Biking to Work

This week I decided I needed to do something different and get more exercise.  There are many different options that I could have chosen; walking on lunch break, running before/after work...anything really! But I decided to be that crazy person, in Toronto heat, to bike to work.

Now this is what I imagined it would be like.  Breezy, happy, getting a great work out.  It was 10km all downhill to work.  It was great.  Took me only 34 minutes to get to work, wasn't too hot out.  I really enjoyed myself.I live near the Bramalea City Centre and I work here at Victory.  So biking straight down Dixie, across Drew and BAM,  here I am.  However the ride home was a totally different story.  Since it was all downhill to work, that meant it was all uphill home.  Almost a full hour of riding with rush hour traffic - apparently crosswalks don't mean anything to anyone here!  
Now there are Bike to Work Weeks available for every Province.  Toronto has a Bike Month which starts Monday May 28 till Thursday June 28 and offers 100 different events locally for people to be involved and have fun!

I totally recommend everyone should try biking to work, even if it is just once a week.  It relieves stress from traffic and stress from work and offers amazing exercise benefits.  
7 Health Benefits of Cycling

1. Cycling is good for your heart: Cycling is associated with improved cardiovascular fitness, as well as a decrease in the risk of coronary heart disease.

2. Cycling is good for your muscles: Riding a bike is great for toning and building your muscles, especially in the lower half of the body – your calves, your thighs, and your rear end. It’s also a great low-impact mode of exercise for those with joint conditions or injuries to the legs or hips, which might keep them from being active.

3. Cycling is good for your waistline: You can burn a lot of calories while biking, especially when you cycle faster than a leisurely pace, and cycling has been associated with helping to keep weight gain down. And cycling has the added benefit of ramping up your metabolism, even after the ride is over.

4. Cycling is good for your lifespan: Bicycling is a great way to increase your longevity, as cycling regularly has been associated with increased ‘life-years’, even when adjusted for risks of injury through cycling.

5. Cycling is good for your coordination: Moving both feet around in circles while steering with both your hands and your body’s own weight is good practice for your coordination skills.

6. Cycling is good for your mental health: Riding a bike has been linked to improved mental health.

7. Cycling is good for your immune system: Cycling can strengthen your immune system, and could protect against certain kinds of cancers.

You don't have to be a professional at cycling, you just have to own a bike and get going! 

~Elinor~

Top 5 Favourite Beaches

When the weather gets great, it's the perfect time going to the beach! I've been to a number of beaches and I do have my favourites. Although the weather has its ups and downs, we have already had a number of really hot days! I thought it'd be nice to share a list of my top 5 favourite beaches with you. :) If you disagree or agree, or have other beaches in mind you would also like to share, feel free to comment! Note: Distance travel is from Mississauga, ON!

 #5) WASAGA BEACH

Approx Drive Time: 1 hr & 45 mins 

Parking Costs: Varies on the area (i.e. by the hour, $10 for a day, $20) 

Cleanliness: 2.5/5

Pros: popular beach, has a walking strip for food & items shop, restaurants, very large, different available areas (1-6), shortest distance for me 

Cons: dirty waters, known to be very shallow (ideal for children) for a good distance

Overall, I've been to this beach countless times. I always knew Wasaga to be the hit spot for teens or young adults (area 1), and families (i.e. other grassy areas). I usually try to avoid this beach because I rarely swim in the Wasaga waters, since it is pretty dirty and you have to venture far off if you want it to be atleast waist/chest deep. On hot days, it can be very packed and finding a parking spot can be a bummer, since it's popular and well-known!

#4) GRAND BEND BEACH

 Approx Drive Time: 3 hrs 

Parking Costs: By the hour, $10-$15 for day 

Cleanliness: 3/5 

Pros: popular beach, has a walking strip for food & items shop, large, lifeguards on duty, park area for children 

Cons: rocks in water, gets deep easily (not ideal for children)

Overall, I've been to this beach 3-4 times. This beach is pretty awesome! But I'm personally not a huge fan of traveling long distances and rocks in the water (hurts my feet), which is why it's lower on the list for me. 

#3) CRYSTAL BEACH

Approx Drive Time: 2 hrs 

Parking Costs: $15 for day 

Cleanliness: 4.5/5 

Pros: very clear water (hence the beach's name!), lifeguard on duty, shorter travel distance, good water level, beautiful sand 

Cons: smaller and private, guard at the front gates that checks to make sure you don't bring in any glass items, finding parking can be a bummer, no stores/food shops in walking distance

Overall, I fell in love with this beach's water because of how clean it was (which brings it way up on the list). We had a little trouble finding it first because it was sort of hidden, and the first time we took a lot longer to find it! 

