Day 104

Well my challenge is officially over :) I've learned lots. I like exercising consistently, that is key for me. Weight lifting is very good for my overall firmness and my running. I can be active every day for an hour and it helps keep me in a good mood. When I exercise I am more apt to make continual healthy choices for the rest of the day. I went 104 days because my challenge was to work out 100 days in a row, but there were three days in there somewhere that I just couldn't make it happen. One I was too sick, one was a 12 hour work day, and one was a day after my long run coupled with a nasty spring cold. The best part of the whole challenge is that I have the daily habit of going to the gym, which is one habit that I am going to keep up with. I just keep an extra pair of shoes and gym clothes in my car so I have the option of working out. I tried out a few different gyms (drop in) when I was in other towns and on holidays. I am able to negotiate daily living without it tiring me out like it used too. Right now moving forward I am going to concentrate on my running training, my long run is up to 17 km. I'll get to do some hiking in Jasper next week :) and get a run in as well. Overall I am very happy with my challenge and quite proud of myself. Power on folks!!

Monday March 34 Day 72

Monday March 24 Day 72

I've had a couple of really good runs lately. I HATE FARTLEKS, but they work. So does cross training apparently. I am really happy with the power in my legs and the fatigue that I experience post run is starting to falter. Yesterday I had a 14 km run outside, I waited until after the snow stopped. Unfortunately my initial hope of better weather has been dashed, but it is nice to see the bright sun when it pops its head out!

Val Kuzmic has started a running club in Edson, we have the Muskeg Flyers, but they are a fairly established crew and maybe a little intimidating? I don't know but this group is mostly newbie runners (I think) so a nice source of inspiration! They are called the Edson Runners. Changing up some of the routines at the gym today we did 50's, which is Jumping Jacks, Crunches, Squats, pushups and you do 50 of each, then 40, then 30, 20 and 10. So after the long run I'm just putzing around this afternoon.

I've been receiving some unsolicited advice lately, which is interesting. It's like people can see I'm working hard but I don't fit into the skinny category and I think everyone is trying to be "helpful". One person suggested that I will run faster once I lose weight. (Duh) One person suggested that I go for a nutritional consultation (I meet with a food counselor once every two weeks and follow a food plan). I am sure there are various methods to accomplish a fitness goal but it is intimidating and annoying when individuals make assumptions concerning my approach. I'm sure I do this too unfortunately so I will be sure to quell my advice and curb any assumptions!

Before I went on my run I was simply exhausted. It had been a long week and I was in and out of the city, long drive, early mornings, hotel beds, and some restless nights. My son is very active and plays many sports so I asked him how he gets motivated when he doesn't feel like it. And he suggested the most important thing was just to get started and then the motivation follows. I think that's true. Sometimes (actually most times) I don't feel all that excited to get to the gym, but once I'm there I sort of slide into a routine. The same was true of my run. I just didn't want to do it, but once I got started I was surprised how strong I felt, and my pace was my half marathon pace, and that kept me motivated to keep it up, once I hit halfway I knew I was home free, the rest was quite literally downhill!!

So here are some pictures of beautiful curvy women in fitness clothes:

March 19 - Day 65

It's been a while almost 3 weeks. I am sort of in that spring break up mode. Starting to get outside with more runs and still committed to the workouts everyday, today my motivation is low. I have been increasing my long runs by one km every weekend, and am looking forward to a 14km this weekend. My whole body is tired and I forget about this feeling every spring when I start to train. As a result I become cranky like the dog when I kick him at night he growls and jumps off the bed. I know that I just have to work through this training tiredness until I get used to it again, and I know my body will respond. So I am eating to fuel myself, last year I added more whole grains and legumes to my diet that really helped, I am also adding extra protein it too. Fingers crossed looks like I am through the cold and flu season, and my body seems healthy in that aspect!!

I am also going to switch to tea in the afternoon. I have some matcha, green tea, Yerba matte, and chai teas that I love. Maybe the antioxidants will give me a boost!! I think the key here is just to stick with it. Sometimes I forget why I am doing this training, and I remember running the 5km in Montana one year with my family and my husband was so sore the next day he really felt it on the stairs, and he asked if I was sore? and I wasn't because of the training. So I know with a few events to look forward too I will be happy I logged the time and effort. On a surprising note, the crosstraining, or the Jacobs ladder, or something, is really helping me with my hills. I had a particular hilly run on the weekend and was pleasantly surprised by the power in my body both with strength and aerobically, my lungs were good, I didn't get that feeling like my lungs were bleading. So I have to make the gym more exciting again. Power on folks!!

