Food and Water

I have read blogs of people who have said how they used to drink so many soft drinks and now their drink of choice is water and I used to think, yeah right, like someone would choose water over a soft drink if they used to drink that much.

I have to confess - I now choose water over soft drinks !!!!!

When those people who know me read this - please don't fall off your chair - I know how totally unbelievable that statement is - but I also know that it is true.

With the eating plan that I was doing in conjunction with the naturopath, I only drank water for the first 23 days. And I was hanging out for a Coke Zero / Pepsi Max - I didn't really care which one, I just wanted a soft drink. And then I had the soft drink - and 4-6 mouthfuls later, I gave it to A because I couldn't handle the bubbles ! And I said to myself - it is just because you haven't had any for a while, don't worry, you'll feel like drinking more soon. And I sort of persevered because I got tired of drinking only water (I don't drink tea or coffee) but I really don't enjoy them that much. If I have a choice now, I will take a bottle of water over a soft drink.

I do occasionally drink one or part of one because I just need a change from water but more often than not I get dreadful heart burn and I would rather have the taste of water than the heart burn.

I have also noticed as I have been introducing additional foods into my eating plan, there are foods which just don't agree with me - not necessarily from a weight point of view but from an "I don't like how I feel when I eat that" point of view. An unsettled and queasy stomach is a good sign that whatever I just ate does not agree with me and I should probably cut it out of my diet. I have been a bit slack this weekend eating more than I should as well as some foods that I shouldn't but tomorrow is a new day and I have the fridge and pantry stocked with the foods that are nice to my body.

I am trying out some protein bars because the naturopath and my trainer have spoken a fair bit about how I need to increase my protein intake to help build the muscles that I am using with the training that I am doing. I am really not a protein person so thought if I could use protein bars to help get the extra protein in, that would be good. Can anyone recommend good protein bars for exercising ? I am also looking into using some protein powders in my breakfast smoothies - any recommendations ? My trainer sells Usana products but they are quite expensive - so if anyone has any suggestions for me, I would really appreciate hearing from you.

I also need to find out what the correct ration of protein to carbs is that I should look for in the protein bars.

I am sitting here now chuckling to myself - if anyone had EVER told me that I would choose a bottle of water over a soft drink or be talking about eating protein bars and using protein powders, I would have bet a million to one that they were off their heads !!!!! Lucky I never made that bet !

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have the best week ever !

TFTD : You are in integrity when the life you are living on the outside matches who you are on the inside - Alan Cohen

Things I Know

This evening I am linking up with Dorothy from Singular Insanity with a post on Things I Know !!

Tonight I feel like I could conquer the world !

I got home from work and A was busy working on a project in the garage.  I said to him that I was going to go for a run.  His reply "In the rain ?" and I said yes.  I think he was a little surprised - probably not as surprised as me !!!!

I got changed, got my phone and got out there.

I got into a rhythm quite quickly.  I got into the zone with my breathing.  It was fan-friggin-tastic !

I felt like I could have run forever.

I landed up running 7.28km - at a pace a little slower than I would have liked but given it was raining, I took it carefully so that I didn't fall and injure myself.

Yes I got wet but I didn't melt.  Yes I got a bit cold but I got home, cooled down and had a warm shower.  Now I am sitting in my jarmies, under the blanket and I am happy.  We have had dinner and I have exercised - which means my one day of rest gets to be pulled out and used another day - maybe tomorrow or maybe Sunday BUT definitely one of the days because I have learned that rest days are just as, if not more important, than exercise days.

I know that I can run. 

I know that with the right equipment my running is so much better.

I know that I am really happy that I found the app that gets me moving because I LOVE seeing the numbers at the end of my runs. I love hearing my splits and my pace and my speed.

I know that I have the most amazing support team in the form of my family and my on-line friends who are always encouraging and motivating me to keep moving.

I know that I am fitter and healthier than I have been for many many years - and I love it.  I love that my body is responding to my healthier eating and my exercise.

I love that I have learned that a rest day is not a lazy day - it is a day that my body needs to recover from the exercise that I have put it through.

Thanks Dorothy for hosting the link for Things I Know !

Have the best weekend ever and if you are on the Gold Coast - don't forget your brolly and your wellies !!!!

TFTD : Trust yourself.  You know more than you think you do.  Dr Spock

Fitness Friday !

You may be wondering why I have a picture of  The Matrix for Fitness Friday (I never even saw the movie !!!) but I have it because on Tuesday night my trainer did a matrix with me.  Then, as he was away last night, I did it by myself at home.  I can definitely feel that I used muscles in a way I haven't used them for a while because I had a wonderful case of DOMS yesterday - not so much today but that may be because air boxing isn't quite the same as real boxing !!!

This is how it goes :

2 push ups

2 squat jumps

2 V sit ups

Then increase by 2 for each exercise so you do 4, then 6, then 8 then 10 reps of each exercise.

After that you do

50 straight out punches each arm

50 unders each arm

50 straight out punches each arm

Then go back to the above starting at 10 reps for each exercise, then 8, then 6, then 4, then 2.

Then you do the punches again.

