Words from the Wise

I read a lot of blogs written by active people, many of whom are former couch potatoes. So much inspiration, so much wisdom. I read a few things recently that resonated with me so strongly that  I've gotta share them -  

Sarah - training for her first half-marathon -

Losing weight is hard. Being fat is hard. Pick your hard.

Read the full post

Given the choice of {hard + rewarding} versus {hard + depressing} - well, that seems like a no brainer now - but damn, it was hard getting started on this journey. Wish I'd read this a few years ago.

Jed - former couch potato turned Ironman -

We didn’t get in marathon shape before we signed up [for our first marathon]. We signed up and then said “oh crap, we better get in marathon shape.” If you don’t commit, too many things will come up and you have the opportunity to create to many excuses. I wouldn’t do a 20 mile run or a 100 mile bike to just get in shape, but if I have a race coming up I will get those workouts in... Haven’t got off the couch in 5 years? Sign up for a 5k. Walk the entire thing if you need to. But signing up will give you a reason and motivation to get off the couch and moving.

Read the full post

You said it, Jed. Signing up for my first few events helped to give my trips to the gym purpose ("Can't skip tonight's workout, I have that 5K coming up"), and along the way helped me to stretch my thinking about just how much I may be capable of...which in turn got me to sign up for more events...and so of course I had keep on training. That try-a-tri I want to do next summer? Guess I'd better sign up for those stroke improvement classes and do some brick training over the fall/winter/spring. I'd never bother with either of those if I was just looking to get exercise.

Alex - recently celebrating 100-lbs of weight-loss -

When somebody sees you after a significant weight loss it seems like the only thing they can say to you, “you look so amazing.” The person saying it doesn’t realize that what we hear is: “You don’t need to lose anymore weight.”... We have to learn to prevent ourselves from ever thinking we are done. Losing weight is not a license to go eat an entire bag of potato chips and down a 2 liter bottle of Pepsi. Well, unless you want to lose 100 lbs all over again. There really is no “done” when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. There’s only a “next”.

Read the full post

This one hit close to home. Lots of kudos = swelled head = celebrate with cookies! And chocolate! And pizza! Grrrrroannnnn - I needed this reminder.

What about you - read anything recently that resonated strongly with you?

Here's this week's recap: 

Saturday -  6K round trip on the bike to the Farmer's Market. Later, cleaned the house - for hours and hours and hours. Sigh.

Sunday - More cleaning, then had friends over for a BBQ. Great friends, great time. And the house was clean!

Monday - Curves + 22 pushups after dinner

Tuesday - An evening out with my two favourite Daves (thanks to Jewls for babysitting!):
 

My husband...

 

...and Dave Grohl. Hello there, so nice to see you again ;-)

Wednesday - Rest day. Took the kids to the school playground in the evening.

Thursday - Zumba + once around the circuit + 24 pushups after dinner. And then I tried this:

Not the world's most flattering picture - but who cares? LOOK AT WHAT I CAN DO!!!

The last time I tried this was 3 years ago, and I could barely get my legs in the air at all. Seriously. Major NSV!!!!

Friday - Rest day. Took the kids to High Park for the evening.

What I'm reading this week - Reread The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire, then started The Secret Daughter by Shilpa Somaya Gowda.

I Heart My Trainer

Meet Ana.

She's amazing.

I have sweat bucket and buckets of sweat because of Ana.

Remember in last week's Warrior Dash recap  when I mentioned that I "mentally thanked every boot camp class, every workout...I've ever been on for making me strong enough to keep going"?

That was Ana. Ana made me strong enough to keep going.

My gym is a Curves. The standard Curves workout is circuit training with a coach on hand to supervise everyone on the circuit and correct form if needed.

It works.

But Ana takes this a hundred steps further.

Ana leads a great cardio workout on the recovery stations on the circuit - and watches like a hawk to make sure that we don't skimp out on the strength-training on the machines.