Day 34 to Day 43 Brings me to Feb 25, 2014 (getting close to halfway)

Day 34 to Day 43 Brings me to Feb 25, 2014 (getting close to halfway)


It's been 10 days since my last blog ;o

I have been fighting a cold and feeling like I'm losing the battle. It has sucked my energy but somehow I've managed to stick with my hour of exercise, although sometimes it is an hour of restorative yoga. Even this has been a learning experience. I am often surprised how horrible I feel in the morning and after dragging myself to the gym how much better I feel even if its just an hour of walking. I would love to have some spring weather to look forward to, but even the brighter mornings are helping. I am so glad that my routine is firmly established and that I have a workout partner, otherwise there would have been several mornings that I would not have made it to the gym. I'm also surprised that on a day I wouldn't normally go to the gym because of my cold, how often I can actually get a decent workout in. Not always, but most days are fairly productive. I think working out with a cold is OK, but if I was throwing up I don't think I could work out. So I haven't been feeling quite that bad. I would say I have a nasty cold, but not a flu.

I also eat more when I have a bad cold. I know that sounds weird, but frozen yogurt makes me feel better, so does chips and pop. Not exactly quality nutrition. My defences are down when I am not feeling 100% so I have to be careful.

On the upside, the gym has some new equipment in. This has freed up some of my favorite exercise machines (the elliptical) and today I walk/run on one of the new treadmills. The only thing I don't like is that the treadmills look out the window, and not towards the TV. I will have to download some magazines onto my ipad for reading. I have been using an app called "full fitness" at the gym at it has great application for weightlifting, programs and stretches.

This blog is just for my own personal reflection on this journey and to track my progress through my challenge, so I am surprised that I have so many viewers, but seriously if I can do it, you can do it too!

I have a couple of things that I do for gym cardio that might work for you too:

Cycling: I go to youtube, and download "spin class" and do the GCN spin class here is a 60 minute version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFbjsRvjF-A

I also used "yoga studio" an iphone/ipad app on my phone, when I just couldn't drag myself to the gym, it has great yoga from 10 minutes to 60 minutes. Be aware that there is no "beginner" 60 minute yoga, so I did the intermediate yoga, and it is harder than it looks!

I also did a 60 minutes of zumba one day, and did 50 minutes from one video, and 10 minutes of another called "latin dance"

Day 32 and Day 33, Friday Feb 14, 2014, and Saturday Feb 15, 2014

Day 32 and Day 33, Friday Feb 14, 2014, and Saturday Feb 15, 2014


Today I am 1/3 through my challenge. I didn't even realize that until I wrote down the days. What a nice Valentines gift to myself! I was at the gym Friday and did arms and abs. I did mostly "pull" muscles, so I did tricep pull downs, lat machine pulls, free weight pulls, and alternated with ab exercises.

Saturday was a beautiful day -10 (Must be a Canadian, when a beautiful day is -10 degrees Celsius!) I finally got to do my long run outside. I am way ahead of my training program, so I am concentrating on mileage and not so much on speed or tempo, which is a good thing, because my pace is really slow right now. I like to plan my long runs so that for the most part I am running from start point to midway and back. I don't like to do loops otherwise I could see myself cutting my running short. If I am 6 kilometers away from my car at halfway, I have no choice but to run back! LOL.

The first thing I usually do is pick a route, I use "map my run" on the computer and find it is very accurate. Also it tracks other runners routes, so you can use someone else's route for fun. I don't like to carry water so I drive my route first, which also gives me an idea how busy the road are and if there are any issues with traffic etc, and I drop off water along my route. That way I don't have to carry water with me. I always lotion up my feet well, hydrate with water, have at least 2 coffee, supplements, and breakfast. Then I turn up my Nike app and go. I don't know if I can explain to you what goes through your mind when you are running for almost 2 hours. I always start off with everything bothering me for the first two miles, my socks itch, my bra is irritating, my bula is twisted, my earphones aren't staying in, everything hurts. Then after about 3 km my body hits a pace and it's like "well if this is what we are doing today, I'm in" and after that I kinda get with the program. I go through times when I feel like I can't go another step, to feeling like I won't ever stop. After about 5 kilometers, I finally look up and around, and that is usually my first "bliss" moment. I realize how beautiful it is outside, how good the music is, how great my body feels and I usually get my first water break.  I alternate between feeling good and bad all through my run, until I have about 5km left to go. Then it seems easy, like I have done 5km so many times, that is all I have left?

