I Almost Died Yesterday

I've never had a "life flashing before my eyes" experience before yesterday and I hope to never have one again. My immediate thoughts following the experience were:

"And just nearly killed on the highway in Vancouver... Thank goodness for excellent driver reflexes by our driver as the car on the right was 1/2 an inch from my door... Nothing like getting the heart going as your life flashes before your eyes. Puts life a whole lot more into perspective..."

In those few seconds (perhaps even milliseconds) I saw my life with a new clarity. I felt changed. The things that are important came to the forefront while those less important have begun to fall away:

1. Love like there is no tomorrow and let it be known that you love: 

I love you. Nothing will ever change that.

2. Live: explore, imagine, dream, and do.

3. Let go of what you cannot control or change. 

I know it won't always be easy, often taking daily (multiple times a day) reminders to embrace what is important and to let go of what is not but I am happier and on the way to the rest of my life, alive. 

The Bridge to Yesterday

While wandering the hills and valleys of Vancouver, BC, I experienced the most amazing thing: A forest standing still in time on the other side of The Bridge to Yesterday (Otherwise known as Capilano Suspension Bridge Park).

Starting on the edge of a cliff, the bridge spans a 450ft wide, 300 ft deep gorge through which runs the Capilano River.

Though the day was cool and raining, adventure awaited! Crossing the bridge, there are incredible views of the Capilano River, surrounding mountains, and an ancient forest.

It is a strange feeling to be 230ft in the air with nothing between you and the wet, rocky bottom of the ravine below but a wooden walkway and a few steel cables.

As you step off of the bridge on the far side, you are greeted by the hush of the massive forest. For my friends back home in New England, imagine the largest trees you have ever seen and then triple them. These Hemlock and Douglass Fir trees are up to 300 FT tall and as old as 1,300 years. It would take 4 people to properly hug a tree in this forest (Believe me, I tried!).

Everything is so lush and green in this ancient rain forest. Deciduous leaves grow as big as dinner plates with massive ferns and broad leaf plants covering the forest floor. Moss grows thick on the trees deep under the canopy. If you are quiet enough, you just might find a tiny dinosaur living amongst the roots and ferns.

Climbing up into the trees, a stairway leads to the treetop walkways - suspension bridges between the trees that hang up to 100ft in the air and encircle the park. Even on a platform at 100ft above the forest floor, the trees still tower above you another 100+ ft. Standing on the platforms, looking up into the canopy, everything was calm and quiet. Even the drops of water falling from the trees high above seemed to be in no rush, dripping down in slow motion as if time had been slowed to a near crawl.

Once out of the treetops, the Raptor Ridge walk awaits. Following the outside of the park and the top edge of the ravine, you experience views of the river below with the trees growing out of the ravine still reaching over your head. The wildlife of the forest  can be heard through the chattering of squirrels and the birdsong high above though you rarely see them, so high are their perches. I was lucky enough to sneak up on this creature in the middle of the forest.

 

Adding to the music of the woods are the tumbling streams, running over rocks and fallen trees as they make their way to the ravine's edge only to cascade over into the river below. 

 Wandering through the trees, I felt like a child, filled with wonder at the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest. Eager to turn each new corner and take it all in.

I hope that one day you can experience this adventure for yourself. But until then, enjoy the rest of the photos.

The Massive Hill of Death

O M G! I can hardly believe that I am alive to tell the tale of The Massive Hill of Death... Thankfully for you, I am! :D

It all started on a cool (think 40 degree F) morning, at 6am when my alarm so rudely awakened me from a fairly pleasant slumber. Oddly enough I was dreaming about hiking only to be awoken to go biking. 2 eggs later and I hit to road to meet up with The Bulls-eye Bikes Club for 7am. There were 6 of us to start with though we would gain 1 and lose 2 later on in the ride.

Being completely unaware of what was lurking down the road, I saddled up and headed out with the group. As it was a bit chilly, I kept my fleece on over my bike top though I opted to leave the long pants in The Dingo for safe keeping. We rode North out of town, heading over the interstate (Is it called an interstate in Canada or is it just a highway? Route 16 anyway). Hanging a left, we pedaled West past quiet farms and newly tilled fields, the sun beaming down and the wind quiet, for now. Coming to the end of the range road, we connected up with RT 779 West of Spruce Grove and again turned North.

Now the fun begins! RT 779 (and most of the Northbound routes out of Spruce Grove & Stony Plain) heads up into the Glory Hills. Remember those wonderful hikes I wrote about at Chickakoo Lake? Well, 779 is the road I take to get to those hills. I took one look at the road ahead (refer back to last weeks post with the pic of where I had been) and said to our daring leader, Herb, "We're headed to the top of that thing, aren't we?". Herb confirmed my suspicions. We were, indeed to ride to the top of the world on RT 779. Now, remember that I am riding with a group of seasoned cyclists, all with lovely road bikes and plenty of racing experience under their belts. Even though this was a "long, slow" Sunday ride, the pace so far was faster than I'd been riding on my own.

