Goal - Lose 15 pounds in September

What an awesome morning!!  The rain is letting up, and I had an incredible work out at Clayton Park Good Life before arriving at work.  I think I have my work out regime settled for the month of September with a goal of losing 15 pounds this month.  My diet is going to play a huge role in reaching this month's goal, and its going to mean some changes.  I have committed to a menu which will include 2 protein shakes a day as meals, and one low carb meal.  Snacks will include protein balls pre and/or post work out.  I am going to aim for 1300 calories a day, with one cheat day every 14 days.

I have decided to complete at least 5 high intensity training work outs at the gym each morning, and at least two outdoor exercise sessions.  I don't want to lose the opportunity of enjoying the Fall weather before the snow starts flying. In addition to daytime work outs, I am also committing to doing 25 minutes of hip hop abs EVERY  night before bed for the rest of September.

I am a bit nervous about losing some of the gains I have made with my legs from biking, so the stair climber machine at the gym is going to play a big role in my work outs this month.  This morning's exercise included 25 minutes of the stair climber incorporating interval training, followed with free weight training working my arms, back and shoulders, then a 25 minute steady run on the treadmill, 10 minutes on a stationary bike (I felt like it was a waste of time till I got off the bike and felt the impact), and deep stretching.

A positive of working out at the gym is the sauna post exercise.  I hear it is great for muscle recovery and I took advantage of it this morning.  A tip for the sauna, is make sure it is on prior to your work out!  It takes a good 60 minutes to heat up, and it is such a disappointment when you go to get in realizing it wasn't turned on.  Good thing I remembered today, as I was the only one using it and if I hadn't turned that dial pre-work out, I wouldn't have been able to use it.

You will have a good laugh when I post tonight when I get home.  Pete (behind my back) secretly taped me doing my hip hop abs last night.  I had no clue until I turned around and saw the sneak.  Let's just say dancing is not my forte!  Rhythm and coordination was completely off, but you can see the exercise I was getting in.  I was actually pleased with the height I was lifting my legs.  If I get the nerve I will post.  This blog stuff is TOTAL EXPOSURE!

Well folks, have an awesome, productive day!  Keep shakin' and bakin'!!!!!  (minus the bakin')........Cheers!!!!!   Tracey

2 Goals Reached - 100 k in day, and 1000 k by Labour Day

I am happy to share I reached my goal of 1000 km by Labour Day!  In fact, this goal was attained by August 31, following my 100 k ride on Saturday. So in short, from July 25th until August 31st I was able to bike 1000 km. If I can do this, trust me, YOU can reach this type of goal as well.  It was such a sense of accomplishment, and I was not only sore on but also emotional as I biked that last k.

The last hour of my 100 k was the most challenging of all. With 10 km left on the trek, I wasn't sure if I could keep going.  I actually grabbed my cell phone, ready to call Pete to pick me up because I didn't think my body could keep going.  Instead, I took a sober second moment and reminded myself that a "challenge" is actually "challenging".  If I didn't feel challenged, I wasn't working hard enough.  I visualized marathon runners getting sick following a run, and thought to myself, well if that's the worse that can happen, I can endure it.  10 more k wasn't going to kill me, and I could go as slow as I wanted, crawling if I had to, with no time restraints.  This helped me get through, and I actually had a final wind as I finished the last 2 k.  It took me 8 hours in total to complete the ride, a time I was happy with.

Now I have to think of an exercise challenge for September.  I am excited to change things up, and am putting an extra emphasis on my diet.  I am going to move towards a "slow carb" diet, with lots of protein.  My menu is going to include 2 high protein shakes for two meals, with one "slow carb" meal for lunch.  I am incorporating slow carb fruits and veggies with lean proteins.

I will be introducing my next exercise regime in tomorrow's blog!  I wish you all a great day and keep MOVING!  Cheers! Tracey

7 Days Left - Crystal Crescent Beach Surprise

Only 7 days left to reach my goal of 1000 k!!!! The pressure is on folks.  I have approximately 175 km to complete in a week, and I have lots of meetings this week which will require my car which will be challenging. This means a lot of really early morning rides before I leave for work, as well as treks when I get home. I had planned on doing 100 km this past Saturday, but a well deserved sleep in put a damper on my plans.  I did manage 65 km before dark, which was a good was better than not going at all. I biked throughout Halifax, which included a spin in Point Pleasant Park.  The scenery was gorgeous.  I discovered some tree lines streets in the south end which I had no idea existed.  The homes were out of this world tucked away behind iron gates, on beautiful lane ways.  It is really quite amazing what you don't see when you drive a car.  You get a much better sense of the city on foot or cycling.

