Alright I guess.. Its time to stop making excuses.. I am having troubles being consistant! There I said it.. phew.. now to fix the problem. The biggest thing is.. I don't really know how. Its exam season at school and its keeping me rather busy. Found time for a 5km run today and had a blast.. but for some reason even though it only took 20 minutes out of my day.. somehow I can't find time to do it everyday.. Or at least I spend my time differently.. probably spend that 20 minutes everyday clicking refresh on facebook like an idiot. That being said I hate the slump Im in.. my lack of training is making me lazy and my laziness makes me do EVERYTHING less..I blog less, I cook less, I clean less, and play guitar less and its just bleh overall.
Alright Rant over
Ive read a lot of self improvement books and for all the tips I have stored in my memory its still hard to DO. I figure ive gotta work myself into a groove again. This weeks goal.. 1 5km run everyday.. thats it.. 20minutes out of everyday just to sweat and relax. Second goal.. blog.. get the Tips going again.. maybe just 1 post this week.. maybe 2 next.. baby steps.
Anyways I couldn't think of anything to blog about so I came on here to ramble thanks for reading ;)
Training Widget
Monday, April 4, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A New Fiscal Year
Well it certainly isn't January 1st. But I figure March is as good a month as any to start my new Fiscal year. I feel its important to sit back and look at all the things you have accomplished over the past year and start to determine what you want to accomplish over the next year and plan. As for me I like March because it feels like the beginning of spring. Its the warm end of winter and should be the perfect time to launch a strong start into summer. My past year has been interesting. School feels like it consumes most of my time and I finished my second university year with less than impressive standing (although I've been able to get it under control) I began my last year in the best shape of my life and have been trying my best to maintain it although recently I have been slipping. My financial status is the same.. poor, but my assets have changed considerably. I upgraded to a new computer with 2 27inch monitors, bought a new guitar, managed a fill a whole rack with nice guitar gear and have slimmed down my lifestyle to mostly necessities. During my past year I also managed to stop the casual smoking that comes with any naive university partier and stop drinking almost entirely (although a cold beer is still too good to give up), improve my diet considerably and find more time for sleep (although I feel like an insomniac of late). I competed in 3 triathlons over the past year and finished my first olympic distance. Im sure I could write out a bunch of other little accomplishments and failures but Ill leave that for other days, today is about planning!
One year squandered can go very very fast, but one year used productively can mean the world. For me I want to make this next spring and summer as productive as possible. Winter always feels like a write off for me. On my list for this year are:
First Half Marathon (May)
First Marathon (October)
First Adventure Race (September)
Graduate University ( April of next year --- its close enough)
Finish Level 2 of Rosetta Stone French
Get Considerably Better at guitar (and finish my post album --more on this in other posts)
Find a way to make money on my own time (ive heard you can get paid for blogging.. maybe ill start recommending books for people to buy?)
buy a car? It would be a nice to have
As I lose my train of thought to go grab waffles I will leave it at this and continue with a post on my action plan to accomplish these goals later! I will also try and post a daily tip related to Training tonight.. ive been slacking with my blog recently! Ill try and view everyone who has been commenting blog today as well! Cheers guys
One year squandered can go very very fast, but one year used productively can mean the world. For me I want to make this next spring and summer as productive as possible. Winter always feels like a write off for me. On my list for this year are:
First Half Marathon (May)
First Marathon (October)
First Adventure Race (September)
Graduate University ( April of next year --- its close enough)
Finish Level 2 of Rosetta Stone French
Get Considerably Better at guitar (and finish my post album --more on this in other posts)
Find a way to make money on my own time (ive heard you can get paid for blogging.. maybe ill start recommending books for people to buy?)
buy a car? It would be a nice to have
As I lose my train of thought to go grab waffles I will leave it at this and continue with a post on my action plan to accomplish these goals later! I will also try and post a daily tip related to Training tonight.. ive been slacking with my blog recently! Ill try and view everyone who has been commenting blog today as well! Cheers guys
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Daily Tip #7
Don't go on facebook while studying. I mean.. don't go on the internet period, because you'll end up posting on your blog about not being on the internet while you should be studying. So now ill leave you with it and go back to studying.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Daily Tip #6
Make Lists!
I feel like Im going through all the obvious tips first, but regardless eventually Ill get to the obscure ones and thats when stuff will get interesting! For now im going to keep spewing out general advice everyone already knows in hopes that a few people learn something new. Here we go: Lists are a great way to stay organized in fact probably a lot more beneficial than originally thought. Studies have shown that making lists can lower stress levels and cure anxiety EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOTHING ON THE LIST. On the flip side if you make a list and then don't do anything on the list you really wont accomplish anything. I recommend lists for as many things as you can. Grocery lists, School lists, General to do lists, Exercise lists, Weekly lists, Monthly lists, Bucket Lists, cleaning lists, friends lists. You get the idea. Lets start simple. Try making a weekly list every sunday. Its not something you need to sit down and do just get out a pad of paper and all day whenever you think of something you want to do for the coming week write it on the list. Even include very do-able things like shower everyday or Go outside. This way you can basically cross things off your list without trying which will lead to positive motivation. Make sure your list is in a place you will see it (for us bloggers I might encourage a list on your desktop). Start with just making your weekly list a habit and you should immediately see yourself becoming more productive. Here are a few proven benefits of listing.
