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

Old Logging Road Hike

I will officially be over the 500 km mark after my exercise tonight!!!!!  Pete and I did the calculations last night, and I am super excited that I may actually meet the 1000 km goal before September 2nd!  This morning was a great for biking.  I managed a 21 km ride before heading to work.  I had to drive my car this morning, ughhhhhhhh, because of meetings so i was early to rise to get some mileage in (or should I say kilometerage in?  Did I just invent a word?).  I plan on finishing off some more k's tonight when I get home to meet my 30 km per day quota.

Last night we had an incredible hike on what I think was an old logging road in Timberlea.  We managed 5 km before dark and are making plans to head back to this beautiful lake when we have more time to explore.  Pete was completely wrapped in in taking pictures, fascinated with Canadian landscape.  We discovered a gorgeous clearing which looked like the remains of an old homestead.  We couldn't find a house foundation, but there was a man made rock wall and fruit trees planted strategically. We both felt a feeling of peace as we wandered through the property, however, unlike Pete I was a little creeped out thinking there were spirits lingering about! I definitely felt a presence, but a peaceful one, or at least I hope it was.

We ran in to a real live person on the road riding an ATV.  He was a typical Canadian, friendly and engaging.  He stopped and chatted telling us about the 5 deer he just spotted, and wished us a great evening. I couldn't help but feel a little vulnerable when I first heard the motor coming towards us, as you can't predict what type of people you can run in to in environments far away from an immediate place of safety.  Paranoia perhaps, or maybe it was residual fear from watching a scary psychological thriller, "Black Rock",  the night before which included women being tortured  by psychotic strangers they ran in to while on a camping trip.

Hope everyone is having an incredible day! GET MOVING!!!!  Tracey :)



    

Saturday Indiscretions..............

Back to the old grind today, following a fantastic 3 day weekend.  The weather was beautiful, got a ton of work completed at the house and hosted a barbeque for family and friends.   Unfortunately, I didn't get as much exercise in as I had hoped, but I think it was good to give the body a bit of a rest given the number of km I have been biking.  It does however put me a little behind in terms of km I need to reach my goal, but it just means I have to work extra hard the next few weeks.  I managed a 6 km power walk on Friday with my sis, and Pete and I hiked the Bluff trail in Timberlea on Sunday which was 10 km in total.  It was interesting how sore I was after the Bluff hike considering the biking I have been doing, but I figured it had to be because I am using different muscle groups.  The scenery was amazing, although we didn't get a glimpse of any wild animals like Pete thought lurked in our wilderness.  No bears, no coyotes, no moose, just a squirrel, a hawk and baby toads were seen on our trek.  We took a 30 minute break when we reached the peak, so our total time was approximately 3 hours.  Pete did really well considering he hasn't hiked for a long time.

Well back to Saturday night.........hmmmm..........wine is not good for dieting, not only is it full of calories, it also leads to a sore head the next day, and leads to bad behaviors such as 'pigging out' when the night draws to an end.  I managed to behave during dinner, caesar salad and a hamburger with no bun, but I couldn't resist the temptation of coconut cream pie and ice cream just before bed.  It wasn't pretty!  I felt pretty disgusted the next morning, but then I rationalized that boost in calories may actually shock my metabolism.  There are theories that this works, but I don't recommend it.  I really felt badly the next day for overindulging.   The key is moderation, if I planned to have treats, I should have exercised my butt off earlier in the day to balance it out.  Live and learn.

I have exactly 21 more days until Labour Day, so I have to bike every day without exception unless it rains whereby I will have to do km on the treadmill.  I am so DETERMINED to do this. 1000 km is like biking all the way to Quebec City, and to do it in a month is pretty damn good if I say so!

Hope everyone has an amazing day, and I have enabled the blog to accept comments.  I didn't have the settings set up correctly previously.  I hope it works!  Cheers!  Tracey

Pulled over by the Police - Riding on the sidewalk criminal

As of today I have surpassed the 400 km mark!!!!  only 600 more to go by September 2nd.  It is a little overwhelming thinking of what I have left to accomplish but I can only take it one day at a time.  I am so committed to reaching this goal, but I fear the weather may hamper my efforts.  I cringe every time I see a weather forecast that includes rain, fearful it will impede my ability to bike.

