Thursday, May 30, 2013

Spring Cleaning My Health

For the past several months, really since the beginning of the year, I have been concentrating on doing a better job in taking care of my body, both inside and out… to enhance my immune system and my overall health and wellness. 

I guess you could say I am Spring Cleaning My Health…

Jan 25 heart3 001

I have been working out on a regular basis and love the gains I am making in my strength and endurance.  I love to work out at home and enjoy a  w-i-d-e variety of exercise types.

I have found a food plan that makes me feel energetic and nourished… my digestive system seems much happier… the nagging inflammation between my ears seems to have disappeared, and I am lean and feeling good.  I am sleeping like a log every night and wake up each morning, refreshed and eager to begin the day.

I have been reading a lot about super foods to boost my immunity, and have added some to my diet on a regular basis:
  • squeezing a fresh lime into a glass of water and drinking first thing upon arising from bed each morning
  • adding turmeric and black pepper to my meals
  • drinking green tea daily
  • adding garlic  to foods I cook daily
  • eating sweet potatoes several times a week
I have become a bit of a fanatic about washing my hands, especially when we come in from a shopping trip… and I have been making a real effort to keep my hands away from my face.

I have also been making sure to drink lots of water and to take my immunity-boosting supplements.

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to try an all-nature health supplement called EpiCor and I eagerly accepted the opportunity.

EpiCor

I first became familiar with EpiCor a few months ago after receiving a few cases of FRS Healthy Defense, which contained this dietary supplement. The story behind how EpiCor evolved is quite interesting, and I learned that it helps balance the immune system. 

EpiCor not only activates the body’s first and second line of immune defenses, it also acts as a prebiotic, feeding friendly bacteria in the gut. That’s an immune strengthening triple play. Bonus: If you do get sick, EpiCor helps you recover more quickly. And it’s safe for the whole family, children ages four and up.

To learn more about EpiCor you can check out their web site, and check out this link to find out where to buy it for yourself.

How is your Spring Cleaning coming along?

Any immunity boosting ideas to share?

I was provided with EpiCor but I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions and Spring Cleaning efforts are a result of my own research.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Boot Camp is Done… Now What?

I have always enjoyed working out but it has been many years since I really have done it with any regularity.

I would get on a little jag for a few weeks at a time but then get sidelined… because I have always loved cardio more than lifting weights or doing body weight exercises.  Running and aerobics come much easier to me.  And I think I was talked into believing that cardio work was better for me, somehow.  And let’s be honest… when I am running regularly I just don’t feel like doing strength training on top of it.   Running makes me tired. There, I said it. As much as I love it, it makes me tired.  Strength work gets pushed to the back burner most of the time, and forgotten, or neglected.

But over the last couple of years I have had little tastes of how good strength training feels… and I have read a lot and learned how good it is for me, so I have been doing more but on kind of a willy-nilly basis… no regularity, no particular routines.  And of course, no visible results. 

I knew that had to change.  I wanted it to change.  And it has changed.  During the past 8 weeks I have been doing strength/resistance workouts 3 times every week.

I took part in round 5 of Tina Reale’s Best Body Boot Camp and really immersed myself in the workouts. 

And I learned a lot of things… about working out and about myself.
  • I really enjoy variety.  I don’t like to do the same workout over and over again. I get bored and I find it difficult to maintain focus and keep at it
  • I like to workout first thing in the morning, before breakfast
  • Working out makes me hungry
  • I have worked out in the evening, but I find it stimulates me too much and I don’t sleep well
  • Working hard and finishing a session exhausted and shaky gives me a sense of accomplishment and confidence
  • Watching myself in the mirror helps me focus on the muscles each exercise is working
  • When my muscles are sore and tired after a workout I am convinced I can feel them growing and getting stronger
  • I like to know ahead of time what I will be doing in a given workout so planning is important for me
  • I like to work out at home by myself
  • I love seeing results;  I love feeling results
The next round of Best Body Boot Camp does not begin until June 17th… so I woke up today a bit anxious about what I am going to do with myself until then.  At first I thought I might enjoy a break in the routine… run when it’s not raining, walk lots, do some DVDs… whatever and whenever I feel like… but then I realized that is not the way to go.

