2 Ways to Supercharge Your Fitness This Weekend

Malians at the 2015 Summer Splash in Montreal

Local to Burlington, VT? In a fitness rut? Sick of just [insert activity here] day in day out?

Or maybe you're training hard but without any great purpose... in which case, try these two things:

1. Come down to the Burlington Waterfront on Saturday, August 29 between the hours of 9am and 12 noon. Put yourself through one of Malia Racing's classic fitness evaluations and see how you stack up! Top men's and women's results will get a free month of training and paddling with the crew!
2. Join one of the Malia practices Monday and Wednesday nights. We launch at 6:00pm from the Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center. If you've never tried dragon boat before, you'll be in for a treat (not to mention a full body workout that will test both your cardio endurance and muscle strength)!

That's it - simple really. Come down and try this dragon boat thing before the season ends and we're forced indoors! (More info: maliaracing.com)

We have a new traveling companion...

We have such amazing supporters.

We got a package yesterday. Just a simple manila envelope with the words "to the Hungry Dragons. Open when you cross the border."

"It's from K," G texted me when she got it. "Do we trust her?"
I'm thinking no, but surely even she wouldn't put anything in there that would get us in trouble.

So we dutifully keep it closed til we cross the border. Then we rip it open with glee.

Inside are: dragon temporary tattoos, the two-headed dragon you see here (she will be traveling in whichever car we travel to practice in from now on, boy is she gonna get some mileage!), a stack of papers, a CD and an obviously used pair of socks. SOCKS?

Then, we get an email.

"I just wanted to let you guys know that I am really proud of you! Going to Hong Kong??? How cool is that!!!????


AND, you are going to represent Canada! Doesn't get any better than that. Sorry America, but Canadians are more welcomed around the world... And having a Canadian husband it's even more special!

GOOD TO KNOW, cuz I'm working on mine :)

So for that reason, I thought you should get familiar with everything about Canada: Imagine yourselves at the opening ceremony in Hong Kong and they start playing the Canadian National Anthem?? You gotta get familiar with the words, so from now on you have to promise you'll listen to the CD at least once on EVERY trip to Montreal!

Promise? (this is the part where you both say out loud: Promise!) Say it!"

WE PROMISE!!

"I have also included a print out of the anthem and some facts about Canada. Since I'm looking to save the environment it's printed on the back of our news prints. 

Go out there and paddle hard! 

Puke!!"

WE PLAN ON IT!! THANK YOU K and all the rest of you who have encouraged us, pushed us, listened to us, put up with us thus far... we could not have gotten here without you. XO.

Writing it ALL down

So we had this crazy idea.. write a book, or maybe a screenplay, or heck, just sell our story and have somebody who's written a blockbuster screenplay write it for us. Would it be a drama, a thriller, or.. no a comedy, definitely a comedy. A romantic comedy at that.

Today at the gym, I'm on the bench press. I've got 135lbs of iron in my hands and I'm scowling and grunting at G to stay the heck away from it, I need to do this myself. It comes down, squashes my chest for a moment, and then, miraculously, goes back up. And down. And up. And a couple more times... then I rack it, all happy .... but G gets all in my face.

"You want me not to touch it?"
"Yeah. Not unless it's gonna squash me."
"Well it was squashing your boobs."
"Eh, there's not much there anyway, so no problem."
"Well, when there's a line in your chest... I worry."
And after we stop laughing we go onto the rest of our program.

Anyway, I started this post with the idea of some sort of fuller documentation of our story. So I picked up my notebook (well, one of many notebooks, I am sooooo unorganized -i have journals and bits of paper all over the place) and opened it up. Funnily enough, I landed on a page where I described an experience we had in September of 2010. September 19 to be exact. This was still at a time when there were four of us driving up from Vermont. [The funny part is that G and I were JUST talking about this incident on our way back from practice last week.] We'd started out as six, then whittled down to four, and later it came down to just G and me.

Anyway, there is a Tim Horton's on the corner of Rene-Levesque and something in Montreal. It was 6:15 am and day two of the Quebec Cup - one of our favorite competitions. We'd left our hotel a little early in search of some respectable coffee and breakfast nourishment. Tim Horton's was all we could find open.... anyway, I was driving us around in my SUV. I parked and we all marched in. I managed to get to the head of the line (when i need coffee i need coffee) and headed back to the warm car to wait for the others.

Within a few seconds a rather shady looking guy comes up along the dimly, orange-lit, sidewalk and stops directly in front of my car. He's a foot away from the hood, 3 feet away from me. Though I'm protected by metal and glass his eyes bore into me and make me itchy. He just keeps staring right through the windshield at me. Annoyed as all heck, I meet his gaze and challenge him with a flick of my hands.

