Posted by Maria on February 12, 2010 under Books, Magazines, Music, Fitness, Gift Ideas, Home spa, Pets, Photo gallery, Pop-Psychology, Sleep, TV Shows, Uncategorized, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, Weight Management, Wellness, Yoga | 
by Maria Koropecky, Homespunspa owner
The Olympics are here! The Olympics are here!
Yesterday, while I was in the midst of running on the treadmill (24 minutes non-stop — a new record for me), I was chatting with my personal trainer and she was telling me her plans for re-decorating her studio. I was surprised to hear that she has been planning to install a tv near the treadmill for quite some time.
I suggested now is the perfect time to set up her tv because in the past, I’ve found watching the Olympics while exercising myself to be a lot of fun. It just gives you an extra boost of energy and somehow you end up increasing your speed and your enthusiasm. She agreed wholeheartedly and said “It’s a great motivator” and “thanks for the reminder!”
Here I am after one of my workouts with my trainer.
If you’d like to add a home gym to your home spa, here are my suggestions. Start small and build as you can. And don’t just admire it, use it!
- Dedicate Space: Where will you workout? Do you have access to a spare room or is your living room multi-purpose like mine is? If you’re going to be setting up shop in your living room (I don’t recommend your bedroom because the equipment and the activity will interfere with your sleeping environment), then you’ll want to choose equipment that you can store and access easily. I have a treadmill that folds and stands upright against a wall and that works for me. I keep it next to the tv so when it’s time for a walk/run, I just move the coffee table and extend the platform and I’m off to the races.
- Big Equipment: I’ve already mentioned a treadmill because that’s what I use. I highly recommend getting one. They can be quite expensive and keep in mind that the cheaper ones will be noisy (which will annoy the rest of your household) and will not have a lot of extra bells and whistles, like built in heart-rate monitors or a cushy running base, but even a cheap one is good to have. If you prefer some other equipment or have a lot of extra room, you can look into buying an elliptical trainer, a stairmaster, a stationary bike, a rowing machine or a strength-training machine. You might even consider installing a pole which will work your abs like nothing else once you get past the hanging upsidedown part. Your home gym will be really high end if you also have access tennis courts and swimming pools and saunas. I have a friend you had a squash/basketball court in his house which was really cool, I always thought.
- Handy Equipment: There’s a ton of great equipment that you can use in your home gym. Start with a yoga mat for your stretches. Hand-held weights are useful to have — start with low weights (two each of 1-, 2-, 3- & 5-pounders) and work your way up to 7’s, 8’s, 10’s, 12’s, 15’s, and 20-pluses. There are also adjustable weights you can strap on to your legs. For more resistance, get some tubes or bands that come in green, red, pink and purple depending on their strength. Suzanne Summers’ Thigh Master is still a winner. There are also inflatable pilates balls that are very versatile but only buy the ones that say “anti-burst.” You can also buy a mini trampoline or a low-tech jump rope that will really save space. I also have a plastic step from the 90’s which I’m planning to use again one of these days. Remember to use the built-in stairs in your house, too. My trainer has a Bosu (that half-ball in the picture) and last week on the Biggest Loser, I saw an Olympic athlete balance on one foot while doing the hoola-hoop on one. It looked fun and hard to do at the same time. I wonder if you can buy those speed skating gliding strips that they also used on the Biggest Loser for home use? My trainer told me that those are way harder than they look and are great for building endurance.
- Extra Features: To make your home gym more enjoyable, design it with care. If it’s a dark and dingy room in your basement, you won’t use it. To brighten things up, install a large, full-length mirror so you can see your form while you’re working out. Also, having a tv within sight that plays your favourite workout videos will add variety to your exercise routine. A stereo is also good to have. I have a few playlists on my iPod that I listen to while running. Also hanging posters with inspiring quotes and photos of fit people also help with motivation. And have a place for your bottle of water. Remember also to plug in some fans to circulate air. Even though I always seem to forget this, have a clean towel handy. You might also like to buy tools like heart-rate monitors and pedometres to track your progress.
- A note on safety: Make sure your home gym will give you an effective workout and will also be a safe environment for you. I advise getting pets and small children out of the room while you’re exercising. Also, make sure the room is clean and uncluttered and there aren’t any tripping hazards or electrical overload concerns with your equipment. Read the safety manuals and use the equipment as intended. Clean your equipment regularly with disinfectant wipes, especially if many people are using the facilities.
I hope you use your home gym for many years to come. Invite your friends and workout buddies over from time to time so they can enjoy your gym too. Leave a comment and tell us about your home gym. And have fun working out while watching the Olympics — that’s what I’ll be doing for sure.
Posted by Maria on February 2, 2010 under Fitness, Ingredients, Photo gallery, Pop-Psychology, Sleep, Stress Management and Relaxation, TV Shows, Uncategorized, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, Weight Management |
Dear Olympic Athletes:
If you’re angling to win a medal in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games — which are starting with or without snow in Vancouver/Whistler British Columbia in just 10 short days (gasp) — listen up for some homespun advice: Eat salmon the night before your competition to get a better night’s sleep.
The meal you choose the night before your event(s) could make the difference between hearing your national anthem or someone else’s. After all of your months and years of intense training, getting a good night’s sleep and fueling your body with optimum food, will give you a winning advantage. I suggest eating wild salmon while you’re here in BC.
Why Salmon?
