Did I Really Talk About That?

I talk a lot (which is two words, one of my pet peeves).  And when I saw that someone found my website yesterday by searching pilates underwear to avoid farting, it left me scratching my head wondering did I really talk about that?

Turns out, in my Gym Etiquette 101 post I did in fact talk about embarrassing things that can happen while at the gym that included farting in a Pilates class, I also referenced underwear, but not all in the same point.

But if you ask, I will tell, as both of my Pilates By The Lake classes on Monday night will attest to (although they didn’t ask, I do make it part of my first class of the session speech), always avoid high fat, hard to digest (i.e. lasagna, Caesar salad, most recently I added tacos) and known gassy foods (i.e. – cabbage, lentils, cauliflower…you know your list) prior to any exercise, not just Pilates.   There are just some food combinations that are better left for after a workout.

My Mum always says that she learns new things from my blog, so here’s today’s nugget, there are underwear on the market that have a carbon filter.  I actually remember seeing a segment on Dragon’s Den marketing this very concept. I dug a little further, they come in many styles by the way (shorties, boxers, no thong), but it was unclear if they filter odor as well as noise, so the jury is still out.

For what it’s worth, it is a completely normal bodily function which happens, on average fourteen times a day (who’s counting?), how about that for a random fact.   And really it all comes down to where it happens.  So if it should happen to you during one of those quiet moments at the gym or while you are going for a run take comfort with the following words that were whispered by a very kind lady to a very mortified lady during one of my classes many years ago “don’t worry about it, it just means that you were working really hard”.

There it is, I really did talk about it.

Resolution Run Recap

Happy New Year!

This morning I ran the Resolution Run.  The route was great, but it was not closed, meaning that when you crossed a main intersection (and there were quite a few from start to finish) you had to use crosswalks at traffic lights, and there was the possibility that you may have to stop and wait for a walk sign…in a race.  The rules of the race were made clear, but while stopped waiting for a light to change, someone did not follow the rules, Benita and I even called him out, I don’t think he cared because he didn’t stop.  I call disqualification.

The route wound its way up a bit of a hill and through a residential area (no traffic lights) where we were free to cross the roads without delay.  I am quite sure that the residents of Willowbrook wondered why there was a sea of orange jackets and two red shirts running through their community on such a chilly January 1st.

As I made my way towards the finish line, my speed training sure came in handy, because there were a few traffic crossings that I had to sprint to make.  The final approach to the finish line was a victory lap around the Safeway parking lot which drew plenty of cheers.

Congratulations to race winner Colin “Quarter-Turn” McLean!!!

How’d I do? 5km, 24:32:27 (a PB), 2nd female across the line, 7th overall (could have possibly been 6th, but due to the cheater we will never know), and you will have to take my word for it because it was not a timed event.

Big thanks to all of the volunteers who kept us safe and on track, to Starbucks for the finish line coffee and Doris and Granddad for the full English breakfast they made for us after.

How did you spend your New Years Day?

my once a year "bucket of fat"

2010 in Review: Time to Play Favourites

Somethings will never change like my favourite shampoo, runners, my love for Lulu, Starbucks and Kim Crawford.  Others have been up for negotiation.  It gives me great pleasure to introduce my favourite things from 2010:

Favourite song: One Eskimo – Kandi have a listen while you read…

Favourite Piece of Running Apparel: Lululemon Women’s Brisk Run Gloves

Favourite Race: Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon

I have enjoyed every race that I completed this year, I even won one (for my gender), but my first marathon…in Vegas, the hands down winner!

Favourite Workout: Tabata

Introduced to me by fellow fitness leader Sarah, named after named after Izumi Tabata, Ph.D., a former researcher at Japan’s National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya,   Tabata is a 16-minute intense interval training routine done after a complete warm-up and followed by a comprehensive cool-down and stretch (there’s my disclaimer).  4 exercises are used, each exercise is performed for 20 seconds of activity atfull effort with 10 second rest periods (8 sets) consecutively for a 4 minute duration.  I like to use mountain climbers, bicycle crunches, push-ups and plank…ooooo feel the burn!

Favourite Sign:

I love how the bear looks more like a monster or a dinosaur than boo-boo.

Favourite Grocery Shopping Experience: Trader Joe’s

The closest one to my home is  1 1/2 hours away and in another country.  So why would someone who hates grocery shopping so much go to that extreme for almond biscotti and lemon yogurt? Thanks to my friend Sharon who guided my first tour, I plan my next trip before I even cross back over the border!

