Ms and Mrs Gee

Hi, my name is Stephanie Gee and I'm proud to say I'm like my mother.

I dance like my mom.

I love to laugh.

I love to organize.

I am a hard worker.

I care about people and strive to make them happy.

I am passionate.

I love to watch mindless, romantic movies.

I love to be active.

As I get older I notice our similarities more and more and I'm glad.

Happy Birthday (June 30th) Mom!

Do You Believe..... In Training?

I believe that accomplishing a goal is always mind over matter.

This past week Becs and I graduated to straight running. I purposely decided not to write a post until I did 2 runs in a row and made it out ok. It's always a mind game for me. As I'm getting ready to do my straight running I'm thinking of the burn in my lungs, cramps in my legs and thinking "will I have the will power to make it through...". I should not let my mind get to me but I worry about all the unknowns and what ifs. What if it's windy and I can't make it through. What if I didn't eat enough/ate too much before I ran. What if I just don't have it. As all of these things have been running through my head this week, ironically my sister was looking for advice and I told her to not "worry about the what if's"....

Maybe I should practice what I preach.

So, of course I made it through both runs beautifully and frankly could have kept running when I stopped. I felt like a runner, looked like a runner (yes, I have short running shorts - sexy), talked like a runner (talked about 'settling in', stiches, pacing, etc) and even gave a thumbs up to another runner as I was passing them panting. I should have believed in my preparations by building myself up to straight running. I should have believed in myself and my training.

So I've had an awesome training week and accomplished some goals. So why doesn't it feel as good as I'd like.....? I've biked, swam 2x, ran 2x but none of it's worth it to me if I can't switch my mindset. You know, celebrate the small accomplishments. Relish in the fact that I'm out at 615am swimming or even running at all. Celebrate the lifestyle changes I've made and my health. Celebrate my happiness. Not wait to see if I succeed....Believe in training.

If I Had 2.77 Million Dollars...

Written, June 19th, 2010 at 315am:
In 3 hours, I will know if myself and 17 coworkers won the Lotto Max Jackpot. I never play the lottery as frankly, never wanted the hassle of trying to decide where to put the winnings OR who to give money to. I made a personal choice a while ago NOT to play the lottery but in the spirit of See It...Try It... when approached by a coworker for a $5 buy in, I either a) lost my self-control and succumbed to the endless possibilities or b) lost my self-control and succumbed to the endless possibilities....:)
So I guess the question is - What will/would I do with 2.77 Million Dollars? (Max split 18 ways)
I would respectfully resign from my current job and take some time off
I would take a relaxing vacation to let it soak in what just happened
I would change my phone number.
I would buy me a house with a gym/pool and hot tub for the man.
I would buy my bff a house, pay off all debts, send my bff on a dream relaxation vacation.
I would buy myself and the man nice bikes/camping gear/kayak for training.
I would buy a dog.
I would invest money for the future (boring..)
I would send Mike's family on a dream vacation to where ever they chose and pay off all debts.
I would give my family enough money to fulfill at least one of their dreams and pay off debts.
I would donate money to charity.
I would fund the synchro team so that all athletes could swim all year for free.
I would throw an awesome party for the wedding.

Well, I guess I just blew through 2.77 million dollars.....

As of June 19th at 8:30pm - Did not win the 2.77million dollars so I'm at work. However we did win 6 free tickets for next weeks lottery so I guess we'll see what happens next week!