- Wild salmon is a golden source of omega-3 fatty acids which help reduce pain and inflammation, improve memory and focus and contribute to cardiovascular health — all vital priorities for high-caliber athletes;
- DHA, a healthy fat in salmon, may fast-track levels of melatonin, a key sleep-regulating hormone;
- Salmon contains magnesium which helps us sleep. Low magnesium, on the other hand, is associated with things like muscle-cramping, anxiety and fatigue;
- Wild salmon is also fresh and local in these parts — or as they say, well-within our 100-Mile diet; and
- Salmon’s tenacious spirit has “Olympics” written all over it.
A fresh salmon fillet on the grill.
Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial to your success. Shoot for at least seven hours of solid sleep every night. Remember to give yourself enough days to get over your jet lag and to adjust to Vancouver time. Also, keep your body temperature on the cool side while you’re sleeping and keep your room dark — thank goodness these are the winter games!
If you don’t sleep well, the resulting fatigue can affect your judgment and increase your risk for accidents. Does anyone out there remember the vintage “agony of defeat” ad for ABC’s, the Wide World of Sports? I think I’ve made my point.
Sushi anyone?
Sincerely,
Maria Koropecky
Homespunspa, Recipes for Sleep and Beauty
http://www.homespunspa.com
Posted by Maria on January 4, 2010 under Books, Magazines, Music, Fitness, Photo gallery, Pop-Psychology, Self-Care, Sleep, Spirituality, Stress Management and Relaxation, TV Shows, Uncategorized, Weight Management, Wellness |
by Maria Koropecky, Homespunspa owner
It’s already day four of the new year — how are your new year’s resolutions coming along? In 2009, I managed to reach some substantial personal fitness goals and I would like to share what I’ve learned so far in case getting in shape is one of your new year’s resolutions for 2010.
While I don’t clearly remember making a specific new year’s resolution last year to lose weight, my personal trainer has been keeping track of my progress and told me I have lost 24.5 inches (that’s 2 feet!), 20% of my body fat, 3 dress sizes and 40 pounds since July 2007.
Late December 2009 extended cardio Jazzercise class.
There I am front and center (what a keener!) at my last chance workout before Christmas. Yes, those are reindeer ears!
I still feel I have a ways to go before I hit the maintenance stage and I plan on sticking with my current exercise schedule as best as possible. I also have to figure out how to get my emotional eating under control.
The best advice I’ve heard lately is: “Move your body more and feed your body less.” Aside from that wisdom, here are some tips as they come to mind that have helped me get this far. I know they’re not rocket science, but they’re helpful none the less.
- Write down your goal. Writing things down makes things happen.
- Find an accountability partner or buddy. This person can be a professional or a friend. Having someone to talk to about your ups and downs really helps. If you’d like, you can contact me.
- Have someone weigh and measure you once a month. If you don’t know where you started, how can you brag later?
- Join a community. I’ve made lots of friends through Jazzercise and their support has been so vital to my success. I’m so thankful for all of their smiles and pats on the back.
- Drink lots of water throughout the day. Drinking water helps flush out toxins and will make you feel more full so you eat less.
- Get enough sleep at night. Studies show that regular sleep patterns have an effect on weight management.
- Memorize a fitting affirmation and repeat it to yourself often. Under the heading of “overweight” Louise L. Hay suggests in her book, You Can Heal Your Life, published by Hay House Publishers in 1999: “I am at peace with my own feelings; I am safe where I am; I create my own security; I love and approve of myself.”
- Cut your carbs in half. When I went from a whole English muffin to a half an English muffin for breakfast and from a whole sandwich to half a sandwich for lunch, it made a huge difference in my weight.
- Take the bus rather than your car whenever you can — it makes you walk more. Even those extra steps to the bus stop add up!
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
- Drink a cup of green tea or white tea before working out. According to Dr. Oz, this will help you burn an extra 17% to 19% fat while you move your body.
- Eat less sugar.
- Eat less salt.
- Eat less flour.
- Avoid commercially processed foods.
- Avoid carbonated beverages — even diet sodas.
- When you want to eat something and it’s not a mealtime, ask yourself how you’re feeling. Maybe you’re an emotional eater like I am and maybe you’re not really hungry. If whatever you eat doesn’t satisfy you and you’re still hungry afterwards, it may mean you’re trying to deal with an unpleasant emotion.
- In his cd’s, I Can Make You Thin, Paul McKenna advises people to chew their food at least 20 times before swallowing and to put the knife and fork or sandwich down between mouthfuls. I definitely agree that eating conscientiously is the way to go. Deliberately think about your food as you’re eating. Try to describe how it tastes, smells and feels in your mouth.
- Buy a treadmill and use it often. I know they’re expensive but I swear my treadmill is one of the best investments I’ve ever made.
- Put exercise on your daily schedule and do it. Don’t argue with yourself about whether or not to go to your class or the gym. It will only make things harder.
- Celebrate your small victories!
- Watch tv shows like “The Biggest Loser” and “X-Weighted.” They are so inspiring.
- Start today. Most people naturally gain weight in the autumn and winter months and lose weight in the spring and summer. Last year my co-workers started noticing my weight loss in April after very slow progress before then and I’m convinced my persistence really started paying off at that time of year because I was already in the habit of exercising regularly. It’s all in the timing. If you aren’t seeing results, don’t worry. Just keep at it week after week and eventually you’ll notice some improvement.
- Find exercise you enjoy. If you’re not the “Private Benjamin” type, try something other than boot camp.
- Have fun while you’re exercising. Once your endorphins kick in, you’ll feel great!
I think that’s all I have for now. I’m sure I’ll think of more later but I have to go to Jazzercise class now. It’s true!
