Z o r bl o g

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Run a 5K, help someone lose a lot of weight.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Continue to improve my oral hygiene by flossing at least once a week. Baby steps.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not yet, but SIL is due to pop one out in the next few days. I am not looking forward to that.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What places did you visit?
Muskoka is as far from home as we ventured.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
A vacation.

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The day in the summer when SIL stuck an ultrasound in my face, at that moment I realized that I don't care for and will not put up with her goody two-shoes perfection anymore.

8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Running that 5K, improving a lot as a personal trainer, getting certified as a kettlebell instructor

9. What was your biggest failure?
Nothing is a failure, I just see them as shortcomings to which I can improve.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Smartwool socks!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Can't think of anyone in particular.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Definitely my SIL. Depressed enough to seek professional help.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Groceries, gas, food, running gear

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to a Leafs game for our first anniversary.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
AC/DC - For Those About To Rock
Idina Menzel - Defying Gravity

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? About the same.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner.
c) richer or poorer? Richer, amazingly enough!

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sleep, relax in general.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Teach piano.

20. How did you spend Christmas last year?
Cooking a healthy meal for Greg's family. That was fun.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
I love my Greg and I love my poosy cat!

22. How many one-night stands?
ZERO!

23. What was your favorite TV program?
As always, Hockey Night in Canada.

24. What did you do for your birthday in 2007?
Go out for sushi with Greg & my parents and then cake with Amanda at home.

25. What was the best book you read?
Deathly Hallows, of course.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I listened to a lot more old fashioned rock this year, like AC/DC.

27. What did you want and get?
A new camera.

28. What did you want and not get?
A spa day. No one ever gets me a spa day. *sniffle*

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I only saw 1 in the theatre this year - Harry Potter and I liked it, but wouldn't put it in my favourites list.

30. Did you make some new friends this year?
Yes.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More massages.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Business casual/trendy athletic wear.

33. What kept you sane?
Exercising.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I cannot help reading about Britney.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Is childhood obesity a political issue?

36. Who did you miss?
My church singing posse.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
a lot of cool people at the gym.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
- There's a really fine line between generosity and charity with a patronising snub.
- I can do whatever I put my mind to do, just have a plan.

Posted by Zorbs at 6:03 AM | Permalink

Check it out here.

Posted by Zorbs at 1:33 PM | Permalink

I was headed to bed and then I wanted to write these thoughts down before they were forgotten.

To many people, especially my colleagues in the fitness community, completing a 5K might not seem like a big deal. My earliest memories of running/fitness were all bad - the dreaded 1 mile run around the hilly "terraces" in grades 4-5 at MUS where I'd always nearly be last, only faster than the fat kid; getting hit in the head during basketball and in the gut during dodgeball in grade 6-8. In grade 8 I raised the most money in the school for a 10K walk (which I completed) and when I got an award at the June assembly people were so surprised that I survived a 10K walk. There are people who know me from back in those days reading this - do you remember? I'll even mention when I was cast as a psychotic aerobics instructor in the grade 6 Christmas play and everyone laughed because, "Patty? The music geek? playing an exercise nut?!" Well, life imitates art.

I started out small. I remember my first official workout in late summer 2000. I lasted all of 30 seconds on the stairmaster before getting very dizzy, breaking out in a cold sweat and having to lie down (what on earth prompted me to choose such a challenging machine to start on, I'll never know). Eventually I joined a gym and started trying all sorts of classes, and enjoying it so much that I became certified in group fitness and then personal training.

In terms of running, I have improved so much in such a short time. Last May 2-4, Amanda and I tried to go for a jog but lasted maybe 5 minutes before slowing to a walk. In early July, I was huffing and puffing trying to keep up with the other trainers. I only made the decision to start running regularly about a month ago, and I have never failed to meet any health or fitness related goal that I set for myself in the past 7 years.

So, for those of you who have spent your whole lives active, I applaud your healthy choices because I wish I hadn't waited 22 years to start myself. Today I celebrate how far I have come from the girl wheezing through the 1 mile run. To anyone thinking about changing your lifestyle in the near future - if I can do it, so can you!

And that 10K walk I managed 15 years ago? I'm planning on running it next spring.

Posted by Zorbs at 11:29 PM | Permalink

I finished the Santa Shuffle in 31:42.
It was freezing, -7 C with wind. I'm the speck in black in the picture, taken with Greg's phone because my camera decided to run out of juice just as he tried to use it during the race. The speck in orange is Amber, whom I'm very grateful to for putting up with my snail paced plod through the race and early mornings!

New goals:

- improve 5K time to sub 30:00
- work towards 10K in spring 2008

Next race:
Sunday, December 9 - Jingle Bell 5K

Posted by Zorbs at 10:29 PM | Permalink