1. Creates Focus
2. Provides opportunity for prioritizing.
3. Allows you to discover common trends and plan trips accordingly.
4. checking something off your list will create an endorphin release and make you happy!
5. Allows for an easy refocus of energy when you find yourself distracted
6. Temporally clears your mind when the list is made relieving anxiety.
7. Decreases stress
8. Stops your worrying about forgetting things
9. And you ACTUALLY wont forget things!
10. allows you to pace yourself.
All of these benefits and more simply by setting aside a bit of time to think about what has to be done.
Try starting with these 3 simple lists
Grocery Lists
Weekly to do lists
*and since this is an athletic blog*
Weekly Exercise lists
Let me know if these things help you feel more organized!
Cheers
I feel like Im going through all the obvious tips first, but regardless eventually Ill get to the obscure ones and thats when stuff will get interesting! For now im going to keep spewing out general advice everyone already knows in hopes that a few people learn something new. Here we go: Lists are a great way to stay organized in fact probably a lot more beneficial than originally thought. Studies have shown that making lists can lower stress levels and cure anxiety EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOTHING ON THE LIST. On the flip side if you make a list and then don't do anything on the list you really wont accomplish anything. I recommend lists for as many things as you can. Grocery lists, School lists, General to do lists, Exercise lists, Weekly lists, Monthly lists, Bucket Lists, cleaning lists, friends lists. You get the idea. Lets start simple. Try making a weekly list every sunday. Its not something you need to sit down and do just get out a pad of paper and all day whenever you think of something you want to do for the coming week write it on the list. Even include very do-able things like shower everyday or Go outside. This way you can basically cross things off your list without trying which will lead to positive motivation. Make sure your list is in a place you will see it (for us bloggers I might encourage a list on your desktop). Start with just making your weekly list a habit and you should immediately see yourself becoming more productive. Here are a few proven benefits of listing.
1. Creates Focus
2. Provides opportunity for prioritizing.
3. Allows you to discover common trends and plan trips accordingly.
4. checking something off your list will create an endorphin release and make you happy!
5. Allows for an easy refocus of energy when you find yourself distracted
6. Temporally clears your mind when the list is made relieving anxiety.
7. Decreases stress
8. Stops your worrying about forgetting things
9. And you ACTUALLY wont forget things!
10. allows you to pace yourself.
All of these benefits and more simply by setting aside a bit of time to think about what has to be done.
Try starting with these 3 simple lists
Grocery Lists
Weekly to do lists
*and since this is an athletic blog*
Weekly Exercise lists
Let me know if these things help you feel more organized!
Cheers
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Daily Tip #5
Another helpful health hint. This time aimed at a demographic, Vegetarians. Although I am not one myself I have a ton of friends who are, I also have a ton of friends who are vegetarians and trying to compete in long distance running races or to just get into better shape period. One of the big problems I have with vegetarian lifestyle is that It is so hard to get proper proteins and b12 without meats. Therefore my tip today is going to be a list of vegetarian foods that can be eaten to increase protein consumption!
#1 : Dairy Products (Sorry Vegans): Milk in general is just loaded with nutrients. Milk products like Cheese, Yogurt and Cream are important to everyday diet. Try avoiding yogurts with extra additives and don't be afraid of the calories in *whole* yogurts. There is no such thing as a fat free dairy product, enjoy the nutrient rich whole fat and then burn off the extra calories at the gym!
#2: Nuts!: Nuts are a great snack, try and find unsalted or lightly salted for snacking purposes. One handful a day will go a long way to increasing your protein consumption. mm peanut butter.
#3: EGGS!: Eggs are a huge source of protein and they are so easy to prepare, Try and have an egg every morning for breakfast. Not only will it be this source of protein but they help your brain function properly and are great for keeping energy levels high all day.
#4: Fruit: All kinds all the time, its like eating candy for a healthy snack.
#5: Seitan: You'll have to google recipes yourself but the basic principle is that you make it from Whole Wheat flower and water. The water removes Bran and starches leaving a protein rich high gluten substance which can be used for many things. The difference between Tofu and Seitan is what they are made out of.
#6: Soy Beans!: Possibly the best substitute for meat for vegetarians. Through my very limited research on the subject I would say Soy is an absolute HAVE TO HAVE for anyone trying to live vegetarian. Its one of the few non-meat substances which includes B vitamins. Try Soya milk if you haven't even for you omnivores like me, its delicious.
