Desert Yoga......

I remember the exact moment I did my first yoga class, and why. I was home in Victoria, not working and not training, this meant that I did not get to see my friends very much because at that time they were working and they were training, which is all you can do when you are getting ready for an Ironman.  I remember talking to a friend who said - "come try this Hot Yoga class we have been going to on Monday nights, it will be great, we can catch up!"  Well, we both rushed in almost missing the class, there were a few other people there as well so we chatted briefly. Not really knowing what I had to do I followed the gang like a little puppy dog up the stairs into this room with what must have been 50 already sweaty bodies, most were laying down like they were taking a nap...I thought I could do this!

Then there was what I call the "sush" moment, of course I was there to catch up with my friends....not nap.....so we began our talking in the softest voice we could muster but I think it was my friends distinctive giggle that gave us away! We immediately got the sush from the room and the rest of the class was spent feeling like a child that was caught doing something wrong.....you know you look at each other in the mirror and try to stop yourself from breaking out into a all out laugh fest.

So although it does not sound like a good introduction into the yoga world, for me it was the perfect one. With friends, relaxed and having fun, I was hooked almost immediately. I was going to classes almost every day and loving what it was doing for my mind and my body.

These days I don't practice hot yoga, I found the time restrictions of the classroom tough to meet now that I am working again, and I also found that I wanted more variety in my yoga. I tried the DVD thing, yeah that's not for me! Also tried grabbing a magazine and following the instructions on which pose to do when, nope still not it. So without sounding like a salesman of this website I must tell you what I found and how wonderful it is, at least for me.

Its called yogadownload.com you go there and download audio classes for your iPod. What I love so much about it is the portability and the fact that I still have an instructor in my ear telling when and what to do. This way I hold the poses as long as I need to, they give awesome instruction on body placement, and if you want you can download the pose guide as well....all that for about $5 bucks!  As their mantra goes, "Take Yoga Anywhere" - And I have!

I have done yoga on the roof on the Moana Surfrider in Wakikki, on the beach in Kona, and on the lava rocks in Waikaloa. And now every day I can choose form about 15 different classes I have on my iPod, from 30 mins to 60 mins and be practicing in the beautiful desert that I love so much.

This vacation just keeps getting better and better every day.......!

Till next time, happy chatting.....

Unwinding.....

So we are finally here, the trip down was rather uneventful....plane was on time, no long line ups, found coffee and breakfast. We did our regular stop in Mesquite which is just on the boarder of Nevada and Arizona......food and wine/beer were the purpose of the stop and it still makes me chuckle to see the slot machines in the grocery store!

With our stops done we rolled into the Entrada complex around 4:00pm...perfect timing to unload the car, unpack and then unwind. The view is just as beautiful as I remember it, the red rocks and the warm air made me feel at ease instantly, well almost. As we sat in the back yard looking at this amazing view I could help but think to myself that I needed to be doing something, you know that feeling that makes you just a little anxious, the one that makes you get up and down a million times but for nothing. I was very tempted to grab my computer or my phone and loose myself in hours of mindless activities but then I thought, no...thats not what this is about. This trip is about unwinding, taking time to relax with Dwight in an environment that is beautiful.

So I went into what I call a forced detox, no not of wine, but of stress, of stuff to do, of noise and busyness..... could I do it we discussed, could I possibly sit here for a few hours with nothing but the view, the sounds of the frogs at night and Dwight? The answer was yes, and it was wonderful......so much so that I plan on spending every night like this.........

a little taste.....See if you can..?

Off for some rest.....and stuff!

Well, its finally come....my long anticipated trip back down to Utah! Yes we are heading back down to one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Not far from Las Vegas, not nothing like Las Vegas, St George Utah is home to one of the most relaxing, energizing and spiritual places on earth. It is easy to loose yourself in all that it has to offer.

Our plan, not to plan! I know, I know doesn't sound like me right....well this time we know where we are going and why we are going there. No races, no agendas, just the desert and whatever we choose to do on whatever day we choose to do it. Rock climbing, running, golfing, or just sitting and reading I am excited about each thought!

