A Recommit and FMM

Now that I'm pretty sure the reading list of this blog has been reduced to no one, it seems like a great time to start blogging again. That's how this whole thing works, right? Blog. Stop blogging. Start again when no one cares? No? Well, I've been going about this all wrong then.

I haven't been blogging because there's been nothing to tell. After injuring myself in November, I fell off the wagon (and the bump from the fall really didn't help with the whole back injury thing - *snort* I love bad puns) and while I kept telling myself to get back on it, it was so hard. The wagon was so tall. I had to, like, climb up on to it and shit. (If you read that in a really whiny voice... yeah, that's what I sound like about this whole thing.)

Then I returned to full time work. And then I had a couple of other time commitments. And then my dance class moved to a location I couldn't get to. And. And. And. And I rock at coming up with excuses. Seriously, school kids should hire me to create their "I wasn't in class today because..." notes. Instead of excuses, I needed a goal. Something simple. Something I know I can do. Something fun.

Like a 10K.

I missed the TC 10K in Victoria because [insert any previous excuse here]. Also, I don't really like doing the 10K: it's insanely crowded and I find myself wanting to punch people in the back of the head because slow moving people crowd into corrals well above their projected finish time. I needed a new 10K to do.

I have tentative plans to visit my family in Alberta this summer so I searched my preferred travel dates and found a 10K in Taber, AB. It's apparently part of the Taber Cornfest. While the Taber Cornfest website still shows 2011 information, a 2012 race is posted on a couple of Canadian running websites. so hopefully it's a go for this year.

If it's not a go, I'll plan my own 10K route through the cornfields of Southern Alberta and make my family stand on the side of the road and cheer me in at the end. Preferably while they wave homemade signs of encouragement. Right now they're reading this and thinking "Andrea's such a clown". We'll see who's laughing when I hand you my home made ticker tape I want to run through!

Training officially begins next Monday.

EEK!

What better way to jump back into blogging than with a Friend Makin' Monday?

Simplified guidelines: Answer questions, post and link up here, sit back and watch the accolades pour in. Or something like that.

FMM: Three Things

1. Three of your favorite movies:
-Casablanca
-Beauty and the Beast
-Monty Python's Life of Brian (super excited because the Victoria Film Festival is having a MPLOB Quote-Along in two weeks *squee*)

2. Three of your favorite things to drink:
-Tea
-Coffee
-Beer (really can't get much more specific than that, I just like beer)
(I know, I know, water should be on this list and I do actually enjoy drinking straight water but it's not a 'favourite')

3. Three of your favorite songs:
Just three? Ugh, this pains me.
-Who Knows How to Make Love Stay - Doug and the Slugs (oh, 80's Canadian pop, how I love you!)
-Rolling in the Deep - Adele (I will listen to anything this girl puts out)
-Maple Leaf Rag  - Scott Joplin
A friend once described my taste in music as 'a menagerie of sounds'. Yup, that pretty much sums it up.

4. Three people who have recently been a positive influence on your life (outside of your family):
-K from work: really pushed me to go after a new job opportunity and then helped guide me through the process. It worked. I've got a new (and awesome) job.
-T and 106 (friends): convinced me that regular board game nights are cool (and they totally are!)
-Walter Lewin: read For the Love of Physics and it really opened my eyes to the beauty of physics of the every day world. I find myself trying to recall the equation for wind velocity when I see breeze through the trees nowadays. My goodness, I sound like a giant nerd.

5. Three things you to do keep yourself entertained:
-Read
-Sing and dance in the privacy of my apartment/listen to music in general
-Watch TV/movies

6. Three things you’re attracted to in the opposite sex:
-Eyes and smile (I'm lumping these together because one of my favourite things about eyes are laugh lines and you only get those if you smile a lot. The frequency of the smiling is more important than the actual smile.)
-Someone who is kind
-Nice ass (Hey, I'm just being honest)

7. Three things you love about yourself:
-My sense of humour
-My smile
-My nerdy personality (it took me a while to own up to my true level of nerd and now that I have, I like who I am better as a person)

8. The last three people who text messaged you:
-106
-THR
-Trish

9. Three things you’re looking forward to this week:
-Baby shower for THR
-Drinks with the alumni band crew
-Talk on human rights I've helped organise

10. Three wishes specifically for yourself…What are they? (Be selfish, and be honest.)
-I wish I could snap my fingers and be the active, fit person I once was
-I wish I was independently wealthy so I could set off on a round-the-world trip tomorrow (in the active, fit body I used to have)
-I wish I had a maid

11. Three of your favorite quotes:
"Humuor is not a mood but a way of looking at the world." ~Ludwig Wittgenstein
"Who, being loved, is poor?" ~Oscar Wilde
"Oh, don't pay life the compliment to take it seriously." ~Robert Service (from his poem, Laughter)

12. Three of your biggest fears:
-Falling and breaking a bone (I've never done it and the thought of it terrifies me)
-Sharp items like axes, chainsaws or swords make me nervous. Surprising for most people as I own two swords and have used axes and chainsaws many times in my life.
-Moving scarecrows on TV
 
13. Three of your favorite TV shows:
At this moment:
-The Wire
-Game of Thrones
-New Tricks

14. Three of your favorite things to purchase when you’re shopping.
-Books.
-Books.
-Books (I don't actually like shopping. It's simply a necessary activity so the only time I really enjoy it is when I'm turned loose in a bookstore.)

15. Three things that you enjoyed last week:
-Board game and Pub night with T and 106
-Tea and a game of rummy with C
-It becoming official that I got the new job

16. Three things that you always have in your bag or close to you if you’re not a purse kind of person.
-Lipgloss
-Wallet
-Pen and notebook

17. Three types of food that you wouldn’t want to give up.
-Pretty much anything my mom cooks (save her occasional decision to cook liver and onions when I was growing up. She can keep that to herself)
-Pad Thai
-Cheese Fondue

18. Three things you do to enjoy burning calories:
-Walking/Hiking
-Running (when I was doing it regularly)
-West African Dance

19. Three things you dislike about blogging:
-I love my family but sometimes I wish I hadn't told them I blog because I censor myself more knowing that my mom will read any curse words I put on here.
-Glaring grammatical errors or spelling mistakes that I notice after I hit publish.
-It's not blogging specific, but my current laptop is a pain in the ass. It's old and slowing down which means that a simple post takes way too long to write. Trying to include photos is almost painful. I've found myself saying "fuck it" and just tossing half-finished posts because my laptop is making me want to punch it.