Ana dances us into the ground on Zumba nights - and her energy's just as high after teaching back-to-back classes as it was before. You should see that girl shake her hips!

Ana teaches one heck of a mean boot camp - and you neeeeed to feel the burn of her abs class.

Ana pushes us to work to our potential each and every workout - and then pushes us a bit further the next time.

She skillfully uses a fabulous blend of humour, encouragement, wit, sarcasm and motivation on us - with just the right amount of intimidation - and it works. I always have a great time while getting a challenging workout, which pretty much guarantees that I go regularly.

Speaking of which - and you'll hear about it if you DON'T go regularly!

Ana pays attention to what's coming up on my race calendar and makes sure that I work all the right muscle groups. CN Tower Climb. Ride for Heart. 5Ks. Warrior Dash. I'm smashing my personal records each and every time I cross a finish line because of this lady.

Ana - thank you.

Live in Toronto and looking for a gym? Come to mine. You won't regret it!

PS - Can't make it in during Ana's shifts? No worries - her mom works there full-time too. And just who do you think Ana learned to be so fabulous from?

Here's this week's recap:

Saturday - Warrior Dash, shower at my mom's, drive to my SIL's cottage and hit the beach for a nap. Later took the kids and cousins to a nearby pool for a late evening swim + whirlpool (lovely!) before hitting the highway to come home. 
  

Dirt left over after doing my Warrior Dash laundry. This was after I was washed down with high pressure fire hoses.

Sunday - Laaaazzzzzy morning. Took the kids swimming in the afternoon.

Monday - Curves after dinner.

Tuesday - Took the kids swimming after dinner.

Wednesday - Zumba after dinner.

Thursday - Zumba and an abs class after dinner.

Friday - Stunningly beautiful summer evening. Took the kids to High Park for dinner, batting practice and the playground.



Flopped down on a picnic blanket at the park - a great end to the week!


The Week 6 'Queen of the Circuit' Challenges:
Work out 3 x - check
Thanks to the Warrior Dash, Ana gave me a free pass on the rest of this week's activities :-)

What I'm reading this week - Buying on Time by Antanas Sileika

Jen Does Life

There was no other possible title for this post :-)

On Saturday morning, we headed downtown, met up with Ben and Pa...

...42 more really, really nice people and a puppy...

People came from all around the GTA, Ottawa, Boston and beyond!

 ...chatted for a while with some new friends, bought some really great medal hangers from the designer himself...

...and then the Do Life CEO kicked things off with a few motivational words ("Anyone want to skip the run and go straight to lunch?"):

Made our way over to the very official starting line of the Toronto Do Life International Official Unofficial 5K:

...and we were off!

An out and back course, my favourite!

Sprinted to the finish line:

 

...and ended with a smile:

A bunch of us went for lunch afterwards:

...talked up a storm, laughed a lot, swapped stories, and generally had a great time. I've never seen a group of total strangers click so quickly! We heard inspiring stories of weight loss and lifestyle changes from everyone we talked to. Some people had just run their first 5K, others were training for their next half-marathon - and everyone was there to celebrate Doing Life. Such a fantastic group of people. At the end of our meal, we were all reluctant to say goodbye and go our separate ways.  

Ben - thanks for being such an inspiration. John - thanks for logging so many hours as the Do Life Roadie. It was an honour to meet you both - and thank you for giving us the opportunity to meet so many amazing people.

I'm floored by the fact that you're both training for your next Ironman while on the road. It's impossible to not be inspired by you!

Even better that you are totally goofy :-)

Truly great day. Wishing you all the best with the rest of the tour.

Who Inspires You?

I'm happy to find myself wanting to explore a wider variety of challenges. Partly because I'm growing progressively stronger, and partly because I'm drawing inspiration from other people.