There are two facets to any good training program. 1. Mental preparedness and 2. Physical preparedness. Physical in my case is broken down into mileage. I have to follow a training program and know on race day that I can (and have) run that mileage. Mental preparedness is following the physical program. I say that in the only way I know how, what I mean is that when I am running, sometimes my mind thinks I can't go another step, and somehow my body does it anyway, and sometimes physically I am so tired or sore, and don't think I can go another step and somehow I  think my way through it. Either way from talking to lots of runners every one does it there own way. You need to use the training program that gets you there on race day. If that is your goal.

Have a GREAT day!

Day 30 and 31, Wednesday Feb 12 and Thursday Feb 13

Day 30 and 31, Wednesday Feb 12 and Thursday Feb 13

Wednesday was major leg day. I have to do it mid week because my legs are sore from running on the weekend. In fact I know that during training, a lot of runners do not weight train their legs, but I would rather weight train than do hill training, which doesn't mean I won't do any hill training, I just will do both. My leg day is filled with squats (weighted), machine extensions, lunges (weighted), I don't even know what the one machine is called, and dead lifts. I alternated with abs, and did a 20 minute warm up on the elliptical.

So Thursday was technically a "rest" day, so light exercise day on my challenge. I did a 1 hour walk in Edmonton at the West Edmonton Mall. I made it around top floor, once and bottom floor twice. I noticed a couple things about this choice today. The mall is full of scents mostly perfume and food court smells, the cookies by George is almost overwhelming. The mall is also hard to walk as fast as I would like because I get caught behind families, and shoppers. The mall is distracting because there is so much to look at. But I got my exercise in, and then I did the mall once more because I had my shopping to do! and the upside to all that is you get easy access to bathrooms, coffee, and Yogun Fruz!

Cold weekend blues Feb 08-11 Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues days 26/27/28/29 of a 100

Cold weekend blues Feb 08-11 Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues days 26/27/28/29 of a 100

I don't know where day 5 blog went, its a long way back and I spent time on writing it but it got lost in South Carolina. But we are in the cold cold north. Not regular cold, -33 cold, like can't breath outside without a bula cold. And that is centigrade not Fahrenheit. So that is like -to damn cold in Fahrenheit . I saw runners out there (disbelief) and they didn't look to happy. As a singer I don't run in -15 it makes my throat raw and I end up with a cough and can't sing.

Over one quarter of my challenge. It is working into a habit which is a relief. I am going to re blog day five which didn't make it out there but goes over my reasoning for the challenge, and talk a bit about my running which deserves some mention.

Why a 100 day challenge, and why an hour every day? Before the challenge I was signed up for courses and running sporadically. I thought I was running more, but according to my Nike app I was not. So I wanted CONSISTENCY which I was lacking. Also my schedule can be a bit wonky some days I work all day and then go for stretches at home, and because I am in the entertainment industry I also work weekends, which are times for long runs but the two often conflicted, I couldn't always make my classes because I travel to Edmonton and Jasper. So I wanted to ELIMINATE THE EXCUSES. I figured if I really tried I could fit in exercise every day. Also I have a fairly sedentary lifestyle, other than my hour of exercise I mainly sit and create. I also struggle with depression, and I believe I need to treat it to beat it, so every day exercise is important in MAINTAINING SELF CARE for myself.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression-and-exercise/art-20046495

I am also "pre-diabetic" so I need exercise to help COMBAT BECOMING DIABETIC and relying on insulin. I also overweight, and wanted consistent exercise to help me with my WEIGHT LOSS goal plan. I also WANTED TO BE STRONGER so I have added weight training into my regimen. I also wanted exercise to be a habit and not be a struggle, or something I do occasionally. I want to have MORE ENERGY throughout my day. I have and always will be a busy person, and I want to make sure that moving forward that I can at least say I am now giving it my best shot at leading a healthy active lifestyle and that will help me as I age. My ultimate goal is to be able to wear anything I want without being self conscious, indulge in treats occasionally without guilt, and to be able to do any physical challenge I want without worry.

So I am well into my challenge over 25%. What have I noticed so far?