As I said, last night I didn't find it quite as strenuous as Tuesday night - maybe because it was a little cooler and maybe because doing 600 air punches is nothing like doing 600 actual punches although I did concentrate on relaxing my shoulders, tightening my core and keeping my balance.  (I so hope the neighbours weren't listening or peeking over the top of the fence from their kitchen as they would have wondered what on earth was going on.  His neighbours are used to us huffing and puffing and hitting our way through our half hour of training twice a week at his house !!!!)

When I got home from work yesterday I really didn't want to exercise.  K was going to exercise with me but she is still fighting off a cold and was complaining of a crampy stomach so had begged off exercising with me.  I was eager for A to get home and eventually thought that would pass at least 20 mins of the time so I did it - and I was glad because I would have hated to use my one training free day of the week when A wasn't even home.  Now I can still pull that card out tonight or tomorrow or Sunday - maybe tonight if this bloody rain doesn't stop !

I am pleased that even though I didn't really feel like exercising I just did it - mainly to do with 'the girls' in my head so thanks to all of you !!!!  Without you there motivating and cheering me on I don't think I would have been a*sed and I would have just sat on the couch and read my book waiting for A to arrive home !!!  He is at home today - I wish I could have stayed at home too !!!!  Never mind, just now I will get to go home and spend the evening curled up on the couch watching footy or baseball and just enjoying having him home again.

Linking in with Kate from katesaysstuff for Fitness Friday on the blog hop except I have absolutely no bloody idea how to load a blog hop so please hop across to her and blog hop from there !!!

Have the best Friday ever - wherever you are !

TFTD : A friend is a gift you give to yourself.

BFFs

Right this minute A is on his way home - he left Townsville at 5pm last night.  Drove through to Rockhampton to sleep.  Left there at 5am this morning (never mind the 10 hr break between shifts) and is driving home as I type this !  I am so excited !!!!

This man is my best friend. He is the reason I have accomplished so much because he supports me and encourages me and stands by me through thick and thin. 

He is the one who changed the poo nappies and cleaned up the vomit because he knew if he didn't, he would have to clean up my vomit as well.

He is the one who played Leggo for hours on end while I read my book because I am not that good with children - not even my own.

He is the one who has held my hair out my eyes when I have been sick, cooked when I couldn't be a*sed, held me and comforted me when I felt like it was all just too much.

He is the one who pushes me to achieve when I feel like I am not good enough because he knows that I am.

He is the one who challenges me when I get pissy about things and brings me back to reality when I go off with the fairies for too long.

He is my rock, my reason for living, my everything and I miss him so much when he is not home.

Linking in with Kate from katesaysstuff for Thankful Thursday - THANK YOU A for always being there for me and for being the best friend that I could ever have.  You bring out the best of me while knowing what the worst of me is like and, with you, I can be so much more than I ever thought possible. 

TFTD : Don't take for granted things closest to your heart.  Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

 

Linking in with Josefa at Always Josefa for Conversations over Coffee because I haven't had time to post a new entry !!



This Morning

 

Last night I finally switched my light off at 2.05am - needless to say I didn't want to get up this morning.  I woke up at about 6.15, rolled over and then it was 7.10 and I said I would get up at 7.30.  Well that became 8.00 and that became 8.23 before I managed to drag my lazy butt out of bed.  I let the dogs in and got my gear ready and was busy getting dressed when K asked me if I was going to run tonight.  I said no, I was going to run to Gogo and Papa this morning, then do the tax returns and then RELAX.  She asked if I would like her to come with me and I said I was just about to ask if she wanted to join me !

She got up and after getting herself organised, we were off.  She had said that she would run with me until we got to the road that my folks live in but she can't help herself - when we are running she has to go ahead.  Mind you, I keep telling her not to run at my pace and to run her own pace - so about 1.5km into the run, she took off and never looked back !!!!  I love that she wants to run with me in the first place and don't care that she is so much quicker than I am.

I had changed the interval from 1 min walk / 1 min 30 sec run to 1 min walk / 2 min run - who would have thought that 30 secs more of running would make such a big difference !!!!  I wasn't sure exactly how far it was to my folks place - I thought about 5 kms, so set my intervals for 36 mins because I figured if I am running just under 7 mins/km, that would be about right.  Well I got about 100m away from their place when my last interval started so I ran past, turned around and ran back and it was 36 mins 26 sec.  Pace was 7.05min/km which I was reasonably happy with given the longer distance and the fact that I have been running for less than 3 weeks.  We went and knocked on their door only to find that they weren't there !!!  We went and sat on the verandah and called them - they had come around to our house to visit - luckily we are only 5.14kms away and so they came back, met us along the road as we started to walk home, picked us up and dropped us at home.

While I was running and listening to the splits as I hit each km mark, I was thinking about how I was feeling and wanting to go faster and then thinking about how much more difficult it was running for 2 mins instead of running for 1 min 30 secs.  Then I thought about my Dad who ran The Comrades Marathon - 10 times - it is a 90km race between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.  He also ran the 100 Miler once or twice - can you imagine running 100 miles - straight.  He must have been off his head.  While I was little, I never realised just what these achievements were, all I knew was that Dad was never home because he was always training.  Now that I am running, I can really appreciate just how fit he was and how much it must have cost him (and my Mom) to do those races - in time and training and gear although he ran is these horrible Tiger shoes that were as flat as pancakes with no support and stank to high heaven !!! 