#7: Vegetables: Imagine if I missed this 1 right heh. Just like fruit, you can't really go wrong. Mineral rich and low in calories vegetables should be eaten
#8: Legumes: aka died beans, are an excellent source of all kinds of nutrients, in fact they have been historically the staple of many diets around the world for thousands of years due to their ease of growth and high nutritional value. They can be added to just about any dish.
#9: Ill end this short list with whole grains and other cereal products. Although you have to be careful with high carbohydrate consumption eating tons of pasta and grains is great for people who need lots of energy.
Although I will mention no names I have a story to share to spread some light on a misunderstanding related to protein intake. The thing most people do is they start by counting calories or counting proteins in food. Then they will check how much they need to burn in order to do certain things. Although this method can be used to guide what you need to eat I never recommend making a decision about your health based on the numbers. My story starts with a friend of mine who wanted to start working out and get bigger. Although he did not work out he believed from the get go he would need to supplement his diet in order to grow. In fact he only believed he would get the results he wanted by following a protein powder plan and drinking 3-5 glasses of it a day! Regardless he gave up before he even started. He hardly even lifted a weight on his trek to getting bigger before he gave up. The secret here is not to ever rely on one source. Rather to create a diet which is not only sustainable but also full of many different foods which are all high in protein (similar to my running workouts post eh?) The other thing is that you need to start heading towards your goals before diet will help at all. Another problem he had was that he said he could not eat enough to even put on any mass. He completely forgot the part about how when you workout your body demands MORE and therefore you eat MORE. So my second tip for today is for athletes or those with calorie goals. Start doing the physical process and then add diet on top. Everything will work out more smoothly once you start becoming more self aware of your needs, THEN do the research on how you can achieve your goals using diet!
Cheers guys
#1 : Dairy Products (Sorry Vegans): Milk in general is just loaded with nutrients. Milk products like Cheese, Yogurt and Cream are important to everyday diet. Try avoiding yogurts with extra additives and don't be afraid of the calories in *whole* yogurts. There is no such thing as a fat free dairy product, enjoy the nutrient rich whole fat and then burn off the extra calories at the gym!
#2: Nuts!: Nuts are a great snack, try and find unsalted or lightly salted for snacking purposes. One handful a day will go a long way to increasing your protein consumption. mm peanut butter.
#3: EGGS!: Eggs are a huge source of protein and they are so easy to prepare, Try and have an egg every morning for breakfast. Not only will it be this source of protein but they help your brain function properly and are great for keeping energy levels high all day.
#4: Fruit: All kinds all the time, its like eating candy for a healthy snack.
#5: Seitan: You'll have to google recipes yourself but the basic principle is that you make it from Whole Wheat flower and water. The water removes Bran and starches leaving a protein rich high gluten substance which can be used for many things. The difference between Tofu and Seitan is what they are made out of.
#6: Soy Beans!: Possibly the best substitute for meat for vegetarians. Through my very limited research on the subject I would say Soy is an absolute HAVE TO HAVE for anyone trying to live vegetarian. Its one of the few non-meat substances which includes B vitamins. Try Soya milk if you haven't even for you omnivores like me, its delicious.
#7: Vegetables: Imagine if I missed this 1 right heh. Just like fruit, you can't really go wrong. Mineral rich and low in calories vegetables should be eaten
#8: Legumes: aka died beans, are an excellent source of all kinds of nutrients, in fact they have been historically the staple of many diets around the world for thousands of years due to their ease of growth and high nutritional value. They can be added to just about any dish.
#9: Ill end this short list with whole grains and other cereal products. Although you have to be careful with high carbohydrate consumption eating tons of pasta and grains is great for people who need lots of energy.
Although I will mention no names I have a story to share to spread some light on a misunderstanding related to protein intake. The thing most people do is they start by counting calories or counting proteins in food. Then they will check how much they need to burn in order to do certain things. Although this method can be used to guide what you need to eat I never recommend making a decision about your health based on the numbers. My story starts with a friend of mine who wanted to start working out and get bigger. Although he did not work out he believed from the get go he would need to supplement his diet in order to grow. In fact he only believed he would get the results he wanted by following a protein powder plan and drinking 3-5 glasses of it a day! Regardless he gave up before he even started. He hardly even lifted a weight on his trek to getting bigger before he gave up. The secret here is not to ever rely on one source. Rather to create a diet which is not only sustainable but also full of many different foods which are all high in protein (similar to my running workouts post eh?) The other thing is that you need to start heading towards your goals before diet will help at all. Another problem he had was that he said he could not eat enough to even put on any mass. He completely forgot the part about how when you workout your body demands MORE and therefore you eat MORE. So my second tip for today is for athletes or those with calorie goals. Start doing the physical process and then add diet on top. Everything will work out more smoothly once you start becoming more self aware of your needs, THEN do the research on how you can achieve your goals using diet!