• I am more energetic after a workout
• I appreciate naps
• I am exhausted in the evenings
• I have to eat better all the time
• I have cut down on drinking alchohol
• my mileage for running is way up (Nov 8.49 km/Dec 5.19 km/Jan 52.4 km)
• I am running stronger, I don't feel "exhausted after a 1/2 hour"
• I am feeling more confident, therefore I am happier
• I am having a harder time sleeping in
• I am more energetic throughout the day
• I am drinking way more water and coffee
• I am enjoying the company of my workout partner
• I am inspired by the people around me
• I am grateful for my body for allowing me to do this

Running this weekend: I hate the treadmill, I can only run a max of 1 hour and that is what I did Saturday , I tried the track at Whitecourt on Sunday, it wasn't much better. Those are the options I have right now, so I am glad that I do have options, I just love the outdoors so much, and miss the scenery, fresh air, sunlight, and company of my dog skip. I have no idea what my running strategy is this weekend. I just hope it warms up a bit.

A Week Worth! Day 22 to 26 Monday to Friday Feb 03 to Feb 07, 2014

A Week Worth! Day 22 to 26 Monday to Friday Feb 03 to Feb 07, 2014

"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character"

I cried when the Canadian Olympians came out on the Olympics today. Such a National Pride moment. It's hard not to think of the athletes that our Country produces for the winter Olympics :)

This week was so cold outside that it hurt to breathe during my walk on Sunday. As a  result I have spent a solid week at the gym. I'm not going to break down the week into days and activities, but give a general idea about how my week was spent.

January seemed all about getting that hour in, establishing routines, figuring out my plan and getting organized. February on the other hand seems, at least so far, about going hard. It's like I want to see how much I can get done in an hour. I'm lifting heavier, so my days are breaking down into leg day, back and biceps day, shoulders and abs, cardio day, arms and abs and the weekend for running. I don't have that same exhaustion that I was dealing with in January, so either I'm getting normalized with the activity or the supplements are working, or I'm eating better. All three I'm guessing. I also had a fairly easy week with work mostly working from home and no travel. That makes this much easier to manage.

I read an interesting article about an Olympian today and her journey to a gold. It is interesting to note that most successful athletes always talk about someone in their journey who was a better athlete and more talented. So how come they wouldn't be at the Olympics? Somewhere along the line the going gets boring. An Olympic athlete trains for an average of six hours a day. SIX HOURS! and it get boring. The mental tenacity it takes is huge. Some people don't have the mental goods to make it all the way. Talent and Athleticism is not enough. Dorothy Hamill mentioned that she constantly had to remind herself why she was doing what she was doing in those moments that become rote. She had a huge love of skating and that love of what she was doing kept her going. It is interesting to note that when athletes of Olympic caliber quit competing, they often quit training in their sport. They no longer enjoy the sport for fun.

So this month I am going to remember to have some fun! I do enjoy the company, surroundings, exercise and running that I am doing so I hope it never becomes "work", but don't confuse that with working hard!! I am having fun seeing how far I can go!!

New Month and 1/5th the way through my challenge! Day 20 (Friday, Jan 31) & 21 (Sat Feb 01)

LOL, yesterday was a challenge getting out of bed. I actually woke up when I was supposed to be leaving, I had to text my gym partner for a bye. I did go to the gym but much much later than I usually do. Then I had a funny experience>

I was very tired, so I didn't want to "think" about my workout too much, so I decided to do a full hour on the elliptical, picked a program, grabbed a few magazines, started working out. Have you ever watched that video on facebook about inappropriate gym goers? Well there is the "singer" and that is who I had beside me after about 10 minutes into my program. He was an older guy with the big Bluetooth headphones. It was kind of funny at first, and then I realized after about another 10 minutes he was doing a cardio day :( Most guys get on the elliptical for 15 minutes (if that) then go lift weights. This guy decided to camp in beside me. He started off "ooing" and singing out the occasional word, then amped it up into sing full verses. Full voice. It was really annoying. It was the only time I wished (badly) that I hadn't forgot my headphones. So note to self, buy a pair of headphones to leave in the gym bag. Besides he was a bad singer.