The whole thought process while I was running made me realise that old saying "the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step" is so true - yes, maybe I am only running 3-5kms each time I go out, yes, I have only signed up for a 4km race on 13th May, yes my pace is not fantastic when I walk/run BUT I should give myself credit for actually getting out there and trying and, if my distances and times are not that flash now, imagine how much I can improve on them as I train more !!!!  I am trying to love myself for what I am achieving and not beat myself up for what I feel are short comings - because we all have to start somewhere and I have made my start.  I have the support of my family and my friends (most especially my on-line friends), I have the right gear, I have the motivation and I know that I am going to get better at running.

I have managed really well to maintain my weight.  I am going back to the naturopath tomorrow for the next lot of food I can start to introduce - carbs and sugars - so now it will be interesting to see how I manage to maintain.  I am really starting to accept my current weight as the weight that I probably will try to stay at - I am getting used to the idea that I will probably never be a 60's girl again.  For me the big plus is that I am accepting how I look. I am turning into a bit of a window whore - checking myself out when I walk past a window !!  It has been many years since I was even game to look at myself in a window !!!!

I am very grateful today to the Anzac's who fought for the country that I call home - who continue to protect this land so that we can lead the fantastic life that we do.  Enjoy the rest of Anzac Day and take care !

TFTD :  Set your goals high and don't stop until you get there - Bo Jackson

Getting Back Into My Groove

Well that title may be a little pre-emptive but no point in not being positive about how I am going !

I think that because A is still not home I am keen to get out the house and do something.  When he left two weeks ago, the plan was that they would be home yesterday.  No such luck - they are HOPING to be home by Friday !!!!!  Jeez, as much as I enjoy spending time with K and doing things with her, I miss him so much and can't wait for him to get home again. 

I have really enjoyed the runs that I have had since Sunday.  I still need to work on my breathing because I am nowhere near as good at that as I was before my knee injury.  I can feel when my breathing is going well how much better I run so I am making that a priority when I run - concentrate on my breathing and let my legs take care of themselves !

I have recently bought a couple more pairs of pants, a couple more sports bras, another (really good bargain) running top and think that the only thing that I may need to look at getting are some socks - I can't make up my mind if my socks feel comfortable or not.  I have a couple of pairs that I use - sometimes the thinner socks work but sometimes my feet feel like they could do with just a little more cushioning - maybe it has to do with the distance that I am running.  I don't know but I am going to start making a note of how my feet feel in the socks I am wearing and the distance that I am running and take it from there.

Tomorrow I plan to run to my folks who live (I think) about 5km away from us - not sure exactly but am guessing that is about how far it is.  When I get there, hopefully they will be there, because I am going to see if they will drop me back at home as I won't be able to run home again after that (not yet anyway - give me a couple more weeks months and I am sure I will be able to run there - see them and run home again - just not yet !!!).

When I get home I am going to get these bloody tax returns finished.  I started them on Easter Friday but was missing stuff and so just gave up.  Now that I have managed to locate everything I need, I just have to bloody well do them.  The incentive for me is that I have said I can read for the rest of the day - ONCE THEY ARE DONE !!!!  And, my book is getting really interesting so a good incentive I hope.

My trainer was really good tonight - worked me quite hard - especially picked on my form which is always good because otherwise sometimes I think I just slack off a little.  He commented on how much smaller I looked which was nice because I didn't think that I was any smaller than the last time I saw him over 10 days ago.

To those people who read this in Australia or New Zealand, I hope you have a wonderful Anzac Day tomorrow - I won't be going to any services but I will give thanks for the wonderful people in the armed forces who protect this fantastic country that I live in.

TFTD : Stop trying to fit in when you were born to stand out.

Finally - A Run



(This is not me - just in case you were wondering !!!)

Well today I finally managed to get out there and do some running - YAY !!!!  It has been 6 days since I last ran and it has been too long BUT I know that I did the right thing for my body - it needed to heal and it needed the rest and I am so glad that I listened to it (maybe I am learning something in my old age !!!)

I didn't run this morning because I had a really unsettled night with my stomach last night but after watching some baseball (bugger Yankees beat Red Sox in a game that they should never have lost !!) and doing some shopping, I got home and went and did some interval training - and it was great !  I know I did the right thing with resting last week because of how good I felt today.  I could have run further but didn't want to over-do it seeing as I hadn't exercised for a while.  So I landed up doing 3.46km in 23mins 57 secs with average of 6 min 55 secs per km - definitely a time I am happy with.

Now to make sure I stay as healthy as I can for the next couple of weeks so that I can train to the best of my ability for the MDC on 13th May.  I don't want to have any excuses for a bad run - I want it to be the best that I can produce on the day.

Today I went to Harbourtown and found a top for $5.  K had previously bought it for me for $15 marked down from $25 so a great bargain - gotta love bargains like that !!  I also bought a couple more pairs of running pants - knee length - it is too hard trying to make sure that I wash at least every second day so that I have clothes to exercise in - a few more pairs of pants will help with that.

