Spiritual Gangster

Nope, nothing about christian hip hop here...just a t-shirt my yoga instructor was wearing last night I thought was cute.

So last nights Body Design yoga class was all about Fascia. A fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding those structures together in much the same manner as plastic wrap can be used to hold the contents of sandwiches together.

In it's normal state fascia's texture was described as "egg whites" but when you are relatively still for long periods of time (let's say sitting at a desk all day) your fascia becomes thicker and tougher around the muscles.

Yoga helps bring the fascia back to its smoother state helping you feel more agile and flexible.

Interesting? Aren't you glad you woke up this morning?

Whatever it is, I feel like a million bucks every time I leave this class.
 (Credit: iStockphoto)

Slippery when wet

Last night's run was a little damp and slick to say the least but nothing beats the smell of spring rain.
We worked on speed circuits which was 400 metre sprints followed by a short fast paced walk. We did this 4 times in a row.

Elizabeth (our instructor for Body's Design's run 10km class) provided us with some helpful tips on using speed training in preparation for a 10km run. Here are a few;

1. Options are to build endurance and run a half marathon or a whole marathon or develop speed and
run a 5 km or a 10 km.
2. If you build speed before endurance, you will enhance the benefits when, and if, you decide to run
long.
3. The best way to assess a goal for a 10km is to take your 5 km speed and multiply it by 2.1; for
example: if you ran a 5km in 25 minutes you could aim to do 10 km in (25 x 2.1) 52ming 30 secs. This
of course is only an approximation and should only be used if you have not run a 10km previously.

Overall the run felt great and we ended up running a little under 7km last night in total.

Footprints in the Sand

Okay so working out on vacation is like dieting on vacation. We all just kind of want to take a break from everything. The thing is, you want to get back from your vacation feeling amazing not feeling like you need another vacation.

Just as Brandi from Body Design says "everything in moderation". Of course you are going to have wine or a frozen daiquiri and order desert at a restaurant. But balance it with a good breakfast, fruit and veggies and some exercise like a morning walk down the beach or a long swim.

I will be missing my 10K class tonight so I went for a long run this morning. Beautiful scenery - waves crashing and a pretty empty beach at 7am.

Unfortunately I forgot my shoes and the weather has been so nice I haven’t gotten a chance to pick some up so I had to grab some $5 sneakers. Bad call. I have blisters all over my feet. I took them off for a bit and ran barefoot. Barefoot in the sand has to be the hardest run I have ever done. The tops of my legs will be feeling this one.

All in all it was a beautiful run, I got back before anyone was awake and discovered an amazing pier and boardwalk that I will tell everyone about once they get up.
I have to say this was a little different that my regular Thursday run with Body Design in Mount Albert, but I guess it will have to do ;)

Hills, hills, hills...

Okay last nights’ Body Design run was all about hills and if you know Mount Albert - there are plenty to choose from. Good run but I definitely need some work.
The scenery on these runs is just amazing - I took some pictures but my camera phone isn't the greatest. The sun is setting and Mount Albert is so high up - you can see everything. The mild temperature added to the atmosphere ....just beautiful

so hard to see but this was going down one of the hills

sun setting - gorgeous night

Curb cravings with Yoga

Last nights yoga class with Body Design was all about food and a look at how we eat and what we think about food - if we are thinking at all.
Most people, self included, know what we should and shouldn't be eating but that doesn't stop us from reaching for a cookie or handful of chips the second we walk in the door from work.
Yoga teaches us to stop, breath and think about the food before consumtion. We tend to have cravings when we're stressed. A simple standing forward bend type yoga pose can help.

See below
Standing Forward Bend (Modified)
 
Next time you're find yourself in front of the fridge, stop and take a few minutes to slow down both your body and your mind. Sometimes burning off a little excess energy is all it takes to quiet your thoughts. Simple standing forward bends can help calm your busy brain and reduce stress.

1. Stand with your back about a foot from a wall and your feet hip-width apart.
2. Lean back onto the wall. Then gently bend your knees and fold forward, bringing your belly and chest to your thighs. Take 6 to 12 breaths, focusing on the exhalation.
3. Slowly roll up one vertebra at a time, until your back is leaning up against the wall again. Close your eyes, and take a few breaths. Repeat 3 to 5 times.

Copyright 2009, Prevention. Reference: http://www.prevention.com/

Cabane à sucre and an expanding waistline

Okay so this week I had the pleasure of attending A Night with Martin Picard at his Cabane à Sucre (sugar shack) in St-Benoît de Mirabel, Québec. The wild chef prepared a feast and we dined on smoked sturgeon, lobster soufflé, salmon maki rolls, pork shoulder,cornish hen, pork rind salad and pea soup with smoked pork (images below). Oh yes...all at one sitting and that didn't include the desserts. Accompanied with some great wines and amazing company.

A special treat indeed but this weekend called for a whole new workout goal...work off an obscene amount of calories.

Clean eating, long dog walks and a 6km run today. That should do the trick. Phew, I won't look at a pig the same way again.

Pork Rind Salad

Lobster soufflé

Pork Shoulder

Chocolate covered nougat and Maple cotton candy