Today was my long run day, and I did 10km. I also need to remember on my run: Kleenex, and my bula. It looks sunny out there, but I need something to cover my ears, that wind was deadly today. I'm not sure what other things you need out there when you are running but I do need to plan a little when I get up in mileage. I drive my route and drop off water, (I HATE) carrying water, I make sure I wear my good smart wool socks and I have a great lotion I wear on my feet, ever hear of Mary Kay extra emollient lotion? it is like the best smelling lotion and I have used it on my feet for years and never get blisters. I also use coconut oil on my face, just keeps it from getting chafed by the wind and works as a mild sunscreen. I also put peppermint oil on the back of my hand, and I when I need a little boost I take a good whif, a little aromatherapy! Let me know your tricks and tips for running, we all have them :)

Day 18 & 19

Day 18 Skiing at Marmot. Wednesday January 29, 2014
Really as far as exercise this is almost a gimmie, it's right up there with cycling in Jasper, or hiking. I have such a good time it doesn't seem like a workout, until the next day.

I would never consider myself either athletic or an athlete, and I suck at most sports. However I am a good skier and actually have won medals and trophies, I have both (and pictures) to prove it. Of course that was when I was much, much younger, but is really the only sport I was ever very good at. After I broke my shoulder mountain biking in Hinton, I wasn't sure if I would ever ski again. I had two surgeries that year, and was in bad shape and so scared of falling, the first time I went skiing I only made it a couple times in the morning. I am glad I kept at it, because I feel like I'm skiing better than I have in a long time and it is still my favorite exercise. Now I'm talking about downhill skiing. My day goes something like this: get to the hill at 9ish, ski till noon. Take an hour recovering. Ski from 1-2:30ish, take a half hour coffee/beer break. Ski the last hour. I was in bed by about 8:30.

Day 19 back at the Gym (Thursday January 30, 2014)

did Abs and legs today :(
I was so tired from yesterday I was just a whiner. I was glad when I was done! We did lots of abs using your entire legs as weights. Whew. I'll feel all that later.

Day 17 Tuesday January 28, 2014

Still feels weird to write 2014. Tuesdays are still a little bittersweet, I've done the same workout class for almost 2 years, so now I see all the girls go in and I feel like I should be too. I am still very happy with the decision to shake things up, and my workout partner is solid, but change even when wanted can be a hard thing.

We did a mini boot camp "44" so reps of jumping jacks, squats, crunches and pushups. Then cardio on the elliptical for 30 minutes.

I love running, and can't wait to break out my bike, I have learned to love spin, but my favorite cardio machine is still the elliptical, but only when I use a program. There is no way I am ever going to jack up the tension unless it is being done for me!

My favorite form of cardio outside is still downhill skiing. Then cycling, then running. I actually have all my badges in swimming too and am a fish in the water.

My hair is in a dangerous cycle of being in a forever pony tail! I actually go three days without washing my hair. Gross right? I do use a dry shampoo, but my favorite is still a good baby powder brush through.

Yesterday I went through all my gym clothes, threw away a few stained, gross, ripped things and put everything else in a plastic drawer system sorted the drawers with socks/tanks/shirts/shorts & skorts/long pants, and a basket with bras on top. That way I am not fumbling for stuff in the morning, and its not mixed in with my regular clothes. I have tons of workout gear/clothes so I can go a whole week and just do a big load on the weekend, otherwise I am inundated with laundry all week. I have one drawer dedicated to ski stuff and running clothes.

This is me and my workout partner!! LOL

Day 14/15/16

Day 14
I started an early day in Edmonton, so I took advantage of the beautiful sunshine and went for a run after my meeting. I have been dealing with exhaustion, I am ready for bed at 9:00!! I have planned my meals and snacks as nutrient dense as possible! No empty calories for me. Hope it helps.

Day 15

Well today was one of those days that I didn't want to exercise. It happens. I'm tired, it's Friday and I just wasn't very motivated. I finally forced myself outside at 4:00 and went for a really nice walk for an hour. Felt good to stretch out my legs and my back. Still tired but at least I got that out of the way.

Day 16

Today was my first "long" run although 8 km doesn't se that long. But I paved myself, timed myself and was happy with my run. And I was COLD, that sun was deceiving in fact after the first 2 km I wasn't sure if I could make it, but I did warm up! Thank goodness! I've been walking and running lots   And usually don't get much except a few all blisters when I up my mileage. My favorite "blister treatment"
Is the first aid dr. OZ treatment. Always works for me. I've started supplementing with coconut oil in the hopes of a little more energy. The healthy eating is working great and I feel more energetic, back to the gym tomorrow( Monday).

Day 11/12/13 100/100

Day 11
I think I will send my blogs out every 3-4 days. That way I don't feel obligated to publish a blog every day. After all it is the exercise that is paramount. I do find the act of journaling my progress quite cathartic, and I can see the benefits of journaling as a daily practice. Although during this process I am only blogging about 1/10 of my day, it is still an interesting experience to look back and reflect on my exercise.

