Swimming

Monday was a 2 hour gym bonanza that I somehow survived and am not that sore from.  I guess that means I have to go harder.

Yesterday I jogged for 25 minutes, followed by Shred.  My foot and lower calf cramped up near the end of it all, and I couldn't move it no matter how hard I tried for about a minute.  It was the most awkward thing being stuck on the floor looking like a lazy butt and desperately trying to hit the feeling back into my foot.  I think I just over-taxed my calves and did not stretch them out enough.  All's well that ends well, however.  All looks clear for now, so I don't think there's any strange underlying reason for the muscle seizure.

Work is exciting and busy.  There's a swim championship, so there are lots of swimmers wandering through the store.  We're going to have an extra setup in the middle of all the action for the next 3 days.  I bought a swimsuit a few weekends ago, and I was just waiting for my goggles and cap to come in.  The goggles have arrived, so I'll soon be the proud owner of a new pair of some women's Vanquishers.

I'm really inspired to start swimming again.  It has been........ I don't know, over 15 years since I did swimming lessons at school.  Working around swimmers, though, and being a buyer for swim gear, you can't help but become enthused about the sport.  I'm pumped!  I hope to start trying out the swimming pool at the gym (the one I'm signed up for, not my work gym).  Ben has been swimming there, so I hope to join him one day for some laps.  I will probably have a lot to say about it the day I start.

For now, it almost looks like I'm getting back onto coffee.  Hahaha.  I've slept really poorly recently, wracked by strange dreams and a certain excitability for life.  I'm pumped about the day, but a little too much.  My mind is too active at night, and it prevents me from relaxing.

But here's to keeping life exciting!  You know I'd want it no other way.

The Goings On

It is high time I updated this blog.  It's been over 3 months since I last wrote.  A lot has happened.

In about mid-November, I broke my toe.  I couldn't walk properly for 3 weeks, and couldn't exercise or run for much longer.  Around this time, I also got a new job.  So it was one terrible thing followed by one awesome thing.  The job also kept me from going to the gym often, as I had to focus and put lots of hours in.  I was doing 10 hour days, so I was frequently passing on the gym.  In more recent weeks, I have revisited my gym schedule and have put more effort into making the time.  I now do at least 2 classes per week, have a 3rd as a "I'd better do it, but if I miss it it's not the end of the world", and then I try to fit in my own little workout, whether it's on a treadmill or something.

But I'm getting ahead of myself!  Back to my toe injury.

The horror.  I was limping around, taking the TTC to work every day, trying to rest my foot and leg at all possible moments...  I grew lazy and tired as I limped around and didn't want to walk anywhere.  It took a while for the residual pain to wear off.  I think I had phantom broken toe syndrome of some kind, because even when I was sure it had to be ok, I could still feel twinges of pain when I bent my toe even slightly out of alignment.  It screwed up my workout regimen, and put me behind quite a bit.  I haven't fully recovered from this setback, partly because it was so long that I'd been off my feet, but also because it happened just before I got this new job.  The injury timeout bled into the "I have to work fifty-six hours per day" sentiment, and voila.  No gym.

But now I'm back, and I'm back with a vengeance.  There is not a day that passes by that I don't think about the 10K run that got me started on this trip, and the 10K that's coming up in May (yes, I signed up for the Sporting Life 10K again, so I'll be aiming to beat both my previous 10k times).  The weather outside has been miserable.  It's the coldest Toronto winter that I can remember, and one of the snowiest in this city.  It's been slippery and treacherous, so running (avec or sans Ben) has not been an option.  I swear, though, that the first warmer (as in not -20C), dry day that comes along, I'm going to strap on my shoes and get out there for a nice jog around the neighbourhood.  You can only do so much on a treadmill.

In other exciting news, Ben and Susana both joined Goodlife, so Marie and I have some new workout buddies.  We're all gung ho about the place.  Ben likes to swim, and now that I work in a store that sells amazing swimwear, I figure I should join him.  In fact, I just bought a swimsuit today, so once my goggles and swim cap come in (on order right now), I'm going to join him.

Working in a building that houses a gym has certainly raised my bar a bit higher.  Now that I take care of ordering and selling fitness and sports equipment, I feel the need to further educate myself about these things, as well as get super duper in shape. I have let myself slide these past few months, but I think with the warmer weather just around the corner, I'm starting to wake up to the fact that this life is not ok and that I need to move my booty!

Tomorrow, however, there will be not workout for me.  I am doing a wonderful, relaxing spa day with Esther and Rachel.  Monday I can work and workout, but Sunday I will rest, sit in a hot tub, and sooth my body and soul.

I promise, my dear internet, that I will not neglect you for so long again - unless I have a very good excuse.  A broken toe just doesn't cut it.  Until next week.

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.

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!

Travelling fitness

Ahoy from North Carolina!

I arrived on Friday for a 10 day vacation with my wonderful friend Dan.  When one goes on vacation, one usually wants to get away from the bustle of life and relax.  Dan and I, however, decided to make our vacation an active, fun one.  Weeks in advance of my visit down, we talked about all the activities  we could do.  We promised to work out together and eat healthy (mostly.  You can't be in the southern United States and not eat southern breakfast or pulled pork).

Today, we made good on our promises.  After a bit of a relaxing morning, we suited up to go for a hike at Lake Norman State Park.  It was raining, but it certainly didn't stop us.  We barely felt the rain as we walked up and down hills, sheltered by towering trees and entertained by the red clay banks of the lake.  In total we hiked about 5 miles.

After lunch, we went for a gym workout.  My upper and lower body strength need a lot of work, so I chose to focus on arms for today.  I did some basic bench presses with free weights and then some bicep curls and tricep pulldowns with the cable.  We followed it up with the seated cable rowing machine and some ab work.  We celebrated by going to see a movie.

Now, sitting on the couch and watching tv, it certainly feels good to know that we had stayed active all day and even started to build some new muscle.  This day goes to show you that a) you don't have to fall back on your fitness plans when you travel and b) a rainy day can't keep outdoor activity away!