What's been happening...

Well, my apologies for the gap in posts..unfortunately work has been so busy that just getting in life has been challenging.. its not a bad busy, I love my job.. but I am looking forward to it slowing down!

So I thought I would offer up a little bit of what I have been up to.. out side of working!

First… this book.. seriously hilarious.. a must read, if you can't do the book try the blog…

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.ca/

Here is a little piece of what its all about…….

Cycling is explodingin a good way. Urbanites everywhere, from ironic hipsters to earth-conscious commuters, are taking to the bike like aquatic mammals to water. Cycling's most prolific, well-known, hilarious, and anonymous blogger brings a fresh and humorous perspective to the most important vehicle to hit personal transportation since the horse. Bike Snob treats readers to a laugh-out-loud rant and rave about the world of bikes and their riders, and offers a unique look at the ins and outs of cycling, from its history and hallmarks to its wide range of bizarre practitioners. Throughout, the author lampoons the missteps, pretensions, and absurdities of bike culture while maintaining a contagious enthusiasm for cycling itself. Bike Snob is an essential volume for anyone who knows, is, or wants to become a cyclist.

What else… well… I learned how to play cricket…no.. I did not show up to play cricket in my bike gear… although it might displace the typical cricket wear more interesting…. I met up with the group after a ride… and might add scored two sixers to win the match ! 

I have been doing some riding… a bicycle that is…really enjoying being back on my bike…..and with views like this.. how can you not enjoy being outside on a bike! 

I have had a birthday.. and must admit our new tradition of opening a bottle of vintage champagne is rather great! Here is the one we had….. absolutely delicious!! And we had it it beautiful Whistler…

And even did some "cruiser " riding while we were up there…….

But I must say that the most exciting thing that I have been doing is watching the Giro d'italia  and Ryder win this iconic race…! How awesome is that!!! 

Ryder wins! Hesjedal takes the Giro d'Italia

B.C. native becomes 1st Canadian to take Grand Tour cycling event

Till next time… happy chatting...

Going Haligonian…

Well I am not sure if everyone knows this… but I was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia. What that means takes up more room than just one blog post… but… I did something "the other day" that made me chuckle and say.. "I am going to go Haligonian" all over that person… admittedly I have not said, nor done it, for a very long time…. and I got to thinking…..what does that mean really… and something else that spurred on the reflection was Dwight saying.. "what the heck are you talking about?"! 


So why are you a Haligonian and not a Halifaxian..? The city in Nova Scotia was named after George Montague-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax. There is a city it the UK called Halifax and it is said that the name for the city is derived from the Saxon words "Halig" and "faex", meaning "holy hair". Apparently there was an unfortunate incident with a virgin and a beheading and her hair was later revered as holy. Go figure……..Interestingly, apparently the village of Halifax was also called "Horton", from another Saxon word for hair, "Haer" and "ton" (a town)… some say that it was named after Lord Halifax..I like my story better.…..just a side but interesting don't you think……?

To answer the question above…..… who the heck want's to be called a Halifaxian? That just doesn't make any sense!


I need to start with where I was when this exchange took place…. well it must be understood that this is not the first time I have had one of these thoughts, I normally contain the urge…. :-) In this case I was in the grocery store… so many things happen in a grocery store… chance meetings, guilt free theft of grapes, endless unnecessary time in line waiting for seniors to count change, of and lets not forget the waiting for people to finish squeezing the various fruits 
available….. ! 

Unfortunately today I had one of the worst types…. THE CELL PHONE TALKER! In the produce section nonetheless….weaving in and out of the tomatoes, apples and grapes.. touching, looking and talking…...with complete disregard for those of us wanting to actually BUY anything…. So why get so upset.. well.. she cut me off, not once… not twice..not even three times… but when I banked the corner and went for my leaf lettuce she was there again…! 


So that did it….. did I lash out… no… did I even get mad… no… did I throw my leaf lettuce in her face and say "talk to that!"… admittedly no…. knowing it was highly inappropriate to react that way I controlled myself and gave a stern, but Canadian, stare…   but what's important is that I know what I could have unleashed, but chose not to…… the hard core, deep rooted, emotional instability that comes from being a Haligonian……... I would describe it as a cross between a red neck and someone who has been lost as sea for years.... its the ability to go from zero to bitch in 3 seconds, also described as someone who can engage Genghis Khan and possibly win :-)…….  

I can not honestly say that I know why we have this trait… its often overlooked, masked by our outgoing friendly accent, our willingness to drink beer with just about anyone, even our unbiased treatment of people who actually work hard….. But what I do know is that its a trait that must be controlled, in the wrong hands at the wrong moment it can be cataclysmic! 


So I go through my days knowing that I could unleash my Haligonian wrath at any moment and feel confident in my ability to control it all through my focus, concentration, and caring……. unless of course… I am not focused, not concentrating…… and really don't care……. don't worry… that can't possibly happen very often :-) 

Till next time…….happy chatting……

Cycling versus Running… wishing you were doing one.. or the other...

I realized something the other day, What you ask? I realized that I really like cycling and that all of the other sports I have done were just eating up the time that I could have been spending on my bike. How did this significant revelation occur, well I was on my bike riding along Beach drive on my way to do a short ride around Stanley park a couple of weeks ago. 