My ride home yesterday was interesting as I approached an intersection by the Halifax Shopping Centre on Mumford Road.  I was just about the hit the last bit of busy road before the trail and I was "pulled over" by the Halifax Regional Police.  I was called "Mam" and told I couldn't ride on the sidewalk, even though there wasn't a pedestrian in sight on my side of the road.  I acknowledged his direction with a snicker, and got off my bike and walked the remainder of the trek to the trail.  Traffic was just too heavy to ride on the road, and I wasn't going to risk my life.  I can understand if there are pedestrians, but the sidewalk was clear. It is really unfortunate we don't have more bike lanes in this city.  You really take your life in your hands when you bike with cars.  Cars are bigger, faster, and cannot manoeuvre around cyclists easily.  I can relate to their frustration with us.  

The ride to work this morning was amazing.  I had an interesting experience when I made it to the start of the trail and spotted a beautiful deer standing a few feet away from me.  I predicted she would move as I came closer, but instead she stayed staring at me with those soulful brown eyes.  I became a little panicked visualizing myself being kicked and beaten up by a deer, so I started ringing my bike bell like a mad woman.  I am convinced any trail users in the distance thought there was an ice cream truck coming.  Much to my relief, the deer eventually galloped gracefully away seconds before I crossed her path. 

I am looking forward to a productive day at work, and wish you all an amazing day!  Cheers.

Tracey :)  

Glorious morning - August 7

What a glorious bike to work this morning.  The 14.3 km seemed effortless in the crisp morning air.  I can feel Fall in the horizon so I want to fully take advantage of the few weeks of summer we have left and embrace every day!!  Pete and I had an amazing night which included exercise.  We had some gadgets to return to Home Depot and decided "Why don't we bike there?"  It ended up being an adventure as we didn't take the main roads and found some old trails in the woods which brought us to our destination.  I had a little accident on the ride home as I attempted to burn rubber up a hill which was quite sandy.  I felt the bike start to lose control in the sand and fell over in to a grassy ditch.  Nothing hurt other than my pride, and lesson learned to stay in the ruts on trails. When we arrived home we googled the route and were surprised to see we had actually rode 14 km in total.  All those km add up and what an awesome way to spend the evening.  Pete has one of those amazing metabolisms, so he looks slim and fit, however, I tell him he is "fat" on the inside and needs to exercise to clear all that "gunk" from his system, meaning cholesterol etc. and get his blood flowing.  He did really well, but I am encouraging him to exercise more regularly.  We are planning on hiking the Bluff trail on Saturday morning which should be an experience for him.  He will feel the Canadian wilderness experience which includes "watch for bear and moose" signs.  Beats the poisonous snakes and spiders in the Aussie bush that he is use to.  Let's just say we have differing opinions on "risk"!!!!!  Wishing everyone an incredible day and hope there is sunshine wherever you are.  Cheers! Tracey :)

Day 1 of my blog

Today is Day 1 of my "Shedding Fat" blog.  I am soooooo excited about documenting my short term goal of reaching 1000 km by Labour Day, which is Monday, September 2nd in Canada. I began this cycling quest on July 25, 2013 and have reached 337.5 km by today's date of August 6.  I am getting addicted to this form of exercise!! I have tried it all....... gym, running, power walking, hiking, boot camps and cycling by far is my favorite.  I know I still have to incorporate these other forms as well, but I am going to focus on cycling until I reach the 1000 km mark.  I was shocked that I was able to ride 46 km straight on Sunday, which is a HUGE accomplishment for me.  My energy levels are soaring.

Tomorrow I start my round trip ride again to work (28.6 km) for the remainder of the week, and I hope to reach the half way point of 500 km by the end of this weekend.  I have made the decision mentally,  to convince myself I no longer own a car, so when I don't feel like dragging my fat butt out of bed in the morning to leave early to bike, I trick myself by pretending there is no car in the driveway.  It really works for me!  It makes sense in terms of time efficiency to ride to work as well,  because I no longer waste time in traffic, and I am getting all of my exercise for the day to and from the office,  so by 5:45 when I arrive home, my time is my own.  I am able to shower at work, which is great because being "ripe" is not an ideal when starting your day!

I am excited to see the results by September 2nd, and then I will move on to another exercise plan for the Fall.  I have a "drop dead date" to reach my weight goal by December 15th, in my attempt to look "drop dead hot"!!!!  My boyfriend Pete and I are travelling to his home in Australia for Christmas and I plan to walk off the plane in a Size 8 sundress.

Pete has been amazingly supportive, and will be video documenting my progress as well for this blog.  He is the techno nerd in our relationship. Size 16 to size 8..............SO GONNA DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I made it from a size 20, so FAT GET LOST!!!!!!!!!! AND STAY AWAY FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Cheers everyone.  Have a great DAY!

PLEASE feel free to post a comment.  Let's motivate each other!  Tracey :)