Cheers guys
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Daily Tip #4
A training tip this time. Something every new athlete needs to learn as fast as possible to get the best results quickly. Be sure to do lots of different kinds of training. I know lots of people who will do the same runs over and over again and expect to get better. You're body is very good at getting used to consistency. The only way to get over hurdles is to switch up and keep your body on edge and make sure to push yourself every time. Honestly this is something I need to do more of. Lets take my run training for example. I have plans to run a half marathon on May 1st. Most of my training has consisted of tri training and 5km -10km standard runs. Now that I am training just running I need to switch up my workouts. I will be including Endurance runs (1 hour or more usually at least 10-15km) Tempo Runs (5miles at varying tempos (used to improve speed over distance) Fartlek Runs (pace changing every few minutes from walking slow to really fast), Threshold runs (starting slow and raising speed until you max out heart rate) Sprints (just for technique and speed and lastly casual recovery (can't make running not fun!)
All in all: Mix up your training!
All in all: Mix up your training!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Hobbys and Downtime
Ive been on reading week for a little bit now and all the downtime has given me more time to think about my hobbys away from Training and School and I've decided to talk about some of the stuff I have going on in my life at the moment. For most of you who don't know me I am a huge space / scifi lover. I honestly cannot get enough of the future in any way shape or form. My need for more science fiction has led me to playing Eve recently and watching a lot of Starwars the Clonewars series. Because of this I got to thinking how cool would it be to have a stormtrooper costume. (Nerding it up hard.. i realize) Since Im poor and have so much free time i've decided to make my own, a project which is going to take me ALONG TIME. I must admit Im having a lot of fun attempting different things and making helmets. I may even make this into something I blog about regularly and post pictures of my progress incase anyone else is interested in doing the same. Above picture is related. Hopefully I too will look like Rex eventually. Besides that my reading week has been filled with guitar playing and much igloo building, another story for another time complete with many pictures I hope! As much as I would love to keep writing its 1am and I have a lot to do tomorrow, including writing a full post here on my progress with this costume making procedures! Meh.
cheers guys and gals!
Daily Tip #3
SMILE!
At this point most people are thinking.. wait what... but this is probably one of the greatest pieces of advice I can give to anyone. Smiling is the number 1 simplest way to make people like you. A simple smile to anyone you interact with during the day will usually be returned with a smile and this leads to a positive encounter. I hear people complaining all the time about Oh so and so cashier at such and such store was such a bitch. This .. is the cure for that.. at least most of the time. It creates and instant positive perception that it makes it hard for people to not lighten and treat you a little bit better. Enthusiasm is contagious. There are a few other strange benefits of smiling that most people don't know. Smiling uses many muscles and their use releases endorphins which make you happy. This means that simply smiling can *trick* your body and improve your mood. According to many studies smiles are a key facial feature linked to positive attraction.. people will think you look better if you smile.
Smiling also:
Reduces Stress
Improves mood
Boosts your immune system
Lowers Blood Pressure
Try it out this next week. Try and wear a smile as much as you can and report back to me on if you noticed the world smiling back :)
At this point most people are thinking.. wait what... but this is probably one of the greatest pieces of advice I can give to anyone. Smiling is the number 1 simplest way to make people like you. A simple smile to anyone you interact with during the day will usually be returned with a smile and this leads to a positive encounter. I hear people complaining all the time about Oh so and so cashier at such and such store was such a bitch. This .. is the cure for that.. at least most of the time. It creates and instant positive perception that it makes it hard for people to not lighten and treat you a little bit better. Enthusiasm is contagious. There are a few other strange benefits of smiling that most people don't know. Smiling uses many muscles and their use releases endorphins which make you happy. This means that simply smiling can *trick* your body and improve your mood. According to many studies smiles are a key facial feature linked to positive attraction.. people will think you look better if you smile.
Smiling also:
Reduces Stress
Improves mood
Boosts your immune system
Lowers Blood Pressure
Try it out this next week. Try and wear a smile as much as you can and report back to me on if you noticed the world smiling back :)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Green Water
A follow up to something S Brought to my attention! I was reading a comment in my blog about how boring water tasted and Although I don't share the opinion I have found an interesting solution!
http://www.recipenet.org/health/articles/green_water.htm
This interesting recipe is for Chlorophyll water. Apparently adding Chlorophyll to your water has many health benefits... it also makes your drink green! Also many companies are coming out with flavored versions, this recipe is for mint. It is something I am going to try in the near future and then will blog further about!
http://www.recipenet.org/health/articles/green_water.htm
This interesting recipe is for Chlorophyll water. Apparently adding Chlorophyll to your water has many health benefits... it also makes your drink green! Also many companies are coming out with flavored versions, this recipe is for mint. It is something I am going to try in the near future and then will blog further about!
Daily Tip
Drink Water! No seriously Its better for you than you think. Im not going to give this 8 glasses a day lecture but I will give you a list of benefits of drinking water.
Water has many functions in our body including it Transports nutrients and oxygen into cells, moisturizes the air in the lungs, helps with metabolism, protects our vital organs, helps our organs absorb nutrients better, regulates body temperature, detoxifies and protects and moisturizes our joints. When we have it in proper supply there are many health benefits.