I don’t want to get out of the routine of working out 3 times a week.  I don’t want to backslide on the great results I am seeing in my upper body especially.  So I am spending some time today, planning the week’s workouts.   I will fit in my cardio where I can, and if the weather cooperates I would love to get out sailing for a day or two…  but I am going to plan 3 strength workouts.

Monday
  • a workout I designed for myself some time ago that takes 20 – 25 minutes
my workout
  • a 10- minute core workout from fitknitchick’s #FatblasterFriday video library

Tuesday
  • run or walk, if raining
  • 30 minute yoga flow

Wednesday
  • 25 minute Reebok kettlebell workout DVD, levels beginner and intermediate
Thursday
  • 30 minute walk before work
  • afternoon run , walk, or swim
Friday
Saturday/Sunday
  • run, walk, or swim
  • 30 minute Pilates for Dummies session on either day
And there you have it…. these workouts are somewhat less intense than I have been doing but there is enough variety to keep me engaged, and I will be working my whole body and doing some cardio so I should not be compromising my current fitness level.

I will keep ya posted as to how it all pans out.

What is your favorite non-cardio workout?  Any at-home workouts to recommend?

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Best Body Boot Camp.. this Round is done

Today is the last day of this round of Best Body Boot Camp.

I saved the last strength/resistance workout for today.  All right, I should be honest and say I just didn’t feel like doing it on Saturday… after my birthday celebration on Friday night!  And I really wanted to give it my all because it is a very hard routine that included 125 burpees, and I wanted to make sure to give it my best effort. 

I really have to repeat that.
 
I just did 125 burpees


I have thoroughly enjoyed this round of Best Body Boot Camp.  You may recall that I won a free entry in a flash giveway that Tina Reale, Best Body Boot Camp creator, hosted just before it began.  I decided to give it my best attention, and really work hard at it; to  take full advantage of the opportunity I had been given, in order to reap the most rewards.

And I am so happy that I followed through on that.  I am stronger, I have more endurance, and more visible muscle and I am thrilled with that result.

And I did 125 burpees

And I didn’t hate it!  That is amazing to me.

I have been getting up in the morning, eager to do my workout before breakfast.  That has never happened to me before… EVER.  I love the variety of the routines, and the challenge of learning new exercises.

My attitude toward strength/resistance training has completely turned around.  I used to do it begrudgingly, because I knew I HAD to do it… now I love to do it…. love the results that I am seeing which motivates me to want to do more.  I am now having a hard time getting excited about doing cardio and running.  Who is this person that has taken over my body?

So, I signed up for the next round, which begins on June 17th… and in the mean time… I am on the lookout for some workouts to keep me engaged and working hard at maintaining the gains I made.  I don’t intend to lose any ground.

Are you going to Boot Camp?

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Guess What?

It’s my birthday!

It’s true.  Friday, May 24th.

It has been a fabulous year! 

The weather is just not good enough to spend the day sailing, so we are going to spend the day being tourists in our city…   and I will be back on Saturday or Sunday with lots of pictures to share… it will likely depend on how MUCH fun I have…

In the mean, time,  have a fabulous Friday, and do leave me a fun birthday greeting.

fitnesscloset

Monday, May 20, 2013

Happy Victoria Day

I have had lots of little things going on over the past several days, so playing catch up today….

I completed my Immunity Boosting Food Detox and am on a quest to continue to eat as clean as I can.  I know that not everyone is in favor of such a strict regimen when it comes to food, but I am a sincere believer in doing what works for me…. and for encouraging you to find and do what works best for you, too.

On Saturday morning I completed my 3rd strength workout of the week and it included a series of burpees…. I almost cried when I finished the 100th one. I was so overcome with excitement and emotion at having actually done 100 burpees!