By all means, leave a comment with your 2 cents on this topic. And happy new rear!
Posted by Maria on December 8, 2009 under Ingredients, Recipes, Self-Care, Stress Management and Relaxation, TV Shows, Uncategorized, Weight Management, Wellness |
By Maria Koropecky, Homespunspa owner
It’s always a challenge to come up with a quick and easy recipe to bring to a potluck party and after I was invited to a party last week, I really had to think about my options.
I love watching the TV show, Top Chef. I marvel at the contestants’ hot creativity. Each week during the “quick fire challenge” the players have to brainstorm a recipe concept and then somehow deliver a finished product in minutes — all the while keeping in mind details like, taste, plating design, specific ingredients, technique, originality and — and — while using tools like sharp knives and burning fire. Now that’s stress.
In my case, I had a few things to consider. The first involved my personal trainer’s specific dietary requirements. She has severe allergies to preservatives and that includes, but is not limited to, canned goods, commercially-processed foods and a few wild card ingredients like iceberg lettuce and grapes. She also gave me a bit of a lecture the night before the party on my own nutrition and strongly suggested I not eat anymore cheese or more than one piece of bread in a day. On top of all of that, the hostess of the party was completely off sugar.
I wanted to bring something everyone at the party could eat and would enjoy. I also wanted the dish to be healthy in the midst of all of the seasonal indulgences. And of course, the recipe had to be portable.
Let’s recap — the recipe for the potluck must be:
- tasty;
- healthy;
- without preservatives;
- without sugar;
- without gobs of fat;
- unprocessed;
- easy to make;
- easy to eat with one hand; and
- easy to move from point A to point B.
That’s a tall order. My first idea was to bring one of those shrimp platters because it’s basically lean protein. But, that’s too easy and has been done to death. It also occurred to me that someone at the party might have a shellfish allergy. So no go on the shrimp-o.
Then I thought about mushroom caps but I had no idea what to stuff them with (bacon? crab? artichokes?) and then the next morning as I was waking up, the radio station said something about “spinach.” That was my answer. I love it when that happens. I quickly leafed through several cookbooks and found three recipes that were close to what I wanted, but not quite. I had to come up with my own recipe and here it is:
Homespunspa’s Spinach-Stuffed Mushroom Caps
Homespunspa's Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms.
Ingredients:
- 20 – 25 fresh whole mushrooms, preferably organic.
- 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed with stems removed.
- 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced.
- 1 TB extra virgin olive oil.
- 1/3 cup no fat cottage cheese, drained.
- sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
Method:
For this recipe, you can make everything ahead and leave the baking for the party.
- Cut off the stems of the spinach leaves and rinse under cold water, checking for bits of soil that may be stuck to the leaves.
- Measure out a 1/3 cup of no fat cottage cheese and let it drain through a sieve.
- Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into a large skillet. Add minced garlic and cook on medium high heat.
- Quickly add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes or more until all of the spinach is uniformly cooked. Stir and make sure all of the spinach touches the garlic oil. The spinach will turn into a different consistency and will reduce in volume. Salt to taste and to brighten the green colour. Remove the cooked spinach from the heat into a separate medium-sized bowl.
- Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms and remove the stems by twisting and pulling or with a knife. Finely dice the stems and set aside the caps.
- Using the residual garlic oil from the spinach, pan fry the diced mushroom stems separately, about 1-2 minutes, to release some flavour. Now is a good time to add some freshly cracked black pepper because mushrooms and pepper really get along well with each other.
- In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, mushroom stems and cottage cheese. Spoon the mixture into each mushroom cap.
- (Note: If you’re planning to serve these right away, you can skip this step and go to step #8). Put the finished mushrooms in a re-sealable container. If your container is really big like mine is, I suggest putting something in between your stuffed mushroom caps and the lid so they don’t bounce around during transport. As a last minute burst of genius, if I do say so myself, I placed a small ceramic cooking dish over my stuffed mushrooms and not only did my mushrooms arrive in tact, I had a convenient cooking vessel at the party.
- Once you’re at the party, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the mushrooms on the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes and voila! Serve while hot.
Please pack your knives and go?
I bet you’re curious to know what happened. How did the mushrooms turn out? “Did I pack my knives and go?” “Was I chopped?” “Did my cuisine reign supreme?” The jury is mixed on the results of my own Top Chef challenge. On the one hand, everyone who tasted them, loved them! They raved and raved. And there were no leftovers to take home. On the other hand, mushrooms, are a no-no on my trainer’s list, so she couldn’t eat any after all. It didn’t matter if they were organic and fresh and not canned. It didn’t matter how much love and thought I put into them. She just plain can’t eat mushrooms. Another one of those wild card ingredients. I was so bummed to hear that. I guess it’s back to the drawing board for me.
You be the judge
If you decide to try this recipe, let me know how it worked out for you. I would love to hear your comments and your feedback.
Posted by Maria on October 22, 2009 under Books, Magazines, Music, Dear Homespunspa, Homespunspa, How to throw a home spa pajama party the Homespunspa way book, Ingredients, Pets, Pop-Psychology, Sleep, Stress Management and Relaxation, TV Shows, Uncategorized, Weight Management, Yoga |
by Maria Koropecky, Homespunspa owner
“‘Twas the month of Halloween and all through the house, not a creature was stirring…” until I sprung up from the depths of sleep like a bat out of hell. I saw — and felt — plain as day — a bald man standing over me at the foot of my bed. He made some sort of gesture as if reaching for a pencil behind his right ear and said something like, “Alright then.”