20. Three ways blogging has changed your life:
-I've met some really awesome people
-I always wanted to keep a diary but was kind of crap at it unless I was travelling (I am the travel diary queen!) but blogging fills that need
-I plan more because I need to for the blog

Pete and Repeat Went Into A Store...*

I sat down last year and set some very do-able goals. Then I had a knee problem so the TC 10K was not do-able. Then I decided to Ireland so I cut out the hiking one and the second running one. Then I was lazy so I cut out the weight-loss one.

In short, despite making sure that my goals were realistic, I failed to account for the fact that I like to use excuses as a reason to not do things. Well, I'm back to being able to run (I was actually back to that before Christmas but the holiday season is not a good time to try and set up good habits. It's a time-of-year-too-busy-thing, not a grandma-molasses-cookies-thing, I swear) and looking at my 2011 goals. Easy-peasy, they're going to be my 2012 goals.

Easiest yearly goals I've ever set. And in case you don't feel like actually going back to the old post:

1. Run the TC 10K in 1:15:00 - I'm going to change this to 'run a 10K'. I like the TC but it's stupid crowded and I don't know if I really want to be pushing myself through throngs of people for a time goal. Over the next few days, I'll research other 10Ks in the area and make a decision.

2. Run the Gunner Shaw 10K next November - The ultimate trail race in Victoria. Don't believe me? Read this. Doesn't that sound like ridiculously crazy fun times!

3. Hike the Juan de Fuca Trail - From last year's post: This one was put on hold last year due to other events. It won't be put on hold again. Hey, last year me, yes it will. But Ireland was worth it. Let's try this again, shall we?

4. End the year within 15 lbs of my weight goal - Totally do-able if I'm not a complete twat about it... again.

Now, who wants to start a pool to guess when I'll give up the first one?

*Anyone else remember that joke from yesteryear?
Pete and Repeat went into a shore. Pete came out. Who was left?
Repeat.
Pete and Repeat went into a store... and so it goes until  the recess bell goes or your friend walks away (or punches you).

Goal: Heal Quicker!

Last week I set two simple goals: don't skip dance class, and go for a long walk. I went to dance class... and then failed to do anything else for the rest of the week. Even my at-home goals suffered because it's hard to crochet when you're lying on your back or clean out your fridge when you can't bend over.

I have a very quiet weekend, what with the laying on a heating pad and all. While my mobility has vastly improved, bending over is still pretty much a no-go area at the moment (so is sitting up without back support). I tried a bit of a walk on Sunday to meet up with my mom and by the end of the 20 minutes, I knew that I had reached my limit for physical activity for the day. Boo-urns! I had thought I was getting better but that was a wake up call.

I had to revamp my list of fitness goals for this week as one of the goals was weight training. It's really hard to work around back pain. I can't just work upper body because of a knee problem or lower body because of a shoulder issue. Also, not being able to walk for extended periods of time... also difficult to work around.

Sigh. So much for my 'off to a good start' gumption.

Still, the pain won't last forever and I can still do small things so I'm committing to walking for 20 minutes every day. It's not much but it's something and I'll adjust as the back improves. It's just something to make sure I don't spend the whole week sitting on the couch!

If my back feels better sooner rather than later, I'll throw 2 yoga sessions onto that list but I don't want to push myself too quickly.

Goal Slacking

I have finally set my fitness goals for this week: have my fitness goals ready to go for next Monday!

Obviously, I'm as awesome at this whole 'goal setting' thing as I am at this 'staying on track' thing.

I actually did set a few fitness goals this week but they were small because I set a lot of non-fitness goals and I didn't want to bog myself down with lists. I still have to write 'thank you' letters to everyone we stayed with in Ireland (yes, write as in pen to paper with my best penmanship), I need to go through my spice cupboard and my fridge and clean them out, I need to find a job, I want to bake some Zupfe, I'm working on a craft project involving spray paint, I'm trying to set aside 30 minutes a day to crochet, and I stupidly decided to give Nanowrimo a shot... again.

I looked at the list above and wrote down the following fitness goals: don't skip dance class, and go for a long walk at some point. I'm aiming big this week!

Despite the lack of concrete fitness goals for this week, I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I really want out of the six months (the length of my journal) so while I have been lackluster in actually setting my weekly goals, they've never really been that far from my mind. I've gotten them figured out for next week and will be doing some of them this week (doing yoga in the mornings, for example) but I don't want the added guilt of not achieving them when I already have a full plate.

I may be the only person who has to write 'write to-do list' on her to-do list.

Can't Keep Me Away! FMM

I purposely post to say I won't be posting much but of course I have to post for Friend Makin' Monday! So if I say I'm going to post tomorrow, it usually takes me about a week to do it. If I say I won't be posting, I do it in less than 24hours. Well played, self. Well played.

Anyway, if you're new to Friend Makin' Monday, you can find the guidelines here. If you're old hat at this, let's do this!

FMM: All About Me

1. What are your talents? I'm musically inclined (I play multiple instruments, dance, and thrive on musical theatre) and I have yet to meet a craft project I haven't enjoyed.

2. What is your best habit? Oh, good question. I honestly don't know. I'll have to think about this one... and never get back to you on it. [EDIT: I look for the positive in everything. I read this poem often and try to live by it. I have seen enough bad in this world that I do not want to add to it.]

3. If you had to be stuck with someone in an elevator for 8 hours, who would you want it to be? I've been working on a piece about Irish history recently so right now I'd want to be stuck in an elevator with John Hume. Ask again next week, my answer will change. There's so many interesting people in the world, it's hard to pick just one.

4. Share one odd fact about you that we’d never know to ask. You mean beside my fear of scarecrows on TV? Alright, I cut my pinky open on a meat slicer. I have a scar and a slight lack of feeling in that pinky.