In particular, there are a few people with achievements under their belts far greater than mine whose accomplishments have been inspiring me to expand my thinking about just what I may be capable of. This is what prompted me to sign up for the 25K Ride for Heart and the upcoming Warrior Dash, has got me putting a try a tri and the 50K version of the Ride for Heart on my wish list for 2012, and has me wondering about what else I'd be up for. I'm even tossing around the idea of something like this for 2013. Which is seriously amazing. I used to hear about events like these and automatically dismiss then as being for other people. Now I'm chomping at the bit to do them? That's a NSV!

I'm lucky to be able to draw inspiration from so many active people. A few examples -  

My friend Bruce took up running in his 50s and has since completed marathons on all seven continents. I'm impressed and inspired daily by his dedication to setting goals, planning and training in all areas of his life, not just running. Bruce definitely leads by example.

Lynda was walking with canes following multiple knee surgeries (including a knee replacement!) when I met her a couple of years ago, but has since conquered physio and gone on to powerwalk a marathon, a half marathon and countless 5-10K+ distances. Did I tell you that she called me a wuss earlier this year for thinking that I needed a year to train for the Warrior Dash? She was so emphatic about it that we both signed up for 2011 right then and there. Lynda - who has just celebrated her 60th birthday - leads her life anything but quietly!

Deb over at Deb Tris, is training hard for the multiple triathalons on her 2011 race calendar. Wind? Wild weather? Mountains? No matter - she keeps on track with her training! Deb also has two active young children and frequently writes interesting, thought-provoking posts. Her example shows me that it's possible to balance a busy training schedule and family. She recently sent me a comment reminding me that no matter how long or short, respect the distance - a great reminder that has helped keep me on track when I'm tempted to skimp on training. Go read her!

Julie over at You Just Have to Tri sent me congrats on my most recent 5K just hours after she finished a metric century ride, and again for finishing the Ride for Heart shortly after conquering yet another triathalon.  Julie oozes energy, has multiple long distance races and rides under her belt, and finds the time to cook amazing from-scratch dinners. Seriously - how fabulous is she?! I take a lot of inspiration from Julie, and laugh every time I see the 't-shirt wisdom' quote at the top of her blog. She's kind enough to post recipes, too -  although how she finds the time given that she's training for a half Ironman (!) I do not know! Go read her!

I've mentioned before that on a daily basis, I receive a tremendous amount of support from my family, my friends, my Curves trainer. I thank each and every one of you for - you help to keep me in motion every day! Here's where I thank the three most important to me:

My husband is on a mission of his own to keep moving. He recently finished his first 10K, walks 10K home from work several times a week, and is training for a half-marathon. He is as supportive as heck - making sure that he's home on time for me to get to the gym, clearing his calendar on my race days, and plain old assuming that I can accomplish whatever thing I've signed up for next. The level of confidence that he has in me raises my own. 

My children - my biggest cheerleaders - also assume that I can reach the finish line successfully on everything that I sign up for. These kids remember how very large and sedentary I was just a couple of years ago, yet they have that unwavering confidence in my abilities today - which in turns makes me think about reaching beyond what I've achieved so far.

So - what am I doing to pay it forward? I've turned into one of those 'go, go, you can do it' people :-) Tell me that you're thinking of trying something - going to a gym? Signing up for a class? Trying a distance? - and  I'll cheer you on. 'Fantastic! Go go - you can do it! What are you waiting for?'

Thanks for sticking with me during this long post. Who inspires you?

Here's this week's recap:

After a long winter and rainy spring, I forgot the first rule of summer biking:
When you park in the sun, your seat gets really hot. OW!!

Saturday - Feeling great after yesterday's kayaking. Rode my bike to the gym (6K round trip) and worked out, including 20 pushups. OK - maybe my shoulders ARE a bit tired.