We fly into Las Vegas on Sunday and will jump in the car and head 1 1/2 hours north east to Utah, with a brief slip through Arizona. Then its 10 glorious nights at Entrada, a great townhouse on the golf course with a drop dead view. Then we head back to Las Vegas for some hard core shopping, some great eating, a show or two....but I think I will stay away from the 99 cent margarita's!

So I cant promise you outrageous adventures or even interesting ones, what I will say is that I plan to provide posts and and a few photo's while we are there and if you are remotely interested tune back in next week...or even on Sunday, you have to have something to do while on the plane!


Talk soon ........

Snow to Surf 2011 - 8 Stage relay race

Well I must admit this past weekend was a blast! We participated in the annual Snow to Surf relay race that is held in the Comox Valley on Vancouver island. Here is the link, and if you have never done this you should sign up for next year!

http://www.snowtosurf.com

HPR Team Yoko Ono made up of 9 people;   

• Dwight - Down hill skier
• Ann - Cross Country skier
• Karyn - 8km downhill run
• Rob - 8 km downhill run 
• Kelly - Mountain Bike
• Eileen - Kayaker
• Mark - Road Bike
• Laura & Rhodes Canoe

We landed in 4th place in the mixed masters category! Well done team! Everyone on the team made it happen! It cant go without mentioning that HPR had TWO teams in this race, which speaks to how much we love to race. It was so nice to have another team there.....because the race is so spread out you would have been alone in a crowd of other people you didn't know, what was really great is that each stage had another HPR'r that you could chat with while waiting for your turn to go.  Both teams did great and I think we may have even generated enough interest for a third team next year!!!! 

Every stage had a story that made it special....from the down hill ski that made you climb up a hill in your ski boots before coming down, the crazy x-cross country/downhill exchange, the down hill running that was more that a little steep....over 12% grade at times! The mountain bike started calm and easy then they hit you with a super technical section that singled out people for sure.....they kayak had a obstacle course to go through, the bike (well lets just say that mark crushed it!) and the canoe went off into a wicked head wind!

All to finish by running up the boat ramp to ring a bell to get your beer tickets!!! 

What a great time......lets do it agin next year!!! Here is a little slide show of the activities, including a few video moments during the event and of course the all important finish!!! Hope you enjoy! 

Til next time Happy chatting.......

Sub Cultures.....interesting weekend....

So we had a great little trip this weekend up to Whistler, we do seem to be spending a good deal of time there lately. Our intention was to go up and do some skate skiing so I would have at least done it once within the last few months before the Snow to Surf race! In that respect we did not have much luck, even with all of the snow that is still around they closed the Olympic Park! So although I was unable to brush up on my skate skiing skills we were able to spend an incredible weekend downhill skiing….The skies were clear, the snow wonderful and the lift lines short, you couldn’t ask for a nicer time to be on a pair of downhill skis.

Blackcomb Mountain

The one thing that did take us by surprise was the “Telus World Ski & Snowboard festival” that was in full gear when we arrived…. I suppose we should have known this but we have both been rather isolated due to work lately.   The place was packed, with all kinds of stuff going on…including concerts all day and night……we stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler again so we were able to visit the crowds and then return to our little quiet sanctuary later in the evening. It was way to much fun, great energy and good crowd! 

So after wondering around the crowds we couldn’t help but notice what I would call the vibe of the town.  There were certainly a lot of young people in the crowds but it was more than just that, it was the underling subculture of the sport that they were celebrating. Culture meaning…they have their own language, their own rituals and rights, even their appearance becomes uniformed. And for some reason you immediately think about and smell that world-renowned BC bud!   

On reflection when I think of other instances where this occurs I cannot help but think of triathlon and all its subcultural norms. From aero helmets to compression socks, to buzz cuts and pony tails there are very obvious sub cultural traits that you become part of. 

There are many subcultures and throughout history we have participated in them, think about the 60”s Hippie…. what comes to mind? Haight Ashbury crowds with tie die clothes, if they were wearing any, free love, and of course drugs. 

