Sail on, silver girl

Last weekend I was in the country just outside of Ottawa.  I played some soccer with Angela and her brother, and we did a bit of walking/jogging.  It was a wonderful and relaxing weekend.  I slept in until 9 each morning (this is unprecedented for me, as I always wake up automatically by 7am), and we enjoyed a number of movies, TV shows, the Sims, and a 1000 piece puzzle.

When I got back to my Shred class on Wednesday, I lagged behind.  It's amazing what even just a 5 day break can do.  I also ate enormous amounts on the weekend (it was Thanksgiving!), so I'm sure that has also been slowing me down.  Time to shave that off!

I did a Pump class today, and I was happy that my legs were doing all right and I was able to do the same weight as usual for them.  At a party on Friday night with coworkers, I had a few good talks about fitness, and I have a number of friends who would like to workout with me.  Bring it on.  It's always nice to have a buddy to keep inspired.

I was actually feeling quite morose all morning, right up until I started writing this entry.  Pump was fun, but I had this terrible shadow looming over me.  I felt down and didn't even want to go to my class this morning, but I'll be damned if a silly feeling stemming from a dumb incident earlier int he week is going to take away my health.  I won't let it change what I do in my free time.  I have so much more going for me that it's ridiculous.  Somehow, writing this all down has taken a weight off of my shoulders, and mulling over a talk I had with my mother has made me see the positive, or at least the different options I have.

Marie is back from the Dominican, so it's full speed ahead for our workouts this week.  We're planning it out, and it looks like it's going to be a killer week (in a good way).  Esther and Rachel ran the Scotiabank half marathon this morning, and I'm so proud of them!  It really makes me want to train over the winter and next summer so I can join them next October.  We'll see...!

Things happen, but life goes on.  In fact, those things are life, so get used to it.  It just makes the rest of life so much more enjoyable and that much happier.

Save the Breasts, Save the People, and Why I Run.

Apologies.  I didn't update last week for a number of reasons, but mainly because I didn't feel I had anything vitally important to say.

Today, however, I do have something exciting to report: I did my first 5K run.  It was the CIBC Run for the Cure, a run whose proceeds go towards the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.  A number of my friends signed up for it, so some of us met in the morning before the race.  We were excited to be there.  The gloomy sky and the spitting rain didn't deter us.

The race was not timed, so I brought my phone in lieu of a proper stopwatch.  The run started at Queen's Park, went down Queen's Park/University, looped back up to Bloor, then back down St. George till College, where we ran eastward until the entrance to King's Circle, where the finish line lay.

I made sure to start at a brisk pace, because unlike the 10k, I didn't have to conserve my energy for later.  I could feel I was pushing it faster than usual, but I felt good.  Just past the 3K (I think) mark, there was a water station, so I grabbed a cup.  I took a little sip and then aimed my cup at a garbage bag a man was holding for empty cups.  I threw it in, but I think I got some on him, so I turned around to yell that I was sorry.  While not looking forward, I ran right into another man who was handing out water.  I swerved out of his way.... right into a garbage can.  It almost fell, so I steadied it quickly, as I yelled out more apologies and continued on my way.  The episode was absolutely ridiculous, and it unsettled me, my heart speeding from guilt, embarrassment, and residual fear.

Despite this hiccup, I finished the run at 27:46.  That's a 5:33 min/km, faster (as planned) than my previous 10K pace (5:51 min/km.)!  In a previous entry, I wrote that 25 minutes was my goal, but that I would be happy not reaching it this time around.  Indeed, I'm absolutely happy with my time!  I'm very proud that I ran strong, and I'm confident that I will improve next time.

Something that also really struck me today was that I was running for something very near and dear to many people's hearts, and something that, honestly, is a threat to me and all of my friends and family.  Breast Cancer is a looming shadow over the shoulders of many women, a number of them younger than I am.  Today I heard a statistic that 1 in 9 Canadian women is expected to, at some point in their lives, be stricken with breast cancer.  1 in 9?!  That's terrible.  So today I ran for the people that cannot run themselves.  I ran for my future, my friends' futures, my family members' futures.  I ran to promote healthy living, something that has so many healing properties, both physical and mental.  I ran to show that there are people supporting you when you feel hope is lost in the face of an indiscriminate genetic sentence.

Injuries and continuing gym bonanzas

Injury alert!  Nothing too bad, but my thumb has been giving me trouble the past few days.  It got sore from stapling large amounts of papers together at work (I would constantly jam the stapler into the palm of my hand to help the staples get through the pile). Now it hurts to even hold a glass of water.  Some rest should get it feeling back to normal, but for now, I'll tread (or hand?) carefully.

I visited the gym 5 times this week.  Thursday night I tried a new Pump class, the instructor for which I really liked.  Then Saturday I did Zumba for 45 minutes, then ran over to another gym to do Shred, followed by a class called Awesome Abs.  The Zumba killed my shoulders, the Abs killed my butt (go figure).  I feel really strong today!

In other news, I got some new responsibilities at work.  It's nice that I'm trusted to start taking on new things.  It certainly helps with confidence levels.  Mood is good and motivation is high.  This week is going to be another gym bonanza as I prepare for my next run, but work will have calmed down a bit.  I'll be training for my new tasks, but I won't be working 10 hours per day.  It'll be nice to focus on other things in my life, such as… everything else!

Steady as she goes for now.  Perhaps there will be some more groundbreaking news next week. :)

4/4

Monday Attack, Wednesday Shred, Saturday Attack, and Sunday Pump.  It was pretty much a normal week, except that I would have done some running if it wasn't for work.  I'm on my feet for most of the day at work, and the September rush creates some long hours, so by the time I get home, I'm not about to strap my running shoes to go on for a hungry, dark, cold, late night run.  I need to stop making excuses, though...

Weather.  The weather has changed.  We were in the midst of a heat advisory, and then 2 days later it was suddenly 6 degrees.  I'm sure once I get back outdoors for my runs I'll appreciate the cooler weather more (well, not 6 degrees, although 12 I don't mind), but for now, it's just a shock to the body and mind.  I love the summer so much.  I don't want to have to bundle up to step outside...

I have felt quite energetic this weekend!  I jumped out of bed yesterday morning and this morning, ready to work out.  Today at Pump, I pushed myself to a new level with the squats, upping the weight by a few kilograms.  I was inspired by the soreness in my muscles the few days after the Longboat 10K.  While I broke my record at that one, there was a price to pay.  Extra leg work will help, since stronger legs will mean less pain after I push myself.

My next run is a 5K coming up on October 6th.  It's the CIBC Run for the Cure.  I've been thinking about my goal for that run.  If I divide my 10K PB, I'd finish the 5K in about 29 minutes.  But it's a shorter distance, so I should be able to push myself a bit harder for the duration.  I've therefore decided to settle on 25 minutes as my goal.  Now, I know that's quite a bit of a time difference, but it's not something I necessarily have to accomplish this October.  If I don't make it on the 6th, then I'll aim to make it next 5K.  Aim high or go home!

A Victory

I ran the Longboat Toronto Island 10K today!  It was a beautiful day for a run - sunny, a bit cooler at about 20 degrees, and not too windy.  Esther and I participated in this one, with Josh, Esther's husband, watching from the sidelines.

We started off near the front.  Esther is a little speed demon, so she set a pace, and I tried to keep up with her for as long as I could.  I lost sight of her sometime before the 4km mark.  It was a sad moment, but it also meant that till then I was going at a faster pace than usual.  The course was very flat, and it was a mix of pavement, grass, and boardwalk.

This time, my faster pace at the beginning had my body screaming for relief until 5km.  Up until 5, I was thinking "What have I gotten myself into?!  I haven't trained properly for this!!  I haven't gone for a run in ages!  I should just stop and take a breather!"