I used to absolutely dread doing them… burpees and mountain climbers were the 2 different exercises that I hated the most. But now that I am gaining strength and endurance through the Best Body Boot Camp workouts, I not only CAN do them, I actually kinda LIKE doing them. 

You can tell I am liking the shape my arms and shoulders are starting to take… but mostly I am loving how strong I feel.

May 19 Selfies 001

And because there is no stopping me now… I just signed up for the next round of Best Body Boot Camp which starts on June 17th.  This just proves to me that it is never too late and that change, through hard work, really IS possible. 

I am one of those long stringy ectomorphs that really needs to work hard and long at building muscle.

Cardio comes so easy to me whereas resistance/strength training has always been so much more of a challenge.  Results are not quick so the changes I am seeing are not dramatic but I can see them; I can tell the difference.  I know that the hard work is paying off, and dare I actually say it… I am loving the strength training even more than the cardio now.  I am gonna work hard till I get back the arms and shoulders I rocked in my 30s and keep it up!


eatcleanworkhard


Today is a national holiday in Canada..  It is Victoria Day and we are honoring one of the Commonwealth’s most famous and beloved queens.  Queen Victoria’s birthday is May 24th (as is mine) and we celebrate it every year on the Monday on or before the 24th… and the city I live in is named for her so lots of big excitement here.

from history1800s.about.com

Her reign of 63 years and seven months, which is longer than that of any other British monarch and the longest of any female monarch in history, is known as the Victorian era.

I started the day by doing my strength workout and then after breakfast we opted not to walk downtown to the parade, so  I baked some cookies for The Captain…

May 20 Wedge Cookie 004

and then after lunch we went for a nice long walk through the park and around the neighborhood. We live in the oldest neighborhood in the city and never tire of wandering up and down the streets looking at the huge old houses and beautiful trees and flowers.

May 20th walk 002
This is on a huge bushy tree… no fragrance... any idea what is called?


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The chestnuts are so pretty when in full bloom, especially the red ones.


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I need to learn more about cricket.. it looks like fun.


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Love watching the action on this log.


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♪ ♪  We love turtles  ♫


Hope your week is getting off to a happy start, too… what are you up to today?

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Week 7 Best Body Boot Camp

We are half way through Week 7 of Tina’a Best Body Boot Camp and I am really kicking it!


bootcamp_large


I love the exposure to new exercises that I haven’t seen or tried before.  I can’t do them all, but I am working hard at them anyway.  And I love that Tina offers modifications and alternates, too.

I have not loved EVERY move, but have surprised myself by really embracing some of the harder ones.  I have learned to like burpees… who knew?

I love getting up in the morning! I love getting in my strength workouts and then making breakfast, hungry as a bear… and then sitting down to a nutritious, protein-packed meal that is going to power me through the rest of the morning.

I love the results I am seeing after having been faithful to the plan!  Gravity is NOT going to get the best of me… not yet, anyway.   And I am getting stronger and able to do some exercises now that I never could before. 

I love that I am inspired and motivated to do even MORE.  Today after the scheduled workout I tacked on a tabata session of bicep curls and overhead tricep extensions to really finish off my arms... the stretch afterward was a lovely reward for the hard work.


I love being part of Tina's Facebook community where I can read about how the other Boot Campers are doing, and get advice and more inspiration.

If you haven’t checked out Tina Reale’s Best Body Boot Camp yet, you really better get over to her site and do it!  She is getting ready to take applications for Round 6 soon and has some exciting new and innovative things in store for you… and me!

happy, happy, happy....

Are you in?

How do you stay motivated and working out regularly?

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Because Some Asked…

A few people have asked how my Immunity Boosting Food Detox is going, and how I am feeling, so I thought I would share a bit more about it.

Since I started my regimen on Saturday morning I have been eating fruit, vegetables, lean meats, and eggs,  a bit of flax and I have also have had a bit of almond milk.  I am drinking gallons of water and green tea, and yes, I have had a few sips of coffee here and there. 

