These pictures are from November when I first got the Jawbone UP, back then there was so much keenness to try this little bracelet.
I didn’t mind that I had to go all the way to Mount Vernon to get mine because the at&t store in Bellingham was sold out of the UP that morning.
The UP is basically a cool little wristband step-counter and sleep tracker that syncs with the Jawbone iPhone app and displays data in a user-friendly graph .

According to Jawbone,

UP™ by Jawbone® is the combination of a wristband and iPhone® app that tracks your activity and sleep and inspires you to move more, sleep better and eat smarter.

As a self-proclaimed lover of ‘shiny new things,’ I took to the UP quickly and loved how unobtrusive and easy it was to use.
I’ve never been focused on tracking my fitness activity before; sure, I turn on my running app when I go running, but I’ve never tried to figure out overall how much I move in a day.
The band has three activity settings, regular, active and sleep. Active is for when you’re exercising.
I keep mine in regular mode most of the time except for when I’m sleeping. I thought I walked a lot, but wearing the UP put it in perspective.
I could do better, in fact I’ve made a few changes since I started wearing the band; I take the stairs, I try to take little walks during the day, I generally try to move more, and that’s what the UP aims to do.
I love the little buzzes (reminders) that remind me if I haven’t moved in two hours.
The sleep tracker is fairly helpful, it tracks sleep cycle, and shows light and deep sleep.
It has a built-in alarm clock that gently rouses you from sleep…
I find using the meal tracker a little cumbersome, same for finding friends who have the UP so I don’t use these features.

The UP isn’t without issues, I’m on my second device – the first had battery issues, couldn’t sustain a charge past a day, and then one day it died.
The replacement works perfectly so far, but I’m not sure how long that would last.
In fact the UP has been bogged down with so much hardware issues that Jawbone has a ‘No questions asked guarantee’ refund
Still, I love my UP, it’s helped me make some little lifestyle changes, I try to walk more, I’m horrified at how poorly I sleep and trying to work on it.

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

Remember when I said I wanted to run a half-marathon this June? Well, I did this past weekend.
I woke up early last Sunday, went up to UBC and run all the way back with thousands of others in the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon.
It was a good run, I wasn’t expecting that and yet it was the first time I’d really felt good about running in a long time.
It reminded me of when I used to run the Capital Crescent Trail over a decade ago, running was fun back then.
I barely trained for this run, I started out with good intentions however in the end I ran about five times over four months and never ran beyond 7kms.
I wish I had trained, because although this was the most fun I’ve had running in a while, it didn’t feel whole, you get so much more from training – plus I could have done better.
I don’t know how I get back to that, but I want to enjoy running again.

For the past couple of days I’ve been thinking about… maybe aiming for a marathon next year.
Yes, I want to run a marathon!
I can’t even begin to fathom how I’d go about training for that, but one thing I know for sure is that, when I write about doing something on this blog, I usually end up doing it.
For those of you running types out there, here’s how I’ve fared in the three half-marathons I’ve ran over the past five years.
Year —- Time —— Pace(KM)
2007 — 2:06:12 —- 5:59
2008 — 2:20:39 —- 6:40
2011 — 2:18:49 —- 6:35

I’d like to be better, maybe finish under 2:00 hrs; and I won’t get there by not training.
I’m really glad I did this run; it’s awoken a passion (for running) I haven’t felt in a long time and that’s a good thing.

I made these awesome post-workout cookies on Saturday before the race.
I knew I was going to get pretty ravenous after the race, the last time I binged on bagels and bananas, this time I wanted to make something special.
I’ve been meaning to make these cookies for a while now, it includes all my favourite things; coconuts, almonds, oats and bananas.
This is perhaps my best cookie yet, it’s chewy and soft, and the flavours are just oh so wonderful.
The recipe is adapted from this recipe, which doesn’t have banana in it, but I decided to throw in my sad browning banana and that’s what makes the perfect post-workout cookies.
I had a couple of cookies after my big run, and then more throughout the day – I couldn’t help it, they’re sooo good!
I’ll definitely be making these again soon.