Have the best week you possibly can !  For those in Australia and New Zealand, it is only a four day week with a holiday on Wednesday - and maybe the chance for me to have a longer run ?????

TFTD : A slight shift in perspective yields radically different results.

Trying To Stay Positive

This past week has not been an easy one for me.  A is away and wanting to come home - I want him home but the reality is he is away and we have to deal with it until he gets home.  I reminded him that he has to vote next Saturday and if he isn't home by then his work can pay the fine that he will receive because he was supposed to be coming home on Monday !  I have had enough of this ......(reminder to self - alternative is unemployment ........) maybe I will just have to deal with him not being here !

Today was the first day since Tuesday I have managed to keep some food inside me - that was until I went out to a 50th birthday dinner ...................... at an Indian restaurant !!  The food was OK - definitely not worth waiting nearly two hours to get our main meals served (there were only 10 of us and the restuarant wasn't that busy).  Not sure if it was just the Indian food or the fact that I ate too quickly because I was hungry, but my stomach didn't feel all that flash by the time dessert was served (I didn't have any) but I have spent more time in the bathroom since I got home than I have in any other room !!!

I was feeling so much better today - I very nearly went for a run tonight - instead I went and bought a pair of boots and then bought a lovely winter jacket - got home and got ready to go out to dinner.  I am planning a run on Sunday but am bracing myself in case I am not able to.  I was OK with not exercising this week because I have not been well but I was so looking forward to a run on Sunday - now I just hope I can deal with not running if I am still feeling crook then.  On top of that, if I don't start getting better real soon - like by tomorrow - A is going to be nagging me to go to the dr but I have too much planned for tomorrow to worry about going to the doctor. 

This is not a pity post - it is just the way it is.  And I need to deal with it and move on.  To all those people who see me as inspirational (why I have absolutely no bloody idea), I am so sorry that I haven't been able to provide much in the way of inspiration lately - only one run this week and it was a cr*ppy one at that BUT I guess some weeks are just like that.  The trick for me is accepting that it is OK not to exercise when I am sick.

TFTD : Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good, try to use ordinary situations - Jean Paul Richter

Fitness Friday

Well my post today isn't so much about fitness from what I have done but more about fitness from what I haven't done ! 

I went for one cr*ppy run on Monday night and that is all I have done courtesy of a tummy bug that I have had since Tuesday lunch time !  I have done no training and the amazing thing is that, on some level for me, that is OK.  I have finally come to the realisation that sometimes training is not the best thing I can do for my body - sometimes resting is the best thing I can do for my body and that is what I have done this week.

Tomorrow will be a big walking day - K and I are planning to go to Brisbane, park at Southbank and walk across to Queen Street Mall.  Walk around there and shop if the need arises.  Then walk back to the car - drive across to the Gabba - or at least to a parking within walking distance of the Gabba.  Find somewhere to eat.  Go to watch the Suns (very possibly) beat the Lions.  Then walk back to the car and come home.

Sunday is the first day that I am looking at to get running again.

Sometimes rest is better for me than exercise - at least this week it was !

Linking in with a blog hop at katesaysstuff (even though I don't know how to load the blog hop but ask that you hop across and blog hop from her !!!)

Have the best weekend possible !

TFTD : You don't have to make anything happen.  Just align with what wants to happen and let it.

Thankful Thursday

I know that Kate is busy packing so don't know if she has a post for Thankful Thursday but just in case she does - this is my post for TT.

I am thankful that my husband has a job - even if it means that he often has to work away from home for long periods of time because Optus / Telstra have not released any sites closer to home.  I am thankful for this because the alternative to working away from home is being unemployed and we have had enough of that in the past couple of years.

I am thankful when he is away that I get to spend a lot more time with DD who turns 20 in a few weeks as I am sure that it won't be too long before she is more interested in doing things without me tagging along.  Yes, I could spend the time with her when A is at home, but it doesn't always work out like that so I cherish each moment that I spend with her, knowing that it won't be too long before the time I get to spend with her will be less and less and the time I have with A will be more and more !

TFTD : Those who worry about being too selfish are in the least danger of it !

Not Feeling That Flash

The past couple of days have had me seeing a lot more of the bathroom than I actually wanted to - but the alternative was not pretty - so the inside of the bathroom I saw !

I have had the dreaded tummy bug that has been sweeping the Coast.  Yesterday felt like absolute cr*p - so much so I finished work, drove home, put my new flannelette jarmies on and was curled up on the couch by just before 5pm.  I stayed there until 8.30 when I went to bed - unheard of for me to go to bed much before midnight !!!! 

This morning I went to work - not so much because I felt better - but because the BAS returns are due on Monday and I still have two companies that I haven't closed for March because the director keeps putting off making a decision about entries that she wants processed between the two companies.  And, because they affect the GST, I can't close until she makes up her mind.  Today she finally decided how to treat the entries and made a decision on the value of the transactions for me to process.  Unfortunately I could only manage to get one company finished and closed today which means that I need to finish the other company tomorrow or Friday - if I feel like this tomorrow I think it may be Friday before I finally get all the March accounts finished (except I do have an appointment with the osteo at 8am).