Each morning I wash and cut a fresh lime, and squeeze the juice into a glass, and then put the lime into it, and fill it with cold water. I drink that along with taking one of my Epicor gel caps.  Epicor is a supplement I cam currently trying.  After I drink that glassful I fill it up with cold water again and set it aside. Then I have a sip or two of coffee and my first green tea of the day.

Then I do my workout, drinking my lime water as I need to throughout the workout.  THEN I have breakfast.  By this time I have been up for about an hour and a half and have done a half hour workout so I am pretty hungry...

Today is my fourth day and I feel good… very energetic.  I have shed all the excess water I was retaining and this morning I woke up without any swelling in my legs and feet at all.  I am eating whenever I get hungry and not limiting the amount of the food I am eating.  I think, though, because I am eating such nutrient dense food, that I am actually eating less overall… and that makes sense to me.
I am eating a good variety of food…

May 11 eats 001
Breakfast is usually eggs… but I did make some hot flax ‘cereal’ for a change  of pace.

May 11 eats 002
Shredded chicken salad on lettuce wraps one day for lunch.

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Apple slices with cinnamon makes a good snack.

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The massaged kale ended up making 3 different salads… this one with sliced pork loin and oranges.

The hardest part of this has been trying to come up with some suitable for afternoon snacks.  Lately I have been relying on nuts, or fruit with flax, hemp seeds, almond milk and almond butter all mixed together in a bowl… most of those things are off limits this week, (okay I snitched a couple of raw almonds yesterday) so I have been baking some ‘bites’… 

May 14 banana bites 001

These are just banana and egg white with a bit of cinnamon… baked in the oven. I have also done them with mashed sweet potato… so tasty, and the protein does tend to satisfy longer than fruit alone and keeps the blood sugar down too.

Overall, things are going well.  The plan is to eat this way for 7 – 10 days, and then do a one day juice and water fast to flush all the released toxins out… we’ll see how that all pans out when I get to that point!

I am not advocating that anyone follow this food detox, just reporting/recording my experience.


Have you ever done a detox of any kind?

Saturday, May 11, 2013

My Immunity Boosting Food Detox

I have been reading a new book this past week… one that I got from the library.  As soon as I saw the title, I was intrigued… Boosting Your Immunity for Dummies.  Published in 2013, so I knew the information would be current and not outdated.

May 11 Immunity 003

I have been a fan of these Dummies books since they first began publishing them many years ago.  They are laid out so that they are easily read, and usually make great reference materials… Sailing for Dummies has been part of our boat library for years!

May 11 Immunity 004

Why am I interested in boosting my immunity?

After I ran my first half marathon last Mother’s Day I started on a mission to find out what was causing swelling in my ankles and feet.  Through the course of many doctors visits and blood tests, it turns out that I have low levels of proteins in my blood which allows the veins to leak fluid into my tissues causing the edema.  (I am on a wait list to see a hematologist)  I also have a slightly low white blood cell count.  White blood cells are the ones that fight disease and infections so I am conscious of doing everything I can to avoid illness and remain healthy.

I am not a fanatic, but I do wash my hands a lot. I wash the fresh fruits and veggies I bring home from the market before I use them, and I try to be aware when out in public to not touch my face, or put my fingers in my mouth! 

So… that is why this book appealed to me.  If I can do something to actually  boost my immunity, I want to see what it is and give it a try!

I won’t bore you with all of the science, that I have to admit I find fascinating, but does make The Captain’s eyes glaze over a bit when I talk to him about it… but I will say that the nutritional advice given in this book pretty much echoes the nutritional advice in It Starts With Food and The Paleo Diet, and Practically Paleo. The culprits that cause inflammation and problems are: grains, dairy products, legumes, and sugar.

There is a lot of information about the things that we should be eating to support our immune systems and a group of Super Foods and what each one does for us.  I was happy to find that most of these things are already in my diet throughout the week… fruit, veggies, nuts, herbs and spices – a few in particular, such as the spice tumeric, and dark chocolate were a (pleasant) surprise to me.  Who wouldn’t like to have dark chocolate prescribed for their health?

