I've been keeping my latest purchase on the downlow out of guilt, since I'm supposed to be saving money for the wedding, but in a few ways, I've let the cat out of the bag, do I might as well admit it: I got an iPhone.
It's incredible. There is another love letter to the iPhone on my blogroll, which I completely agree with. Anyway, I'm blogging from my little baby now, and it's a bit challenging. Texting in a touch screen isn't easy. I'm getting better and better, but it's so easy to write the wrong letter!
This Friday I ended up moving my bike trainer inside because my toes were just too cold! I got an hour and a half done which satisfied me. On Saturday, the tech shop was moving, so I went over around noon to help out. Let me tell you, even though it was a move across the street, it was HARD. I stayed until about 330, then we had to wait until 530 for the shop to close, so I went home and went for a run. I had a lot of guilt because I hadn't woken up early and run, so I thought it would be nice to fit one in. I ended up talking to my sis during it, on my headphones with the little microphone in them, so the time passes pretty easily. She said I sounded like a podcaster with all the breathiness! When I got back to the shop, I was in for a world of pain. I spent the evening squatting, picking up 12 shoeboxes off the floor, and passing them to people taller than I. When I got a break from that, I got to go in the truck and stack them. We basically formed an assembly line to load the truck, then drove the truck across the street, the "assembly line" unpacked it. We litterally moved running shoes from 530 until midnight with a one hour break. I have bruises on my arms, a scratch on my face, (from carting piles of boxes that were taller than I was) and I am stiff all over! Ah! Even though it was hellish, the new store is ridiculously beautiful. Anyone in the Calgary area should definitely check it out!
Sunday was a very bridal day. I went to the bridal fair (woah is all I have to say about that) and suit shopping for matt.
Now I'm in Ottawa, and despite the nice weather yesterday, it wasn't nice enough today for short shorts today, so I did 10km on the treadmill in the hotel gym. Now I'm at the greatest coffee shop in the world waiting for my sis to get off work!
Sorry if this is choppy and weird, I'm new to phone posting! Also, I can't figure out the links, so you can figure out where I would have put links and google them yourself!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Steve Nash Sports Club
On Tuesday, I was in Vancouver for the day, and the hotel I was at was close to the Steve Nash Sports Club. I didn't know he had opened a chain of gyms, but he did, and I thought I would go try it out. Because I was a guest of a nearby hotel, I got a discount of my drop in fee, so it was only 8.50$. Normally, we get free entry to near by gyms, but I splurged because I had a lot of working out to do!
I started out in the 2 lane swimming pool, did about 40 minutes of laps and various drills with my new earplugs, which worked out SO well. They didn't fall out, and they kept the water out. I was very happy about that. I then got changed in the super nice locker room (with individual showers with doors!), took a new grapefruit carb-boom gel, and hopped on the bike. As I've mentioned, the bike and I don't get along at ALL, so I originally was going to cut my workout to 40 minutes, but I felt guilty, so I did 60 (which isn't too much better). I was on the random hill program on there, so some of it was really hard and some was a bit easier. By that time, I was completely drenched in sweat. I did a thorough wipe down of the bike, and then got on the treadmill. I did 45 minutes (with two one minute walk breaks) and then a fifteen minute quick walking cool down. I went back into the locker room, with a little trail of sweat following me, wished I had brought shower stuff with me, and begrudgingly put on my sweater and ran back to the hotel to shower.
I was so impressed with the facility. There were classes that were included in the fee as well, but I didn't do any of them since I had a pretty good workout under my belt. The locker rooms were immaculate, with people cleaning them every time I was in there. There were lots of cardio machines, lots of weights, lots of bare space... It was really nice. There were a lot of different TVs as well to keep your mind off the pain. If I lived in the area, I would definitely get a membership (if I could afford it!) They also have a 7 day free trial that you can sign up for online. AND, there was a lululemon and a jugo juice in it! Crazy!
I was planning on another great workout the next day in Edmonton, but when I put on my gym clothes, there were still wet from the day before! I was so disgusted. I went down to the gym anyway, which was a far, far cry from the steve nash club, went on the bike, found it was broken, went on the treadmill, found IT was broken, did about 15 minutes of ab work and called it a day. Ooops. At least because my clothes were still sweaty, it LOOKED like I had done a good workout. I sure smelled like it.
The NEXT day I was going to have a great workout in Victoria, where we get a free pass to a HUGE YMCA type facility, but fog rolled into Calgary and affected my day of flying, so I ended up somewhere else that night and missed my workout. So, with two days of non workouts, I need to get something done today!!! As soon as my breaky digests, I'm on it!
