this week

Yesterday I spent my time on the spin bike.
Today I ran 5 k on the treadmill.
Feeling pretty good.

Home gym

I made progress on setting up my home gym this past weekend. The laundry drying rack has been removed and I have put all the exercise gear that I own into the little room. Up until now the weights have been sitting in my entrance hall closet downstairs, but I finally unpacked them from the cardboard boxes and moved them upstairs where they should be. The little portable DVD player works well - it is not Bose quality but will do the job adequately.

Now all that I need to do is take an hour each night to do my workouts. lol

Good week

This week has been a good one.
Monday - elliptical
Tuesday - spin cycle
Wednesday - spin cycle again
Thursday - treadmill - 5 km
Friday - gear is packed. I'll decide tomorrow.

Recovery week

I was quite sore after running the half marathon last Sunday. To recover I spent the week doing active recovery - very gentle exercises that worked the muscles but didn't put pressure on the joints. Monday I used the eliptical, Tuesday and Wednesday the spin bike, Thursday the stair stepper on a gentle setting. Friday I was in a training session in the morning so skipped PT. The pain has disappeared and I am ready to continue my workouts next week.
BB

Army Run 2009

2:22:25.5  6:45 2:18:13.7 1235/1924  405/619  Women 40 - 49 

I ran the Canada Army Run 1/2 marathon today.  The race was a lot of fun and there were a lot more
people than last year.  The weather was sunny and warm, but not too hot.  As you can see from the times
shown above, it took me four minutes to get to the start line once the gun went off - that indicates how
many people there were doing the race.

Afterwards, my friend and I went for a big and tasty pasta lunch.  Very nice end to the race.

We're both signing up again next year.  You are all invited to join us.
Cheers
BB

End of week update

Wednesday - no PT because I was in a briefing all morning and much of the afternoon.
Thursday - spin cycle again. I loved the workout
Friday - no PT because of a huge work project that got dumped in my lap

This weekend is the Canada Army Run. I picked up my race package yesterday after work and am ready to go. Have shoe chip, have T shirt, have race bib with my name on it. It's sunny today and hopefully it will stay that way until tomorrow so that the race will be a good one.

cycling

Spin cycle, an ipod and lots of energy. what a great workout. I felt like going on forever and only stopped because I had to go back to work.

14 Sept

The women's locker room was locked today when I went down to change. The cleaners were having some kind of "special cleaning" session, hmmmm. Anyway, I changed in the bathroom at the other end of the hall and took it on faith that the shower room would be open when I finished my workout. Luckily it was.

Ran 5 km, 29:15 minutes. My time is still slow, but will improve as I continue my workouts. It felt good to run today.

Sore today

I'm sore today after getting back to the gym. It's a good kind of sore though and I'm looking forward to working out next week. For the rest of the day I'm going to walk around and use active recovery to stretch out the muscles.

Pain day

I did a bunch of lunges, squats, ab exercises, some seated rows and bench presses today. This is the first week back so I took it easy but the muscles are complaining. It feels good though.

Fitness wagon

Babe is back on the fitness wagon. I finally carved some time out of my work day to go to the gym. My arrangement is that my supervisor goes first thing, and I go at 9 AM which is perfect because the gym and shower rooms are almost empty at that time. No one else in my section goes for PT. They are allowed time but they don't want to. They don't take breaks either and I don't mind eating lunch at my desk and skipping breaks, but I do want to get some exercise each day so I'm taking a fitness hour every morning.

I'm definitely suffering from a summer of laziness but it won't take long to get back in shape. By the end of August I had already lost the five extra pounds that I was carrying around since the spring and soon I will feel an energy boost from regular exercise.

Tuesday - treadmill 30 min - forgot shower shoes but showered anyway

Wednesday - treadmill 30 min - incline program - remembered shower shoes, forgot towel, used paper towel

Today - light weights, squats and abs - remembered everything and had a good workout plus a good shower

I ran into my old boss in the gym- as in I worked for him in Comox, not that he is old, although he IS OLD, but I digress. We chatted for a bit and he told me how fabulous his career is and how much he likes his job. He didn't crack a smile though so I think he was lying to himself a little bit. I just smiled and wished him well.

Can't wait for tomorrow. I already have my PT gear packed and am ready to go.

New Blog

The new blog seems to be working out better now that I have changed to a different style. It isn't as pretty as the black style, but it is a lot easier to read and I am having an easier time editing it.