He scared the bejeesus out of me
I…FREAKED…OUT. I screamed so loud I’m surprised I didn’t shatter glass. I frantically turned my bedside light on and the figure disappeared, but I wasn’t sure if I was alone or not. Maybe he dropped to the floor or dodged into the next room? My heartbeat by this time was racing like a runaway train. It felt like my heart was the size of a pumpkin and was protruding from my body, like you see in the cartoons.
I kept on expecting my landlords to call asking me if everything was alright but they didn’t. I couldn’t for the life of me get out of bed. I wanted to check around to see if anyone was there but I was frozen. I sat there scared stiff for the next 10 minutes just trying to catch my breath, my screams still echoing in my ears. The time was 10:30 pm.
Within a few minutes, my black cat, Charlie, who wasn’t in the bedroom when I initially woke up, appeared in the door. He wondered what all of the hubbub was about. I figured, because he’s a bit of a scaredy cat around strangers and likes to hide, no one else was in my apartment with us. What a relief. But then again — it begs the question — if a real person wasn’t standing there, (scary enough), what did I see, (also scary)?
I pulled the covers up to my shoulders and shivered. Somehow I dozed off again and I’ll admit, I slept with the light on until about 2:30 am.
What happened?
Let me backtrack a little bit. I have been feeling really anxious lately (hard to believe, I know) because I was layed off from my job with the government in September and have been worrying about my finances ever since. How am I going to earn a living and pay my bills now? I’m sure many of you can relate.
I didn’t think I was feeling that stressed about my situation, but now that I think about it, I have been falling back on my old stand-by habits in an effort to cope. I have been eating more, drinking more, shopping more and watching too much tv. (Thank goodness I’m still exercising regularly).
Earlier that evening, I was watching the tv show, “Lie to Me.” I had only seen the show once before. This episode was about some guy taking hostages and pointing a gun at people and I thought to myself, I don’t want to see these kinds of images before I go to bed, so I turned the tv off. Too late. I think they had an influence on my psyche and sleep anyway.
When in doubt, read a book
The next day I grabbed the book, Sleep, by Dr. Carlos H. Schenck (Penguin Group 2007) off the shelf. Dr. Schenck is a senior staff psychiatrist at the Hennepin County Medical Center and Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center. I learned about him when he appeared on Oprah.
I flipped to Chapter 10, Sleep Terrors, The Night the Ghost Got Scared. The jury is still out though on whether or not I had an actual sleep terror episode because:
- I woke up with a scream;
- It happened in the first hour of sleep, during slow-wave, NREM sleep rather than toward the end of sleep during the REM cycle, like nightmares;
- My heartrate (tachycardia) and breathing (tachypnea) increased;
- I have been under stress which may have triggered a sleep terror episode;
- I vaguely remember hearing a thump-thump noise right before waking up which may have been just loud enough to jar me awake;
- I suspect this event will have happened in conjunction with the days leading up to my period (sorry about the TMI) which can be a contributing factor;
- I saw a ghost and/or a robber in the house which are common sleep-terror images.
However;
- I do remember having had the experience which is not characteristic of sleep terrors;
- I recognized my surroundings (my cat for example);
- I did not experience super-human strength;
- I did not have the fight or flight response in the sense that I did not blindly try to attack anything, protect anything or try to escape;
- I do not have a history of sleepwalking which often goes hand in hand with sleep terrors;
- I did not drink any alcohol that evening which is often a variable in the mix;
- It could have been a nocturnal panic attack where there is memory of the event, increased heart rate and an awareness of surroundings but there are no screams or hallucinations.
Regardless of what you call it, a nightmare, a sleep terror, a nocturnal panic attack or a ghost sighting, I need to turn up the dial on my relaxation routine. For a start, I’m glad I went to my yoga class the next day because that really helps. I’m also going to stick to my regular sleep routine as best I can. I’m also going to try to practice some self-hypnosis, visualization and breathing techniques more regularly before bedtime but that’s a post for another day.
If you would like to get a copy of Sleep, please visit Amazon.com, your local bookstore or your library.
And if you’re having trouble relaxing, managing stress or sleeping, please contact me and tell me your situation. Maybe I can help because this is a interest of mine and I can relate.
Posted by Maria on October 8, 2009 under Fitness, Newspapers and Newsworthy, Photo gallery, Pop-Psychology, Self-Care, Stress Management and Relaxation, Uncategorized, Weight Management |
By Maria Koropecky, Homespunspa owner
On Sunday, October 4th, 2009, I reached a new milestone in my life. I participated in the CIBC Run for the Cure for breast cancer with huge trepidation and managed to run the whole 5-kilometre course non-stop. It was quite an accomplishment for me and I’m so glad I did it.
If you’re curious to know what it’s like for a first-timer to run 5K — that’s 3.107 miles for those of you on the Imperial system — here’s a rundown of my day.
I’ve learned that distance running is just as much of a mind game as it is a physical challenge. In this post, I’m trying to recall the types of thoughts I was thinking throughout the morning as I got closer and closer to the finish line and beyond.
Breakfast of Champions
I woke up long before 6:00 am and by 7:00, I ate a big breakfast. Eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast is important every day of the week and on Sunday-Runday, mine consisted of a glass of orange juice and a toasted plain bagel topped with unsweetened, smooth peanut butter, honey and a banana. I also drank a cup of green tea instead of my regular coffee. I haven’t had a bagel in a long time and it was a nice change of pace for me. I think it was a good choice because the meal gave me the energy I needed for the run. In this case, carbs are recommended.
