i mean, i probably don’t need to say it, but i will….time flies!
2012 totally flew by.
i keep confusing two years ago, with last year. i thought we spent last NYE at our apt in the Soo, but that was, actually, two years ago.
anyway, i guess it’s a good reminder & inspiration for this year… to just really go for it, and do the things you want & be your best & don’t forget to be nice to everyone.
love.
obviously, this is not a political blog.
but, today, i want to share why I would vote for Obama.
equality for alllll
this is a really big one! i’m still confused why people are so against equality…
by opposing this, you come off hateful.
by opposing this, you are not helping anyone.
there has always been and there always will be gay people, allowing someone who is gay to have equal rights, in no way affects your own rights…so why is anyone opposing this?
also, i have found that anyone i know personally, that is against equality, happens to not have any gay friends… maybe humanizing what you’re so against, could help you see why fairness & equality are so important.
believes in fair pay for men & women
it’s really hard to believe anyone would ever vote against this. why would any woman want to vote for someone who doesn’t agree with fair pay for women?
green energy
moving forward discovering ways to provide green sustainable energy
bringing war closer to peace
tax cuts for middle class
(helping out the people that actually need the tax cuts, not cutting taxes for the rich who actually have the money to pay higher taxes)
pro choice
i don’t want to seem like this is no big deal, b/c i know this is a sensitive subject for many, & especially for some of our family & friends who are christians.
one thing is, regardless of what i think is right for me, i don’t think it’s really my business (or anyone, except for the person involved & their doctor) to make any medical decisions in a person’s life.
secondly, with obamacare, so many more young women will have access to contraceptives (insurance will cover birthcontrol now) so really by preventing pregnancy, statistics show, this can lower the amount of need for abortion…obama’s stance & actions are more pro life than the opposing side)
and lastly…
he’s someone i think is a strong leader yet he is relate-able & honest.
unfortunately i can’t say the same for the opposing candidate.
i wish i could vote!
so please, friends and family south of me… VOTE!
please comment if you’d like to add anything i’ve missed! if you’re voting for the opposing candidate and would like to say something constructive, feel free to do so too.
“You shouldn’t eat ______. It’s bad for you.”
“Don’t take that medicine. Take this supplement instead.”
“Global warming is a hoax made up by a bunch of socialists.”
“Don’t vote for _____. Don’t you know they did ______?!”
It feels like we’ve been hearing a lot of these kind of comments recently doesn’t it? To some degree it’s nothing new, but they’ve kinda been piling up in my mind. There’s something that has begun to bother me about these types of overarching statements, and I’ve been trying to put my finger on what it is.
It’s not that I disagree with some of them. When someone suggests eating a salad instead of a greasy hamburger, it’s hard to argue. But others are not so clear cut.
For instance, someone being treated for cancer. The number of conflicting insistent suggestions to be sorted through is unreal. They can’t all be right, since so many run counter to each other. So how do you know the truth?
It used to be that we respected professionals in our community. If the doctor told you to do something, we trusted that he knew what was best, and his 10+ year of school and experience working in the medical field made him qualified to give you the right information. We trusted news organizations to tell us what was going on in our communities and around the world. We believed that our leaders wanted what was best for our country and everyone in it.
These days, anyone with an internet connection has the ability to become a self-proclaimed expert on whatever they please. Websites dedicated to “alternative” points of view gets million of hits a day…. feeding the fears that we always had deep down. The doctor DOESN’T know best, the news ISN’T telling you the whole truth, and our leaders DON’T have our best interest at heart.
The thing is, there are elements of truth to all of these. Doctors are as human as we are. They are fallible. They can be wrong. They can be corrupted. They can make mistakes. News organizations are slanted. Flip between Fox News, CBC and MSNBC and you’ll wonder if they’re even covering the same planet. Politicians fail us every day. Scandals. Broken promises. Cover-ups.
In the 1970’s high-fructose corn syrup was introduced to the public as a healthy alternative to sugar. It’s made from corn! It’s natural! Then it’s time passed, and it was considered bad for you. Drink diet, it has no calories! Oh wait, aspartame is bad for you. Ok, now splenda is the way to go. Oh, now it’s stevia.
Again - probably some truth embedded in all this craziness. But how we separate the facts from the hype?
How do we decide what to believe?
This is what has been bugging me. In a world where an opinions are painted as facts, and can be spread around the world with a tweet, how do we sift through all this stuff? It’s EXHAUSTING. Does anyone else feel this?
My rule of thumb has become to live simply and make common sense decisions. Exercise. Eat modest portions with as much raw fruits and vegetables as possible. I’m debating wether or not to cancel cable, I’m sure it’ll be tough at first but I’ll find other things to consume my time. I’m Canadian, so I can’t vote anyways in the upcoming presidential elections anyways. I try to focus on my life and being a good thing in the lives of those around me. I help people and hope to reach people’s hearts and souls more than their intellect.
