From sipping tea in a formal dining room, to taking a tour of the historic and notable landmarks on a horse-drawn carriage, Victoria, B.C., is the best place to experience a taste of British heritage on the Pacific coast.

Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. It’s like stepping into a wonderful blend of Victorian heritage and modern culture. From the landmark Empress Hotel and the Provincial Legislature, to the Royal Victoria Museum and the inner-harbour, there is so much to see and do.

Year round there are beautiful flowers that fill the gardens, amazing restaurants to tempt the palette, and a fantastic array of contemporary art on display. You could easily spend a weekend in Victoria and never run out of things to do.

Imagine yourself on a fishing trip off the coast of Alaska. For three days solid you’re wearing the same survival suit, trying to stay warm and dry. What you end up with is pure discomfort and irritation. It happened to Trent Kitsch, and he set out on a mission to find a solution.

Trent found himself working with a local designer to find a way to improve the comfort and performance of men’s underwear. They achieved their goal and with that came the launch of Saxx Underwear.

Offering comfort and style, Saxx delivers high performance men’s underwear that keeps you cool and dry, while keeping you held firmly in place.

The ergonomic pouch allows non-restrictive support, and it is designed without a seam to prevent irritation. Panels built into the pouch keep everything tucked into place. The waistband is specially designed with moisture wicking material, to keep it in place, even when you’re active.

Made from 90% polyester and 10% spandex materials, Saxx underwear are meant to keep their shape and last a long time. They are machine washable and can tumble dry in low heat. They are only available in sizes M-XL.

Saxx offers a complete line of men’s underwear including trunks and long john’s, all suitable for guys who enjoy active living.

Ahhhh… summer! Time to be outside, soak in the sunshine, breath in the fresh air, and enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle. It’s about getting out and doing the things you love – running, cycling, and walking.

This Saturday, June 2, Team in Training BC / Yukon (TNT), is a offering free, no commitment needed, training session.  It’s the kick-off to their group training sessions (GTS) for the big fall races.

Think about it this way – if you train throughout the summer you’ll always be in great shape any time you are invited to an impromptu beach party, you could meet some really great friends who have similar interests, and you’ll be set and ready to go for a fall race in biking, walking or marathon running. Sounds pretty good, right?

Ok, it gets better. Not only do you get to be active and build new social networks, but there is an entire support group of staff and coaches who will help you train for a major destination event like the first ever Montreal Rock and Roll Marathon! Yes, that means travel – and it’s all included.

If philanthropy (giving back to the community), is important to you, then TNT has you covered too. You can raise funds to help support research and programs for the leukemia and lymphoma society of Canada (LLS).

Remember, summer is about having fun and getting out there and enjoying yourself. Make it fun. Check out Team In Training, it might just be what you’re looking for!

Brian Webb finishes the 2012 Abbotsford Run For Water in 3h 54m 04s

New course records and many personal bests were set this past weekend in Abbotsford as over 4,000 participants took to the streets for the 2^nd annual Run for Water road running races. The highlight races of the weekend were the 55km ultra marathon with 18 participants, on Saturday, May 26, and the 42.2km marathon, with approximately 175 participants, on Sunday, May 27.

Known as the fastest and flattest marathon course in the lower mainland, the course started off with a nice 6km downhill departing the streets of Abbotsford and heading to the Sumas boarder. The next 30km took the runners through the scenic countryside of the Sumas Prairies. The course re-joins the first 6km, all the way up-hill back to the finish line.

The Abbotsford Run For Water feels like a true cross-country race. The long country roads give the sense that you can just open up and run for miles. Best of all, because there were only 175 participants, the course was truly at your own pace and became a personal race; not a race against others.

Water stations were positioned approximately every three kilometers along the course and were well stocked with water, Gatorade and Power Gel nutrition. It was noted by a few participants that there were some aid stations towards the end of the marathon course that were serving what seemed to be lemonade, which confused a lot of people. Most stations had restroom facilities.

The volunteers, course marshals, first aid attendances and officials did a wonderful job at putting on the race and keeping the course free of obstacles so the participants could focus on their goal; to cross the finish line.