Suiting Up
Emily, my Team Bosum Captain, suggested I wear a long-sleeve shirt under my event t-shirt because the morning air would probably be chilly. (Thank God it didn’t rain or worse, snow, like it did in Calgary! We had brilliant weather!) When I unfolded this year’s Run for the Cure official t-shirt and saw the word “Hope” splashed across the front for the first time, a tear came to my eye and I had to take a deep breathe.
Everyone knows that having the right shoes makes a big difference when running and I’m so happy that the New Balance cross-trainers I bought 6-weeks ago fit me like a glove and presented no issues for me. What a relief!
Oh and how can I forget the pink tiara and the fuchsia tutu? More on those embellishments later.
Getting to the start line
I left my house at 7:30 to give myself lots of time to get to the University of Victoria and to find a decent parking space. It took me longer to get there than it should have because I completely missed my exit onto MacKenzie. I just drove right past it. And it didn’t occur to me for at least 5 minutes. I guess I was more nervous than I realized. My excuse is, I was listening to Coldplay’s “Now My Feet Won’t Touch the Ground [Prospekt's March Edition]” on the radio, a song I had never heard before, and thought, wouldn’t that be a fun way to run this race, running so fast and effortlessly like I was running on air. That’s not exactly what happened although one of the photos below gives that illusion.
In spite of my detour, I was the first to arrive from my team. It took awhile for all of the team members to find each other in the crowd. Emily asked if anyone else wanted to wear a tutu. I was going to pass — the pink foam crown was goofy enough for me, but Jeanette, my trainer, insisted.
Warm Up
Local Jazzercise instructors, including Jeanette, lead us through the warm up. I’m so glad they picked the 9-1-1 song — “Fire Burning” by Sean Kingston — because that’s one of my faves these days.
Photo by Adrian Lam, Times Colonist, October 4, 2009
There’s Team Bosum right in the front row. And look at all of the people behind us! I heard 4000 of us registered in Victoria! We managed to raise over $500,000 for breast cancer research. Over $5000 of that was raised by Team Bosum and of that, I raised $300 (200% of my initial fundraising goal).
And they’re off
Well sort of. Jeanette, who inspired me to sign up for the run in the first place, made a deal with me and another Team Bosum runner, Peggy. She promised to tag team between us and motivate us throughout the whole 5-K course, which meant she ended up running way more than anyone else did that day. So the three of us had to start together and there was a bit of a delay because they both had to check their bags and use the facilities right before embarking on the run.
I was losing patience. I just wanted to get this thing over with. Jeanette said to me, “You’re panicking; I can feel it.”
I would not have used the word “panic.” But now I know what “Chomping at the bit” means.
And then she said, “I do this every year. Trust me, we’ll fly by everyone anyway. Just follow me. First we’re going to walk for a few minutes to warm up and then we’ll run. And it’s not a race.”
Challenge #1
I was surprised by the amount of people who were participating. Jeanette, Peggy and I walked briskly along the grassy median past all of the walkers on the road. Within a few short minutes we starting running. Keep in mind that I trained on a treadmill for the past several months and running outside with people was a totally different experience.
The first challenge was to keep up with Jeanette and Peggy, who is a grandmother by the way, and dodge past all of the people. There were women, men and kids of all ages walking and running at various speeds, shoulder to shoulder, along the campus road. We had to maneuver around dogs too. It was an obstacle course!
We mostly ran along the outside edge of the circuit which also meant we had to occasionally jump over the odd, orange pylon. Later Jeanette said she prefers weaving in and out and forging a path because it distracts her. I think in this case, distraction is a good idea.
Soon enough, Jeanette and Peggy started pulling further and further ahead of me. I just clipped along at my own pace, which was pretty slow. Slowest runner in the west, I think.
I enjoyed meeting other Team Bosum members at various moments along the way. The pink tutus were easy enough to spot and the spontaneous high-fives were a huge boost.
Challenge #2
I barely noticed running downhill which apparently can be hard on the knees. Running up hill was a completely different story. It wasn’t a steep hill — it was just long. That’s when I really slowed down. I simply chugged and chugged and plowed my way up. I realized when I finally crested the top, my heart rate escalated too. Jeanette caught up to me at that point and I was breathing heavily. A little too heavily for my liking — somewhere in the 170-plus beats per minute I’m sure and I was having trouble catching my breathe. I told her I was at the top of my zone and she agreed.
And then an interesting thing happened. Jeanette said to pick up the pace. I thought about that afterward and I realized it was a make or break moment. Most times when you think you’ve hit your physical and psychological limit, you slow down and maybe even stop things altogether. The natural tendency is not to increase your effort or over exert yourself. Although counter-intuitive, pushing myself that much harder at that critical moment did the trick and I was able to continue. I applaud Jeanette for reading my situation and for catching that.
And then she felt confident enough to leave me and find Peggy who was out of my sight by that time. I rounded a corner and one of the volunteers yelled, “Less than two kilometres to go.”
“Whaaattt???”
I thought I was so much farther along than that. Ironically, that’s when I started to actually add a little stride to my run.
The Home Stretch
Somewhere in the last kilometre, I had a thought. It occurred to me that this whole thing was a given. It was a given that I would finish this run. It was already a fait accompli. A done deal. It was just a matter of a few more minutes. I also remembered hearing someone else say, “Never slow down in the home stretch.” And those thoughts somehow made the last steps so much easier.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my friend Debbie running out to meet me. She and I have been sharing Jeanette’s treadmill for months and she knows the journey I’ve been on better than most. Grabbing my hand, she said “I’ll run in with you.” And then Jeanette came out of the crowd and grabbed my other hand.