Oatmeal Coconut & Almond Cookies (Adapted from Eat Good 4 Life)
INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 medium banana
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3-4 tablespoons almond milk (or soy or coconut or cow’s or whatevs…)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour (regular whole wheat flour works too)
• 1 scant teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Mash banana with a fork and combine in a mixing bowl with olive oil, honey, vanilla milk and sugar, and mix well.
4. Add the dry ingredients (that’s the remaining ingredients) and mix well with a spatula.
5. Make sure the dough sticks together, depending on the kind of flour you use; you may need to add a few tablespoons of milk or flour (until cookie dough consistency is reached)
6. Place spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart and flatten slightly with a fork (mine didn’t spread much during baking)
7. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until they begin to brown around the edges.
8. Cool cookies in cookie sheets for about 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

 
These weekends… they go by so fast.
I didn’t get up to much this weekend, except feast on chocolates and panettone.
Oh and I went hiking…

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I’ll miss the snow on the mountains when winter passes.
I’ll miss the clear wintry white landscape and tranquil.
I’ll miss those fleeting moments of Zen.

My hike up Dam Mountain this past weekend had a nice eerie feel to it due to low visibility.
The snow and fog blinded the way, giving an illusion of walking into the unknown.
It was very much unlike the weekend before when it was so sunny everything sparkled.
And the views… so clear you could see downtown; and the sea goes on and on till it becomes one with the sky.

These pictures are from that last weekend, I took a slew of them…

The sun haze view.

Textures in blue…

Downtown and beyond…

Here’s where we rest (but just for a while) before the final big climb up.

My favourite view, I could stay here forever…

Hey, it’s a steep climb and sometimes you fall, you laugh it off and keep climbing… kinda like life.

Sunbursts!

Looking out…

Looking down…

This is always the favourite part of my hike, the loop around the mountain coming down.

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

I’m feeling a little adrift this week; I’m blaming it on lack of sleep and quality exercise.
I know ‘lack of quality exercise’ implies there’s been some exercise, but the truth is I hardly exercised this week; I’m blaming that on the weather.

The weekend can’t come soon enough; an afternoon up on the mountain should help reset my lagging system.
I’m so so tired… I need a reset button.

The hike up to Dam Mountain now has an official extreme-work-out sounding name; The Snowshoe Grind
I like it! It’s just like the Grouse Grind.
I always thought the trail had quite a steep incline, but I couldn’t determine whether it was a difficult hike or I was just out of shape.
Now I know it’s a little bit of both.
It’s being billed to as the (winter) Grouse Grind alternative, which makes me feel better, I’m not just taking a hike, I’m actually exercising!

This is the view you’re rewarded with once you finally make it up to the peak of the mountain.
From up here; a picnic, conversation, rest… and prep for the descent.
It’s supposed to be sunny this weekend; so we’re in for breathtaking views.

Breaks are important too… to take a breather, make new friends and even get tips from the pros sometimes.

The Grouse Snowshoe Grind is a 4.3km trail, and there’s hot chocolate and warmth down at the chalet when you’re down.

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

I want to run a half marathon this June.
Yes, I go through this every year, and I’ve failed miserable these last two years.
I want to say this year would be different yet I don’t know that for sure, but I’m going to try.

I learned the hard way that the key to running a safe and successful race is training.
I started a training schedule this week; I’m starting off slow…
On Monday I went for a brisk five-kilometre walk.
On Tuesday, I turned up the music and danced, for an hour.

I ran a slow and steady five kilometres last night towards Coal Harbour and back.
Tonight I skipped (as in the skipping rope), and tomorrow I’ll try some hot yoga or floor exercises.
I plan on doing a longer ten kilometres on Sunday.

I remember the immense pride I felt from running my first half-marathon, and the disappointment of the second year because I didn’t train.
I really want it to be different this time, I want to be prepared, ready and confident.
Here’s to trying!

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

I went snowshoeing this past weekend.
It was rainy and foggy, and looked like we were in for a not-so-fun time.
It turned out all right, the powder wasn’t as fresh and fluffy but we had a nice hike up to Dam Mountain.
The fog and the dark clouds set a beautiful mystical mood, I felt like I was in an old haunting poem.
Or perhaps the kind of atmosphere that inspires poetry.
The trees looked bare with the snow melting; pine needles wet and glistening.
I really loved the solitary nature of the hike, even with people around it still feels as if you have the whole forest to yourself.

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

This post is brought to you by the song ‘She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain’

I’m one of those people; when I start something I like, I’ll keep doing it over and over until it stops being fun.
This explains why I’ve gone snowshoeing three weekends in a row.

