Around the Bay – ready, set, joggle!

Today's plan: eat carbs, drink water

I'm ready to go for Around the Bay tomorrow. No running today, just juggling tricks at home.

I'll be using my old Higgins Brothers beanbags because the new Sport Juggling Co. balls haven't arrived yet.

My goal is to go sub-2 hours, but I'd still be happy with a 2:05 or so. My PB for the course without joggling is 1:43, giving me 17 minutes to account for the juggling.

Dianne and the kids are coming along to watch the finish in Copps Coliseum, and to hang out with Longboat Roadrunners friends.

Good luck to all of you other Around the Bay racers.

Smoking and joggling don't mix

Today's joggling plan: 6 miles (home from work)

While I love that fact that Toronto has banned smoking in bars and restaurants, it means that all of those smokers are now hanging around puffing on city sidewalks.

Joggling through downtown Toronto, I do a lot of dodging and weaving around smokers – so much so, in fact, that even while juggling I can spot a lit cigarette from a block away, and take appropriate avoidance measures. There's nothing worse than inhaling a big lungful of tobacco smoke while joggling at high speed.

I'm going to lobby the government for a ban on smoking within 15 metres of all passing jogglers.

The Around the Bay 30K is in two days. My nerves are joggling around like crazy.

Sore all over – time to taper

Today's joggling plan: 10 miles

Zach and I get to joggle on live TV. We have an interview confirmed with KUTV in Salt Lake City on April 20, the day before the race. They're doing the segment outside, so they can get some quality joggling footage.

I did some joggling speed intervals yesterday, followed by 3-club juggling practice. I feel sore all over today.

The rest of the week will be easy joggling to taper for the Around the Bay 30K this Sunday. If I can finish the 30K, I'm guaranteed to set a personal joggling best for the distance, since it's my first 30K joggle. I'm also guaranteed to set a course record for joggling, and possibly a world record too. I haven't heard of anyone joggling a 30-km race ... ever.

Joggler a complete klutz

Today's joggling plan: 8 miles

I am a total klutz.

True, I have joggled a half-marathon without dropping a ball in one hour and 22 minutes; I can juggle five objects and perform dozens of juggling tricks. I can stand on top of a stability ball and do squats.

But three recent incidents have convinced me that when I’m not trying to do something that takes coordination, I’m a klutzy dork.

1) The other day I was joggling on a 22-mile long run. At one point I wanted to cross the street, but had to step over a little metal barrier, so I stopped joggling and went to step over the obstacle. Bam! My knee smashed right into it. When I got home I discovered that my running tights were covered in blood from a big gash in my leg.

2) After joggling home from work through ice and snow a couple of weeks ago. I made it safely to my house, but when I stopped joggling and went to walk between two parked cars. Wham! I slipped on a patch of ice and smashed my shoulder into the road.

3) A couple of nights ago, I spent about an hour working on a 5-ball juggling routine. I went upstairs to brush my teeth and at the top of the stairs … BONK! My head cracked loudly into the door frame leading into the bathroom. I was left with a swelling and bleeding cut on my left eyebrow.

BREAKING NEWS: Sport Juggling Company sponsors The Joggler

Today's joggling plan: 0 miles (sore ankle needs rest)

I've got balls!

Sport Juggling Company, maker of the world-famous Sport balls, is now The Joggler's official sponsor for joggling beanbags. They'll be producing an 85 g custom marathon joggling beanbag for me. I can't wait to give these a test run.

This is my first official joggling sponsorship. Reebok has been sponsoring me for shoes and apparel for three years, but I signed on with them based solely on my running, in my pre-Joggler days.

A blister and a potential sponsorship

Today's joggling plan: 6 miles

Yesterday I missed my long run. We were in Niagara-on-the-Lake at my mother-in-law's place and when my alarm went off at 5 a.m., I calmly turned it off, rolled over and fell straight back to sleep until 10. It was heaven.

Dianne and her mom encouraged me to go for my joggle before noon, but no dice; I just didn't feel like running. I had (and still have) a big painful blister on the ball of my foot and also had a bit of a strained muscle in my ankle.

I did do some juggling practice with my nephew, who is six and already learning how to juggle.

On the weekend, I also got some good news: A company that sells juggling beanbags with a stellar reputation is interested in becoming my beanbag sponsor. Hopefully, things will get finalized soon.

Joggling in record-breaking documentary

Today's joggling plan: rest (5-ball juggling practice, no running)

The Joggler will appear alongside other record-holders, including a guy who rips phone books in half and a human cannonball, in an upcoming documentary called "Breaking and Entering".

The crew will be filming me and Zach in our duel at the Salt Lake City Marathon next month (next month, whoa!).

Follow this link for the movie trailer.