But so many things came to my mind and made me continue.  I thought of my gym classes, I thought of my instructors encouraging me to keep going, I thought of Marie doing pushups on her toes and egging me on to get off my knees and follow her, and heck, I even thought of having to post a FB status update about the race.

Just after I passed the 5km mark (which was actually the start line that we'd looped back to), the pain and hesitation left my body.  Everything normalised, and I realised that I was now more than halfway done and that it was totally possible to keep going.

So I kept going and going and going.  The last 2 kilometres were along the boardwalk.  The sailboats on the water were a beautiful sight to behold, but I found it easiest to look down at the ground so that a) I wouldn't get distracted by the pretty view, and b) I wouldn't get discouraged by what was up ahead (almost 2 kilometres of just boardwalk).

Once I got back up on the pavement, I could see the finish line.  Oh, the sprint that I did.  Oh, that sprint.  I ran so hard and so fast for the last few hundred metres that I almost made myself sick.  Felt damned good.

I picked up my medal with glee and went off to find Esther and Josh for the BBQ that was being held.  Veggie burger, apple, apple juice, Cliff Builders bars… It was a feast well earned.

My time?

Drumroll…

58:32!!

A triumphant 5:51 min./km.  The time I was aiming to beat was from my May 10K, a time of 1:02:37.  I blasted it!  I shaved 4 minutes and 5 seconds off of my time, and I came in at under an hour, which was my goal last run.  Right when I finished the race, I was pretty sure I'd come in under an hour, so I was in a good mood, but when I confirmed it online when I got home, I daaaaaanced.  I boogied in delight.  Woo!

I feel reinvigorated and energised.  This is going to be a good week since I'm so inspired.  I plan to hit the gym at least 4 times, which I hope will begin to propel me to some new level of fitness.  I'm also going to make sure I go for runs more often, if anything to toughen my feet up (I got a few blisters this morning).

And you know what?  It's time to sit and think about a new running goal.  How exciting is that?!

Only three times?

I was talking to a co-worker and friend today about my exercise these days.

"How's the gym going?" she asked.

I took a breath to answer, then stopped myself.

I took a step back from what I was going to say, thought about what it meant, and its implications, and then continued, "Wow, I sound like a total snob saying this, but my response to that is: it's going well, but I only went to the gym three times last week."

*Only* three times?  Clearly I've reached a point where going to the gym three times per week doesn't feel like enough.

And it's true!  I never went out for those runs I promised in my last entry, which has left me feeling unsettled and unprepared for my 10K on Sunday.  But last week for me was an incredibly busy week.  I went out every night.  As Marie put it on Facebook, "Work was just a break between one party to the next".  It was a much-needed social week, as I connected with new friends and re-connected with old friends.

Work this week has become a madhouse, and it will continue for the next few weeks.  I won't have as much time to relax, read, meet friends for coffee and drinks.  Tomorrow is definitely a gym night, but we'll see what I have time to do in the next few days before the weekend.  I feel confident at least in my basic fitness level that running a 10K without direct running training won't kill me.  But I feel like the 1:02 time I would like to beat will not be beat this Sunday.  And you know what?  I'm okay with that.  There will be other races, less busy weeks, and more training to come!

That's all for now, as I must now go and rest from an 11 hour day at work!  My next update will probably be about the run.  Ciao!

When you think you're done, you're just beginning

This week…. This week!  It has been wonderful.

Monday BodyAttack

Wednesday BodyShred

Thursday BodyShred

Saturday playing with a 2.5 year old and impromptu fitness session at Marie's condo

Sunday BodyPump AND BodyAttack.

My heart and muscles have increased 2 sizes!  The greatest was today.  I was up bright and early for BodyPump at 10:30.  Having gone to sleep quite late the previous night because of a party, this was my first small victory of the day.  Marie joined me for the class, and I'm happy to report that we did very well for not having done Pump in many weeks.  We finished the one-hour class successfully, grabbed our things, and left.

However!  Just as we were exiting the building, we saw Alisa, my Monday night BodyAttack instructor.  We burst through the door, and Marie asked "Are you teaching Attack now?!"  Alisa said no, but that she was taking the class and that we should join.  We looked at each other, turned right around, and followed her back into the gym.  What ensued was a magnificent display of second wind.  We somehow gathered up the energy to keep going for another hour.  We sweat through runs, agility training, and more pushups.

At the end of the hour, we were completely wiped, but we felt so GOOD.  There's something amazing about beating your body up like that.  You become so exhausted, but it energises you.  Tonight's sleep is very well deserved.  This week's lesson: when you think you're done, you're just beginning.  Your real workout begins when you're completely exhausted and think you can't go another step.

I have a run coming up on the 8th of September.  I haven't been doing my regular runs outdoors lately, but I hope that my strength and cardio training in my gym classes will translate well.  I'll do some runs this week and see where I'm at.  I will report!  I may need to do some emergency run training and fewer gym classes.

Jillian Michaels at Canfitpro at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre

It's a busy weekend down at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.  The CanFitPro Consumer Fitness + Wellness Show is on for 3 days, and it has drawn people from all around.  As I mentioned briefly in my previous entry, Marie and I both entered to win a contest to participate with a friend in a BodyShred class led by Jillian Michaels, a guest of honour at the show.  I ended up winning, so off we went on Friday morning to line up to get a good spot in the room.  What greeted us was a glorious atmosphere of fit and beautiful people milling about, waiting for a workshop or browsing around the trade show in search of new shoes or a new protein bar.

Shred was held in a giant hall, which fit 500 people.  Lucky us, though - we were at the front!  4 rows away from the stage, in fact.  We got in, grabbed our 3lb weights, and secured our spots.  Marie was super excited, jumping around and grinning like a looney!  We stretched, struck up a conversation with a girl who works at a Markham Goodlife, and gawked at the large room.  Our regular Wednesday night Shred instructor, Lauren, was also there, and she dropped by to say hello.  A lot of Goodlife instructors were there, catching up with old friends and, I'm sure, making new ones.  There was a nice buzz of excitement in the room, and it was contagious.

The workout itself was great, and we did some new moves we don't normally do.  Jillian came out onto the stage (to great applause and cheering), greeted us, and jumped right into explaining all the moves.

She went through each one before hitting play and starting up the workout.  BodyShred is just a half hour long, so it was done in the blink of an eye.  She was yelling at us to keep our asses moving!  At one point she came down off the stage and was interacting with some of the girls in front of us, getting them to lift their knees higher and push harder.

Jillian Michaels is ripped.  She's a shorter lady, at 5'2", but her personality and muscles make her seem dozens of metres taller!

And while she's known for crazy workouts and intense execution, she seems like a really down-to-earth person.  When she was demonstrating the moves before the workout began, she was losing her balance a bit, and she just laughed at herself, rather than getting annoyed.  I'm sure a one-on-one session with her would be intense and scary, but as it stands, I really enjoyed the class and how it was taught.  I can see how our instructor has modelled her execution of the class on Jillian's.  A good instructor makes all the difference, just like a good teacher in high school, or an inspiring professor at university.  A good fitness instructor will show you the moves clearly, explain them with ease, and do the moves with you.  They will make sure you know exactly what it coming up and when.  We definitely get that Wednesday nights, and we definitely got that Friday morning.

When the workout was over, we grabbed our things and headed over to the trade show to see what was going on there.  We entered another hall with displays from all sorts of protein powder, energy bar, running shoe, and fitness machine companies.  We tried a bunch of the shakes and bars, looked through the clothes (I picked up a new headband - let's see if this will keep those wisps of hair from getting in my eyes), and chatted with people who were selling their ideas (a new Tai Chi program, an obstacle course, and so on).  Marie pointed out that because so many fitness instructors attend the show, we were grouped in with them by association.  We were at the trade show and therefore employed by a gym.  We got a nice, inclusive vibe from the room and the people.  There weren't a lot of freebies, but it was fun to wander around and see what's out there in the commercial fitness world.