And so up the hill I went... One slow peddle stroke at a time. At one point, it began to feel like the hill that would never end and by the time I made it to the top of the world on 779, I was dripping sweat and ready to lose the fleece. About this time I realized that I hadn't really been drinking much for water (also known as the nutrient sludge - due to the addition of several supplements/powders to give me energy and keep me hydrated). I started down the other side of the hill only to meet up with the other riders headed back in my direction. You see, the rules of the ride are that we re-group at every major intersection/turn of the ride. The faster riders often double back and then ride the section a second time while waiting for the slower riders (in this case me). We took a right and headed East towards what I can only guess is the Northern end of Calahoo out of Spruce Grove through I am not sure.

Now, by this time the ride had become quite fun as the Eastern headed road was a slow gradual downhill. Ah! This is what I had done all of that work for! Taking another right, we headed South back towards Spruce Grove. Here we picked up Nadine and continued down, down, down, the hills. Hill after glorious hill! All heading DOWN... Joyous day! :D We regrouped and bid Cory farewell as Herb made the announcement that we were to complete our ride by heading back around the same loop we had just ridden, only in reverse... SAY WHAT????

Now bear in mind that I was not tired (a little muscle fatigue but nothing horrible) and it was still pretty early in the morning (8:45ish) and we'd only completed 20 miles (35 km) and my goal was to get close to 45 miles for the day. I firmly told myself that I could do this and turned my bike Northward again. Little did I know that I was to meet my arch nemesis - THE MASSIVE HILL OF DEATH! I had thought that the hill on RT 779 was big, long, never-ending. Boy was I wrong. Compared to the behemoth that was facing me, 779 was an anthill!

I'd be willing to bet that what took a matter of minutes to descend in my highest gear (and that wasn't fast enough for me) took at least 20 times as long to ascend in my lowest set of gears. This hill was determined to have the best of me. Though I never gave it the satisfaction of making me dismount. My mind was made up. I would ride this thing to the top! I have to say THANK YOU to Herb here. He must have ridden each of the 3 sections of this hill at least 2x as he circled back for me at the top of each crest. It helped not to be left to my own designs on this beast of a hill. And here is where Don left us for the day. The Hill having conquered him quite thoroughly (or he had better things to do), he turned and road down again. 

The rest of the ride is more of a blur... a slow, gradual uphill blur for a good part of it before attaining the peak of RT779's hill where I could cruise (as fast as my short little legs would go) to the bottom and pick up the East heading road back to Spruce Grove where The Dingo was waiting to take me home. We covered nearly 40 miles in 3.5 hours. A pace far quicker than any I've ridden alone. The one misstep that I took was not putting on the long pants after the ride. I hopped in The Dingo and headed home only to have both thighs make a major attempt at cramping on me. Thankfully home is a quick 5 minute (or less) drive and a hot shower and stretch awaited me. And a nap! Yes, I took a nap in the middle of this day and fell asleep straight away!

Now, I have attempted to capture a map for your viewing pleasure. However, I believe that The Massive Hill of Death has such strong powers that it has actually managed to obscure itself from the mapping device. I'm afraid that the road should have hooked back down towards the starting point (on the right hand side of the map), making a box rather that an open sided rectangle... But, such is the strength of The Hill....

Session 2 - Week 7

Week 7 of Session 2 now completed! My schedule was as follows:

Sunday May 19th - If you read last week's post, you know that I rode 45 miles (75 km) on Saturday, May 18th. Today was the first day that I have done back to back long rides. I rode for another 45 miles to bring my 2 day total to 90 miles (150 km). Started off at 7am waiting to meet up with a local bike club. By 7:30 myself and another rider came to the conclusion that there had been a bit of a communications snafu and the ride was not going to happen. So, home I headed to hit the streets myself. By 8am I was peddling off towards Jubilee Park and the Spring Grove neighborhood for a warm up and then hills. Spring Grove is set up so that streets run North/South on a hill so it was good practice for hills. Down the hill, up the hill, repeat. :D And then I was off exploring new areas. Click the link above to read about Sunday's ride. 

Monday May 20th - A day of rest. After my weekend of riding, I was happy to have a Monday holiday. I spent 2 hours digging the weeds out of my "flower garden" and then another hour planting new flowers. By the end of the day, I was pretty tired and still recovering from the weekend of riding.

Tuesday May 21st - TRX Suspension training. This class was a bit different from our normal format in that we were doing counted reps instead of timed sets. A very, very, very hard class. You can read about it here. Legs were the target of the day...

Wednesday May 22nd -An evening of rest! Sore from Tuesday night's class (for the first time in a long time) and happy to relax.

Thursday May 23rd - TRX Suspension training - And more leg work!

Friday May 24th - An evening out with work and early to bed to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Saturday May 25th -NO OPTIONS Butt & Gutt!! Circuit based session with 7 stations, 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest, nearly every station weighted and no rest for the single leg/side stations. It was brutal! Read about it here.

Tomorrow morning I meet up with Herb of Bulls-Eye Bike Shop to ride from 7am to 12pm. Wish me luck and many miles!

NO Options!!!

Today was Butt & Gutt - NO OPTIONS style! It went like this:

10 minute warm up on the spin bikes using a variety of gears and intensities. Ashley selected the gears and this was only the beginning....