Water effectively flushes toxins from the body which contributes to weight loss.
Hydration keeps your skin healthy by moisturizing and increasing elasticity.
Drinking water helps to regulate body temperature, this can be a great benefit during hard exercise.
Water raises your metabolism and helps reduce constipation ( up to a 3% increase in calorie burning)
Are you sick? Probably not enough water.. a study by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj MD shows that we can avoid literally hundreds of diseases by changing your water and salt intake.
Water is really cheap! Why the hell would anyone buy a plastic water bottle when water from your tap costs next to nothing.
When your dehydrated (even losing 1-2% of your body weight in water can cause this) there are many negative side effects including
Fatigue
Headache
Dry mouth
Little or no urination
Muscle weakness
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Lemon water can reduce the pain from toothaches,
Lemon water has many medical benefits ranging from helping relieve a sore throat to purifying blood.
Water honestly is one of the easiest ways to improve your overall health yet its so easily ignored. A tip I would like everyone who is like me and trying to avoid overly sugary drinks to try would be to drink 1 glass of water before you grab that coke. Chances are you'll eliminate your thirst and kill your craving for the other beverage.
Have a good day everyone!
Water has many functions in our body including it Transports nutrients and oxygen into cells, moisturizes the air in the lungs, helps with metabolism, protects our vital organs, helps our organs absorb nutrients better, regulates body temperature, detoxifies and protects and moisturizes our joints. When we have it in proper supply there are many health benefits.
Water effectively flushes toxins from the body which contributes to weight loss.
Hydration keeps your skin healthy by moisturizing and increasing elasticity.
Drinking water helps to regulate body temperature, this can be a great benefit during hard exercise.
Water raises your metabolism and helps reduce constipation ( up to a 3% increase in calorie burning)
Are you sick? Probably not enough water.. a study by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj MD shows that we can avoid literally hundreds of diseases by changing your water and salt intake.
Water is really cheap! Why the hell would anyone buy a plastic water bottle when water from your tap costs next to nothing.
When your dehydrated (even losing 1-2% of your body weight in water can cause this) there are many negative side effects including
Fatigue
Headache
Dry mouth
Little or no urination
Muscle weakness
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Lemon water can reduce the pain from toothaches,
Lemon water has many medical benefits ranging from helping relieve a sore throat to purifying blood.
Water honestly is one of the easiest ways to improve your overall health yet its so easily ignored. A tip I would like everyone who is like me and trying to avoid overly sugary drinks to try would be to drink 1 glass of water before you grab that coke. Chances are you'll eliminate your thirst and kill your craving for the other beverage.
Have a good day everyone!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Daily Tips
Recently I've been reading a lot of self improvement books. Its fascinating stuff because we hear the same old things over and over again about how we can improve ourselves but we overlook some of the simplest things. The first thing to self improvement is to know that its not going to be easy. Sorry guys and gals, there is no easy solution and that is because even doing the little things is hard. For me the thing im trying to do right now is to give up soft drinks. It should be so easy, just don't drink them, yet I find myself opening cans of coke simply out of habit. And thus something as easy as this stands in my way to a slightly healthier life style. These books are crammed full of little tidbits that ACTUALLY WORK if you have the will to try. So Im starting a new segment of my blog. Its going to be called as above "Daily Tips". Each day I'm going to post a little tidbit that if applied could help you to see many slight improvements in your life. I've also decided to make this blog more open ended we will see where that leads. Anyways enough rambling heres the tip of the day.
TIP OF THE DAY!!!
When you go grocery shopping be sure to do it after you have eaten. Shopping on a full stomach allows you to focus more on what you need and less on what food cravings you have at the time. Prior to trying out this idea I would find myself hungry at the grocery store and buying all kinds of crap I didn't really need. It cost me more money and had a huge impact on my attempts at a healthier lifestyle. I also recommend making sure you never go grocery shopping without a list. Having a list of essentials will often get you in and out faster and you will be less likely to buy unhealthy alternatives while your out!
TIP OF THE DAY!!!
When you go grocery shopping be sure to do it after you have eaten. Shopping on a full stomach allows you to focus more on what you need and less on what food cravings you have at the time. Prior to trying out this idea I would find myself hungry at the grocery store and buying all kinds of crap I didn't really need. It cost me more money and had a huge impact on my attempts at a healthier lifestyle. I also recommend making sure you never go grocery shopping without a list. Having a list of essentials will often get you in and out faster and you will be less likely to buy unhealthy alternatives while your out!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
New Year!
Hey guys!
Its a new year so I figured its time to try and get back into this blogging thing. I've learned a lot since the last time I posted and I feel like my life is getting more organized in general so now there will be more time for stuff like this!
First order of business. The University of Windsor Tri club appears to be up and running. First group meeting/ training session is tomorrow and will be a run! Seems like it will be a ton of fun and I can't wait to meet a great new group of people. The schedule is a little busy for me + classes but it includes 3 spins a week, 2 runs and 2 swims. This is a great combo for me with my own school and weight training as well.