Done with the trade show, we went to meet the other Marie for dim sum, and then a bit of a shopping trip at the Eaton Centre (well deserved!).  A successful day that has left me feeling happy, inspired, and revved up for next Wednesday night Shred!


Finally, this isn't fitness-related, but a funny thing happened on the way to register for the trade show first thing when I got there in the morning.  I headed to what looked like registration tables.  I gave my photo I.D. to the woman there, who spoke with a Spanish accent.  She was looking for my name on her sheet but couldn't find it.  I piped up and said that I'd done the free registration and that I didn't actually know if I was supposed to sign up at that desk.  Revelation dawned on her face, but then the strangest thing happened - she switched to Spanish.  I barely even realised at first, though something at the back of my head was telling me that this wasn't normal.  "Look, you have to go over to those registration desks there (*points to desks*) and they can confirm your registration there.  This is for instructors," she said.  So I said "OK, gracias!" and headed over, meanwhile starting to realise what had just happened.   It's funny that she assumed I'd understand her, but I think it's awesome!

Confirmed: Exercise = Yay

Exercise-wise, it has been a very unremarkable week.  I took it easy in that department and focused on social activities.  I also wasn't feeling the greatest (stomachache a few days, headache a few others).

Monday was a holiday, and I did just that - holidayed.  Wednesday I did BodyShred (our regular instructor is back after 2 weeks away), and the rest of the week I was too busy doing one thing or another to go for a run or to the gym.  I feel extremely slobby and lazy and guilty about this, but there's nothing I can do now to fix the past, so time to move on!!

The weekend was great, since we had the Taste of the Danforth festival, an impromptu waffle party at Marie's with Ben and a new friend, and drinks at a new German restaurant (where I proceeded to spill a drink on said new friend).  Sunday was another beach day (one where we actually went to the beach!), where I met 5369 new people and was overwhelmed.  I think I shut down a little because I was so tired from the previous night. Hahaha!  But it was great going out, meeting people, having a good laugh, and forgetting what work is.

It's Monday evening now, and I just got back from my regular Attack (the one I skipped last week).  It's helped me start to feel more normal.  It's going to be a busy week with James visiting from Chicago and Esther's wedding on the weekend.  Then work starts to pick up the following week as we prepare for the September rush.  Also - and this is something I found out about last week, actually - Marie and I are going to the CanFitPro Consumer Fitness + Wellness Show on Friday to take a class with Jillian Michaels, the celebrity trainer!  I won a contest that Marie posted on Facebook through Goodlife, so off we go for an hour, where we will get yelled at by one of the most intense fitness people ever.  Here's hoping we survive!

I have no deep exercise-related insights from this week, other than confirmation that I feel crummy when I'm too lazy.  I feel more energetic when I'm Attacking and Shredding and Pumping and running. :)  However, that is not to say that this week wasn't amazing.  It certainly was, considering the number of people I met and the activities I got up to with my friends.  It feels like a prelude of things to come.  This time last year I was just settling back into Toronto, reconnecting with my friends, and on the verge of getting a job and making a number of new friends.  I feel like it's the season for that.  It's late summer, we're starting to slowly lose minutes off of our extra long days, it's getting cooler in the evenings and mornings, and we're scrambling to squeeze out as much fun as we possibly can from the lingering summer atmosphere.  A lot can stem from those last, urgent actions taken to lengthen the season.  I'm living in the happiness of the present and looking forward to the pleasant mysteries of the future.

Letting go

It's been a busy, sometimes stressful week.  I worked many hours, which was great, since it kept me busy and made the time fly.

We're five days into August, and it's not exactly what I was expecting, but it'll get better.  The weather has been bizarre for the past few weeks - chilly at night and in the mornings, warm (but not that hot) during the days.  It turns out that I may be the only person in the world who actually likes her summers blazing hot.  I want that humidity and that oppressive heat that makes you want to sit in the shade with a glass of ice cubes.  I hope it comes back, because the weather we have now is starting to get on my nerves.

It was a very physical week.  I did my usual Monday BodyAttack and Wednesday BodyShred.  On Thursday, Marie convinced me to do a back-to-back combo of Attack and Shred.  So we did that.  It was exhausting.  Our legs wanted to fall off.  Friday was a very physical day, as I helped moved boxes around the medical section of the store.  I got a strength and endurance workout over the 9 hours I was there.  Later that evening I was hailed on while biking home.  Ouch!  I took refuge a minute away from my house because the wind was so strong that I was being blown off my bike.

After a few months of hiatus, the Ben/Elisa running team is back!  We ran our usual route on Saturday morning, although we were both feeling a bit tired out from our previous days.  It was a lot of fun to run together again, and now that we're back on the wagon, we're going to push hard.  The Island run is coming up in just over a month, so I want to be absolutely ready for it.  I plan to beat my standing 10K finish time.  

On Sunday we were supposed to go to the beach, but when we all gathered at Marie's, we lounged for 2 hours and then went to see the Wolverine movie.  Oops.  When we left the movie, we were hyper and talking about wanting to learn parkour.  We went back to Marie's and made delicious pizza.  We had a wonderful time chilling on the patio and chatting.

Today is a holiday, but there's no rest for the wicked.

I hope to take part of this day to reflect on this past year.  July 31st marked my 1 year "anniversary" of coming back to Toronto.  So much has happened to me.  It's been good, bad, ugly, pretty, exciting, and dreadfully anxious.  I still haven't found that perfect dream job, I still live with my parents and earn not quite enough to live on my own sans roommates, but my friends are great.  Sometimes when I think my personal life is in shambles, or I feel like a monster or a horrible person that nobody wants to be with, I think of my friends.

There are so many things that are left unsaid to people in my past, but I have to just let it all go.  Let it go so that it doesn't have power over me.  Ignore the hurt and pain that it caused me, and convince myself it has no bearing on my life now.  I have the tendency to let things haunt me for long, long times.  It's a curse.  The only positive thing is that it makes me remember what I want and makes me smarter in avoiding the things that look unhealthy for me.  Unfortunately, however, it also makes me a bit suspicious.  Maybe another goal for me, besides building up my self-confidence, is to work on letting go - not just forgiving, but also forgetting.  Because it's not going to do me any good to remember small, painful things from my past that cannot be fixed.

Take a deep breath, hold it, clear the mind, and go.

Flirty Girl

What an incredible week.  Simply incredible.  It started out with a huge bang, and I've ridden the shockwaves like a surfer, navigating the alternating calm and choppy waters of this vast ocean I call my life.  My personal life is getting better and better, and it really fills me with energy and motivation, which get carried into other parts of my life.  Here are some of them:

Monday night was BodyAttack release night - definitely upped the intensity with this release!

Wednesday night was BodyShred with a different instructor.  She did a very legs-heavy routine, so my legs and butt felt it for a few days.  It's nice to have a change.  It keeps it fresh and forward-moving.

Thursday I went for a run around the neighbourhood.  Just 20 minutes, but harder intensity than usual.

Friday was BodyPump and CXWorx.  CX was actually a new release class, so it was all new for us.  It was also leg-heavy, so I'm still feeling it a bit today in my butt.  Good stuff.

Saturday and Sunday were social bonanzas.  

For Esther's bachelorette on Saturday, we went over to Flirty Girl Fitness for a pole dancing lesson.  What?  That's right.  Pole dancing.  It has, in recent years, become popular as a fitness activity, and not just a hyper-sexualised performance that you see on TV and in movies.  We had a wonderful instructor who taught us some different moves and then put together a little choreography for us.  All of us at the party are active ladies, so we caught on quickly and were eager to learn as much as we could.

We then went dancing at El Convento Rico.  I loved when they played Latin music, because I just pretended I knew how to salsa.  I threw in all the Latin I could muster from deep in my soul and we danced the night away.  It got really hot and sweaty in the crowd.

