Why I’m Reconsidering my SHAPE Subscription (plus an awesome new workout)

Hola Bloggies:

SHAPE was my very first introduction to the world of fitness magazines. Even before I started working out I would treat SHAPE as my gateway into a life I dreamed of having. One filled with runs, weight training, healthy eats, and a positive body image. I will always be grateful to SHAPE for the role it played in my journey towards wellness but right about now I find myself seriously reconsidering my SHAPE subscription.

Those of you who are frequent readers know that the Fiancé and I, will be tying the knot in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico this November 10th. Like any bride-to-be I’m hoping to look my best on my wedding day. So when I came across a SHAPE Bride app (for my iPhone) I downloaded it without hesitation. 

Included in the app is a section that SHAPE calls countdown to gorgeous. The whole point of that section is to give brides a countdown of what they should be doing in advance of their wedding day. I can understand telling me to work on clearing my complexion, get a haircut, or even consider brightening my smile . . . but then they crossed the line. Big time.

The Two Month screen suggested that I banish wrinkles: “A Botox injection can temporarily relax the facial muscles that can cause crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead furrows. But since your muscles take two to three weeks to soften after the needle pokes, it’s best to see your dermatologist for injections no less than six weeks before the wedding.” (Taken directly from the SHAPE Bride app)

Seriously!?!? Who comes up with this stuff!?!? I’m willing to bet the majority of readers of SHAPE magazine range from 18-35 years old. Women that are in the prime of their life. And SHAPE’s advice to their readers that are getting married is to inject botox into their bodies!?!?

For those of you that are unaware, botox is derived from botulism; a rare disease that causes paralysis. Paralysis in children = bad. So why in the word would we consider partial and temporary facial paralysis to be good.

Frankly, I am appalled that SHAPE magazine would suggest I inject botox to prepare for my wedding day.

 

Test-Driving Women’s Health

Given that I may be forgoing my SHAPE subscription, I’ve decided to test run other fitness magazines. First up was Women’s Health Magazine. This was my first time purchasing WH and I’m still working my way through its pages. Thus far its content is looking good. But the part that has most impressed me has been its workout section.

Earlier this week I decided to do their feature workout for this month. I tore out the flash cards from my magazine and set about tackling the eight moves in their “The Best Workout for You!” I have to confess I seldom hold out much hope for workouts from magazines but this one was ah-mazing.

Not only was I dripping in sweat by the time I was done but I was sore the next day. Not a little sore – a lot of sore! My butt and my inner thighs hurt oh so good.

You can refer to the Women’s Health Magazine website here for the instructions to this workout but here are the moves:

Move #1 – Shuffle with Reach

Extra Tip: Use resistance bands or weights to make this harder – I used 7.5 lb weights.

 

Move #2 – Squat with High Pull

Extra Tip: If you don’t have resistance bands you can use weights one again. I recommend 7.5 lb weights.

 

 

Move #3 – Single Arm Chest Press with Rotation

Extra Tip: Remember to concentrate on your abs during this move. Contract your muscles and really think about what you’re doing. Again I suggest using 7.5 lb weights.

 

Move #4 – Side Lunge to Shoulder Press (I loved this one!)

Extra Tip: I once again recommend 7.5 lb weights but if you don’t have any feel free to use bottles of waters or a heavy can.

 

Move # 5 – Reverse Lunge with Row

Extra Tip: Make sure that you maintain tight abs throughout this exercise sequence. It would be easy to allow the bands to pull your body forward. Fight that urge with a strong core.

 

Move #6 – Step with Rear Leg Lift

Extra Tip: Make sure the movement forward on this exercise doesn’t come from momentum. Contract your muscles and really use your glutes.

 

Move #7 – Plank Sweet (another awesome move)

Extra Tip: These can be very tough. Feel free to take a break if you need to but make sure you don’t rest for too long. You want to keep your heart rate up.

 

Move #8 – Kayaker

Extra Tip: If you don’t have a body bar you can always use a broom or mop handle.

 

I did all of these moves as a circuit three times. It was a fantastic workout and I highly recommend it!

Not bad Women’s Health . . . not bad at all!

Disclaimer: All pictures courtesy of Women’s Health. All Tips courtesy of moi.

 

Question: Do you subscribe to any magazines? If so, which ones?

Good Things Come in Three – now with a HUGE announcement

Hola Bloggies:

How have things been going on your end? I hope you had an awesome weekend – and if you’re Canadian, I hope you had a fantastic long weekend!

As for things in the casa, I have to confess today was not a great day. I woke up with a full on fever accompanied with watery burning eyes. It was so bad that it had me blasting my heat inside the car . . . in the middle of summer!!! Eeek! To make matters worse work ended up being a decidedly rough day. I wish I could go back and get a do-over.

But no used on crying over spilled milk, right!?! Besides, I have three wonderful news to share with you today. In light of that awesomeness I propose we move on past my meh day and head on to my news.

 

Good Thing #1 – The Winner of the POM Giveaway

Thank-you so much to all of you that entered my POM Giveaway last week. I have to confess it warms my heart to be able to host those giveaways; I know I have been on the receiving end of some great prizes from fellow bloggers (the last one coming courtesy of Marianne of From French Fries to Flax Seeds) and I love the chance to pay it forward.

So without further ado. The winner of the POM coupons (as chosen by Random.org) is . . . .

Jessica of Dairy Free Betty!!!

Woohoo Jessica! No need to send me your addy amiga – a hand-to-hand trade-off will surely take place on Vancouver Island over the next few weeks!

 

Good Thing #2 – Long Beach Half Marathon

I am officially into week two of my Long Beach Half Marathon training. Yes bloggies, it’s actually going to happen! I’m going to become a halfy (HA!) come October 17th, 2010.