It was a beautiful day which have been rare I might add……There were LOTS of people out and about, especially runners! They were all over the place, on the park paths, sidewalks, roads, grass…. everywhere! As I watched them with their heart rates rising and feet pounding I thought to myself…. I have done that before……but I don't want to do it now, and as I reflected a memory came back to me. I distinctly remember running and every time I would see a roadie whiz by on a sexy bike with a flashy kit I would say to myself… I really wish I was on my bike. Funny thing is…. I NEVER say that about running when I am on my bike! Then my introspective self eagerly went down that road for the rest of the ride. I am not sure I came to any conclusions as to why… one key thing was cycling does not seem to hurt me as much as running… and ultimately the best part… is that it makes me feel like a kid again, always has, still does, and I hope will will always. 

 I have the sport of Ironman to thank for getting me fit and teaching me how to "go long" - but for all the good it did…it also came very close to making it horrible to be on my bike..! But thankfully I saved myself in time and with a little break last year I am happily on my bike regularly… and loving it……


So why cycling versus running? Well I happen to ask my other half if he ever thought about cycling while he was running? And the answer… no…you see he is a runner, he feels the same way about running as I feel about cycling….. strange indeed..

So what about the question of which is better for you…. not that it would ever change my mind… ever


Running requires the same amount of energy to run one mile at any speed; you burn 110 calories per mile. It doesn’t matter if you are a super fit athlete, or an out of shape beginner you will still burn the same number of calories per mile.

However, bike riding is affected by wind resistance so the faster you ride, the more energy you use, and the more calories you burn. You have to compare running and cycling at different cycling speeds.


Biking burns fewer calories than running because the cycle supports your weight. This is what helps biking put less mechanical stress on your body. To burn a significant amount of calories biking, you may have to commit a few hours to a substantial ride.  Running is appealing to many because most people know how to do it and it requires little investment in terms of equipment however biking offers a low-impact mode of exercise that is easier on the joints and back.



It seems that running is a better fat burner, according to two studies. The "International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism" in February 2010 in which researchers had 10 male triathletes run and cycle at various levels of intensity. The South African researchers concluded that these athletes burned more fat while running than during biking even at the same relative intensity. In 2003, the journal "Metabolism" also found that biking on an ergometer burned less fat that running on a treadmill.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/111669-biking-vs.-running-effective-weight/#ixzz1q98fYEtA


So what about fitness…..The Tour de France cyclists look very fit, and you never see anyone with excess weight there.. they spend hours on the bike every day… and their race lasts 3 weeks! Trying running that much….You have to remember however runners are limited because of the trauma induced by the sport itself…. but cyclists don't have that problem. 

Well, no matter what you choose to do….. my motto is - Do what you love…..and do it often! 

Till next time - Happy Chatting…….

Be the Change you want to see in the world…….

Take a minute, watch the video, and I think you will agree…..

rather moving isn't it….

Till next time…..happy chatting…….

Playing in the Snow!

Well we did not get the sunshine and great views that we had hoped for but we did get snow… tons and tons of snow! And when you are skiing… that's always a good thing!

Day two offered a smooth travel event to Lake Louise, and we were quickly on the hill skiing… and the snow was wonderful.… its so different than skiing in Whistler.. the snow is a lot easier to carve and the powder is deep.. and dry!

But what is nice to ski in is not always nice to walk in…

On our last day in the Rockies we decided to spend some quality time relaxing…. a massage, facial… and floating in the beautiful Hot Springs for the afternoon……. makes you feel like a million bucks!

And finally….. our last night meant having a glass of wine at the wonderful Fairmont Banff Springs Chateau….. 

Till next time… Happy Chatting……..

Day 1 on the slopes!

Well, I must admit that our first night in Banff was officially finished with too much wine… but I rather knew that might happen… it was not one of those over the top nights, but I did wake feeling a little shall we say dehydrated…… but that was quickly alleviated by the coffee, Tylenol, and free continental breakfast at the hotel!

We jumped on the shuttle to Lake Louise, yes its a bus…something that we don't do very often but in this case its the best way to get there…….and it means you are free to have a couple of beers at the end of the day! On the way we were privy to seeing three cars are their roofs that had recently gone off the road… just another reason to be on the bus!

Our day on the hill was not as clear as it could have been so the pictures were not as wonderful as I wanted but the skiing was wonderful… when we actually got to do it… after an hour in the rental office and wondering if standing in a line with 100 other people while perspiring in a multitude of layered clothing that were meant to keep me warn are only now contributing to a new weight loss scheme, I thought… do I really even like skiing?

Well, I do……. very much and every time we do it I love it again and again, its always helpful to do with with people you like :-)

What a great day skiing… and finished off with a wonderful night at a great Italian restaurant…. I am starting to see a trend.. wine, food, sleep, ski…. repeat…… I guess its not that bad :-)

Talk soon…..

A weekend in the Rockies…...

Well we have decided to take a short trip to visit family and do some skiing… Dwight's sister and her husband have just picked us up from the Calgary airport and we are heading to Banff. After we left the city the landscape opens to fields of snow that seem to go on forever, then like magic the mountains in the distance start to rise up…….. as you approach they take on a different texture, it reminds me of a movie scene from White Christmas… where they are on the train on the way to Vermont and they start singing… "snow, snow snow, it wont be long before we are playing in the snow". They build a scene from napkins… priceless….ok so most people don't know what I am talking about but those that do… you get it right?

For those that don't… take a look here:

White Christmas Snow Song

So over the next few days I will try to post some of our experiences here…. some I wont… along with what I am anticipating as being some wonderful photographs!

Stay tuned……….