Thursday Thirteen

#18 - 13 of Caylynn's Favourite Hobbies

1. Running - it will come as no surprise to any regular visitor that running is one of my favourite hobbies. I usually run between 3 and 5 times a week, and I'm currently training for a spring marathon (the Vienna Marathon) so my long runs are increasing - last week my long run was 14 miles, and the next several will be 16, 18, 20 and 20 miles. I've run numerous races, including several 10Ks (6.2 miles), three half-marathons (13.1 miles or 21.1 km), one 20K, and one marathon (26.2 miles or 42.2 km). I'm very slow, but I can run forever. After fracturing my L2 vertebra falling off a horse while jumping back in 1993, I'm just happy to be able to run at all!
   
   
2. Horseback riding - Yep, even though I fractured a vertebra while riding, I still love it! There's nothing like the connection between a horse and a rider when it works. I ride English-style, and in the past I've mostly ridden hunter seat. Since my riding accident I have jumped again (mostly for psychological reasons, to prove to myself that I wasn't afraid) but I currently take dressage lessons.
   
   
3. Teaching Group Fitness - Many of you will know group fitness as "aerobics" but those of us in the industry don't use that term anymore, since group fitness classes encompass so much more than traditional aerobics. When we were living in Canada, I was teaching between 4 and 6 group fitness classes a week. Here in Munich, I only teach once a week. I love it! I'm a certified group fitness instructor with CanFitPro, and I also have a Resist-A-Ball Level I certification. My favourite classes to teach are Step and Stability Ball. I can also teach High-Low (traditional floor aerobics), Body Sculpting/Muscle Conditioning (strength training/weights in a group setting), and any combination of the previous classes. The class I currently teach is Step and Tone - step choreography alternating with muscle conditioning.
   
   
4. Taking Group Fitness Classes - I also enjoy taking classes from other instructors, especially formats that I don't teach, such as Pilates, or Advanced Step. (I teach basic to intermediate step.)
   
   
5. Strength Training - I love lifting weights. I love the way it makes me feel and the way it makes me look. I like being strong! I lift heavy weights, because that is the most effective way to develop strength, and most women won't bulk up, even when lifting very heavy weights. I only know a few women who , due to their genetics, actually develop large, bulky muscles when lifting heavy. For most women, lifting heavy will just help them develop strength, acquire sculpted muscles, and burn fat. By the way, most women, unless they are genetically blessed, cannot develop "six pack" abs unless they get their body fat down to an extremely unhealthy level.
   
   
6. Reading - I'm a voracious reader. I read every night before bed - it's my way of relaxing and unwinding at the end of the day. I read mostly fantasy and historical fiction. I also enjoy reading non-fiction (history, science, running, horseback riding, etc.) but now that I'm a student again (working towards a Masters degree in Physiotherapy) I don't read as much non-fiction. I get enough of it in my studies! Some of my favourite authors are L.E. Modesitt Jr., Katherine Kurtz, Kate Elliott, R.A. Salvatore, George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, J.R.R. Tolkien, Isaac Asimov, Diana Gabaldon, Lindsey Davis, Dick Francis, and many others, too numerous to mention.
   
   
7. Comic Books - My husband is a long-time comic book collector and reader, and he introduced me to the hobby. I now enjoy reading comic books almost as much as I enjoy reading regular books. My favourite comic book creators include George Pérez, Gail Simone, Brian K. Vaughn, Greg Land, Greg Rucka, Brian Michael Bendis. Titles that I'm enjoying at the moment include Birds of Prey, 52, Civil War, Ex Machina, Fables, Jack of Fables, Knights of the Dinner Table, Queen and Country, Rex Mundi, Runaways, Artesia, Ultimate Spiderman, Y: The Last Man, Age of Bronze. Favourite past runs include George Pérez' re-launch of Wonder Woman, Marv Wolfman and George Pérez' New Teen Titans, and CrossGen's Sojourn.
   
   
8. Watching TV - Yes, I also enjoy watching TV. I mostly enjoy watching shows on Discovery, National Geographic and History channels, although my husband and I also enjoyed watching regular T.V. My all-time favourite TV show is M*A*S*H. The best show ever made, in my opinion. Shows that we currently watch include Mythbusters, Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, Smallville, Battlestar Gallactica (the new one) and the various Law & Orders.
   
   
9. Computer Games - I enjoy playing role-playing games(RPGs) such as Neverwinter Nights (1 & 2), Knights of the Old Republic (1 & 2), Oblivion, Baldur's Gate (1 & 2) and similar RPGs. I also enjoy turn-based Strategy Games such as Civilization III & IV, and City-Building Games such as Caesar IV.
   
   
10. Playing with our Sphynx Kitten, Dragonheart - Drake LOVES playing with wand toys, so we obviously need to play with him. He especially enjoys chasing anything that has feathers on the end. Of course, doing anything with Dragonheart is fun.
    
    
11. Blogging - It goes without saying, but blogging has become one of my favourite hobbies very quickly! I started a family blog first to keep in touch with our friends and family back home in Canada, then I started a blog to record my training runs, and now it has expanded from there. But I've met a lot of wonderful, friendly people through blogging, so I'm glad I started!
    
    
12. Writing - Unlike many bloggers out there, I'm not a writer, and I don't have any desire to write short stories or novels, or to ever be published, but I do participate in an interactive fiction/role-playing group called alt.starfleet.rpg. I currently have two characters that I write, a Chief Medical Officer, LCDR StarSong to-Ennien, MD, PhD; and an Operations Officer, LT Catharina Ledoux. It's a lot of fun, and I really enjoy writing with a diverse group of people to create our own adventures in the Star Trek universe.
    
    
13. Doing anything with my husband - We enjoy spending time together. Whether we're running, lifting weights, watching TV, or just doing ordinary, everyday things such as grocery shopping, we just enjoy being together. We are truly best friends and have a great time together, no matter what we're doing.
    

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Tags: Dragonheart, cats, group fitness, horseback riding, injury, memes, Thursday Thirteen, race, Sphynx, hobbies