To get me to the finish line I’m using a modified version of Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon Training Program for Novices. His training plans seem to be blogger favourites so I figure I can’t go wrong. Now as fantastic as his plans are I am modifying them a little. For the most part I’m going to try to get myself across the finish line by running in between 3 and 4 times a week; some may run five times a week but I have learned through experience that my body can’t handle running everyday. I’m confident that reducing my number of running days will help me steer clear of any over-use injuries.

To follow my training you can check back on this blog or for more regular updates you can check out my Daily Mile widget on the right hand column of this blog.

I’m seriously excited to do this half marathon!!! It’s first in a series of fitness goals I’ve recently set for myself; I’m even planning on competing in a Sprint Triathlon next summer. And yes, I recall saying once upon a time that I would never do a tri but Ironman CDA changed my life!!!

 

Good Thing #3 – No Limits Canada

This one is HUGE bloggies! In fact, I daresay it’s EPIC!!!!!

In the recent past the healthy blogging word has given birth to some awesome movements and events (think Operation Beautiful and the Healthy Living Summit). It has been completely humbling to see what this community can accomplish. Recently, a group of us got together and decided that it was high time that something similar come to the Canada.

Today, myself, Susan (The Great Balancing Act), Morgan (Life After Bagels), Scott (Your Inner Skinny), Jen, and Nienke (Revel) are proud to announce the inception of:

No Limits Canada: Health, Wellness, and Fitness Conference

This wonderful conference will be a multi-day event taking place in Toronto, Canada in May, 2011 (final date to be announced soon). The event will be open to anyone, regardless if they’re bloggers or not or even country of residence. We hope you will join us for what is guaranteed to be a weekend full of speakers, hands-on health and fitness classes, photography workshops, foodie goodness, swag, and fun explorations a fantastic cosmopolitan city!!!

Right now the best way to stay updated is through our respective blogs, the official No Limits Canada website, or through our twitter account.

I’m super excited about the event and I hope you are too!!!

 

 

Question: Will you consider attending “No Limits Canada: Health, Wellness, and Fitness Conference?”

Foto Friday

 

Hola Bloggies:

Today’s late edition of Foto Friday is brought to you by the beautiful city of Vancouver as seen from Stanley Park. Le sigh. How I love that area of the city!

How have you girls and boys been as of late? I’ve been keeping very busy in the casa and I plan on sharing it with you via blog posts pre-written during my weekend down time. The short of it is I’ve begun half marathon training amidst some nagging back pain. It’s been painful but I’m heaps better and I’m super excited to get going. Keeping with the lessons learned at Ironman CDA I will not complain about any of my workouts.

Half Marathon? Sure! Bring it on!!!

As for this weekend I plan to head down to Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington for a potential blogger meet-up on Sunday. How about you? What are your plans for the weekend!?

Ditch the Workout and Join the Party!

Hola Bloggies:

So a while ago you may remember I posted about a dilemma I had – whether to attend my first ever Zumba class or go on my re-scheduled doggy hike. Well I was kind of a superstar and did both. By the end of the night, I was one tired but really happy cookie. And in the midst of it all I developed what may become a long term workout related obsession!

If you’re anything like me (two weeks ago), you may be a bit confused about the whole concept behind this latest fitness craze. Zumba is the brain child of a Colombian by the name of “Beto” Perez. One day he decided to combine his aerobics class with the fun rhythms and movements of Latin dances. The class became a hit and thus Zumba was born. The instructional videos had their North American release in 2002 – that’s when it spread like wild fire; now it seems like everyone you talk to (or every blog you read) mentions Zumba!

 

(source)

As I pulled up to my first Zumba class I was admittedly nervous. Would it all be cheesy beyond words? Would I be able to keep up? Heaven forbid – would it be like the time I tried step aerobics (never got beyond grapevine and never went back)? Would I have any rhythm at all? Turns out I had nothing to be afraid of – I loved Zumba!

When I walked in I instantly noticed that the class seemed to be made up of people of all shapes, ages, and sizes. Definitely a very inclusive aerobics class. Another thing that impressed me was the fact that everyone kept on telling me how much fun I was going to have. Surely their enthusiasm was well founded!

No sooner had we started the classes when I realized what an absolute blast I was having!!! Zumba didn’t feel like exercise, it felt like dancing around your living room. Except that I was sweating buckets and I knew I was in the zone. The hour went by way too quickly. At the end of the class I knew three things for certain: I would be back, I had gotten a great workout, and I totally had rhythm.

Thank-you Latin blood. Ha!

Since then I’ve gone back to four more classes and I’ve bought a membership of sorts. Although the classes are not cheap ($8/class if you buy a 10 class pack or $10/class if you go on a drop-in basis) they’re well worth the fee. I don’t think I’ve ever had as much fun in an exercise class in my life! Plus honestly I feel like I’m exploring my Latin roots while getting a serious workout in – score!

So now that you’ve heard me wax poetic about Zumba you’re probably wondering what it looks like. Well, it goes something like this:

Admittedly that girl has energy to spare but that’s more or less what a Zumba workout looks like – just add a bunch of people following (or attempting to follow) the instructor. Now you understand why I keep going back for more!

 

Have you tried Zumba before? Did you love it? Are you curious?

Fruit and Veggie Power

Hola Bloggies:

How is your weekend going? I had Thursday and Friday off so it really feels more like a Sunday. Kind of like I should be getting ready to go back to work. Thankfully I still have one full day. Gotta love those extra long weekends!

For the last couple of weeks it’s been all about the World Cup here in the casa, so early this morning I settled down to watch Argentina vs.. Germany. After the elimination of Brazil and Ghana I was really hoping for an Argentinean win. But it wasn’t to be.

