My Peak Challenge: Music Week 6

This weeks pick from the playlist is...

Believer by American Authors

Never heard of them? Where have you been? It is from their debut album, so I guess you have a bit of an excuse. Another song from their debut album is Best Day of My Life. Maybe you've heard it on the radio or that Lowe's commercial or the movie trailer for Earth to Echo, or How to Train Your Dragon 2, or St. Vincent. I think they're going places... at least to the movies! I just can't help myself sometimes, I'm sorry.

To My Mom: Part IV Valentine Special

So last year on Valentine's Day... or was it two years ago... Anyway, some time ago I wrote this post about how cool it is being single. It was two years ago. It still holds true for me today. I never really liked Valentine's Day. Maybe because 98% of time when that day rolls around, I'm single.

When I lived at my house with the sis and the boys, sis would give us all Valentine's cards and candy. We would also get Easter baskets stuffed with peeps on Easter, and stockings full of candy pooping reindeer at Christmas. This year I didn't get anything. And that is fine by me, cus, I didn't get anyone anything either. I don't like jewelry, I don't wear it. I don't like flowers either. They look pretty, but they're going to die. I don't see the point of giving someone you love something that is now dead. Kind of morbid, really. And I like chocolate, but I prefer it everyday, not just once a year when it is heart shaped and costs twice as much.

I say all that, because I remembered something today. Way back when I was away at college, I had broken up with a boyfriend and I was quite lonely and depressed. And I was sitting in my crappy apartment staring at the wall or something, and I see a delivery guy walking by my apartment window with flowers and a balloon. And I'm sitting there wondering who they are going to and wow that's pretty cheesy. Maybe he's going to my next door neighbors. But he knocked on my door.

I was shocked. Why would I get flowers? They were from my mom. She totally brightened my day. I don't know if she knew I was feeling down at the time. But she sent me flowers. Those were the best flowers I ever got. And I loved them!



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My Peak Challenge: Music Week 5

This weeks musical selection is brought to you by two dancing robot men. Huh? It's okay, they're French. That should explain everything.

End Title Sequence from TRON Legacy by Daft Punk.

They are currently more famous for Get Lucky, and just being weird robot men when they have to make public appearances. But I loved the soundtrack they did for the movie. The movie was just so-so. I was hoping for spectacular visuals, and sort of got them, but the story itself is a let down, but I knew that going in. The music was pretty sweet. Good job weird robot men.

My Peak Challenge: Music Week 4

This week's selection is this:

Magic by Fauxliage

Leigh Nash does the vocals on this. She doesn't sing a word in this song but, you still might recognize her voice. I think it is distinctive anyway. It's beautiful. She is also the lead singer of Sixpence None The Richer. Fauxliage was a collaboration between Nash and some Canadian group called Delerium. Their entire album is pretty cool. If you like the song, check out the rest of that collaboration. However, it is not workout music. It is actually quite melancholic. For you TV geek girls, two of the songs from this album were featured on Moonlight (2007), hint hint, the infamous shower scene.

My Peak Challenge: Superbowl Sunday Edition

Instead of watching the game and eating chips, I took a short hike with Han... Solo. Yes, The Han Solo. See?

I have successfully made it through three weeks of my so called training for the #MyPeakChallenge, and thought I needed a nice reward/let's see how stiff my hiking legs really are.

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm, yet a bit windy winter day here. I went up to Harvey Bear Ranch which is a working cattle ranch and a County Park. There are signs to remind you to close the gates behind you, lest a creature of the bovine sort escapes. (If you click on the link to Harvey Bear Ranch, it links to the counties website for the park which also contains Coyote Lake. There is a picture of a boat and skier, front and center. But the site says "this reservoir is closed to boating" Oh the irony!)

I saw 9 deer, geese, and turkeys. And met a lovely lady and her horse who thought he was a dog. The lady came up on her horse dog and said "He loves being petted, do you mind?" And he came right up to me and was all, please pet me, please please please. So I pet him. A lot. Met back up with the Lady and her horse dog at the end of the loop. She said, "wow there were a lot of deer out there". And I said, "yeah, I saw nine". "Nine?" she says... "there was at least a herd of 15 when you petted my horse dog!"

My excuse for not seeing the 15 member herd is that I was not perched on her horse dog. She had the better view.

Being out here reminded me why it is important to get outside into nature. It was so peaceful. Quiet. Fresh air does wonders for the soul. It really does.

I also made it back home in time for my dad to yell at me to come watch. It was the last minute of the game. So I got in a hike and the best part of the football/hockey game. I win!

My Peak Challenge: Fitness Test #2

So, yeah. This is week 3 for me, and still kicking. The #MyPeakChallenge peeps just released our second fitness test. Which happens to be 2000 meters on a rowing machine to time. I don't have a rowing machine. And I don't belong to a gym that would have a rowing machine. And I have no desire, ever, to join a gym. There are people there. PEOPLE! I don't do people. Especially a lot of people. And there are a lot of people at gyms this time of year. All staring at me. Watching me giggle my giggly bits. Nope.

So anyway... I've decided on a different test. In my exploration of new running routes in the new neighborhood, there is one that is just shy of 2 miles (that's a 3k and some change). So I will run that as fast as I can. And see how much I can improve on time/mile pace. My natural pace as of now averages to 10 minute miles, give or take.

Today I ran the short circut, which today was 1.75 miles, which is also strange cus I did the same exact run last week and it was 1.85 miles. I blame the ipod being extremely low on battery life for this. Well, I ran it as fast as I could. Averaged 9.43 minutes per mile.

Please excuse the smell of my awesome saucy sweat stained clothing that I only wash once a week (ew) and the heavy breathing fellow walkers/joggers/people in cars with their windows down waiting for me to cross the damn street.

Also, since the weather has been so bright and cheery, my amazing tan is coming back. In that the ankle sock tan line, and the shorts tan line, and the shirt sleeve tan line, and the oh so lovely ipod strap tan line are back!

My Peak Challenge: Music Week Three

Mock me if you must, but it's great to run to.

Everything's Magic by Angels and Airwaves

Which is basically Blink-182 minus a few guys when they were having their teenager hissy fit. They've since made-up, by the way.