Thanks for your comments. Please keep them coming.
BB

Blog change

I am experimenting with a change to my blog. I have moved the Ottawa posts to wordpress and am going to work on the format and functionality. Please visit and let me know what you think. (Both good and bad feedback is appreciated)

http://balconybabe.wordpress.com/

La Maison du Velo - Gift for Cycling Potato

The direction sign is ambiguous so I hope you have success studying your route book. lol
BB

Voyageurs Pathway to Lac Leamy

The Voyageurs Pathway is a beautiful and very well traveled route that winds its way along the Gatineau side of the Ottawa River. The path is paved and is very busy throughout the day. You can find some amazing views of the Capital, such as this photo of the Parliament buildings. The night views must be spectacular - definitely on my list of things to see.


Parts of the route were scenic, as can be seen in this photo of the boardwalk that comprises one section of the trail. Other parts are not pretty and wind their way through scrub grass fields bordered by ugly buildings.

I followed the path from the center of town out to Lac Leamy. The Lac Leamy park ends at a sad little beach on a tiny lake. Its only redeeming feature is a convenience stand that sells ice cream and other treats. Oh, it also boasts some beach volleyball courts. Lac Leamy is not worth the trip unless you have already visisted ALL the other sites in the National Capital Region.

A River of Many Stories

The Ottawa River has a long history and there are many story boards in Gatineau that recount its history. As you can see from the photo, the river has a much different use today.


I will transpose two out of the many stories that are located along the Voyageur Pathway in Gatineau.

Loggers and Drivers
The Ottawa Valley has known many heroes and legendary figures who have helped to characterize and define Canadian culture and identity.

At the height of the Canadian logging industry, the Ottawa river and its tributaries became prime locations for loggers and log drivers. Among these men several stand out.

Joseph Montferrand (1802 - 1864) known in English folklore as "Big Joe Mufferaw". A physically huge and imposing man, Joe Montferrand amazed his fellow loggers and was a prominent figure in the logging camps of the Ottawa Valley. His great strength, ingenuity and courage made him an exceptional logger and log driver. He was also daring enough to drive the famous log rafts over the turbulent waters of the Ottawa River and its tributaries.

Coureurs de Bois
For centuries the Ottawa River was used as an access route for the voyageurs and explorers en route to the mythical west.

In the 17th century some of the boldest Europeans discovered new places and encountered the aboriginal peoples who lived there.

Etienne Brule
Born in France in the late 16th century, Etienne Brule was the original coureur de bois. He arrived in Canada with Samuel de Champlain, who sent him into Huronia to establish contacts with the Aboriginal peoples. The Ottawa River became his primary route. Brule successfully accomplished his mission; he made friends with the huron, learning their language and adopting their way of life.

People - Join the Crowd

Montreal artist Louis Archambault created PEOPLE, a grouping of abstract figures, for the Canadian pavilion at Expo 67. Archambault designed the sculpture on a scale that invites visitors to move among the characters and interact with each one. All of the figures share a simple, elongated appearance, but are distinct in their light hearted combination of human, bird, flower and animal imagery.

Location: Voyageur Pathway, Gatineau

Malak Karsh Dedication

This flower bed was planted in recognition of Malak Karsh 1915 - 2001. The artistic promotion of Canada by this photographer of international renown will be his enduring legacy.


Dedicated Nov 1, 2001
Location: Voyageur Pathway, Gatineau

Commentary

Commentary Phyllis Kurtz Fine Ontario 1978

This dynamic sculpture, over 4 metres (14 feet) tall is made of a self-weathering, rust-limiting, alloy steel. About this work the artist said, "I am fascinated with the boundless energy of light and the infinite range of shadow"

This sculpture was donated by the artist's husband after her death in 1979.
Location: Voyageur Pathway, Gatineau

The Ottawa Carbide Mill

The ruins of the Ottawa Carbide Mill are just a lonely echo of the 19th century when Victoria Island was bustling with industry. The mill is also a monument to the brilliance of a Canadian inventor, Thomas "Carbide" Willson.

In a short lifetime, Willson registered over 60 patents for inventions ranging from arc lights to a revolutionary fertilizer - superphosphate.

In 1892 he discovered how to make acetylene gas from merging of calcium carbide and water. He also found that acetylene, when mixed with oxygen, could power torches strong enough to cut through steel and illuminate buoys that were visible for miles at sea.