So we know they have always been around, that they manifest in many different forms, so why do subcultures exist? Is it that we just want to belong, or that we what to be recognized to being part of something that others are not?

Hard to say really, subcultures are created when a group of people branch off from the original culture that share a set of beliefs that differ. I guess we could say that this is the case but it seems to be more than that. It has the feel of belonging that transcending just being with "like minded" people. Sharing the cultural beliefs that are created allow us to be a part of something that we may not have been had we not joined.  

So once there can you move in and out? Or is it more cult like and you are forever trapped in the "family"? Well I think Charles Manson would be disappointed with the answer, subcultures are not dark cults they are just people sharing. So you can move freely, some people tend to stay for longer times than others, some people never leave.....which ever you are know that its good to be in a place that makes you feel good. 

look at the size of that helmet!

I like to consider myself rather flexible as I move in and out of the different subcultures I am exposed to, however there are always some parts that I just cant seem to buy into. 

Take the Ski/Snowboard subculture…..those oversized toques are about the most unflattering item I can think of for anyone to wear, for triathlon I must admit I could never really put an aero helmet on and keep a straight face, my yoga practice is dear to me and I am sure I could not live without it now, but the chanting is definitely not for me.

I think we can be a part of many different cultures and personally my belief is that it’s not the rights, rituals, the clothes or the language. It’s the people that are most important, they are the ones that keep you involved…the relationships you build and the friends you make will last longer than any of the things that consume sub cultures………

Looking forward to seeing some friends next weekend during the Snow to Surf relay race and catching up......

Till next time, happy chatting..... 

Food...yum....

So this conversation did start over a bottle of wine, at a great restaurant just last night. The restaurant is called Lupo  http://www.luporestaurant.ca and its one of my favourite here in Vancouver.  Yes you guessed it.....the conversation was about food, how much I love it and how good it is here on the West coast.

So let me start with my food origins, I was born and raised in Halifax Nova Scotia which as most people know is on the East coast. Contrary to popular belief when I was young I did not have lobster served to me every day,  shellfish was very expensive and still is. We actually ate a lot of fresh water fish, mackerel and trout, but we did eat clams and mussels like they were popcorn!

There are two distinct food memories that I have from Halifax,  first is Clams & Chips, delicately deep fried fresh clams and a pile of french fries...sound horrible? Not so.....these little pieces deep fried heaven were delicious and the best versions could be found from street carts for a very reasonable price!

The second is an all you can eat Lobster deal......yes you heard it correctly....all you can eat lobster!I don't think they do this anymore however I remember when they set up a restaurant on one of the old ferries that used to travel between Dartmouth and Halifax. You would pay $13.95 and grab a plate then head to the counter that was surrounded by massive buckets of boiling water....before you knew it a wonderful little cooked creature was sitting on your plate. These were not canner size lobsters, no these were at least 2-3 lbs. As a added bonus you also received potato salad, although it does not sound exciting it was really very good....traditional stuff with no fancy additions....this food memory is one that reinforces the fact that food does not have to be covered in sauces, cooked for 4 hours, or seasoned to death to be absolutely wonderful!

I moved to central Canada and spent 15 years in Ottawa, and the food there was certainly very different. When I look back at food from that part of my life I must admit I feel rather disappointed.....don't get me wrong there were some good restaurants, but not great restaurants.  One great restaurant was a little Italian place on Preston Street in the heart of little italy, I am not sure if its still there or even if I can remember the name but it had great authentic food, and some of the best strawberry shortcake in the world!. Another memory I have from Ottawa is the corn, yes I said corn....every year in August we would wait anxiously for the farmers to harvest their crop of corn, my favourite was the peaches and cream, I am not sure why they called it that but it was so good you could not stop eating it.

Then there is the West coast food world.....and how different it is.....in Ottawa pub food was fries, nacho's and wings....here you can find smoked salmon salads with walnuts, organic greens a homemade honey vinaigrette! In a pub? I think we actually our food quality here for granted, we have come so accustom to getting food that is above standard in its taste, presentation and variety that when we go to a different place we expect so much more!


