The second time

The first time I did the 8k, my friends and I were followed by our very own police escort. Dead last, the runners long gone, a police car behind, and George Thorogood blaring through the constable's speakers as we crawled through the quiet residential streets.

The second time I did the 8k – a year later – I came in ninth for my age group. That means I was only six spots (and five minutes) away from finishing in the top three. I met my goal of coming in under fifty minutes. I also achieved a personal best for pace.

As proud as I am of the second time, the story I'm proudest of is the first time. I laugh about it. I tell it to anyone who'd listen. It's a great story and one I hope to tell my kids and their kids one day.

Who else can say they had their very own police escort? Not many people. I may've finished the second time faster, but the first time....the first time we finished in style.

Learning to Kayak

Today, I learned to kayak. It's amazing how much easier it is when you're in reasonably good shape and you aren't trying to steer it like a canoe. I took the course on my own and Mr. Trim came along to take photos. The guide who was teaching the class remarked that it was like having our very own paparazzi. Mr. Guide, welcome to my life.

Here are some of the highlights of the day :)

Learning to paddle on dry land. Air paddling is harder than it looks. That is, until the guide notices you're holding the paddle upside down. After that, things make a lot more sense.



Out in the water at last. I did not fall in. My boat was called the Solander.



It started to sprinkle while we were out. Such is West Coast weather. I'd also like to mention I'm wearing a size small lifejacket. Tee!



The water was surprisingly warm and a lovely deep green. I'm doing a canoe maneuver here. Note: it's not the way to turn your boat around as I soon learned.



Out in the bay. There were two seals that kept popping up around us. I also saw two ravens as well as a rabbit on the shoreline. The rabbit kept running around a bush like crazy while I was trying to listen to the instructor. Nature is fun.



Speaking of which, there were scads of jellyfish in the water. I kept trying not to hit them with my paddle. Mr. Trim amused himself by taking photos of them while I was out of camera range. Random fact: he took 178 pictures of jellyfish alone. At the very least, he's easy to keep amused!



Coming back to shore. Look! I didn't lose my paddle!



I'm backing up to get into a better position to dock. You can't tell, but I'm imagining my kayak is beeping while going in reverse.




All in all, a great day out. If I had the money and a place to store it, I'd buy a kayak today.

Tiny goes to Yoga

As part of my New Year goals, I went to my very first Yoga class last night. After having researched Yoga and getting muddled up by all the different types, I finally settled on Hatha Yoga. Since "Hot Yoga" scares me, Hatha seemed relatively calm in comparison.

Fortunately, it was a good guess because the class was very relaxing and the instructor was great. She was an older slightly plump woman that exuded an indefinable sageness and calm. She led us through introductory poses as well as yogic breathing. I felt so calm and fluid afterwards that I can't believe I've never tried it before.

As everyone in the class was of all body shapes, sizes and abilities, I didn't feel out of place at all. If you've never tried Yoga, I highly recommend it. I can't wait for next week's class.

Namasté!

Geronimo!

Way back at the beginning of the year, one of my resolutions was to complete an obstacle course in the trees. The weather finally cooperated and I was able to achieve my goal over the weekend.

Before I go too much farther, let's dive back in time. In 2006, I went to the obstacle course park but didn't particpate. The truth was, I had the athletic prowess of a potato. I also didn't want to face the embarrassment of not being able to haul my large bum around in the trees. So all that really remains of that trip is this photo of me at the park, trying to look happy about not participating.



Fast forward two years and 70 lbs later, I came back to the park on Saturday and completed the entire course, all the way up to and including the black level. My body has changed, there's no doubt. But my mind's changed, too. I could've done that course at any weight. I wasn't too heavy; my belief in myself was too light.

At any rate, here are the pics of my adventure. My apologies to dial-up users :)


You want me to go where?



Soon enough, I was swinging through the trees. Literally.



DontlookdowndontlookdownDONTlookdown!



Hey, I can see light through my thighs!



If you look carefully, you can see the white-knuckled holy-crap grip I have on the rope. Swinging logs = not my friend.



Just to give you an idea of how high up I was...



Zip lines are so freaking fun!



Climbing down towards the end.



Finally, me on the same bridge as in 2006. This time, 70 lbs lighter and 100% geekier in a climbing harness.