The finish line was well organized with volunteers greeting each finisher and awarding them with a finishers medal and plaque. The Run for Water was almost appropriately named because at the end of the course, the water was at the end of the cool-down zone, not following the medals – which confused a number of the finishers.

Marathon finishers received a special plaque

There were also 5km, 10km and half marathon races held on Sunday, May 27. Participants each received a t-shirt and finishers received the coveted finishers medal.

So far this year I have completed six timed road running races with personal bests in 5km, 10km and half marathon. Although I did not set a personal best in the Abbotsford Run for Water, I am exteremly happy with my finish time of 3:54:04; not too many runners complete two marathon races in three weeks. Here are my official race stats:

• Gun Time: 3:54:09
• Chip Time: 3:54:04
• Average Pace: 5:33 / km
• Male 30-39: 11 of 18
• Male Overall: 55 of 113
• Overall: 71 of 175

Photo Credit: Ford Canada

From the sleek exterior lines and eco-boost engine, to the air conditioned leather seats and four moon roofs, the Ford Flex is the hottest and most comfortable seven-passenger crossover vehicles in 2013. It’s fun to drive, full of safety features and most importantly, fuel-efficient.

“Flex appeals to people who want to stand out from the crowd,” said Mark Fields, President of The America’s. “With technologies not found in other full-size utilities, even better fuel economy and a more modern, sophisticated look, we’re offering people even more reasons to choose Flex with the new model.”

Photo credit: Ford Canada

On the outside, the 20” aluminum wheels make a bold statement and the new front end rounds out the edges. “Flex” is the only name you’ll find on the front end, and on the back a standard dual exhaust. Standard colours are ruby red, deep blue or brown – or customize it with tow-tone with white, gray or black body-colour roofs.

Great for long trips!

Inside the three-row crossover is nothing but space, even in the back bench seating for three. The mid-cabin console has a cooler/freezer compartment, ideal for keeping things cold on long-trips. Each row of seating has their own moon roof and the middle row has their own climate control.

The 2013 Ford Flex has every feature a driver needs. Front row leather seats are heated and air conditioned, there are rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry, power-fold mirrors and a mountain of safety features like blind-spot sensors.

The cruise control is radar-enabled. It detects the relative position to other vehicles. When the cruise control is on, it functions normally, however, when there is a slower vehicle ahead the sensors automatically slow down until the vehicle has cleared, then it resumes to the set speed. Very cool!

The 2013 Ford Flex overlooking Kalamalka Lake in Vernon, BC

The MyFord Touch control system has been overhauled for 2013. The 4.2 inch screen controls everything from music and interior lighting, to GPS mapping and temperature control. When synced with Bluetooth or USB, the hands-free voice-activated calling features and stored device music are all available. Unfortunately there are still bugs in the system because the connectivity with smart phones doesn’t always work, or work consistently.

Who's got the better Flex? Photo Credit: McKenzie McMillan

Powering this baby is a 3.5-litre V6 eco-boost engine that delivers outstanding fuel-efficiency for its size. Essentially you get the all-wheel-drive capability and power of a V8, but in a precisely designed high-output, engine. It delivers exception fuel economy and horsepower. The automatic transmission also has a manual control, powered by paddle shifters on the steering wheel – standard on all models. It easily powers up steep hills, handles fast corners well, and is easy to drive through the city.

Photo Credit: Ford Canada

For a mid-size vehicle it’s really fun to drive, has many great features for both driver and passenger enjoyment and is extremely comfortable on long-trips.

The 2013 Ford Flex is built in Oakville, Ontario.

Nothing says French Canadian casual fare than poutine and Montreal smoked meat. Myer Dunn founded the “Dunn’s Famous” back in 1927, which as grown into a national smoked meat empire. The very first Western Canadian location recently opened in Vancouver and is now serving up their traditional favourites.

Dunn’s smoked meat starts off with a beef brisket that has been smoked for 17 hours and then steamed for 3 hours before serving. It’s served on light rye sourdough bread, hand sliced with special brine.

There are also six different poutine options on the menu. For those who have never had poutine, it’s French fries, topped with cheese curds and then covered with gravy. There are also other Western Canadian influences on the menu including a motzoh ball soup.

Dunn’s Famous Restaurant is open 7 days per week, from 10:00am until midnight, and 1:00am on weekends.