PUSH Fitness Centre

Had a blast once again doing some dryland with Fox Hockey over the past couple weeks!

One thing I’ve noticed over the years is how young athletes have begun to not only accept, but also embrace off-ice conditioning.

Make it relevant. Make it fun. The rest takes care of itself!

I’ve always wanted to do a triathlon, so when my now training partner Karen targeted me as the most likely sucker to do one with her, I figured it was a sign.
 
A heartfelt thank you to Brent Maranzan XTERRA Sleeping Giant for the countless hours of passionate dedication that go in to pulling off such an incredible event. The local XTERRA team members are the best ambassadors for the growth of the sport that I could imagine, and everyone had such an upbeat and supportive demeanor, despite their lack of sleep leading up to the big day.
 
The volunteers. What a stellar group that came together to bring exactly the encouragement that was needed when it was needed most. What stood out to me about the volunteers – many of whom were young kids – was how genuinely invested they were in their roles. It was an adventure in itself to find another smiling, cheering face around every corner.
 
We were lucky to have Kirk Ermels, Technical Director of XTERRA Americas at yesterday’s races. Along with his clear expertise, Kirk brought an open mind to seeing more than just the races, but also the community within which they were being held. The kind words that Kirk spoke about our great northwest at the awards ceremony were so touching and made me feel even more proud to be there.
 
This past week has brought forth some obstacles that left me questioning whether I would make it to the start line yesterday morning; life works in mysterious ways. My summer reading choice came in unexpectedly handy in this challenge. I’m grateful for the wise words of Steve Magness in his thoroughly-researched book “Do Hard Things.” Quite honestly, some of what I took away from this read may have been the tipping point in my making it to the line.
 
And finally, thank you to my family for their patience and support as I entered into a world of training that was much different from my norm. Early morning runs, late night swims, that tree I hit on my bike and never told you about… having you understand that this was something that I really wanted to do for myself (not so much the tree) is what ultimately made this all come together. P, having you there all day yesterday meant the world.

Please note the above changes for this week. If you were already registered for the original dates/times, then you’ve been automatically moved.

If you’d still like to sign up, please register on Vagaro (link in bio).

No charge - everyone welcome!

Buckle up, friends …and maybe grab a tissue ♥️

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
 
If you ever had the chance to walk into my office at old PUSH, then you may remember my quote wall. What you may not know is that every quote on that wall was by Eleanor Roosevelt – a woman so ahead of her time that she could waltz right into 2026 and still be a warrior.
 
Call women like Ms. Roosevelt what you will: warriors, legends, heroes, inspirations… but I stood among two of them today.
 
The last time I had the honour of being in the presence of both of these incredible women at the same time was when we were still across the street. Of course, Sof is part of what keeps the new PUSH heart beating, but Christie is more of a legend of PUSH past ;)
 
I am so incredibly grateful to have these two beautiful humans in my life – Sofia, who lights up any room she walks into, and Christie, who embodies the expression “friends are like stars; you may not always see them, but you know they are always there.”
 
The reunion was brief, but will keep my heart happy for a long time. Thanks, ladies! ♥️♥️♥️

More burpees, please!
 
Last week’s Thirty Thursday class was all about the BOSU and it was a super nostalgic experience for me; it prompted me to do some OG BOSU burpees in this morning’s bodyweight class.
 
Burpees are the exercise we love to hate, but a little variety can keep your workout spicy while avoiding some of the burpee dread.
 
Why burpees?
 
1.     Burpees are an efficient way to put in the work as they recruit many major muscle groups simultaneously, including quads, hams, glutes, abs, low back, chest, shoulders and triceps (if you through the push up in).
2.     Burpees give you a quick HR boost making them an excellent cardio addition to a workout.
3.     The jump component of the burpee trains lower body power which helps develop quick bursts of force when needed.
4.     Many functional movements are compounded into a burpee, including squatting, planking, pushing, and jumping.
5.     Core strength and coordination are developed as the core stabilizes the spine during the plank/push up phase of a burpee.
6.     The multiple steps and transitions of burpees help improve movement coordination, body awareness, and athletic rhythm.
7.     No equipment is necessary (unless you add some!) for burpees and they take up very little space so they are ideal in many situations.

So, the next time you try to overlook burpees because you think you hate them, try one of these BOSU burpee variations and see if they help you find your burpee love!