I’ve no idea who showed up to that game but it wasn’t the team everyone thought capable of winning the World Cup. Pobre Argentina. Pobre Maradona. Pobre Latinos. Since I was feeling kind of sad I thought it a great time to head to Zumba. Nothing boosts my mood like Zumba – but more on that on tomorrow’s post.

Before heading out I decided to try a new product sent to me by the nice people at Prairie Naturals – Berry Force.

Berry Force comes in a small plastic container. Similar to what you might find for a protein powder. Essentially, this product is meant to work as a supplement giving you all the vitamins, antioxidants (they are key in eliminating free radicals in your system), and nutrients found in organic apples, apple pectin, fruit and berry concentrate, organic blueberry, organic cranberry, goji berry, mangosteen, organic strawberry, pomegranate, organic raspberry, blackberry, blueberry complex, elderberry complex, and acai berries.

When I opened the bottle I was somewhat disappointed to see that it was only just about half full. Now while I confess I don’t know much about the economics of packaging this just seemed wasteful and misleading. I expect that if I buy a jar of something it will be mostly full. If it’s not mostly full than perhaps it would be better placed in another container. In the case of Berry Force they could even try using a pouch of some kind.

As per the instructions I mixed one heaping tablespoon of powder into my mixer bottle. I was surprised by how easily everything came together. No clumps. No mess. In fact it ended up looking just like juice.

I’ll have to do more research on the nutritional values of the product before I give you my full review but for now I’m impressed. It tasted subtly sweet and was perfect for a quick pre-Zumba drink. I could totally see this working well as an addition to a banana, ice, protein powder, and almond milk shake. I will have to try that soon and let you know what I think.

After finishing my drink I headed to Zumba. It was, per usual, a brilliant workout that left me dripping in sweat and feeling heaps better than when I worked out.

Near the end of Zumba I hiccupped. Now I know this is going to sound strange but I tend to hiccup when I’m really hungry! As my parents, it’s been that way since I was very little. Clearly my body was lacking in fuel. Luckily, the local farmer’s market was taking place just a few blocks from the dance studio so I made a bee-line towards food!

My local farmer’s market is just in its infancy. In fact, this is only the second year it’s been running. Last year it was quite modest featuring very little produce and instead concentrating on crafts. Not my cup of tea. This year, however, it has just blossomed! There were lots of people selling produce, fresh baked goods, sausages, and even local ethical farmers taking orders for organic grass fed beef and similar meats. I’m considering buying a 30lb sample pack from the good people at Kootenay Natural Meats. Sure, it’s not the cheapest meat but I love the fact that I’m supporting a local farmer in their no hormone, no antibiotic, grass-fed, ethically grown beef operation.

While at the market I inhaled (no really – I was starved) a delicious farmer’s sausage on a kaiser bun made by the nice people at Biltong Canada. I followed my main meal up with a (very) small Huckleberry muffin; it was incredibly fresh and simply lovely.

Since I got there near the end of the market, most of the produce was gone but I still managed to buy two bags of Fiesta Salad Mix, kale, a muffin for the Fiancé, and a funky curly thing that is supposed to be a type of garlic but tastes like a green onion. Or maybe the other way around. Either way it’s nice and crispy and I can’t wait to use some!

Do you see the bag? I bought it today to help support the market (proceeds go to cover the costs of the street rental and advertising for future market days). Truth be told I didn’t need another reusable bag but it wasn’t so much about the bag itself, instead I was voting with my dollar$! As a bonus the bag ended up being of fantastic quality. It’s made by local crafts people and it’s quite sturdy. Much better than pretty well every other reusable bag I own. Score.

On the whole I was pretty pleased with my market haul. Having said that, since they were low on fruit I may have to hit another local farmer’s market tomorrow.

Do you support local producers? What about if their product costs more than that at the grocery store?

They'll Call me Freedom

Hola Bloggies:

So let's talk beats (i.e.: music) or what I consider an integral experience to my workout experience.

You see, I'm one of those people that got an iPod (1st generation nano - thank-you very much) for the sole purpose of working out. Given that I'd never owned a Walkman or a Discman it was rather a leap for little olde me. But truth be told, when I first started working out you couldn't have paid me to stay on a treadmill for more than five minutes. It pretty much bored me to tears.

Enter my BabyPod (yes - it had a name). She was a gift from my parents and she pretty well changed my life. From there on in there was only life pre-nano and post-nano. That little device, along with the Nike+ system, got me from couch to my first 10k race.

Ever since then I've considered my tunes to go hand in hand with my training. Which means that I'm always on the look out for new songs and artists. Today, I thought I'd share with you one of my favourites. The artist known as K'naan.

K'naan is absolutely a product of the Canadian multicultural experience. Born in Somalia, he was fortunate enough as a teenager to escape on the last commercial flight to ever leave Somalia. After a brief stint in the United States, he along with his family found a home in Toronto. There he honed his art - because this man truly is a gifted artist. Until one day he was invited to present a spoken word piece at the United Nations. Story has it, once he was done he was greeted with a massive standing ovation. From there K'naan would go on to release his dayview album before releasing Troubadour.

If you want to know what K'naan is all about - listen to Troubadour. There are songs on there that have made me share a tear or two (okay - maybe three) but there are also up beat songs totally suitable for running or working out. Here are my recommendations:

1) "Somalia" - good steady beat and a great hook

2) "T.I.A." (This is Africa) - the rap and drum beat in the background is just begging for a good run

3) "ABCs" - this was the first K'naan song I ever heard and to this day it gets me to pick up my tempo

4) "Wavin' Flag" - there is no way you can hear this song and not have your spirit lifted

Now unless you're totally living under a rock, K'Naan's music will be totally impossible to ignore over the next while. You see "Wavin' Flag" has been chosen as the Official Anthem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. And yes that means the song has been re-mixed a million times but my favourite version may very well be the "Young Artists for Haiti" version done with an all-star Canadian ensemble to benefit the Haiti relief efforts.

