100 Things I Will Do In 2010 – February Update

March 2, 2010 by Salar · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Mind, Motivation, Workouts 

The month of February was really life-changing for me.  It really helped me figure out what I want and what I don’t want out of life.  Big changes are going to be coming for me and I am full of nothing but excitement for them.  I knocked quite a few items off my list in February and by the end of March I should have another five or six done.  I’ve decided that I’m also going to keep adding to this list through the year and keep track of other fun memories.

Finished in February:

  1. 7 – Go snowboarding at Whistler – went during the Olympics in Feb!
  2. 34 – Walk in the rain - a Squamish necessity!
  3. 63 – Start a conversation with 50 strangersprobably did close to double this # during Feb alone :D
  4. 78 – Ride through the glades – rode the glades at Blue Mountain and then at Whistler and loved it!
  5. 85 – Watch the clouds drift bysat and watched the clouds drift through the mountains every chance I got out west
  6. 86 – Watch a sunrise - watched it come up behind the mountains in Squamish
  7. 88 – Watch a sunsetwatched it on the bus ride back from Whistler
  8. 93 – Ride on a powder day - got to do this twice at Whistler… best 2 days of riding in my entire life

March – new mini goals

  1. Go the month without watching TV
  2. Finish my current major freelance project
  3. Go vegetarian for 21 days
  4. Do a FS 180 on a kicker
  5. Do a FS boardslide
  6. Get under 235
  7. Finish 3 books
  8. Go to at least 8 Muay Thai classes
  9. Finish my 1 and 5 year goals

2010 List – as of March 1st, 2010

  1. Create a new set of 1 year and 5 year goals – going to finish these in March
  2. Get a new tattoo - my planned reward for when I get down to 200 pounds
  3. Get my advanced-green ranking in Muay Thai – went back to class yesterday and plan on being back in advanced class by the end of March
  4. Go skydiving – going this summer
  5. Explore an abandoned building – making plans to do this in Detroit – thanks Myla!
  6. Climb the CN Tower in under 30 minutes – will do this at the WWF climb on April 17, 2010
  7. DONE – Snowboard at Whistler – went during the Olympics in Feb!
  8. Stomp a FS 180 off a kicker – gonna nail this in March!
  9. Do a proper FS/BS boardslide – can do BS boardslides now and will get a FS in March
  10. Spend a weekend camping with my dog - going in May
  11. Beat last years record of 30 snow days – at 24 days now
  12. Get down under 200 pounds – aiming for a 5 pounds a month pace which is somewhat conservative
  13. Take my Mom to the Art Gallery
  14. Get rid of clutter from my room – in process
  15. Ride 50 km on my bike in one go - June 6, 2010 – signed up for the 2010 Ride for Heart 50km ride
  16. Build 5 Halloween props – got all my materials gathered
  17. Build a fake disemboweled torso out of latex/foam
  18. Take my Dad to a football game
  19. Learn to rollerblade
  20. Make 95% of the food I eat from scratch – good so far
  21. Get 5 new freelance clients - 1 down
  22. Do a 48 hour weekend fast
  23. Learn 5 magic tricks  - got a wicked teacher for this! Thanks Anastasia!
  24. Go to the Science Centre
  25. Go to the ROM
  26. Deadlift 315 pounds - back to lifting this month
  27. Squat 225 pounds - back to lifting this month
  28. Read 25 books – 2 down
  29. DONE – Spend a weekend snowboarding with my little brothers – went a couple of times
  30. Grow a herb garden
  31. Climb a tree
  32. Ride the entire single-track trail at Albion Hills – back to biking this month
  33. Ride the entire single-track trail at Glen Eden – back to biking this month
  34. DONE – Walk in the rain – a Squamish necessity!
  35. Become proficient at AJAX
  36. Do a 22 km run – Sunday October 17, 2010 – Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon
  37. Launch the zombiepedia website
  38. Go to the carnival
  39. Bake a cake
  40. Volunteer my time for a good cause
  41. Try being vegetarian again for 21 days – doing this for the whole month of March
  42. Try being vegan for 21 days – going to do a raw diet with Carolina for the month of April
  43. DONE – Get a raise
  44. Revise and stick to a new budget – budget done, now to stick to it
  45. Have a 100% TV-free month – doing this in March – I have a lot I want to get done this month
  46. Build a Facebook application
  47. Take a night class
  48. Paint a giant painting
  49. Go to the shooting range – making plans to do this in Detroit – thanks Myla!
  50. Learn 5 new effects in After Effects
  51. Teach the dog to not be scared of the nail clipper – making progress
  52. Make a new snowboarding video - have been taking a lot of footage lately
  53. Create 10 website layouts - 1 down, working on 2
  54. Build my portfolio website
  55. Try indoor rock-climbing
  56. Learn to Salsa
  57. Donate blood
  58. Make a gift for someone by hand
  59. Visit a Renaissance fair
  60. Snowboard in the summer - http://www.snowparkniagara.com/ – aww yeah!
  61. Be part of a zombie movie - shooting in the spring!
  62. Start a new business venture
  63. DONE – Start a conversation with 50 strangers – probably did close to double this # during Feb alone :D
  64. Learn to make a Paella
  65. Decorate a Munny!
  66. Go on a random and pointless roadtrip
  67. Write a children’s book
  68. Become a triathlete – changed to June 19, 2010 – Guelph Lake Try-a-tri Triathlon – 375m swim / 10km bike / 2.5km run – started swim training
  69. Try wakeboarding
  70. Train with a champion
  71. Zombie around with my ghouly friends!
  72. Sculpt something out of clay
  73. Give a speech
  74. DONE – Re-pierce my labret – it didn’t close up as much as I thought
  75. Eat chicken wings in Buffalo
  76. Spend an entire day at the beach
  77. Go on a brewery tour
  78. DONE – Ride through the glades - rode the glades at Blue Mountain and then at Whistler and loved it!
  79. Surprise someone
  80. Work at a haunt – making plans! :D
  81. Do 10 pull ups - currently training
  82. Do 100 push ups - currently training
  83. Go to a big music festival
  84. Learn Yoga
  85. DONE – Watch the clouds drift by – sat and watched the clouds drift through the mountains every chance I got out west
  86. DONE – Watch a sunrise - watched it come up behind the mountains in Squamish
  87. Go kayaking
  88. DONE – Watch a sunset – watched it on the bus ride back from Whistler
  89. Hike part of the Bruce trail
  90. Do a handstand pushup
  91. Eat a tasting menu
  92. Eat 5 things I’ve never tried before
  93. DONE – Ride on a powder day - got to do this twice at Whistler… best 2 days of riding in my entire life
  94. Build a haunted gingerbread house – found a sweet blueprint
  95. Explore a cave
  96. Make a Turducken!
  97. Finish 3 major projects at work
  98. Reformat my laptop - in process
  99. Backup all my important files - in process
  100. Eat at a White Castle – making plans to do this in Detroit – thanks Myla!