5. What’s your latest project (work, home, whatever you care to share?) I have a couple of craft projects on the go. Namely, I have a rash of friends having babies and those blankets won't crochet themselves!

6. If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be? I have a couple of scars that I wouldn't mind seeing gone.

7. What do you do in your spare time? Read, craft, write, dance, daydream

8. What is your biggest pet peeve? When people lack respect for other people. I know that not everyone is going to like everyone, but that doesn't mean you can't treat them with decency and respect.

9. Why do you blog? I don't know. I enjoy writing and I enjoy being the centre of attention. Blogging just seemed like a natural move :)

10. Are you tidy or messy? I tend to be a mix of the two but I'm trying to work on being more consistent with the tidy.

11. What’s the last song that played on your iPod? Whiskey in the Jar (Trad. Irish song, this recording by Jimmy Sweeney). I'm just trying to get in the right mood for my trip!

12. Do you cook? If so, what’s for dinner tonight? I do cook, however, tonight I have plans to get together with my travel partner so there will be no cooking.

13. Do you like sports? If so, list your teams. Love sports! Favourite teams of favourite sports listed below but I also occasionally catch up on tennis, hurling, and cricket results.
Hockey: Vancouver Canucks, HC Davos, Belfast Giants
Soccer (or real football): SC Freiburg, Vancouver Whitecaps, Bolton Wanderers, Bern Youngboys
Rugby: Ireland National Team, Wales National Team

14. How often do you read and/or watch the news? Every day. I was about 12 before I realised the radio has more stations than just CBC so I'm a bit of a news junky.

15. Did you stick to your new Year’s resolution this year? If so, elaborate. Instead of resolutions, I set goals. I'm on target to hit some of them.

16. What are you looking forward to most in the remainder of 2011? I leave for Ireland in less than two weeks. I have a week there by myself to visit with my family and then my friend Al is joining me and we're going off to be tourists. This will be the first time I'll be a true tourist in Ireland and I'm beyond excited.

17. Shoes, sunglasses or handbags? Shoes. I tend to lose sunglasses and I hate having to switch everything between handbags.

18. How do you feel about sleeping on satin sheets? No me gusta. You can't curl up in satin sheets. I'm a cotton sheet girl all the way.

19. Do you sing in the shower? Surprisingly, given my willingness to sing everywhere else, I don't sing in the shower. I also try to keep my showers to 5 minutes so that doesn't leave much time for singing.

20. Describe yourself in one word. Oddball.

Summer Weekends and Belated FMM

I had a wonderful summer weekend. A day spent up island and Shawnigan Lake and another day spent lazing in my friend’s sunny backyard while we celebrated her 30th. As much as spring and fall are my favourite seasons, summer definitely does have its moments.

I made sure to go for a swim while up at Shawnigan (in amongst drinking the incredibly strong drinks our family friend poured. I don’t think the man knows what a short glass is) and it reminded me that a) swimming really is an awesome workout and b) I really love lake swimming. There’s not much left of summer but I’m motivated to try and make it out to Thetis for a few morning swims. (Early is the key for Thetis before the crowds descend on it.)

I was back to my scheduled workouts this morning and got a rude reminder halfway through my run why you should always make sure you're well hydrated. Both my calves cramped up and felt like they had turned into rocks. I stretched them out by walking the second run section but let this be a reminder to you: as much as you feel like hitting snooze, get up and drink that pint of water you planned on before going for a run!

Yesterday was Friend Makin’ Monday (guidelines here).

The theme was letter to your future self and as much as it made me giggle to contemplate leaving:
Dear Future Self,
I hope you got your shit together.
Sincerely,
Me
I figured a proper response with some thought behind it was the appropriate thing to do (no matter how much I like to giggle). As a result, I’m a day late but some thought actually went into this so I guess it was worth the wait.

Dear Me-Sometime-In-the-Future (let’s say 10 years),

I’m not going to lie, I’m struggling to be the person I know you deserve me to have been but I hope that you’re happy with where we ended up. Remember that 10 years ago from when I write this, this is not where I thought I would be either but the journey’s been awesome so I’m happy with it.

I hope the adoption went relatively smoothly. What country did we end up deciding upon? I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a West African Country to open up their adoption laws so you can keep the child immersed in their culture through Mohammed, Manimou, N’nato, Abouboucar and the extended MoonDance family. How about the possible plans for a second adoption? Yeah? Nay? Still debating?

I hope you’re the regular multi-day hiker that I want you to become. That’s something I always assumed I would become as a child, and it’s a dream that I don’t want to give up on. Not yet. Not until my knees give in. Or my back. Or some other required body part. And have we climbed Meru yet? Or at least made plans to head back that way?

Did we ever run that marathon? Even more important, did we travel somewhere for a really awesome marathon? I'm keeping my fingers cross that we've done the Drei Laender marathon. I mean, come on. Three countries in one race? Kind of awesome! Built in excuse to hangout with the Hostettlers, Fuchs and Villigers? All awesome!

This is Bodensee (or Lake Constance) that you run part way around for the Three Country Marathon.

My friend's adorable boys are not included in the race package.

And you know how much I love the apartment I’m in right now but please, please tell me you’ve got yourself sorted and have a house (rented or otherwise) with a yard and that you’ve gotten a chocolate lab from the SPCA and named him (or her) Murphy. Because Murphy is just the perfect name for a chocolate lab and beer drinkers will get the joke. Scratch him behind the ears for me. Oh, and maybe make some of those treats that Ian said Thompson loved so much. Don’t argue with me, just do it. And don’t let him terrorize the cats too much (if they’re still around in 10 years).

Doesn't the Chocolate Lab look like a tall pint of Murphy's?

Please don’t have lost your amazement at the wonders of the natural world. Does thunder still make you smile? Do pictures of lava flows still excite you? Does a starry night still take your breath away? Please say they do.

And please tell me that you still sing to yourself when you think no one can hear you and that you bust out the dance moves when the feeling strikes you. Don’t worry about embarrassing your children when you do this in front of their friends. You grew up with your dad doing that and you survived. So will they. In fact, it might even help to make them even more awesome.