Favourite New Source of Protein: Almond Butter

Favourite In The Car Snack: Nature’s Path Pumpkin-N-Spice Granola Bars

Favourite potion and/or lotion: L’Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil

Moisturizer no longer required, and it smells fabulous.

Favourite Picture:

This picture was taken on Las Vegas Boulevard.  Earlier in the day Conny and I had run the Vegas Marathon.  I had just finished complaining about how sore my legs were, and Conny piggy-backed me down the strip.  Her legs must have been just as tired as mine (although she never would have admitted it). Not just a fabulous running partner, a true friend. xoxo

Favourite Blog: RachelWilkserson.com

The life and lessons of Rachel Wilkerson: she “gets it”, she “owns it”,  she is ridiculous without being ridiculous and she is sorry that she is not sorry.  Educational and always a hilarious read.

Favourite TV Series: Sons of Anarchy
courtesy of sons-of-anarchy.net

Sons of Anarchy is an adrenalized drama with darkly comedic undertones about a notorious outlaw motorcycle club intent on protecting their sheltered small town against encroaching drug dealers, corporate developers and overzealous law officers. The club is equally determined to protect their ruthless and illegally thriving arms business. Charlie Hunnam stars as Jackson ‘Jax’ Teller, a man whose love for the brotherhood is tested by his growing apprehension for its lawlessness. Katey Sagal stars as Gemma Teller Morrow, Jax’s force-of-nature mother, who along with Ron Perlman as Clarence ‘Clay’ Morrow, Jax’s stepfather and MC president, have their own darker vision for the club.

bringing me to…
Favourite Leading man of 2010: Charlie Hunnam (and second favourite picture)

Tommy will always have my heart, but there is a new man in town!

What were your favourite things from 2010?

Merry Calories

On Saturday I grazed all day.  Three open houses; one in the morning after run clinic, mine in the afternoon and to a friends in the evening…chocolate covered strawberries, cocktail weenies, crackers, sushi, more chocolate covered strawberries, crab cakes, three kinds of spinach dip.  On Sunday, my stomach rumbled all day.

Christmas is only one day, yet we celebrate it all month.  And what about Christmas Day?  There are horrific reports out there that the average holiday dinner with all of the trimmings is good for 6,500 – 7,500 calories!   I couldn’t find an actual breakdown for that outrageous amount of calories, I have to assume that must include everything that passes one’s greedy lips from the moment they wake up Christmas morn until their bloated body hits the sheets at night, but here is what I did find courtesy of Diabetes.com

Holiday Goody	Calories	Diet Tips	Calories
Roasted Turkey – 6 Ounces Dark + White Meat, Untrimmed	450	Roasted Turkey – 3 Ounces White Meat – Trimmed (no skin, no fat). White meat contains a little less calories than dark.  Add 30 more calories if you prefer dark meat.	130
1 Cup of homemade stuffing	400	1/2 Cup of boxed stuffing prepared with no calorie refrigerated butter spray.	110
1 Cup of Giblet Gravy	300	1/3 Cup of Giblet Gravy	100
1 Cup of Mashed Potatoes	350	1/2 Cup of Mashed Potatoes prepared with skimmed milk, no calorie refrigerated butter spray	100
Stuffed Celery – 1 stick	100	1 Stick of stuffed celery prepared with reduced fat cream cheese.	40
2 Sweet Pickles, 10 Black/Green Olives	125	2 Black Olives, 2 Green Olives	25
1 Cup of Candied Sweet Potatoes	400	1/2 Baked Sweet Potato w/ small pat of butter, dash of cinnamon, a couple of packs of no calorie sweetener.	100
1/2 Cup of Cranberry Sauce	200	1/6 Can of Cranberry Sauce – Jelled or Whole Cranberries	100
2 Rolls With Butter	300	1 Roll With 1/2 Pat of Butter	125
1 Cup of English Peas with Butter	150	1/2 Cup of English Peas with refrigerated no calorie butter spray	60
2 Glasses Sweetened Tea, Wine, Punch or Cider	300	Unsweetened Beverages – Unlimited	0
1 Slice of Pumpkin Pie With Topping	450	1 Slice of Autumn Pumpkin Pie	150
1 Slice of Pecan Pie	650	1 Cup of Fruit Salad	100
1 Cup of Egg Nog	400	1 Cup of Holiday Egg Nog	100
Grand Total	4,575	Grand Total	1,240

Even with the “diet tips”, that is still a huge amount of calories for one sitting…eat, drink and exercise responsibly my friends.

Trick or treat, now that’s a lot of crap to eat!