I am doing really well at listening to my body and accepting that it is OK for me to put my exercise on hold.  It is not on hold because I am being lazy and don't want to exercise.  It is on hold because my body needs to rest and heal in order for me to exercise when it is healed and rested.  Today I was going to run because I had actually put it in my diary but then when I thought about it I realised that it really wouldn't be the smartest thing I could do - so I didn't - and the best thing is THAT IT IS OK that I didn't.  My trainer got hold of me tonight to see how I was because I wasn't able to train last night and he said that unless there is a drastic improvement tomorrow he would rather I didn't train tomorrow either but just rest and get better.

I took some crackers to work today but they didn't really do the job and didn't manage to stay in too long so will see how I go tomorrow.  Hopefully there will be at least some improvement and then maybe on Friday I can do just a shortish run - just to be able to get out there and do something.  Not that I have really missed it the last two days - the last thing I have felt like it doing anything more strenuous than lying in front of the TV !!!

I loved this TFTD when I read it this morning :
TFTD : When you are just interested in something, you do it only when it is convenient.  When you are committed, you accept only results, not excuses - Ken Blanchard

It's Changed !!!

Baaa Humbug - blogspot has changed !!!  Just when I was used to where I had to go to do things, they change it all around.  Hopefully it won't take too long to get used to it.

No training tonight as I have a dodgy stomach and all I want to do is go home, put on my flannelette jarmies and get into bed - only an hour to go and then I will be out of here.

Take care and have the best evening possible !

Self Sabotage - AT.IT'S.BEST !!!

Since Friday I have done my very best to self sabotage the journey that I am on. I have done my very best to stuff up the hard work that I have put in over the past 6 or 7 weeks. I have done my very best to treat my body with disrespect and horror and yet it still loves me and gave me results that absolutely astound and amaze me.

Fridays are often difficult days because I am generally in the office on my own which means that it is easier to eat things I shouldn't because there is nobody there watching me (or so I feel anyway - I bet nobody in the office actually gives a rats bum about what I do or don't eat). The problem for me is the jar of solid Easter eggs that is on the receptionist's desk - which I 'hid' in the pantry cupboard on Wednesday - but seeing as I was the one who hid them, they were pretty easy to find on Friday. One egg became two eggs became four eggs became six eggs before I went enough is enough. Actually - in between the six eggs was three scotch fingers.

Then, because I hadn't had enough sugar for one day given how little sugar I have eaten over said 6 or 7 weeks, when I went to the shops after work and had to wait for my car to be ready, I stopped at the local Japanese bakery (I wish they wouldn't keep opening up in local shopping centres - I find it EXTREMELY difficult to walk past and not buy anything) - I bought a donut and a coconut cake (because I am actually allowed coconut !!!! - Not sure about the whole cake thing though !!!) - and a Coke Zero - and I proceeded to sit in the food court and read my book and eat my purchases.

Needless to say by the time I finished eating them I felt very, very green around the gills. So off to get my car and come home. I KNEW that, as much as I didn't want to run in the rain, I had to get out there to counter-act the cr*p that I had eaten during the day. But, it was raining, and I didn't want to run in the rain. Lots of head talk happening about whether I should or shouldn't run in the rain but eventually one part of me reminded me that I wouldn't melt in the rain and it would just mean that I would have to run without my glasses which could be a little dodgy - so if I offended the two cars who hooted as they went past by not waving back, I'm sorry - but I couldn't see who you were and I don't wave at strangers !!!!! I had set an interval training session on Runkeeper of 1m running, 1m 30s walking - after the first interval I realised that they were the wrong way around and so I changed them to running 1m 30s and walking 1m. And I ran. I ran all the way to the round about at Paradise Point - and then realised that I was going to get home too soon - so took a detour - big mistake. I did well until I hit the 4.5km mark - then I got tired - but I carried on until I got home at 6.32km in 48:34 mins.

The amazing thing is that even though I am not supposed to be eating sugar or carbohydrates - I was still down on the scales the next day. Had an early start to collect my folks from the airport so no breakfast until after we had dropped them at home and sat chatting for a couple of hours - then too lazy to make a smoothie so bought two croissants from the local bakery and had those for breakfast. By lunch time I was still feeling lazy so had a piece of cheese and some nuts for lunch !!!

We were going to the Suns game on Saturday night so had 1/3 of a quiche Lorraine that we had bought from Woollies. It was such a great game that, even though we lost, we got home and celebrated by eating some more solid Easter eggs !!!!!!!

Saturday was my rest day so no exercise which probably didn't make me feel better but I have come to realise that rest days are even more important when exercising than the exercise itself.

This morning I woke up and jumped on the scale - and I was down again - taking me to the lowest weight I have been since 2007. I was really pleased although totally puzzled as to how this is happening. Listened to the weather and it was raining. I had planned to cycle this morning before going out to meet friends. Part of me wanted to cycle and part of me thought that the sensible thing to do was not cycle. Thank goodness the sensible part of me won that debate - I could be writing this from hospital if it hadn't !!!!!!!