Debbie said, “I know you don’t think you can do this, but you can. I want you to sprint to the finish.”
Somehow, I gave it everything I had and ran all the way home. See, our feet aren’t touching the ground!
All in all, I’m guessing it took me about 50 minutes. And remarkably, my body bounced back well afterward. I felt my quads for a couple of days and that’s about it.
Bonus
In the midst of all of this, photographer Adrian Lam of the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper was on hand at the finish line too. I was tickled to learn that a professional photographer captured this intense moment, one of the greatest victories of my life, for posterity and posted them online for all to see. Check out the gallery photos at: http://www.timescolonist.com/health/Victoria+Cure+raises+more+than/2065682/story.html?tab=PHOT.
Photo by Adrian Lam, Times Colonist, October 4, 2009
My first run and I get in the paper. It doesn’t get any better than that. It was totally unplanned and unexpected. Pure gravy for me. Thanks Adrian.
Photo by Adrian Lam, Times Colonist, October 4, 2009
Thanks also to Team Bosum with a special mention to Debbie, Emily and Peggy for welcoming me aboard. And finally I’d like to thank Jeanette, a very special person indeed. Onward and upward!
Posted by Maria on September 7, 2009 under Fitness, Pop-Psychology, Self-Care, Stress Management and Relaxation, Uncategorized, Weight Management |
By Maria Koropecky, Homespunspa owner
I’m not a runner by any stretch of the imagination.
My first memory of any formal running dates to age 9 when the higher ups of the school made every student run 6 laps around the school yard to gauge our fitness level. It was a painful experience for me because I was fat. There, I said it. Fat. I remember looking at the skinny girls with such envy as they effortlessly raced around the track as I huffed and puffed and cried and cursed.
Right before I entered high school, my parents sent me and my brother to a sports camp in upstate New York. I remember being laughed at for the facial expression I was making as I was trying to sprint. Shot put seemed so much easier but I wasn’t any good at that either. Long distance running was even more awful for me. I have a clear memory of running through the forest far behind every one else in my group and arguing with the camp counsellor (a good-looking blonde boy who was named after my father and who ended up as an Airforce 1 pilot in the 1st Gulf War — not that that makes any difference one way or the other — I’m just painting a picture). Anyway, he was trying to make me run and I was not having any of it in spite of his army fatigues and drill sergeant tactics. Oh, I hated him that day.
Don’t get me wrong. I like sports. I just don’t like running. It makes me so uncomfortable.
Fast forward 25 years. My personal trainer and I have been working together to get my weight down since July 2007. For the longest time nothing was working and I wasn’t making any significant progress. Then I started my workouts on the treadmill instead of just doing resistance training with weights. Suddenly, as I increased my cardio activity in my target heart rate range of 134 to 169 beats per minute, the weight started coming off more readily. My trainer calculated all of those numbers for me based on my resting heart rate. The more time I spend in that zone, the stronger my heart gets and the more efficient my exercising is.
To get my heart rate up, I started running a few minutes at a time on the treadmill instead of just walking briskly. I’m thrilled to say, on a great day, I can now run 20 minutes non-stop. High 5’s all around.
Now I’m training for a 5-kilometre run. It’s my newest goal. I’ve signed up for the CIBC Run for the Cure.
Thank you for your donation of $5 toward a cure for breast cancer.
When I signed up for the challenge, they asked me, “Who are you running for?” I had to think about it for a minute. I decided to run for my Great Aunt who died in 1995 around mother’s day after having breast cancer. She had surgery and unfortunately, when they sowed her back up, she lost some range of motion in her arm. She was generous and loving and a beautiful soul. I miss going to visit her in upstate New York where she lived in this gorgeous colonial mansion with pillars and 2 staircases and a enormous pink bathroom and a barn in the backyard where elves used to make shoes, so my cousins said. She also owned a motel and restaurant with a swimming pool 9 miles down the road. What an ideallic, childhood fantasy land!
I’m also running for another friend of the family who beat breast cancer several years ago but is currently recuperating from another cancer treatment for another area. She inspires me, too.
How to Donate to the Run for the Cure
If you would like to donate and help me raise $150 toward research, please visit https://www.cibcrunforthecure.com/html/en/about.asp, find the Get involved menu, click on the donate arrow which will bring you to another page. On that page, click on donate to a participant which pulls up the search for a participant search boxes. I would really appreciate it if you put in my first name, Maria, my last name, Koropecky and Victoria for the Run Location. When you hit the search button, you will see my name next to Team Bosom. Click again on Donate to this Participant and on that page you will be able to fill in all of your information. If you decide on giving $5, then that will work out to $1 a kilometre, which is will go a long way to help fight breast cancer.
Thanks
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And thank you on behalf of everyone else who has been touched by the ugliness of cancer.
Where and When
The run will take place on Saturday, October 4, 2009 in cities across Canada. I’ll be running at the University of Victoria with my personal trainer and Team Bosom by my side.
Posted by Maria on July 1, 2009 under Books, Magazines, Music, Home spa, Homespunspa, How to throw a home spa pajama party the Homespunspa way book, Ingredients, Photo gallery, Recipes, Sleep, Uncategorized, Weight Management |
Happy Birthday Canada!
To celebrate this year, I’m going to go to a cherry stand in my rural neighbourhood and buy a basket full of fresh local cherries.
Locally-grown cherries.
They’re totally in season right now and they match our beloved maple leaf Canadian flag. And everybody knows that it’s not a sundae until there’s a cherry on top.