Also, have you single-handily negotiated peace in the Middle East yet? No? You should get on that. I’m too busy to deal with it right now.

Sincerely,
Me (from 10 years ago, which is really right now when I write this, but not when you read it, you know what? I’m just going to assume that we’re all on the same page with this and close these parentheses.)

Tackling the Healthy Living Mountain

Normally I'd do a little ramble prior to starting the Friend Makin' Monday but today's topic excites me and deserves it's own post because I get to talk about my favourite subject: ME! Tanzania (and travel). So, without further ado, it's FMM!

Guideline: Answer the question on your blog, link to it in the comments over at All The Weigh and then comment on other peoples. So simple the Geico Gecko could do it!

FMM: Defining Moments

Was there a defining moment in which you realized that you needed to lose weight? If so, will you elaborate? (If you experienced this moment in some other area of your life, please feel free to share that too!)

My plane touched down at Kilimanjaro International Airport at 10:30pm. Once we left the lights of the airport, the absolute darkness of the place hit me. There were no street lamps and the only thing we could see was what as illuminated by the headlights of the Landrover. I thought the excitement of my first day would keep me awake but after two days of travel to get there, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Kara and my shared room until the volunteer quarters were completed. (I was the far bed.)

My first real look at my surroundings was the next morning when I rolled out of bed at 6:00am. I groggily wandered my way up to the Baby Home (fancy word for orphanage) for my first day of work. The first thing I saw was Mt. Meru beyond the compound walls.

Hand's down, this is the picture that most makes me ache for Tanzania.

Meru in the background, Baby Home on the right.

Every morning I looked at Mt. Meru as I made my way to the Home and I'd smile. It was my morning ritual. Even once we moved into the volunteer quarters and could cut into the home through the back door, I still walked the long way around so I could see Meru. It became my mountain. I searched for it from bus windows when returning from my holidays. I stared at it while contemplating life over a Coca baridi (coke cold). I wondered what the view was like from the top. While tourists to Tanzania talk about wanting to climb Kilimanjaro, I dreamed of Meru. For the first time in my life, I had to choose not to do something specifically because of my weight.

View of Meru from Deb's house. Her property ends at the start of Arusha National Park.

The kicker is that there is a very good chance I could have climbed Kilimanjaro but Meru was definitely beyond me. Kilimanjaro is not a physically difficult hike but it's a high hike. I am not saying it's a walk in the park, you still need to be relatively fit, but 90% of the time it's the altitude that does people in. If you have altitude experience and/or you take it slowly, you'll probably succeed.* Meru, however, is a difficult hike. The snob in me knew that for climbers, there's more climbers cred (if that actually exists) in saying you've done Meru than Kilimanjaro. This is one time I wanted to be a snob.

Mt. Meru and Jacaranda from roof top bar in Arusha during a day off.

When you summit Meru, you do it just before sunrise and then watch the sun rise over Kilimanjaro. I longed to do that. I still long to do that. And then I'll hug the ground and whisper sweet nothings to my mountain. You think I'm joking but I probably will do just that.

Unless there happens to be a nest of siafu near by. In that case, I'll whisper sweet nothings from the safety of my hiking booted feet. I've been bitten by them and they hurt!!

Every once and awhile, when I get into a 'why bother?' mood, I pull out my pictures of Meru and go through them. I honestly don't know if I'll ever get back to Tanzania (there's just so many awesome places I want to go to) but I want to know that if I do, I won't have to let Mt. Meru pass me by again.

Sunset on Meru

*My biggest piece of advice for climbing Kilimanjaro is this: each day you spend on the mountain raises the cost of the hike by a ridiculous amount (park fees alone are $100 per person for a 24 hour period) BUT it also greatly increases your chance of making it to the top. If you do not have a lot of altitude experience, take your time and choose a longer route. You may balk at the extra money the longer route costs but if you don't summit, then all your money will have been for nought.

Like a Fish

I love Chicken Run.*

I've been floundering lately with being healthy. I feel like a fish out of water. I've been reeled onto the deck and I'm flopping all over the place to get back into the water but to no avail.

While I sat down in late January and made a plan for fitness goals this year, I then promptly injured my knee and all those plans went out the window. I gave myself a 'free pass' for the months I wasn't able to run. While I'm back into the running, I've taken my sweet time sorting out the other healthy aspects on my life. My plans for cross training have been spotty and my healthy eating has changed on a day-to-day basis.

After my run yesterday morning, I started formulating my get-fit plan. I went through all the workout plans I've downloaded over the years, tossed a bunch, kept a few, and started writing up a schedule for the workouts.

After a bit of thought about food, I decided to follow a six week eating plan. I'm not one to advocate following a 'diet' or strict eating plan because I don't think it teaches you a healthy relationship with food, but I need a kick in the butt right now. Hopefully this will give me the one I need.

Partially because I still have a few kinks to work out and partially because I like things to start on Mondays, I won't be starting all this until next Monday. Which is a good thing because it means I can have a beer while I listen to Justin** (and Ian) tonight at the Bard and Banker and that at some point this weekend I can get an ice cream cone and watch Chicken Run while lounging in my pajamas.

After that I'll stop flopping aimlessly on deck and start flopping towards the ocean.

*I was living in Germany when it was released there and it made me deliriously happy that in German it's called Hennen Rennen. It rhymes!!

**Someone needs to update his site to show tonight's performance...

Unplanned Skating

After a fabulous social weekend and high plans for what I was going to accomplish this week, I started Monday morning off with a tumble on some ice while walking to work. A ground sprinkler system had gone off at some point during the night. Victoria had been hovering around freezing for a number of days and so the run off created an ice rink effect. My options were: walk on the road and into on-coming traffic, clamber through thigh-high bushes, or walk on the ice.

The ice probably only covered about a 5 meter length of sidewalk but I tumbled twice, once landing on my left knee and once on my right wrist. Neither injury was too bad but my knee did stop me from running on Monday and Tuesday. Instead, I went out for a long walk on Tuesday around the neighbourhood. I picked my time well because I wasn't in the door five minutes when it started to snow.

