Search Results for: face behind the blog

The 2012 Honda Indy in Toronto Canada

Jul 11 2012

Honda Indy Toronto kindly sent me tickets again this year (click here and here for last years posts).

The Thursdasy before the race I was invited to

the first-ever Backstage Indy Tour.

First, the press conference.

I got to thinking, these racers, sure they’re all very good behind the wheel, but they have to be equally as good in front of a camera, because it seems much of their job is presenting well.

Like racer Simon Pagenaud.

This was inside Honda’s paddock, where I was as close to an Indy car as you can get.

They asked us not to take photos of the engine, knowing their competition would be zooming in on our photos looking, searching – corporate espionage.

Official Indy car tools.

On the tour we were able to visit the pits, come ON.

That’s where I met Arie Lyendyk, 2 time winner of the Indianapolis 500.

If there’s anyone who should be made into an animated gif, it’s Arie. Bet he’d be fun to have a drink with, you could tell it would be jokes.

HONDA INDY FACTS

– each car is $1 million, and it costs $4 million to play this game

– they’re going 200 MPH

– it’s difficult to pass here, most passing is done in Turn 3

– it takes 6 guys 6.5 seconds to re-fuel the car. Changing the tires is faster

– because this is a street course, they are in constant attack mode

– there are 400+ volunteers

– ticket sales this year were higher than ever

– Toronto is one of the racers’ favourite stops, because we fans are so awesome

I attended the race both days.

I will never, ever tire of the sound of the engines. Maybe the best part.

And while on this topic: to all the hippies who put down the Indy… guys, where do you think the technology comes from for your green, eco-friendly vehicles?

Here guys, it comes from races like this; they test technology on the track, which filters down into cars for normal people.

The other best part.

(I’m talking about the Honda Civic Si HFPs, watch me drive one on a track here)

Oh guys, you need to obscure your WiFi names next time.

One of the strangest thing was the absence of a checkered flag. Except for the official guy waving one, they are nowhere to be found.

I put out a serious effort, too. All I found was this scrappy piece wrapped around the base of a sunglasses-for-sale stand.

I think I’ve uncovered a little mystery here!

I wonder if I’ll be emailed, “please remove that checkered flag image”. We’re going to find out, because above is the new header for KeriOnCars.com.

The race concluded with a crash.

Thanks for a great time, Honda, and congratulations on your best-selling Indy in years!

I Only Run in Forests

Mar 14 2012

Running along a straight road is the most boring thing a human could do.

I prefer forests.

Every route is different, there’s no one around, and here’s the kicker: you’ve no time to think about how tired you are, how much you want to stop running… you’re too busy trying to not hit your face into a tree.

I also think it’s more effective than the spending time in a gym.

MY FITNESS THEORY: Imagine I take a set of twins. I give Bill manual labour to do for three months, and Phil a dumbbell and gym routine. At the end of the 90 days I pit them against each other in a snow shovelling competition. Bill would win for sure.

(from this post: Why I Like Parkour)

Click here for forest running stories from my ‘The Canadian Explorer’ days, including when I was crossing a river on a tree and it broke underneath me.

Get outside and be IRL.

Leave your phone behind when you do.

Night Walk

Feb 19 2012

I love the financial district, I always have.

Blogged about it many times.

It’s so clean here, teams come out at night to scrub the sidewalks.

It’s pretty safe, too.

Security guards in most buildings, cameras everywhere… makes so I can zone out and enjoy the walk and not have to be on high alert.

Remember to use windows and the abundance of reflective surfaces to check what’s behind you.

I wandered in and out of my beloved PATH – it’s the world’s largest underground, eh.

I always make a point of passing through the Royal York lobby if possible.

I picked up stuff at Shoppers, things I can only buy in Canada. They’re having a deal right now: they give you $20 Petro-Canada gift cards for shopping.

Then I went home, ate licorice and blogged this.

Night, TTYT xo

Things From My Trip

Aug 10 2011

On the left – my excellent packing job.

The green arrow is pointing at my new favourite dress, which I think I’ll also wear to the Stella party. It’s almost too short. Almost. Smirk.

On the right are two travel essentials.

The water is gone before I board, and… oh wait – I have the perfect video about passports, hang on…..

Look at that – I was defeated by… my own lock. Can’t remember the black password.

See the symbol the blue arrow is pointing at? That’s what you want.

It means airport security has a universal key to open your lock. Otherwise, if airport security needs to get into your bag, they have to cut it off, now they’re frustrated with you, now your bag is getting tossed around accordingly.

I know this to be true because of the many nods of approval from the airport security people when they see it.

Action shot of my new show being designed. Down to the wire indeed.

There was so much to do before I left. Kinda wished I’d documented it a bit more. There was no time. Last week I was vibrating literally for days before. Oh no. As I type this a memory of the Olympics -After-Math coming back. The Crash. Moving on.