Life Lately

Usually, I only write about food, health, and maybe fitness, but today I want to get a little more personal. Here is a look at what has been going on in my life lately.

Class dismissed

Last fall I started teaching an evening class. Computer basics for elderly people, to be exact. A teacher, me!? I never thought I’d see the day. Last Monday was our last class, and while I’m thrilled to have some more free time, I’m a little bit sad, too. I loved my class! But seriously, this was way more time-consuming than I had expected! Kudos to all the full-time teachers out there!

Shake it out

My current workout routine is … heck, I don’t really have a workout routine. I’m doing Zumba every Thursday night, we go horseback riding every other weekend or so, the rest is totally random. I’d love to get back into running regularly, now that spring is finally here, and I’d love to do some strength training, too. Could someone please come over and kick my butt?

Sherlock

When it comes to discovering TV series I’m always unfashionably late. I blame it on the fact that I live in Germany, where the free TV programming sucks. There’s no other way to say it. Thankfully, I’ve finally had the chance to experience the awesomeness that is Sherlock, “a British television crime drama that presents a contemporary update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes detective stories” (source: Wikipedia). Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are the best on-screen duo I’ve seen in a while! And I can’t wait to see Mr. Cumberbatch again in the upcoming Star Trek movie. So excited!

Be safe!

Last Saturday I went to a moral courage and self-defense seminar, held by a group of police officers. While some of the info was already familiar to me, I did learn lots of new stuff, too. I think it’s very important to know how to deal with emergency situations in a way that goes beyond first aid or martial arts techniques. The best part was when I got to shout at one of the officers. At the top of my voice! Only a few people know that I do have a rather loud voice, I just hardly ever use it. It’s a gift. Thanks, mom!

And the popcorn goes to …

I’m actually quite a movie freak. I have about half of the IMDB memorized already. That’s a pretty neat party trick. I’ve been a science fiction fan since early childhood, and lately I’ve been so excited about all the Marvel movies, especially The Avengers. That was my favorite movie of 2012, and it was nominated for several MTV Movie Awards. Sadly, I didn’t get to watch any life coverage, but I did my best to follow what was going on via Twitter. At 4 am local time. Damn you, CET! So, I’m running on very little sleep today, but it was absolutely worth it. The Avengers won Best Movie, Best Fight, and Best Villain! It’s just sad that I don’t have anyone to share my excitement with, because the people around me don’t care about those things at all. Thank the heavens for Twitter, Tumblr, and co!

What’s been going on in your life lately?

See you!

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The Gym Dilemma

Some of you might remember that I quit my gym back in January. I had grand plans to workout at home, go for a few runs around my village, attend my weekly Pilates class, etc. In reality, not much of that happened. I could list many excuses: I’ve been extremely busy working at several projects, the weather has been awful, I got sick, my Pilates trainer got sick, and so on and so forth.

Honestly, I’ve been missing the convenience of heading to the gym right after work, before I even get close to my house. I’ve noticed that it’s so hard for me to find the motivation to exercise once my butt has touched the couch. Or I see the pile of dirty dishes in my sink. It’s almost impossible!

So, why don’t I just join a new gym? Mostly it’s because of the cost. Gyms are generally quite expensive around here. Sure, you can find gyms that are only $30 per month, but they are just like my last one: no classes, no trainers, old equipment, no air condition, and you even have to pay extra to take a shower. A membership at a decent gym costs about $80 per month. And that’s for a 24 month contract, plus $130 entry fee. Yikes!

(Source)

And here’s the next problem. Most gyms only offer long-term contracts. Sure, you can also get a 12 month contract, but then your monthly fee will go up to $90. Including the entry fee, that will cost me around $1200 in one year. That is a lot!

At the moment, our financial situation is quite okay, but that could change within just a few months. I have no idea if I will still be able to afford a gym membership at the end of the year.

I’ve already found a gym that looks really nice, offers interesting group fitness classes, is situated close to my workplace, and even has a sauna area. How fancy! But it’s also quite expensive.

I don’t know what to do! I hate the idea of spending so much money, but I also miss working out and feeling strong. And I know that exercising at home is harder for me because there are too many distractions.

Do you prefer working out at home or at the gym? How much would you spent on a gym membership?

See you!

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All The Pretty Horses

A few months ago, my husband had the glorious idea to take horseback riding lessons. With me, of course. At first I was hesitant, as usual. I’m a short woman, and horses are big and strong! But after a while he convinced me to just give it a try.

We quickly found a nice option for Western-style riding and booked our first lessons with our instructor Véronique. To be honest, I was overwhelmed at the beginning. Riding isn’t as easy as it looks on TV! You first learn how to approach a horse, how to put on the headgear and saddle, how to get up and down, how to tell the horse what to do, and most importantly, how to not fall off! At first, I was really struggling to process so much information, but now after a few intense sessions I’m slowly starting to feel comfortable on a horse.

So, does horseback riding count as exercise? I’d say yes, it does! You need to engage your core muscles all the time to keep your balance, and you’re using your legs a lot. After trotting around in the riding hall for about an hour, I’m always sore in new and unexpected parts of my body, like on the outsides of my ankles, or the area between my butt and my thighs. Eh!?