Raspberries were on major sale today - time for the kids to make freezer jam!
They are masters at this and took this job over a couple of summers ago - all I do is clean up afterwards :-)

Sunday - Father's Day! Took my daughter swimming while the boys went for a bike/run. Played mermaids and dolphins for an hour, then I hit the deep end for a few quick lengths while she dried off. Realized how woeful my form is - swim classes are definitely in order! Played catch with my son - great work for my pitching arm!

Monday - 1K walk at lunch, Curves after dinner.

Slow ball? Fast ball? Wonder what she's got up her sleeve...

Tuesday - 1K walk at lunch. Made Julie's Lasanga Cupcakes for dinner (YUM), then played catch with my daughter. Lots of bending and running and stretching to get the ball - she's still working on her aim :-)

Wednesday - Zumba AND Bootcamp. Having a hard time lifting my arms this evening!

Thursday - Rest day. 

Speaking of insprations - I'm really looking forward to meeting the Davis Boys!



Friday - Curves after dinner, including some pretty great cardio! Hey - the Do Life tour hits Toronto in a week!



Finally - here are the Week 3 'Queen of the Circuit' challenges:

Drink more water this week - Check - I'm noticing a trend here...
Avoid one carb this week - Check -  I gave up pasta. Those lasanga cupcakes were made with wonton wrappers!
Get out for a walk - Check.
Play one weekly game - Check
Do one Boot Camp - Check
Set a Goal this Week - Check -
Check Body Mass - Check - BMI sitting at 32.5
Workout three times - Check

Happy Life-Change-Aversary to Me!

Last week marked the two-year anniversary of the start of my journey to fitness :-)

Many people are able to identify a specific event that made them decide that the time had come to take control of their life. I love reading/hearing about people's journeys through change and admire how honest people are in telling their stories. Here's mine:

I wasn't always overweight. I was reasonably active, especially in my teens.  I was eating far too many carbs and fried things and not enough fruits & veg. Rarely ate salad and didn't like cooked vegetables. Still - metabolism was on my side. I was tall and slim, was getting exercise, felt great and was happy.

Then I hit my 20s. Went to university. Got married. Started eating the same amount of food as my husband, a guy with a physical job at the time. Started eating too late in the day because of my work schedule. Moved to an office job. Bought a car. Had a baby. Bought a house. Had another baby.

Every life change brought with it a decrease in the amount of physical activity I was getting. Some resulted in stress eating. All resulted in weight gain. Slow and steady, slow and steady. I know NOW that I should have compensated by improving my eating habits and seeking out exercise - but I didn't fully appreciate it back then. I was putting on just under 1 lb a month...which added up to 10 lbs a year...and the next thing you know, 10 years had passed and I was 100 lbs overweight.
And terribly unhappy. Unhappy with the way that I was feeling (regardless of your size, a poor diet based on sugar, salt and fat will do that to you), unhappy with the way that I was starting to have chronic aches and pains, unhappy about how hard it was to find clothes that fit, unhappy that my children had a fat, inactive mother, and unhappy that my husband had an unhappy wife.

So unhappy that I kept eating. And gaining.



Nov 2007 - just over a year before I started moving.
 My favourite 'before' picture.



By January 1, 2009, I was 120 lbs overweight, feeling completely hopeless about it and was too overwhelmed to make a change. At 37 years old, I had resigned myself to the idea that this was going to be my life - out of shape, unhappy and with feet so sore in the mornings that I hobbled around like an old, old woman. I think it's fair to say that I had a touch of depression.

Then...

On January 2, 2009, my 9-year-old son asked me to join his upcoming kendo (martial arts) class. It was an all ages class, but he'd found out that he was going to be the only student under 20 and wanted some company.

I was terrified at the idea of taking an exercise class - in public! - but absolutely could not say no to my son. As scared as I was, I at least had the sense to realize that invitations like this from our children are few and far between and can't be turned down.

So - I stalled for a few hours before pulling up the online registration form. Realized that the first class was the very next day, panicked, but signed up anyway.