Today's B&G was a circuit based session. There were 7 stations to complete, nearly all of them weighted. What do I mean by "no options"? The weights were selected for us for each station. The format was 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest unless you were completing a single leg or single side circuit, then you got no rest at all. the stations were:

1. Back Extensions - 10lb weight - complete back extensions for 30 seconds, 30 seconds rest, repeat for 4 sets, holding the 10lb weight at your chest and bending over the machine until you were upside down and then returning to a straight angle with your body. Hello lower and mid back!

2. Squats - 20 - 30lb weight - I picked the 20. Hold the weight at your chest and squat until your butt hits the bench. Return to standing. 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest x4.

3. Russian Twists - 15 - 20lb weight - 1 picked the 15. Sit in a V leaning back, knees bent, feet off the floor and twist first to the right and then to the left, bringing your elbows as far back around your side as you can in the twist. 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest x4.

4. Donkey Kicks - no weight, no break - On your hands and knees, bring one knee in to your elbow and then kick it out and up behind you. Keep your back straight and move only your leg. 30 seconds on the right leg, 30 seconds on the left leg, repeat 4 times with NO BREAK in between. You will swear that your legs are about to fall off!

5. Alternating Lunges - 20lb weight - Stand with the weight on your shoulders and lunge forward. Stand back up, switch legs and repeat.  30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest x4

6. Ball Passes - no weight, just a big rubber ball - Lay on your back, hold the ball between your lower legs and bring your legs up. At the same time crunch up and reach for the ball, pass the ball to your hands and lay back down, keeping your hands, feet, and the ball from touching the floor. Crunch up again and pass the ball back to your legs and repeat. 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest x4.

7. Side Plank with Hip Drop - no weight, no break - Get into side plank position but instead of holding it, drop your hip to the floor and then back up to plank position. 30 seconds on the left, 30 seconds on the right, repeat 4 times with NO BREAK in between.

5 minute cool down on the bike - a great stretch - and I still swear my legs are going to fall off. The great thing is that this is the first time in a while that I have been sore after a B&G class. The really great thing is that I completed the workouts. I look back over the past 20 weeks and am amazed at how far I have come.

Thank you out to Ashley, Trudy, and the girls who are so very encouraging!!! Let's rock it!

Be Who You Are!

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” ~~~ Dr. Seuss

 

I Work Out!

Last night was TRX class.  A very, very, very, very, very, VERY hard TRX class. Every TRX class is different and it never gets any easier as you use your own body as your weights and you set your level of challenge. Here's one class for reference and here is last night's class:

Oh, and while we are on the topic, I can't get this video/song out of my mind every time I work out (thanks, Scott - though I would LOVE to be able to do what this guy can do. Um, maybe minus the speedo. Unless the speedo was on Gumby Hiker on top of a mountain... ).  :D



Tuesday night TRX: While we usually complete timed sets (20 seconds work/10 seconds break, 30 seconds work/15 seconds break, etc), last night was different as we completed counted reps. We started with a warmup of 30 Jacks, 10 Squat Jacks (don't ask, they hurt), 10 Burpies, 30 Mountain Climbers, 30 High Knees, repeat.

The first set of exercises included squats, squats, and so many more squats:
20 Jump Squats
16 Balance Squats on each leg
20 Sumo Squats
16 Sumo Jump Squats
I'm thinking there was another exercise in here but darned if I can remember it, the class was a blur!

The second set of exercises included:
20 Single Leg Lunges
20 Second Single Leg Lunge Hold
16 Single Leg Lunges followed by Leg Lift - keep in mind you are lunging your leg backwards and then standing and lifting your leg behind you...
Repeat on the other leg
20 Single Leg Hip Hinges (stand on one leg, reach/bend forward and lift one leg straight out behind you until you are in the shape of a T)
16 Single Leg Standing Donkey Kicks (get in Single Leg Hip Hinge position and then bend leg at 90 degrees and pulse heel towards ceiling). Yeah, OUCH!

The third set of exercises included:
20 Single leg lunges with 1 leg suspended behind you
16 Pushups
Repeat on second leg followed by second set of pushups.
20 Hamstring Curls 
30 Mountain Climbers - suspended in TRX
30 High Knees (on each leg)
10 Burpies

Repeat the entire workout and try not to throw up... :D

Often when I leave the gym at the end of class I wonder who thinks these things up. And then I wonder how many people are crazy enough to actually do these things. And then I am usually very, VERY thankful that I can do these things. By this time I have usually made my way to The Dingo on my quivering legs of Jell-O, fished my keys out of my pocket, and somehow managed to get my rubber chicken arms to start the truck so I can head home and die. Don't get me wrong, I love these workouts but am always in awe that I can do them. Plenty of water, protein, stretching, and sleep later, I still hurt today.

Perspective

Sometimes you just need to change your perspective...

Rogue Smoothie

Ingredients:

1/2 Banana
3 Large Strawberries
1/2 c Sliced Peaches
1/2 c Crushed Pineapple
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1 TBSP Hemp Hearts
1 TBSP Flax Meal
1 TBSP Chia Seeds
1/2 scoop Protein Powder
1/2 c Greek Yogurt


Blend all fruits until smooth. Add Hemp, Flax, Chia, Lemon Juice, Protein Powder, and top with Yogurt. Blend again until smooth.