Even a bachelorette party can be great exercise. ;)

My niece has arrived for another stay!  This time her parents are staying the whole time, so it'll be nice to catch up with my brother (he didn't come last time, just my sister-in-law).  It's only been about a month, but I find it a lot easier to lift my niece.  Must be all those push ups…?!

I signed up for another 10K run.  It's happening on September 8th, so I have a month and a bit to prepare.  Then I'm doing a 5K run on October 6th, so I have a few more months to train for that one.  I'm excited and nervous.  It's going to be great!  What a way to keep me inspired.  Though I have to say, I never want to skip my gym classes.  Not only do they make me feel good, but they're also social events.  They've become a part of my routine.  In fact, I get grumpy if anything threatens my attendance.  I guess that's when you know you really enjoy something.

This week has been simply amazing.  It's been like a dream come true.  It's the end of July, and we still have another month of summer left.  Let's all make it the best month we've ever had.

Oh No, Not Another Camping Trip

On Sunday evening I got back from the second of my two trips up to Bruce Peninsula.  Trip 1 involved yurts.  Trip 2 involved tents.  In today's post, I'd like to share some pictures, but the report will be somewhat disjointed, as I will mostly just point out events that go with the pictures.

We were a group of 7.  Marie, Dave, Vaughn, Melissa, Ben, Kevin, and me.  We went up in 2 groups.  Group one included me, Melissa, and Dave.  We drove through tornado weather.  We thought we were going to die.

Melissa and I saw big dust clouds signalling what we think may have been the touchdown of a tornado.  We arrived safely and pitched the 2 tents that we had brought with us.  We then attempted to make a fire, but everything was so wet that it was very difficult.  When the rest of the gang arrived, they pitched the other tent, and we got a fire going.  Dinner that night was apples, carrots, hummus, and three roasted chickens Ben had picked up from a Fiipino restaurant in our neighbourhood.  It was a little hard to fall asleep that night, but in the morning, we were up pretty early.  We made what Marie termed "breakfast boats".  This was necessary because out of the 7 of us, nobody brought a pan or a pot.  Oops!

We set off for a hike, and lo and behold, just like my last trip, in the same place except on the other side of the bridge, we spotted a snake.  He was hard to follow, but after some movement he resurfaced with… a fish in his mouth.  Wildlife hunting in action!

We made it to Georgian Bay and the Grotto.  Ben and Kevin went for a dip in the cold waters.  They were very brave, since it was also a very windy day and the waves were choppy.

After a while, we hiked to a rock beach on our way back to the campsite for lunch.  Here is Ben and wilderness.

Many photo ops presented themselves.  Here was a beautiful dragonfly that decided to chill out on Vaughn's tent.

We picked up a bunch of sticks on our way back from the hike.  They would serve as our food cooking sticks.  Vaughn whittled them with a whistle (well, I don't think he whistled, but we can pretend he did, since it sounds cheery).  He did a wonderful job.  Those sticks made our marshmallows and hotdogs feel safe and properly pierced.

The fire constantly going and the light shining through the trees made for some interesting photos.  Here is Dave looking like he has Cyclops' powers, except with smoke, not lasers.

After a visit to the Singing Sands Beach (the dip in Lake Huron served as our "shower" for the weekend), we went back to the campsite for dinner.  Dave's mother - bless her heart - made kalbi for us.  20 pieces of wonderfully delicious, authentic kalbi.  Oh, we ate like kings that night, for we also had burgers and s'mores.

Later in the evening, Vaughn went for a swim, and when he came back, he informed us that a big snake was chilling by the beach.  I was the first out the door.  We went down to the beach, and there she was.  A big, beautiful, hungry snake. 

She was eating some kind of salamander. She got very nervous when we approached close, and she backed up into this tree trunk, curling her tail up and out of sight.  It took her quite a long time to eat.  In fact, we were there for…. oh, I'd say over half an hour and she still hadn't finished her meal by the time we left.  A lot of people passed by and were curious what we were looking at.  We presented Snake (what a creative name) proudly to passersby, explaining what was happening.

We watched the sunset as the mosquitoes started to really dig into us.  Some ducks swam by.  Here was a straggler.

On the last day, Sunday, we reluctantly packed up and loaded up the cars.  We went to a rock beach (Little Cove) and hung out there by the rough waves.  We threw rocks into the lake, and I ran up and down the beach, a most precarious exercise on such uneven chunks of rock.  Afterwards, we went into Tobermory for some delicious Fish n Chips.  We hung around the docks for a bit after lunch, and then, sadly, it was time to go home.  I'm glad we had such beautiful weather to end a beautiful trip.

Trips like this can really make friends grow closer. But I find that not just the trip, but the aftermath of the trip helps friendships grow.  I can certainly say that on Monday, after such a wonderful weekend away, and the reality of being back in the city sinking in, I was inspired, and my love for my friends grew infinitely.  I realised that my friends are here to stay, and that nothing - really, nothing (except maybe murder) - can take them away from me.

This week promises to be a very good one.  I've been busy with social events and it's only Tuesday!  I did BodyAttack yesterday with Marie, planned a bachelorette with Rachel and Sarah after the gym, then did coffee with Ben this morning, worked, and then did tea with Alex in the evening.  I think the first 2 days of the week really set the tone for the rest of the week, so here's hoping for another great set of days.

Love and peace.

Softball Adventures

It's been another eventful week.  Monday I did BodyAttack, Tuesday I had to work on my feet for 9 hours, Wednesday I did BodyShred, Thursday I went for a 32 minute run, and Friday… was the busiest day!  But first I'll talk about last Thursday.

My workplace has a softball team that plays other departments at the university, and they needed an extra girl last Thursday so that they were eligible to play.  Seeing as I wasn't busy that evening, I joined.  It was incredible fun!  Everyone was very welcoming.  It had been many years since I'd last played baseball (we're talking elementary school era).  I was never really good at hitting the ball, but catching and throwing were all right for me.  Last Thursday was great.  I actually hit the ball (gasp!), although I never made it to first base, since the hits were pretty weak and they were able to throw the ball in before I got there (sprinting is also not my forté, so that's a double whammy of imperfection).  But I was catcher on the field and took part in a few key plays, which felt good.

I played again this past Friday, but it was after work and then BodyPump (I skipped the CXWorx that comes after).  I was a fair bit exhausted by the end of that day.  The game was great.  We didn't win, but it was close, and I feel like I was even more active.  I was weak with my hits, but my last turn up to bat, I hit a good ball.  Nice and strong.  However, I hit it right in the direction of another player, so she was able to grab it quickly and throw it to first before I made it.  Despite this, I felt really good about my hit!

Before this Friday's game, I looked up some youtube videos about proper batting form, and keeping the pointers in mind, I found a big difference in how I batted this week compared to last week.  I felt more in control.  Now it's a matter of practice.  I can watch all the videos I want and read all the information I can, but I need to physically do it to truly get it.  Hopefully I can practice hitting the ball a bit before I play next, whenever that may be.  There's also more inspiration to work on my sprinting.  The games have been thrilling and the team spirit high.  I'm glad I took a step contrary to my fears (of looking like a fool on the field) and let my coworkers and friends talk me into playing.

The coming week  is going to be a short work week (camping next Friday!) and another one packed with fitness and social events.  Tonight I'm doing my regular BodyAttack, and I'm please to announce that I have finally gotten myself a new lock so that I can use my bicycle for commuting.  It's a Kryptonite Evoluton Mini, which I hope will help to deter theft.  I'm excited because I'll spend less time commuting and get used to biking again!