I have to say - the first class was really difficult given my poor level of fitness, but it was a lot of fun. A LOT of fun. It felt so, so great be be moving! I'd been a member of Curves for a while - hadn't been going, but my membership was still actve - and by the time the class was over, I was determined to get to Curves the next day and get in 3 workouts before the next week's class. Maybe the second class wouldn't be as hard?

Well - I got to the gym 3 times that week..and the next...and the next...and the next thing you know, I'd formed a pretty decent habit of going regularly.

Towards the end of January, the gym announced that they were starting up free (free!) classes on healthy eating and I signed up. I'd tried the classes a couple of years before and failed miserably. I GAINED weight the last time that I tried the classes...but this time I was ready for change. For the first time ever, I found myself eating tons of veg and a balanced diet with sensible portion sizes. Day after day after day after day.

It took a few weeks, but I eventually noticed just how very much better I was feeling mentally and physically as a result of the changes I was making. Taking charge of my life, getting proper nutrition, and getting active was Making Me Happier. Confident. Energized.

By the time the kendo classes came to an end in the spring, my son and I had decided that it wasn't quite the right activity for either of us. We didn't sign up again - but I kept going to Curves faithfully and found myself ditching the elevator at work and taking the stairs to the seventh floor instead every day. Every day! 



March 2010 - My favourite 'work in progress' picture



Since then, I've gradually increased the amount of exercise I get every day, try to seek out variety, and started participating in organized events.   

I still have almost daily struggles with food - especially at parties - but I eat a lot more mindfully now and finally understand what healthy eating looks like.

I've had a temendous amount of support from my family, my friends, my coworkers, the trainers at Curves and the members at Curves. Couldn't have done this without so many people cheering me on. THANK YOU!

Special thanks to my children for being my biggest cheerleaders - and most of all to my son for taking me by the hand and leading me to the first step on this journey.

While I'm writing this, I'm listening to my husband shuffle through event listings and think aloud about training for a 10K...or maybe even a half marathon. I can't even describe how happy I am that he's being active himself, and how grateful I am that we're not still living the life we had 2 years and 1 week ago.

So happy. So confident. So energized. So much fun!

Happy Anniversary!

In Appreciation of Professional Performers

Jackie Burns as Elphaba, Chandra Lee Schwartz as Glinda
Toronto production of Wicked - November 2010

I've been fortunate enough to take in two stellar live performances this month. I saw the musical Wicked with my sister-in-law last week, and this week took my daughter to the National Ballet's Cinderella.

Both have got me thinking about discipline and determination. I am pretty good about getting daily exercise and working hard at the gym, but I'm not pushing myself much further than I can already go. Don't get me wrong - I'm much, much fitter than I was 2 years ago, but my progress has been very slow and steady. There's decent exercise but not a dramatic amount of challenge in a lunchtime walk, a few flights of stairs, 30 minutes in a circuit. I've never trained for a marathon, half-marathon or anything like that, and have a hard time understanding just how much sheer determination it takes to train, rehearse and prepare for a competition or for a series of physical performances.



Sonja Rodriguez as Cinderella 
National Ballet of Canada, November 2010

The Toronto Star published the following about ballet dancers this week. I've never come anywhere close to anything like this - you?



In rehearsal — seven hours a day, five days a week — dancers pursue beauty, some call it transcendence. Still, it stems from an earthbound work ethic, sweat beading above arched eyebrows and streaking along exquisite jaw lines. T-shirts darken at the neck and in the small of the back. Breathing hardens. There is pain. It always hurts, dancers say. Bunions, corns, tendinitis, stress fractures, aching backs. Toes, red and swollen, are bandaged. Slender calves are on ice. Some roll foam cylinders up and down their thighs.

...In rehearsal, dancers work to the point where they don’t have to think about each step, [Principal Dancer Sonja] Rodriquez explains. At 37, she is delicately constructed, doll-like, but with muscle and sinew. “You do it over and over until the mechanics become second nature, so you get past the point where your brain is thinking so much about what the body has to do and where muscle memory takes over.”

