Out & About #802 | Snow, Pilates + GYGO Nerf Challenge

​Feelings of frigidity ought to have forecasted its arrival: flurries flitted into view on Sunday morning, supposed having commenced the evening prior. Few specks remained on the ground though, for external temperatures promoted a dissolution rate proportional to their descent.

​​Dreariness and dull grey over my head, I readied myself for pilates, shimmying into the hoodie of the sleepy polar bear I had hurriedly demanded to combat the chilly return ride of the evening prior. Much to my excitement, the warmup series would incorporate the Bosu ball once again: 40 counts of walking, then 20 counts of running with an immediate swap to the other starting leg. Side leg lifts, oblique crunches, and genie twists for the transverse abs sealed off the Bosu section.

With the footbar in the lowest position, gear bar in the second position, and stopped in the third, we proceeded onto core work. A foam roller was placed underneath the hips, laid horizontally to intersect the Carriage at 90 degrees. The addition would summon an imprint pelvis as to prevent shifting of the foam roller. Prepwork involved lifting one leg to tabletop position, then drawing circles with the knee. These circles were executed in a counter-clockwise direction for 15 counts, then clockwise for 20 counts. Clicking could be audibly heard in the right hip, prompting instructions to reduce the range of motion (lessen the circle diameter). From there, the following ensued:

• Single leg toe touches from the tabletop position
• Double leg toe touches from tabletop position (required checking of foam roller position)
• Double leg lifts - as far as could be maintained but not all the way (blogilates-style) since form was not to be compromised

​Shifting the foam against the shoulder rest, side-lying thigh exercises were conducted. Threading the top foot through the hand straps, the leg was lifted to hip height while maintaining knees bent at 90 degrees for both legs. Maintaining a neutral pelvis, we would:

• Extend the top leg in "one long line", then return to the starting position
• Keeping the top leg extended, bring the leg in front of the body while maintaining the neutral pelvis, then return to the lifted "one long line" position
• With the upper foot in a turnout position, raise the leg up towards the ceiling, then bring it back down to the body (adduction) for engagement of the inner thighs

These were, quite literally, a pain in the butt. The instructor had used one blue spring for the right hip and increased the tension with one more white spring for the left side to rectify muscle imbalance, but its impacts weren't as drastic as I had expected. Rather, it was more challenging with the right leg lifting and left hip planted on the Carriage, as hip stability played a vital role in maintaining stillness of the pelvis.

Modifying the routine to engage the upper body, the top hand was threaded through the tension strap. The starting position involved the upper arm extended at shoulder height, perpendicular to the body. Exhaling, the strap would be pulled towards the hip (adduction), then back to shoulder height. Notable shakiness was witnessed in the dominant right arm, even more so than the left. Weakness in the right wrist and shoulder were not unexpected due to my recent lack of diligence in stretching and resistance band usage, though I did find it peculiar that the left side showed greater stability. Tenderness in the triceps, chest, and shoulder was then felt for the subsequent four days.

Utilizing the Reformer Box in the Long box position facing the footbar, we continued with exercises  for upper body mobility: lateral shoulder raises with the palms facing upward and chest pullbacks ("gathering of the wings"!).

With the Reformer Box in the Short Box position angled over foot bar, such that the long edge was elevated slightly, and feet placed atop shoulder rests, bridges were conducted at low spring levels. The exercise was a true testament of body control. We would then push out the Carriage while in bridge position and retract, isolating the hamstrings while engaging the largest glute muscles.

Side stretches in mermaid position were then executed on both sides, facing perpendicular from the Carriage, followed by a standing hamstring stretch (pedalling the feet) and slow-and-steady rolldown to finish.

En route back to the west side of the GTA, I opted to detour for a sweet, icy beverage. Palgong's Mint Chocolate Smoothie was too far, Gong Cha's lack of parking proved annoying, and CoCo wasn't particularly on the way. Stifling these desires, I eventually found myself at Esso, then laid eyes on Circle K.