Bruce Peninsula yurt trip

I went camping this weekend at Bruce Peninsula Provincial Park, up on Georgian Bay/Lake Huron.  I went with my 2 oldest friends, Rachel and Esther, who I've known since elementary school and junior high school, respectively.  We took the Friday off from work and drove up from stormy, rainy Toronto to happy and sunny Cyprus Lake.

Cyprus Lake.  Great care was taken wading into the water to get this shot.

We stayed in a yurt, so we weren't exactly "roughing it", but we got a taste of quiet forest life.  We unpacked our sleeping bags, locked our food in a cabinet, and put on the sunblock.

Our yurt had a wonderful location just seconds away from the water

On the first day we took a dip on Cyprus Lake, the lake our yurt was located by.  The water was deliciously mild - a little cold going in, but wonderful once we were fully submerged.  We tread water and swam for a while before heading back in for a meal.  We were eager for a quiet, good night's rest, but I think we were too excited and too tired.  We turned off the flashlights, but an hour later, after Esther dropped a water bottle from her top bunk, we all admitted that we hadn't fallen asleep yet.  A trip to the washroom ensued, followed by more fitful tossing and turning.

The second day we were awoken at 5am by some men in the neighbouring yurt talking about what their mothers or fathers or whoever said 5 years ago, this dramatic thing or the other, and we were all extremely grumpy about it.  Why discuss this at 5am in loud, booming voices?!  We grumbled about it, but when Rachel finally gathered the courage to go and ask if they could keep it down, they were just taking off to shower.  Um…?!  We were finally able to drift back to sleep for another hour and a half, but we were all tired from our late night and early awakening.

However, we didn't let it keep us down.  We coffee'd up and went for a hike to the Grotto on Georgian Bay.  On the way, we stopped on a bridge to look into a little river feeding into the lake.  Imagine my complete delight when we saw an Eastern milksnake!  He was cooling off in the water.  He then began to swim, his powerful body projecting him from rock to rock for shelter from the running water.

Eastern milk snake, a non-venomous species of snake found in Ontario

Upon arrival at the Grotto, we took a dip in the turquoise-coloured waters of the freezing Bay.  There were signs on the trail cautioning swimmers that the body of water was very cold and that it could inhibit swimming ability.  It was freezing.  I only stayed in for about a minute before my limbs began to seize up with cold.  It was extremely refreshing once back on the shore - it was 28 degrees celsius before humidity.

The water of Georgian Bay looks deceptively tropical and warm.

We hiked back to our yurt for a well-deserved lunch and then to the lake for another dip.  We swam, chilled on the beach, and ate our snacks - wasabi peas in the shade on the beach.  What more could a person ask for?  Well, another snake sighting would be nice.  Lo and behold, my wish was granted.  There was another milk snake taking a dip in the water.  Others in the water kept their distance, fearful, uninterested, or disgusted, but I followed the little guy in the water until he surfaced near a log.  I must admit that I reached out and touched the tip of his tail.  Then as he slithered under, I let my hand brush along his smooth back section.  He came to a pause and I went in for another touch.  I got it in, but I pushed his limit and he struck at me.  I pulled my hand away, backed up a step in the water, and watched as he slinked off along the shoreline.

I feel a mix of intense thrill and guilt - thrill that I got to come into contact with one of my favourite creatures, but guilt for disturbing him and scaring him with my touching.  Bruce Peninsula is also home to Ontario's only venomous snake, the Massasauga rattler.  If I ever encountered a venomous, or otherwise unidentifiable snake in the wild, I would not try to touch it.  I would stop and back away immediately.  As much as I love snakes, I understand that some of them can hurt me more badly than just a bite.  Also, I would just like to note that I love snakes and would never bring any harm to one.  While touching a snake in the wild violates the "leave nature alone" principle, I believe that my actions caused the snake no harm, and it was simply another animal interaction in both his and my daily lives.  Like a playful dog, I had a curiosity that had to be satisfied.

After our swimming and wild creature encounter, we drove over to Singing Sands Beach on Lake Huron for more swimming and beach bumming.  The water was shallow and warm for such a long distance that we didn't even bother to go as far as the deep end (wherever that may have been!). 

Singing Sands on Lake Huron.

That night after dinner we played cards till sunset, when we got up to enjoy the mix of colours.

Sunset over Lake Cyprus.

More cards, and then it was time to sit around the fire.  Once the residual light from the sunset dimmed for good and the worst of the mosquitoes were upon us, we went back into the yurt for more card playing.  We reminisced about the songs we'd learned to sing and play on the guitar in grades 7 and 8 and had a wonderful night.  When bedtime came, I believe we were much more exhausted and fell asleep easily.  Oh, but one hiccup - Rachel and Esther got up to go to the washroom, but they locked themselves out of the yurt.  Luckily I was inside to open it for them!

The next morning I woke up at 6:30 and went to take a peek at the sunrise.  There were some ducklings making off into the water as I approached the lake.

Early morning dip for the ducklings on Lake Cyprus.

I did some sit ups on the beach to wake myself up.  It was wonderful working out on the sand with the sun rising above my head.  I had done some push ups, sit ups, and jumps the previous morning.  With the hiking and swimming, I'd say I met a bare minimum amount of exercise.  A jog would have been nice, too, but then there was only so much time for all our activities.

It was then time to go home.  We had breakfast, packed up all our things, and checked out of our wonderful yurt.  We said goodbye to the park and had a rainy drive home (it's amazing how the weather moulded perfectly around our plans - sunny for our entire trip, and then rainy for the car ride back).

Bruce Peninsula is a beautiful place, and I would go there again.  In fact, I'm going back the weekend after next for another camping trip!  This time in tents with another group of friends.  Here's to another weekend of hiking, swimming, and wild animals.

This week, though, it's back to my regularly scheduled life.  I hope to make it to the gym 4 times and go for at least one plain run outdoors.  Next week's update should include fewer pictures and more gym talk.  I did, however, enjoy writing about my trip here and sharing pictures.  I hope you did, too!

C is for…?

All right, here I am!  Back to my regular week activity update.

It was a pretty good week, and an excellent long weekend.  I didn't do so many classes, and I went out for 0 runs (second week in a row doing that - eek!!), but the social aspect of my week was great.  My niece left a couple of days ago, so that was sad, but I'm confident that I'll go and visit her soon.

On Monday I went to what is now my regular BodyAttack class.  The instructor is so witty and energetic that she infects the whole class.  I felt like such a newbie when I attended weeks ago.  I did the moves quietly while the regulars whooped and cheered their way through the hour of exercise.  Now, I'm one of them, cheering when the instructor asks us if we're having fun.

Tuesday I took a break.

Wednesday was my regular BodyShred with my favourite instructor.  I pushed hard.  When I first did Shred (incidentally, it was with this same instructor) , I was sore for days after, and I couldn't believe what I'd let Marie drag me into.  Nowadays, Wednesday night Shred is the highlight of my week.  I look forward to it more than anything!  And I don't hurt for days after.  I feel stronger and stronger each time.

Thursday was a break day.

Friday I had to work late, so I missed my usual Pump/CX.  Instead, I got together with Dave and had a good dinner and chat with him.

Saturday I was going to do a three hour extravaganza of BodyCombat, BodyFlow, and Zumba.  However, after Combat and Flow, I felt like it was time to stop.  Combat was great, and I got that same release I had two weeks ago.  Flow was relaxing, a time to work on stretching, core strength, and breathing.  Marie and I went shopping afterwards, where I got a new bikini.

Sunday was beach day! We strayed away from our good Lake Ontario and headed out to Long Point Provincial Park, a peninsula jutting out into Lake Erie.  We slathered on the sunscreen for an afternoon in the sun.

There's Kevin doing a plank in the water and turning to 

watch some crazy dogs leaping in the waves.