I started out in the 2 lane swimming pool, did about 40 minutes of laps and various drills with my new earplugs, which worked out SO well. They didn't fall out, and they kept the water out. I was very happy about that. I then got changed in the super nice locker room (with individual showers with doors!), took a new grapefruit carb-boom gel, and hopped on the bike. As I've mentioned, the bike and I don't get along at ALL, so I originally was going to cut my workout to 40 minutes, but I felt guilty, so I did 60 (which isn't too much better). I was on the random hill program on there, so some of it was really hard and some was a bit easier. By that time, I was completely drenched in sweat. I did a thorough wipe down of the bike, and then got on the treadmill. I did 45 minutes (with two one minute walk breaks) and then a fifteen minute quick walking cool down. I went back into the locker room, with a little trail of sweat following me, wished I had brought shower stuff with me, and begrudgingly put on my sweater and ran back to the hotel to shower.
I was so impressed with the facility. There were classes that were included in the fee as well, but I didn't do any of them since I had a pretty good workout under my belt. The locker rooms were immaculate, with people cleaning them every time I was in there. There were lots of cardio machines, lots of weights, lots of bare space... It was really nice. There were a lot of different TVs as well to keep your mind off the pain. If I lived in the area, I would definitely get a membership (if I could afford it!) They also have a 7 day free trial that you can sign up for online. AND, there was a lululemon and a jugo juice in it! Crazy!
I was planning on another great workout the next day in Edmonton, but when I put on my gym clothes, there were still wet from the day before! I was so disgusted. I went down to the gym anyway, which was a far, far cry from the steve nash club, went on the bike, found it was broken, went on the treadmill, found IT was broken, did about 15 minutes of ab work and called it a day. Ooops. At least because my clothes were still sweaty, it LOOKED like I had done a good workout. I sure smelled like it.
The NEXT day I was going to have a great workout in Victoria, where we get a free pass to a HUGE YMCA type facility, but fog rolled into Calgary and affected my day of flying, so I ended up somewhere else that night and missed my workout. So, with two days of non workouts, I need to get something done today!!! As soon as my breaky digests, I'm on it!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Bricks
Today, I hopped on my trainer on my porch with an audio book and a bike workout and started pedaling. I didn't really want to, because I pretty much can't stand biking, but I forced myself into it. If anyone has ridden on a trainer, you know it's a little awkward and LOUD. I like seeing the people walking on the street below me looking around them, wondering where the loud engine like sound is coming from. Today someone actually saw me and figured it out, which is rare. (If you don't know what a trainer is, it's a little doohicky that you attach your regular bike into which transforms it into a stationary bike.) I pedaled very slowly at first to let my bike warm up a bit, and then started into the workout I had written down. It had a few single leg drills, a few high cadence drills, a hill climbing drill, and some consistent pedaling. I suffered through about an hour and fifteen minutes and then stopped, even though I was supposed to do a little closer to 2 hours. I just didn't have it in me, since I had to go for a run as well.
Before I got on my bike, I set up my water belt and shoes so that I could quickly get ready for my run and re-create the race scenario as much as I could. Triathlons are challenging because you're going from sport to sport to sport without any rest. After getting off the bike, it's pretty hard to walk, let alone run, hence the term "brick" was coined to represent the bike to run workout, because your legs feel like bricks! Today was no different... I could barely get OFF the bike, and it wasn't even moving! I think my biggest fear is falling right off when trying to dismount. Anyway I set out on my run and was instantly uncomfortable for a couple of reasons. One, I was wearing a pretty thin long sleeve shirt, and because I was all sweaty from the bike, I got cold immediately. Two, I was wearing a sports bra that isn't too supportive, which works just fine for the bike, but for a run, not so much. Coupled with the thin, loose shirt, I was not happy. I actually decided to cut my run short by 10 minutes because I was THAT uncomfortable. Lesson learned, don't wear that sports bra again when planning a run.
I got home, ate, showered, and then officially signed up for the 70.3! I have been avoiding the actual registration, in case I want to change my mind and not do it, but today something just clicked and I thought "ok, I'm doing it, and that's that." So I did.
In other news, I realized that I won't be able to race the Calgary Police Half after all. I'm going to be in Toronto for a wedding shower and a "jack and jill" party thing (it's an Ontario thing apparently) so I'll have to try to sell my registration. Kind of a bummer, but maybe for the better.
Before I got on my bike, I set up my water belt and shoes so that I could quickly get ready for my run and re-create the race scenario as much as I could. Triathlons are challenging because you're going from sport to sport to sport without any rest. After getting off the bike, it's pretty hard to walk, let alone run, hence the term "brick" was coined to represent the bike to run workout, because your legs feel like bricks! Today was no different... I could barely get OFF the bike, and it wasn't even moving! I think my biggest fear is falling right off when trying to dismount. Anyway I set out on my run and was instantly uncomfortable for a couple of reasons. One, I was wearing a pretty thin long sleeve shirt, and because I was all sweaty from the bike, I got cold immediately. Two, I was wearing a sports bra that isn't too supportive, which works just fine for the bike, but for a run, not so much. Coupled with the thin, loose shirt, I was not happy. I actually decided to cut my run short by 10 minutes because I was THAT uncomfortable. Lesson learned, don't wear that sports bra again when planning a run.