Today was the Freeze Your Thorns off virtual 5km race over at http://www.theboringrunner.com/. My friends Suzzie (http://youhavelegssorun.blogspot.com/) and Mike and I went and did 5km on the treadmills at the gym today. I really tried to pace myself faster than usual and have a great pace! Unfortunately I can never seem to really get too fast on the treddy. I ended up with a 20:44 which I am happy with! All in all a good day.
Its a new year so I figured its time to try and get back into this blogging thing. I've learned a lot since the last time I posted and I feel like my life is getting more organized in general so now there will be more time for stuff like this!
First order of business. The University of Windsor Tri club appears to be up and running. First group meeting/ training session is tomorrow and will be a run! Seems like it will be a ton of fun and I can't wait to meet a great new group of people. The schedule is a little busy for me + classes but it includes 3 spins a week, 2 runs and 2 swims. This is a great combo for me with my own school and weight training as well.
Today was the Freeze Your Thorns off virtual 5km race over at http://www.theboringrunner.com/. My friends Suzzie (http://youhavelegssorun.blogspot.com/) and Mike and I went and did 5km on the treadmills at the gym today. I really tried to pace myself faster than usual and have a great pace! Unfortunately I can never seem to really get too fast on the treddy. I ended up with a 20:44 which I am happy with! All in all a good day.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Just a video
Exam season, not much time for posting.. but if anyone needs some inspiration to hit the gym, check this video.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
University of Windsor Triathlon Club
One of my biggest problems in training has been finding people to train with. Its strange because I know a lot of people who do Tris, Run, Swim or cycle but I can't never seem to co-ordinate with them enough to get a full time training partner. I sometimes go to the gym with friends but never anyone who really pushes me to the limits or who can spot me during weight training. Even while I was getting coaching last year they recommended to me to find someone to train with. Training with people is honestly one of the most beneficial things you can do to improve your results. Not only does it improve your how much effort you will put into your workout but also the social benefits are great! You make new friends or strengthen old relationships all the while watching results with someone else. My goal all along has been to meet new people through this and I have made many friends in the Triathlon/ Running communities. Although I've never met too many cyclists or swimmers I knew a lot of swimmers back in Highschool and had a great time competing with them.
The other day while at my school gym I saw a sign for a University Triathlon club. Me and a few guys I met from the Triathlon store in London I go to a lot were planning on starting a club but it looked like someone beat us to the gun. I let them know about it and gave the organizer a call. Turns out one of the coaches of the football team here recently got into sprint triathlons and was looking to start a club. I met with him and a few girls who were all aspiring triathletes like me. Strangely I had probably the most Triathlon experience of anyone there! But everyone seemed great! One of the girls named Lauren was like me and had been a competitive swimmer in Highschool and was just revving to start training the run and bike. We decided not to start the club until January which works well for me as I really want to get a lot of training in before then. Hopefully these guys from London will sign up too and get a size able club going.
In other news Im now searching for a bicycle trainer. Its bringing to light a whole bunch of new questions about cycling stuff for me I had never asked before. Hopefully Ill be able to talk about my purchase after and give anyone who wants to train their cycle at home some heads up on stuff. The stationaries at the school are just not cutting it anymore. I hope to blog soon also about diets. Its easy to see lots of people talking about IDEAL diets in stuff, but when it comes down to it, being a student means money is tight and time is tight and No one ever eats as well as they should. Ill talk about my diet and how I "think" im doing compared to what I should be and weather or not it is sufficient anyways!
Thanks for reading! Wish me luck!
Cheers
The other day while at my school gym I saw a sign for a University Triathlon club. Me and a few guys I met from the Triathlon store in London I go to a lot were planning on starting a club but it looked like someone beat us to the gun. I let them know about it and gave the organizer a call. Turns out one of the coaches of the football team here recently got into sprint triathlons and was looking to start a club. I met with him and a few girls who were all aspiring triathletes like me. Strangely I had probably the most Triathlon experience of anyone there! But everyone seemed great! One of the girls named Lauren was like me and had been a competitive swimmer in Highschool and was just revving to start training the run and bike. We decided not to start the club until January which works well for me as I really want to get a lot of training in before then. Hopefully these guys from London will sign up too and get a size able club going.
In other news Im now searching for a bicycle trainer. Its bringing to light a whole bunch of new questions about cycling stuff for me I had never asked before. Hopefully Ill be able to talk about my purchase after and give anyone who wants to train their cycle at home some heads up on stuff. The stationaries at the school are just not cutting it anymore. I hope to blog soon also about diets. Its easy to see lots of people talking about IDEAL diets in stuff, but when it comes down to it, being a student means money is tight and time is tight and No one ever eats as well as they should. Ill talk about my diet and how I "think" im doing compared to what I should be and weather or not it is sufficient anyways!
Thanks for reading! Wish me luck!
