Work better. Work standing up.

One of the main drawbacks about being an artist/crafter/designer is that it is primarily a sitting occupation and with it comes back and shoulder issues that I have suffered with since I started working! On top of that, I've seen my coworkers and myself just getting fatter and more slumped over with the passing of time and recently I read an article about how bad sitting all day is on our bodies. Our bodies are designed for movement but unfortunately we have become a sedentary species and worse our jobs + commute usually requires us to be.

I don't have a few hundred bucks to spend on a proper stand up desk so I just looked around the house for something I can temporarily prop up my computer and try out standing and working. So, that egg carton looking thing above is from the packaging of my yudu machine. I had two of them, one is propping up the monitor and the other one I have my intous tablet on. Add various canvases and wood panels and my intous box and voila! I can work standing up now. Hopefully I will be more productive, burn some extra calories and stop wasting time surfing the web...I just need a stool for the times I need to rest my buns but the point is not to just stand still but move around, stretch and do a yoga pose or two!

Saturday's Cross Country Skiing Adventure

Last Saturday we (the mister and I) went cross country skiing for the first time at Rim Nordic Ski Area in Running Springs, right near Big Bear. It was exhilarating, fun and an all around great workout. Even though we were new to cross country skiing, we were able to do it for 3 hours!

One of the best activities for cardio/endurance conditioning, XC skiing also is meditative and peaceful. No speeding downhill skier whizzing by! No punk on a snowboard possibly crashing into you. The weather could not have been more perfect. Lots of snow with spring like conditions. The learning curve isn't too high and it is was not very expensive, just $30 per person including ski rentals. It is a wonderful activity to do with someone (or a small group) because you can enjoy the trail together and can still hold a conversation, yet you can really push it if you want for an intense full body workout. I do suggest doing a lot of stretching beforehand, especially the groin area!

Out on the trail I took in the quiet and the peacefulness.

and showed some LA pride.

I wish that the season wasn't ending so fast so that I can go again before the snow melts!

...but I do think this place will be closed end of this month.

...don't get me wrong it was no stroll in the park. It was still quite a physical challenge but I think my fitness routine helped me get in shape for this...3 hours later I was famished!

So the day ended with a pastrami sandwich at the Loose Caboose! (Boy did I need salt!)

Past Sunday's Hike - 10 mile loop mostly uphill 4 hours 2 minutes

Sullivan Canyon/Westridge Loop. A nice incline hike that starts in the Pacific Palisades/Brentwood area that takes you to a ridge overlooking the San Fernando Valley then back again on a fire road with lots of steep ridges for a good burn. It was 10 miles, and clocked in at 4 hours 2 minutes.

This is a view of Sullivan canyon taking from the top of a ridge on the last hike we did.

The canyon is lined with sycamores and a stream that weaved in a out of our path.

Many wildflowers are in bloom after a much needed rainy season in Los Angeles

View of the canyon wall, its a steep one!

After the canyon, we climb up to see a view of where we just hiked through.

What awaits is...the big sky! and a view of the San Fernando Valley

The old Nike Missile Launch area

A lonely tree

The ridge has a terrain that goes up and down giving the legs a great workout. UP...

and down...

and a breathtaking view of the pacific!

The descent

The End.

But we still have to walk through the neighborhood for quite awhile to get back to the car...the homes were nice looking though.

Sunday Stroll - 3.5 hours, 550+ steps.

This past Sunday we did one of our favorite hikes. It took a total of 3.5 hours mostly going uphill. The reward was 550+ steps to finish off our intense hike.

The trailhead starts in the suburbs of Pacific Palisades. You trek on a paved road for a while. All the wildflowers are in bloom.

It has been a long time since L.A was so lush! I felt like I was in Ireland.

This canyon houses the "Ruins of Rustic Canyon". Once known as Murphy Ranch, it used to be a colony of sorts, supposedly a mysterious Nazi Compound...

This canyon goes all the way to the Valley. We did that hike a couple years ago and let me tell you it was 5 hours long and I needed Kentucky Fried Chicken afterwards because I burned so many calories.

This is all uphill for now, and is the hard part.

Again I marveled at how lush and green it was.

Still going up, the end is in sight.

So many beautiful wildflowers dotted the landscape.

It is pretty lonely up here. No one except for a few lone mountain bikers.

An hour and a half later...Pretty much the end of the road.

A natural sculpture

Ahhh. the view looking down the Pacific Ocean.

If you thought it was over, you are mistaken. Down to the boy scout camp we go.

We are in the canyon now and the dark is fast approaching

Some ruins of a mysterious past...

Mostly now covered in grafitti.

We did a a lot of jumping to get over the creek.

Abandonment

Pretty fields but getting a little eerie

and dark...

More ruins and grafitti

The bright colors actually make it less creepy.

Ok its a race against time to get to the steps...this is when I fullfil my running through the woods fantasies.

We made it! The steps lead us back to the paved road and back to civilization.

They sort of keep going and going...

You think its over but no, more steps.

Its a little over 550 of them.

Legs...Burn.

It is dark but the view is welcoming. Back to our cars and off to a hot dinner. I slept well that night!