Best Joggles of 2007

It was a year of heartache and triumph, loss and redemption, but most of all, it was a year of jokes about balls. Here's my list – in no particular order – of the Top Joggles of 2007:

1. Barry Goldmeier runs at least two more five-ball marathons.

2. Fellow Canadian Travis Saunders just missed the 5K world record with a 17:05.

2. Tyler Wishau of Wisconsin joggles a drop-free 5K in 17:08, just 13 seconds shy of the world record.

3. Perry Romanowski sets the 50-mile joggling world record.

4. Perry Romanowski extends his streak to almost a full year of joggling at least one mile every single day. That's more than two million throws and catches.

5. Perry Romanowski joggles the entire Chicago Marathon during a massive heat.

6. Zach Warren and Michal Kapral duke it out at the Salt Lake City Marathon in a rematch to last year's much-hyped Boston Marathon joggling duel. Michal wins, but falls one minute short of Zach's record.

7. Michal shocks the joggling world by announcing his retirement.

8. Michal shocks the joggling world again by coming out of retirement to break the joggling marathon record, running 2:50:09 at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

9. David Ferman, 13, wins three joggling events at the IJA festival, including a 24.28-second five-ball 100m.

Joggler in JUGGLE magazine

I haven't seen it yet, but there's an article about me in the latest JUGGLE magazine. As a fairly lame juggler by jugglers' standards, this is a huge honour for me. I celebrated this achievement by finally joining the International Jugglers' Association.

Speaking of magazines, the debut issue of Canadian Running Magazine is looking very good as we get things ready for the Feb. 15 launch.

Charles Bedley runs 2:16:26

Just two months after winning the Toronto Marathon in 2:21, Charles Bedley, my speedy former training buddy, ran the California International Marathon yesterday in 2:16:26. That's a PB by five minutes, and if I'm not mistaken, it also makes him the fastest Canadian marathoner of the year, ahead of Jerry Ziak's 2:17.

The CIM in Sacramento is not the flattest, fastest course, so I think we may see an even faster time from Charlie next year. About five years ago, Charlie told me in his usual deadpan serious tone that he planned to qualify for the Olympics. I wouldn't put it past him.

Here's a video of the race finish from the local TV station. There's an interview with Charlie three minutes in.

Velomobile pedals into Toronto Star

Here's a feature on the velomobile in the Toronto Star's Ideas section.

Joggling as an IT management metaphor

I've always thought of joggling as a metaphor for my life. Every day is a test of endurance as I run around juggling several things at once, trying not to drop the ball.

Shane Schick, the editor of ComputerWorld Canada, has come up with a new metaphor that uses the concept of joggling to demonstrate the challenges in IT management. Brilliant.

Velomobile featured on msn.ca

(Photo: Isaac Adams-Hands, MSN.ca)

MSN.ca's Autos section just posted a great feature on my Mango velomobile. You can find it HERE. I love this shot of the Mango stopped next to the Cadillac Escalade. What a study in contrasts.

VIDEO: David Ferman wins 5-ball 100m event

Will David Ferman usher in a new generation of young jogglers? This is an impressive 5-ball 100m performance from this year's IJA World Joggling Championships in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. You can see runner-up Barry Goldmeier (in the white shirt and black shorts) putting in a solid performance for a masters runner and marathoner.

Ferman's 5-ball joggling tosses are almost twice as high as mine. I think he could run a lot faster with a lower toss and a faster leg turnover. This has inspired me to head to the track and time myself for a 5-ball 100m, but I can't see myself breaking Owen Morse's world record of 13.8 seconds anytime soon. That is just ludicrous.