NYC 2012 Marathon

New York Marathon: 30 Spots guaranteed c/o Groundwork Athletics!

If you have ever thought about running a marathon, here is your chance to join us in New York next November for this World Famous event!

A lot of people might look at this race and immediately talk themselves out of it, list all the reasons that they can't do it, or just think it is impossible....

Consider that anything is possible....

That your decision to even say the words "I can't" has already set you up for failure...

Imagine if you just said "I can"...

Dwell in the possibility of "CAN"

**Click Here for Details**

January 30 Day Challenge

One of my goals for 2012 is to come up with a 30 Day Challenge every month to keep me on track with my health, and to remove some of the pressure that can sometimes be associated with New Years' Resolutions.

For January I have decided to cut out sugar from my diet, which at the moment doesn't seem too hard considering I have been indulging in pretty much whatever dessert I have wanted over the last month without guilt.

The rules are simple, no cookies, cakes, candies, etc- as well as no sugar in my coffee and a limit of 1-2 servings of fruit per day (sugar is sugar kids)... I'll let you know how it goes.

What are you willing to do for 30 days?

Push it HARD! 12.5 Minutes!

November can be a tough month for fitness... Christmas parties are on the horizon, and it seems like the the seasonal baking is already in full-swing. PLUS the days seem so much shorter with the sun going down earlier...

I know... it can be tough to find the time for a workout. Luckily, our bodies respond well to being pushed to their maximum capacity for a shorter period of time. I know everyone can find 12 and 1/2 minutes in their day to do something great for your health!

1 Minute:

Explosive Jacks/Burpee Combo (Like a regular burpee except instead of jumping up, you do a wide legged explosive jack)

45 Seconds:

Side to side taps on the Bosu

3o Seconds:

Fast High Knees

15 Seconds:

Tuck Jumps

15 Seconds:

REST

***5 Rounds***

Just Do It.

Lessons in Plank

The other night in a Hot Yoga class the teacher challenged us to hold a 2 minute plank. Now normally the plank really doesn't get me too worked up... but 2 minutes?! This was something I had never done. Nevertheless I assumed the position and got into it.

I will admit that it was a pretty MAJOR test- not only for my body, but for my attitude. Those two minutes were really about weeding out the quitters, and I am no quitter. I promised myself that I would not give up. So I didn't. It sounds harsh, but simply understanding that that decision was mine was huge.

Much like all challenges or goals we set for ourself (big or small), the decision to persevere lies within... The committment to eat healthier, quit a bad habit or start to exercise, pushes your body out of it's comfort zone. Combine that with the affirmation that you will not lie to yourself, or quit yourself- that is when you will see what your body if truly capable of.

That said, I have decided to take this same challenge to my morning class tomorrow...

Two Minutes. One Plank. Zero Tolerance for failure.

Give it a try at home. Your body will show up for you. I promise.

Mastering the Morning Workout

I am no stranger to a 5:30am wake up. In fact it's pretty much the norm. However, as Fall approaches and the mornings cease to greet me with brilliant blue sky and a rising sun, it will take a new kind of willpower to get me out of my cozy bed on those early morning days.

Here are some tips on how to make it easier:

1- Put your alarm on the opposite side of the room so you actually have to get out of bed to turn it off. Once you're up...you're up.

2- Set your workout intentions for the week on Sunday night. Write down your plan for the week and tick it off as you go.

3- Make sure your playlist on your Pod is upbeat and ready to go. Download 1 new song at the beginning of the week that will inspire you.

4- Hold yourself accountable to someone else by making plans to meet in the morning. It feels even worse to let someone else down.

5- Prepare EVERYTHING the night before... Clothes, shoes, purse, water bottle and anything else that might delay you getting out of bed and out the door.

6- Reward yourself. Sometimes the Americano that I get from Starbucks after my morning class is enough to motivate me, but if you need a little more incentive than straight caffeine, treat yourself to a manicure at the end of the week if you follow through on your plan.

