day 60-62

19.09.10: day 62
So i was back at yoga today and i really tried to embrace the practice with an open mind. the teacher lead us through a lot of postures where we really focused on our breath and i felt like that helped me stay more present, more in the moment, than i had felt last week. i think my practice was better because of it. more relaxed. more enjoyable. less judgemental of what i should achieve.
afterwards, CI and i jogged around thetis lake during a break in the rain. it was absolutely beautiful and i was reminded how much i love running among the trees. the thetis trails are definitely worth checking out if you are looking for somewhere not too far out of the city to explore.

http://www.crd.bc.ca/parks/thetis/index.htm

18.09.10: day 61
25 min jog on treadmill and then a full body strength workout.
trained with my good friend, SB, and we were really able to push each other.
feeling good.

17.09.10: day 60
walking

day 56 - 59

16.09.10: day 59
today i woke up feeling tired. i don't actually mind the rain all that much but sometimes the grey skies just zap my motivation away. all i did was 30 minutes of walking and i don't feel very good about it. i feel lazy and uninspired.

time to shake things up a bit....

15.09.10: day 58
i did another upper body strength workout. it was actually a lot of fun because i had the pleasure of guiding my good friend, CI, through a program! she was able to spot me in some of my exercises and coach me through my last few repititions. having a workout buddy is so inspirational. we're planning on getting together on a somewhat regular basis to go over exercises and motivate each other.

14.09.10: day 57
lower body strength training.
my lower body workout changes as well but a typical workout includes:

• warm up
• squats
• step ups
• bent leg dead lifts
• calf raises
• back extensions
• as many abdominal exercises as i can do!
• cardio component
• stretch

13.09.10: day 56
upper body strength training at the downtown YMCA-YWCA.
my upper body workout often changes but might include:

• warm up
• bench press
• seated row
• lat pull down
• shoulder press
• bicep curls
• tricep extensions
• side shoulder raises
• front shoulder raises
• cardio component
• stretching

day 51-55: yoga practice

12.09.10: day 55

yoga for 1.5hrs.



i have a funny relationship with yoga. i absolutely love it. i am a complete advocate of this incredible exercise that incorporates strength, endurance, cardiovascular fitness, balance, and mindfulness among other things. i think it is ideal for beginners and athletes alike and can offer something to everyone, provided you are able to find the yoga style and path that suites you.



my problem with yoga is that i'm not very good at it...and this annoys me. one of the fundamental principles of yoga is being non-judgemental of others, yourself, and where you are in your practice at that moment. but i struggle so much at accepting my lack of skill in yoga. i find it so fascinating how i thoroughly enjoy encouraging others and supporting them but when it comes to myself, i expect so much perfection right away. my expectations are often so high that i disappoint myself if i am not successful at something, even if i am relatively new at it, like yoga. because of this disappointment, my yoga sessions remain few and far between, even though few feelings compare to the after glow of a yoga session.



my yoga practice today remind me of how far i have actually come in my practice. i have noticed little improvements! i also have a really far way to go...but it is a journey, right? achieving ultimate perfection at something would actually be kind of sad, because then you would cease to learn from that activity. there are always going to be ways you can learn from an activity. so how do i conclude this...

by realizing i should continue my yoga practice. i will continue it with love and acceptance for where i am in my practice because yoga is about just that. now inhale deeply....




today i practiced yoga at the downtown victoria ymca-ywca. check out their drop in classes: http://www.victoriay.com/


11.09.10: day 54

walking today.

relaxing fitness. a day to let my legs recover.



10.09.10: day 53

i completed my 10km waterfront run!

i felt amazing today. it is so neat to see how weight training impacts my other areas of sport and recreation. today i felt powerful and strong. i was able to incorporate several sprints and tackle the hills with more confidence. hills are not my speciality!



09.09.10: day 52

walk 30min to the water and back.

i didn't go to the gym this morning. i was feeling tired and sore from my workout yesterday. low energy for some reason.



08.09.10: day 51

upper body gym workout.

rowing hard for 10 min on the erg.

felt really strong today.

day 50: half way mark!

07.08.10: day 50

day 50! this is my half way mark and i feel like i should have something profound to say....

what have i learned?

• the value of setting goals and keeping them SMART (lets think back to school now: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely). with out a frame work for my goals i quickly become lost and fail to achieve them. this is the simplest goal setting framework i have learned but it is so effective!



• the value of asking for support. i am convinced i could not have done this without the support and encouragement i have had from family, friends and even people who i don't know but who have believed in my cause! a long time ago i thought that i would be considered successful in life if i could achieve everything i needed to achieve on my own, without the aid of others. then a very wise friend asked me "what if the secret to success was not accomplishing your goals in isolation, but through using the support, resources, encouragement, and joy of those around you? what if we all shared in the work and we all shared in the success?"



• how much being active truly adds to my life. i don't really even want to go a day with out MOVEment.