My ride in to work this morning was great.  I left extra early so I could do some road biking without the added pressure of traffic.  I arrived at my building at 7 am, and was shocked the number of committed employees sitting at their desks at that hour of the morning.

Sunday was spent spent with my son and granddaughter Gabby.  We had a great visit, which included lots of laughing.  Gabby kept us in stitches the entire time, and her sunny personality is contagious.  Her presence just puts you in a great mood, no matter what is going on in your life.  What an incredible gift.

When I arrived home late afternoon, Pete was up for a coastal hike so we decided on Crystal Crescent Beach.  He wasn't aware of the "type" of beach which we would encounter towards the end of our hike which was hilarious.  Can you imagine the look on his face when he saw some bare bottoms frolicking in the distance! He maintained his composure and was very conscious about "looking away" from the distractions!  I however was a little more curious, and admired confidence of all the different  body shapes and sizes freely prancing around.  How liberating I thought, however I do have to admit the prudish side of me was a little embarrassed being anywhere near it!

Pete broke in our new digital camera.  Its not as good as his "professional" one, but its waterproof which is great for a clumsy person like me.  I thought his pics turned out beautiful even with a cheapo camera.  Wishing you all a productive day!  Cheers!!!!  Tracey

Facing your Fears - Biking the Bridge

Yesterday was a really really big day for me.  I faced one of my most terrifying fears, heights.  When I reflect on the day, I still can't believe I accomplished it - biking the MacDonald Bridge.  The only other time I  crossed the bridge without being in a vehicle was after a night out downtown with a girlfriend, and we decided to walk home.  Even with liquid courage, I struggled that night, holding her hand, and closing my eyes the whole way.  But yesterday I did it on my own, in the daylight, and on a bike.  It felt so empowering conquering my irrational fear.  I had a meeting in Dartmouth and decided why not bike?  Its cheaper and quicker than a taxi, and will give me extra km's for the day.  My sister Lisa is on vacation in Myrtle Beach and texted me yesterday to tell me about her skydiving adventure.  We have always been in competition, her and I, and I thought if she can do that I can bike the bridge.  As I rolled on to bridge's bike lane, I knew there was no turning back.  There was a little bit of an incline on the span which got the heart pumping even more.  I closed one eye in an effort to not see the water below me and focused on the road.  In about 7 minutes it was all over and I felt invigorated, I accomplished what I had set out to do.  The ride back was a little less intimidating because there was lots of traffic, and for some reason it felt comforting.  In the back of my mind, I knew if I freaked out or had some sort of anxiety attack, there were lots of people around that I could call for help.  Just knowing that eased my anticipation, comfort in numbers.  I am so glad I did it, and plan on doing it again soon.  If anyone wants to give it a try, just let me know and I would be happy to go with you.

My total ride home was about an 90 minutes which wasn't too bad considering I was riding from downtown Dartmouth to Lakeside.  I felt like I was dodging bullets while in traffic on North Street, but I am getting more at ease riding on the road  as I gain experience.  I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached the trail, the last leg of my

trip.

I have meetings today in Cole Harbour - a little too far to travel by bike on work time, so I had to bring my car.  I did get up extra early to bike though, and got in 16 km before heading to work in my vehicle.  I can't miss any opportunities to ride with only a little over a week left to bike the remaining 300 km of my 1000 k goal.

I hope the sun is shining wherever you are!  Have a great day.  Cheers!!!! Tracey :)

Personal Best - 64 k

I managed a personal best this weekend in preparation for my upcoming 100 km ride I have planned for Saturday.  I biked from Lakeside to Waverley on Sunday, a 64 km return trip!!  When I arrived home, I thought, how in the hell am I going to do 100?  I was tired, not exhausted, but my shoulders and legs were aching bad. I did the run in 4.5 hours, but I think if I had had longer breaks between each 20 km I would have been in better shape when I arrived home.  The weather didn't help either, it was 82 degrees.  I rode the trail from Lakeside to Joseph Howe Drive then took the Bedford Highway to Waverley. There were parts of the highway which had bike lanes which was a welcome surprise.  It makes biking so much easier, knowing you have adequate space between you and the 2000 pound cars and trucks plummeting towards you from behind.  