Wow. Here's a recap from this week -



Love the poster from the Toronto production - 2010

Saturday - Beautiful day. Rode my bike to Curves and back (5K round trip), worked out. Hopped on the subway with my daughter in the afternoon to catch the Cinderella matinee.

Sunday - Amost had a lazy day...but got off my butt in the afternoon and rode my bike to the grocery store and back, a 6K round trip. Feeling great! 

Monday - Stairs to 7 in AM, 0.75km walk + stairs to 7 at lunch; hit Curves after dinner for a special Monday "power half hour". My abs felt great after!

Tuesday - Feeling stiff this morning! Stairs to 7 in AM, 2.25km power walk at lunch, light Curves workout after dinner.

Wednesday - Still oh, so stiff. That power half hour kicked my butt. Skipped the stairs (sore hamstrings), but went for a lunchtime powerwalk with Lynda. We hit 2.64km in 22 minutes. We are officially in training for the Santa Shuffle on 12/4. GO GO GO!

Thursday - Stairs to 7 in AM; power walk to my doctor's office (checkup) and back at lunch. 2.0K round trip, 9 minutes each way. Wow, are my abs feeling strong with this power walking. My doctor is very pleased with me :-)

 

Friday - Walk to work from my doctor's office in the AM (1K), power walk with Lynda at lunch (2.65K in 22 minutes), Curves workout after work. TIRED NOW!

 

What I'm reading this week - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Talk about discipline and determination - Lisbeth Salader has epic amounts of both! Also reading Growing Up Jung by Micah Toub - one man's story of what adolescence is like when both of your parents are Jungian therapists.

It's almost Tower day...

Sunday morning bike ride - October 2010

...so I'd better keep climbing the stairs this week!



I've also been thinking about a goal for after the Tower - something to work towards after I knock this one off the list. I'm a bit lacking in inspiration at the moment, so for now am just setting my sights on keeping fit for the end-of-year weigh-in. Any other suggestions?

Here's a recap of this week:

Saturday - Walked my daughter to gymnastics and back, went to Curves for a workout, then walked about a 12 block-round trip to meet my family for a birthday brunch for my husband.



My son on our Sunday morning bike ride - October 2010



Sunday - Beautiful fall day. Went for a bike ride with my son through the cemetery that runs behind our house. Roughly 4.8km round trip.



Monday - Stairs to 7 in AM; walk around the block and stairs to 12 + 12 at lunch.

Tuesday - Stairs to 7 in AM; walk around the block and stairs to 7 at lunch. Curves workout after dinner.

Wednesday - My birthday! Cake at work, Ethiopian food and key lime pie waiting for me at home. I'm told it's time to start taking it easy before the climb so skipped the stairs today.

Fortunate to attend a talk by the Dalai Lama - October 2010

Thursday - Walk around the block and stairs to 7 at lunch; Curves workout after work.

Friday - Taper day. No stairs. 1.5km walk from work, walking over to hear the Dalai Lama speak on Human Approaches to World Peace. Hearing him speak has been on my list, and I'm so pleased that I had an opportunity to attend this talk. He discussed how an individual's compassion and  inner calm are contributing factors to brain plasticity, personal health and world peace; the need for more women (considered naturally more compassionate then men) to be in positions of authority and as world leaders; the importance of teaching compassion to the youth of today in order to protect the future.   His Holiness spoke for close to an hour, from memory - without consulting any notes. I couldn't help but notice the sculpted arms that this 75 year-old man has. Inspirational on so very many levels.

What I'm reading this week: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The movie's coming out in a few weeks...

Everyone's Moving!

Since I've been exercising regularly, I've started to notice just how active the people around me are. Many of my colleagues hit the gym at lunch; the ladies at Curves are active on their non-gym days; my favourite librarian is on her own mission to keep moving; most of my friends and family, and many of the parents on the playground at my kids' school, are active. How fabulous!