Nike+ nano = fun

I had that much of an awesome birthday that it's taken me until today to get time to take a photo of my prezzies. Pictured are the following:

• Red iPod Nano (8GB), given to me by Mr. Trim.
• Nike+ sportkit, given to me by Mama Trim.
• Armband and sensor pouch, also given to me by Mama Trim.

I have been dying to try the Nike+ kit ever since I heard about it. Trouble was, I didn't have a Nano to go with it. So I pined. And I petted the iPod display case whenever we went to Future Shop. And I pined some more.

I guess Mr. Trim couldn't take the hints anymore so he bought me this gorgeous Nano. It even has my name engraved on the back! Mama Trim gave me money, so I used it to buy the kit and the accessories. I also splurged and bought a Nike Original Run mix from iTunes.

Last night I tried out the whole kit and kaboodle and let me tell you, I felt like an honest-to-goodness athlete. I had my Nike cap on, an iPod strapped to my arm, the Nike+ dude telling me how fast I was going, and the Crystal Method pumping in my veins. I was an utter goddess of running. Until I started to strut my stuff during my walk interval and pulled something the wrong way. Ouch! Nothing like reality to pull you back down to earth, lol!

Below is my first run, as pictured on the Nike+ homepage (don't ask me about the dip at the end, I was legging it, honest!). The website is really nifty as is the Nike+. I absolutely love my new gifts. Thanks Mr. Trim and Mama Trim! I puffy heart you both!

Video Bootcamp

I was really wanting a bootcamp-style workout today but without an instructor, I'm pretty useless at thinking of things myself. So I thought it'd be fun if I mixed and matched sections of my favourite exercise videos.

Here's what I did:

• Walk Away the Pounds – 1 Mile
  
• Turbo Jam – Learn & Burn
• Biggest Loser – Cardio Max, Levels 1 and 2
  
• Walk Slim – Fast Start, 2 Miles

Once I finished each DVD, I skipped the cool-down and moved on to the next. On the last DVD, I completed the cool-down and did a full-body stretch on my own. By the time I was finished, I was surprised to find that I had worked out for 2 hours and burned over 600 calories!

All in all, "video bootcamp" was a fun experiment and a good workout. I'll be trying it again, but maybe not for so long, hehe.

Ran the 10k :)

I did it! I ran the 10k in an hour and five minutes. I met and exceeded my New Year's goal and set my fastest time ever doing the 10k. Whoohoo!

I never thought I'd be able to run so far. A year ago I got sweaty just thinking about walking a couple of blocks. In fact, last year I did the 10k in 2 hours by walking. I'm pretty pleased with the improvement! Maybe next year I'll get in under an hour?

When the official pictures are published, I'll see if mine is nice enough to post. I was going full-tilt at the end so I imagine my "race face" might be a little embarrassing, hehe :)

Sixty-third Weigh-in

It's amazing how much more relaxed I've become these days about the scale. I'm down .2 lbs and am perfectly happy with it. 62 lbs lost is a nice even number. I like even numbers!

At the meeting today we talked about getting more active. The excuses, the benefits, and why it's not only good for weight loss but good for our bodies in general. I don't normally talk a lot in the meeting, but since this is near and dear to my heart, I was a regular motor mouth!

I can't sing the praises of exercise enough. Yes, I still have to convince myself to go out some days. But I'm in the best shape of my life. Even better than when I was a skinny teenager.

When I walk, I feel the joy of movement, the muscles in my legs, the easy beating of my heart. The number on the scale means nothing compared to the feeling I get from enjoying the gifts my body has given me.

I can feel the wind go by when I run. It feels good. It feels fast.”
– Evelyn Ashford, Olympic Champion

Birds of a feather run together

I'll give you three guesses as to who won the Crazy Sock competition at the running clinic tonight :)

Okay, so what if my team and I were the only ones who actually wore crazy socks. If there had been other people who entered, we still would've won. I mean, c'mon. I'm sporting knee feathers. Knee feathers! You can't get much crazier than that.

Or silly for that matter. We did our training run wearing our socks. I didn't notice, but apparently we were getting all sorts of looks from people. And here I thought everyone was just admiring our running posture.

For our delightfully awesome footwear, we each won a water bottle. Awesome! Who says running can't be fun?

Bootcamp: The End?

I did it! Bootcamp is now over and I survived all 10 weeks. I only missed two classes, too.