I had so enjoyed those croissants yesterday I was very tempted to have them again today but then realised I was just being lazy - so I made my strawberry and blueberry smoothie and was on my way. At Robina I went past The Cookie Man - well actually I didn't go past - I stopped and I bought 3 macaroon biscuits and 3 brandy snaps - why - because I was starving. Why didn't I make a better choice ? I have absolutely no idea. Am I feeling invincible ? Not really - I enjoyed them but not so much that I couldn't have done without them.

I met up with another friend at the centre instead of the park where we were going to meet because the weather was so cr*ppy and then landed up having chicken burgers from Grill'd (they do make the best chicken burgers)

I got home at about 4.40 and all I could think about was getting on my bike and trying to burn some calories off. I had a great ride - it was a little windy

So, over the past three days I have done everything I can to sabotage my weight loss journey - and I have no idea why. I have been in such a great head space lately and I can't work out why I feel the need to go out and BUY things that I know I shouldn't be eating - because it isn't as though they make me feel that good in the first place.  I know that it is going to come back and bite me on the butt sometime soon - I just don't know when.  Maybe if I can stick to my exercise plan of exercising 6 days out of 7 - maybe I will burn off the excess calories - maybe not - time will tell.  Until then, tomorrow is a new day which I will tackle with more respect for my body and my journey.

Have the best week ever - not sure how I am going to handle working 5 days this week - it is going to be hard !!!!!  Hopefully I won't have to use food to get through it. (Not sure if my TFTD is that I shouldn't worry about the 'extras' I have eaten over the past three days - maybe I have to just put them behind me now and move on !!)

TFTD :  What would you be doing differently if your first priority was living today to it's fullest ?

The Right Stuff

A has always been of the opinion that if you are going to do something, you should have the right tools to do it.  Me - not so much.  I am a make do kind of girl. 

When we first moved to Australia, and we were renting, we used to spend a lot of weekends hiking through the local national parks / forests.  We loved it.  And we were kitted out for it - we had decent hiking shoes, clothes that breathed and wicked sweat (even though I had no idea what that meant when we bought those shirts !!), we had camel packs in back packs, we had light weight rain jackets - just in case we got caught in a shower.  We packed lunches and ate them by the sides of rivers and waterfalls.

When we started cycling we used to cycle without knicks.  We realised very quickly that, while we may not really want to wear them, they truly are crucial for cycling.  So we bought them.  Then we bought gloves because they really help your hands.  We got water bottles and speedo thingies that tell us how far and how fast we are going.  We bought lumious jackets so that when we cycled early morning or at night, we were more visible to motorists.

So, as you can see, A makes sure that we have the right equipment to do whatever we are doing.

I have always walked - not always regularly - but we have walked - lots - especially after we got the dogs.  A has a dodgy knee from when he broke his leg two weeks before we got married and so is not able to run anymore.  While he was working away from home towards the end of last year, while I was walking one night I thought "I wonder if I can run half of this block ?" - and that was how my running started.  I have always worn a sports bra when exercising - mainly because my boobs have travelled south a lot quicker than I would have liked and nothing (short of surgery) is going to have them heading north again - and I CANNOT stand them bouncing at all - EVER ! 

WhenA and I were up the north side of Brisbane one day and we stopped off at a shop called Harris & Scarfe (I think that's the name) and while we were looking around there, I came across a Berlei sports bra that had been marked down from $80 to $49.  It was really comfortable and so I bought two - a grey/pink one and a red one.  And I LOVE them. And the best part is that they do their job so well I don't even know they are there !!!

Last week after I had bought my new shoes (which are just amazing I have to add - again !!) we were walking and I decided to run half a block - just to see how my knee would hold out.  My knee was fine but I was wearing one of my old sports bras - man, that was a mistake !!!!  I didn't say anything to A but a few roads later he asked me if I was going to run again - told him I couldn't because I hurt too much after the last little run !

Now that I am exercising 6 days a week, I have decided that I need a few more of those bras - so have just been online and bought myself another two - for $49.90 each. 

This is the dark mocha one I have just bought

I used to run in T-shirts.  They got heavy and cold and were horrible to run in.  But I didn't realise how horrible they were until one day I saw some active type tops at KMart for $10 and we bought a couple to see how they went.  After running in one the next day, I will NEVER run in a T-shirt (or similar) again.  What a difference they make to my comfort during exercising.

The long and the short of this post is that if you want to exercise - it really DOES make a difference if you have the right gear !!

Have the best weekend ever.  I know that I am going to - on Saturday morning I get to get up at 5am so I can go to the airport to collect my folks - I am so happy.  They have been on holiday for 5 weeks and I have missed them heaps.   Then K and I get to share the day together because the baby sitting she was supposed to be doing has been cancelled.  Sunday I am off to meet the lovely Julie and her daughter, and then off to meet a girlfriend and her two children.  Enjoy yours !

Linking in with katesaysstuff for Fitness Friday blog hop - so hop over and check out other bloggers who are doing the fitness thing if you like.