Fitness log:
Today - last pole dancing class
Tomorrow - biking

A "Routine" State Of Mind

The journey to developing self confidence, sexiness, rhythm and upper body strength is coming to an end. On Saturday, Becs and I will participate in our last pole dancing class together :( Becs is planning on moving in September to Halifax and so we decided to end this part of our fitness journey together. It's a bitter sweet time for me as I enjoyed our weekly classes and feel like I'm just starting to be able to 'travel' my hands and do pelvic circles without laughing/smiling or snickering. Now that's an accomplishment! To celebrate our last class together, we've decided to take pictures of some of our pole moves and poses to remember this time in our lives (will share some later). This evolved from my outrageous idea to choreograph a routine (for the next 8 weeks) to music and put on a show for family and close friends. After careful consideration we decided that now is not the time to break this out. I have now decided to take private classes in September and have the instructor choreograph a routine for me (mild to moderate sexiness) to Michael Jackson music (can't go wrong). This routine I plan to perform for Mike and maybe a couple of close friends/family. Why? You ask.... Well for the following reasons:
- I can't imagine myself doing this, so why not do it
- I've always wanted to be a back up dancer so this would give me center stage for 3.5 mins
- My hands are shaking as I type this so I know that it would be out of my comfort zone
- I feel that if I dedicated time to myself and embracing my shyness I can only reap rewards
- Mike will be pleased and slightly uncomfortable that I am going to do this
- I can do the classes around my schedule, so why not
- I will be able to show others what I've learned as I don't know anyone who owns a pole
- I will remember this time for the rest of my life and think how crazy it was
Oh and because- I'm bad, bad, really really bad....

Fitness Log:
Yesterday - nothing
Today - Running 22:30 - 4.5mins run, 1 min walk (last time for this), Pole dancing

I can see clearly now, the schedule's gone....

I can see clearly now, the schedule's gone.
I can see all opportunities in my gaze
Gone are the constant thoughts on my mind
It's gonna be a nice (nice), nice (nice) summer break away...

So, the synchro season has come to a close and immediately I thought "so what now?". I love the pool and coaching and it's like I've moved away from home and am rebuilding my life. Yes, I have planning and meetings throughout the summer but what I don't have is the weekly schedule at the pool. This is hard for me because I don't see the girls on a regular basis. These girls are what fuel my passion. They're energetic, enthusiastic, hormonal and beautiful. Oh how I miss them...

So on my 1st 'official' weekend away from "home", I wanted to fulfill my See it...Try it... lifestyle desires and enjoy myself.
I spent time with the family, held a clothing swap at my parent's house, tried African food, went to the Farmer's market and bought fresh sausages, vegetables, went biking with the fam, saw Sex and the City 2, went swimming with Mike, talked Mike's ear off, talked to a long-time friend and made 'catching up' plans, thought about my best friend and her wedding anniversary, tried Pad Thai (and loved it), organized my house, pole danced (at class), thought about my wedding and wished I was getting married tomorrow and the list goes on.... This weekend was different that the past 8 months but liberating. How awesome is it to have time to chase around a wasp in my house, catch it in a cup and release it back into the world OR to change my answering machine message in hopes to give people a laugh when they call me OR to lay in bed and think about, well....nothing....

I love change (hence the blog format change). To me, change means that you're alive. Change means challenge. Change may mean that you can 'see clearly'. And that's what this schedule change has done - allowed me to see clearly. Removed the clutter in my brain and energized me to do it all over again in September. Yes, it's only been a week away.

Fitness Log
Friday - 10km bike ride with Mike
Saturday - Pole dancing, walk
Sunday - 10+km bike ride
Monday - 50mins of lap swimming with Mike
Tomorrow - Running