I was reminded of a modification made aware to the sleepy polar on a site visit: an Iced Capp with Chocolate Milk. Resist did I not, but enjoy did I neither. The purchase was swiftly made, granting a sip of insane sugariness amidst barely perceivable notes of coffee. I lifted the paper straw just enough to catch the topmost section of the drink, allowing the stickiest, densest parts to fall to the bottom. Eventually, I could withstand the sweetness-induced headaches no longer, forfeiting the monstrosity to the instigator.

Scrambling to render myself somewhat presentable, I donned a fuzzy sweater, some glitter, and sports leggings in preparation for a brief meeting with one of the July babies. 

At seeing the former Playdium space adopt a new identity as an interactive games establishment, I relayed my eagerness to the likeliest of potential companions.

Nerf Challenge, a member of the GYGO! (Get Your Game On!) group, revealed itself a colourful space bustling with families with young children and a plethora of Nerf guns for redemption. I had attempted to sign the e-waiver in advance of our visit, though quickly realized it would be easier to complete the process in person in the absence of a Reservation Code, which was assigned for group bookings/birthday parties only.

​In advance of reviewing "package" options for credits, we were invited to tour the playing grounds and review the number of required credits per game. Most games were priced around 25 credits, with the priciest being a shooting challenge at 100 credits. We settled on the Mega package comprising of 500 credits, as unused balances could be carried over for future visits. Flimsy, single-use wristbands were printed for our visit, as opposed to the reusable strap or card I had been expecting. A chip was embedded underneath the logo of the wristband, allowing user accounts to be accessed by members of staff hosting the games. As wristbands would be tossed after each visit, it appeared that user accounts were unbound by physical forms of account recognition, and instead existed on the server to be re-associated with a wristband number in the next visit.

We made a beeline for the obstacle course, as it had been the most appealing attraction to us in the research phase. Admittedly, it was smaller than the video had led us to believe. Nevertheless, we excitedly observed while queuing for our turn.

The course operated in a duel format, with each participant starting the timer with the press of a buzzer. Through a plastic tube we would travel, next propelling ourselves onto monkey bars, then dangling ropes, and, lastly, a netted wall. In my head, my speed appeared slower than in reality. I desired quick navigation and zealously dove into the plastic tube, earning myself a scraped elbow with the first game of the day. The course wasn't overly difficult, as it had been intended for kids, though participants with longer limbs have the benefit of swinging from one platform to another.

We then moved onto kicking inflatable footballs to hit targets, swinging at balls hovering in an air tunnel, shooting targets with Nerf guns, and basketball (fit for my height!). These activities were conducted within netted partitions, such that any loose balls or bullets would remain within the game space instead of flying in all directions. Safety glasses were also provided - and mandated - for any shooting games. Despite the soft material of the Nerf bullets, any material can be dangerous with momentum, and the safety addition was well appreciated.

Towards the end of our stay, we attempted life-sided foosball. With only one member on each team though, it was incredibly difficult to protect the goal while moving linearly. It was concluded that the game be more enjoyable when played with full teams of six.

Arcade games such as whack-a- ̶m̶o̶l̶e̶ zombie were also made available for 10 credits. They were situated beside the former rest area, allowing tired parents to try their hand at low-intensity coordination. Some games were boarded off during our visit, with more attractions promised in the upcoming months.

We cast a quick glance at the redemption zone, found nothing beyond Nerf guns and accessories, before venturing outside for fresh air. While ideal for young children with tremendous amounts of energy, the compact excursion had left me fatigued after a morning of pilates.
Nerf Challenge was a kid-friendly space intended to hone one's aim and hand-eye coordination through various shooting and athletic courses. Beyond shooting games though, I must admit that there wasn't too much variety.

At the BeaverTails stall immediately outside the establishment, we found a pick-me-up in the form of the classic Killaloe Sunrise. Thinner, dryer, and less lemony than I recalled, we braved the cinnamon sugar shower while exchanging quick recounts of recent happenings.

​Parting ways as a few droplets were felt, I took residual hunger in the direction of T&T.

A $5.99 Egg Salad Sandwich was evaluated momentarily, then returned to the fridge in favour of more economic $1.99 Corn & Sausage Bun.

The skies cleared shortly afterwards, yielding the coveted gradient of summer sunsets: citrusy streaks in the late evening hours and cotton candy skies at dusk.