 #2) LONG POINT BEACH

 Approx Drive Time: 2.5 hrs 

Parking Costs: $15-$20 for day 

Cleanliness: 3.5/5 

Pros: fairly clean water, good water level, beautiful sand, grassy areas 

Cons: their sand dunes/hills can be annoying (especially when you have to climb over them), no food shops from what I can remember

Overall, Long Point Beach places pretty high on my list because I always enjoy my visits every time I come. I love their waters and everytime I come here with my family, we usually get a shady grassy area at the back and put up a small tent. 

 #1) SAUBLE BEACH

 Approx Drive Time: 2.5 - 3 hrs 

Parking Costs: $15 for day 

Cleanliness: 4/5

 Pros: popular beach, very close to parking, good water level, nice water, food & items shops/restaurants

Cons: far distance, sand tends to be compacted, more of a narrow beach strip than wide

Overall, this is the my favourite beach to go to! :D Although it is far, I find it definitely worth the travel because everything I look for in a beach, Sauble has it. The fact that they have necessities, as well as lovely water is a plus!

~ Vanida

The BIG city

My name is Elinor Stringer. I have just finished my 4 year degree at Camosun College in Victoria B.C. As a requirement to actually graduate, we had to complete an "Internship". Which is how I ended up here, at Victory Volleyball. My College was a great place to go. The classes were small enough that the teacher ACTUALLY knew my name and wanted to see me succeed. Best four years I could have asked for with possibly the weirdest group of people.

Now, as I said I am from Victoria BC. I live on an Island surrounded by farms and sheep. The largest our highways get is about eight (8) lanes across; the tallest our buildings get is about 18 stories high (actually 17, because there are never a 13th floor). Victoria is such a beautiful place with the ocean only a stones throw away no matter where you are, gorgeous hiking trails and possibly the nicest homeless people around.

Now I never really thought of myself as a 'small town' girl until I went downtown Toronto...not really what I call a fun place to be. Terrifyingly tall buildings (seriously 68 floors, is that really necessary?), un-necessarily eerie subway stations, and bumper-to-bumper traffic through 20 lanes of highway. OK, I've been to Toronto many time before for family gatherings, but that was never more than for 2 weeks, so I was able to return to happy place called Victoria. Now before anyone comes 'lynching' to my house, Toronto has some nice qualities, such as seeing T.V shows 3 hours before my friends do back home, toughening up my skin for when I return, and even the people I've met are pretty darn nice. Back in Victoria, I always hear scary stories about "don't trust anyone" or even "you'll be killed on the subway alone". I would like to point out that I took the subway by-myself (granted I had a subway map and written directions for exactly what I have to do) BUT I did not die, nor was my life threatened! I would like to call that success, and de-bunk those rumors.

So hopefully over my 4 months here, I will find my way around and learn how to drive the streets of Toronto without killing anyone! Here I come BIG city...watch out!

~Elinor~

SUMMER IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

It’s the middle of May and the sun is shining! What better time than to talk about some of the upcoming summer sports! Of course the first sport that pops into my mind is beach volleyball but for the willing adventurer there are hundreds of fun sports and activities that allow you to enjoy the sun.

Sorry, the sun is getting me all excited... let me introduce myself. I’m Darryl, one of the two new interns here at Victory Volleyball. I’ve spent the last 3 years in Sudbury working on my Sports Administration degree (SPAD for short) and after this summer I only have 4 months of school left!!! For those of you that have not been to Sudbury, here is a Coles notes version of the city. Sudbury sits in a giant crater (scientist actually believe the crater is from the meteorite that killed the dinosaurs) and its nick named the nickel city because of a MASSIVE nickel mine. To help with pollution the mine has the "SuperStack" which is a big smoke stack that isn’t much smaller than the CN tower! The city has its ups and downs just like any city, but to be honest I’m glad to be back home in Mississauga.

Getting back on topic, I want to briefly talk about some of the alternative sports and activities that may be worth looking into in the next couple months. One of my passions is Motocross/Dirt Biking. I have 2 bikes, and try to get out every weekend. Similar to ATVs and Snowmobiles, trail ridding on Dirt bikes allow you to get to places that few people have been before. You get a chance to connect with nature and enjoy the some peaceful alone time. I can’t count how many deer, foxes or other wildlife I’ve seen while out on the trail. From peaceful trail ridding to Motocross, Dirt Bikes are very versatile. load up the bikes and take them to a track you get a whole different kind of fun and experience. Ridding full speed going of jumps that send you 30 feet into the air is an experience that cannot be compared to anything else. Plus, you may not think about it, but Dirt Biking is a GREAT workout. Imagine doing squats and push ups at the same time on a vibrating platform while going 50 km/h, sound fun or exciting?

Some other great sports are water sports. Skiing, barefooting, slaloming, wakeboarding, knee boarding, and tubing (just to name a few) are some of the best things to do in the summer. I mean, how can you go wrong if your out on the water, with friends having a blast – I can’t wait! Again, like Dirt Biking water sports can be a great work out. Slalom skiing for example, you fight against the pull of the boat as you whip across the wake at upwards of 80 km/h, you don’t feel it at the time but afterwards your arms are on fire. Wakeboarding can be classified as an extreme sport after enough practice and bravery. The trick library is endless, and almost anyone can learn and have fun right from the start. Tubing is another sport that anyone can learn and have fun, it’s a true all ages activity. The boat driver has complete control and the tube rider has none. Kids get a mild ride, where as teenagers and dare devils get a wild ride that gets the adrenalin flowing.

On a more relaxed level, hiking, or climbing are social sports that get you outside enjoying the sun and great summer weather. Bring your dog with you into the forest and he/she will be waging his/her tails for days! Make your own trail and eat lunch somewhere where no human has ever stepped before. I can’t think of a better way to relax after a long work week, and a fun exciting Saturday Volleyball tournament.

Summer Volleyball leagues and tournaments are starting up now, why not plan out a weekend with your friends and family and get outside, play some volleyball, and try out some of the alternative sports this summer!

Hope to see you on the trails,

Darryl

**************

Victory Volleyball

Here is a quick video from my program!!

MexiCAN Lasagna!

I finally made this dish I’ve been meaning to make forever, and thought I’d share it with you guys. It’s really easy to make, the prep takes a bit of time but the outcome is well worth it.

It’s a Mexican take on lasagna. Tortillas instead of noodles, plus rice and beans and some other stuff = deliciousness! My two favourites types of food; Mexican and Italian, together at last! How can you go wrong?!

I got the recipe from someone I follow on twitter, who has a food blog, but the recipe originally came from here.

I will say I had some difficulty finding all the ingredients- so when you are shopping,  go to a big grocery store with a Mexican section to find things like Enchilada sauce and Verde Salsa (I got my ingredients at Loblaws & No Frills).

I also learned a few things:

• “Verde” means “green” aka GREEN SALSA! It’s (delicious and) a little spicier than regular salsa.
• YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN TACO SEASONING! All you need is chili powder, paprika, and cumin.
• This recipes makes a HUGE amount (full casserole dish) so you can half it, or freeze some after it's done if you have a lot leftover. (Orrr you can eat it every day for the next week, like I did.)

Below are some photos of the process :)

The rice cooking and the veggies and "taco seasoning" sautéing.

        The veggies & seasoning all mixed together.

 The rice, beans & veggie mixture all combined.

Starting the layering lasagna process w/ tortillas and enchilada sauce.

Almost finished...

  Ready to go in the oven w/ the cheese and cayenne pepper on top!

Cookin'.

All done!

Again, you can find the recipe on Pioneer Woman. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out and if you guys have any recipes you want to share, feel free to post them in the comments!

Enjoy!

-Meghan

Nate's Blog

Hey what’s up, my name is Nathan Rankin and I’m a second year college student, currently attending Humber College in Toronto. I am presently working at Victory Volleyball Academy as an intern for the 2012 school year.

I enjoy hanging out with my friends and family, watching on TV and attending all types of sporting events and most of all I enjoy playing sports. I’ve played a lot of different sports at various levels, but I’d have to say basketball is probably my favourite and the sport which I perform the best in.

In living with three other college students and also being a college student myself, I recently began to notice that I’ve developed a habit of being lazy and I’m also finding it difficult to create time to make myself healthy meals. During my childhood and teenage years my parents placed a large emphasis on healthy eating habits and active living, so after I noticed myself slipping in these categories I decided to try a couple new things to keep myself in shape and eating right.

Firstly to stay active I began to start running around the block daily, slowly increasing my pace and the distance of the running session day by day. However, after I had gotten into a rhythm I found my determination and motivation to stay active being stifled by the harsh conditions of the Canadian winter. This is when my roommates and I decided to invest in an indoor treadmill. Since I’ve purchased the tread I’m finding it a lot less tedious and wearisome to try to stay in shape daily since I don’t need to leave the house. To maintain healthy eating habits for myself is always a battle won or loss at the grocery store. I’ve been attempting to purchase more whole grain, fruits and veggies and items which have high a protein intake.

Keeping fit and staying healthy should be important components of everyone’s lifestyle and I hope that I can continue to incorporate these two aspects into my daily schedules. 

Easy ways to stay fit at HOME!

Hey everyone, my name is Marco Lavia, I attend Humber College and I am
enrolled in the Sports Management program. I am currently in my second of
third year, and an intern at Victory Volleyball.

My interests are sports, I've been playing various types of sports my
whole life, and my favorite sport is soccer. Soccer has been a big part of
my life, and because of soccer I really believe in healthy living for
everyone!.

Being healthy is so important for us, being healthy makes us live longer.
Being healthy makes not only feel good but makes us LOOK GOOD!. Now I know
its hard for everyone to be on a healthy diet, or go to the gym with our
busy life styles, but I would love to share to everyone that you can do a
great work out in your OWN HOME! These will be 4 easy exercises you can do
around your own home that will guide you to a healthy living life style.
Stair climbing - Easy way to get a quick work out going.
Laundry lifts - Fill the laundry basket with cloths, make sure not to
heavy, lift over your head, or do some crunches with it.
Commercial break exercise - during commercials, move a round, stretch and
grab a lightweight.
Rolling chair presses - If you have an office chair with wheels hold onto
the edge of your desk while you are seated use your arm muscles to pull
yourself close to the desk, and then push yourself back away.
Follow these simple steps and you will feel fit, and it's a great way to
start a living healthy life style in your OWN HOME! 

Thanks everyone hope these little things help out, getting healthy is
start as well try to eat healthy, gets your veggies,and fruit servings
you need for the day, as well STAY MOTIVATED THROUGH THE PROCESS!

Marco Lavia 

Getting In Shape - A Victory Or Not?

As I began my journey at Victory on January 2^nd, 2012, I was fresh off of two weeks of over eating, zero exercise and some very casual alcohol consumption.   As I began my first week of work, there was much discussion around the office about the holidays, and how devastatingly out of shape everyone felt.  Having such a dynamic and motivated staff (minus Jimmy), we decided that it was time to sweat out the excess cargo we picked up over the Christmas holidays.  It became a necessity that everyone brought their gym clothes to work every day, and we began our workouts doing the Beach Body Insanity Cardio circuits.  We did this fairly consistently for a few weeks, but eventually began to find new workouts and methods of getting in shape.  We brought in a chin up bar and an ab wheel, and developed a quota for how many chin-ups and sit-ups needed to be done every day.  We managed to meet the quota every day, while doing some p90x workouts intermittently.  About a month had gone by, and everyone was feeling great and looking great!  We had done it – we were skinny and healthy again! Sounds like a Fairy tale ending, right? Wrong.  If staying in shape and exercising all the time were that easy, everyone would find time to look healthy and feel great.  However, life gets in the way.  With the inaugural Healthy Hearts Tournament coming up, working out suddenly got thrown onto the back burner.  Just one week off can’t hurt though right? Wrong again.  Just as our Healthy Hearts tournament concluded, our inspiration and guiding light, Rachelle, decided she deserved a vacation!  With her gone, we attempted to do some work-outs, but we were missing the motivation to really push ourselves! So now here we are, two weeks after Healthy Hearts, fresh off another week of eating poorly and not exercising enough. However, we have just made new quotas for our daily workouts and consciously turned down a Burger King lunch!  Will today be the day that Victory turns it around? Stay Tuned for my next blog and find out if we are looking great or gaining weight!

Shawn Lowry

Chinese New Year!

Kung Hei Fat Choy! On Monday, January 23, 2012 it will be Chinese New Year. What are you going to be doing for the Lunar New Year? Even though it is on a Monday, I read online about some very fun events you can still part take in. It is not too late! Why not take a break, relax, and join in on the fun?

Chinese New Year Festivities 

Presented by: Chinatown BIA
   
Starts: January 23, 2012
Ends: January 29, 2012

Location:

Chinatown
Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue

Information:
Jan 23 - Opening Ceremony with media & dignitaries, lion troop dances
Jan 28 & 29 - Chinatown Centre and Dragon City Mall performances and lion dance parades from 12pm-6pm, (traditional folk dancing, singing, Chinese music rendition, magic show, belly dance lesson, youth talent shows, and other entertaining performances)

More information here!   

       

CIBC LunarFest

Presented by:
CIBC and Harbourfront Centre
   
Starts: January 20, 2012

Ends: January 24, 2012

Location:

Harbourfront Centre

Information:

Centred on the theme of “Treasures of the Sea" Lantern, Aquarium, exhibitions of traditional and contemporary arts, range of activities for family, games, crafts, theatre, skating, holiday culinary options and more

More information here!


Victory wishes everyone a happy Chinese/Lunar New Year! Have fun!

Travel Resolutions :)

So this is longest time I’ve been in the country (without little trips to the states), since 2007. And I’m going a little crazy. I had a big travel bug right after I graduated university and was only home sporadically between 2007 and 2010. So as much as I hate making New Year’s resolutions and think that they are silly and something that people never do, I made (one of) my resolutions to leave this freaking country for a while. I neeed to travel!! Although 2011 was pretty great and I did get to see parts of Canada that I had never seen to before (the Rockies!), I wished I could have gone to explore more of this world. I came across a great article in the Globe & Mail and decided no more excuses, I need to make this happen! Not sure where the destination is going to be yet (Europe is pretty high up there), but I’m going to make sure I go somewhere. Anyway, I found the article really helpful and realistic (with great tips) so if any of you have that same bug, take a look and just do it!

Happy Travels J

Meghan  



I want to travel more in 2012. How can I make it happen?

karan smith

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Published Friday, Dec. 30, 2011 12:06PM EST

Last updated Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011 9:06AM EST

The Question: My New Year’s resolution is to travel more. How can I make it happen?

Coming up with the dream list – kayaking in the Bay of Fundy, touching the crumbling wall where Joan of Arc once stood, grasping the rough coat of a camel as it lurches to its feet – is the easy part. Finding the time, money and liberty is the hard part. Here's how to dust off your passport this year:

Tackle the challenges: What's stopping you? Sit down and figure out how to overcome roadblocks. Is there an easier season for you to get away from work? Can someone else feed your cat while you're gone? Are you afraid your children won't survive the journey?

“Don't worry too much about it,” says a working mom I know who always seems to be preparing for her next trip with her two sweet-cheeked boys. “Kids are much more flexible and adaptable than we think they are. They can survive for a few weeks outside their routine and – gasp! – even enjoy it.”

Be open to possibilities: Remain open-minded when you're planning, says Ann Kirkland, who abandoned a career in health administration to create the literary travel company, Classical Pursuits (classicalpursuits.com). But do set a deadline to decide where and when to travel, and yes, even, make a non-refundable deposit. “You can dream forever, just as you can plan forever. For people who are anxious about travel, starting with something small and manageable is almost certainly better than taking off for Africa by yourself.”

Fuel your inspiration: Research your destination. If you're planning a trip to Italy, sign up for a language class. Always dreamed of Spanish culture? Take a flamenco course. And read, read, read. Before I travelled to India

I devoured fiction about the country that proved as inspirational as guidebooks. And on the nitty-gritty side, sign up for e-mail alerts from airlines or travel companies about your desired destination. Recognizing a good deal on a New York hotel can spur you to book.

Be creative with finances: Use up those banked holiday days. Choose “time” instead of money when working overtime. Start an automatic monthly savings account and label it: Machu Picchu 2012! Or plan a trip to a destination where our dollar stretches further.

“You can get a lot of mileage in the Western Hemisphere,” says Robert Reid, a spokesman for Lonely Planet (lonelyplanet.com) and the author of countless guidebooks. “Meaning if you only have a week off, and a limited budget, Central America gives a very exotic punch for little money, no jet lag, and not much travel time. One of my all-time favorites is studying Spanish in Latin America.”

Consider a B-city: Think about going to Lyon over Paris, or travelling off-season, says Kirkland. “Ditto with seasons. London in February actually feels like spring and prices are comparatively good.”

Just do it: This is what the travellers with the battered suitcases say over and over. For me, setting foot in a new place is just something I want to spend money on. And it doesn't have to start with one around-the-world-ticket (although that would have been nice in the stocking, no?). I'd rather have the experience, than a new couch. (And you should see my couch.)

There's just so much to gain in travel from true R&R to a beyond-the-headlines immersion into another culture. Sign me up!

Send your travel questions to concierge@globeandmail.com. Follow Karan Smith on Twitter: @karan_smith.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/ask-a-travel-expert/i-want-to-travel-more-in-2012-how-can-i-make-it-happen/article2287298/



How can you not miss this??
Australia, 2009