The "See It, Try It" Lifestyle

Searching for inspiration for new things to try - I googled "new things to try"...original, I know. I was amazed on how simple google is. It can interpret my every question and find an appropriate answer. The #1 result under "new things to try" was "How to exercise an open mind"....Hmm, does that mean that people who want to continue to try new things have closed minds - I think not!
So, here are some ways to exercise an open mind:
#1 - Stimulate your ears differently. Try different music you haven't tried before: Classical, New Age, Zouk, Rap, Mariachi, Country, Afro-Blues. You don't have to like it at first, but if you keep an open mind, you can still find it interesting. Listen to a radio station you typically don't listen to.
#2 - Stimulate your eyes in new ways. Go to a cheap or free art gallery. Even if you think it's bad art, it can still be stimulating and thought provoking
#3 - Learn about different people and lifestyles. A great gateway into this is Wikipedia, where you can read articles on a wide variety of practices, such as Swinging, Wicca, Christianity, the Green Party, Conservatism, Communism, Anarchism, Sunnis, Discordianism, Tutsis, and the Yakuza. Consider how many members they have worldwide. Volunteer with an organization that works with a community of people you are unfamiliar with.
#4 - While waiting (in line at the bank, a coffee shop, a restaurant, the grocery store, or waiting for someone to pick you up, or a show on TV to start), ponder things, calculate, memorize. You can, for example, memorize digits of Pi (you can get to 50 in a matter of hours, 200 in a matter of weeks), try to remember all of your high school teachers' names, memorize Prime Numbers, get fast at reciting the alphabet backwards, the Greek alphabet (forwards and backwards), remember how many movies Tom Cruise has been in, try Doubling numbers, start at 1, to 2, to 4, to 8, till you get to larger numbers than you can handle.

(Betcha stopped reading the last one mid paragraph...:) )

And the list goes on.. (above taken from http://www.wikihow.com/Exercise-an-Open-Mind)

Not exactly what I was looking for, however the answers did get me thinking about my See it...Try it... quest. So far, I've started running again, danced like no one is watching, started lap swimming, got "back to basics" with biking, started Yoga, discovered my inner goddess with Pole Dancing, tried kettlebells, attempted self-control, reflected on previous exercise quests, completed pilates Level 1 mat and Level 2 cardiolates and adapted to the zone lifestyle. Now what? Maybe it's time to focus on my whole lifestyle instead of focusing solely on fitness. As I'm approaching the dirty 30's, I would like to stick with my fitness regime and continue to try new things like:
- condition my taste buds to spicy foods ie. would like to try Thai
- go white water rafting
- fly first class
- watch the Lord of the Rings series
- rollar blade/rollar skate
- grow my own vegetables
- catch up with old friends
- travel to Paris, Vatican City, Italy

Don't get me wrong - I'm grateful for the life I have - family, friends, fiance, job, passions and am proud of what I've accomplished so far. I'm so pleased with myself that I've had an awesome year. I can't wait to cross the finish line at the PEI marathon and have a great summer completing my "Summer To Do List". Now it's just time to set my sights higher :)

Fitness Log:
Saturday - Pole Dancing, Biking
Sunday - Swimming
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - Sick - YUK!
Wednesday - Sick - YUK!
Thursday - Pole Dancing

The Vision Board Experiment

I first heard about doing a vision board on one of Oprah's Live your best Life shows. At this time, the "Laws of Attraction" phenomenon was booming and "The Secret" had emerged and helped many with the concepts of stating intentions and putting them out there into the universe. At that time (early 2008) I decided to do my own vision board but instead of doing a board, I decided to do a scribbler or vision diary per say. I was feeling alone (living on my own, single, unsure of the future) and still trying to 'find my way'.
Just recently, I was reading up on some of my favorite blogs and one blogger was talking about doing a vision board. I decided to pull out my diary (hadn't looked at it in a year or more - frankly forgot about it) and was shocked at what I saw. The first page of the diary had words that inspire me and things I want to be/do in my life. Some examples were:

Passion, Balance, health, adventure, love, excitment, fun, peace, success, gratitude, companionship, dedication, risks, family, spirit, - I believe

Then the next page (2) had pictures of calm, tranquil places - 2 people laughing - "Live your Best Life" quote

Page 3 - Wedding picture, ring

Page 4 - Female running, fit looking woman

Page 5 - Picture of Vegas

Page 6 - Picture of a baby

Keeping in mind that I had not done any of the above at the time of the board (aside from 1 trip to Vegas), I couldn't believe on what I had accomplished as a result of 'putting out there' what I wanted. I didn't, in my day to day life, think too much about these things - just chose to do things that would help me accomplish things. Right now, I have lots to aspire to and work towards put this gives me piece of mind that I'm on the right track.