But did you know that cherries are also a wonderful sleep aid? As much as I like having a holiday from my day job in the middle of the week on a Wednesday, it might disrupt my sleep patterns by sleeping in and staying out later. I’m hoping that eating some fresh cherries tonight might help keep me on track.
The secret is melatonin.
Do you ever wonder how your body knows what time it is? As we go about our life, day by day, our body is constantly monitoring the environment and is making infinitesimal calculations and adjustments that we don’t have to consciously think about – thank goodness, because I already have enough on my plate. Studying circadian rhythms is complex and fascinating and sunlight is one of the elements that cues our bodies to function. And sleeping is an important part of that whole process.
Nightfall triggers an increase in the production of melatonin which prepares the body for sleep. Melatonin is a potent antioxidant and hormone produced in the pea-sized pineal gland, which regulates the body’s circadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycles. As people age, melatonin levels decrease and that may account for some insomnia in adults. Of course, living in a world where artificial light is available 24-hours a day, has screwed up our internal clocks to a certain degree also.
Melatonin production is stimulated by darkness to induce sleepiness and low melatonin levels at night will contribute to insomnia or jagged sleep. So, even increasing your melatonin levels slightly at night can improve the quality of your sleep.
Russel J. Reiter, Ph.D. of the University of Texas has been researching the effects of melatonin for 30 years and is co-author with Jo Robinson of the book, Melatonin published in 1996 by Bantam. Dr. Reiter proposes that eating a handful of tart cherries, (a good food source of melatonin) before bedtime, may help increase melatonin levels in the blood, which will promote restful sleep.
So share some cherries with your neighbours as you watch the fireworks tonight in celebration of Canada’s birthday and you will sleep more soundly later. Let me know if you’ve tried this tip and have noticed a difference.
Posted by Maria on June 6, 2009 under Bath and Body, How to throw a home spa pajama party the Homespunspa way book, Ingredients, Photo gallery, Spa Review, Stress Management and Relaxation, Uncategorized, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, Weight Management, Yoga |
I took Homespunspa (read yours truly) on a road trip to Whistler, British Columbia last weekend.
Whistler will be the home of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and is a wonderful outdoor playground and a perfect location for a summer spa weekend retreat.
I could not have picked a better weekend weather-wise. We were experiencing the best stretch of weather I have seen in these parts in years — clear blue skies and sunshine all the way!
View of mainland BC near Horseshoe Bay from the ferry. Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eye.
I planned a trip to Whistler because I wanted to reward myself for my weight loss. I also wanted to do something special for myself on the edge of my 40th birthday. I called it my “39 and holding road trip.”
I made an appointment at Solaris Spa the week before and that was the highlight of my trip. First I took a yoga class with Colleen at 10:30 am. The poses were more challenging than I was used to and we did some new-to-me stuff — like tilting, turning and twisting on one leg — which kind of reminded me of those tipping duckies that drink water. The space was really lovely with a spectacular view of the snow-covered mountains. Colleen new her yoga inside and out, so to speak, and was a good instructor. It just goes to show no two yoga instructors are alike and you’ll never take the same yoga class twice, even with the same instructor. Colleen also added a chant to her practice, which I enjoyed, but wasn’t exactly sure what to do with.
After the yoga class, I had my first ever mud wrap treatment. At first I had signed up for the thalassa seaweed wrap because I wanted a detoxifying treatment, but Shelly, my spa specialist, suggested I go with the mud instead, which does the same thing, without the unpleasant smell.
This trip was all about stepping out of my comfort zone and this propelled me out of my nest. I soon wondered, what have I gotten myself into? I didn’t know what to expect and I soon found out how messy and involved a mud treatment was. I was so glad I didn’t have to do the laundry there.
First I had to strip down to my skivies. Cringe. I quickly hopped on to the bed that was covered with a heated blanket, a plastic sheet and regular towels and sheets. I thought Shelly did a great job in making me feel at ease. First she exfoliated my skin with some sort of abrasive glove or brush. It just acted to stimulate the skin, preparing it for the mud. I definitely felt the bristling effect, but at the same time, it was quick and painless.
Then she took the dark, coffee ground-brown mud and painted it on my limbs. It was cool to the skin. After that step, she wrapped me up like a burrito in the plastic sheet and heated blanket. It was very relaxing. I just closed my eyes and was glad my nose didn’t start to itch. Meanwhile, Shelly massaged my face and feet.
Shelly warned me about the contrast I’d feel in the air temperature as she unwrapped my cocoon and yes it was noticeable. The hardest part of the whole process was getting out of the warm bed and into the shower to wash off. I had to make my way covered in clay, wearing a bathrobe and flip flops, across the spa lobby and into the Swiss shower room. (That is my only criticism of the whole experience). People just don’t need to see that before lunch.
Anyway, I tried not to take too long in the shower, but the mud doesn’t exactly rinse off that easily, even though it’s water-soluble. Thank goodness for their pipes that it virtually contains no clay.
Moor Mud (also known as therapeutic peat moss) is an organic substance, produced from the natural decomposition of a galaxy of plants, herbs, flowers and grasses, under special conditions, over thousands of years.
Found in moor mud bogs of Europe, moor mud has been used as a spa treatment ingredient since day one. It contains minerals, trace elements, vitamins, amino acids, plant hormones and fatty acids in a molecular form that is easy for human skin to absorb.
Moor mud has an extraordinary ability to heal, nourish and detoxify the body as it promotes circulation, stimulates the immune system, relaxes muscles, relieves pain, breaks down fat cells, reduces cellulite and improves range of motion — perfect for someone like me who is exercising and doing yoga regularly to get fit.