What do you think about K'Naan? Are you a fan? Favourite songs? I have to say "Fatima" pulls at my heart strings every time. It's the perfect combination of poetry, joy, melancholy, and sadness.

Get up and finish what you started!

Hola Friends,

Tonight was a good night.

I managed to sneak out of work at a fairly reasonable hour, came home, got ready, and took Daisy on an hour and a half hike through the forest. We were joined on our adventure by about eight other dogs and their owners. On the whole Daisy and I got our blood pumping and had a blast!

After the hike we came home and I traumatized my puppy by bathing her. You see, by the time we ended the hike her usually white paws looked like they were covered by black boots! Crazy times.

After she was more or less done shaking I bundled her up and we sat down to watch The Biggest Loser. Tonight's episode featured the quote I used as a title, "Get up and finish what you started!" Those words hit me like a ton of bricks and I've been mulling them over ever since.

So for tonight I'll leave you with this thought - what have you yet to finish? What's holding you back? Why not make today the day you put an end to the false starts?

Buenas noches bloggies!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

California Dreaming!

Hola Bloggies:

So this here is a blog post I’m SUPER excited to share with you – but you’ll have to read on to find out why!

Now I don’t know if you bloggies have had the opportunity to visit California (if you’re super luck you may even live there) but there are some very cool things to see.

California has Disneyland and California Adventure . . .

California has the Santa Monica Pier . . .

California has lovely oranges that fall just outside of property lines so Canadians like me can take them on their way home (true story) . . .

California has absolutely massive Sequoia trees . . .

California has the brilliant Walt Disney Concert Hall . . .

California has the wonderful (and free!) Getty Villa . . .

But more importantly for today’s purposes . . . . . . . . .

California has the Long Beach Marathon!!!! And yours truly will be running the half!!! EEEEEK!!!!!!

You know who else will be there for the Marathon?

Danica (Chic Runner)

Aron (Runner’s Rambles)

Maritza (Marathon Maritza)

Tara (On the GO!)

Kristin (Keeping up with Kristin)

and Nicole (Runner Nic)!!!!

To say that I’m ridiculously excited is a massive under statement!!! I’m also, frankly, nervous at the same time!

So there you have it bloggies – come October 17th, 2010, I’ll be racing it up in Long Beach! Woot woot! Bring it!

 

PS: Anybody else want to join us?

Of Awkwardness and Speed Skaters

Hello lovelies:

lol I’m back with another random blog title! It will all make sense in due time I swear!

I do hope all of you peeps have had a wonderful week thus far. Mine has actually been pretty nice. I haven’t been massively overworked which has given me plenty of time to be able to enjoy some quality puppy and Fiancé time – not to mention get my P90X workouts in!!!

 

“Operation Bring it!” – Day 4 – March 23rd, 2010

Now if you’re quick on the draw you noticed that I skipped a day. That’s because I was horribly exhausted on the 22nd (long court day) and couldn’t bring myself to do YogaX. I just wasn’t feeling it! So I made an executive decision and moved my rest day from the end of the week to the middle instead. My body was begging for a break and truth be told I think it allowed me to face the rest of the workouts that were to come.

Come the 23rd I was ready for my P90X so I popped my YogaX DVD into my player and got ready to ruuuuumble! Yogi style!

I had previously done this DVD in my hotel during my most recent travels, which meant I knew what to expect. And that was some serious awkwardness and borderline boredom. I really hate to say it but this is the only P90X DVD thus far that I really haven’t liked.

This workout is an hour and a half; which is a particularly excruciating length of time when you’re not down with what you’re doing. For about an hour you do the usual sun salutation type movements. Funny thing is I feel like there’s a ton of repetitive flow patterns and not enough power. I do Power Yoga (using Rodney Yee’s brilliant DVD) on a fairly regular basis and YogaX my friends isn’t power yoga. Yes I managed to feel uncomfortable but I don’t think that was due to some power style moves in there. Rather, I think the flows just don’t work sometimes. And then there are the times when you want to tell Tony Horton to move on already! But nope. He repeats things over. And over. And over. Again.

After an hour of flow type movements he tells you the worst is over. Then you move into half an hour of poses that you hold for long periods of time. I’m not used to that type of yoga so it’s an adjustment and it will take me a bit of time to get things working like clockwork. In the meantime my dancer will look none too graceful. Most of the movements are pretty Kosher and I managed to play along. That was until we hit about the last 10 minutes. That’s the time period where all the lovely DVD people get on the floor and proceed to contort into something I’d previously only seen done by Cirque de Soleil gymnasts. I tried to find a picture to show you what I meant but couldn’t – despite my creative Googling terms! lol Point is it feels uncomfortable on my neck and I don’t want to push it without supervision.

Overall I didn’t love this workout and I’m tempted to just do Power Yoga with Rodney Yee, on YogaX days!

“Operation Bring it!” – Day 4 – March 24th, 2010

This day was devoted to Back and Legs plus the now very familiar AbRipperX. Thankfully we were back to hour long workouts – and this one seemed to practically fly by!

I really enjoyed this DVD! It included a ton of variations on squats as well as lunges. I’d like to think they’re going to make me super bootylicious! lol It just so happens that my Hispanic genes managed to miss my butt region all together! lol

Seriously though this workout pushed me to keep on going and in the case of the evil wall squats to hold them as long as the peeps on the DVD. And by the end of it I felt really proud of myself!