"What?!!" I yell through the glass.
Bad move. Shit. Like SUPER BIG shit.

"What?" he yells back. "I have to fucking pay to look at you??"
Ah crap.. please hurry back kids.. i just wanna get the hell outta here now.

"FUCKING AMERICAN!! Do you want to FUCK me?"
Excellent. Of course I want no such thing. But there's no sign of the others yet. Now what? I'm hoping he doesn't have some sort of stick hidden in his jacket that he wants to imprint on my car. Or a hook to yank me out of it with.

He keeps yelling, I'm ready to just flee, but thankfully the others are finally back with their breakfasts and slide into their seats with very confused and concerned looks on their faces. Before all the doors are even closed, I squeal out of the parking space quicker than I think was legal and gun it. Sick man, for sure, but why MY face that particular morning? Ugh!

From the back seat, A, at 19 the youngest in our group and the sole male, pipes up:
"I totally had your back L... I was just waiting for a reason to go. Just so you know."
LOL. Thanks babe. I love when my back is got.

What's next in this journal of mine I wonder...

Step away from the cookie jar.

The holidays are over. Get back to it.

So says our head coach. No BS, no sugar coating, just plain and simple - leave the leftover cookies alone (or better yet, give them away) and get back to serious. Have you seen the new planet fitness commercial by the way - it's a hoot and a half. Basically there's this humongous meathead checking out the gym and all he says is "I lift things up and put them down"... hilarious (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FGZvFZdVbk). Would be even funnier were it not for the fact that thru my head all that's going around is "I'm a dragon boater. I have to train." Hee.

Second fit test is in 10 days. It's a big deal.

Foot is healing well...I figured out I can row one-legged.. and now I can do it two-legged... sort of ... it's not pretty, and it's not efficient, but it works. Well I say not efficient.. but I am getting better times than I was last year, so this year's training is obviously working. (Yes A, it's WORKING!) And this week I also discovered that I can do the elliptical with the boot on.. go figure! Hooray for a little variety because I am mighty sick of the erg.

G is struggling a bit with some sort of bony growth under her finger on her palm, getting that checked out very soon. (What is going on? We're twins so we both have to have bony growth issues?? Sheesh!) But it's not preventing her from making big gains either.. we are definitely keeping each other motivated and on track. Well most of the time. Apparently I can't say "focus" with a French accent while she is doing the  bench press. That is not helpful I'm told.

This weightlifting thing works.. G can now lift ME!! 

We spent New Year's together (weird huh?) ... what possessed us to attend a party at a local hotel i have no idea, but it was lame with a capital L. Dinner was served at 7:30 sharp, under bright lights, without any music. Crazy right? The bands came on at 8:30.. they were ok, but definitely not what we were looking for. We were seriously among the youngest there. So we left the mix of sparkly tops and carpenter jeans, ball caps and construction boots (and even teva sandals, yes, without socks!) and hightailed it downtown. There we found a great table in a great restaurant noshed and drank to our hearts' content, kissed our sweeties at the stroke of midnight and welcomed 2012 (the year of Hong Kong!) into our lives.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! Make every day count!

Hong Kong on the Horizon

Coach M has announced half the roster for Hong Kong... the rest will be set on January 16th, the day that rosters need to be submitted to the IDBF (I think anyway). Team reaction was a mixed bag, but overall I think it's been very positive. Those who have been confirmed have nonetheless been struck with the humble-slash-fear stick... at the next fit test (January 14) these 10 better perform even better than at the first one and show that our coaches do actually know what they're doing (they do). The rest of the crew has a fire lit under their respective tushies and are absolutely killing it in training over these next few weeks to make sure they are their leanest, strongest, fittest, and best possible selves and crewmates.

Practices are looking amazing. The whoosh whoosh of the paddles in the pool could literally make me cry it sounds so good. (And no, it's not the meds talking.. i ditched the narcotics day two of being home!) Goosebump moments all around. I managed to paddle the whole practice 3 days after surgery.. the boot served me well (tho it got a bit nasty sweaty in there, ewww) and then Coach A put me through my paces in the weight room, since I couldn't partake in the killer circuit Coach P had put together for the rest of the crew. I'm glad he rode me as hard as he did, cuz G and the other beasts looked half-dead when P was finished with them!

G and I have not missed a beat in the gym either - but are pushing each other harder than ever. It's a bit odd looking with me in my cast (do you have any IDEA how hard it is to stay put on the decline bench when you can only hang on by one leg???!!) but we're both thrilled to bits I don't have to sit out. That would suck eggs for the both of us. I'm having to be super creative with cardio since i can't do any running, biking or elliptical-ing.. but we discovered that one-legged rowing IS possible.