Getting a back massage was the last part of my mud spa treatment. Unfortunately, I took too long in the shower which didn’t leave much time. I chose the mimosa fragrance, as part of my celebration theme, for this stretch. Shelly told me to drink lots of water because some people get dehydration headaches after detox treatments.
All in all I felt so relaxed. What a beautiful morning. Sipping my water, I walked so slowly through the village and forest path. It took me 40 minutes to walk back to my hotel room — a trip that would normally take 10 to 15.
There’s something to be said about getting away on your own to enjoy your own company and not having to deal with other people’s agendas. As much as I wanted to meet people there, I’m so glad I had the luxury of “Me time.” It was worth the trip.
Here's my Moor Mud Treatment in writing. Drop-in yoga class was $20.
Posted by Maria on May 18, 2009 under Books, Magazines, Music, Feet, Fitness, How to throw a home spa pajama party the Homespunspa way book, Ingredients, Photo gallery, Recipes, Self-Care, Stress Management and Relaxation, Uncategorized, Weight Management, Wellness, Yoga |
For the last couple of years I have been on a mission to lose weight and get fit. In April of 2007, I hit my all time high in weight and did not want to see the next higher number. You can guess what the magic number was. I’ll never say. I have been going to Jazzercise classes for several years but that wasn’t really helping my situation at that point. I needed to increase my exercise and I also needed to change my eating habits. And my stress level, by the way, was also pretty high at that time, but that’s a topic for another post.
After a few more months of denial, in July of ‘07 I finally decided to hire my Jazzercise instructor as my personal trainer. She has a studio in her house. I have been working out every Thursday afternoon since (more or less) in a group with three other women, all with our own challenges, goals and stories. For the longest time, nothing much was happening with my weight. I was exercising more but not enough to compensate for my love of chocolate chip cookies. Eventually though, slowly but surely, I started making some progress.
In May of 2008, I was weighed and measured and that’s the number I use as my current bench mark though it is only 5 pounds less than that awful other number. And since then, I’m happy to say I have lost 24 pounds and 23 inches. I guess it just took a while to get the snowball rolling.
In any case, I am eating much healthier these days. No more cookies, chips, cakes, etc. My trainer also suggested I try eating Quinoa. I was like… Keen whaaa?
Lots of people are really enthusiastic about Quinoa and it is considered a “superfood.” Although it is new to me, Quinoa was first cultivated more than 5000 years ago by the Incas in the Andean region of South America. The Incas revered Quinoa as sacred and called it “The Mother of All Grains.” Because it contains all eight essential amino acids, it is considered a complete protein. If you’re a vegetarian or have issues with gluten or have diabetes, this one’s a keeper because it is plant-based, has no gluten and helps regulate blood sugar levels. As far as nutrition goes, Quinoa is high in calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and Vitamin D.
Here is the “mother of all grains” recipe I served as part of my Mother’s Day menu. I found the inspiration in Rose Reisman’s, The Complete Light Kitchen, 2007 Whitecap Books, page 108 but made my own adjustments.
Quinoa Greek Salad
2 cups organic chicken stock
1 cup quinoa — you can find it in the cheap and cheerful bulk food section of your grocery store
1/2 half cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup peeled and diced field cucumber
1/4 cup chopped chives — my mother just happened to have some growing in her garden
1/4 cup diced red onion
2/3 cup light feta cheese, crumbled
1 TB lemon zest
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 TB good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried basil
2 small vine tomatoes, quartered for garnish
1. Optional: Rinse the quinoa in cold water before cooking to remove the possible bitter, mineral taste, though it really doesn’t permeate through the recipe once the quinoa is mixed with other ingredients. You might also want to toast the quinoa in a pan for 2 minutes to release a nutty flavour, but I didn’t this time.
2. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the quinoa grains are tender and there is no liquid left in the pan. Transfer to a mixing bowl to cool.
3. Add the chopped cucumber, red pepper, onions and feta cheese to the cooked and cooled quinoa.
4. In a separate bowl or jar, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dried basil and pepper and pour over the salad. Garnish with tomato wedges.
Enjoy this recipe and let me know how it turned out.
And if you want a spa treatment recipe using Quinoa, try this foot scrub:
Quinoa Dry Rub for Dry Feet
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked Quinoa – Rich in vitamins and minerals, this grain exfoliates without dehydrating skin. Also has anti-fungal properties.
1/3 cup whole coffee beans – Sniffing coffee helps clear the nasal palette. Can be used to soothe inflamed skin, remove cellulite and to exfoliate skin.
peel from 1 orange – Uplifiting orange eases depression, calms anxiety, lulls nervous tension and enhances a room’s atmosphere. Also, the Alpha-Hydroxi Acids clean and exfoliate skin.
1 TB olive oil – Pressed from juicy olives, this lovely, fragrant, heavy oil calms, soothes, nourishes, cleans, softens and moisturizes skin.
Method: In a bowl that is large enough to fit both of your feet at once, combine all ingredients except olive oil. Tear the orange peel into various shapes and pieces.
Manner: Eat the orange if you haven’t already now that you’ve peeled it. Step into the bowl and roll the soles of your feet over the grains to massage out the kinks for as long as you want. Wipe off your feet with a towel. Follow with olive oil or lotion to moisturize feet.
Storage/Shelf Life: Store in a glass jar or bottle. May be re-used by the same person.
Note: I designed this recipe so it wouldn’t be messy and clog drains.