I got home, ate, showered, and then officially signed up for the 70.3! I have been avoiding the actual registration, in case I want to change my mind and not do it, but today something just clicked and I thought "ok, I'm doing it, and that's that." So I did.
In other news, I realized that I won't be able to race the Calgary Police Half after all. I'm going to be in Toronto for a wedding shower and a "jack and jill" party thing (it's an Ontario thing apparently) so I'll have to try to sell my registration. Kind of a bummer, but maybe for the better.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Where have I been?
I'm not too sure what to blog about these days, hence why I haven't been blogging. I really like reading people's blogs, but I don't really feel like I have much to say that hasn't already been said by others! I really like reading sporty blogs, which helps me stay motivated and also teaches me, so maybe I'll spin my blog into something a little more like that. For some, that means bo-ring, but for some others it might be more interesting than staring at the same post for over a month. I've also considered just not blogging anymore, so we'll see how it goes.
I've been running, swimming and biking lots lately, which feels great and makes me feel a little better about my upcoming "year in sports". I, like my sis, am running the Vermont Covered Bridges Half Marathon for team alzheimers (so if you want to give money to ME instead, I won't say no!), and of course the Calgary 70.3, and I've also signed up for the Calgary Police Half Marathon as a little teaser before the Vermont half. Last year I ran that race and had the greatest support group which made my race so much better. I felt good about it, even though I didn't make my goal of a sub 2 hour race. This year, I won't put too much importance on that race since my priorities lie in Vermont, but I'll give it a go and do my best, and hopefully learn for the next one.
I'm having a hard time on the bike these days, mainly out of boredom (since I'm riding on a trainer) and wussiness (since I just gear down when I'm tired). Also my toes get pretty cold. I've downloaded a couple of workouts to do on the trainer which will make it harder for me to just quit halfway through, and also some audio books to keep my mind off the toughness. Cycling is my major weakness so it definitely needs my attention.
Swimming is going pretty well. Again, I've got a few workouts, both technique and endurance, which help me stay on track and prevent me from just stopping when I'm tired. Unlike running, where if I stop, I have to still walk home, swimming and biking (at the moment) are done in one spot so if I want to stop, I can. This means I need extra motivation to keep going. My main issue with swimming right now is the water in the ears. Yesterday, I swam at noon, and at 4:30 I still had the ocean sound in both ears. Terrible. I have actually given myself whiplash trying to get the water out of my ears! It's not the HUGEST deal, except when I go from the swim to bike, I get discombobulated and off balance because of the water splashing around in my head. I have purchased some wax ear plugs, so stay tuned to see if they work.
OK, that's what I've got going on. Any feedback, advice, or comments, feel free!
I've been running, swimming and biking lots lately, which feels great and makes me feel a little better about my upcoming "year in sports". I, like my sis, am running the Vermont Covered Bridges Half Marathon for team alzheimers (so if you want to give money to ME instead, I won't say no!), and of course the Calgary 70.3, and I've also signed up for the Calgary Police Half Marathon as a little teaser before the Vermont half. Last year I ran that race and had the greatest support group which made my race so much better. I felt good about it, even though I didn't make my goal of a sub 2 hour race. This year, I won't put too much importance on that race since my priorities lie in Vermont, but I'll give it a go and do my best, and hopefully learn for the next one.
I'm having a hard time on the bike these days, mainly out of boredom (since I'm riding on a trainer) and wussiness (since I just gear down when I'm tired). Also my toes get pretty cold. I've downloaded a couple of workouts to do on the trainer which will make it harder for me to just quit halfway through, and also some audio books to keep my mind off the toughness. Cycling is my major weakness so it definitely needs my attention.
Swimming is going pretty well. Again, I've got a few workouts, both technique and endurance, which help me stay on track and prevent me from just stopping when I'm tired. Unlike running, where if I stop, I have to still walk home, swimming and biking (at the moment) are done in one spot so if I want to stop, I can. This means I need extra motivation to keep going. My main issue with swimming right now is the water in the ears. Yesterday, I swam at noon, and at 4:30 I still had the ocean sound in both ears. Terrible. I have actually given myself whiplash trying to get the water out of my ears! It's not the HUGEST deal, except when I go from the swim to bike, I get discombobulated and off balance because of the water splashing around in my head. I have purchased some wax ear plugs, so stay tuned to see if they work.
OK, that's what I've got going on. Any feedback, advice, or comments, feel free!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)