Other than that we are excitedly shopping for OC-1 canoes. Like little kids were are playing with the design tool at www.huki.com (try it, it's super cool!) and dreaming of getting our very own boats. The kids will have to eat Ramen noodles for a while and forego most of their Christmas presents but I'm sure they'll be totally cool with it ;-)

Team USA tryout dates are out!!

We're about crapping ourselves with excitement. (Classy right?) And trying to figure out which trials to present ourselves at. Of course getting a little practice in an OC-1 would help (those donations would really REALLY be helpful right now! Can I sell you some chocolate? How about a website? Or a funny looking cat?)

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

We have to get through the November 26 fit test first!

And congrats to our Coach M who kicked butt in a half-marathon on Saturday. 1:50! Who knew the man could even run? But at that speed? Makes our times look lame now.. but love having a new goal to beat!
Speaking of running and goals... got an early Christmas present from G. But I'm not allowed to tell you about it yet.

A second team for Hong Kong!?!!!

The excited words that are escaping my mouth are not really appropriate for publication... but imagine me jumping up and down in my living room and I'm sure you can imagine what I'm yelling. G and I have been invited to paddle on a 40+ mixed team in Hong Kong! When we were first asked we were like "holy crap" (yes i edited) and held our breath a bit because there was an attached caveat. Since this team didn't paddle at the national championships and thus earn a berth for Hong Kong in the usual way, it would be vying for a wild card draw for the remaining open spot. We wouldn't know until November 4th.

Well, it's November 4th and GUESS WHAT?!! We got the spot. Holy freakin' glittery shizzles!! So now we can be excited. And freaked out. And .... really? Two teams? Hey wait a minute! does that mean double the workouts now? LOL. Ok.. on that note... off to the gym!

Tomorrow we travel north for our first indoor paddle and circuit - the rest of the team started last week, but since it was G's birthday party weekend the two of us begged off and stayed state-side. Speaking of which - what an AMAZING night that was. G looked radiant in her sparkly shmarkly sequin dress, and didn't get off the dance floor all night. In fact, I think she danced and sang and yelled so much she lost her voice completely (and lost 2lbs in the process. hee!). And so many of our Montreal family came to celebrate with us.. it was absolutely BRILLIANT. My girl knows how to throw a party for sure.. but our teammates know how to PARTY.

I'll have to steal some pics off facebook and plonk them here :)

Got our pictures in one of the local papers...

Does that mean we can sign autographs now? That we can get a movie deal? That we have to come up with an array of disguises for when we want to go out in public? HAHA. Just kidding. We've still got a long way to go, and by no means are we ensured a spot on that final Hong Kong roster of course, but a little attention (or fock-us, haha inside joke, don't worry if you don't get it and don't ask either because we probably won't tell you) like this really goes a long way to keeping our momentum and inspiration going!

http://www.otherpapersbvt.com/veve-headed-to-hong-kong-for-dragon-boat-championships.html 

First circuit of the winter season...

Since we'll be whooping up G's birthday with an all-out all-star bash the same day the first Saturday training circuit and pool paddle is scheduled (seriously coach, didn't you know it's a national holiday? and we have to do our hair?? what were you thinking???) we decided to get our butts up north and join the Thursday circuit - see the team, get back in the groove, blah blah blah. We met as usual, I threw all my junk into the back of G's car and off we sped.

We pull up to the border, G hands over our documents.

Border guard: Bonjour
G: Bonjour!
Guard: Where are you going?
G: To practice. On the Lachine Canal [Excellent, here we go again. Canada is bigger than DB and the Lachine Canal, but I'll keep my mouth shut.]
Guard: Is this your only license?
G: Who? Me?
Guard: Yes you.
G: Oh, yes... why?
Guard: It's expired.
G: What??!! It's expired?? ... OHHHH!!! My BIRTHDAY!! It expired YESTERDAY! OH MY GOD!
Guard: chuckles.
G: I PROMISE IF YOU LET ME GO I WILL GO AND RENEW IT STRAIGHT AWAY TOMORROW! OH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. OH MY GOD! [hangs head in shame and disbelief. Me trying not to pee myself with laughter at this point]
Guard: chuckles some more. You might have a problem on the other side.
G: Oh dear.
[a little more back and forth that i can't remember but it's not all that important...you get the idea]
Guard: Have a nice day. [Waves us off.]
G: Oh thank you thank you!

HAHAHAHA. Barely 40 and already senile.. good sign for fun times ahead. hee!