Cheers
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Time Management
Its hard to believe sometimes how much time we eat up every single day. For me a workout takes up only 2 hours of my life with travel time and cool down taken into account. Out of 24 hours what happens to the other 22 hours? I'm going to take this chance to walk through my day and hopefully find ways to improve my own time management. Its too easy to dwindle time away and then not get enough done when in reality there is all the time we need and more each and everyday for things like working out, studying, having a little downtime, work and getting a proper sleep(the hardest 1 for me at least).
My days are always based around my school schedule. This semester means Im usually busy from 8:30-12:00 with class. Awake at 7:00am, snooze till 7:20. This is a habit I want to break, the snooze never really helps its just a procrastination technique. Getting ready for class is a standard procedure but none the less about 15 minutes is spent getting to and from class and 30 minutes eating. Generally each meal takes me about 30minutes.. not much time at all. So far eating breakfast, getting ready, going to class and eating lunch has only taken 5 hours out of my day. Lots of time left over for other things. I have another 1.5hours of class at 2:30 this gives me a 2:15minute break during lunch to get stuff done, unfortunately I never really get too much accomplished during this block. I might spend this time, blogging or playing halo or guitar. Today its currently 1:05 and I am blogging and playing guitar.. and just finished playing halo. Luckily I still have 1 hour and when this blog is done Im going to spend it studying French. After class is always workout time. Class ends at 3:50 and I can be at the gym by 4 I usually workout with the intention of getting home by 5:30 but sometimes I let myself be a little long and get home at 6:00. Dinner until 6:30 and technically I should have my whole evening to be productive. This could mean 4 hours of studying and still get a great sleep. For some reason this never occurs and this is the biggest part of my day that has to be fixed. Its so easy to waste time on face book or talking to friends or playing with your cat that you don't realize how efficient your day could be. The same thing happens when you let your sleep schedule get away from you. I find it is hardest to be efficient when I'm tired. I wish I could say "study's show" but I haven't read any. All i know is that If im trying to study from 10 to 12 i retain very little and If i go to bed after 12 i wake up exhausted. When I'm tired not only do i study less efficiently but my workouts suffer. Today I'm going to start establishing new habits. Firstly by putting my hobbys in the background. Giving 2 hours to my workouts and 1 hour to guitar and videogames and 3 hours to studying on top of class. Any extra time can be spent on extra work like doing the dishes and laundry. I really don't know exactly what to do, but dedication is what it really takes to stop wasting time and thats my goal for today! Time to get off the computer and onto my french studys. Thanks for reading :D
My days are always based around my school schedule. This semester means Im usually busy from 8:30-12:00 with class. Awake at 7:00am, snooze till 7:20. This is a habit I want to break, the snooze never really helps its just a procrastination technique. Getting ready for class is a standard procedure but none the less about 15 minutes is spent getting to and from class and 30 minutes eating. Generally each meal takes me about 30minutes.. not much time at all. So far eating breakfast, getting ready, going to class and eating lunch has only taken 5 hours out of my day. Lots of time left over for other things. I have another 1.5hours of class at 2:30 this gives me a 2:15minute break during lunch to get stuff done, unfortunately I never really get too much accomplished during this block. I might spend this time, blogging or playing halo or guitar. Today its currently 1:05 and I am blogging and playing guitar.. and just finished playing halo. Luckily I still have 1 hour and when this blog is done Im going to spend it studying French. After class is always workout time. Class ends at 3:50 and I can be at the gym by 4 I usually workout with the intention of getting home by 5:30 but sometimes I let myself be a little long and get home at 6:00. Dinner until 6:30 and technically I should have my whole evening to be productive. This could mean 4 hours of studying and still get a great sleep. For some reason this never occurs and this is the biggest part of my day that has to be fixed. Its so easy to waste time on face book or talking to friends or playing with your cat that you don't realize how efficient your day could be. The same thing happens when you let your sleep schedule get away from you. I find it is hardest to be efficient when I'm tired. I wish I could say "study's show" but I haven't read any. All i know is that If im trying to study from 10 to 12 i retain very little and If i go to bed after 12 i wake up exhausted. When I'm tired not only do i study less efficiently but my workouts suffer. Today I'm going to start establishing new habits. Firstly by putting my hobbys in the background. Giving 2 hours to my workouts and 1 hour to guitar and videogames and 3 hours to studying on top of class. Any extra time can be spent on extra work like doing the dishes and laundry. I really don't know exactly what to do, but dedication is what it really takes to stop wasting time and thats my goal for today! Time to get off the computer and onto my french studys. Thanks for reading :D
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Swim Training and Food!