Today it was a relief to be back at the gym. I love the freedom of deciding what to do from day to day, but I like the familiarity of a place, program and workout partner. Some days it is just a challenge to get moving, and the gym cleans away the clutter, and reminds me that the only reason I am there is to workout. There are usually no distractions and most people there are fairly focused. I am glad we go early, our workout dragged on a little this morning and I noticed that it started to get busier, and my anxiety level went up!

Also on days I workout on my own I tend to do my exercise later in the day, and I love the early workouts that let me get on with my life. I always feel like I have at least accomplished that goal for the day and everything else seems to be easier.

I have a nagging back ache, so I am assuming my core needs work. Usually a back ache signals the fact that I need new shoes, but my shoes are good right now, so maybe just a lot of walking/running. Tommorow I am going to do a hardcore spin at the gym and see how that works, I have a video on my phone.

I am organizing my workout gear a little today, the travelling has left me with gear everywhere. I usually have a kit of workout stuff in my car (yoga pants, tshirt, socks and shoes) and that just stays there. It serves as an emergency "to go" bag if I am stranded in either Jasper or Edmonton which rarely happens, and also gives me an option if I want to work out on the fly.

I am organizing all my running gear in one space (by the front door) and put up a chain of clips that I can put my gloves, bula, hat, running lights, spikes etc.

I have a bag with all my swimming gear, bathing suit, towel, large toothed comb, swim pass hanging in the same area.

I am also going to keep my gym bag in the car. I bought some white towels that are (somewhere?) just for the gym, I have a glass bottle that I fill with tap water, and my inside shoes. I need to bring my ipad in so I can recharge, and I usually come home after so I don't worry about makeup/clothes/or toiletries. I think I'll pack some stuff for the steam room after, might be a nice treat on a day when I'm not so busy!

Day 12
Back to the gym, spin and arms today. Whew! I am exhausted currently supplementing with scads of caffeine.

Day 13
I am fluctuating between feeling tired and bursts of energy. I really think I have to eat better and drink more water! Today was a leg day, doubled our reps for legs, added in some squats and did about 100 crunches in between. Tomorrow I am in the city of Edmonton, so I am wearing my running stuff and get a run in before I leave the city. I just don't want to leave exercise till the end of an already long day. From the New Year I have been sporadically keeping track of my diet, but I will go back to a 1500 calorie eating plan, still allows me as much vegetables, tea, coffee, sugar free jello etc as I want. I think the combination of working out and eating right to be what I need! Oh and for the record I am actually down a couple of pounds......

Day 10 100/100

Thanks for all the kind words of encouragement yesterday. I forget what a support system is out there for me! Today was definitely one of those days that I would have forgone exercise if I wasn't up for the challenge so to speak. These are the pictures of my most faithful running partners. Missy has gone on lots of walks/runs with me over the years, but she is too old to keep up now. That doesn't stop her from thinking that she can still come, and most days I have to put her in the house. Today I forgot and we found her exhausted on the road halfway home from our 5km walk. We limped her back home.

Skip is my new running partner and he gets so excited it is funny. Since he has been fixed he has put on a pile of weight :( so the mileage is good for both of us)>

I was teaching a class in Jasper today so I got my hour in before I left this morning. It was a gorgeous day for a walk, and a drive. Back to the gym tomorrow, maybe they have the Jacob's ladder in??

Day 9 100/100 Well I am almost 10% through my challenge! Good and Bad news!

Of course I started my challenge just before a trip. I have maintained the hour of exercise a day. That part has been non-negotiable. The planning takes a little more consideration and I have more laundry too! I was pleasantly surprised at how this challenge has helped me get motivated.

I maintained my weight. No loss, No gain.  So I made good choices, but I did eat what I wanted and there was lots of wine and beer on holidays so initially I was a little disappointed, but then I can't remember the last time I didn't gain weight on a holiday? So all in all that is a win! I also seem to gain a little muscle when I first start exercising heavy so I know that this will help me down the road.