The authors also discuss various detoxes and the reasons for and against… and they outline how to go about doing a mild cleanse that uses real food instead of potions and powders.  I have read this chapter several times and decided to give it a try.

It is pretty similar to the Whole30 Program with a few more restrictions  -  They suggest that your only beverages should be water and green tea.  This scares me a little as I am a huge fan of coffee… and normally wouldn’t even think of trying anything that asks me to eliminate it, so I am going to make a bit of a compromise here.   I just may have a few sips of coffee here and there to keep the raging headaches away… will see how that goes. 

Otherwise, I am on board completely and the foods suggested and allowed are all ones I am happy to eat!

And just as a reminder to myself.. I am not eating nuts, nut butters, or any dried fruit this week, even the naturally dried organic figs that I have been loving so much lately.

And, just in time… I was given a 90-day sample of Epicor to try out.  It is a dietary supplement that is designed to boost the immune system and  I will be taking that along with my regular supplements.

So, I am excited to start today.  I have done a bit of preparation… the fridge is stocked with fresh vegetables,  and  the fruit bowl on the counter is full… I have frozen berries and a huge store of green tea!

The Captain bought me the largest head of cauliflower I have ever seen cause cruciferous veggies are on the list... and he also picked up a bag full of of fresh limes…

May 11 Immunity 001

so each morning I will have lime and water instead of the lemon and water that I normally would have… along with my Epicor.  Apparently limes "contain antiviral properties which trigger the productions of white blood cells".

Last night I washed and dried a bunch of kale, and massaged some oil, lemon juice and smashed garlic cloves into it, and will use that for salads over the next few days.


May 10 Massaged Kale 002

I am not a health professional, and I am not suggesting that anyone else try a food detox or even follow a Paleo or Primal diet.  I am doing this for myself and writing about it for my own reference and my own interest in tracking and analysis. 


Have you ever done a detox of any kind?

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Best Body Boot Camp... already into week 6

I cannot believe we are into the middle of week 6 of Tina Reale's Best Body Boot Camp already... it really seems like it just started.

But I can tell from the way my arms and shoulders are looking that I have been working hard.  My biceps, triceps and especially my delts are shaping up quite nicely. I will not be hiding them under longer sleeved tees this summer, that's for sure!

I hope that Tina has something really hard in the works for the last couple of weeks.  I am loving the hard work and I am really loving having a plan all laid out for me, put together by a knowledgable trainer.

To be honest, I haven't loved every workout.  But I have really enjoyed the variety of the exercises and pleased that Tina bothers to explain the exercises she has chosen, even if I cannot really do them all very well.  This past couple of weeks have been a couple of moves that I am not strong enough to do yet, but one day I will...

If you are interested in Best Body Boot Camp round 6, check out the details on Tina's web site here.


bootcamp_large

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Call Me a Convert … Core Ball Review and Giveaway

Stability Ball… Exercise Ball… Swiss Ball… Balance Ball…Core Ball…

Are you a fan? 

Well I am now

But I haven’t always been, that’s for sure.

I have been intrigued by these fitness balls and the various exercises that people do with them for years… I look at the pictures, and read the writeups… and I even had one for a couple of months at one point.

There is a corner in our laundry room at the marina where people leave things that they no longer want or need.  Not junk; the items are in good shape or even brand new.  There are always books and magazines there, and occasionally household items and even sealed food stuffs. I have left lots of things there over the years and picked up some things, too.  

One day I went in and found a colorful new, unopened package that contained a lovely lavender-colored deflated stability ball, a hand pump, and a yoga block.

That particular winter we were spending about 5 months in a lovely little cottage overlooking Admiralty Inlet towards Whidby Island in Washington State.   And since we were leaving the boat to drive there the next day, I tossed that package of goodies into the car and took it along with us.  I would never have had enough room on the boat for the inflated fitness ball and thought that the large open living area in the cottage would afford me ample space to work with it.