• the power of setting priorities and acting with intention. moving for 100 days seems like a huge goal (and it is!!) but when it is broken down into such small daily requirements, it really does become quite manageable. this concept in itself can be applied to all areas of my life.



• the power of a small, committed group of people. so much energy can be, and has been, created through one positive idea. i am amazed everyday.

the past two days i have resumed my weight training workout at the downtown YMCA-YWCA and i am sore and exhilarated! strength training has so many functional benefits and i can't wait to see how it will impact my hiking, trail running and paddling.

so far, my motivation remains fairly constant and i am excited to progress into the second half of my challenge!

what's your MOVE?

day 48: vacation aftermath

05.09.10: day 48


even though i have not blogged recently, i can proudly say i have still been moving everyday. these last 3 weeks i have been involved in 3 weddings with 2 of them taking place in prince edward island. so needless to say it has been a busy month.



i discovered several challenges to being active while on vacation. one of these challenges centered around time. there was at least one day in the last few weeks where i was so busy helping the wedding party run errands around town that my movement consisted of exactly that: walking around town, running errands. on those days i didn't feel particularly thrilled about my style of exercise but i had to remind myself that for today, this was all i could do and it was good enough. i also had to remind myself about my priorities. there were days that i knew i would be busy so in order to get my movement in, i woke up extra early and went for a run. keeping my movement as a true priority for my day allowed me to structure my time to allow for exercise.



another challenge was feeling feeling a little isolated at times. while staying out in the countryside of pei, i was at a loss of what exercise i could do. i wonderful cure for this was enlisting the help of the family members i was staying with. i consider my father to be a role model of active living and i was so grateful for his encouraging spirit these last few weeks. in the evening we would plan out our movement for the next day and set up 'fitness dates'. using a workout partner has tremendous benefits, both psychological and physical. i found that i was more excited and positive about my workouts when i knew my father was going to be with me. we challenged each other to run farther and faster and taught each other new body weight exercises using the equipment we found in near by parks or even our backyard (picnic tables, tiny benches, bleachers). i was also grateful for the enthusiasm of my brother and my pei cousins. together, we swam in the atlantic and played games of beach volleyball and horseshoes, which are things i may not have done on my own. i plan to continue to ask for the support of others when i need help with my own fitness and develop more workout relationships with people around me in victoria.





i thoroughly enjoyed my time on the east coast of canada but i am thankful to be home and looking forward to getting back into a more strict fitness routine. i am also going to look for more ways to try activities i have not tried before. part of the point of this challenge is to try and push my boundaries, just a little, and discover that movement can include a wider variety of activities than i originally thought.



with new inspiration i continue.

for those of you following my blog, i'm going to be travelling for the next two weeks and my posts might be few and far between (if any at all). but don't worry, i'm still doing my MOVEment everyday. i'll be sure to update you when i return.

days 10-16: crossfit

04.08.10: day 16

today i attempted my first crossfit workout and i was impressed!

the facility was basic with a 'lets get down to business' attitude that reminded me why i was there: to work hard. my favorite part about the facility was the rubber floor where i was encouraged to chart my workout progress in coloured sidewalk chalk! it was actually incredibly motivating to see what i had done during the workout and compare my numbers to others as well.

the movements in the workout were simple full body movements with olympic style lifts and minimal equipment. i started with a dynamic full body warm-up, encompassing sit-ups, squats, push-ups, assisted tri-dips, assisted pull-ups, and lunges before our small morning group began the workout together. the entire workout took only 9.5 minutes and i must say it was the hardest 9.5 minute workout i have ever done. i alternated between 30 seconds of 'thrusts' (think squats and shoulder press type lift), 30 sec rest, 30 sec burpees (think push-ups and jumps together), 30 sec rest, and repeat for five sets! i impressed myself, not because of the weight or numbers i was able to do (neither weight or numbers were very impressive :) ) but because i was able to remain consistent throughout the workout. i pushed myself and this explosive style training is not something my body is used to.

my instructor/ coach/ trainer was amazing. she took me through the entire warm up and all the exercises. she encouraged me, pushed me, and made me feel welcome in the seemingly tight-knit crossfit group. thanks so much deanna. you have inspired me to incorporate some new exercises into my workouts. i will definitely return.

check the crossfit community at:
http://crossfitzone.ca/



03.08.10: day 15
walk the waterfront in the late afternoon sun.

02.08.10: day 14
run waterfront. it was hotter than i anticipated.

01.08.10: day 13
walking

31.07.10: day 12
jog from johnson st. bridge to west bay esquimalt and back.
i felt like i was running faster than usual. the skinner path encouraged me to sprint, the hills were interesting, and the view was a welcome change from my usual route.

30.07.10: day 11
jog to willows beach.
rest, read, suntan.
actually used my running as transportation today. i packed my mini trail pack with a book, water, and food.

29.07.10: day 10
walk