Marie and I secretly brought water guns and attacked Dave when we first got there.  There were a lot of dogs at the beach, so we lay around watching them, occasionally going into the water.  It was a very lazy day, and a much-needed escape from the city.  At the end of the day, Dave dropped me off near the Pride festivities, and I walked through to go home.  What an amazing crowd and party.  It was the complete opposite of the quietness of our beach day.

Finally: today, Monday!  Today is a national holiday, but some of the gyms were open for limited hours, so we made it out to my regular BodyAttack class, except it was in the morning, not the evening.  It was spectacular!  The crowd was energetic and ready to work hard.  Favourite move of the day?  Jumping jacks followed by shuffles.  Agility training is the best!


It's been a busy few weeks having a little kid around and taking care of her while working and working out.  My alone time has been short, but precious and appreciated.  I like unwinding in the evening with my book or a TV show, reviewing the day in my mind and looking forward to the next.  This week will be another busy one, but it'll be a short work week for me with camping coming up on Friday.  I'm also going to re-add a few outdoor runs to my routine.  I can't believe I've gotten so lax about it!  But I have been getting good cardio workouts at my classes, and I'm a heck of a lot stronger than I was a month and a half ago.

I shall wrap up with a little story from today's class.  For the last track of the class - ab work - our instructor had us do C crunches.

She called out, "C is for…..?"

Marie and I both yelled out "Canada!", because it's Canada Day (our instructor had referenced it several times already).

The instructor did a double take, a small, surprised smile growing on her face.  "Oh, yeah.  I was gonna say cookie, but you girls have the right idea!"

We laughed so hard, and as we started the ab work, Marie said as an aside to me "C is for Crunches."

Just Dream

You know when you have a dream that affects you so deeply that the whole next day you feel like the world has changed?  I had one of those Tuesday night.  It wasn't a particularly spectacular or crazy dream, but I did wake up feeling a strange sense of awe and a little bit of longing to live in a world where what can happen in dreams is normal - where we can fly, jump across canyons, and, yes, on occasion freeze in our spots and not be able to run despite the urgent need to.

I want to live in a world where multiple venomous snakes bite me, but I'm ok because they're just curious.  I want to live in a world where I'm watching Buffy fight vampires from above, and then suddenly I am the person fighting vampires.  I want to live in a world where people you don't talk to are suddenly your best friends, and where you and your brother getting chosen by NASA for a special space mission is the norm.

My dreams have often affected me in so many ways, both emotionally and physically.  I've woken up crying, laughing, sick, and singing, all reactions to the images in my head.  I've shared dreams with friends, bonded over their wackiness, and analysed them for fun.  Dreams come from deep within us, and I think that they communicate a lot of important things to us.  They can lead us to good (or bad), but most of all, I believe that they make us think about things we might have brushed off from the day, or make us anticipate something coming up.

I would be lost without my dreams.  They give me something to look forward to every night.  I don't remember all my dreams, and sometimes I have unsettling dreams that I wish I didn't remember.  But on the whole, they are a fascinating phenomenon, and I consider myself lucky to remember so many at my age.

(Side note: I'm looking forward to the long weekend.  I'll be doing some great activities, and I'll provide an activity update perhaps on Monday night (Canada Day)!)

Nonstop Action

When last I left off, it was actually the eve of my 4.5 year-old niece's 12-day visit.  We are still in the midst of the visit, but I'd like to take the time to talk about what I've done this week despite not going for a run or to the gym as often as I like.  It's still been an active week.  

Monday - niece arrived after work.  A tall, skinny 40-pound girl who likes to be lifted and thrown around.  Enter backache.  Also enter hours of running around the backyard and park, playing imagination games and keeping this restless child entertained.  Did I sleep well Monday night?  Incredibly so.

Tuesday - work, followed by lifting, hefting, and running around with little child.

Wednesday - Work, niece work, and then BodyShred with my favourite instructor!  She added some new moves that she made look easy but were challenging.  We also worked our back obliques, resulting in waking up the next morning and feeling like someone had ripped my kidneys out.  Such awesome pain.

Thursday - I had no work, so my parents and I took the little sweet monster to the zoo where I…. well, duh!  Ran, lifted, hefted, and played.  Oh, and we also saw some animals, like the newly arrived pandas and the lion cubs.  When we returned from the zoo, she wanted to play in the backyard, so I did some more lifting and running until dinner.

This is how I felt at the end of the day.

Friday - It was a niece-lite day.  I went to work, had another meeting with my Employment Coach contact, and then went for my usual BodyPump and CXWorx double feature.  Marie wasn't able to join me this week, but I pushed myself as if she were there telling me to up the weights and challenge myself.  I did more than usual for the chest track, which resulted in deliciously painful DOMS in my pecs.

Saturday - My niece had a freakout tantrum while I stayed alone with her for a few hours in the morning, so that was pretty difficult to deal with.  I then went to Zumba for the first time ever, and holy wow, I am in love!  Why have I not Zumba'd before?!  Later that evening I communicated this to my mother, and of course she pulled the "I told you so" routine, because for years she was saying "Elisa, you should do Zumba!  I heard it's fun and you'd love it!", and I went "yeah, yeah, ok, whatever".  Ok, fine, Mother.  You were absolutely right.  After Zumba, it was shopping time with Marie and Mel.  We went to the Gap, where I bought new gym clothes!  Three new pairs of shorts, a tank top, and a t-shirt.  It was time to upgrade, and what better time is there to upgrade than when the Gap is having a sale?  Good quality stuff for lower prices.  Can't be beat.  We had a blast, and ended our day trying on different sunglasses (some ridiculous) at Holt Renfrew.  Good laughs: an important part of your day.

Sunday - A morning of pure laziness where I lounged in bed, read my book, and surfed the net.  I've barely had a moment to myself all week!  Then I took the monster to see a movie about her cousins (Monsters University).  We got our arms painted at the Franco-Fête at Dundas Square, and we had an exciting subway and bus ride home.

Things I learned this week:

Taking care of children is demanding.  It is physically exhausting to chase them around and be involved in their games.  But more than that, it's a mental exhaustion that sets in after a while.  They ask many questions, which is wonderful, but the constant "why why why?" makes your brain work really hard to think up of answers, but also ways to phrase an answer that will make sense to a four-year-old's mind.  It is also difficult to play imagination games with a child who expects you to think exactly like she does.  And when she starts to cry, it's hard to reason with her.  If she misses her mommy or her kitty, nothing you say can stop her from missing her mommy or her kitty.

Zumba is fantastic.  As a dancer for most of my life, I caught on to the moves quickly and was able to have a blast.  The instructor was incredibly high energy, and I loved it.

Lack of self-confidence is what holds me back.  My chat with Glen on Friday afternoon was about that.  It's one thing to have specific talents, another to know I have them, and yet another to present them to other people in a confident manner with convincing "Yes, I am good at this" statements.  It's difficult for me to do this last one (I've gotten a hang of knowing what I'm good at), so, practice practice practice.  I find that with all the running and all the classes at the gym I take - both instances where I can see definite physical improvements - that sense of accomplishment and pride translates into my everyday life.  I feel that if I can run ten kilometres without stopping or do a certain amount of push ups before falling to my knees, then I can find a new job or earn a promotion with the skills I have.  So if I wasn't already obsessed with the gym, then this would be another way to keep me going.

And it's true.  I am obsessed.  At the beginning of each day, I'll survey my schedule and think "How can I fit a workout in today?"  "What class can I make it to?"  "Is it going to rain, and if so, should I use my old pair of runners that I don't care about as much?"  When I'm with Marie and other like-minded friends, we talk about that crazy new exercise we want to try, or share tips.  It's a lifestyle.

And now begins another week.  Let's see what more adventures I have...

Life is an Adventure

It's been another week of new challenges and interesting people.