Other memorable fun stuff from 2010 not on the list:

  1. Went to the Olympics!
  2. Started a chant at a Hockey game in a bar
  3. Officially shelved my shy side
  4. Did a 600m vertical hike up the Stawamus Chief
  5. Learned to love side hits
  6. Discovered my Canadian pride
  7. Did a wicked overnight road trip to Mont Tremblant
  8. Had a zombie board game night
  9. Made lobsters for the first time ever
  10. Learned to slow things down a bit

February 5th, 2010 Workout – Swimming

February 5, 2010 by Salar · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Workouts 

One of the things I want to do this year is finish a Triathlon.  A friend convinced me to try out a Try-A-Tri first which is a 375m swim, a 10km bike ride and a 2.5 km run.  I’m confident in the biking and running portions but I wasn’t too sure about the swimming part.  I’ve never tried swimming any kind of distance before and today was really eye opening.

The swimming portion is 375 metres, so today I set out to swim that far.  I made it about 75 metres before I had to stop and catch my breath and then I did 50 metres at a time until I got to 375.  By the end of it I was totally gassed and felt like puking.  I found it really tough on my shoulders which I know is one of my weak points, so it seems like this will be a good way to get them up to par.

I’ve got 4 and a half months until the Triathlon which should be enough time to get my swimming skills improved.  I’m going to start doing some reading into training programs and checking out some videos on swimming technique – every little bit helps.

February 4th, 2010 Workout – Arms

February 5, 2010 by Salar · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Workouts 

I missed Muay Thai yesterday because I didn’t make it home from work in time, so instead I did some cycling on my recumbent bike.  Today I worked on my arms as I feel they are lagging behind my legs at the moment.  I wasn’t really counting because I was doing sets in between working, but I did a bunch of sets of pull ups, chin ups and push ups.

Gotta work on chins and pulls, so doorway policy goes into effect which means every time I go in or out of my room (where my bar is mounted) I do as many chin ups or pull ups as I can.  I’m sure this will suck, but it should add up quick at least.