I am not a natural "blogger" although if you know me well I LOVE to chat. I looked into some popular blogs about fitness (a disclaimer, this blog is about my experience and not a fitness blog) but they were very interesting and I thought I would pass them along:

http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/best-fitness-blogs#1

I also would love to hear what gadgets you can't live without when it comes to fitness. I love my iphone and my nike app http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2012/06/nike_running_the_most_beautiful_app_you_ever_did_see.html) my playlists (iTunes), my Garmin, when I get really into the longer distances and pacing more. I have knuckle lights that are fun in the dark. I use my ipad for weight lifting, I downloaded the alpine circuit online and formatted in pages, that way I can just update my reps.

Also another touchy subject to get your thoughts on. I am going to exercise through any illness or injury. Right now I am coming down with a bit of chest congestion. I am taking it easy it will just be an hour walk in this beautiful sunshine with my very very very happy dog. I promised you a video so I will upload that once I unpack and find all my cords.

I will leave you with the unexpected exercise of yesterday: My flight from Savannah was delayed by 2 hours and 20 minutes. My layover in Houston was 2 hours and 30 minutes. Which gave me a whopping 10 minutes to get from gate to gate. How big is the Houston airport? Here is a picture:

I had to get from Terminal B to Terminal C gate 22. Take into consideration just one of these gates is the same size as the entire Edmonton Airport. I had packed tight so I wore my DKNY heeled HEELED boots on the plane ride. As I got off the plane I asked the United Representative if I had enough time to make the flight. He took a look at the boarding pass looked at his watch, and looked at the boarding pass again, and laughed a little and said "maybe, can you run? I would suggest running" So I took off and RAN my ass off through the Houston Terminal like one of those bad movies. I actually yelled at people to get out of my way. Well I made it. Barely. I missed the bathroom, supper, and my phone was nearly dead. I was so happy, apparently it was the last flight to Edmonton, so I would have been SCREWED if I hadn't made it. I don't know how it happened but the plane was packed but I had a seat by the window, no one sitting beside me, and I was in the emergency lane, so I had so much leg room! I was sweating like a madman, and I can't describe how bad I had to go to the bathroom, and they won't let you go until they are well in the air. But all in all it was an exciting trip, and not quite as relaxing as I was hoping!

Day 7 100/100

Day 7 my favorite day this week was a run on the beach!

Day 8 100/100

Day 8 100/100

It travel day again today and I won't be home until midnight so I got exercise out of the way. The resort had aqua-size at 9:00, so that it what I did. I have to give this resort an A+ on quality instructors, they really know what they are doing. It's one of the few times the instructor was in the pool with us. I was introduced to lots of new moves including lots of underwater kickboxing. Anyway it's lots of relaxing, reading and travelling ahead of me :)

Day 6 100/100

Day 6 100/100

Today was a large day!

Showed up for boot camp @ noon, mostly because I missed aquasize @ 9:00. I thought maybe resort style boot camp might be scaled down due to the "older" resort types, sadly my South Carolina hopes were dashed. We did a program called "66"
Lucky me I was the only participant.
We started in a cycle of jumping jacks, squats, crunches and push-ups. We started be doing 66 of each, only 6 push-ups (thank god). It got slightly easier the next round which was a torturous session of 55 each. Good news! Now only 44 each, you are getting the gist of things.....by the time we past 33 and got to 22 it was actually easier, by this time I had developed a split personality and had my mind somewhere else. Another exciting thing happened! Some of the resort residence started gathering in little groups watching. There was an elderly group of geriatrics behind me while I was squatting. Such a comforting feeling. I was acutely aware of bladder discomfort during my last set of crunches.

I figures it out mathematically I did 231 of each.

I also went on a beautiful beach walk and ended the day "shag" dancing.

Well deserved wine and cheese has ended this beautiful and full-filling South Carolina day :)

Day 4 of the 100 workouts in 100 days

So here is a question: How do you modify your workouts on holidays, and what do you plan and/or take with you to keep yourself active? Do you workout on holidays?? I am going on holidays for a week but I have to keep up with my personal challenge, any and all suggestions would be helpful!


Day 4

I am really tired today. I have many many things to do today, I am leaving for South Carolina tomorrow morning very early and I have an entire day of travelling. I guess my workout tomorrow will be "walking in the terminal". I also have a substantial layover of a couple of hours, which always seems shorter by the time you unload, get from gate to gate and grab something to eat.