After today's exercise I will have over 700 km completed towards my 1000 km goal.  It is really exciting knowing it is just around the corner, and I look forward to changing up my exercise regime.  Pete, god bless him, started Hip Hop abs with me last night.  I plan on doing this as well 6 days a week in the evening when I get home.  The routine is 30 minutes in total and you break quite a sweat.  We did it together last night, and trust me it wasn't pretty! but we were sweating like pigs. I am sure our coordination will improve the more times we do it, and get the moves down.  I can remember being in the same boat when I started body combat classes last year.  It only took a few classes and I was totally comfortable with the moves.  My naturopath told me biking was great, but not enough of a work out for your core.  Cross training and changing things also confuses the body and can increase your metabolism even more.

I am so looking forward to fitting in to a size 10, and going on wardrobe shopping spree when I hit it! My weight seems to be dropping top down, and I am waiting with anticipation for the middle to evaporate!  My legs are coming along with the biking, but the mid section still has a way to go.  Hopefully the Hip Hop abs will help take care of that.

I had an awesome bonding session with my son on Saturday, he was quite impressed with my biking accomplishments.  Not so impressed with my bike however, but I agreed I will consider a more expensive ride next year once I demonstrate I will stick with it.  My girlfriend at work was telling me how much easier rides are with a better bike.  Not sure if that's good or bad!  The more work I do, the more calories I burn.  

I wish you all a fantastic day and get MOVING!  Cheers! Tracey :)

Happy Friday!!!!!!!

Thank God its Friday! So looking forward to the weekend for a rest.  Its been a busy week, both at work and exercising.  I am a little worse for wear today, and feel tired this morning.

Last night was an interesting ride home, as I sneaked a little piece of sidewalk in on Connaught Avenue.  As soon as my tire hit the concrete slab, I hear "GET OFF THE SIDEWALK..................pause.........TRACEY"  I was relieved the guilty screamer was a friend, Michelle, making fun of me.  I promptly flipped her the bird, and then motioned an air kiss to say hi.  The ride home was great, uneventful and I had lots of energy.   In fact, it wasn't until Pete and I had a 5 km walk after dinner (which included a huge hill) that I began to fade.  Sleep hit me at full force. I was then early to rise again to hit the trail to work.  This time less energetic, and feeling the muscles in my legs aching each time I hit a hill, but I kept on going.  I ran in to two bandit raccoons who were very rotund from eating people's garbage I am sure.  They stood still when they saw me, but quickly took off in to the woods as I drew closer.  I am glad I wasn't on foot, because they can be vicious when crossed.

Shanti Hot Yoga has a special on this week for unlimited yoga classes for $30 for a month.  My sis and I are joining and I look forward to some well deserved stretching for my muscles.  I think the yoga will be a good complement with biking, and will support the cross training Dr. Ben recommends.

Have an awesome day all! I hope you enjoy your weekend.  Cheers!  Tracey ;)

6 inches of fat GONE! GONE! GONE!

I am in an especially great mood today because of my session with my naturopath Dr. Ben Connolly last night.  He did my measurements and I am down 6 inches, and 5% body fat!! Woohoo!! I was so motivated with the changes, that I completed a 26 km bike ride after the appointment. Although he is pleased with my new biking regime, he recommended I include some gym work for cross training and core work.  That will be my emphasis once I get these 1000 km in.  He gave me a B-12 shot in my arm, and I am taking 1200 mg of B12 daily now for an added energy boost.

My ride in this morning was a little hairy because of the direction of the sun.  You can tell Fall is coming because of this change.  The light was directly in my eyes, and even with sun glasses it was hard to see through the glare of its rays.  I was scared I would run in to a walker or fellow biker on the trail and knock them over.  Then when I hit the roadways, I figured if I can't see in front of me, the car behind me can't see me either.  I had to be extra careful and stuck to walking my bike on the sidewalk on Mumford Road.

Well I am getting all geared up for my 100 km hike next weekend.  My good friend Del is joining me.  My initial plan was to bike return to Enfield, but I am still really nervous around cars so I changed the plans.  We are going to be biking from Halifax to Hubbards return, completely on the trail.  It will likely take 8 hours with rest stops, and lots of sports drinks for added electrolytes.  He is such a good sport!  Pete graciously bowed out of the challenge not feeling he is ready for a run that long.  Maybe next biking season.

I hope every one has a great day and Janice Louise, we have to walk soon! Maybe tomorrow after work???? I could meet you at the Coca Cola plant after my ride home to Lakeside?  6 pm??  Let me know! :)  Tracey