yoga, books, movies, tv and WAY too many crime procedurals – not necesarily in that order
Real runners like to run outside and enjoy the scenery and run for the joy of it. At least, that’s what SEEMS to be the case. I’m not a real runner.
First clue: I like to run on the treadmill. I’d rather run on the treadmill than anywhere else. There are a lot of reasons for this, the first being my Barefoot shoes. Since my last pair of “running” shoes (possibly in conjunction with running on the road) gave me Achilles tendonitis, the Barefoot shoes have made a resurgence. No Achilles tendonitis. Also, no running outside -what with the snow and ice and Barefoot shoes. My love of the treadmill is bigger than shoes.
When I was in junior high and high school I ran track. I ran sprints, more specifically – at one point or another, everything from the 100 to the half mile. Either through lack of coaching or sheer stubbornness, I managed to avoid distance training. The end result is that I have two comfortable speeds – walking and sprinting. The treadmill is good because when I’m running a program it forces me to adjust my stride and speed, which I wouldn’t do running on my own. As a result, I get a better overall workout.
I’m also competitive, though mostly with myself. I don’t like running with other people because it puts me off MY pace (see above) and the treadmill insures that doesn’t happen. More importantly, if I’m tired or slacking I have to OWN it. When I’m outside running, I can kind of slow down and there’s no real consequence. On the treadmill I actually have to admit surrender or defeat and HIT THE BUTTON to slow down.
The other thing that proves I’m not a real runner is how loud I am. If my life ever depends on running through a deserted building or silent forest at midnight to avoid a psychopath, I’m fucked. I sound like a Clydesdale on a hamster wheel. My husband – more than twice my size – runs more quietly than I do. I’m not sure why – maybe it’s the footfall (I run on the ball of my foot) but I’m LOUD. Treadmills mean I can keep it a secret.
We went and saw Avatar in 3D yesterday and it was precisely as awesome as has been retold all over the intarwebz. The most amazing thing about it was that it reminded me of when I was a little kid and desperately wanted my stuffed animal/Transformer/Bugs Bunny to come to life and hang around with me. Avatar looked REAL – incredible, in-your-face, I can’t believe how real REAL. It’s worth seeing just for that. The story was somewhat predictable but, as Spouse said, “For a three hour movie, there wasn’t a single part that was boring.” You stay involved the entire time. It was excellent. Two thumbs up, worth every penny to see it in the theater.
One of our ‘family’ holiday gifts was Wii’s Super Mario Brothers and it’s FANTASTIC. Being able to play two players at once is simultaneously the best and worst thing than ever happened to SM – great because no one sits around bored, terrible because if you’re like me then the other person playing will use your character as a springboard. We’ve had a blast relearning an old fave. For those attempting to play: even though it’s tempting to use two controllers, stick with the Wiimote and skip the nunchuks. The game is MUCH easier to navigate without the second controller.
Tonight I tested out Your Shape for Wii (by Ubisoft). I first heard about the game through an online commercial feedback survey at least six months ago. Having seen the promo, I was anxious to see the reception for the game because it looked pretty awesome. In a serendipitous twist, I entered to host a Your Shape Fun, Fit, and Guilt Free party (in conjunction with the new Jello Mousse Temptations) and won. I got a free copy of YourShape as well as some coupons for Jello Mousse Temptations* in order to test the game (and Mousse) with friends and post about it on the House Party website.
Your Shape doesn’t really come with an extensive instruction booklet (there’s a really short one inside the game). With the Wii off, I plugged in the camera and then situated the camera on the Wii sensor strip on top of the TV. I put the game in and it was pretty easy going from there. You can skip the Jenny McCarthy intro by pressing the A button (fyi) but if you’re not familiar with the game it might be helpful. The idea is that you’ve got a coach inside the game and the camera tracks your movements to make sure you use correct form, letting you know what you need to adjust and when.
Most of the reviews I read on Amazon mentioned that the camera is picky about your motions. I made sure that I could fit my whole body on the screen (which seemed to help) and the only issue I ran into is what seemed to be a slight lag in the camera picking up my motion. Regardless, the 15 minute workout I did was DEFINITELY a workout. I’m really looking forward to seeing if, based on my results today, the game will adjust my workout routine for Wednesday.
I was worried that McCarthy might seem kind of annoying as a coach, but the best thing about the game is that you can set your mood at the beginning: Nothing can stop me, Pretty good, You’re lucky I’m even here. I’m guessing the amount and type of coaching changes based on how you’re feeling. I went with “Pretty good” and it was just enough – not too perky, not too persistent, and the attaboys weren’t over the top. The form in individual exercises was really good. Since that’s a pet peeve of mine- and a big part of the reason I stopped using the yoga portion of Wii Fit – I was really happy to see that. The workout scheduling setup was also pretty cool and the fact that you can adjust your workouts by 15 minute intervals is fantastic.
All in all, I’m very happy with Your Shape. I’m looking forward to testing it out more in the next week but so far I’m optimistic. I’d recommend setting the game up wearing a typical workout outfit. I was in baggy flannel pajamas and I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to redo my profile, now that I know how the game works and what can/can’t be in the field of view. P.S. Your dog will not help your score.
*I’d already tried (and liked) Jello Mousse Temptations so that was just kind of an added bonus.
I’m not sure that the health profession is actively trying to kill women, but it sure seems like it. This, coupled with the increased age recommendation on mammograms is disturbing. Maybe they’re assuming that HPV will be limited because of the vaccination but I’m pretty sure all the disclaimers talking about NOT protecting from ALL strains. WTF. According to the new cervical/pap recommendations – had they been in place in the 90s- I’d be dead now. Again I say WTF.