Pour and enjoy!

Maybe not "rouge" per se but quite tasty! :D

9-T!

While this shot doesn't exactly do the hill justice, you get some idea of the distance and steepness that I had just traveled. If you follow the road all the way back to the upper left of the photo, that is where I had just ridden from. And.... where I had to ride back to. Lucky me! :D Yes, I do mean that itty bitty, tiny crack in what appears to be the treeline... yeah, there.

Today was my second day in a row of riding 45 miles to bring the weekend total to 90 miles (150 km). As you can see from the map below, I took a very different route, north out of Spruce Grove on Century, ending up waaaaaaaaay up at the top of a giant hill. Yes, I rode the entire thing, without stopping AND... I didn't die! :D (happy dance!)

I'm a bit surprised that I am not more tired but it is still early in the day (3:30 MST) and I'm sure by this evening I'll be ready to fall right over. Maybe it was the alternative protein, aka: bugs I swallowed on the ride.. hmmmm.

Today was slightly overcast and I had a nice cool breeze for most of the ride so I didn't add to the sunburn that I managed to get yesterday. :) Oh, and I have a funny white stripe where I wear my ID band on my wrist. And bikers tan, I am developing bikers tan. What is up with that? Geesh!

45

Today was the first day of a 2 day training ride plan. I had planned to be up by 5am, riding from 6-9am, aiming for 30 miles before my 10am Butt & Gutt session. My body had other plans for me. Being a bit tired, I slept until 7 and hit the road at 8am, riding until I met up with the Butt & Gutt class at 10. I logged 20 miles in those 2 hours (Map on the right).

As I participated in the B&G session, all I could hear in the back of my mind was my mom: "You can't do BOTH bike riding and B&G, Silly Girl. You should just do one or the other." How right she was! B&G consisted of hill running and major leg work today, focusing on the thighs. And my poor thighs were already tired!

However, feeling that I still had something left in me to wrap up the planned 30 total miles for the day, I headed home after B&G for a pit stop, whipped up a smoothie (and downed it), and headed back to the streets (Map on the left). 2 hours, 11 minutes later, I had completed 25 miles and called it a day. And what a beautiful day it was! As tired as I am right now, I enjoyed every last second of sunshine, wind, scenery, exploring new neighborhoods, and kicking my butt! :D

I've planned to meet up with Bulls-eye Bike Club at 7am tomorrow for a 5 hour, many mile ride. See you after!

Session 2 - Week 6

Week 6 of Session 2 now completed! My schedule was as follows:

Sunday May 12th - Rest, sleep, fluids, & good nutrition. Happy Mothers' Day to all the Mothers out there. My son called to wish me a happy day and to plan our visit in July when I head for home. :D

Monday May 13th - A day of rest.

Tuesday May 14th - TRX Suspension training. Plenty of leg work in this session. It has been immensely helpful in getting me ready for the Ride. This evening's class was 40 seconds work with 10 second breaks. Mixing it up and making ourselves WORK! Do a set of tricep presses and then, take a step back and make it harder.

Wednesday May 15th -An evening hike at Chickakoo Lake! 1 hour of hiking the Advanced/Intermediate trails with Miss Ashley "Crunchy Frogs", Ghiry, and Zoie! It was a beautiful evening and the trail was challenging. :D

Thursday May 16th - TRX Suspension training - Tabata style! 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, 8 sets of each exercise, repeat!

Friday May 17th - An evening off!

Saturday May 18th - A BIG, HUGE, GIGANTIC ride! :D Started the day off at 8am with a 2 hour, 20 mile ride followed by an hour of Butt & Gutt, and topped off with another 2+ hour, 25 mile ride. 45 miles on the day and scheduled to ride again in the AM for my first back to back long ride days.. wish me luck!

Whitefish with Chili, Lime, & Veggies

Ingredients:

White Fish (Haddock, Basa, Cod)
1 Sweet Red Pepper - Cubed
3 Mushrooms - Sliced
1 1/2 Cups Swiss Chard - Chopped
2 Small Limes
Chili Seasonings - to taste
Butter

This recipe is cooked in a single pan allowing the spices to flavor both the Fish and the Swiss Chard. 


Melt butter in the bottom of a frying pan, add Mushrooms & Sweet Red Peppers. Cook over Medium heat until soft. Squeeze the juice of both Limes into the pan and add your Chili Seasonings.

Add the Fish to the pan, arrange the chopped Swiss Chard on top of the Fish, cover the pan and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the Fish and simmer until fish is done.

Fundraising 2

As of 8:37am, MST today, you have helped me to raise the $2,500 that is required for me to ride in the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer. Each and every one of you are AMAZING!

Some of you are family, some of you are clients, and all of you are friends. I am overwhelmed by the support that you have all shown me through your donations, words of encouragement, and just being there when I needed you.

This is not the end of the journey. There is still training to do, I'm still collecting donations towards this cause, there is still planning and packing for the overnight portion of The Ride, and there will be plenty of updates to keep you all amused. :)

From my heart:

THANK YOU ALL!