One of the fantastic moves on this workout was called Super Skater. In it you attempt to mimic a speed skater by maintaining a quasi lunge in one leg and simultaneously moving your other leg back while moving your arms. This guy on YouTube does a pretty good of demonstrating the move. Although, really you should be aiming to have no toe tap in the back:

Before doing this move I had no idea that the speed skating motion could be so painful when repeated over and over again! Don’t believe me? Try it out for yourself! It hurts!!! And you can feel it working!!! One of my new favourites, pain notwithstanding. Bottom line on this move? Apolo Anton Ohno, I salute you! lol

Now before you say “But I have a bad knee! I can’t do this DVD!” let me tell you my background. Sure I’ve suffered many injuries in my day but amongst the worst are my knee and ankle injuries. I’ll probably share more on those injuries with you in the future but let’s just say my past fractured kneecap and my 2nd degree ankle ligament tear haven’t stopped me from doing this workout. Which is my way of saying “If I can do it, so can you!” Just make sure to rehab ahead of time.

Up for Today? KempoX – woohoo!!!

A High-tech Running Toy for my Wrist – like the cool kids have (plus a P90X weekend wrap-up)

Hello Friends:

So I thought I better get to writing my weekend wrap-up of P90X before Coco (Sleepless Again & blog “taste” talk) started bugging me about slacking! lol She promised she would if I didn’t update. No worries – though I have remained faithful to my P90X workouts!

But before I tell you all about “Operation Bring it!” I should thank you for all your help and advice in my whole Polar HRM vs.. Garmin dilemma! I got all sorts of advice from my readers. Although, I think the funniest comment award has to go to Marathon Maritza for major LOLs:

“Garmin. Hands down.
I have the 305 and it's practically my BFF, but if you can splurge, I would DEFINITELY go for the 405. It's much less bulky. I have impure thoughts about running my beloved 305 with my car just to get the 405. Shhhhh don't tell”

From the comments it was obvious that Garmin was the clear winner amongst bloggies. Still I decided to talk it over with the Fiancé. That night I was trying to outline the different features of each brand for him when it dawned on me . . .  with a Polar I would have to purchase separate GPS units (that you wear on your arm!) to get the same thing that’s already built into a Garmin. So even if I don’t really need the GPS right now I may down the line and I quite like having it integrated into one little unit.

In the end I chose this baby (picture borrowed from GPS Lodge):

While I was tempted by Maritza’s obvious love for the 405, the negatives sealed the deal for me. In the end the price difference (this one cost me about $175+taxes whereas the 405 was in the $300s) plus the negative Amazon reviews were enough to make-up my mind.

I’m very happy with my choice and super excited to be one of the cool kids with special wrist running toys!!! lol I can’t wait until it gets here and I can take it for a test-run. Hopefully the weather will be spectacularly beautiful by then too!

 

“Operation Bring it!” – Day 2 – March 20th, 2010

Okay, so I’ll confess . . . when I first got up on Saturday I thought to myself “Oh! I don’t hurt that much!” lol And as the day wore on I realized I hurt a LOT more than I wanted to admit. My abs had taken an AbRipper X style beating! And I couldn’t be happier about it! Masochist I know! lol

On the schedule for today was Plyometrics X, or as that evil man on my television Tony Horton calls it, “the mother of all P90X workouts!” This is another one of those videos I had done ahead of time so I knew what to expect. It’s seriously intense full out cardio non-stop for one whole hour!

What are plyometrics you ask? Well essentially it’s jump training. Think of doing a lunge or a squat. Now imagine going deep into a lunge only to jump into another one right away. Or doing jumping jacks except that the whole time you’re in a squat position and the only thing you do is move your legs in and out – but still maintaining a squat. Even if you’re not doing P90X, plyometrics are great to incorporate into your workout routines. Let’s check out what a plyo lunge looks like:

The P90X Plyometrics workout is essentially an hour of workout moves like the one above. This DVD pushed me to the limit and I had to hit pause a couple of times and extend the 30 second water breaks built into the program. By the end my lungs were burning – kind of like when I hiked a mountain in the Swiss Alps or like the first time I worked out with my trainer (I thought I was going to die!!!).

I’m looking forward to the day when I can do all these moves with the same explosive energy I seem to muster in the first twenty minutes of the DVD! Needless, to say I think this is a workout that will provide huge benefits and will likely even increase my running pace! Awesome!!

 

“Operation Bring it!” – Day 3 – Shoulders and Arms

This DVD is meant to target what my trainer always referred to as the “vanity muscles!” Those being the ones that you see in a tank top or wedding dress for that matter! Like most girls, I covet awesome triceps and lovely looking shoulders so I was all about this workout.

Like most of the P90X DVDs this one is an hour. But unlike the Chest and Back DVD this one had a super long warm-up; I think that’s because those arm muscles are fairly hard to warm-up and it would be super easy to get an injury!

I don’t know if I should be happy or not but I kind of liked how this DVD didn’t leave me feeling like I wanted to curl up in a fetal position! lol It was a manageable workout that left me appropriately sore without feeling like I was going to keel over. I did notice that it was a bit hard to figure out exactly what weight I should be using. For most exercises I did 12.5lbs in each arm but there was an odd one where that was too heavy. It will take a little bit of tweaking but I’ll get there!

 

On the schedule for tonight? YogaX and the AbRipper X I should have done yesterday but ran out of time!

Have you ever tried plyo? If no – will you try it now? If you have in the past - did you like it? I admit at one point I used to be afraid of it due to my knee and ankle rolling issues. But I’ve now rehabbed everything enough that I can do the moves!

“Operation Bring it!” – Day 1

Yesterday marked the first day of what I’d like to think of as my journey back to optimum wellness or as it shall henceforth be known, “Operation Bring it!” I intend to chronicle my workouts and bring you along on the ride! (Thank-you for the support you have shown thus far! It really means the world to me friends!)

A core part of my journey back to wellness will be a full 90 day cycle of P90X! But before I tell you about Day 1, I thought I would give you a bit of background on the program.