Oh yeah, this is what came back to my house after trick or treating in the burbs. Sorted into neat little piles, “enough to start a candy store Mum!” And that is only the stuff that she wanted.

What to do? There are many different theories out there:
• Ration it out for the next year.
• Give a “gorging” time line; let’s say 2 weeks.
• Help yourself when nobody is looking.
• Discreetly throw out a handful every day.
• Throw it all out and lie…the dog ate it (oh could you imagine the mess you would have to clean up).
• I guess you could always donate it.

The lovely Julie (who hated me this morning for sending her back up the hill for another repeat after I said that was her last one) gave me a fantastic idea. She asked if my daughter was money motivated, of course she is, she wanted to open a candy store…am I an idiot, why did I not think of this?

So this afternoon, the deal will be negotiated. She can keep 10 items of her choice (and there are some big ticket items in those piles), starving children all over the world take the remainder, in exchange for said amount of cold hard cash.

I did find $5 in the laundry this morning, so I am already up. But paying out a kid who charges my friends $1 per swear word, I may have to teach a few more classes this week.

Must eat NOW!

D told me that once I started putting the really long training runs in, all that I would think about would be sleeping, eating and when my next run would be.  D is a very wise woman.

The sleep so far has been fantastic; I have spent very few nights solving the world’s problems, the runs have been meticulously scheduled and the eating, well that has become a bit of an issue.  I have spent most of the last few weeks hungry and have developed quite a taste for orange juice and have not been a fan of orange juice since the birth of my daughter.

Being a bit hungry is ok for me, but there is a fine line between hungry Keri and what my family refers to as Bitchy Hungry.  There are no warning signs.  Bitchy hungry happens all of a sudden, it takes over your whole person and usually does so whilest in the car.  When BH rears it’s ugly head it means “I NEED FOOD NOW!” (possessed voice and Ramona RHNY eyeballs when she walked the runway in Brooklyn Fashion Week), it involves food that under normal conditions I would not eat and entails a trip through the drive-thru.  As soon as the python has been fed, bitchy hungry disappears as quickly as it appeared, and you are left thinking did that really just happen? BH most recently made an appearance on the way to Thanksgiving dinner…no, I couldn’t wait.

If you have ever met someone who suffers with BH you know exactly what I describe.  It’s not pretty, and this is why for the next six weeks or so I will be traveling like the mother of a toddler.   My diaper bag, a gym bag, will be filled with pre-cut, bite sized pieces of fruit, veggies, pumpkin spice granola bars, fig newtons and of course orange juice.  And if by some crazy chance you spot my vehicle in a drive-thru, it’s probably for the best for all parties involved that you keep moving and don’t make eye contact.

photo source: The TV Realist.com

September goals, better late than never

Today for many marks the start of summer detox.  Summer detox is not about alcohol, ok maybe a little, it is about being back in the organized chaos of the school year.  For those who thrive on schedules and routine it is your time to shine.  For those who don’t, you are already counting down the days until Christmas break (67 including weekends, holidays and non-instructional days).

Over the years for whatever reason, let’s call it a near death experience, I have evolved from a planner to more of a somewhat organized go-with-the-flow-er.  I still do function with the help of my calendar but if it doesn’t appear on the calendar it doesn’t mean that it isn’t going to happen.

Regardless of how your home functions, if you are a mother with school age children, between early mornings, packing lunches, shuttling to and from school, afterschool activities, meal planning, BB12 and bedtimes, your last week was a bit of a gongshow.  So now with almost a full week under our belts, our confidence is coming back, and we are able to sit back and decide what the rest of the month holds.

Being that it is the 13^th of the month it would be very easy to write the rest of the month off and start fresh in October, but then Thanksgiving and Halloween are upon us so why not wait until November, but is there really any point in starting then because it gets dark out so early and really December is just around the corner and you will be way too busy to start then…ENOUGH, we are starting today, no excuses!

So what are your goals for the rest of the month?  If you don’t like the word goal, change it to focus.

Over the summer I started watching the 100 Mile Challenge that was filmed in Mission last year. The premise of the challenge is to eat only foods grown, produced and sold within 100 miles of your home.  After only watching the first half of the challenge, I was hooked.  Mysteriously my pvr stopped recording the show once I started questioning the diet of my household (I have since found the episodes online so I will pick back up from where I left off.  I really hope that Randy Hawes redeemed himself, because the way he behaved could not have done anything for his political career).

Although we don’t consume much junk, I am guilty of using convenience foods (not of the drive thru variety, but of the freezer isle variety), and I know that I can do so much better.  This month my goal/focus is going to be spending more time preparing and cooking the food that my family eats, and using local and seasonal food.

