Cheers!
As 2009 draws quickly to a close, it’s time to take a moment to reflect on a the year that has just past. For me, 2009 has been a year of change and growth, yes, I am going with change and growth, professionally and personally. So here’s to you 2009, it has been an experience…enough already, cheers!
I’m having a book baby
I had my last sub zero run of 2009, finished my run to “Sandstorm”…kind of fitting 
Last night I watched Julia/Julie, what a great movie, and it really inspired me not only to blog but get on with “birthing my book baby” (a phrase coined at my last coaching session with my fabulous business coach, Donna Hutchinson). Some time ago I set a random, I love the word ramdom, deadline of September 1st 2010. As this is now a “book baby”, I am going to modify my deadline to 40 weeks from today…my book baby’s due date is October 5th, 2010.
So there it is, it is in writing, no turning back now…
Merry Christmas
My good friend Soraiya gave me the greatest run t-shirt for Christmas, it reads “You know you’re a runner when you believe…there’s no such thing as bad weather, just soft people”.
H2H 2009 photos are finally posted
Jingle Bell Run
63 bells, 54 cups of cofffee, 36 frittatas, 31 runners, 2 distances, 2 four legged friends, 1 minor, 1 cup of tea, 1 bottle of Baileys, 1 bottle of Frangelico, numerous cookies and pastries and my kitchen was clean by 10:15am!
Thank you to all who came out for the 6th Annual Jingle Bell Run, thank you also to those of you who brought goodies to share and also to the naughty ones who left goodies behind.
It always surprises me how many people can squeeze into my kitchen
They all got the memo
I interrupted a very interesting conversation
Daryl and his tea
Run like Hell
Eagles, beer cans, sheep, family drama, mail and Phillip!
Conny and I put our two midweek runs together today and went for an interesting ninety minute run through the streets of Whonnock and Ruskin this morning. While I counted the eagles in the trees along the river (14), Conny counted beer cans at the side of the road (it is very scary to see how much beer is consumed and tossed out of the windows of vehicles driving our narrow country roads).
Eagle watching in Ruskin
On the lighter side, we met some very cute sheep, witnessed a very unusual family dispute, which Conny tried to mediate until she realized what was going on, did our good deed for the day by delivering some mail from a mailbox that had been broken into, and I finally met Conny’s infamous neighbour Phillip!
Conny making friends
10 tips to help you stick to a new workout regiment
- Put it in your schedule like you would any other appointment: allow time for stretching, showering, etc, organize your gear the night before if you are exercising after work and take your gear with you.
- Intensity: start out slow and increase intensity slowly. Know your target heart rate (easy way to calculate for men, start with 220 – your age, women, start with 224 – your age, the number that you get will give you your maximum heart rate, take that number and x 0.85 which will give you your upper limit, to give you your lower limit take the same number and x 0.60, and stay within those ranges). Try and maintain your target heart rate for 20-30 minutes.
- Duration: start with 20 minute sessions working up to 30 minute sessions.
- Frequency: start with 3 times per week working up to 5 times per week.
- Accountability: start a workout journal where you can chart your progress
- Get a workout buddy: workout with a friend, you will motivate each other, added accountability.
- Don’t ignore pain: pain is a warning sign that you should not ignore, it’s ok to feel a little muscle stiffness but you should be able to walk the next day.
- Stretch, stretch, stretch and stretch some more.
- Gear: wear properly fitted athletic shoes and ladies, invest in a good sports bra.
- Fuel and hydration: fuel your body before your workout, you wouldn’t drive your car without gas in it.
Happy 5th Anniversary Iron Mountain Movement!
Thank you to everyone who came to my open house this afternoon to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Iron Mountain Movement! Cheers!
Snow
Congratulations to the ladies of the Beginner Running group who finished their training on the hills of the Reservoir Trail at Hayward Lake! The dusting of snow that we received yesterday made for a wonderful trail run this morning.
Special thanks to McColin for creating the barricade across the ice, it is important to go around a barricade not through 
The 1/2 Marathon training group at Hayward Lake
I’ll have what she’s having…
I am not sure what was in Conny’s Barbie Roll that she ate for lunch yesterday, but she practically ran me into the pavement last night! Next week, I will order whatever she is having.
As promised, to celebrate the last Body Camp session of the year, I took the ladies on one last hike up to the cell tower this morning. When we started it was -7, but by the time we got back to the Studio it had warmed up to -2, I am not complaining, it was dry!
Carmen checking out Patti's jumping jacks between power poles