We hiked up to Dam Mountain last Saturday, and when we eventually reached the summit I thought “damn mountain! Quite an appropriate name”
I’ve gone snowshoeing a couple of times over the last couple of years; I never considered it a viable workout activity until recently.
It’s a pretty good cardio work out – I actually sweated this weekend, the views are incredible and I love the solitude and quiet.

It’s almost a spiritual experience to be that intimate with nature, surrounded by such calm and beauty.
I came back feeling refreshed and sleepy… weird, I know, the mountain air does that to me; or maybe it’s the cold.

I’m looking forward to another weekend up the mountain; maybe we’ll go a little farther this time.
It’s gotten a little warmer, and it’s raining – I hope it doesn’t warm up on the mountains, enough to rain.

I shot this video when we got to the top of the mountain, so peaceful and beautiful.

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

I went for a run this weekend.
A long and familiar eight-mile dash along the seawall
I’m trying to ease back slowly into a regular running schedule.
I ran for the first time in months two weekends ago, and I could barely walk the next day.
There’s a term for this affliction; Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness – DOMS for short.
This was a good run and I wasn’t sore the next day, my goal is to do one short run this week.

Weather permitting, I’d like to keep up the regular weekend runs; I’d forgotten how much I enjoy running in the mornings on weekends.
I’m using the Nike+ GPS app on the iPhone to track my runs; it’s also a coach and motivator of sorts.
I prefer it to my Garmin Forerunner and the mapping seems as accurate as the forerunner.
It’s easy to use and has a nice interface; it’s a very well made app with some very nice features.

Along with calculating distance, pace and the route, it has a voice feedback feature with updates as you run.
It syncs automatically and seamlessly with my Nikeplus.com account.
You can also create a list of songs you like to run to, and you get motivational messages from other athletes when you set personal records.
But there’s more… you can share your run on Facebook and Twitter.
The Cheer Me On feature, I haven’t yet used this yet, it let’s your friends on Facebook send you live cheers, comments and Likes.

You probably already know that the seawall is my favourite running route.
Well, it’s also due to a little laziness on my part since it’s practically my backyard; but there’s no denying that it’s lovely and inspiring.
I’m actually looking forward to trying out other exciting routes, I just have to wake up a little early for those.

We had the perfect fall weekend; it was sunny, cool and beautiful – perfect for a run.

And here are some old posts on my weird relationship with running…

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

I walk a lot, and apparently I live in a ‘walker’s paradise’ with a 97% walkable rating on Walk Score.
I went for a long, long walk one morning a couple of Saturdays ago.
I was gone for four inspiring hours and covered a little over thirteen miles.
I walked along the water from Vancouver’s West End to Jericho Beach

I recently attended a talk on creating walkable and bikeable communities with a group of passionate and intelligent folks.
I don’t really consider myself passionate or intelligent when it comes to these (new) healthy lifestyle communities.
I do have a simple theory that people who live within beautiful landscapes walk more.
Now, I don’t have science backing me on this but I’m willing to bet my tattered sneakers that beautiful environments equals more time walking or biking.

Here are a ‘few’ pictures from my walk… enjoy!

The Erickson was named for its architect; Arthur Erickson
It was the perfect morning for a walk, the sun was out and everyone was in a pleasant mood.
Lots of relaxing activities on the seawall, not unusual for a sunny Saturday afternoon

There was a special water display that morning in Yaletown, it’s one of the city’s Dedicated Fire Protection System .

The Stop – Charleson Park, False Creek

Kites on Vanier Park, volley on Kits Beach and the busy Burrard Inlet.

Kits pool and the city.

I didn’t have the heart to post these pictures when the weather was crappy.
It’s not as depressing now that we have comparable weather.

The Old Hastings Mill Store was built in 1865, and moved by barge to it’s present location in Point Grey in the ‘30s.
It’s now a museum. I’ve passed by so many times and keep promising myself I’d visit.

Sunny days are here!

I cheated and took the Burrard Bridge back downtown instead taking the seawall through False Creek.
Got home sooner to enjoy the rest of my Saturday.
Click here to play my walk, you know… just in case the pictures didn’t do it for you
Or you need proof that I did indeed walk thirteen miles.

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.