This is all well and good, but what about those that feel called to a health-related job, or a newsmedia position, or public office? How do THEY sort out the truth?
Because the fact is, sometimes we can’t know the facts for sure.
For instance….. There’s a debate about vaccines among a lot of new parents I know. There’s been a rumor that vaccinating your children may increase their likelihood to become autistic. From what I understand, it’s been scientifically debunked, but those that believe it aren’t willing to take the risk. They either don’t believe that these scientists really know the truth, or don’t believe that they’ll tell it. I’m not sure I can blame them. These are their children, and nobody wants to put their children in harms way.
But these moms and dads can’t possibly do the research themselves, so they have to listen to someone. There are websites and articles telling them this and that. They have friends saying “so and so vaccinated their kid, and now he’s autistic.”. They’re bombarded with contradicting information, with no REAL way to know for sure. That’s maddening.
This is not a blog post with an answer. I don’t KNOW how to sort this stuff out sometimes.
So. How do you know?
one of the best things about cranbrook, is that part of my family lives here. love my little goofy niece & nephew (& of course love their parents too, ha!)
another thing i like about cranbrook is that we’re close to other fun places. like banff, the mountains, calgary, kalispell montana.. we have the bugaboos to go to next! and also, i love when people visit.
ok. bye guys. its starting to cool off here, i don’t hate it ;)
I’ve been slacking in the blogging world. But fear not, I’m back. And it’s beast mode ON.
But I made it to BC. And loving it!
I found a great little crossfit box here in Cranbrook, called Free Bird Fitness. Greta is amazing! She’s like a female version of Coop!
Anyways, I’m getting back into lifting heavy and Crossfitting. I’ll be adding two-a-days soon.
Today’s WOD:
10 rounds:
15 push ups
Sprint 60 yards
Then…
150 squats
50 burpees
My shoulders! My legs! My legs and shoulders are so sore! My hammys! Every part of my body! Sore! It feels so good though! I need an ice bath and a recovery shake. And maybe a rest day!
Go ham!
Spartan Race is known, in part, for our challening WOD series (Workout of the Day). It combines, speed, strength, endurance, and agility that is a well-rounded training approach. In an effort to show you how I eat and cook, i will embark on a journey about 30 days ago to see how two very different athletes manage the Spartan WOD’s for 30 full days in a series of WODs. Here’s the wrap up and list including an epic soundtrack! Get some, Spartans!
This 30 days is a great program to get you either in fighting shape, get you ready for a race or off the couch and feeling better. We each have individual goals, different terrain, equipment, etc. Do what you can to make it work and push yoursevles! Send us your videos and pictures of you going through the challenge and getting Spartified and get signed up for a race!
There comes a time in your life when you have what you want or you have excuses and reasons why you don’t. If you haven’t started, start today. If you have been training, go further, faster, and push harder. Whatever it takes.
Always go too far, because that’s where you’ll find the truth!
Day 1:
WOD: 04/16/2012
w/u: Run 1 mile
4 x 100 lunges ( 50 each leg)
2x 50 crunches
7×10 push-ups
2 x 50 crunches
4 x 50 b/w squats
2 x 50 crunches
25 chin ups
c/d: Stretch it out!
Soundtrack: “The Bleeding” by Five Finger Death Punch
The most common question I see on Facebook and blogs is “How should I train for a Tough Mudder? Spartan Race?”
Well a lot depends on what your background is and what your goals are for the event. When people ask this question they often really asking “What exercises should I do?” But there is more to it than just exercising. You should eat well, rest and make sure you have the right gear.
This is what I want this page to be about: Tough Training and providing healthful tips along the way, as I’m always learning too!
For the physical exercise I am a huge proponent of Crossfit training. I started Crossfitting in 2009. Today I am a much stronger overall athlete with the goal of achieving world class fitness.
World-Class Fitness in 100 Words:
“Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.”
~Greg Glassman- Crossfit Founder
That pretty much sums up what you “need” to do. Crossfit provides me with a daily workout that is constantly varied. I was never an “athlete” but my love for adventure sports, running and biking, my upper body was weak. Adding Crossfit and making it the core of my training has greatly increased my overall strength and endurance. I started off at Crossfit Catalyst . Crossfitting there has taken my skills up a notch, both physically and mentally. I strongly encourage a box visit to amp up your training. In addition to this I add in trail running, steep ascent hiking, plyometrics, yoga, obstacles at a playground etc…basically anything I can do outside and have fun. Generally I do one longer workout a week, but try to abide by the “Keep workouts short and intense” principle.