I am also trying to link up with Fitness Friday at [Fitness, Health and Happiness] (but as I have no idea about how to get the little linky things into my blog, I am going to have to ask you to click on the links to get to their blogs !!!  Thanks)

TFTD : Be yourself.  Everybody else is already taken - Oscar Wilde

Thankful Thursday

Linking in with Kate for Thankful Thursday - I am thankful for

- being able to run again
- that I have an iPhone with Runkeeper that can track my progress
- that A is so supportive of me and my exercising
- that he is happy coming with me to The Athletes Foot to get measured for shoes
- that he was more than happy to spend $240 for a pair of running shoes for me
- and then spend another $100 the next day because we found the same pair of shoes at DFO for  less than half the price
- that I am able to motivate myself to exercise when A isn't around
- that I LOVE exercising

Wishing you all the best Thursday ever !

TFTD : And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it - Paolo Coelho

This Is What Motivates Me

Katesaysstuff posted about this the other day and until then I hadn't realised just how much I liked the numbers.  I LOVE the numbers (wonder if that was why I became an accountant ????)  but I digress - again !  I must confess that I am probably the least competitve person I know - I have no ambition to compete against anyone, I have no desire to be better at something than the next person, I have no sense of wanting to beat someone BUT I do love to see the numbers that I can post for myself.  When I started running last year, all I wanted to do was improve my time and it was a strange feeling because it was such a foreign concept for me to grasp.  It was never something that I worried about.  When I played sport - I played for the exercise - I couldn't care less about who won - mostly it wasn't me and that was OK - I went out there to exercise and that is what I did.  If I/we were lucky enough to win - good, but the sun still came up the next day if we didn't.

When I started to run last year - I would run and then have to cycle the route to see how far I had run and my times were in round minutes.  This was never really good enough but it was all that I had so I had to make do.  Then we bought our Nike shoes and they came with the Nike + sports dongle thingy and that told me distance and time - down to seconds - and I loved it EXCEPT those are the shoes that stuffed my knee up so I wasn't that happy with them !!!  And, because the dongle thingy goes inside the sole of the shoe, it meant that I couldn't track what I was doing if I wore another pair of shoes.  A had ideas of putting it in a money bag and tying that on my shoe lace - not happy about that idea Luv, thanks all the same.  So then when I ran he would cycle with me and try to keep track of how fast I was going (except that the bike works in kph rather than mins/km so it got a bit confusing at times).  Then I got my new beaut shoes and so started to look at watches that tracked distance, pace, speed, calories etc.  Of course the basic watch wouldn't do that, you had to go up a couple of models and they started at $280 and I was saying that, while it is nice to know, I didn't think I needed it THAT much.  So I shelved the idea.
Then I got my phone and have recently started to look at the applications that are available - man I love the applications !!!!  I have loaded Runkeeper (see pic above) and I JUST LOVE IT !!!!  I love that it tells me how far I ran / cycled - and gives me a map of where I ran / cycled - what my pace was, what my speed was, what I ran in each minute, how long each km took me, how many calories I burnt - the only thing it doesn't tell me is how stuffed I am when I am finished exercising (and I probably don't need it to tell me that because I already know !!!!!)  It seems that the numbers are really what motivate me.  I love seeing my statistics - how fast I went, where I slowed down, where I seemed to tire and then get a second wind.

I love being this motivated to get out there and exercise that I land up going for a run around the block before I go to personal training just because I can.  I love having a plan of attack for my exercise regime and that I can be flexible with what exercise I do each day.  I know that there is no training on Thursday so have decided to cycle if the weather is good or do one of the circuits that Jane posts on her blog every so often.  No matter what happens - there is going to be some exercise happening.

Even if all this exercise doesn't help with my weight loss because, as the naturopath explained to me, when I weighed 62kgs, I wasn't exercising much and didn't have much in the way of muscle tone.  Now that I am exercising so much more, I have more muscle tone and better developed muscles therefore, I have to weigh more given that muscle weighs more than fat.  This is not an excuse to not lose any more weight but rather a realisation that, realistically, at age 46 and 5'7", if I lose much more weight, I am not going to look as good as I do now.  I have noticed that the texture of my skin has changed and is no longer the smooth looking skin it used to be.  And, I think that if I lose more weight I will probably look a lot older because I will be a little more gaunt and a lot more haggard.  All in all, I am closer to accepting that I may never see the 60's again - and that is OK.  I am not longer repulsed by seeing myself naked - yes I could do to lose the love handles and the hips, but, A and I are the only people who see that (oh, and the osteo but he's about 25 and, I am sure, couldn't care what I look like - or at least only cares as to the impact that my weight has on my body !!) and A loves me no matter what my weight and I am starting to love me as I am, so really how important are those numbers on the scale ?  I am trying to make them less important than they used to be.  A work in progress !!!!

I love that I am now self motivating myself and not having to wait for A to say "Let's cycle or go for a walk" - which is good because now that he is away for however long he is away for, I wouldn't do much if I couldn't get myself motivated !!!  I love the inspiration that I take from Lyndal, Aroha, Jane and Kate.  While I couldn't run, I was almost jealous when reading of what they were doing because I so wanted to be out there running - I didn't want to walk - I wanted to run.  Now that I can run, I hear them in my head when I am running - the times when they wanted to give up but didn't, the times that they didn't want to exercise but they did - and it makes me push myself just that little bit further - thank you my wonderful online friends and motivators !