While I was at the Haney Farmers Market a few weeks ago I picked up a guide to what is in season in our area, did you know that ostrich is in season from May to October?  I also picked up the high summer issue of Edible Vancouver, which is a great little magazine about local food, wine (incase you weren’t already aware, there is some fantastic BC wine out there) it contains some great recipes (two of which, blueberry lemon loaf and roasted tomato and red wine sauce, I will be trying my culinary hand at this week) and also has an excellent source guide.

Martha Stewart I am not, and nor do I want to be, so don’t expect me to be making my own “dunc-links” sausages anytime soon. But do expect me to be stopping by Pier 1 and picking up that very cute apron I saw that I didn’t have a reason to buy last month, because now I do.

What are your goals/focus for the rest of the month?

Freezing up a storm

The first day back from vacation and the sun finally came out…I may have to take another one soon!

I spent the last week of my vacation nursing some kind of shoulder/neck issue, and wouldn’t you know it, today it is all gone…grrr. Despite being slightly injured, I did manage to take in a few classes with other instructors, but was called out by one of the participants for only using 2lb weights! What is up with that?

Just because I couldn’t turn my head, my vacation didn’t need to be a complete wash, I did the Grouse Grind, I lunched with girlfriends, went to no fun Lilith Fair (I did manage to have some fun), you can’t tell now but I did weed my garden and I shopped.

Today, I am back at‘er with a vengeance… I was in the Studio this morning and will be kicking some serious ass tonight at the Lake, muhaha. I have also been busy in the kitchen this afternoon, I made freezer jam! I am far from Suzy Homemaker, I don’t sew or iron, but I do love to cook (not a fabulous baker, but I do make mean shortbread cookies). Not trying to toot my own horn, but I did receive the Home Economics Academic Award in grade 11 and in grade 12! I know that freezer jam does not require any cooking, it does however require a fair amount of dishes and utensils and a lot of stirring! Three minutes (times 2, I made 2 batches) is a long time to stir, June Cleaver must have had pipes of steel! Freezer jam also requires a lot of freaking sugar! No wonder my daughter will only eat my jam. Thank goodness I don’t have to put a nutrition facts table on the side of the jars, yikes. I choose to look for the positives, the strawberries were frozen fresh and the jam was made with a whole lotta love!

My first trip to Trader Joe’s

I love long weekends, especially when you get to add an extra day to them, visit another country, play a little ball, power shop and manage to hit a winery or two!  The weather wasn’t fantastic and my favourite bra has been discontinued (this is going to be a HUGE problem), but I am restocked on lotions and potions, had dinner at PF Changs and I visited Trader Joe’s for the very first time.

In Canada we have Whole Foods (which I love and have been known to plan many a family outing around), they sell natural and organic foods, but a little on the pricey side, the USA also has Whole Foods, but they also have Trader Joe’s, similar to Whole Foods, just not as pricey and they carry their own store brand so the selection isn’t as vast for some items.  Over the last few months I have been reading a lot of the food and health blogs, and have somewhat secretly, or maybe not so secretly, been turning into a bit of a foodie.  I have read so much about Trader Joe’s, that I had to experience it for myself.  Luckily for me, one of the ladies that I was traveling with was a Trader Joe’s veteran and was more than happy to help me navigate the aisles.  We decided to beat the Sunday morning grocery shopping mayhem so planned to arrive at the store as soon as it opened.

After an early, rainy morning run (perhaps too early, the only human interaction that I came close to was with a homeless man with one shoe who liked the look of my Salomons a little too much and a friendly Canadian man who thought I looked tired and asked me if I would like a ride), armed with my cooler I met Sharon in the hotel lobby to start our excursion.

Not wanting anything to get in my way, I left my jacket in the car (oh you know I am meaning business now) and got rid of my coffee, grabbed shopping cart (which I didn’t have to pay for) and became a scholar of TJ’s for the next 90 minutes.  As we walked through the door, I was completely taken back by the smell of fresh basil, and by the size of the basil plants. I am kicking myself still for not buying one, but I wasn’t sure how it would hold up after two days in the car, and we do have basil in Canada.

After taking a few pictures (I am quite certain that the staff thought I was on a day pass and Sharon was my chaperone) I jumped right in at the bread department, so many seeds, sooo much fiber!  It’s funny how you can be so far away from home and run into people that you know, which worked out really well because now I didn’t have to ask a complete stranger to take a picture of Sharon and I, and if anyone can take a great picture, it’s Ron.