Journeys Too

An update to the April 12th entry.

This week marks my 28th week of nutritional changes, 19th week of fitness training, and 11th week of bike specific training.

I have 5 weeks remaining to train for the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer - a 200 KM (125 Mile) ride. Here is the update:

28 weeks ago I embarked on a journey to change my nutritional lifestyle. No more bags of chips, no more "junk foods", no more empty calories.

What are empty calories you ask? In my book, they are food that have nothing in them but calories from sugar/carbs, fat and not much else. No nutrients, vitamins, minerals - nothing that is actually naturally occurring in the ingredients of the "food". This includes enriched foods. If you can't get the nutrients from the ingredients, what on earth is being added to make up for that?

When I shop, I typically stick to fresh produce, dairy, meats (mostly fish and turkey/chicken), nuts & seeds, and a limited number of canned items - think tuna, pickles (love them in tuna!), canned fruits for smoothies, and alternative grains & pastas. By shopping this way and planning my meals each week, I've been able to drastically change what I am putting in my body. I KNOW what I am putting into my body. I know how many calories it has, I know what is in it for nutrients, I know how it was made because it was fresh and I cooked it myself. Best of all, I like what I am eating because I cook it the way I like it. I find this helps to eliminate cravings because, many times, when you are craving something you are looking for a certain flavor/taste from your food. And most of the time, you aren't getting it.

So where am I going with this? This nutritional journey has taken me on quite the ride. Over the past 28 weeks, I have changed my nutritional lifestyle (and activity lifestyle) enough to lose 58.5 pounds. This is huge for me. I've struggled with weight on and off for over 15 years. Don't get me wrong, this is not easy. It is a lot of work, sweat, and tears - but more on that another day. This journey is far from over. I've got a long way to go but I'm well on my way. And that brings us to:

19 weeks ago I began my fitness journey:

The biggest challenge to any fitness program is your own mind. When I started my fitness training in January, there was a night that I didn't have a car (the wheel had fallen off of The Dingo) or a ride home from the gym. I  packed up my gym clothes in a duffel bag and brought them to work with me. I figured I would get dropped off at the gym and then walk the 1-2 miles home after the workout. I thought about it all day long. I'd only been attending classes for 1 week. I was convinced that I couldn't walk a mile (or 2) home after class. I was sure that I would never make it that far. And so I skipped class that night and got dropped off at home instead. How had I come to think this way? I had been athletic most of my life. I ran track, played soccer, hiked, kayaked, biked, walked everywhere - but I hadn't done any of these things in years. My mind told me that I couldn't, I listened to my mind tell me that I couldn't, and so, I couldn't.

Even today, 19 weeks later, I am still amazed at what I CAN do. I can do pushups, I can do TRX suspended mountain climbers & crunches. I can do squats and lunges for days (okay, exaggeration there), I can jog (and I hate jogging), I can bike for 4.5 hours, I can hike very steep hilly terrain and even RUN up the hills. I can do so much and yet my mind is still stuck on "Um, are you sure you can do that? I'm not sure you can...". My next challenge to myself (mini goal) is to stop listening to my mind and to tell myself I CAN DO IT!

11 Weeks ago began my bike journey:

As you just heard in the above paragraph (just seeing if you are paying attention), I bike for 4.5 hours at a time. I'd always biked as a kid. I went to bike camp where we biked for the whole day, every day, for a week. It was great! This is great! Also pertaining to the above paragraph, I am still amazed that I can do what I can do. This weekend's goal is 2 days of riding, both long rides. 3+ hours on Saturday, 5 hours on Sunday. Will I make it? Yes, I will! I'm telling my mind now that it is going to happen! Mind, get your butt in gear because we are taking a ride! Oh! And my fundraising is THIS close to the $2,500 that I need to ride in June! THIS CLOSE! So feel free to donate to sponsor my ride! I can't do it without you! In fact, I couldn't have gotten this far without everyone who has cheered me on in my journeys.

See you all in another month... (that is for the next update, the next blog post will most likely be tomorrow so come back then!)

Hope

hope [hohp]: noun, verb, hoped, hop·ing.

 

noun 1. the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best



When the world says give up, Hope whispers 'try one more time'.  

And so I hope...

Fund Raising Update

As of today, I've raised $2,145.00 of the $2,500 that I need to ride in the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer. I couldn't do this without the help of each and every one of you. This is only $355.00 short of the amount that will allow me to get on my bike and ride on June 22 & 23.

Help me to make it the rest of the way?

Chocolate Cravings!!!

Lately I've been craving chocolate. So, I had chocolate - in the form of a delicious, nutritious smoothie!

Ingredients:

1 Medium Banana
1/2 Cup Crushed Pineapple
1/4 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt (Plain)
2 TBSP Cocoa Powder
1 TBSP Flax Meal
1 TBSP Hemp Hearts
1 TBSP Chia Seed

Add Milk, Banana, & Pineapple to the blender and blend until smooth. Add the Chia, Flax, Hemp, and Cocoa next and then top with yogurt. Blend again until smooth. Pour and enjoy your CHOCOLATE shake! :D

Session 2 - Week 5

Week 5 of Session 2 now completed! My schedule was as follows:

Sunday May 5th - Rest, sleep, fluids, & good nutrition. I'd come down with a bug or cold or something and was just tired all over.