If you’ve ever been awake way too late at night, walked through a Costco around New Year’s, or watched early morning television – chances are you’ve come across P90X. Their infomercials feature people that have undergone remarkable transformations. I suppose the same is true of pretty well of all infomercials. But with P90X there seems to be something different – the people they show seem to be genuinely hardcore. And the snippets of the workout look challenging to no end. Not to mention YouTube is full of people documenting their transformations using the program.

Colour me intrigued. Needless to say I bought the tapes. If I were to explain P90X to someone who is not familiar with the program I’d say it’s like a 90 day boot camp. There are a variety of workout DVDs incorporating everything from weight lifting, to plyometrics, kempo, and even yoga. You are supposed to follow an exact order with the goal of achieving what P90X calls “Muscle Confusion.” Which I think is just code for make it hurt as much as possible so you’ll see as big results as possible.

I think I have to insert a caveat in here – this program isn’t for everyone. In fact before you begin you do a fitness test which is a grueling workout in itself (it hurt to walk the next day!). To do this program you have to have a certain fitness level and some experience with weight lifting. In fact, I would argue that to do this program without some training background could lead to disastrous results. Sure the fitness guide tells you how to do the different weight lifting exercises but I think that’s not enough. I’d suggest that a few sessions with a trainer would be appropriate before doing this workout. You could seriously injure yourself if you tried to push yourself to lift heavy but had terrible form.

Having successfully completed the fitness test and acquired all the necessary equipment (post on this to come soon!) I was ready to bring it!

 

“Operation Bring it!” - Day 1 – March 19th, 2010

The first day of the Classic P90X cycle calls for two workouts – Chest and Back, and AbRipperX. I have had the DVDs for a while and done most of the workouts but never on a 90 day cycle. Chest & Back is one of the DVDs I’m most familiar with which means that I wasn’t as brutalized by it as I was the first time around! I’ve no shame in telling you that after the first time I did this DVD I was in serious pain! In fact my arms were trembling and it hurt to lift things the day after!!

The Chest and Back routine uses 12 different exercises (repeated twice) to make it burn. Half of those exercises are push ups – I don’t know about you but I had on idea there were so many varieties! I’ve even discovered a personal favourite (dive bomber push ups) amongst the bunch. In total, yours truly did a grand total of 162 push ups (all but 14 of them done on my toes)!!!! GO ME!!!

In addition to push ups this workout utilizes some weight lifting and a lot of pull ups. The average person can’t do a pull up. And if you’re a renter like me, you can’t install a pull up bar either. No worries – the exercises can be modified using specially designed bands that replicate the motion and will one day get you to a real pull up.

The whole Chest & Back DVD lasts an hour. And just when you feel like you can’t go on you have to complete the 15 minute AbRipperX DVD. No word of a lie bloggies – this workout is brutal! In fact, I’m pretty convinced you have to be hard core to be able to do it all without stopping!! There are no rests in this DVD, no warm up, no cool down. Just insanity! Now the first time I did this DVD I dissolved into a fit of giggles on the floor. I desperately wanted to move the way Tony Horton was asking me to but my body was so beat it couldn’t do it at all! I just lay there cracking up. Thankfully I’ve now figured out how to do that one particular exercise (all the exercises in this DVD are repeated 25 times) but I still can’t do this workout non-stop. I’m looking forward to being hardcore by the end of the 90 days!

So how do I feel at the end of Day 1? Awesome! I’m proud of myself for taking this step in the right direction. The picture at the top of this post is from the end of the 10K I told you about yesterday. It’s one of my favourites because of the way I felt in that moment. And so it’s my inspiration picture!

What’s up today? A short run with Daisy (this time I’ll bring water so she won’t go and lay down on me again) followed by Plyometrics X!

Catch you later bloggies!!!

Of Bridesmaids, Fitness, and $220

Hola Bloggies:

Random title I know! :o) But I wanted to write a blog entry that doesn't include some sort of travel or restaurant recap. Even my own sister has been known to call our mom (after reading this blog) and say something along the lines of "Does Karen ever work? It seems like all she does is travel!" And while it's true that I love to go wandering around places near and far there's more to life than that.

So here goes a rare picture-less post. . .


Of Bridesmaids

All of you readers know I'm getting married on November 10, 2010 (!!!). This means that inevitably my life is going to get slightly more engrossed by wedding planning. Thankfully I have a wedding planner at the resort to take care of most things but there are still some decisions we have to make on our own. Currently, we're working with our fabulous Invitation Designer to get out the Save the Dates (STDs - unfortunate acronym, I know) as soon as possible. On the wedding party front I've also given A LOT of thought to my bridesmaids as of late. We've been engaged nearly a year and I've yet to ask anyone!!! After much thought I think I have finally made my choices - now to ask them. Initially I thought of giving them a present to ask or write them a letter. To be honest I think I may end up with a combination of the two!  Think something along the lines of bridal t-shirts from Inkbox Designs.

Of Fitness

Here in the Rockies the weather has turned decidedly spring-like. Of course this time of year always turns my mind to thoughts of warm summer days, skimpy clothing, and outdoor sporting events. Certainly I want to look great come the summer (and especially come November 10th). Question is what is my plan?

Recently, I was reading a Runners World cover story featuring Kara Goucher. In the article she talks a lot about the mental game needed to be a runner. It appears that has always been something with which she has struggled. Nonetheless, anyone who looks at her amazing level of success can see that she's conquered the mental game. Often, I think I'm plagued by the whole psyching myself out thing. To be honest I told my trainer I would run a 10K (my only race thus far) almost two years prior to actual running one. Every time one came up I'd always find a way to chicken out. My knee hurt. I had ankle issues. I wasn't ready. You name it - I thought of it as an avoidance technique. Once I actually got around to running the race I realized how absolutely awesome I felt. In one word: accomplished. And yet I haven't run one since.