By Wednesday I was right as rain, as they say, and back to West African Dance class. Today, I headed out for my much delayed run. I didn't drink enough water before I headed out and that became immediately apparent when my calves started to seize up. Still, I pushed on through and completed the run I set out to do. Granted, I wasn't running much faster than I walk by the end of it, but that was because of my calves. My bad. I know better.

Water in general is one of those areas I need to improve on. I'm really good for a few weeks and then I'm really bad for a few weeks. I need to be consistent and I know that. I'm better when I drink enough water; my energy is better so my workouts are better, I eat better because I'm not mindlessly snacking (I'm mindlessly drinking down my H2O), and my skin feels better when I'm hydrated. Three very simple reasons for drinking water and yet I still struggle with it. Guess what my goal is for this week?

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

My plans for this week went horribly askew when I decided to have an incredibly active social life. Truth be told, I wasn't too upset about this to begin with as I was horribly sore on Thursday and Friday from the workouts earlier in the week. By this evening, however, I was feeling frustrated with my lack of real movement.

One of my social evenings was watching other people be active but I've been told that doesn't count.

Despite the vast amounts of sitting and talking I did, I did make an effort to make good food choices so it wasn't a total slide backwards. It was hard given that most of my socializing involved going out to eat but I'm concentrating on the positives: I stopped when I was satisfied, I opted for the healthier option on most occasions, and I limited my beer intake to only three pints (which is very little seeing as I was at a hockey game one night). I wasn't perfect but I was happy with my choices.

Another social evening was watching an awesome friend sing awesome songs.

My vocal chords got a good workout that night.

Five nights in a row of social engagements plus a day time engagement on both weekend days is not the norm for me so I know that this type of halt to my activity won't happen again for a long time. I also know that I need to figure out how to balance being social with working towards my goal. I can't stop being social just for the sake of making it easier to stay healthy and plan my workouts. After all, I want to listen to my friend play his amazing songs and I want to enjoy a beer while I do it even if it's supposed to be a running night.

PS. I can't link to my favourite song because he doesn't have a video for it--hint, hint, Justin!-- but you can go to his site and listen to it for free. It's called "Oh Susanna".

2010 is Going to Be My Year. Wait, What? 2011?

I have a habit of haphazardly setting resolutions. January 1st rolls around and I think "I'd like to do this" so I set it as a resolution and then don't actually bother to think about how I'd like to make that happen. It's all fine and dandy to say "I'd like to climb Mount Everest" but if you don't bother taking any steps towards making that happen, you might as well be saying "I'd like to build a working TARDIS". (Actually, you'd grow a working TARDIS, but that's a discussion for another blog.)

This year, I wrote down a few resolutions (or goals, which ever term you prefer) and then thought long and hard about how I plan to accomplish them.

1. Run the TC 10K in 1:15:00 - I had a goal of running it in 1:20:00 last year. For a first time runner, I took 12 minutes off my best walking time and figured I could do that. Well, an unfortunate bottom-of-the-foot blister at around the 6K mark put an end to that goal but it had been within fairly easy reach up until that point. This year, I'm going into running knowing that a) I can run and b) I like to run. I'll just make sure I wear better socks this time.

2. Run the Gunner Shaw 10K next November - I wanted to do this this year but it occurred at the tail end of my hip problem when I hadn't been running for almost two months. It is not a race you want to enter into unprepared.

3. Hike the Juan de Fuca Trail - This one was put on hold last year due to other events. It won't be put on hold again.

4. End the year within 15 lbs of my weight goal - This is do-able. In fact, my actual weight goal is totally do-able in 11 months if I lose at a healthy rate without ever hitting a plateau or having a week where I gain, but I want some leeway on this. I don't want to worry about not reaching a certain number if I decided to have the fries instead of salad once and while. Also, I hesitate to set an actual number for my final goal because a lot of it is how I feel. Feeling and being healthy is more important than the actual number on the scale, so 15lbs puts me within spitting distance of all the numbers I would consider as a 'final' number. The easiest way to make this happen is to set lots of short term goals for myself. Weekly. Monthly. Whatever they are, I need to set them and go after them. It's really easy to slide when you think "I still have 11 more months before that goal comes up" but not so easy when you think "I have four weeks". Expect to see a lot more short term goals floating around here.

Has anyone else set some interesting resolutions/goals for this year?

Bring It On, November

If October has taught me anything, it's that time can fly even when you're not having fun. It's not that October was a bad or depressing month it was just busy, busy, busy and not really with socializing. It was also the month in which my plan of spending New Years in the Yukon watching Corb Lund was dashed. I would like to point out that I was mature and didn't quit my job just so I could go (which I really, really, really wanted to do). Instead, I just complained about it to everyone who would listen and even a few who wouldn't.

My fitness plans and goals for October pretty much fell by the wayside by Thanksgiving. Between not being able to run and missing my workout partner who now lives in Vancouver, my desire to get my butt out the door suffered and I willing let other things take priority. That all changes tomorrow when I put my running shoes on for the first time in five weeks. Getting the okay to run again was definitely a highlight of the past month.

November is going to be my month to cowboy up and get all the things done that I didn't get to in October... but first I'm going to listen to a little more Corb Lund.



Anyone else feel like October went by waaaaay too fast?

Pac-Man Cookies!! Aaaaaand some other stuff about this blog.

I have begun the task of separating Chilkoot-me from real-me just a little bit more for two reasons:

1.) I wanted this blog to focus on creating healthier habits and living and healthier, more active life. Over the last little while, however, I feel more and more of the other bits creeping in. I am, after all, a story-telling, Irish offspring. But does talking about my desire to go to w00tstock really have a place on this blog? Or the fact that anytime I respond to Wil Wheaton on twitter, my 12 year old me who had the biggest crush on him secretly panics and fears he will read the tweet and think 'dork'. Does that have a place on this blog? Not really. (Well, it does now. It has a place as an example. Heck, while we're on the subject of what a dork I am, I think everyone should see this.)

2.) Since the two worlds started to combine bit by bit, I've noticed that I've stopped the focus in my life in general towards making healthy choices. I also know that most of the people who read this blog are friends who are being supportive but don't necessarily care about the actual content so much. It's easy to let your focus slip when you know that's the case. I need to step up the game and I think the best way to do that is to use this blog to focus solely on the healthy living aspects. Not to say that personal things won't pop up now and again (I'm not going to stop having a life and it will affect this blog), but that's not what this blog is about.