7- Be accountable to someone... whether it's the person who sleeps next to you, or a roommate down the hall, let them know you are waking up early for your workout and ask them to hold you to it.

8- Don't throw in the towel! If you sleep an extra 10 minutes and can only make a 45 minute session at the gym, DO IT! Push yourself harder in a shorter period of time. Learn to be efficient in the gym.

9- Hire a trainer... Nobody wants to pay the $80 cancel-charge to a trainer for sleeping in.

10- Get to bed earlier. Reap the benefits of a full night rest by tucking in early and aim for at least 6-8 hours.

How Bad Do You Want It?

"When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe... then you'll be successful"

Your Body: A Declaration of Love

I am your body.

Your elegant protection. Your outer shell and armour.

Given to you. A gift. To teach the greater lessons of your life.

I am the gut feeling. The butterflies in your stomach. The tingle in your spine.

I am the conduit for energy that allows you to live the life your spirit desires.

Even when I am broken, tired, weary, or aching, I am the heart of your endurance. Your carrier.

I will teach you the meaning of willpower when you let go of the extra weight. The meaning of patience when you sprain an ankle. The meaning of presence when you flow and breathe in yoga. The meaning of acceptance when you look in the mirror and feel nothing but an overwhelming gratitude.

I will ground you and lift you up. Be the source of endless inspiration. I will be the beginning, and the starting point that changes everything.

I will be with you in the end. This vessel that carries you through life.

Your beating heart. Your breathing lungs. Your strong legs and awakened eyes.

I am your body.

1/2 Ironman Vancouver

This weekend Troy and I competed in the 1/2 Ironman Vancouver which takes place at Spanish Banks. The morning started at an early 530am for race prep and a quick dunk in the ocean before the official start at 630... The swim in the ocean went surprisingly better for me this time around, despite the waves and current, Troy and I managed to stay together and get through this first part relatively easily (without any panic attacks on my part at least :) )

The bike was a challenging 21.5km loop around UBC which we completed 4 times... That's 4 climbs up the hill from Jericho to UBC, and 91 kilometres of biking on false flats and long stretches where the headwind alone was enough to tire even the pro bikers (who lapped me for sure). Deadly.

Once we were finally off the bike it was time for the 1/2 Marathon- a run through the trails and along the water at Spanish Banks. I admit, this was the part where I wanted to quit about 50 times before finally crossing the finish line... I was definitely dehydrated (my own fault) and the sun beating on my hurting body was just one more aspect of this course that made it all the more intense.... But I persevered while my family and friends cheered from the sidelines and although this race felt longer than Victoria, I somehow managed to shave off 3 minutes from my time (5 hours and 45 minutes), and Troy did amazing at 5 hours and 10 minutes.

Next Stop: Penticton to watch Dalts crush the full Ironman!

Not feeling great here... one step at a time.

My Mom's camera work

Troy making it look easy

Water stations! I took my time here.

Post-race talk

So happy to be DONE!

1/2 Ironman Victoria

On Sunday I completed my first 1/2 Ironman in Victoria and the experience truly made me believe that whatever you set your mind to, you can TOTALLY do.

My final time was 5 hours and 49 minutes (11 minutes under my goal)...

Swim 1.9 km 43 Minutes/ Bike 86 km 3.07 Hours/ Run 21km 1.46 Hours

I have to say that for all my fears and anxieties about not completing the race, or just not feeling great while doing it, those almost 6 hours literally flew by and I did actually enjoy every moment (well, once I got out of the water anyway... )

So much of endurance racing is taking control of your thoughts and using your mind as a tool rather than a weapon... The only thing I kept thinking was that I had prepared for this, and that there was no reason why I shouldn't do well. I knew that my body would come through for me... and it did.

At the end I felt great and can't wait for a 2nd go on July 3rd in Vancouver!

Transition station... Bike, Boost, Bars, and Blocks.

Troy D.

The tri-suit I was testing for Sugoi's new line... Felt awesome!

Bev, Me and Erin at the finish line :)

Troy and Me

Other athletes after the race