Thursday I jogged to a park 2km away and then performed some sprints (100m).  I only did 5 before jogging/walking home.  Even though I didn't perform 10 like I'd aimed to (nor did I perform the 8 I'd mentally prepared myself to "downgrade" to) I still felt the effects.  I got a nice, sore set of quads and inner thighs, plus a feeling of accomplishment.  Lots of room for improvement on this front, so I'm just scratching the surface here.

Friday involved BodyPump followed CXWorx again with Marie.  We challenged ourselves and added some extra weight to our barbells.  The instructor this week did CX a little differently than the instructor who taught last week.  I preferred this week's.  I felt it targeted my abs a bit more (last week semed more leg-heavy).

After pumping like maniacs and having dinner, we attended a talk by American journalist Jeannette Walls.  Walls grew up in less-than-perfect circumstances, and in her book The Glass Castle, she opened up to the world about her childhood and her family.  Marci Ien interviewed Walls for the talk, and asked some great questions that led Walls to talk about perspective, interpretation of events, and "the truth".  The interview allowed her to acknowledge her siblings' different interpretations of events and differing emotions attached to those events. While I am curious about what she sets as the broader historical context of her upbringing, I am more interested in how she reaches deep down inside herself and drags out a story that may embarrass her or expose her to criticism.  She told us on Friday night that telling her story inspired others to come to her and reveal things to her that they were ashamed about or thought were not worth mentioning.  It appears that confession begets more confession.

We both got copies of her books signed.  In mine she wrote "Life is an adventure!"  Her Friday evening comments have made me think quite a bit.  She has inspired me to keep opening up and sharing stories, and I can carry that out by continuing to blog here about a few aspects of my life.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early to go to BodyCombat, a first for me.  It's a martial arts-based workout.  I learned how to punch and kick.  I spent so much energy focusing on trying to get the choreography and the moves right that I sweat up a storm.  This class definitely had me huffing and puffing.  I also have to say that the instructor was superbly awesome!!  She made me feel very welcome as a first timer, and she got really into the workout herself.  At the end of the class, there was a push up track (I gave Marie an "are you kidding me??" look when I learned this).  We did circular push ups (you can see an example here) , something I'm really excited to add to my routine.

Today my arms and back are burning.  It's from a combination of the circular push ups and all the arm work used throughout the Combat class.  I'll be attending them more often now that I've been introduced to the wonders of martial art fitness.  I found I also got a more emotional release than I've had in any other class.  It was a therapeutic expenditure of pent up angry energy - anger at injustices, people, and situations out of my control.  When we were done, I felt calmer than usual.

I like to have a little conclusion or a theme with which I can sum up the entire week.  I guess this week I'll repeat the adage of trying something new every day.  I'd also like to add again that the mental benefits of exercise can really surprise you sometimes.  What I've heard about martial arts all these years (it's good for discipline and a focused mind) seems to be true, and I wasn't even doing REAL martial arts, but a martial arts-based routine.  Exercise is as much an awakening of the mind as it is a physical shaping of the body.

Not faster than a speeding bullet, but...

I decided to go for a casual run today after work.  I was going to take it easy and just keep the heart pumping for 40 minutes.  But, after a few minutes of running I decided to try something new.  I could tell I was running a bit faster than usual, so I planned to run for 10 minutes at that pace (or faster) and then later map it and calculate the pace.

Breakdown:

 2.11km in 10 minutes =  a 4.44 min km (a 7.37 minute mile.)  

I'm happy with this!

Now, granted it was only 2 km, and I slowed down for the remainder of my run.  However, it serves as a benchmark.

In all, I ran 6.06km over 35 minutes, which is a pace of 5.46 min/km.  Now, to try and knock another 15 seconds off of that and maintain it for 10 kilometres.  I've got my work cut out for me.

Class-wise, things are going well.  I did a double feature yesterday - BodyFlow immediately followed by BodyPump.  1 hour and 45 minutes of just me, the floor, and the weights.  This coming Friday I have another double feature with Marie, followed by a movie I've been waiting to see for months… Man of Steel!

I have a few confessions to make.  I think I might be more excited about the new music than the actual movie.  I'm worried that the movie is going to disappoint over-excited me, but I know that Hans Zimmer is going to kick butt with the new musical score (if the trailer music he composed is any indication).

My other confession is that the music from the trailer is on my iPod, and it actually helped me train for my 10K!   It remains on my running/workout playlists.  I imagine Superman shooting up into the sky, and it makes me run a little bit faster.  I've always admired Superman for the amazing physical feats he can do, but also for his kind and caring personality.  If I ever want to stop or slowdown, I think "What would Superman do?"  He wouldn't give up, because the fate of the world lies in his hands.

Leaving the Comfort Zone

In recent weeks, I've really started believing in the practice of doing something every day that scares you.  I'm not going to be jumping into a pit of vipers or trying to walk across the 401 anytime soon, and I think it's more appropriate if I replace the words "scares you" with "is new".  But I've definitely opened up to practicing this philosophy on a weekly - rather than daily - basis (baby steps, folks.  Baby steps).  From networking to having conversations with strangers to trying a new fitness class, these are all activities that bring something new into my life.  So far, I've had positive results.

It's similar to building muscle.  If you do the same exercise within the same parameters every day, your body will get used to it.  At a certain point you stop building new muscle.  But if you change it up - add some weight, try a different technique, work a different muscle you don't normally use - you can continue to build.

Today, I helped my parents garden.  It involved lots of sweeping while dodging giant, thorny rose bushes (great for the abs and glutes… hah!), and lifting heavy cement benches and marble tables.  This was all after I'd done the intense BodyShred class in the morning, followed by a long walk around the city.  Hello, bed.  I've never been so happy to see you before.

Finally, I want to share this picture.  It reminds me of Marie, my fitness hero:

Source: http://www.funnyflamingo.com/

Because she can do all of them.

Revolution

Rarely do those days come when I have a pure moment of clarity.

This week was a particularly stressful one.  There was no single disastrous event that made it so.  It was a culmination of frustration with my work and my personal life.  On Wednesday, after something that could be aptly titled "A Complete Freakout Over Nothing" (read: I couldn't find my water bottle), I met with Marie and did a high-energy cardio workout.  It gave me an outlet for my angry energy and returned my blood pressure to normal.  It left me smiling, when an hour before I'd been raging about work, respect, and my inability to function as a human being.

My moment of clarity, however, came today.  Through chance, I met a career counsellor at my work place last week.  I set up an appointment to meet with him to discuss what I'm doing with my life.  Our meeting was today, and let me tell you: he knew me before I even opened my mouth.  We had chatted a few times at my work place, but they were brief chats.  When I went in today for our one-on-one meeting, he started telling me things about myself that were completely true.  He knew exactly how I felt, and he reassured me that I was going to soar.  He said so many things, and I don't want to share all of them here, but they affected me so deeply that I can't stop thinking about them.  He told me that my energy and my emotions - boundless amounts of both, as strangers often tell me - are tools that can be harnessed.

That hour was the hour that I started to really reflect on what kind of person I've become.

It was the hour I stopped believing that I would do nothing meaningful with my life.

It was the hour I stopped believing I was worthless.

I know it sounds dark and depressing.  I'm sure many of my friends would say, "No, Elisa, you're not worthless!  How could you say that?"  But in all honesty, as positive and cheerful as I am, there has been a part of me in more recent times that has questioned what I am doing.  I ask myself if I could ever accomplish anything else with my life.  Did I reach my peak already with the wonderful things I accomplished as a teenager and young adult?  Am I resigned in my adulthood to boring, unproductive work?

No.  No no no no no.  I am bigger than that.  And I know it!  I've always known it.  I just forgot my way and needed to be reminded.  I now have goals to meet in the next few weeks.  I was given some tasks, and upon completing them, I will have a follow-up meeting.  I have seized the bull by the horns and will not let go until we've both done some backflips.