One of the questions that came up during this conversation I was having was "What is the best meal you have ever had?" I think that is a really hard question to answer, mainly because I think its not just about the food you are eating, its about the experience. Meaning that the food can be influenced by the experience you are having, the timing, the atmosphere, so many factors come into play. You know when you are really hungry and craving something specific and when you get it.....its the best thing you have ever tasted! Or when you work hard to create a meal you sit down and enjoy all of the fruits of your labor....its divine!

I have eaten in Paris, London, New York and a hundred other places,  I have wonderful food memories for them all....for New York it has to be the street food.....Paris its the lunch baguette with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, and London....well lets just go with the great beer!

So as you can tell I love food, I have to battle every week to make sure that I balance my love of food with the effects of eating too much of it! I exercise when I can and watch what I eat during the week but no matter what happens in my life I will refuse to deny myself the pure joy of eating great tasting food......right now my weekends are my time to indulge in food heaven and I have certainly picked the right city to do it in!

Well I am off for a run, till next time happy chatting!

Cars, really pretty cars.....

I have a confession, I like cars....pretty cars. Weird I know......Sexy lines, bright headlights, horsepower, sport suspensions...all of it! It probably comes from the fact that I grew up with three brothers but don't worry...I still like girly things...dresses,  jewelry, and especially shoes....oh how I love pretty shoes!




So with my love of pretty cars I headed off to the Vancouver International Car Show this weekend. And it was a blast, so many pretty cars....shinny and the new car smell that just cant be replicated. It got me thinking about what I like about cars.......

Personally I think that cars should either be really utilitarian or really fun/sexy. My own list of cars to date...a rather bad second hand Renault Alliance (yes dreadful I know) that I paid more in insurance the first year than I did for the car! Then I moved onto a Mazda Mx3 - a sexy little silver sports car that was fun to drive however just slightly dangerous in 4 feet of snow when I lived in Ottawa. Then there was my beloved Jeep, hard top and soft top....which came off anytime I could let it! Drove it through snow regularly but the fondest memory is a trip into the deserts of Utah and Nevanda.....wonderful! Now I have a Mini, a fun little car - great for the city and with a sport mode that lets it feel super spunky on the drives up to Whistler.

What what makes a sexy car for me? Well this is a good start......but it is a little over the top..I like subtle lines, classy curves and something that will give you some g's when you push the pedal! like this one....

Its the Infinitely G37 x Coupe of course......3.7 litre V6 VQ engine that gives you 348 hp, sport suspension, and a twin air intake....the cockpit in the car makes you feel like you are in a race car.....but the seats wrap around you making you want to sit in it all day! 

So enough about my new infatuation, my dream last night had me driving one of these through the red rock canyons in Utah.....scary! 

Although Dwight likes this car his preference is for the 4 door, can you imagine doing something that cruel to a sexy sports car! Seems he is a a sedan man, the practical side of him coming out....for me its either really practical, like the Subaru that we have, or a sexy fast sports car.......just can't do the middle of the road! 

The car show certainly had a ton of great cars, but I did not spend a lot of time in  the Hyundai, Toyota or GM sections...more like a few hours with  Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche,  and lets not forget the Ferrari stop! 

If you have to have a convertible.....

One of my favourites but 100K plus for a car just seems crazy!

We were not permitted to sit in this one and play! 

The only disappointment for the day......that they theme for the whole thing seem to be to have white cars.....I must admit white is my least favourite colour for a car, and to see all these wonderful cars dressed in white paint was really difficult to take! 

We finished the day in a great new pub (no surprise) that has been opened in the conference centre and has one of the best patio's in the country! Overlooking Canada place, with mountains water...and most importantly SUNSHINE and good beer. On the walk home I couldn't help but snap this photo of someone we have heard about over and over again for the past few months......too funny! If you want one of the t-shirts just let me know! 

Till next time - Happy chatting........