February 1st, 2010 Workout – Muay Thai

February 1, 2010 by Salar · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Workouts 

Today I went to Muay Thai for the first time in a few months.  I thought it would kill me, but apparently boarding is better conditioning for my legs and core than I realized because I don’t feel like absolute death right now like the last time I came back after a break.

In general my legs and core are feeling pretty strong but the endurance in my arms definitely needs some more work.  I’ve been doing random sets of push ups / pull ups daily but nothing too focused or strenuous.  I need to get back to that and I need to get some more endurance into my front shoulder muscles – they definitely felt like the weak spot when it came to keeping my hands / pads held up during the drills.

Going to go back Wednesday.  I won’t be able to get in too many classes this month due to my trips, but once March rolls around I’m gonna go full tilt again.

January 30th, 2010 Workout – Snowboarding

February 1, 2010 by Salar · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Workouts 

Went boarding at Blue Mountain again and the conditions were pretty good.  Did a bit of jumping around.  I can’t wait to get this extra weight off… it’s sure as hell a lot less taxing to huck yourself in the air when you’re not dragging along a bunch of extra pounds.  My fault for letting them add up again, but that time is past and it’s time for them to go.  The weight is coming off easily enough – just a matter of being consistent and patient.

January 28th, 2010 Workout – Snowboarding

January 29, 2010 by Salar · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Workouts 

Went snowboarding after work with my little brother for a few hours.  Conditions were not good and it was pretty much solid packed snow/ice with a thin layer of powder on top.

I had set out wanting to try more freestyle stuff in the park, but the conditions completely sapped the confidence out of me.  Ended up only trying airs off some rollers and even then I could tell that I just wasn’t feeling sure of myself.

It’s a weird feeling, because I know I can handle myself in those conditions when riding without a doubt, but when it comes to trying something new, that feeling of doubt creeps in and if I let it, it will take over.  I won’t let that feeling take over again this weekend – going to go to blue and I’m going to chuck myself off whatever I can find… when I fall I’ll get up and try it again until I stop falling.  I fell a bunch of times last night and other than a little soreness, I’m still alive.

January 27th, 2010 Workout – HIIT

January 28, 2010 by Salar · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Workouts 

I didn’t get home in time to get to Muay Thai yesterday – blargh.  I am going on Monday come hell or high water.  Anyway – I got home and did 20 minutes of HIIT on the recumbent bike which is always tough, then did a few sets of push ups.

Going snowboarding tonight… going to work on my fear of hopping onto park features.  I’m not bringing the camera, because I fully expect to be bailing hard onto rails and boxes.

100 Things I Will Do in 2010

January 27, 2010 by Salar · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Mind, Motivation, Workouts 

I like to do stuff.  I dislike not doing stuff.  So to keep me doing stuff, I came up with a list of things I will do before the end of 2010.  Why make a list of things you aren’t going to do when you could do the opposite?

I did something similar a couple of years ago and it worked out really well and I ended up finishing most of the list.  This time I made a list of 100 things.  Some of them are pretty mundane and simple and some are a little more involved.  Some of the things can be done in a moment or a day and some will take the entire year.  Nothing really major – these are all things that I believe I will accomplish before the end of this year.

I’ll keep this updated at the end of each month!  Time to get cracking!