Last year I announced to the blog that I would be training for a half marathon. I had lots of supporters and I was rearing to go. Training got off to a fantastic start - I was even getting up at 5am to go for morning runs. And I liked it!!! Then I started having knee issues. Bad issues. It got to the point where I couldn't take a single stride without being in imense amounts of pain. It (being my right knee) even hurt when I wasn't running. So I got frustrated and stopped training. This coincided with ridiculously (!) time consuming preparations for a big jury trial and I never did run that half. I felt like I let down my blog readers and I'm saddened by that thought to this day.

Then there is my weight training. I used to work out like a fiend before I moved to the Rockies. I still weight train here but not like I used to on the Coast. Fact is I love weight training. I may not look it but I'm actually really strong. I love that I can lift heavy. And I have great form (lol - did I mention I'm humble too? :oP). I want to get back into doing it hard core.

The sum of all these contemplations is a new approach to fitness. I've done the P90X DVDs but not in a row. Tomorrow I will attempt to start a 90 day cycle. I'm going to be blogging about my experiences every day. On the days where the P90X workouts are shorter (some days can be super long) I will also run. Because it makes me feel awesome.

I'm going to need your support bloggies!!!! Please promise me you'll get on my back if you don't see an update of my daily workouts on this little bloggy of mine!


Of $220

I have a dilemma bloggies. A $220 dilemma. One of my benefits as work is a Professional Development Allowance. We are allocated quite a hefty amount of money every year to make us better professionals. I have spent a large amount of this years money on my gym membership, some legal textbooks, P90X, some workout equipment, and a couple of other goodies. Somehow I thought I had spent all the money - turns out I have $220 left to go!!! Here's the catch - I have to spend that money by the end of this month or else I lose it!!!!

For a long time I have thought of getting a heart rate monitor or something akin to one. I have debated the benefits of  Garmin vs. Polar and I've yet to make a decision. What do you recommend amigos? Here is what I'm looking for:

1) A heart rate monitor function with a comfortable strap
2) The ability to monitor heart rate even when working out indoors
3) Perhaps the ability to tell you when you are in your target heart zone
4) Something that will indicate my pace when running
5) GPS function is optional as I have my Nike+ to tell me how far I've gone
6) Preferably $300 or under

Currently I'm torn between a Garmin 405, Garmin 305, Polar FT60, or Polar RS300X. Thoughts?


Looking forward to this next step in my attempt to be "The Whole Package!" And as always bloggies, I am ever grateful that you are coming along for the ride! :o)

The Novelty of Just Taking Off

Running Towards a Half - Update

It will probably come as no surprise when I confess I'd fallen off the running wagon lately. First it began with the scorching heat of the Rocky Mountain summer. Then when it wasn't blisteringly hot it was crazy stormy.

Not the most running conducive weather. What I should have done to keep up momentum was to head to the gym instead. But I didn't.

Then I went on vacation and swan instead of run. When I came back home I found myself enveloped in a province rampant with wild flowers. You could almost taste the smoke outside (and you could definitely smell it).

All in all the reasons not to run racked up and I never got beyond a walk.

But this week I decided to make a change; I read one of Marelen's (Mission to Another Marathon) post - she's so consistent and has come so far. And yes it guilted me into running.

So for the past two nights, the fiance and I have been at it again. On both nights we've run about 3 miles. It's been somewhat slow going 'cause my (left) leg feels stiff and tends to cramp up. But it feels so good just to be out there running again.

In the process I've tried a new approach to running - just taking off. No iPod. No Nike+. No gadgets. Just me, the fiance, and my running shoes. I have to admit it's been somewhat liberating.

In some ways I miss the music but I don't miss my Nike+. That little guy drives me insane sometimes. You see at times it won't sync with my iPod and other times (like currently) it just doesn't update my profile.

All of this has me considering a less cumbersome approach - perhaps a Polar heart rate monitor or a Garmin. Any suggestions? Will these tools be lost on a newbie like me?

Looking forward to hearing the feedback! :o)

A View to Remember: Sculpt Your Way to a Sexy Back with SELF

Hola peeps!

Most of you know that I'm engaged to get married. Part in parcel with the joys of this momentous occasion comes the trepidation of wedding dress shopping. Every girl wants to look absolutely awesome on their wedding day. And that includes having all the jiggly bits under control - or better yet absolutely gone!!!

Most of us do squats, runs, and sit-up our way to fitness. But most of us (okay maybe just me) neglect our back. Sure it's an integral part of our bodies but how many exercises do you do that target your hind view? I know I don't.

But your back is pretty well one of the few things you can hide in evening dresses, bathing suits, or simple summer sheaths. The last thing I want is spillage (you know what I mean :oP).

Enter SELF magazine. They've posted a workout that will help you sculpt your way to a sexy back. I have to say I've started to incorporate moves like this into my workout routine and I'm already seeing the difference. I'd never had a line down my back before and I kind of love it.

Don't believe me? Give it a try!!! :o)

Of Wonky Knees

Hola Bloggies! I say it's time we get caught up . . .

Running Towards a Half - An Update

You'll probably have noticed that there's been a dearth of running updates in the last week. That's because I started having some knee issues. :o(

In about a week and a half ago I noticed that most of my runs were ending with extreme knee pain. Not only that but it was swelling quite a bit too! Worried about injuries I gave myself a week off from running. In that time I kept up with my weight training (although no squatting or lunging was involved) and stretched things out.

On Sunday I went for a run with the fiance. The plan was to run to the video store (return some rentals) and run back. In total this should have been just shy of 3 miles. I thought it would make a good first run back.