Yesterday was my first day back in the pool in quite some time :) I swam 2.5km in 55 minutes which wasn't bad considering I've been out of the water for a while. Strangely my triceps were the most sore after this swim. In general ive always considered swimming the hardest yet most satisfying of all the disciplines in triathlon. The only problem is the advantage given to strong swimmers is negligible compared to being a strong cyclist. Some people I beat out of the water by 5 - 10 minutes in my last race.. in a 15 minute swim that should be a huge deal, but when the bike takes you an hour its easy for fast cyclists to catch. Basically what ive discovered is that in the swim endurance is key but once you hit a certain speed its not really worth it to get alot faster. Generally I would like to be able to go about 3km /h or 4km/h for a faster shorter swim. After that the gains you get are really not worth it on race day. Swimming is still excellent for conditioning regardless of your sport! But because of all of this my winter is going to be dedicated to really becoming a stronger cyclist rather than a better swimmer.. throwing in these workouts is really just to get back into a good shape for the swim and it doesn't hurt the aesthetics :)
Today will be a cycling day. But today im also working on my Halloween costume. Im making a boba fett mask and going to wear a suit.. badass i know. For anyone who wants to make their own Boba-Fett mask see this youtube video and follow the links he has posted. My only change is instead of using a latex puddy I used paper mache, the spackling really didn't work too well on mine and almost ruined my helmet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdGo26rtqho
Before I end my post I wanted to talk a little bit about nutrition and food. I ate some awesome Ethiopian last night at this restaurant called Marathon house or something. It was great, try it out if you enjoy foods from around the world. I will be doing a post in a few days about a "real" diet. Everyone always has these Ideal diets for training but my experience is that despite dedication diet is somehow the hardest thing to nail down. Ill discuss what I eat compared to what I should eat and what i use to subsidize and stuff like that. Being a student a proper diet is really hard to afford but that doesn't mean you can't still see great results with hard training and a regular diet. Anyways thanks for reading stay tuned!
Cheers!
Today will be a cycling day. But today im also working on my Halloween costume. Im making a boba fett mask and going to wear a suit.. badass i know. For anyone who wants to make their own Boba-Fett mask see this youtube video and follow the links he has posted. My only change is instead of using a latex puddy I used paper mache, the spackling really didn't work too well on mine and almost ruined my helmet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdGo26rtqho
Before I end my post I wanted to talk a little bit about nutrition and food. I ate some awesome Ethiopian last night at this restaurant called Marathon house or something. It was great, try it out if you enjoy foods from around the world. I will be doing a post in a few days about a "real" diet. Everyone always has these Ideal diets for training but my experience is that despite dedication diet is somehow the hardest thing to nail down. Ill discuss what I eat compared to what I should eat and what i use to subsidize and stuff like that. Being a student a proper diet is really hard to afford but that doesn't mean you can't still see great results with hard training and a regular diet. Anyways thanks for reading stay tuned!
Cheers!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Ads on my page
Although counter productive I was just looking at an ad that says 5 foods not to eat and has a picture of a banana maybe implying you shouldn't eat bananas... don't click that ad.. bananas are awesome for you :). They are super high energy and make for good eats before or after or even during a workout. I never do a long cycle without one! Also they taste great!
lol my rant turned into a daily fitness tip :P
Cheers!
lol my rant turned into a daily fitness tip :P
Cheers!
Training Schedules!
Not much time for a very long post this morning! About to go write exams but i figured I would write down my weekly routine and see if I can get some comments from people who know better.
At the moment it looks like this
Mondays - Weight Training as well as a 1mile run
Tuesdays - Interval Run training .. 45 minutes to an hour
Wednesday - Swims 1 hour probably about 4km
Thursday - Endurance Run and a short bike.. run for an hour 20, bike for 20 minutes
Friday- Swim again 1 hour
Saturday - Long bike and short Run
Sunday - probably a break day
This is a pretty basic breakdown, quantities aren't very much.. hopefully this will go up as I get into better shape. My interval run yesterday was a lot easier than i thought it was going to be. I went 5.5 miles in 50 minutes. Pacing 5 minutes at 6mph, 10 minutes at 6.5mph 15 and 7.5 and 15 at 7 with a 5 minute cool down. Next time Im going to try for 6.5 7 8 7.5 cool down.
Wish me luck! Have a great day to everyone who reads this! I know I sure will.. kick off the day with a bowl of cheerios and a FInance Exam!
At the moment it looks like this
Mondays - Weight Training as well as a 1mile run
Tuesdays - Interval Run training .. 45 minutes to an hour
Wednesday - Swims 1 hour probably about 4km
Thursday - Endurance Run and a short bike.. run for an hour 20, bike for 20 minutes
Friday- Swim again 1 hour
Saturday - Long bike and short Run
Sunday - probably a break day
This is a pretty basic breakdown, quantities aren't very much.. hopefully this will go up as I get into better shape. My interval run yesterday was a lot easier than i thought it was going to be. I went 5.5 miles in 50 minutes. Pacing 5 minutes at 6mph, 10 minutes at 6.5mph 15 and 7.5 and 15 at 7 with a 5 minute cool down. Next time Im going to try for 6.5 7 8 7.5 cool down.
Wish me luck! Have a great day to everyone who reads this! I know I sure will.. kick off the day with a bowl of cheerios and a FInance Exam!
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