Do these lashes make my ass look smaller?

I got up at 5:45 this morning.  Why would anyone in their right mind get up that early on a Sunday?

Well, for one thing it was the first day of the rest of my life...or at least it was the first day of the Times Colonist Health Challenge - a meet and greet held at the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence's open house...so I had to look my best.  As I haven't really worn make-up that much over the past 2 months, I needed to make sure I still remembered how to apply it!  As it turns out, I remembered.  However, I may have overdone it in the lash department.

Got to the facility, ditched my dear husband Stéphane on the first level of the complex and got escorted downstairs.  Hooked up with Shannon the Times Colonist rep first, then Bruce the photog (whom I hope enjoyed my attempt at finding the light and working my angles...har har), then Jonathan and Michelle of MIJO Sport found me.  How did they know who I was?  My reputation obviously precedes me.  Oh no...wait...the wheels are beginning to turn here...I sent the TC pictures with my application.  They must have seen those!   Lemme just deflate that big ol' head of mine a bit...and the rest of me for that matter.  That is exactly what Jonathan has been brought in to do...shrink me.  Hello, he's my personal trainer. 

MAC says:  "Natural and dramatic"

Following quick chat with Josh, my contact guy from the Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre, I was introduced to our group of 5 + 1:  Raechel, Elizabeth, Nathan, Steve and Sandra..who will be writing about all of our trials and tribulations in the TC and participating in the challenge as well!  Yay team!  All of us are very different, yet we share the same goal....get healthy!  We had our individual pictures taken and then some group shots...seriously, should have rethought the length of my false eyelashes...I think they were casting shadows over my face...or was that Nathan?  I look like a hobbit next to him, he's 6'6" and I'm 5'2".

We toured PISE and met up with our physiologists in the Canadian Sport Institute Victoria's lab...Paula and Holly gave us an orientation to each of the tests and measurements that we would be subjected to in the next week...I especially like the sound of the 30 minute rest period to determine resting metabolic rate, not so sure of the 5 stage aerobic test on the treadmill.  Ha!

Van City has also graciously offered to help us with our financial health as part of this challenge...and give us calculators and lunch bags and granola bars...thanks!  Being a MAC girl I gravitated towards one of the financial advisors in particular.  Heather's fuschia lip colour drew me in instantly, and in speaking with her I learned her dad flew Supermarine Spitfires in WWII.  It was meant to be.  We're meeting sometime next week.

And that, was that.  How did I manage to escape exercise the entire time I was there???  Super tricky dicky.  Haha...no...wait, I did walk up and down some stairs at the institute...I wasn't about to use an elevator...what would people think?

Next step is the fitness test on Tuesday.  Wish me luck!