I started off and although stiff I kept going. Then the knee pain started. Of course I decided it was just discomfort and ran through it. Then it got worse. First there was what felt like a pull or a tear behind the knee. More pain and more convincing myself I could keep on going. Then my body decided it needed to take more urgent action to get me to walk. So the tear/pull feeling was kind of huge the second time. I limped the rest of the way home (ran 2.25 miles). :o(

I woke up with a fair amount of leg pain yesterday so I made an emergency physio appointment. Turns out my left knee tends to go inwards. As in it's not so stable (something about my hip being weak and my left foot being flatter than the right). Apparently this is causing my hamstrings to work extra hard to try to stabilize my knee and hence why things are pulling.

Physio lady said I wouldn't have noticed it except that I started running more often. I'm under Dr.'s orders to take it easy. Stretch the leg twice a day, ice twice a day, and run only lightly. I've also been told to make the pain my guide. If I feel pain I have to stop.

So there you have it . . . I think I will head out for a light run tonight and see where that gets me! :o)

Eats - Breakie!

And quickly before I head to work . . .

This was my breakie! An oatmeal pancake (no flour!) smothered in lingonberry sauce. Avec a glass of coconut water. This stuff is yummy! It's also super high in electrolytes so it would be a great recovery drink.

I'm off to work! I just have to make it past today 'cause tomorrow is Canada Day!!!!!!!! Which means I get a day off! As a bonus it looks like there's a rafting trip a brewing!!! Sooo excited! :o)

Vacation Recap - Part Tres

Hello bloggies!

I hope your week is treating you well thus far. As for me, my life finally regained some normalcy today.

You see, since I came back from vacation I've been putting a lot of work into prepping for a rather massive jury trial. The trial didn't go ahead which means I can relax a bit. It's funny with trials like these - they're so emotionally and physically draining. Must be the stress.

Anywho, that trial is the reason I worked on the weekend and got home late yesterday. In fact when I came home I was so exhausted I changed into my PJs and called it a very early night. Which basically means I owe you some blogging!


Running Towards a Half - Update

Monday, June 15th

Today the schedule called for stretching and weight training but I decided to change things up and went out for a 2.5 mile run. At 5:00 am in the morning.

Now I don't know why but I felt kind of icky. My leg muscles still aren't as relaxed as they were pre-vacation. I'm going to try to remedy this situation by doing some yoga and hopefully that will solve that issue.

Due to leg pain the run resembled more of a glorified shuffle! :oP lol Having said that I'm proud of myself (and the fiance) for getting out there and getting 'er done! Bonus points for us!

Did I mention it was raining a bit? Even more bonus points!! lol

Tuesday, June 16th

Today I did yesterday's weight training and stretching. Basically just some arm exercises using my Selecttech Dumbbells.

I have to contact my trainer and have him come up with a new weight training routine. Something to compliment my running.



Vacation Recap - Part Tres

Friday was the day of my Call Ceremony. Basically I wore my lovely Barrister's Robes and was presented to a Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia (while my parents, family, friends, and old boss beamed proudly in the audience).

After bowing to the Justice I walked on stage and signed the "roll." The story goes that it's essentially a record of all of the people ever admitted into legal practice in the jurisdiction. Presumably these rolls are kept in the Law Society.


If the story is true then it's VERY cool to think that after all those years of hard work (nine if you include articling!!!) I'm part of such a storied profession. Very cool indeed!

Must be the reason why my smile is so goofy in this picture - kind of like I'm pleased as punch with myself:


I was really quite happy after the ceremony. Not only because of the Call itself but because lots of people near and dear to me made the trip and attended the event! Amongst them were my mommy (who flew out from Toronto), the fiance, the fiance's parents, my old boss, and three of my closest friends. It was such a happy moment, made all the more sweet by the presence of those people.

I was a happy camper! :o) Such a happy camper!

Oh but the wonderful day was not over bloggies! After some relaxing we headed out for my celebratory dinner at DB Bistro Moderne - Vancouver. The DB in the name stands for the famed chef Daniel Bouloud.

This eatery is relatively new to the Vancouver scene (it used to be Feenie's - run by Rob Feenie) but is already making a splash. What can I say? I did my research! :o)

One look at the menu and it was clear making a choice would not be an easy task:


Having said that there is one dish that DB Bistro Moderne is absolutely known for:


I sipped on a Kir Royale while I waited for my feast to arrive!


I also nibbled on some of the restaurant's wonderful bread (I was full on starving by this point).


The restaurant was also very kind and provided everyone at our table with some wonderful free surprises. First there were several portions of flat bread with melted cheese. They were amazing - so amazing I gobbled them up and forgot to take a picture! lol

I did, however, remember to take a picture of the beautiful fish balls they presented to us (also free!):


For my appetizer I chose the tomato tarte tatin. Word has it that the pastry is flown in from Paris! Ooo la la! :o)

Given how amazing it tasted, I believe them!


And for my main course I chose the famous DB burger. And oh my was it ever HUGE!!! Absolutely massive!!!!


The burger is made if sirloin beef, stuffed with short ribs, and in the middle of all of that there is foie gras and truffles!!!!!!!! It's not for the faint of heart. Totally hearty. Totally calorie dense. And totally delicious!!!


I'm glad I tried the burger and got to see what the fuss was about. But oh man it was just too big. In fact I think I ate about 1/4 of the fries and just slightly over half of the burger. I'd probably eat it again but split it with someone else.

All in all it was a lovely dinner! :o) Sure the service was slow (molasses like really) but I was surrounded by great company and didn't really mind.

After dinner we all headed back to the hotel lobby to chat and laugh for hours. My mother basically had to drag me upstairs (just like being little again :oP) to catch a bit of rest before our crack of dawn flight to Cancun.

I couldn't wait bloggies! Finally I was going to take the Mexico trip I'd been planning for so long!!!!


To be Continued . . .