I just blogged about getting back into my fitness routine, but since last week was a write-off, I felt it was okay to indulge. Lots of food was consumed this weekend. Among them- ice cream. A colleague had raved about this new ice cream shop in Calgary: Village Ice Cream (located at 431 – 10th Ave SE). She described it as a pretty yuppie ice cream place, so naturally, Robbie and I had to go and try it out. They always have 10 flavours (which includes toasted coconut- yum!), as well as seasonal flavours. They use local, seasonal and organic ingredients whenever possible, and the ice cream is made at the shop! Overall, I can’t say it was the best ice cream I’ve ever had (since that award goes to homemade coconut ice cream I once had in Trinidad), and the location is in an unexpected location, but there’s no denying that the ice cream was tasty. It’s another good option for ice cream in the city :).
Prepping for Focus T25 Beta Week 4
I just took the past week off of Focus T25. Nooooo! All my gains are now lost! Just kidding- I don’t get all flustered when I miss a few days here and there. The most important thing is to listen to your body, especially when cold and flu season is in full swing. That was the case this past Monday, when I awoke feeling a bit off. By the end of the day, body chills had hit me and I was dealing with quite the headache. Since I was going strong for quite some time, I realized that it was my body’s way of saying “slow down!”. It felt good to take a bit of a breather. I had a day and half off of work and basically slept.
But enough! Now that I’m all better, it’s time to get into the right mind set for the 4th week of T25’s Beta phase. And every successful fitness week begins with meal prep. I figured this week I would go simple: bake a bunch of chicken, steam some rice and mixed beans, have a few roasted potatoes, and of course, finish with some raw veggies. 5 lunch boxes; 5 days of the week. It’s time to bring it and get back on schedule :).
Random Thoughts
I’m sitting in Canadian Tire writing this post on my phone. There is no subject to this post; I’m just writing something to kill time. Part of me knows that I’m writing this because it will count toward my 2013 goal of 100 posts, even though it may not be a post of substance. Alas, I digress. My car- it’s having winter tires put on right now. Since I never bought rims, it’s costing me about $140 to get all 4 changed over. Twice a year, that’s $280 just to change tires. Add to that insurance and gas and maintenance fees and it becomes clear that owning a car is draining my money! I’ve always thought it would be a little difficult in Calgary to not own a car, but with car-2-go, transit, and living so close to work, would it really be that bad? I know a couple of people who decided to be done with their cars, and though things may take a bit more planning now, it doesn’t appear to be a huge hindrance of any sort. My main concern would be the mountains. Would it be as easy to get to the mountains every week? I do know people who would go just as often, and car rentals are quite easy to organize. So maybe it’s in the cards for me one day. A life without a car. Sounds like a dream. Change of topic- I like the song Brave by Sara Bareilles, which was just playing on the radio. Another thought- my right arm hurts. I’ve been dealing with a mild case of tendinitis in my right elbow. I had IMS done to it once before and that was quite effective. It’s been flaring up a lot lately, to the point that it just hurts randomly, even when I’m not working out. Compound that with a lower back pain on my right side and an IT band issue in my right leg and a neck issue on the right side, and I’d say I feel quite broken these days. Hopefully physiotherapy, massage and yoga can help me out. There’s much training to be done, including a round of Beachbody’s Body Beast, and a training schedule for next year’s half marathon and triathlon. All doable, no? Other random thoughts- I saw this comic on The Oatmeal (http://theoatmeal.com/blog/justdoitlater).So funny! That is all.
Barrier Lake Lookout
On Sunday, Robin, Lily, Robbie and I decided to go hiking. We originally planned on Forget-Me-Not ridge, but after reading about crossing a river and possibly getting wet, we opted for the Barrier Lake Lookout (also known as Prairie View Lookout). We all gathered into one car and headed west.
Once we started hiking, we realized how warm it was for a hike! We were prepared for cold, windy weather but instead it was sunny and quite warm. The incline for the hike wasn’t too steep and we made a gradual ascent for almost two hours before reaching the first lookout. The view was gorgeous! For (fairly) little effort, what an amazing place to be. We sat and ate lunch before making our way back down. We decided to head back down from the first lookout instead of proceeding to the fire lookout. I guess we just wanted to keep it super leisurely. The good thing about this hike is that it seems very doable in the winter, so I anticipate a return trip… at which point, yes, we will make it to the summit!
This hike brought back some memories for me. It was in 2009 or 2010 when I joined my first Meetup group, and I ended up doing this same hike. It was the first meetup I had attended. The difference back then is that I knew no one and hiked in a group of 30 people, which including some interesting characters. Even though I’m surrounded by great people, it reminded me that I miss meeting new people, as I find myself not doing that very often anymore. Maybe it’s time to resume the Meetup outings once again…
Stats:
Start: 12:15 pm
End: 3:30 pm
Distance: ~ 10 km return
Elevation: ~ 470 metres
Retreat to Heritage Park
Last Friday I attended a work retreat for members of the division. I won’t discuss work here, but it was held at Heritage Park in the south. I’ve always wanted to go to Heritage Park, though admittedly, I never knew what was there. It’s quite the historical village, complete with a dentist, bakery, church, railway, and Calgary’s first hospital! What was equally impressive were the views! From different vantage points, you had a clear view of the Calgary skyline, and a view of the mountains in the distance over the Glemnore Reservoir. And it was such a gorgeous day for mid-October! I think it’d be nice to revisit the park one day when things are in full swing :).
HIKES & HAMSTRINGS 