Hello friends, and welcome to this month’s Joyinmovement newsletter.
It’s been years since I’ve been out of the United States! Hard to imagine, but true. I decided I needed to take my Joyinmovement over the border so I took a holiday in Vancouver, Canada. Let me simply say, “Good idea!”
I thought I’d share some “movement” highlights with you!
Vancouver does a lot of things right!
Vancouver is a walker/runner’s delight.
I averaged 13,748 steps (or almost 7 miles) a day. How do I know? I wore my trusty pedometer. I’m still recommending the New Lifestyles SW-200 pedometer. It works well, it’s inexpensive and it comes in yellow! You can walk everywhere and even the many bridges that connect downtown Vancouver to the outlying communities are pedestrian friendly.
I even took a swim at an outdoor pool right alongside the ocean. It wasn’t just any pool. It was over 100 meters long and there were no lane separators so you just got in and started swimming. It felt like a freestyle freeway. No way could I practice my backstroke without knocking someone unconscious! Chilly when you got out, but well worth the experience.
I rented a bike and spent five hours riding around the city. I started with the 10K loop through Stanley Park and then onto the False Creek loop. I rode through downtown and went to see the Olympic Village as well. Over bridges, under trees and along the water, and yes, without bike shorts I had an interesting dialogue with my butt for a few days.
I spent a few days hiking in Whistler. Whistler is the largest ski area in North America and was host to many of the winter Olympic events. It was glorious and hiking at 7,000 feet I really appreciated the level of my health and fitness!
Here are some photos.
Before my bike ride. You don’t need fancy wheels in Vancouver but don’t leave home without your helmet!
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Stanley Park under the Lion’s Gate Bridge. The paths are well laid out to give both bicyclists and pedestrians plenty of space.
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Whistler Mountain. I’m a skier, so it was so wonderful to see snow!
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Yes, those are my Nike Frees 5.0, which work well for me at sea level and at 7,000 feet!
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Ate fruit fresh from the market every day. Lots of fruit! It’s berry season now and it’s a colorful extravaganza and delicious feast both for the eyes and the stomach.
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Ranier cherries. If you’ve never had them, they are quite good, especially if you can pick them yourself and pay local prices!
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This was perhaps one of the most unique things I found. Remember I said that Vancouver does a lot of things right? On the main downtown street, Burrard Street, I passed this water drinking station. It looked like it had been newly installed. You’ll notice right above the sign are two spigots you can use to fill up water bottles. Then on the top right you’ll notice a regular water fountain. A really COOL idea!
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Why did I decide to share this with you in a Joyinmovement newsletter? Because when you travel or put yourself in a new environment and want to keep up an active lifestyle, you get to test yourself. If you’ve been doing the basics right like eating well, staying fit and trim, getting enough rest and handling your stress, then you reap the rewards when you are out of your usual element.
Each and every day in Canada I felt so very grateful for my health, body, energy and positive I-can-do-it attitude. I felt such abundance; great friends to share the experience with, breath taking scenery, so many movement choices it was mind boggling, wonderful fresh healthy food and OK, I’ll admit it, darn good coffee!
So as August rolls along, get out there, keep moving and above all else enjoy reaping the rewards of taking care of yourself. You’ve earned it!
shelli
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