my time as a record. The thing about drops is the more you think about them, the more likely you are to drop. So I'm not going to think about it.

What: Guinness World Record attempt for the fastest joggling 800m
Where: Toronto Track and Field Centre, York University, Toronto
When: Aug. 25, 12 p.m.
Open to public: Yes
Admission: Free
Kicking of joggler's balls: Not permitted

The True Champions of the Boston Marathon

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The final stretch of the Boston Marathon leads to one of the most iconic finish lines in sport. Almost 26 miles into the 26.2-mile race, you make a final left-hand turn off Hereford Street and onto Boylston, and there in the distance, you can see the blue arches of the bridge that’s mounted above the blue and yellow finish line painted on the road.

I’ve run the Boston Marathon five times and this last quarter-mile always brings me to tears. Runners are often an emotional wreck this far into a marathon, but there's something magical about Boston, with its 117-year history, that brings out a powerful sense of being a part of something big.

When you cruise down that last straightaway, you can’t help but feel an incredible bond with the spectators who line the street on either side 10 or 15 people deep. Their cheering, clapping and high-fiving propels you through those final torturous strides toward your goal.

The two explosions that struck near the finish line at the 4 hour and 9 minute mark of Monday’s race hit densely packed areas of crowds – probably some of the same people who cheered me on the last time I ran Boston in 2011. And the thing about spectators in Boston is that they’re not just there to cheer on friends and family. This race has enough of a tradition that it brings out families, college kids, construction workers and just about anyone, to cheer on some 24,000 runners they’ve never met.

You might think it would be boring to stand on the street for hours watching people drag their tired selves through the end of a race, especially hours after the winners have come through, when the throngs of recreational runners come pouring in. But Boston Marathon spectators know better. They see the looks of determination on our faces. They know how hard we’ve worked to get to this point. They care.

If you’ve ever set your mind to train for any kind of athletic endeavor, you know how much it means to have other people recognize that commitment, and the marathon offers a unique experience to have thousands of people cheer you on as if you were a pro sports star. With 500,000 spectators along the point-to-point course, the Boston Marathon is the Super Bowl of amateur athletics, and as a runner the cheering crowds make you feel like you just caught the game-winning Hail Mary pass.

My best memories of approaching the Boston finish line are seeing the looks of excitement on the faces of all the little kids that I high-fived. It’s incomprehensible that one of those boys was killed. Some of the runners were injured in the blasts, but it was the spectators who suffered the brunt of the damage. They are the real heroes of the race. 

Joggling 800m: I Really Dropped the Ball On This One

I learned a couple of valuable lessons in my 800m joggling world record attempt on Saturday:
1) Don't slow down on the second lap.
2) Don't drop the ball with 50m to go.

Pacer extraordinaire Jay Brecher – who runs a sub-2 800m – agreed to go out at a 32 first lap and 65 for 400m, but I lagged behind a little too much and hit the 400 in 66 or so. The third lap felt pretty good but I was still a couple of seconds behind schedule at 1:40. The good news was that my legs and cardio felt relatively fresh heading into the final 200, and I still thought I had a good shot at a 2:13, with a 33-second last lap.

Down the backstretch, I made a solid move, and started to gain on Jay, who was still running on a 2:12 pace. Coming around the final bend, I put the hammer down, but my leg turnover suddenly fell out of synch with my juggling and one of my tosses went too high. I tried to regain the pattern, but moving at a 4-minute-mile pace, this proved impossible and I dropped.

By the time I scrambled around to pick up the ball and start up again, I lost about four or five seconds. Looking at the clock as I finished, I dropped again just as I was crossing the line, which I also did in my joggling marathon record, but in that case I had a couple of minutes to spare. In the 800, every second – and every catch – counts.

I'll try again in an outdoor race, and maybe even take a crack at the mile record of 4:42.

Here Goes: 800m Joggling Record Attempt March 16

Mark your calendars, joggling fans (all five of you)! The stage is set for my attempt to smash the 800m joggling world record of 2:13.24, set by Eric Walter at the 2011 IJA Joggling Championships in Rochester, NY. I'll be chasing this record this Saturday, March 16, in a special exhibition event at the Canadian Masters Athletics Indoor Track & Field Championships at York University in Toronto.

My University of Toronto Masters Track Club teammate Jay Brecher is going to rabbit the race with a goal of hitting 2:12. This will be a chance of pace from the marathon. And if I drop a ball, I'm pretty much toast.

New Goal: 800m Joggling World Record

It will be mine! Oh yes, it will be mine!

I've been training at the 800m with the University of Toronto Masters Track Club and have decided to make a go at the 800m joggling world record, which stands at 2:13.24. That's a brisk pace for sure, but should be within reach based the 200m time trial I did in 31.8 seconds indoors.

Now I'm wondering if I could make a run at the mile record of 4:43. Hmm, that's a tough one.

Joggling Makes "Unusual World Championships" List

Joggling made the list of "Unusual World Championships" in Mishpacha Magazine (the "#1 Jewish family magazine" – is there more than one?). There I am at the bottom looking very serious wearing a GoPro camera on my head as I joggle the Chilly Half-Marathon in Burlington, Ontario. Thanks to photographer Peter Hein for sending along the image.

Seeing this photo reminds me that I'd like to get some better POV joggling footage. The angle of the head-cam for that one was a bit too high, so you couldn't really see my hands, just the beanbags popping up into the frame. Next time I'll tilt it down to get the full effect. 

I switched up my training recently to specialize in 800m track racing. I haven't tried joggling this event yet, but last time I checked the 800m joggling world record was 2:14. A very tough record, but within the realm of possibility. Maybe I'll give it a shot ... with a GoPro.