I've started another blog for all my long-winded trips down memory lane, I've separated into two twitter accounts, and I'll be pottering around here, changing up a few things. I'm also taking a more proactive approaching towards the whole healthy living thing in general. I spent about an hour this evening going through the blogrolls of the healthy living bloggers I currently follow and adding other interesting bloggers to my RSS reader (seriously, if you follow a lot of sites and don't have one of these set up yet... DO IT!) to test drive them over the next few weeks (and then if I like them, I will do the mature, grown up thing and stalk them on twitter). Mostly I hoping for new recipes and food ideas, but I'll gladly take their workout advice as well!

In short; I'm separating church and state so to speak, expect a few changes around here, and Wil Wheaton is still kind of dreamy in my geeky, geeky eyes.

This picture has nothing to do with this post but I think these cookies are awesome.

Instructions found here!

Fröhliche Am 1. August!

Today is the national day for Switzerland, my lovely adopted country of cheese and chocolate. I am always a little sad when I can't be in Switzerland for the holiday but I couldn't be in Ireland for St. Patrick's Day either. Sometimes you just have to accept that until you hack Bill Gates' bank account and steal a few million that he'll never notice, you won't be able to just jet off for Rösti, village bonfires and fireworks. C'est la vie. The whole past week, actually, has been one big long trip down memory lane which some how ended up with me watching Swahili music videos on YouTube at 11:00pm on Friday night. I'm living the life, I can tell you that!

What I wouldn't give to walk across this bridge again...

The running hit a bit of a snag on Friday night when both THR and I ended up nursing sore joints/muscles so our run turned into our recovery walk which is scheduled to happen on Sunday. "We'll run on Sunday instead," we decided. Well, today's Sunday and we didn't even walk. Of course, our completely legitimate reason for this is because we attended a friend's birthday BBQ the night before and one Palm Bay led to another and before you know it, THR and I were staggering home at 1:00am. I haven't done that in years! I also have to take a moment to say how much I love my friends. Drunk-me thinks she's funny but really she's just very, very inappropriate. My friends, however, not only still love me but they take me out in public and let me interact with other people who may potentially become very important to them. It takes a certain type of friend to be willing to do that, so I just wanted to say 'thank you' and that I love you guys.

Susan over at The Great Balancing Act wrote a fabulous blog entry about living the life you want. I thought it was great and I wanted to share it with everyone. As much as this blog is about getting healthy, it's also about setting a goal and going after it, engaging myself in my life so that I make it happen and not just let it happen to me. In the words of Danny Kaye (known to most people as 'Bing Crosby's sidekick in White Christmas but an amazing actor/dancer/singer/comedian in his own right) "Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can at it."

I'm Working on a New Dance Move. It's Called "The Melt!"

With the week of Flamenco done and over, I'm back to training for the half-marathon and I have to be honest, I'm a little worried. It's not so much the running/walking that has me worried, it's the temperature outside during our usual run times. I happened to be walking outside yesterday and today during those times and it wasn't pretty. Again, Irish blood courses through this body. Heat is to us what water is to the Wicked Witch. Understandably, I'm a little apprehensive for tomorrow's run-walk and fear I may have to tether myself to THR with a rope and just let her drag my dying carcass along the route.

The sad thing is that it hasn't actually been that hot in Victoria but my apartment is on the top floor of on older building so come summer time, I'm pretty much living in a convection oven. My ceiling fan is on 24/7, I walk around the house in as little as possible (which is why I almost left the apartment today with no shirt on. I put on my shoes, threw my bag over my shoulder, grabbed my keys and walked to the door before realising I was topless!), and I pretty much agree to any movie date offered (Inception was incredible, but don't let people talk to you about it before you see it. Shrek Ever After was forgettable, I'm very glad I didn't pay full price).

In avoiding movement during the high heat times of the day, I've also had a lot of time to think about my life goals. That means not just the goals I talk about on here, but the ones that are part of the overall bigger picture. I've come to two very important decisions which affect these goals (directly and indirectly).

One: I'm cancelling my gym membership. Now, before you get all "no! But why?" let me explain. Since starting to dance again in January and especially this past week of intensive classes, I've realised how much I miss dance in my life and come September, I want to do as many dance classes as I can afford. West African and Flamenco are first and second on my list, but I'd gladly fit in any other ones that I could. Perhaps even a return to an adult ballet class might be in my future. If I'm struggling to get to the gym regularly when I don't have multiple dance classes, how am I going to make it happen when I do? I know enough about the exercises that I need to be doing to start doing workouts at home so that will be my goal in the Fall: sign up for multiple dance classes, get myself a new set of weights (because my old ones are too light now--yay!!) and bands for at home workouts.

If I'm working out at home, I can bust out a few Jane Fonda videos while I'm at it!

Two: a job opportunity has come up at work and I'm going to go after it. Sure, that might seem like a decent move but what does that have to do with these goals? Well, the training schedule is six months with no holidays. That means my intention of doing the Juan de Fuca at the end of September would have to be put on hold until next year. Despite the fact that this would be a nice sizable jump up the pay scale for me, I actually really debated about it because I made a commitment to my three year plan and I wanted to see myself stick to that. In the end, however, this job will make another life goal a reality so it's a short term sacrifice for long term gain. If I get this job, I will still do the Juan de Fuca next year, but I'll have to decide if I'm up for the JdF and the West Coast Trail in one year or if I move everything back a year.

I'm curious about short term sacrifices other people have had to make for long term gain? Did you feel it was worth it in the end?

FiveK wiser

Canada has come and gone and so has the 5K that THR and I signed up to do. We were saved from the Stupid O'clock start to the day by mom, the wonder-driver who willingly got out of bed at 6:00am to come pick us up and drive us out to Sidney. I can not put into words how much I love my mom for doing that; THR, an atheist, used the words "she is a saint" to describe her. I would agree.