Monday May 6th - A day of rest and catching up on the chores.

Tuesday May 7th - TRX Suspension training. The warmup itself was a workout! 30 Jacks, 10 Pushups, 7 Squats, 5 Pushups, 7 Burpies, 30 Jacks, 25 High Knees, 5 Pushups, 10 Squats, 30 Jacks (or something very close to that!). And then it was time to get to work! The fantastic thing about TRX Suspension training is that it NEVER gets any easier. You are working your total body, using your body as resistance/weight. And Sheila is always coming up with new tricks to wear you out! After this particular workout, I experienced some muscle fatigue in muscles that I'd forgotten I had - obliques and mid back muscles. It was great! Oh, and did I mention my poor glutes?

Wednesday May 8th -An evening hike at Chickakoo Lake! 1 hour of hiking the easy/intermediate trails with Ghiry. Read about it here.

Thursday May 9th - TRX Suspension training -This class included a lot of single hand mode work. This is where you have either 1 foot suspended in the TRX or you are using only 1 hand/arm to do the work. Plenty of single arm rows, bicep curls, single leg lunges, single leg squats, etc. Can you imagine doing a single arm bicep curl, using your body as weight? I couldn't imagine I would EVER be able to do it. But I can! :)

Friday May 10th - 2.5 hours of hiking at Chickakoo! Quickly becoming my favorite easy to get to destination for a change up in my routine. I'd been itching to get on the Advanced trail and that is EXACTLY what Ghiry and I did. Read it here (and see the pix!).

Saturday May 11th - Why, exactly do I wake up before my alarm clock every morning? *sighs* :D Butt & Gutt was held OUTSIDE today! We met at the Boxing Club and walked, lunged, squatted, and jogged to the outdoor destination where we would complete more donkey kicks (fire hydrants) than my bum cares to think about along with plenty of ab work. A quick jog back to the club and a long stretch and I'm ready for my next adventure.... another hike this afternoon!!


Have a super fantastic week and catch you on the other side of the hike! :D

UPDATE: 1 hour and 45 mins of hiking. Amazing how much time you can shave off of a hike when you aren't stopping to take pix every so often. :D We hiked the reverse of Friday's hike - Advanced trail first, then Intermediate, ending on Easy.  Beautiful sunny day (I think I got a tan), no bugs, a little on the dry side but wonderful. :)

Take a Hike - 2!

Chickakoo Lake is fast becoming a favorite evening destination! Out of work at 4:45 on a beautiful Friday evening and I couldn't think of a better place to walk the dog.

This time, I was determined to get on the Intermediate & Advanced trails that wander the perimeter of the Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area. I hadn't seen them before but ran into a couple of hikers coming off the Advanced trail who said it was ALL up and down hill. What fun! :)

Arrived at the upper parking lot at 6pm, leashed up the dog, and off we went. Here is the map again so you can follow along the trails. Jump below for the hike details and link to pictures.

The upper parking lot is the P surrounded by the grey lines. Ghiry and I got on the trail to the upper right of the P on the yellow/orange trail - Easy trail. We followed it until the point that it intersects with trail 2 - Intermediate trail - and heads south of Dog Leg Pond. This pond is full of PEEPERS ! Always a pleasant chorus to listen to on an evening hike. :D While I had seen only Greebs in the pond during the previous hike, there were a couple of green headed mallards last night as well.

Heading around Dog Leg Pond and continuing on the Red trail, we intersected with trail 4 - also intermediate. Here is where I have always chosen to go left and stay in trail 2. However, after a couple of pictures of a particular log I'd seen on my first hike, I headed off right onto trail 4 - Green line. This trail takes you around the end of Kettle Lake and onto the northeast side of the lake. Let me just say that with all of the ponds and lakes in the recreation area, you are never very far from a fabulous view!

Trail 4 intersects with trail 3 - Advanced!  - with the option to take a right and head back to trail 2 or go left and around the rest of the park. A quick check of the clock indicated it was only 7:30pm, there was plenty of daylight left, and as Ghiry and I were both in great spirits, left we went!

This part of the hike was the most fun as it really was UP hill and DOWN hill, steeply! Lots of hills! On several of them, I let Ghiry off leash so that he could make his own way up the hill as his long doggy legs carry him more quickly than my short girl legs can take me up the hill. He was great, stopping and waiting at the top of each new hill. We enjoyed the scenery and found ourselves at the parking lot at 8:30pm with sunlight to burn.

I took a lot of photos this time and will definitely be back to do this hike again (TOMORROW!) & again & again! Next time I want to go the reverse direction, my only complaint being that the whole hike is not on terrain similar to the advanced trail. Perhaps 2 loops around the advanced trail, 1 in each direction, are in order...

Stay tuned! 

Take a Hike!

I'm fortunate enough to live a mere 15 minutes from a wonderful set of hiking trails at Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area.

And so... Last night I loaded up the dog, grabbed my boots and drove on out. What a difference in scenery compared to only 2 weeks ago! You can find a link to the pictures from 2 weeks ago here. 

