I am currently obsessed with my new healthy work snack- apples and peanut butter! It is the perfect 4 o’clock snack before I get off work and head to the gym because it ties me over until dinner. You’re looking at about a 300 calorie snack (peanut butter is high in calories) but the fats keep you full longer and it’s way better than something from the vending machine!
Yummy!
Eating healthy at work
Every year, regular gym goers can expect a huge number of new people in January, the New Years Resolutioners. Over half of them stop coming by Valentine’s Day and the rest are usually gone by May. One or two turn into regular gym goers the whole year long. Most people complain about this time of year with good reason; the machines are all taken up, you can’t get the weights you want, the stretching mats are all gone and it’s hard finding breathing space in your classes.
I have found that this influx of women actually pushed my workouts! When I walk into that super crowded gym, I get competitive. I think it’s from all those years of track and strutting around the weight room with a six pack, but I always feel competitive with these new people. I lift heavier weights than normal and do more reps and I push myself to run faster and longer on the treadmill. I’ll actually be a little sad when the gym goes back to being empty because I won’t have that competitive push.
A little one sided competition never hurt anyone
Last Saturday, I went up to Waterton sans boyfriend with ipod in hand to try out my new snowshoes.
Pretty snowshoes!
Since I was by myself I didn’t feel like going off onto a trail in the woods like Rowe or Crandell, so I went on the Cameron Lake trail since it is open and has a lot of people there during the weekends.
I learned that my snowshoes are not walking snowshoes, they have some major claws on the bottom and were made for serious hiking, therefore the walk on the compact snow on Cameron Trail was kind of boring.
My snowshoe prints in the snow
I went off trail for a bit to try out my snowshoes on fresh snow and different terrain. They worked out great but was it every a workout lifting my feet in that snow with those shoes on!
The scenery is better off the trail
I made it to Cameron Lake finally, huffing and puffing and happy to see it again.
Cameron Lake
After I was done and changed, I was literally drenched in sweat from the workout and my bum was already feeling sore. According to the Self Calorie Burn Calculator I burned 1120 calories.
I was pooped!
I met up with my old Waterton roomie Keirstyn for dinner (awseome brushetta, a huge cheeseburger and sweet potatoe fries) and a long overdue catch up.
Vimy's Quote of the Day
All in all, it was a lot of fun, but I am definitely going to go on some more challenging trails with them and I’ll take Ryan or a buddy with me too.
I have been playing around with different green smoothie recipes. I love spinach because it blends real fine and has absolutely no flavour. For today’s AMAZING smoothie I used:
Super healthy breakfast!
I put it all together in a Tupperware container last night so I didn’t have to prep this morning. All I had to do was throw in the blender and blend. Try it today! It is SO GOOD!
I was nervous- My first sip- Surprisingly tasty!
While I was dying to try out my new snowshoes over Christmas break, I went cross country skiing in Waterton on Monday with Ryan to enjoy our last day of winter break before going back to work.
We rented our skiis from Waterton Lakes Lodge again for only $15 for the day. It’s a deal, but I don’t know how people could go the whole day because cross country skiing is exhausting!
On the drive up to the Cameron Lake trail we passed a trail on the left marked Dipper with the cross country sign. I thought it would be a lot of fun to go on a trail through the woods rather than on the much-used Cameron Lake trail. Big mistake. This trail was a blue diamond trail (intermediate) meaning that it went up and down and up and down.
the trail-- hmm... okay this shot makes it look flat
It also didn’t help that the beautiful blue skies and shiny sun that I relished on the drive over made the snow really sticky and heavy so we were forced to walk more that glide. And I kept falling. Several times, again and again.
I fell. A lot!
Me not falling
One of Ryan’s ski bindings were broken and so his foot kept coming out which was really frustrating.
Ryan skiing
After about a half hour on this trail, we decided to turn around and go to the Cameron Lake trail. Sadly, my beloved Roxy toque that I had shoved in my pocket came out at some point on the way home and is now a gift for the next skier who comes along. It was old, and had coffee stains on it but I was still sad to say goodbye.
The Cameron Trail was nice. As soon as we started, we saw another trail veer to the left and we decided to take that as it seemed less populated. We were right and we went for another hour before my arms and legs were yelling at me and we had to turn around. What I didn’t realize is that we were going at a slight incline that whole way so the way down was a lot of fun. I think I could even try downhill skiing now. Ok..maybe not. But it was a lot of fun to crouch down and let the skis do all the work.
My speeding pose. I actually did this going down. Ha ha
It was a gorgeous day to be in the mountains and I plan to go again on Saturday to try out my snowshoes and have dinner with my old roomie Kierstyn.
In the meantime it’s time to get back into the swing of things. Work, gym, cleaning house, visiting grandpa at the hospital. It was a great holiday and I only wished it could have lasted a little longer.
Literally! Let me explain…
Friday was my day to try out my new super sweet snowboard boots and hit the mountains.
beautiful vans with BOA laces. Yeah!
After Christmas I was feeling poor and decided to hit up Pass Powderkeg in Blairmore, Alberta. It’s a small hill but the price is right ($32 for a full day pass). I was really disappointed when I pulled up and saw that they only had one small run open. Bunny hill material really. I was tempted to turn around and just go home but since I haven’t been snowboarding in over a year I went ahead and hit it up.
I was very excited to get going for the first time in over a year!
I took my first run and the snow was choppy and the run very easy but it still felt good. My laces were nice and tight unlike my last boots which I had to re-tie after every run. But then I headed to the lift…or rather- the T-bar!! A t-bar! I have heard of these but have never seen one before. So I got up there and told the lifties nervously that I had never been on one before and they placed it under my butt and it started to pull. I caught an edge and came so close to falling over! I was able to hold on but got pulled up by my waist which wasn’t very comfortable.
I didn't DARE try to take a pic while on this thing!
I made it up in one piece but my legs felt like I had finished a run, usually the chair lift up is your relaxation time. Anyway, off I went but after three runs my feet were tingly and numb and I had to go to the car to take them off for a quick break.
Oh pretty boots! Why?!?
That’s how I spent my day. I would ride for about an hour and then the pain in my feet would become unbearable and I had to go take my boots off. My boots are snug but I read that they stretch out after 4-6 rides. Am I putting my bindings on too tight? Is that possible? Any advice would be really helpful. I can’t go to a bigger place with long runs if I have to stop every 45 minutes or so to let my feet out.
However, it was still a fun day, it was nice to get back into the swing of things. Hopefully this is the start of a fun-filled winter.
Like my pink pants?
