Science Experiment - Conclusion

Well after actually 3 weeks of my science experiement, here are my findings:

Observation: Although my control wasn't quite as controlled as I had planned (I never seem to be able to get to bed a regular time.  Plus throw in some fun weekend nights - it's impossible), I feel that I did notice a difference.  Also, another variable that I didn't count on was doing work outs in the morning.  My goal is to get up and walk/run everymorning.  However this never seemed to happen as often as I'd like, as it it only happened 3 times in the last 3 weeks, ha ha, oops!  However I do feel that it played a part in my energy levels for those day.  Days that I decided I"d get up as soon as my alarm went off were reletively easy to get out of bed.  Days that I was going to snooze, even after 3, 4 or even sometimes 5 snoozes, I still was having to drag my ass out of bed.  It just never seemed like enough.

Results: I believe there is a difference in how much I struggled to get out of bed when I got out of bed at first alarm as opposed to snoozing numerous times.

Conclusion: After my extension and labour intensive experiment (ha ha, ya right), I have come to the conclusion that snoozing is infact a FOE.  Although at the time it feels glorious and you feel like you are really cheating the system by getting to sleep longer than planned (where in reality it is totally planned because I set my alarm so that I can have a distinct number of snoozes before I really have to get up and get ready so I"m not late for work - therefore, this whole process may start an hour earlier than I actually need to wake up), I feel that snoozing does not increase energy levels or limit my sleepyness for the day.  And, even though I've snoozed and unrealistically made myself feel like I got extra sleep, I still struggle to drag my carcass out of bed when it's time for me to really get up. So what did I gain.  That last hour of snoozing interuppted my last good hour of sleep. 

When I set my alarm for the correct time and knew I was getting up right away, I didn't have a sense of regret for having to leave my warm cozy bed and start my day the same way as if I had snoozed.  It just was! It wasn't a struggle!  My carcass found it much easier to get it's self up and at'em!

My energy levels and tiredess throughout the day didn't seem to depend on the snooze, or not to snooze.  They seemed to coincide with simply how much sleep I got.  And just like 'they' say (does anyone ever wonder who 'they' are....I'd like to be a 'they' someday I think, you'd get to take so much credit for things although that means you'd also get blamed for many things as well, oh well), 8 hours of sleep is best!!  This girl definetly needs her beauty sleep (you don't think I just naturally look this good do you, ha ha)

Anyways, thanks for partaking in my experiment for you commenters.  Would love to hear more comments on your snoozing, or no snoozing habits.  Do you get a full 8 hours of sleep?

10km walk = 2 day sore to walk

Sunday afternoon, Dustin and I set out for a 10km walk along the Bow River in Calgary for 2 reasons:

#1 as a finish to an activity challenge that I participated in this summer and in order to receive my winnings for being the activity challenge winner!!!! (yay for me and yay for $$$$$)

and #2 because we need to get our buts in shape which is the reason that Dustin came along.  I think he may be a little miffed that he doesn't get in on the contest winnings which in all honestly he maybe should get a portion as he did accompany me on a hike trip and a bike trip so we'll see.  Maybe I'll give him a few dollars to buy himself something nice.  ha ha  Or, maybe having a slimmer girlfriend is enough of a payback.  ha ha

It was a pretty chilly day but we dressed up and headed off.  It was a beautiful walk along the river with lots of good people watching.  As an added bonus, it gave us a chance to have a chat along the way.  For us, that's not much of a problem, we are talkers so spend a fair amount of time just 'catching up' on eachothers lives (I know most of you are laughin and thinkin this is bound to change down the road especially once kids are involved).  However I can see this being an awesome activity for every couple.  I believe that all too often our regular day pace of life makes us tend to push aside spending time and just talking with the one we love.  Going for a walk together is a perfect chance to do that.  You can get active, enjoy being outside and you have nothing better to do but to catch up on eachothers lives and just visit - like friends, rather than like roommates and parents.  I think it's times like that when we force ourselves to slow down and enjoy life - that we can keep our souls happy, and inturn create better relationships in our lives.

Now being that neither of us have been doing much physical activity recently (as in we are lazy bums), we were sure to stretch at the beginning, stretch and the middle and stretch at the end of our walk.  We had a turn back point (bridge) that could have cut our walk shorter, but once we reached it we were still feelin spry and figured we could continue on the whole way.  About 4 km left, our bodies started 'speaking' to us.  At about 2 km left, our bodies started 'screaming' at us.  We decided to try a little jog to get other muscles moving and that did help for a bit - until our out of shape lungs started 'speaking' to us to!!  For the last 1km we were definetly feeling it in our legs.  We spent most of that last km talking about how glad we were that we did this.  How great it'll feel to be done, how we're going to try to increase our activity levels from now on.  This positive thinking helped us make it back to the car!  The warm car!  Even though I had my heart rate up, I still had frozen fingers and a body chill that was tough to shake!

We did it!  And we're proud of it!  We realized that we definetly need to get into better shape and increase our activity levels.  Hopefully we can stick to that plan and come spring (more enjoyable walking weather) we can do our 10km walk again and see how far we've come!

2 halloweens, 2 costumes, 2 times the fun!

Well I had another awesome halloween.  We went out both nights, which in my world, meant 2 costumes!!

Friday night we went to a family/community dance in Airdrie.  We dressed up as trailer trash/hillbillys.  Dustin's costume was awesome.  Even his own family hardly recognized him.  I got a few evil looks at the bar where we went for a quick drink aftewards so obviously my pregnant belly looked somewhat real.  It was lots of fun watching the kids dressed up and having fun dancing.

Saturday night we went to a friends housewarming/halloween party.  He went all out on decorations and had his DJ lights, music, strobe light and fog machine set up to totally set the creepy, spooky halloween mood.  Dustin put on a mask and sat at the bottom of the steps to scare all the innocent treak or treaters.  It was great to watch the kids enjoy (and be frightened) by it all.

I dressed up as an 80's work out chick and Dustin dusted off his old Boy Scout uniform (well only some of the orgininal uniform).  They were fun costumes.  I loved my hair and makeup.

Our friend Thomas had the best costume.  He dressed up as the boys' hero: Captain Morgan:

The weekend was wrapped up with Dustin's neice and brother-in-law's birthday supper which was lots of fun.  So it was an awesome Halloween weekend!  I'm already looking forward to next year - thinking of what I can dress up as.  I hope you all had a spooktacular weekend as well!

Science Experiment

For me, the toughest part of the day is that moment when you have to make yourself get up out of bed.  So I usually end up pressing snooze for 2 or 3 times, putting off the enevitable.  But I've wondered if it's really doing me any good, or is it making me feel worse in the long run.  So I decided to do a little experiment.

Questions: SNOOZE BUTTON - FRIEND OR FOE?  Does pressing snooze on your alarm clock in the morning actually leave you feeling more rested?

Hypothesis:  After being a cronic snooze pusher for many years now, I'm starting to question if it allows for longer, more restful sleep, or does it in fact leave you feeling dopy, drowsy and low on energy to start your day.  I am starting to think it's the latter of the two is true.

Variables: snooze, or no snooze

Control: I will go to bed at the same time each night, allowing for the equal number of hours of sleep

Materials: Bed, alarm clock

Procedure: For one week I will get up way my alarm first goes off. For the second week I will hit snooze 3 times before waking up.

Oberservation: stay tuned to my observation in a future post

Results: stay tuned to my observation in a future post

Conclusion: stay tuned to my observation in a future post

I'd love to hear any comments you may have.  Are you a snoozer?  Do you bounce right up?  Notice a difference one way or the other?