My family on the move! At our local park - October 2010

You know what's particularly fabulous?
My husband has started moving in some serious ways! He's been walking home from work a few days a week - an AMAZING 9km trip! - and joined a 30-day boot camp this week. I'm so, so happy to have another active adult in my house!

I'm also fortunate to have stair-climbin' buddy at work. Lynda - who just got home from a week on a Habitat for Humanity build - is a very active gal who starts most mornings with a full workout before coming to the office, then joins me for the hike up the stairs at lunchtime. Just for the fun of it! Yes - climbing stairs can be fun when you have someone to chat with on the way up :-)

Here's a run-down from this week -



Saturday - Worked out at Curves in the morning; Thanksgiving dinner with my husband's family in the evening...oh, so many treats.



Forks of the Credit Provincial Park - October 2010

Sunday - Sunny and 22C - A beautiful fall day!

Took the kids for a hike at Forks of the Credit Provincial Park. We covered about 4km of rolling hills in 2.5 hours, including a stop at a beautiful waterfall. I'm really proud of my 6-year-old girl for being strong enough to go on hikes like these. Went to one of our favourite neighbourhoods for a stroll and dinner at a pub when we got back to town.



Monday - Thanksgiving - Cleaned up the yard and took the kids to the park. Rode my bike around the track 5 + 5 laps, a total of 4.4km.

Big news today:  my daughter is learning to ride her bike, and my son taught himself to rollerblade! I'm very, very proud of both of them. And of myself for being able to jog alongside my girl - so wobbly on her bike - without getting winded.

Tuesday - Stairs to 7 in AM, then walk around the block plus stairs to 12 TWICE at lunch. That lunchtime hike is equivilant to 22% of the Tower, folks.



 Wednesday - Stairs to 7 in AM and again at lunch.

Thursday - Stairs to 7 in AM.

Friday - No stairs today, but took a walk around the block at lunchtime.



What I'm reading this week - The Glass Castle and Half-Broke Horses, both by Jeannette Wells, and Blood Lies by Daniel Kalla. Not enjoying this one as much as Of Flesh and Blood - this one is a mystery, not typically my favourite genre.

Role Models

Green Day - August 2010

Remember Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2? Doing those chinups? She was FIT. She was sculpted. She's been my fitness hero for a long time.

The thing is - that was for a movie. I've been reading up on it this week and have learned that her level of fitness, and the training required to achieve it, just isn't sustainable for any length of time.

Something more true to real life? How Billie Joe Armstrong and the rest of the Green Day boys? I've seen them in concert three times now, and every time am amazed at the level of entertainment that Billie Joe, Mike and Tre offer: three solid hours of running, jumping and full-on energy - all while putting on a flawless performance. They get incredibly sweaty but I've never seen them out of breath or looking tired. These guys are extremely fit.

I'm not planning to get up on stage at any time, but they inspire me. Here's the work I did this week:

Back from the gym - August 2010

Saturday - Biked to the farmer's market and the gym (7.1 km round trip); worked out.

Sunday - Recovery day - cleaned the basement family room and rearranged the furniture. This was a major accomplishment :-)

Monday - Stairs to 7th floor at lunch, stopped at the gym on my way home.

Tuesday - Stairs to 7th floor in AM and at lunch.

Wednesday - Stairs to 7th floor in AM and at lunch. Went to the Green Day show in the evening with my SIL: 3 hours of non-stop dancing followed by a long walk through Ontario Place/CNE to catch the bus home.

Thursday - Oh, so tired! No stairs today, but took the kids swimming for an hour after dinner.

Friday - Took the kids to the Science Centre for about 7 hours. Saw the Harry Potter exhibit and explored all of the kids' favourite activities. Didn't get my heart rate up, but did a lot of walking!

What I'm reading this week: Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordian.