running and biking all around

I've been upping my activity levels lately (and will hopefully continue to be active even with classes starting Sept). For the past 2 Wednesdays, I've joined in on the Running Room's practice runs that range from 3-5km of running. It's free and you run with other people. I'm usually the slowest as most others have been running for a while and I just started (and in the past, I've only run 'leisurely' runs where walking is freguent). It was tough, especially the first time running 5k off the bat. I was breathless and felt so tired especially going uphills. 2nd time was better, and hopefully tomorrow will be smoother.

I also just got a bike and went w/D on the weekend and we biked across the Lion's Gate Bridge into Stanley Park and around into the English Bay and Downtown Vancouver and back home again. What a ride! It was a very scenic route, yet it was a tough, tough, tough ride as a 'beginner' biker going up the bridge and me not being in the best shape. I liked the downhill parts the most...many 'pros' on their bikes whizzed past me on the bridge; they look so fit and they must be to able to ride uphill continuously so fast! Although tough, I really enjoyed biking and felt good about accomplishing the ride and hope to do this more regularly and not feel like it's so hard to go uphill.

For the breaks, we had street meat 'Jumbo Dogs' (for some reason, I love street hot dogs and sausages; the aroma and smell catch me everytime and it's so hard to resist, so why resist?!) before heading back through the causeway of Stanley Park, and then had a pit stop for Fruit Smoothies (Mango and Passionfruit) which were awsomely refreshing! I can't wait til my bday where I get a free scoop of gelato ice cream at mondo gelato (even though that's not for another 1.5mo)...