What’s also great about riding is that you don’t need to buy a lot of equipment. I usually wear an old pair of jeans, an old sweater, a warm winter jacket, and my hiking boots. (Plus a few extra layers underneath. German winters are COLD!) The only thing I bought was a helmet. The lessons themselves aren’t that expensive, either, I’d say they cost about as much as an average yoga class. And considering that we spend about two full hours there, including preparing and grooming the horses (which is actually a lot of fun, too), you get a lot of bang for your buck.

I love all kinds of animals, but I didn’t expect to enjoy being around horses so much. The horse I’ve been riding the last few lessons is a beautiful brown guy named Sugar. He’s very calm and friendly, but a little lazy and stubborn sometimes. And hungry! But our instructor said that’s normal.

I think I’ve found a new hobby. And some new four-legged friends! I can’t wait to go for a real ride outside of the hall. Okay, I’m also a little scared, but mostly excited.

Bonus: There’s a cheeky kitten roaming around the stables! That little guy likes to sneak up from behind and climb up people’s legs. Those tiny claws don’t go through my thick layers, so it doesn’t hurt at all. We usually snuggle for a few minutes after the lessons, while I comb down my horse. That much cuteness is too hard to handle!

So what’s the bottom line of this post? Try something new! Get over your fears and doubts, and do something unusual from time to time. Who knows, you might even like it!

See you!

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I quit the gym!

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with gyms. In the past few years I’ve tried, joined, and quit a few ones. None of them could convince me to stay.

About two years ago I joined my current gym. I had just started running and mostly wanted access to their treadmills, so I could still run during the harsh, long German winters. As our financial situation has always been quite ‘unpredictable’, I chose the cheapest gym I could find, which cost about $30 per month. Most other gyms in my area cost up to $90 per month, so I thought it was a pretty good deal, and signed a standard 24 months contract.

That gym is very close to my work place, but a 30 minute drive from my house, so I only went there during the week after leaving my office. At first I liked working out there. It was warm, dry, and safe.

(Source – not my actual gym!)

But after a few months, some things started to bug me. Like the fact that you have to pay extra for a shower. Or that there are no trainers that care about you. Or that the treadmill TVs have no sound, no remote control, and are often not working at all. Or that there are no fitness classes. Or that it’s crowded with huge muscle heads and skinny Barbie dolls. Or that there is no AC, so the temperatures are unbearable during the summer months.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. I didn’t enjoy going to the gym anymore. I hate wasting money on something that I don’t like, even if it’s just a relatively small amount. So I decided to end my contract, which was actually quite easy. My membership ends in January, so I still have the opportunity to go a few more times if I really want to. And I probably will. I’m still paying the fees, after all!

But there are other activities that I enjoy a lot more! My tiny village has an adult education facility (Volkshochschule in German), which offers a decent variety of fitness classes. I didn’t like the yoga class I took two years ago, but I totally love their Zumba and Pilates classes! As you pay for each class individually, the costs quickly add up, but I’ve decided that they are worth it.

I also still love workout videos, either online or on DVDs. My favorite fitness channel on YouTube is Blogilates. I highly recommend it! Those workouts are actually quite challenging!

And guess what, my husband has started running! He’s always been a very fit guy, but running was never his thing, and he prefered biking and weight training. But a few months ago he picked up running, and is now constantly asking me to run with him.

I’m also considering getting a bike trainer, as a Christmas present for myself, so that I can stay in shape for our outdoor bike rides on sunny summer Sundays.

See, you don’t really need a gym to workout! That said, I might change my mind again one day, and join another gym. But next time I’ll be way more selective, and make sure I’ll find one that I really, really love.

What’s your opinion on gyms? Love them or hate them?

See you!

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Blog Anniversary #2

It’s true, time really flies when you’re having fun! I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for two years!

So, what has happened in the past 12 months?

After finishing my third race, which was also a personal distance record for me with a whooping 11.6 k or 7.2 miles, I’ve put running on the back burner. I’m just not enjoying it as much as I used to, probably because I’m not making any progress, unlike my early days. But I’m still working out! During the winter, I discovered my love for the stationary bikes at my gym. I love that I can watch TV (with sound!), read a book, or my favorite blogs on the bike. It makes the miles fly by so fast!

I’ve also had the chance to try a few new activities, like Zumba (totally in love!) and squash/racquetball (still don’t know the difference), and also discovered free workouts on YouTube. My favorite fitness channel is Blogilates. Don’t be deceived by Cassey’s smile, her workouts are killers!

If you want to follow my workouts, check out my dailymile page!

Over the past few months, my diet has changed quite a bit. After the Vegan Challenge back in June I realized that I don’t need eggs and dairy as much as I used to think. Since then I’ve been eating about 90% vegan. More on that in a separate post soon.

I also posted a few new recipes! Not as many as I had hoped, though. I usually just wing it when I cook, and measuring ingredients, taking decent photos, and writing it all down is quite a hassle. But I’ll still try to share a few more of my favorite dishes.

And I’ve joined some fun blogging events, like the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge, which I plan to do again this year, the weekly What I Ate Wednesday action, and most recently the European version of Foodie Penpals.

All in all, it was a great year of blogging, and I’m looking forward to the next year and what it will bring.

That said, blogging would be pretty boring without an audience, so thank you all so much for reading and commenting!

See you!

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