The weather was a beautiful 63F (sorry, my C translator is broken today...) with little wind and barely a cloud in the sky. Leaving the house at 6pm, I was ready to hit the trail by 6:30. A brisk 1 hour walk, stopping every so often for pix (much to the annoyance of Ghiry who just wants to go and go and go and sniff everything in sight) and we were out at 7:30. Ghiry and I picked the orange and red trails in the map above as I'd done them a couple of weeks ago and needed something within the 1 hour range as Ghiry is getting a bit older (Grandpa dog) and anything after 7pm is past his bedtime.

We saw many interesting things on our trip including a Squirrel, a Hawk, several Greebs (ducks), a Loon, 4 Beaver, a Muskrat, and a small herd of Deer.

Check out the new pix!

Ghiry and I enjoyed this hike very much. In fact, I think I'll do it again tonight - Green and/or Blue trail this time. Ghiry has opted to stay home and work on his chess strategies...

Boxing Extravaganza

I attended my very first boxing event on Saturday night: The 4th Annual Al Harris Memorial sponsored by The Boxing Club of Spruce Grove. It was quite the interesting event. I enjoyed it very much and got to sit ringside as a Record Keeper. Yes, I got drooled on...


Videos here

Turkey Burgers

I find ground turkey & chicken a bit bland so I like to spice it up a bit. This recipe makes about 8 burgers and they freeze well.

Ingredients:

2 LB Ground Turkey (or chicken or a combo of both)
4 Medium Large Mushrooms, chopped small
1 Medium Small Eggplant, chopped small
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Cup Cooked Quinoa
2 TBSP Minced Sun Dried Tomatoes
3 TBSP Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Warm the Olive Oil in a frying pan over Medium heat. Sprinkle with Salt, add the Eggplant, cover and cook - stirring occasionally - until Eggplant is soft. Once the Eggplant is soft, remove from heat and allow to cool before adding to the meat mixture.

Bring 2 Cups of Water to a boil and add 1/2 cup dry Quinoa. Lower heat to Medium and boil gently for 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. 

Add Ground Turkey, Mushrooms, Garlic,  Sun Dried Tomatoes, Cooled Quinoa, and Cooled Eggplant to a large bowl, sprinkle with Salt & Pepper and then mix well (Hands usually work best for mixing here).  Divide into 8 parts, form patties and wrap in tin foil to freeze or toss them on the grill and enjoy! If you are pan cooking your Turkey Burgers, add a little bit of water to the bottom of a frying pan, cook over Medium Low, and keep the pan covered, turning the burger once while cooking.

Salsa

Ingredients:


8 Medium Large Tomatoes - Diced
1/4 Red Onion - Finely Chopped
3-5 Cloves of Garlic - Minced
1 Medium Jalapeno - Minced
2 Cups Cilantro - Finely Chopped
Juice from 2 Limes
Salt


Directions:

(This is an easy one) - Add all ingredients except Salt to a large bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add Salt to taste.

Enjoy!

This recipe makes approximately 12 cups of Salsa. It keeps well for a week in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator and is delicious on omelets,  taco salad, turkey burgers, or just by itself.

Green & Purple Goodness

Ingredients:

1 Medium Banana - Sliced
1/3 cup Sliced Peaches with Juice
(additional peach/pear juice)
1/4 cup Chopped Spinach
1/3 cup Frozen Mixed Berries
Juice from 1/2 of a Lime
1/3 - 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt - Plain
1 TBSP Pumpkin Seeds
1 TBSP Flax Meal
1 TBSP Chia Seeds
1 TBSP Hemp Hearts

Directions:

Squeeze Lime Juice into blender and add chopped Spinach, Sliced Peaches and Juice (if the smoothie is too dry to blend the Spinach well, this is where you add a bit more juice from the peaches), Pumpkin Seeds, Yogurt, and sliced Banana and blend until smooth.

Add the Flax, Chia, and Hemp Hearts and blend again until smooth. Last add the frozen Mixed Berries (blueberries, blackberries, & cherries) and blend again until smooth.

Makes approx 16oz

This smoothie is packed with goodness. The spinach provides Iron while the lime provides a tartness and the Vitamin C to help your body absorb the Iron. Flax & Chia provide fiber, Pumpkin Seeds, Flax & Chia provide protein and healthy fats. Hemp Hearts are packed full of good things. I started using them specifically to get more Magnesium & Manganese in an attempt to rid myself of night time leg cramps due to increased fitness training. 1 month later, so far so good! Bananas are just great all around, what I can I say? My recommendation, google the foods you are eating and learn what is in them and which foods are best for your needs.

Session 2 - Week 4

Week 4 of Session 2 now completed! My schedule was as follows:

Sunday April 28th - First BIG outside ride. The weather was overcast and cool but tolerable with gloves, hat under the helmet and 3 layers - top and bottom. I felt great after finishing 40 miles of street riding. The goal from here is to add time/mileage each Sunday as well as start getting in a couple of Saturday/Sunday ride weekends. Read about the BIG ride here. 