In two and a half months I have transformed myself. My cardiovascular endurance has never been better. I have definition in my arms - I even have hollows forming in my arm pits (I keep flexing in front of the mirror and poking them). I can feel muscles in my legs and in my stomach.

I can do pushups, tricep dips, crunches, and weights. I can run and not be out of breath. I can skip rope, balance on wobble boards, crawl around in the grass, get muddy and wet, and not even blink an eye.

Not only that, but I have so much more confidence in myself and in my body. I never knew I had it within me to meet such demanding challenges head on and overcome them night after night. I wanted to quit so many times, but I refused to give in. And now I'm stronger and prouder than ever. I would not give up any of the cold, wet, icy, exhausting evenings I went through for anything.

I've gained so much out of this experience, that I've signed up for another round. This time, only once a week, starting in April. As much as I want to go twice a week, the running clinic is now taking precedence so that I can meet another of my New Year's goals.

This is the last entry in my Bootcamp diary. However, before I close the book on it, I have one last "Play Along at Home" challenge for you. I hope you'll give it a try :)

Play Along at Home: Investigate Bootcamps in your area. If you have the money and the time, sign up for one. It's tough but if you persevere, the reward is beyond measure. Have fun, tone up, and surprise yourself!

Bootcamp: Day 20

Tonight was the last night for Bootcamp. I can hardly believe it's over. Fortunately, it was an absolutely gorgeous evening and I don't think it could've ended any better.

Again, we did circuit training but with entirely different exercises. I feel kinda guilty about it. I encouraged our instructor to do another circuit class because Mr. Trim has thus far been deprived of the experience. Hehe. Okay, I don't really feel guilty!

Compared with Tuesday night, this circuit training was a breeze. We ran up and down a small hill for the cardio which was a lot easier than skipping around in circles. The actual stations were pretty good; only a few we hadn't done before. Mr. Trim and I were both hurting towards the end, but we made it!

Duration: 01:16, Calories: 488, HR Average: 68%

Bootcamp: Day 19

Tonight was circuit training. Like the last time we did it, it was hard and it was challenging. We had to jump rope around a basketball court twice in between each station. Ye gads, skipping just kills me. In fact, I slowed down at each station so that I could catch my breath for the next go-round the court.

Even still, I did notice an improvement. Unlike last time (which seemed nigh on impossible), this time I could complete the reps with reasonably good form.

Duration: 01:20, Calories: 522, HR Average: 69%

Bootcamp: Day 18

I really slacked off in writing up these last few bootcamps. Sorry that this one is late, too. (Though I'm not sure anyone reads these anyways!)

Tonight's Bootcamp was another field trip. We went out under a cool, damp spring evening to a nearby lake. We power-walked to warm up and then ran the rest of the way to the lake. Once there, we had to zig-zag up and down along a bank. Next, we did resistance training with picnic tables. Tricep dips are a killer but I can actually last through a set now.

We ran back and did a nice long Yoga cool-down. Rain started plipping down as we were rolling up our mats. Yet another beautiful and refreshing evening.

Duration: 01:13, Calories: 487, HR Average: 70%

Bootcamp: Day 17

It was a beautiful day today. The sun was shining and because of the time change on Sunday, we actually got to work out in it. It was a novel experience. Up until now, I've always associated Bootcamp with the cold and the dark.

As the weeks have passed, participants have come and gone, but mostly gone. We were down to five tonight, including me.

To warm up, we had to run back and forth between two stations and jump rope. There was a bit of a race at the end between me and one of the guys. He beat me at the last second when I messed up on the last repetition, hehe. Ah well, it was all in good fun.

We went for a run as usual. It was so nice to be running in the sunshine. It felt like winter was making way for spring.

The rest of the evening was spent focusing on upper body work and using the wobble boards. Speaking of which, something happened that has never happened before. All of us were on the wobble boards, doing squats, when suddenly everyone realized (all at once) that we weren't sucking at it.

Normally when we're on wobble boards, there's lots of scraping sounds as the edges grind against the pavement. If you're proficient at it, the edge doesn't scrape. Needless to say, that rarely happens. But there we were, squatting, and doing tricep curls with weights, without making a noise. Somehow, all of us had found an inner well of balance. It was so awesome, it was kinda creepy.