Have the best 'rest of the week' possible - I know I am going to !

TFTD : I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my ship - Louisa May Alcott

Finally - A Cycle

This is how I felt today when I was cycling - happy enough to wave to anyone who was around (of course as we were cycling by ourselves on Easter Monday, there were no crowds lining the streets cheering us on but that was OK - we encouraged each other to continue and keep up the pace).

It has been far too long since we cycled but  I loved every minute of being on the bike.  Fantastic weather helped as well as I hate cycling when it is too windy.  My butt is feeling it now.  Since losing weight I can fit into my smaller cycling knicks but man, there is a lot less padding there now and my butt bones certainly noticed the difference when we were out there this morning.  We landed up doing just over 18kms which wasn't bad given how long it has been since we have had the bikes out and operational.  So much so I had to pump my tyres up before we left !!!!  Always an indication of just how long it has been since I have had my butt in the saddle.

I want to get in touch with our trainer before tomorrow night as I would like to focus on strengthening my legs in preparation for the running that I am going to start doing.  We went to see friends last night and she showed me the Couch to 2km program - I would love to give that a try except I don't have 9 weeks until I run the Mother's Day race.  Some tips she gave me from there were - only run 3 days per week and don't run 2 days in a row. 

So, my plan is this :
Monday,  Wednesday, Friday or Saturday - run the 5.25 interval training that I have set up on Runkeeper
Tuesday, Thursday - training with PT
Friday/Saturday (whichever I don't run) - rest day
Sunday - cycling
Interchangeable as required depending on availability of PT as he has started a new job and occasionally isn't able to make it

Here's to success with the above training so that I can achieve my goal of running 4kms on 13th May (coincedentally - one day after my baby says goodbye to her teen years - how did those 20 years go by so quickly ?????????????????????).  A leaves for Townsville tomorrow and will be away 2-3 weeks so I am going to have to really make sure that my self motivation levels are high - he is often the one who really manages to get me out there, doing what I want to do - there are times I just need a little bit of outside encouragement !!

Enjoy the last day of the Easter long weekend - whatever you are doing and wherever you are - go safely !

TFTD : People who love themselves are far more attractive than those who try to become attractive.  Self-acceptance is perfectly compelling. - Alan Cohen

The Journey of A Thousand Miles

begins with a single step. 

And that is why I am going to sign up for the 4km Mother's Day Classic Run on Mother's Day this year.  Al is happy to take me and cheer me on while I am running.  While I realise that it is only a 4km race - I don't want to tackle anything too big to start with until I see how I go.

This morning I got up while everyone was still sleeping and went for a walk/run at 0.5km intervals.  My knee has been relatively pain free with only just a twinge today while I was running.  That was mainly because I had moved into the road to run rather than up and down a heap of pavements where we have some short blocks and the road had quite a steep camber - my right knee got really sore so I crossed back to the pavement and the pain went away.  My left knee twinged a little when I went from my first section of running back to walking but after that it was fine.  I can't tell you how happy I was when I got home - I had made it walking/running with better times than when I was running before I hurt my knee.  I think that Runkeeper is a little more reliable / accurate than the Nike pod that I was using previously.

The other week I went to The Athlete's Foot and was measured and fitted with shoes that do EXACTLY what I need them to do for the way that my feet roll.  While Nike have a great name - I have heard from too many different sources (plus my own experience) that their shoes are built for comfort and not for functionality.  And that is fine - I am just sorry that we spent $150 on shoes that really aren't suitable for running !!!

The Saucony's that I bought from TAF cost $240 and a couple of days later we saw them at DFO for $100  - Al wasn't in the least bit phased about that price difference - he says that we paid for the knowledge and information that we got from the lady at TAF.  She was really good and the next time we are down that way I am going to go back to the shop and tell them how they helped to get me on the road again.  He was so confident that they would do the job he bought a pair at $100 so I have a back up pair for when these give up the ghost.  While I would love them to last forever, I would also like to say "Hey, I ran so much I had to get another pair of shoes !!!!!!"

While I was never that fussed about having an iPhone, I just LOVE the apps that are available.  Now whether something similar was available on BB, I never found out.  I love that with Runkeeper, it does it all for me - tracks distance, speed, pace, route, calories burned - and gives me heaps of info that I can use to work out when I seem to get tired and when I am going well.  Al and I walked the dogs this afternoon and I used it to track how we walked.  When we got home I showed him the Runkeeper reports and he was amazed at the info that it gave me.  This is the type of tool that I find EXTREMELY motivating and is the sort of thing that will help me when I get home to put my shoes on and go for a run.  Especially now that Al is leaving again to go up to Townsville / Magnetic Island for 2-3 weeks as they have 8 sites to be installed.  I am going to miss him but hope to be able to rack up the kms while he is gone.  Need to make sure that K loads the songs I have chosen onto my phone as it was very boring walking/running this morning with no music !!

I am hoping that a side effect of the running will be some weight loss but if it isn't, that will be OK.  Right now it is about exercising and getting out there.

On that note - wishing everyone a very blessed Easter. 

TFTD : If you are capable of perceiving it, you are capable of living it - Bashar