Fitness Log:
Thursday - Pole dancing: Finally wore my hair down....for 2mins....:)
Friday (today) - 25min run (645am) 4.5mins run, 1 min walk

Summer's To Do List

I'm sure everyone can relate with the case of the "What do you want to do's?..." Whether it's with a partner, friends or family - we can potentially waste a lot of time trying to figure out what to do. Then, when we finally figure it out - time has passed, energy low and usually (at least with me) we revert to our regular activities. Mike and I decided to make a list and post it in our kitchen of things we'd like to do/try over the summer. As our schedules can be opposite with eachother and friends, I would like to have a list (on hand) of ideas of "what to do" when we have the free time. In the spirit of this blog - See it...Try it..., here's our list - to date:
- Horseback riding
- Drive in Theatre
- Mini Golf
- Golf
- Driving Range
- Tennis
- Walk on beach, bonfire
- Picnic
- Canoe/Kayak
- Biking
- Walk/Drive and take pictures
- Beach Day
- Walk on Boardwalk, ice cream
- Brudenell, organize family day
- Scenic drive to Souris area get fresh fish, mussels, etc for supper
- BBQ - invite friends/family
- Farmer's Market
- Stanhope - bubbling springs trail, biking
- Geocaching
- Camping
- Confed Centre shows, Charlottetown festivals
- Swimming (laps, recreational, hot tub)
and the list goes on.....

Try Athlete....

Well, Becs and I are back on the training schedule after our glorious Vegas vacation. It's been a busy week - here's a recap:

Wednesday, May 26th - Running
This was our first day doing 4mins run/1min walk and also my first day in my new lulu tights. It was great to hit the pavement again. We did a shorter route to ease back in after a week long break. Great training session, hard on lungs...

Thursday, May 27th - Pole Dancing
This was our first night doing pole dancing in high heels. What a difference it makes when you are doing the model walk in heels - hips side to side, attitude in check and the clicking of stiletto's on the hard wood floor. I felt empowered and sexy as hell. This week we have 2 classes (thurs/sat) as we are making up a missed session.

Friday, May 28th - Cancelled Run Session
Becs and I were supposed to run at 645am, however as I woke at 6am I was feeling a tickle in my throat and still (imagine) suffering from jet leg. I was the one who cancelled the session and went back to bed...ahhh....zzzz
Oh - and this date officially marked the 1 year till the wedding anniversary. Thanks to those who called and messaged me. Super pumped. That is all.

Saturday, May 29th - Brudenell Relay
Supported and coached Mike all day. Exhausting. :)

Sunday, May 30th - Run
Becs and I ran at 7pm after I had worked a 12hour day shift. It was an awesome evening out so we decided to do 4.5mins run, 1.5mins walk for 6kms. We were definitely running at a faster pace and by the last run interval Becs was ahead of me (at least 3 body lenghts) and I was struggling behind her (Becs said it sounded as if I was going to fall over any second - heavy on my feet). After the run and stretching I felt amazing. I had been feeling like my blood was stale after sitting in a chair for 12hours - great way to end the day.

Tuesday, June 1st - Swimming, Yoga
6:15am - Swimming at CARI - Becs and I decided to pull out the trunks and do a 40min lap swim. I must admit, it was easier than the first time but still a challenge. We kept the same program as the first time and plan to do it at least 2 more times. I do need to invest in a new 1 piece suit as this morning, I must of had one of Becs old suits (too small) on over a severly rotted 1 piece that I had. Can you say "veggie".....haha
12:00-1:00pm - Moksha Yoga - Mike and I hit the Yoga again today. We had another instructor who challenged us to the brink. I thought at one point I may pass out from exhaustion holding a pose but I didn't.

The rest of this week we have 2 pole dancing classes, 1 run and a bike session. Mike and I are also doing another lap swim on Sunday morning (his first time) to commence his triatholon training. Looking forward to all of these sessions as the more and more I do, the more I want to do. As Becs and I have decided to run, bike and swim - who knows, maybe a triatholon is in my future.....