When it was time to cool down, we did it outside under the darkening sky. As we stretched, cold air fell down all around us. It was literally flowing down from the sky. Together with the moon, it was very peaceful. I left feeling more refreshed than I had in weeks. I'm starting to feel sad that Bootcamp is coming to an end.

Play Along at Home: Wobble boards aren't just for standing on. Try using it as a platform to do push-ups on. Alternatively, assume the plank position and press on one side and then the other. It really works your core!

Duration: 01:14, Calories: 505, HR Average: 71%

Bootcamp: Day 16

Considering Tuesday's Bootcamp, this one wasn't all that memorable. There was some spicy girl talk as is wont to happen when there's no guys around. But the exercises were pretty much the same.

To warm up, we had to throw our exercise balls against the wall really hard. I enjoyed this more than I should have. I was really whipping it because the instructor said we could imagine "anyone we wanted" standing against the wall. So what if maybe a client or two kept popping into my head? ;)

After that, we went on another field trip to the playground again. This time, we were only there to do some laps around it - backwards (that isn't a typo). Running backwards is a lot harder than it sounds because it works different muscles. After one lap, my shins were screaming at me to stop. So I walked backwards for the rest of it instead of running.

After the playground trip, we went back to base for more mat work. It was a duplicate workout from one of the earliest Bootcamps, so it wasn't all that new and exciting. But, as the instructor said, without duplication, you won't strengthen the muscles.

I can't believe there's only two weeks left. Time flies when you're in pain having fun.

Play Along at Home: Mix it up and walk (or run) backwards for a stretch. Also try walking up a hill sideways, switching the leading leg about half-way through so that you work both sides of your body.

Duration: 01:15, Calories: 475, HR Average: 68%

Bootcamp: Day 15

Again, because I'm writing this a week after the fact, my memory is a bit fuzzy on this one. It's funny how quickly the memory of pain and suffering leaves your brain so quickly.

We went on a long endurance run for starters. Normally, we go on relatively quick ones. But for this evening at least, we had to run and run some more. I calculated it later at 2.5 kilometers.

When we came back, it was to do some crawling around in the grass with weights. Holding our weights, we had to assume the plank position and then "walk" ourselves in that position with our hands and legs along a length of grass. The instructor "helpfully" lent me bigger weights so that I wouldn't squoosh my hands. Gee, thanks.

We also had to do some crab walking with a 10 lb ball weight in our laps. And then there was doing the wheelbarrow with a partner (man, was that hard). Followed with more exercises involving our exercise balls and mats.

But the best part of the evening came at the end. The instructor had a big pair of homemade dice. One die had exercise types on it and the other had repetitions. When both were tossed, you had to do the given exercise for X amount of repetitions. And, if that wasn't enough, if you were finished first, you had to get up and run to the end of the parking lot and back again. We did four rounds of this and it was fun and exhausting at the same time. I even managed to do 30 push-ups in one go!

At the end of the evening I smelled like grass and my bum was covered in mud. Bootcamp is fun, really it is!

Play Along at Home: Go for a longer run or walk than you would normally do. You'll build up endurance. Bonus points if you come home smelling like nature.

Duration: 01:23, Calories: 612, HR Average: 74%

Bootcamp: Day 13

I'm afraid this one will be a little short because I'm writing it a few weeks after the fact and my memory is a little fuzzy!

Tonight we went on another field-trip, this time to a local playground. We brought along resistance cords which the instructor had us loop around miscellaneous bits of playground equipment to do upper body strengthening exercises. I used to think playgrounds were fun places, haha!

The rest of the evening was a blur, but I do remember one thing rather distinctly. While we were doing pushups on a balance beam, one of the ladies asked if anyone had lost weight due to Bootcamp. One of the guys spoke up and said that he had lost 6 lbs. I don't even know his name, but I gotta tell you that when I heard him say that, I was super impressed.

Yes, guys tend to lose weight more easily than women. But, this particular fellow seems to be on a journey of his own. He's slightly overweight and he struggles every single week during Bootcamp. There were times when I thought he'd pass out. But, he always works through it and keeps coming back, giving it his all every time. It's truly impressive.

Nameless Guy at Bootcamp: you rock. I salute you!

