Shovellers prize!

Even though you may have been a bit tired or sore, depending on how good of a snow angel you were over the weekend, remember that you got some great exercise and fresh air!

Check out this article. . . I enjoyed a 'slow swim' and a few minutes on the bike to remind myself what pedalling feels like today! High fived Lori in the locker room as she headed from pool to running shoes! The motivation and focus is SO MUCH easier with a friend! It's not too late for you to join in! More friends, more motivation!

The Cool Things About Being a Beginner Triathlete! Intimidated on starting your training to become a triathlete? Don't hesitate anymore with these six reasons why it's cool being a beginner triathlete. One of the things I thought about at this past weekend's Superfrog Half Ironman race was how cool it is to be a beginner to the sport and how you get just as much joy out of being slow as you probably do being fast! So, for those of you who have wondered whether you should try your first triathlon but hesitated on signing up because you thought you would be too slow or that you you should wait until you are more ready or you are simply intimidated by all those fast and fit looking people out there, here are my thoughts for you! 1. When you are a slow swimmer, you don't have to worry about too many people swimming over you because after the first minute, they will all be in front of you and you can have the lifeguards all to yourself! Yes, you can rest assured that there is special attention and extra people looking out for you because you are easier to spot when you're out there on your own! Of course you want to meet the swim cut off time (if there is one) and you want to finish the swim course (which you will), but the good news for us slow folks out there is that we will be well taken care of for our swim! 2. When you are a slow biker, you can thoroughly enjoy the sights and sounds of the race! You can appreciate the scenery around you, live in the moment, and thoroughly enjoy your race! You are not stressed out. It is after all, YOUR race! Just this past Sunday as I was coming down towards the finish of my last lap, I pretended for a second that the reason there was no one around me was because I was coming in first of my pack! 3. When you are a slow runner, you are less prone to injury. Unlike those fast runners who are aching all the time from the lactic acid that builds up from their workouts, I am never that sore! I may be slow, but I'm consistent and that's not that bad. 4. When you are a beginner, you can only improve and get better! The learning and performance curve is so high with every little bit you do, you will only see big changes with the time and effort you put in. When you get to be really good and fast, you have to put in so many more hours to inch out a tiny bit of improvement! 5. When you are a beginner, you are just planning to finish the race, so you don't have expectations on time performance and you have less stress during the race. Also, when you have low expectations, you always end up meeting or exceeding your goals and that feels pretty darn good! However, the COOLEST thing though with being a beginner triathlete is... 6. You get the same finishing medal and bragging rights for completing the race as the first place winner and all those other fast people out there! And the truth is...the majority of the people in the world won't know what your time means. They will just know you finished a triathlon race and that it was pretty amazing that YOU did it! Now what are you waiting for?!? Start training and find your first race! Marisa Hanke

Wanna Tri?

Well, you've may have heard us talking about our swim dates lately, and you may also know its because Lori and I are going to participate in the Coronation Triathlon this spring! Lori's done one before, and I have never, but have always wanted to have that experience. We're really excited about this opportunity to enjoy more exercise and friendship together. Yes, we are FitTogether!! If you are interested in joining us, we think that would be great! We plan to update the blog with some of the highlights of our training journey over the next three months. So join in and stay tuned for training tips and cameraderie!

For details about the triathlon, check out Coronation Triathlon.

Yoga update: Thursday class is on! 5 weeks, which takes us right up to Spring Break for $60. 7:30-8:45pm @ Argyll.

March April classes now taking registration at Yoga Within. Circuit/yoga fusion class (Shape Your Buddha) has a special promo to bring a friend and get half off! Thursday mornings with Sue.

What Next?

Shape Your Asana

Winter: Thursday: 6:00 to 7:15pm, January 12 - March 1, 8 weeks ($88)

3 add on weeks: March 8, 15 and 22nd. ($30 or Drop in $12)

Hatha Yoga

Spring (Mondays): April 2 - June 11. 10 weeks, Vicoria Day no class. ($120)

Thursday: NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. Beginner focussed. 7:30 - 8:45pm

February 23 - March 22, 5 weeks ($60)

Spring (Thursdays): April 5 - May 24. 7 weeks, April 26 no class. ($84)

Total Body Conditioning

Spring: Thursdays: 6:00-7:00, April 5 - June 7, 10 weeks ($120)

April classes are scheduled indoors, the remainder outside rain or shine!

EMAIL TO REGISTER!

Sweet Potato Cakes and Jacks!

Great job everyone! It was another great week of workouts! During our Thursday night workout there was plenty of conversation about food. The talk about savoury delights was a good distraction and motivation to the exercise at hand. For those who attended our class with talk of recipes - please post them! For those who want to share some recipes, please share them.

If you're looking for a good sweet snack that packs lots of energy and calcium, try these candied almonds:

Candied Almonds

preheat oven to 250 degrees

Beat 1 egg white with 1 tbsp of water until the mixture foams. Add 1lb of almonds (or any other nut you like - walnuts, pecans, etc) and stir until nuts are coated with egg mixture. In a separate bowl mix 3/4 cup sugar (you can play with the amount here), 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Pour mixture over nuts and stir until they are all coated. Put nuts on a cookie sheet and cook for 1 hr, stirring nuts every 15 minutes.

Let cool and dig in!

Soft and Yummy Pumpkin Cookies (kids love these!)

2 cups flour (barley, spelt, kamut, wheat, or any other type, including gluten free)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

3/4 cup pureed, cooked pumpkin, winter squash, or sweet potatoe

3/4 cup sugar or substitute sweetener

1/2 cup apple butter, sauce or plain yogourt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

preheat oven to 350. Combine flours, and dry ingredients. In separate bowl, mix wet. Add wet to dry and combine. Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheet (lightly oiled or parchment). Bake about 15 minutes.

makes 2 dozen