Distracted by another fantastic smell, I wondered away from the group to find samples.  I love samples, because they allow you to do just that, sample.  (Now what I don’t like about samples are the vultures that flock to them with their shopping carts, leaving no room for others.  I really do believe that there should be grocery shopping etiquette police that are situated throughout grocery stores and Costco for this specific reason.  I mean really, it’s not like we are in the middle of a natural disaster and someone may steal the milk or luncheon meat out of your cart, so why not just move it to the side? This also applies to the label readers, I appreciate that you too are looking for the finest nutritional choices for you and your family, but please move your cart to the side of the aisle stand behind your cart, not at the side of your cart where you completely block traffic.)  Ordinarily it would have been a bit early for turkey burgers, but the toast that I had eaten after my run had already worn off and I was feeling a bit peckish, so I decided to help myself.  The turkey burgers were great (I was not a fan of the gorgonzola cheese that was melted on top) and I added a package to my cart (see marketing people, samples work).  The lady giving out the samples told me that I didn’t need to buy buns because I can get all the carbs I needed from fruit and vegetables…I do agree that fruits and veggies are great sources of carbs, vitamins and minerals, but I STILL NEED GRAINS damn it.  It was not too early for turkey burgers but it was entirely too early for a nutritional lecture from the opinionated sample lady so I politely smiled and made my way over to the wine section.

150 wines for under $6…really?  Are they good you ask with hesitation?  This would require further investigation, I purchased a bottle of Contadino Pinot Grigio for $4.99, which was pretty good and a bottle of Charles Shaw Pinot Grigio for $2.99 (I know very cheap but it was billed as the world’s best selling wine so I kinda had to buy it) which I have not opened yet, when I do I will let you know.

The food blogging world seems to be mad about nut butters and oatmeal.  Oatmeal is one of those foods that I lost a taste for when I was pregnant and the mere thought of it still sends me into a green moment. I am not a fan of nuts, no allergies, just not a fan, but I do like almonds, so I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to purchase my first jar of almond butter.  To be quite honest with you, I had a hard time finding the nut butter section and when I did I was a bit disappointed with the selection, I guess with all of the talk about it, I thought that it would be grander.  I selected the creamy unsalted variety; my report will follow later this week.

I reconnected with Sharon and she introduced me to a few things that her family enjoys that I had missed like pizza dough, fresh salsas and dips.  Just like Whole Foods, when you shop at Trader Joe’s you can be completely food stupid and come out looking like a freaking gourmet cook.  Lots of things already prepared and kits to make things, I especially liked this guacamole making kit, although didn’t buy it, it’s totally stupid proof!

So all in, I spent a grand total of $60.31.  No, this will not feed my household for the week, but it will give us a few new foods to try without scaring the crap out of my family (I had to draw the line at the organic ketchup, I think that I may find myself and my belongings out on the lawn if I replaced the Heinz).  So Sharon, I will join you again on your next trip to Trader Joe’s, and looking at my receipt I see that they are open from 8:00am to 9:00pm daily, good to know.

Mother’s Day

As Mother’s Day winds to a close, I hope that all of the ladies had a fabulous day and that everyone got to spend some time with the special ladies in their lives.

I was served my very first breakfast in bed ever (have been known to have a picnic or two in bed but never breakfast)… bacon, smushed eggs and hash browns made with a whole lota love and very little help!  It’s been a while since I have eaten bacon, so I had to have seconds, and thirds.  Mmmm so yummy, whatever it’s Mother’s Day.

I didn’t head downtown with the masses for the Sun Run but I did manage to get out for my own 10km run in the sun with Tommy, Chad and JT.  I found out at about the 6km mark that although my bacon was made with love it probably wasn’t the best pre run meal (or maybe it was, it was just the sheer volume that I consumed).

Mother’s Day wouldn’t be Mother’s Day without going shopping. You know that you are a Mom when the bags that you accumulate as you shop are no longer for you, and you are ok with it.

I had a wonderful Adams Family dinner (and I mean that in the nicest possible way) with my Mum, Dad, bro, sis in law and my gang. My Mum’s birthday falls either on or around Mother’s Day and I always feel like my Mum gets a bit robbed because the two occasions are so close together. Kind of like a Christmas birthday, one always overshadows the other, to top it off the Canucks game was also on….my poor Mum, good thing that she is also a super fan. When I said goodbye to her she said that she “had a lovely day” and that’s what it’s all about right?

So to my Mum and all of the Mumas I know, I hope that you all had a lovely day, you deserve it. Xoxo

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