Play Along at Home: Try adding some resistance band training into your regime. I found a video on YouTube showing one of the moves we did this evening at about the 1:10 mark. For bonus points, do it outside at a playground using a swing set pole. Extra super bonus points if you can do it without kids asking you what you're doing.

Duration: 01:17, Calories: 554, HR Average: 73%

It's time for the hottest party

I bought Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party for the Wii last week and finally had a chance to really play it. I strapped on my heart rate monitor so that I'd know just how much I sweated during it. Sooner than you can say "Down, down, right," I'd burned 200 calories. Well, okay, it took almost an hour, but because I was having so much fun, it didn't seem like it.

If you're wondering what on earth I'm talking about, DDR is a dancing/rhythm game where you have to step on a special mat. The mat is divided into four arrows (up, down, left, right) and plugs into your console. You step on the arrows in time to the music and action onscreen. It's very fun, very addictive, and a lot harder than it looks.

Fortunately, you don't have to be all that coordinated to have fun and earn some activity points. That's not to say it doesn't help of course. Mr. Trim has been laughing at me non-stop and finds it equally amusing when I earn a "D" and do a little victory dance.

Highly recommended as the most fun "exercise" doodad you'll ever have. DDR is currently available for the Wii and the Playstation.

Duration: 0:53, Calories: 203, HR Average: 54%

Bootcamp: Day 12

I was on my own tonight as Mr. Trim was still recovering from having all four wisdom teeth out. I didn't really want to go as work had been so stressful, but I knew I needed to. I was half hoping we'd do another round of ball kicking like on Tuesday so I could work out some frustration, hehe.

Instead, we did another fun warm-up game (I love these games) in an unused outdoor basketball court. Our instructor had laid down pieces of rope in a winding path. We had to walk along the rope, doing whatever she was doing up at the front of the line. So, lots of jumping, arm raises, skipping, etc.

Next we went for the run/walk. This time, I decided that by gum I was going to walk it. I'd been running every single night of the week and I was darned if I'd guilt myself into running more. I needn't have worried. Another participant guilted me into it. I'd been doing a great power walk when the girl ahead of me turned around and told me to keep up. What???

So, I mentally stuck my tongue out at her and started running. I passed her, all the other walkers, and caught up with the two other runners. And I kept with the runners for the rest of the run. Thbbbbbpt! Sometimes I think life would be easier if I weren't such a bull-headed Taurus, hee!

We also did something new with the wobble boards. We were each given a pair of boards. You stood on one and then placed the other one on the ground off to the side. Then you had to step over to the new board, stop, squat down and reach back to pick up the one you just stepped off of. Rinse and repeat for the length of a basketball court. There was a lot of giggling during this one.

The remainder of the class went by relatively quick (but not easy, again I was paired up with the instructor). At one point the subject of smoking body parts came up. Our instructor bemoaned the fact that the first place she starts steaming in cold weather is from her pelvic area. As it was a class of all women, that set off a lot of jokes about smoking crotches. Too funny!

Play Along at Home: If you can find one, try out a wobble board (also known as a balance board). They're deceptively simple looking but try doing a squat on one! Some beginner exercises can be found here and here.

Duration: 01:18, Calories: 542, HR Average: 72%

Bootcamp: Day 11

We started the night with a warm-up as usual, but the game was different. We had to do whatever the instructor said (don't we always?) kinda like Simon Says, but really fast. Run in one spot really fast, run sideways really fast, turn around in a circle really fast, turn the other way really fast, and so on. It was a lot of fun, but really dizzy, too!

The rest of the evening was pretty much par for the course. The only thing that really stands out for me was when we had to partner up and I got stuck with our instructor. You had to rest your elbows on your exercise ball while holding a knee plank position with the rest of your body. Then your partner kicks the crap out of the ball all while you try to hold the pose.

I got more than a few sympathetic looks and groans as our instructor is all leg muscle and man can she kick! I fell off the ball twice but I aimed to give as good as I got, so when it was my turn, I kicked like crazy. I wish I could say that I managed to get the ball away from her, but I can't. I was huffing and puffing and smacking that ball while she was leisurely holding on, looking at her stopwatch and yelling at everyone else to keep going. LOL. What a woman!

Play Along at Home: As part of your post-workout stretching routine, try something new - the Child's Pose. It's very relaxing and feels good for your lower back.

Duration: 01:17, Calories: 620, HR Average: 77%