Monday April 29th - A day of rest and a trip to the bike store for some nutritional supplements... only to find that the store was closed. :(

Tuesday April 30th - TRX Suspension training. A Game of Cards! This game included Pushups, Balance Lunges, Suspended Crunches (or sit ups), and Jump Squats along with Burpies and Front Planks. We made it through the deck in no time and started round 2... Triceps and Biceps! 

Wednesday May 1st -An evening off.

Thursday May 2nd - TRX Suspension training - Tabata format - 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, repeat each exercise for 8 sets - Jump Squats, Push ups (ugh! there they are again! - personal goal right now is to be able to complete 20 REAL pushups - I'm at 10), Alternating Balance Lunges with a hop, Front Planks, Suspended Crunches/Sit Ups, Bicycle Crunches (legs suspended), and I'm certain there were 2 more exercises but my old lady brain can't recall them right now. :D

Friday May 3rd - Spent 2 hours helping to set up the boxing ring for The Boxing Club's 4th annual Al Harris Memorial Fundraiser on Saturday May 4th.

Saturday May 4th - 2 hours of heavy duty spring cleaning before an hour of BUTT & GUTT! This session was a doozy! The format today was Cardio, Abs, Glutes. 30 seconds of cardio followed by 10 seconds rest, 30 seconds of Ab work, 10 seconds rest, wrapped up with 30 seconds of Butt work and repeat. There were approx 8 combo sets each repeated 2 times. Very fast paced and sweat inducing. A kick butt class for sure! 1 more hour of heavy duty spring cleaning (think scrubbing tile floors on your hands and knees) and then off to the 4th Annual Al Harris Memorial Fundraiser. My very first boxing event! Look for a separate post on this event with a video or 2! :) Home again at 11pm.

Time for some fluids, rest, and turkey soup (I've come down with a cold or something) See you all next week!

Smile

Smile because it is a beautiful day.
Smile because it feels good to be happy.
Smile because life is full of adventures.
Smile.

Basa with Spinach, Mushrooms & Red Peppers

Ingredients:

4-6oz Filet of Basa (or another thick white fish)
1 Cup chopped Spinach
1/2 cup diced Sweet Red Pepper
3 large chopped Mushrooms
Salt & Pepper
Butter - the real stuff


Melt a small amount of butter over Medium heat in the bottom of a frying pan large enough to hold the above ingredients (12 - 15" pan with cover). Add the Mushrooms and Sweet Red Pepper, cover  and cook until they start to turn soft. Add the chopped Spinach, cover and cook 3-5 minutes until spinach starts to wilt. Move the vegetables to the sides of the pan and add the fish. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over Medium-Low heat, turning fish once, sprinkling again with salt & pepper, and covering with the cooked vegetables. Cover the pan and continue cooking until fish flakes apart. Serve and enjoy! Makes 1 large serving or 2 small servings.

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, in a cold, northern country, there lived a gurl who loved to bike. She would bike early in the morning, in the middle of the day, late into the evening, and even in her dreams at night. The gurl would bike in the cold weather, in the rain, the wind, and the sun. Though her neighbors saw her come and go, flashing by with a smile and a wave on her red and gold bike, they often scratched their heads and wondered... Why? Why does she bike day in and day out, hour after hour?

What they didn't know was the the gurl was training for an epic event that included a mountainous goal (or 2), figuratively and quite literally.

I am that gurl and I'm riding that bike (21 year old red with gold trim Specialized Cross Roads) in the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer on June 22nd & 23rd. This ride is a 2 day, 200 km (125 mile) ride that leaves out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada with an overnight (in a tent camp) at Okotoks, Alberta, and a return to Calgary on the second day. What is the ride for? Glad you asked! To raise funds for Alberta Cancer Research.

Here are the literal mountains - The Canadian Rockies! I'll be riding with these beautiful mountains as the back drop and, while I have yet to drive to Calgary (I hear Road Trip in my near future) and check them out, I get the distinct feeling that there will be some "hills" to ride.

Here are the figurative mountains -
1. Training - I'm training hard for this ride and have been since January. I ride 1-2 days per week on looooooooooooong rides (think 3+ hours - lately 4+) and I participate in high-intensity total body workouts 3 days a week. Strength and cardio are as important as endurance.

2. Fund raising - I am required to raise $2,500 to participate in THE RIDE. This is the mountain that I need help with. I'm 64% of the way there - to being allowed to ride. Won't you help me make my dream come true for a great cause?

Here are the stats as of May 2, 2013:

Date: June 22nd & 23rd, 2013
Distance: 200 KM (125 Miles)
Location: Calgary, Alberta to Okotoks, Alberta & back again

Donation Link: http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/nhkayakgirl

Fundraising required to ride: $2,500.00
Money raised to date: $1,695.00
Money left to raise to date: $805.00
(Pledged but not donated yet: $100)

Days left for fundraising: 51
Dollar amount needed per day to make Minimum goal:  $15.78

Dollars that I have personally donated towards my goal: $100.00

Dollars that I have personally spent on training, nutrition, and equipment to date: $575.00
Note: this does not count the 24 weeks of fitness training at The Boxing Club that I have been participating in since January).

The Challenge to you: Become one of my sponsors by donating at least $25.00 towards my goal.
The Mountainous Challenge: Match what I have donated.