The run, however, was less than sub par and I have no one to blame but myself. I stayed up too late the night before, I didn't properly hydrate in the 24 hours leading up to the run, and I forgot to grab my banana on my way out the door so I was running on, literally, empty. Just under two kilometres into the run, my legs decided they would run no more and I was left walking the rest of the way. Now, I knew going into this run, as did THR, that we weren't going to run the whole thing. Rough idea was the run the first 2K (roughly 15 minutes for us slow pokes), take a walk break, and then run the rest. At least, that was the goal, aiming to run 4/5s of it at least. Well, kudos to THR because she completed that goal and she rocked it. I was so happy for her. It was the first time she had ever participated in an official run and she should be very proud of her run. I regret that I wasn't able to cross the finish line with her. Next time, THR. Next time.

One of the first things that THR and I noticed when we arrived for the run was the fact that pretty much everyone else who was registered looked like they run a 5K each day for fun. We were easily the least athletic of the bunch. There were a couple of race walkers (and by a couple I mean, I think I counted four) and the rest where all uber-fit people who were aiming for a 20 min completion time. So much for our fun run! It also didn't help that after THR and I parted ways so she could continue to rock it, I found myself slowing down to admire the view or some of the houses that I fancied. Next time, running partner or not, I'm bringing my mp3 player so I keep up the pace, even when walking. At any rate, I now have times to beat for 5K and 10K so I'm happy with that. And I've learned my lesson to go to sleep early, hydrate properly and grab that banana.

This was me after the run was over.

I've looked at my plans for the summer and have elected that I will still train for the half-marathon in October, but I'm going to follow a training plan specifically to run/walk it. With the busy summer I have planned, I honestly don't think I could make the commitment to training that is needed to run it but I'm not willing to give up on the idea of doing the 10K.

Consistent in my inconsistency

If there's one thing I'm learning about myself (well, already knew but have really confirmed) in this whole process, it's that I'm inconsistent. I'm really good (hee hee, I just typed god. Ego much?) at sticking to something for a week and then I let it slip a bit, then I start doing it again and a week later I'm back to not doing it. Healthy eating, going to the gym, walking to work (well, I'm usually really good with that one this time of year, that's more a weather dependent-halting to the habit), drinking enough water, the list is pretty much endless. The good news that I do always end up giving it another go, but wouldn't my life just be easier if I didn't stop in the first place?

As a result of this realisation, my big green lists are back from last year, but this time I'm using them to track my progress. I spent much of my free time this weekend making the various check lists and various calendars all of various sizes and sticking them around my apartment in various locations. Every day that I plan my eating gets a check mark. Every day that I stick to that plan? Another check mark. Every time I go to the gym three times in a week? That's right, check mark. Despite causing my apartment to look a wee bit like a spare set from A Beautiful Mind, I'm hoping that the big charts will help keep me on track.

It's not quite this bad... yet.

Well, it's great that I'm planning on doing this for a month, but shouldn't there be a consequence if I don't do it or a reward if I do? Yes, there should be. Unfortunately, I spent so much of my weekend either being social or making my lists that I didn't get that far in my planning. That will be tonight's job.

"I'm not confused. I'm just well mixed." ~Robert Frost

I apologise in advance: this blog post is going to read like a mishmash of information because, well, it is a mishmash of information. I have snippets of things I keep meaning to work into posts and I never do, so this is all those odds and ends worked into one disjointed post. Hey, at least I know it's not good writing.

My final thoughts on the 10K: I am happy with the effort I put forth given my inability to figure out calendars and two chest congestions in the weeks leading up to it. If you had told me a month ago I was going to miss my goal by 8 minutes, I would have been upset, but having run it and gotten that time, I am happy with the time I got with the effort I put out. I should have known that the blister was going to get worse. I used to do ballet and did three years en pointe before a back injury forced me to stop. As a result, my toes smoosh under each other (and my toes nails... well, let's just say I'll never date anyone with a foot fetish) and I routinely get blisters on the inside of my baby toes underneath the fourth toe so I step on it with each step. Lesson learned: blister or not before the start of a long run, tape up my baby toes to ensure that doesn't happen again.

After working towards the 10K, I decided to take a week off running (I deserve it, damn it!) and as a result I've learned a very important fact: when I don't exercise, I don't sleep well. The downside is that now I'm suffering from a complete lack of energy which is making getting things done a bit of a chore. Memories of last year, of an unhealthier life style. I don't want to be that person again. I won't be that person again. It was nice for a little time off but this weekend, I'm back on the workout-wagon.

I need to start doing weight-training. I was doing it for a while, but I let it slide as school and work requirements grew and stopped it completely by mid February. The gym at Camosun is no longer feasible as far as getting there and back with their summer hours, so I think I will reactivate my membership at the Y for the summer (at least). The only downside is that I missed their free (to members) Women and Weights series which I could definitely benefit from. I did workout with a personal trainer upon a time (in a land far, far away... ) and learned enough at my boot camp sessions that I can figure something out, but it's just annoying to miss what I think would have been a great opportunity to learn. C'est la vie. I could possibly wait for their session in the summer (if they're going to have one) but that's so far away and I need to do this now. Doing almost all cardio and very little toning is really starting to show when I look at parts of my body. Who ever knew that I'd actually want some extra fat to stop the flab from flapping so much? Not me. To the toning weights!

The upside to sitting on my butt all week is that a) I got my taxes done (yay me! Give me my money, CRA!!) and b) it's given me a chance to think about activities I want to cross of my list this summer. I have the loan of Lisa's hybrid bike (It's good on ass! Well, I think I'm funny.) for the summer as she's not going to be able to ride for at least another six months, so I'm hoping to do a couple of day trips. I want to finally get Open Water Diver certified this summer so I'm starting to get the cash together for that. I am debating between a few day and multi-day kayaking trips offered by local outlets. Somewhere in all of that, I'm hoping to throw in a camping trip or two as well (and if that camping trip takes me up Tofino way, add surfing to the list). To top it off, the Juan de Fuca (which looks like it may have to be pushed back to September, but it will still happen this year). It's a big list, but I'd rather too many choices than too few. Adding to this list was discovery of this book from the BackRoad Mapbook series. How did I never know about this book before? Every page is a new idea for outdoor recreation this summer. It's awesome... now I just need to get a copy for myself. Once the summer's over, then I'll flip to the winter recreation section. That's right, it also lists winter recreation. Perhaps this will be the winter I finally rent some snowshoes... or at least contemplate it. This company does maps like this for most regions of Canada, so if you are into outdoor activities and are looking for a few new ideas of things to do or places to see, you should check this company out.