Well, I did try it out a few times, but never got comfortable on it, and our precocious English Spring Spaniel, Scout, decided that she liked it more than I did.  She just would not leave it alone, so I deflated it after a few days and when we got back to the marina in the Spring, I replaced the whole package in the laundry room exchange corner.  (And I should probably add that I have only very recently become familiar with using a yoga block… who knew how helpful they can be?)

Since then I have been tempted occasionally to get another fitness ball.  I certainly have more room in the apartment now than I did on the boat, not only to exercise with one of these large stability balls, but to store it as well.    I know that many trainers suggest their clients work with them, and there were a few in different sizes lying around the open exercise area in the gym I recently attended.  The Boot Camp I am currently enrolled in makes a lot of use of the stability ball… so imagine my great delight when I was given the opportunity by Empower Fitness to try out one of their Core Balls.

They come in 2 sizes… and you should select one based on your height.  I opted for their largest ball.  It is 65 cm and a lovely pale green color.  I am 5’ 11” tall and their information suggests that if you are under 5’ 6” you should order the 55 cm ball.  It’s a pretty grey, by the way.

I was really excited when the ball arrived…. it came in a neat little box…

Apr 23 Core Ball 001

Apr 23 Core Ball 002

Apr 23 Core Ball 003


Apr 23 Core Ball 004

and a DVD.

Of course I opened the box immediately and The Captain offered to inflate the Core Ball with the hand pump that was included.  I asked him to put as much air in it as he could.  And then  I got distracted and didn’t get back to it for a couple of days.

When I decided to give the ball a try, I sat on it and loaded up the DVD that came along in the package.

Apr 27 Core Ball 001

And I almost fell off of it right on my butt!  There was way too  much air in the ball, and as I viewed the DVD and watched trainer Gin Miller teaching her student, April, the exercises that they would be doing in the workout, I started letting air out of the ball, just a bit at a time.  And I did that several times until I finally was pleased with the soft and bouncy shape beneath me.

Gin (who is a fun and energetic on-screen trainer – years ago I had some of her STEP workouts) suggests that when you sit on the ball with your spine in a neutral position, your butt should be slightly lower than your knees.

May 1 Core Ball 001 (2)\
I watched the DVD, trying each of the exercises as they were demonstrated, and then did the workout with Gin and April. Honestly, I could not do the whole workout the first time through… but that’s okay cause I have something to work toward now.  But I did really enjoy it and could feel that I had given my abs a good workout.  (Even more so the next day.)

If you would like to have a look at a clip from that video, it can be found  here on the top line, 3rd from the left and it is titled Slim & Trim Exercise Core Ball Workout.

The DVD has a fun, dancey, 80’s style aerobic bonus workout on it, also led by Gin  Miller.  It is something that might be fun to get out on a rainy day to lift my dragging spirits a bit.  Nothing to do with the Core Ball, but included just as an extra if you want to do some cardio along with your Core Ball workout.

I have used the ball a few more times and am very slowly getting more comfortable on it.  I have to say though, that I think they should be called INstability balls…  I have started using it in some of my Best Body Boot Camp workouts for things like incline chest flyes and incline chest presses and am starting to master the balance it requires to use the ball properly and effectively.  But I have lots of work yet to do…. and I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge.

Would you like to have an Empower Fitness Core Ball of your own?  Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter the giveaway.

There is one mandatory entry to be completed:
  • Leave a comment and tell me about your favorite exercise that uses the Core Ball.

There are several ways to earn additional entries:
  • Check out the Empower Fitness web site and tell me the name of another product you might like to try
  • Like my FB page for eat run sail
  • Subscribe to my blog posts by email
  • Follow me on Pinterest
  • Tweet about the giveaway

    All entries will be verified... any not done correctly will be discarded.
This giveaway is open to Canadian and U.S. residents.  The winner will have their choice of a 55 cm or 65 cm Core Ball, and it will be shipped directly to them from Empower Fitness.