2010 List

  1. Create a new set of 1 year and 5 year goals
  2. Get a new tattoo – my planned reward for when I get down to 200 pounds
  3. Get my advanced-green ranking in Muay Thai
  4. Go skydiving
  5. Explore an abandoned building
  6. Climb the CN Tower in under 30 minutes
  7. Snowboard at Whistler
  8. Stomp a FS 180 off a kicker
  9. Do a proper FS/BS boardslide
  10. Spend a weekend camping with my dog
  11. Beat last years record of 30 snow days
  12. Get down under 200 pounds
  13. Take my Mom to the Art Gallery
  14. Get rid of clutter from my room
  15. Ride 50 km on my bike in one go
  16. Build 5 Halloween props
  17. Build a fake disemboweled torso out of latex/foam
  18. Take my Dad to a football game
  19. Learn to rollerblade
  20. Make 95% of the food I eat from scratch
  21. Get 5 new freelance clients
  22. Do a 48 hour weekend fast
  23. Learn 5 magic tricks
  24. Go to the Science Centre
  25. Go to the ROM
  26. Deadlift 315 pounds
  27. Squat 225 pounds
  28. Read 25 books
  29. Spend a weekend snowboarding with my little brothers
  30. Grow a herb garden
  31. Climb a tree
  32. Ride the entire single-track trail at Albion Hills
  33. Ride the entire single-track trail at Glen Eden
  34. Walk in the rain
  35. Become proficient at AJAX
  36. Do a 22 km run
  37. Launch the zombiepedia website
  38. Go to the carnival
  39. Bake a cake
  40. Volunteer my time for a good cause
  41. Try being vegetarian again for 21 days
  42. Try being vegan for 21 days
  43. Get a raise
  44. Revise and stick to a new budget
  45. Have a 100% TV-free month
  46. Build a Facebook application
  47. Take a night class
  48. Paint a giant painting
  49. Go to the shooting range
  50. Learn 5 new effects in After Effects
  51. Teach the dog to not be scared of the nail clipper
  52. Make a new snowboarding video
  53. Create 10 website layouts
  54. Build my portfolio website
  55. Try indoor rock-climbing
  56. Learn to Salsa
  57. Donate blood
  58. Make a gift for someone by hand
  59. Visit a Renaissance fair
  60. Snowboard in the summer
  61. Be part of a zombie movie
  62. Start a new business venture
  63. Talk to 50 strangers… stranger danger!
  64. Learn to make a Paella
  65. Decorate a Munny!
  66. Go on a random and pointless roadtrip
  67. Write a children’s book
  68. Become a triathlete
  69. Try wakeboarding
  70. Train with a champion
  71. Zombie around with my ghouly friends!
  72. Sculpt something out of clay
  73. Give a speech
  74. Re-pierce my labret
  75. Eat chicken wings in Buffalo
  76. Spend an entire day at the beach
  77. Go on a brewery tour
  78. Ride through the glades
  79. Surprise someone
  80. Work at a haunt
  81. Do 10 pull ups
  82. Do 100 push ups
  83. Go to a big music festival
  84. Learn Yoga
  85. Watch the clouds drift by
  86. Watch a sunrise
  87. Go kayaking
  88. Watch a sunset
  89. Hike part of the Bruce trail
  90. Do a handstand pushup
  91. Eat a tasting menu
  92. Eat 5 things I’ve never tried before
  93. Ride on a powder day
  94. Build a haunted gingerbread house
  95. Explore a cave
  96. Make a Turducken!
  97. Finish 3 major projects at work
  98. Reformat my laptop
  99. Backup all my important files
  100. Eat at a White Castle

January 23rd Workout – Snowboarding

January 25, 2010 by Salar · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Workouts 

Did some nightboarding at Blue Mountain with my brother and a couple of friends.  I had an awesome night!  Last night was pretty much everything that I love about snowboarding.  Driving off and leaving your worries behind, getting out on the hills with your friends and having an amazing night of fun goofing around and experimenting and having a blast together.  I’ve really found something that I truly love doing and I’ll snowboard for the rest of my life, no doubt!

I’m feeling really confident in my edge control and at controlling myself at high speeds.  Before I wrote about how I was feeling sketchy doing little hops or getting air at all, so this time out I made myself do little jumps all over the place… on flats, off of little piles, off a kicker and off rollers.  It turns out my balance is way better than I thought as I never actually fell trying these although I came close a few times.  So I’m actually a little more comfortable at this than I thought, which means that next time out I have to push it further and try some bigger transitions and jumps on more varied surfaces.

It always feels great whenever I have a jump in progression, but more importantly, it was fun!  I’m looking forward to the next trip out… hoping that conditions at Glen Eden won’t be too bad this week so I can get over after work and try some stuff in the park.  But I’m really looking forward to February.  I’ve got 2 blocks of time off and between time off, vacation and holidays, I’m only working 10 days the whole month and snowboarding pretty much every other day… nice birthday present :D

January 21st Workout – Carpetboarding!

January 21, 2010 by Salar · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Workouts 

I completely re-arranged my home office room and  now I have a much larger space to workout in.  Enough space to practice snowboarding in even!

I strapped on my park board and practiced a bunch of different stuff including:

  • nollies/ollies
  • nose/tail presses
  • FS/BS 180s

I haven’t been feeling too comfortable doing the nollies/ollies and 180s at the hill, but after doing some practice and getting the motions down it will be a smaller transition than if I were to just do them right at the hill.  I’m headed up to blue mountain tomorrow night and I am going to jump and fall all over the place!

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