I have struggled with this in the past, but there is a lot of prep work involved if you want to be active. I was going for "comfy" plane ride attire, but if I want to get some exercise in I am going to have to walk, and I need shoes I can walk in which means I need to wear my runners and some type of "yoga" wear. I'll pack some deodorant and a little spray perfume for my unsuspecting passengers.  Good news! My roomie tells me they have lots of exercise classes and an awesome gym. There has been lots of rain, and they are on "Tornado watch" :( , So I guess that eliminates running outside somewhat. I was kind of looking forward to that because it is a great way to sight see! It looks like a fabulous resort

I will have to be up around 2:00 o clock and driving, then terminal, check in. Once I am in the gate then I can do a little walking. Edmonton has an awesome international area, and lots to look at and shop at. They even have an apple store, and I need a new cover for my iphone.
So that is day 5 plan. Today I am going for a walk with the dawg. I will walk the same route from yesterday, except I will go the other way around.

Day 3 of 100/100 challenge

Day 3 (100 workouts in a 100 days)

Today was the Town of Edson Resolution run, and I chose to do the 5 km. There is a lot of snow out there (one person ran in snowshoes) so it was a challenge! I thought I would be sore from skiing but I felt great during my run, although my lungs are sore after, I think that is more due to my cold than the run.

Of course we had an epic snow fall just as we were starting, but it cleared up halfway through.

I am surprised there was not more runners we had about 25, maybe the weather and time of day were factors. One day I am going to post a video of how excited my dog gets before a run, I find it hilarious and motivating. Even the heavy snowfall had no effect on his enthusiasm, although it made me pause.

This was my first run "event" of the new year. My time was slower than normal but the weather and terrain were major factors, as was the lack of running prep, but I was very happy with my run, I felt better than I thought I would and there were moments of pure "joy". I'm glad the Town of Edson had this event, as I don't think I would have gone out on my own :)

Day 2 (100 workouts in 100 days)

Today I am in Marmot! So downhill skiing for the day.
I figure I will ski for about 4 hours today. So I am considering that my workout.
I am an aggressive skier and it isn't very busy today so we were on the hill right away, and have got a lot of runs in, more that usual. Keeping up with 17 year olds helps too, but I am a fast skier so I so ok.   My plan for tomorrow is the Resolution run, and them Sunday I'll do the gym again. I am travelling to South Carolina, next week, so I'm packing workout clothes. I think I might miss my gym classes, so I've downloaded some videos on YouTube, for spin.

My favorite workout apps are:
Nike (running app)
Yoga studio (yoga routines)
Workouts

I hope to see some of you at the run tomorrow!!

100 workouts in 100 days

So I am going to challenge myself to 100 workouts in 100 days

I am going to commit to an hour a day, and alternate between heavy exercise and light exercise, I don't have a physical job at all, and outside of workouts, generally sit mostly.

I started today, and purchased a gym membership, I really liked my classes, but alternating between Ripped, Zumba, and Aquasize was a financial commitment of about $80/month and my gym membership is 42/month.

I also signed up with a friend who is committed too, so I think it will work out great.

I am running as well and am going to train for the Whitecourt marathon, and right now have committed to a 1/4 for sure and maybe a 1/2.

So my week should look like this:

3 days weight lifting at the gym (one full body, one arms and abs, one legs and abs)
3 days running (one short run, one day hills, one day long run) I can alternate outside and treadmill
1 day long walk/Zumba/Yoga/Swimming


Tomorrow I had thought of going skiing, so that will be instead of running. My runs have started short and my plan is to go up 1km every week, so that would look like:

short run 3km
hills 3 hills
long run (double short run) 6km

next week:

short run 4km
hills 4
long run 8 km

I am also on an eating plan, but it's easy to follow and good support.

At the beginning most of my runs and workouts will only be about 30 minutes, so I will round this out with additional walking. I also anticipate that once my runs start getting longer, I will have to lighten my weight lifting on my legs or work on arms and abs.

The Challenge will take me to April 18, because I started today.

DAY ONE

Started with a full body weight lifting on a program that was designed by Alpine and refined by Shanaz. It is mostly on the machines and alternates between arms and legs. This is a program that I used before and liked a lot. It can be as short as 30 minutes or longer if you incorporate sets/supersets.

I am not much of a morning person at first, but I am always happiest working out in the morning and getting it out of the way. I don't mind evening exercise but it has to be something team related like badminton, or fun like aquacize or Zumba.

We are starting at 8:00 AM and that seems to be a great time, a little earlier than I am used to, but this busy day I am grateful for the early start to my day.

I have the program on my ipad and that keeps me accountable and on track. Today was a full body weight lifting, 15 minute warm up on the elliptical, and crunches/burpees in between arms.