Day 10 - Plates

They say that you should eat for your training, and not train for your eating.

For me, it's all about balance - if I didn't eat good food, I wouldn't be able to work out as much as I do; if I didn't work out every day, I wouldn't be able to eat such good food.

Day 7 - Something I Wore

If I didn't love you, I wouldn't show you a picture of my sweaty tank top from today's yoga class. Really. This is how my people express affection.

I have been doing Moksha (hot yoga) for only a couple of months, but I feel like I have been doing it forever. As soon as my body hits my mat to soak up a few precious minutes of pre-class savasana, I feel calm and grounded. Once I'm on my feet, however, I take on a level of focus that surprises even me. It's amazing how quickly an hour passes when my mind is cleared of all thoughts... other than guiding my body through the movements and being mindful of the day's "intention". 

The intentions are set at the beginning of the class by the instructor and then it is up to the rest of us to apply them to our practice. Last Saturday, the intention was to simply "smile" during the class. At first I thought that it was a bit of a non-intention, but once we were well into our flows, I realized that I had been missing some of the joy that is supposed to come hand-in-hand with all of the hard work. Busting out a smile at the peak of a posture let me take it even further. My tree grew higher and my dancer danced like never before. Could it be that I have been taking myself too seriously in there?

Namaste.

Zumbathon

Three hours of Zumba madness at the Reh-Fit Centre? Yeah, buddy!

This will be me tonight:

Well, the hair, anyway.

Full report on Monday. Have a muy fabuloso weekend, chicas!

Map My Run

We have a saying–or, rather, I have a saying–"If you don't blog it, it didn't happen." 

The "it" in this case is referring to a workout. Whether it's a run, a spinning class, a bike ride, or yoga, if you don't blog it, tweet it, or put it on Facebook, it doesn't count. 

Of course, I am being somewhat facetious here, but there is a tiny bit of me that holds tight to this. It's not that I have a need to be a show-off, but I do like to log my activities...and it keeps me motivated. The time that I was off with my sprained ankle was made even worse by the lack of things to record in my workout log. All of those blank spaces staring back at me. Gah! I was so happy once I could go back to filling in the details of my daily activities.

At the time, I was using a site called "Voomaxer". It was a pretty straightforward application that allowed me to enter the time/date/duration of my workouts, plus it kept track of my equipment* for me. Voomaxer met my basic logging needs for almost 3 years, but it has recently been changed to a less user friendly format and, to add insult to injury, has apparently eaten all of my old logs. So much for monitoring my progress. 

It's not all bad news, though; today I started using Map My Run (and iMapMyRun on my iPod) and after logging my first three workouts, I think I have found my new obsession. Despite the name, Map My Run isn't just for runners. The exercises available on the site and in the app cover all of the bases (including s-e-x), whereas Voomaxer only allowed me to log running, walking, cycling and swimming. There's also plenty of room for customization and with MMR, I am even able to do crazy stuff like break-out my road cycling from my spinning. Not a big deal in February, but it's going to be great when we are back out on 2 wheels in the summer!

Once we're back outside, I think I will also get lots of use out of the route-mapping feature. I've used it in the past to measure my runs and bike rides, but it'll be neat to see how it integrates into the logging. In the meantime, to keep myself busy and extra-motivated, I have signed up on the site for a Shape 30-day workout challenge. All I have to do is log 15 workouts in 30 days. Piece of cake! Speaking of cake (oh, I remember cake...), MMR also figures out your calories burned for each workout, summarizes your stats for the week, categorizes your longest/furthest/hardest workouts, and gives you nice little, encouraging messages like "Good job!" 

And, to satisfy my "If you don't blog it..." tenet, it will even post to Facebook for me. Ok, so maybe I am a little bit of a show-off.

*Yes, I name my shoes. And my bikes. 

Day 5 - "10 a.m."

This morning at 10am, I was getting Studio "A" at the Reh-Fit Centre ready for my 10:45 Group Power class - turning on the lights and fans, tossing a CD into the stereo, and unlocking the equipment room doors.

I know it's kinda cheesy, but every time I come in and see that rack full of bars and weights, I really do start to get excited. I know that in a few minutes, my class will start filtering in to set up their stations and it will be up to me to get them fired up and ready to work hard for the next 60 minutes. And have fun in the process.

That's exactly what I see when I look at these plates - hard work and FUN.

(Getting) Ready for my Close-up

Please, clear skin and good hair gods, be kind to me for the next 6 days. I have been asked to participate in a photoshoot at the Reh-fit Centre next Monday afternoon and I need to look my absolute glowing best.

The photoshoot is for the Reh-fit's annual magazine, called (aptly enough) "Power", featuring stories about members who use the centre and have been successful in getting (and staying) fit and healthy. I am beyond thrilled to be this year's featured "fit 35-45 year old "! 


In addition to the photoshoot, I will also be interviewed by a writer who will write the story about me, my active lifestyle and my journey towards health and fitness... and, I'm sure, will somehow make it sound interesting. 

Like I said, I am so, so excited and honoured to have been asked to be a part of this publication. I consider the Reh-fit more than just a gym - it is a top-notch health and fitness facility and, in a lot of ways, for the past two years the members and staff have been like a second family to me. After all, they get to see me with bed-head more than my fella and the mascot combined! (A dubious distinction, but a distinction nonetheless.) 

I don't know when the magazine will be published, but you can rest assured that I will share the piece with all of you here on my blog and on my Facebook... and via Twitter... in an email blast... and/or by carrier pigeon... maybe even door-to-door in a neighbourhood near you. 

What I am trying to say is that when it comes out, you will know. 

Hell on Wheel

Once upon a time, there was a girl named "Spinny". It wasn't her real nickname, of course, but that's just what the other kids called her. To this day, she doesn't know why, but let's just assume it had something to do with her...uh...exuberant attitude. 

Fast forward 27 years or so. They don't call her Spinny anymore, but if they did, they would have a perfectly good reason to. On Mondays and Fridays, she can be found channeling her exuberance during the 6:15am spin class at the Reh-fit Centre.

Full disclosure: I am talking about myself.

I first tried spinning at my old gym in Surrey, BC. I think I lasted exactly 6 minutes before throwing in the proverbial towel. It took me 4 years before I could summon up the courage to try again. My second class (at a new gym) went much better than the first, although I didn't manage any "jumps". I stuck it out for the full 45 mins, though, and two short weeks later, I was hooked. 

That was two years ago and I am still spinning away twice a week at 6:15am. Some days are pure torture, but the music, the instructors and the camaraderie of the group always keeps me coming back. 

Plus, not only is it fun, I think that it is one of the most-efficient workouts out there. 45 hot and sweaty minutes is all it takes to blast an average of 400 calories...and all you need to know how to do is pedal. 

Fancy moves, like these, are optional.