Finally, for those of you in Victoria who would like to support a good cause, I am taking part in AbunDANCE Dance-a-thon on Sunday, May 2nd (yes, this Sunday. This was one of those items which was supposed to be worked in two weeks ago). It's 10 hours (9 of dance and 1 hour lunch break with traditional Guinean food) with hour long lessons in Salsa, Polynesian, West African, Bollywood, Hip-Hop, and more, ending with a traditional Guinean doundoundba (circle dance). The money raised is being split between Matoto and EasterSeals 24 Hour Relay. If you're interested in pledging me, drop me a line and I'll add your name and pledge amount to the list and then cover you until I see you again.

When Geeks are Sick

At first I thought it was merely a sign of age as I am in my thrities now. My hangover, which seemed worse than I would have expected, lingered a much longer portion of my Sunday than I had anticipated. By this morning, I sounded like Darth Vadar's twin sister and I was moving like Jabba-the-Hut. I'm sick. It sucks. I had a few sniffles last week, the kind that don't get worse but don't get better, and I'm sure that Saturday night's antics plus a two nights of rough sleep pushed them into 'full stuff' mode. I'm in the proverbial sickness fog; everything aches and everything takes twice as long. But if this was exasperated by Saturday night so be it, it was worth it.

I was expecting a low-key affair and that was pretty much what I got. For me, it was perfect. In my invites I had jokingly said that if I got drunk enough, I would recite some Robert Service, but after a few people promised to hold me to that, I realised I was pretty much going to have to do it regardless of the alcohol consumed. As a result, I came up with a further idea of getting everyone to sign my Robert Service poetry book. It will be my frivolous item that comes with me on all my trips, so between now and the Chilkoot, I'm going to make friends, family, acquaintances, anyone who wants to sign it. After Saturday, it's looking pretty good.

I have previously talked about the awesomeness of my friends but I was really touched on Saturday because every gift they gave me had thought behind it relating to this blog. From my favourite spa treatment to the mini-journals and pen for the hikes to the MEC gift certificate and emergency supplies, I was touched by how awesome my friends are. You guys, you all rock. The person(s) that bought the shot that tasted like straight tabasco sauce however, you rock just a little bit less. There, I said it :)

Running this past week I've hit 10 minutes of solid running. On the one hand, I feel like I have so far to go. I'm only running 10 minutes at a time, shouldn't I be going longer by now? Then I remember that only two weeks ago, I was running three minute intervals. I'm at 10 and I didn't struggle with it. When I started this, I struggled so much with the 2 minutes. Part of that was my issues with my crap shoes, but another (larger) part of that was my horrible, horrible cardio. I still have a ways to go for my goal of doing the half-marathon in October, but the task seems much less daunting than it did just a short while ago. Bring it!

Somewhere the Sun is Shining

Somewhere the sun is shining
So honey, don't you cry
We'll find a silver lining
The clouds will soon roll by.

I've been humming this song since I returned home from my run with THR this morning; in the shower, washing dishes, riding the bus, and eating dinner with my family, this song has repeated again and again in my head. It has been my theme for the day. Yes, positive affirmation to myself, the clouds will soon roll by. In fact, they rolled by this morning on my run.

I have always loved 1920's/30's music and I attribute that love to the BBC mini-series Pennies from Heaven (and to a lesser extent BBC's The Singing Detective although I remember that more for bestowing on me my completely irrational fear of moving scarecrows... don't ask) written by the amazing Dennis Potter and staring the talented Bob Hoskins. I loved that mini-series and watched it over and over again on VHS until the tapes finally stretched; I listened to the soundtrack until I had memorized every song and would dance around the house to them. I loved how even the sad songs sounded hopeful. In times of sorrow, I have returned to those songs and they never fail to make me feel better. I am also sure that in some way my need to randomly burst into song is directly linked to that series.

I hit a bit of a funk after my last blog post. I had started to struggle a bit more with running and I was getting frustrated with it; I wasn't meeting either of the goals I had set for myself (although the amount of water consumed and hours of sleep has increased); German study had hit a road block almost immediately out of the gate thanks to a lost textbook. With feelings of failure weighing on me, I headed back to the West African Dance after two weeks off and succeeded in having a great time while pulling not one, but two muscles. Two! The real kicker is that the move was not the 'throw-your-body-around' move I would have expected to hurt myself on, but a rather tame 'hop-from-one-foot-to-another-while-waving-your-hands' move. It was like a complicated dismount from a pommle horse only to pull your hamstring walking off the mat. I was out of commission for a few days and that just added to the funk.

Then I headed out for my run this morning. As I walked to "our corner" to meet THR, I questioned why I thought to start running in the first place. Did I really need this? Perhaps becoming a more active speedwalker was a better idea? Wasn't I just holding THR back? She is, after all, fitter and faster than I am and I appreciate that she goes at my speed, but at what point am I just more of a nuisance? We're supposed to up to five minute intervals this week, shouldn't I just admit defeat now? Having told so many people how much I was enjoying the running, could I just back out without them commenting? But then, then we started running and a great thing happened: I ran faster than I had before. I pushed myself just hard enough and I went further in my three minute intervals than I had any of the other times. We went so far in fact, that I worried we would run out of route to be run before we ran out of time on the clock. Suddenly, five minutes didn't seem so scary. Sure, I'll struggle the first time, but I'll persevere and it will become easier. I struggled with two minutes when we started and I overcame that. I struggled with three and today I ran faster than I ever thought I could. When I parted from THR after the run, I started to hum and resolved to spend this week seeing the silver linings and not the clouds.



PS. It was less than a year ago that I learned of the American remake of Pennies from Heaven starring Steve Martin. I gave it 20 minutes and then I had to turn it off. I could have gone another 29 years without knowing that it existed; it's just wrong.