Tag Archives: fitness

Will Run for Chocolate!

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Chocolate, anyone?

My mother had a chocolate shop in Germany before she retired.  Growing up, we were spoiled with plenty of good European chocolates, delicious truffles and melt-in-your-mouth pralines.  This upbringing made me a bit of a chocolate snob.  I turn up my nose at ordinary chocolate bars – only the finest will do for me!

Oh, how I love tasting the different flavours – Grand Marnier in white chocolate, Cognac truffle wrapped in dark chocolate or noisette with a hint of coconut.  Dark chocolate bars with a touch of chili pepper to spice it up or milk chocolate bars with crunchy hazelnuts inside, I enjoy it all.  So when I heard about the Chocolate Race in the quaint town of  Port Dalhousie, Ontario, I knew I had to do it.

Imagine someone presenting you with a tray of chocolates along the race course instead of with the typical gel packs, granola bars, banana pieces or orange slices.  And then picture crossing the finish line after a 5 km, 10 km or 16 km run, receiving a funky finisher medal, and then heading straight to the Chocolate Fest in scenic Port Dalhousie.  Unless you leave the chocolate tasting for the end, this may not be the race to get a new PB, but it sure is one where one can have a lot of fun!

Running along the Shores of Lake Ontario in the Scenic Niagara Region

The creative race director, Dirty Di of Dirty Runner Productions, will ensure this is not just your ordinary race experience.  Her cool finisher tech shirts, the neat medals, doing the wave and dancing at the start line and the delicious chocolates along the scenic course and in the finish area will make this a rather special event.

And while indulging yourself (guilt-free, as you’ll be running it off), you can also contribute to making a difference in the lives of others!  Love4Gambia is the official charity of the 2012 Chocolate Race.

Candies Ice Creamery is Part of the Fun, too!

Anyone who participates in the race can become a member of Team Love4Gambia by raising funds for health education programs that will keep kids alive and communities strong in West Africa.  Team members who raise $100 or more will receive a tech Team Love4Gambia shirt and have a chance to win prizes.  But more importantly, you will help us fight HIV/AIDS and malaria through peer education programs, radio programming, interactive community presentations and other education programs that not only keep kids healthy, but also teach them valuable leadership skills.  To learn more or to see how you can join Team Love4Gambia at the Chocolate Race, click here.

Hope to see you in scenic Port Dalhousie in the Niagara Region on April 29 as a member of Team Love4Gambia!

‘Tis The Season

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Ahhh, the holidays – a time for get-togethers, friends, parties, food and merry-making.  Good times!

And then, of course, there are the preparations: decorating the house; shopping for gifts; writing holiday cards; wrapping presents; baking cookies; getting the tree; decorating the tree; finding a new tree stand, as a repeat of last year’s tree-toppling-over-in-the-night is not desirable; shopping for and cooking Christmas dinner; cleaning the house before and after guests come over; finding a new outfit for the office holiday party; the all-important hair appointment with Bruno at Le Spa; standing in line at the liquor store …  Even if you, like me, are no Martha Stewart, the list just seems to go on and on.

So, how’s a girl to get a few training runs in during this busy season to get ready to run across The Gambia?  And how, with all this eating and drinking, will I avoid packing on the pounds?

Over the years, I have found a few ways to make time for running over the holidays.  One trick is to make my run part of the daily commute to work.  While it takes me about 30 minutes to drive to work, a run to the office takes about an hour.  By substituting a run for the drive, my net time investment is only 30 minutes.  And by running in the morning, my workout is done, so I have time for shopping and parties, and yes, even baking, cooking and cleaning, in the evenings no matter what the day brings.

I am lucky in that most of my friends are also active people.  This means that many of the holiday get-togethers to which we are invited have an active component.  Friends invite people to go for a hike, ski, snowshoe or a skate and then get together for food and drink after the activity.  A sociable workout and holiday party all in one – I call that multi-tasking at its finest!

Another way to squeeze in at least a short run is to try to get out a lunch time.  If you have the flexibility to take an extra 20 or 30 minutes at lunch and add this time to the beginning or end of your work day, this may be the window for a workout.  No shower at the office?  No problem – a day pass for a nearby gym can buy you shower access.  But if all else fails, why not go for a brisk walk at lunch?  It’s not a run, but it’ll keep you active and is better than not doing anything at all.

While I try to keep a regular workout schedule throughout the holidays, I also realize that there are only so many hours in the day and that I have to adjust my expectations of what’s possible.  This goes not only for my workouts, but also means I prioritize the activities that I really want to get done and forget about the not-so-important stuff.  After all, this is supposed to be a time to enjoy and not to stress about details and perfection!  For my training, the objective is to keep my base and to stay active and yet to balance my training with other aspects of my life, such as friends and family.

Oh, and the attentive reader may note that I haven’t answered the second question raised above – how to avoid packing on the extra pounds over the holidays.  Still looking for the answer to that one, but will post it here, if I ever find out.  Happy holidays to all!