paulradcliffe.ca

About Me

Me running the Mississauga Marathon

I am a licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng) working as an electrical engineer in Toronto, Canada. I run with joy. This blog is mostly about my running adventures!

I received my Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) degree from the University of Toronto studying Engineering Science specializing in Manufacturing Systems. While an undergraduate student, I was actively involved in many clubs including the University of Toronto Concrete Canoe Team, and from 2006-2007 I was Vice-President Finance of University of Toronto Engineering Society.

After graduating, I began work in electrical engineering. Having time on my hands after finishing my undergraduate degree, I returned to the University of Toronto part-time to get a Masters of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree from the Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. I studied a variety of fields including custom power controllers, project management, product design, maintenance management, environmental law and alternative energy systems. My graduate research about energy storage technologies was published in the proceedings of a national IEEE conference. In addition to my Masters of Engineering degree, I also received a certificate in Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Innovation and Technology in Engineering (ELITE) and a certificate for completing the Collaborative Program in Environmental Engineering and Energy Systems. I was proud to be profiled by my undergraduate program in this article.

During my continuing time at university, I worked with a great team to organize the 16th Annual Canadian National Concrete Canoe Competition.

Finishing the CN Tower Stair Climb for the first time in 46:43, October 26, 2008

After finishing school, I found I had much more time on my hands. Although this is when I started running, it is not where my fitness journey begins. Several years before I joined a group of co-workers to climb the CN Tower. Years of sedentary and unhealthy living as a student bookworm meant I was overweight and dangerously unfit. I felt embarrassed by my very poor performance in that year’s stair climb. My journey started shortly after that stairclimb with improved diet and regular trips to the gym.

I regret not taking care of my health for so many years. However, I know that I was not too late to start. I’m what some would call an adult-onset athlete. I now really enjoy the structure of training and the rewards of race day! I also appreciate the additional benefits of weight loss, more energy, improved physical appearance, confidence and ability to do amazing things are great bonuses. I was even a marathon instructor with my local Running Room!

Outside of running, I’m a big nerd at heart. I grew up watching Star Trek. Some days I imagine that the electrical substations I work on are the engine room of the Enterprise. It’s not exactly, but it’s close enough for me without going into space. I am also a fan of Star Wars, Warhammer 40k, Power Rangers and the Dragon Age series of video games. My favourite Pokémon is Bulbasaur.

The icon for this site is my family coat-of-arms. I think it looks pretty sharp!

My favourite colour is yellow.

I avoid caffeine and artificial sweetners. I have enough toxins to flush from my body.

In 2019 I had a big health scare. I suffered from a rare auto-immune neurological illness, where my spinal column broke down. I almost died, was paralyzed, and spent almost 4 months in hospital. And several more months out of the hospital recovering. I have collected my posts related to that topic on this page.

Disclaimer:

I’m not a medical doctor, personal trainer, kinesthesiologist, chiropractor, anthropologist, nutritionist, dietician or expert in any fitness or medical field. All the information on this blog should be considered my amateur opinion rather than medical or technical advice or fact.

Copyright:

paulradcliffe.ca by Paul Radcliffe is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Maniac #5954 – Bronze Level

Fanatic 3100 – Neptune Level