The giveaway will end on Monday, May 13th at 11:59 p.m. PDT.  I will select the winner and attempt to contact them by email on Tuesday, May 14th. If I have not had an reply email claiming the prize by 11:59 p.m. by Thursday, May 16th, I will select another winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
  
Empower Fitness supplied me with the Core Ball and accessories, and is sponsoring the giveaway but the opinions expressed are my own.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Friday Fotos

The city is really at her finest in the Spring.

Apr 22 Walk around harbor 041\

All of the flowering trees are at their peak… the plums, cherries and apples are absolutely gorgeous.

March 15 turtles in the lake 001

There are turtles on the log in the lake across the street from our place.

The Children’s Farm in the park has new baby piglets and goat kids. The herons are nesting and laying eggs… the ducks and geese are sparring and mating, and I know that we will be seeing peahens with their peachicks soon too.  Little update... The Captain just spotted a mama duck with a train of wee yellow fuzzy ducklings swimming behind her.... hurray!

Apr 22 Walk around harbor 030

Apr 22 Walk around harbor 043

The tour guides are doing a booming business on beautiful sunny days.  And the harbour is very busy with the new Hippo land/sea buses, whale watchers, water taxis, float planes, harbour ferries, international car and passenger ferries… along with all the regular traffic… pleasure craft of all sizes, police and other government boats, tugs and barges, tall ships, kayaks… and cruise ship season has begun.

Apr 22 Walk around harbor 001

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Apr 22 Walk around harbor 009

Apr 22 Walk around harbor 013

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Apr 22 Walk around harbor 015

People are smiling more and seem friendlier.

What do you love about Spring where you live?

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Energy to Burn… Working Hard and Reaping the Results

Hurray, hurray the first of May, outside… and  I won’t reveal the rest of the dirty little ditty that The Captain sings to me every first of May every year! 

But I will tell you I woke up this morning with energy to burn and just raring to start my day. Not sure why… perhaps it is because I have been eating pretty strictly Paleo the past few days and feel very good again… perhaps it is because I am running a bit more lately and loving it… and perhaps it is because I have been working out regularly thanks to Tina Reale’s Best Body Boot Camp and I am seeing results in feeling stronger and seeing muscle growth.  It’s all good.

So I drank my lemon water and then thoroughly enjoyed a cup of hot dark coffee before getting changed into my workout gear and attacking my designated strength workout from BBBC.  It only took 21 minutes so I added 25 squats holding 8 lb. dumbbells and then I laid on my new exercise ball and did 15 crunches… stretched, drank some more lemon water and then made us an awesome breakast.

Yesterday I weighed myself and took my measurements and was happy to find that after 4 weeks of BBBC I am down 3 pounds and have lost an inch around my waist and half an inch from my hips.  I can really feel that my abs are tightening up, my butt is rounder, my lower tummy is flat and my shoulders and arms are no longer shameful!  I am thrilled… and this just motivates me to work harder.   Weight loss is not my goal here, but inches and shape change certainly are!  Thank you, Tina.

Okay, back to my morning… about an hour after breakfast we changed into our running gear and headed out for a 5 km run. I have mapped a new route around the neighborhood and we did it last week in a leisurely 42:30.  Today I hoped to pick it up a bit as this run will count for my entry into the 5 by the 5th series that Laura from Mommy Run Fast is hosting.
 
It’s a nice route… and because it is such a lovely day, the off-leash doggie area on the waterfront is busy with happy pups running and playing and chasing each other… and that makes me happy.  I could tell I was running at a pretty good clip cause I kept wanting to slow down. Hah.  But I kept up the pace for the most part and we finished in 32:45  - happy, happy me.  Any time I can come in under 34 minutes is thrilling.  And this route has lots of ups and downs so is a bit more challenging than our usual 5k loop.

It was almost lunch time when we came in, so we drank lots of water and had a good long stretch and then we made some lunch… and now we are waiting the required hour before we change into our bathing suits and head outside for a swim.

What is that term? Tiger Blood? I feel like I really have it today….



What are doing this lovely first day of May?