This journal is seemingly only concerned with physical exercise, but hidden between the lines is the fitness of the mind.  It is just as important a component to being a healthy individual as the physical.  Today, my self confidence received a long-needed boost.  The last time I felt such a sense of intellectual accomplishment was when I finished my Master's.  What a wonderful day that was when I handed in my final paper to be bound.  As I expressed in my first post here, my 10K also filled me with a deep sense of accomplishment for the physical feats I had overcome.  I think that moment was just the beginning.  There's been something brewing in me since then, and I'm starting to figure out just how big it is, and most importantly, what it is!

So, in conclusion, this week was full of activity and new things.  I participated for the first time in CXWorx at the gym (today), which I'd been looking forward to for weeks.  It was different from what I expected, but it was certainly a good surprise.  I stressed out about work and my life, but then it all turned out to be okay.  I got an intense pep talk, and suddenly my life was shaken up.  I was reinvigorated.  I am on a journey!!

The highs are going to be amazing, and the lows are going to be rougher than ever, but at least I'm going somewhere.

A week in review

I've been back in TO for almost a week now.  Sunday evening seems like a good time to sit and write a review of my activities over the week, so here I am.

This week I focused on getting back into the groove and establishing a regular schedule.  My work hours can fluctuate week to week, but I can organise my activities around it fairly easily.  This week I attended 3 fitness classes and went for a run.  Not bad for "getting back into it".  A (somewhat detailed) break down:

Monday - arrived back in the city in the late afternoon.  Rest day.

Tuesday - Jillian Michaels BodyShred.  A 30 minute class, but high intensity throughout.  Works on strength and cardio.  Definitely a challenging class - the most challenging of all the ones I've tried so far.

Wednesday - BodyPump.  It's an hour-long strength class using the barbell.  Surprisingly, my arms weren't that sore after this one.  This means I'll have to up the weights next time!  I did get a good glute workout from the lunges, though.

Thursday - Rest day.

Friday - 7.7km run in 47 minutes (calculated pace is 6min 6 sec/km).  This is slightly faster than the average pace I ran my 10K at.  Right now my running goal is to do a long distance run at a 5min 30 sec/km pace, so I have to work at shaving half a minute off my time.  That would put me at 55 minutes for a 10k, and I'd be very happy with that.  Once I reach that goal, I'll aim for an even faster pace.  That's something I love about goals.  Once you reach them, you've accomplished something great, but you can always up the challenge and restart your efforts.

Saturday - Rest day.  I discussed signing up for some more runs with friends, and possibly starting swimming to work towards a beginner triathlon.

Sunday - BodyAttack.  This one is an hour-long "sports-inspired cardio workout" class.  I did something funny to my buttocks (again).  It's a bit of a strain that will require some rest for the next day at least.  BodyAttack has gotten easier since doing BodyShred, but the arm strength component still knocks me out.  When I got home, I did 10 minutes of my own abdominal exercises to round it all off, which included flutter kicks.  I hate (but kind of love) them, which means they're something I absolutely have to work on!!

In all, my week was a bit random.  I kind of just searched for a class that was happening at a convenient time and then attended it.  I'd like to sit down sometime and figure out a schedule to spot train certain parts (arms day, legs day, core day).  For the moment, though, I'm paying attention to a full-body, overall fitness.  I certainly feel stronger and fitter since before my vacation, and I want to keep improving on that.  There are also a number of classes at the gym that I haven't tried, so I'd like to get a few more under my belt before I start making my plan.  I'm so excited because of all the things I have not done yet.  I could spend weeks trying out all the classes and machines at all the different gyms I have access to with my membership.  Mixing it up and keeping things new is an important component of motivation.

Finally, here are two tools I like to use:

One is a pace calculator, so you can see how fast you run or calculate a good pace at which to run a race.

Coll Running Pace Calculator

The other is a mapping tool.  It gives you information on distance and elevation.  This has been a useful site for me when creating routes to train for my run.

Map My Run

"That's so Paleo"

It has been over a week since I last wrote.  My intention was to accumulate material for a nice, long post about North Carolina and the activities I did.  Thanks to my gracious host Dan, I have plenty to write about tonight.

When I last left off, I was singing the praises of an active vacation.  I will continue to explore this theme, along with the concept of "healthy eating" on a vacation.  In a region of the world where oily grits and biscuits and gravy is a loved tradition, one might assume that "healthy eating" is a tough apple to swallow.  In fact, it is not, and I will continue with that later.  Now, I want to outline a few of the activities we did that we classified as Fun but can also be classified as Exercise.

One of the best ideas we had was go to the US National Whitewater Center.  It was a recreational centre, but outdoors.  It had constructed waterways for whitewater rafting, flatwater activities such as kayaking and canoeing on an actual river, zip lines, canyon crossings, mountain biking, rock climbing, and hiking.  We did several of these activities, but we both agreed that kayaking on the Catawba River was the most fun we had that whole day.  We jumped into kayaks and spent several hours exploring the area, watching turtles slip into the water to get away from us, exploring little nooks and crannies on the bank, and even chatting with fellow kayakers and stand up paddlers.  Neither of us had watches, and I left my camera in the car, so it was really just us, our boats, and the water.  Time flew as we paddled up and downstream, and our arms gradually grew tired.  We would take rest stops, "dock" side by side, chat, and then continue on until we decided to dock again.  We were surprised when we got back and realised how much time had passed.  We got a continuous and long upper body workout without even realising it!

We didn't have to trek so far away to get a good workout in.  Another afternoon, we went for a jog on somewhat hilly terrain.  I kept complaining about the hills, but Dan pushed me.  "Come on, pick it up, let's go!"  So I pushed a little extra as to not disappoint him.  Another day we did sprints.  Up a hill.  In the sun.  Again, when I started to falter (after... what, one round?), Dan would turn back to me and go "Come on, keep going!"  Eight sprints later, I felt sick, but glad I'd done them.  We weren't finished, though.  We did a pyramid: 10 push ups, 15 crunches, 9 push ups, 15 crunches, 8 push ups, 15 crunches, etc.  When I reached the point when I couldn't do a full push up, I did cobras (knees on the ground) and kept going.  A few days later, we went for a 4.2 mile (6.75km) run through a beautiful (and flat) peninsula.  This was followed by a pyramid, of course.  I have Dan to thank for helping me push myself to my limit.  I wouldn't have done sprints on my own, and I never thought of doing a pyramid to completely exhaust my arms.  Having a workout partner definitely helps.  It helped for my 10K training, and it's helping now.

Intense exercise was definitely a good thing to do, but some days we didn't go for runs or do any push ups.  Some days we just walked a ton.  Our trips to Charlotte were full of walking.  One day in particular we walked through the NASCAR Hall of Fame, through parts of downtown, and then out to a historic home district from where we could see the city skyline clearly.  We were on our feet for 5 or 6 hours, wandering and taking photos.  We worked up a good appetite and clearly deserved the delicious Thai food we ate that evening.

While planning our trip, Dan and I had decided to try some recipes from the Paleo Diet.  Recipes are based on real, non-preservative-filled foods that include meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables.  One of my favourite dishes that I ate in NC - and this includes all meals, both home cooked and restaurant - was steak with apple horseradish relish.  You can find the recipe here.

We didn't shred our apple, so it was more of a chunky side dish:

Simply the most delicious thing.  I compared everything I ate to that dish.  The steak wasn't anything special, but the apple horseradish relish…. Wow.  It's my new favourite food.

And speaking of food, we did really well!  I mean, we went out to restaurants and ate good, hearty meals, but we didn't do anything too crazy.  We didn't go overboard binge drinking and snacking on beer nuts, and we certainly were active enough to deserve a splash of Jameson at the end of the day, or an edamame-filled chocolate bar.  We went strawberry picking and lettuce cutting, so the fridge was filled with yummy and healthy things.

So basically, we organised and executed a healthy eating plan!!!

But then we didn't.

;)