Three Events Entered

This morning I realised - I have less than 6 weeks until the first event I have entered for the year !!!!! EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK !!!! When I entered the Brisbane Twilight 10km event - I had so much time - how come I have less than 6 weeks now ? Oh yes, that would be because I got into a rut of being lazy and didn't do any training !!!!

Well, with that realisation firmly in the front of my head, I got home from work and went for a walk/run - just to see how I would go. For a start - it was slow. I can live with that. Next it was hot. I can live with that. Then I started the poncy style of running that my physio has assured me will stop my knee pain. I can probably live with that, at a push, if it means that my knees won't be sore. What I am not sure I can live with is my calves after getting home from doing said poncy running / shuffling !! My calves are absolutely killing me. BUT, I did feel a lot lighter on my feet and less of a plodder which may be an up-side for this style of running. I am sure once I get used to this style of running my calves will be fine but how long will that take I wonder ?

I got home and did the couple of calf stretches that I know and then popped around to see my PT and ask him others he could recommend. He showed me a couple more and suggested sitting with them in the pool if the water wasn't too warm and icing them. So I did that - sat with them in the pool. Then came inside and cooked dinner and after dinner sat with ice-packs on them. Man it is killing me to walk - what am I going to be like tomorrow - and even worse, the next day when DOMS really sets in ???????????

But, I got out there and did that first run - the one that always scares the cr*p out of me for some reason - hopefully they will get better.

My BIL has invited me to join a running group that he goes to on Wednesday and Saturday morning at 6am - I can't make a Wednesday as I have to leave home by 7am to get to work and I am really not keen on an early start on a Saturday morning BUT I thought I would give it a try for a couple of weeks to see if it is worth it for me - if not, at least I will have tried.

The next event that I have entered is The Colour Run which is happening on the coast on 14th April. Judging from the photos that I have seen of the run in Sydney this past weekend - it looks like it is going to be heaps of fun. It is only 5km so I am sure that I will be fine with that given I did 4.2km tonight albeit a lot slower than I would have liked but given how long it has been since I was actually running and the change to my running style, I can't complain too much.

The third event I entered is the 50km Brisbane to the Bay cycle on 23 June. A and I had spoken about entering but didn't get around to doing anything about it. Early bird entries closed at 5pm on Friday and we missed it so we thought we would leave it for this year. Then I got an sms today to say that they had extended the early bird offer to 5pm today so I called A to see if he was still interested and he said yes and that his brother (BIL from above) may also be interested. So, I called him and he said yes - we have entered the Morris Gang team. The event is about fund raising for MS so if you are interested / connected in anyway to MS and would like to make a donation - I can send you my page link for easy access.

I don't know how long it normally takes for hormones to start working but I am starting to feel better emotionally / mentally. This weekend gone we made a start on fixing up the garden - not the project that we had planned to do - but it was good to have a look on Sunday afternoon and see what we had accomplished. Now that the emotions are starting to return to some sort of normalcy, it is time for me to concentrate on the fuel that I am putting into my body. I am not sure that I can keep to the quantity of food that Dr Maxine advised me (given I am now one of the old ladies of the tribe !!!!) but I am back to cutting out sugar, dairy and wheat and trying to eat as healthily as possible. This combined with exercise HAS to see my weight go the way it should.

This weekend I asked A to get my bigger clothes out. It broke my heart to have to do this but I have realised that I am better off wearing clothes that actually fit me and are comfortable to sit in all day rather than trying to continue to squish myself into clothes that are too small for me. The bottom line is I have put on weight - whether I like it or not - whether it was something I did or not - or, whether it is just my body doing whatever it wants to - the weight is back and I need to learn to live with it rather than continue to beat myself up over something that I can't seem to control. I am hoping that my acceptance of this will mean that it won't want to hang around any longer and bugger off to the land where fat loss goes to.

Wishing everyone a great week - if you are interested in joining me or sponsoring me in any of the above events - send me an email and I will send you the details.

As always, (OK maybe not always but at least for this year) - it is Tuesday so it is time to link in with Jess from Essentially Jess for #IBOT. Unfortunately I didn't get around to as many blogs last week as I normally do - hopefully this week I can get to more.

TFTD : The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that that situation is over, you cannot move forward.

Meeting a Friend .... and Other Things

On Friday night I was going to have a rest night - K had said that we could do a big cycle on Saturday early evening when she got home from work.  A few minutes later A and K were having a small altercation that seemed to go on for a while even though it was so silly so I went to my room to read.  Read for a while and then realised that I really needed to run it out and not lie there stewing over their differences.  Got changed, got my phone and off I set.  6.9km later I was home again - SO pleased that I had run - with a good time as I had only walked about 3 or 4 times and not for very long each time.  Nothing like a run to clear my mind.

Unfortunately when I got back I saw a tweet from @coloursofsunset saying that there was a 5km timed run on Saturday morning at Main Beach.  I said I would see how my legs felt in the morning and maybe join her and her husband.  I woke up on Saturday morning - they felt too tight to run so we got up and got dressed and went down anyway.  I watched her come in and beofre we left A said I should go and say hullo - trouble is that I am really shy.  Anyway, he nudged me along and said he would go and get the car while I said hullo - so off I went.  I am so pleased I did - she is such a lovely lady.  I am just sorry that A had to go to work and so we couldn't talk for longer.  While we were talking, two ladies from Lululemon came up and gave A a choice of two running shirts and offered her husband a pair of shorts.  We talked for a while and then A told them I ran as well and they gave me a pair of socks - can't wait to try them out tomorrow night - they look really comfy.

I popped in to see my folks yesterday - as always, we seem to find things to laugh about.  I found this picture taken last Easter when we went to Stanthorpe for the day.  Thank goodness, I am no longer this big !!!!!

No cycling last night - K got home from work and then sat on the computer until about 6.30pm before saying "Are we going to cycle?" - I said no because our lights aren't working properly.  A and I cycled this morning - down to Sunningdale Bridge then back up to Paradise Point before coming home.  My legs felt like lead for the first 5km - from 5-17km my legs felt great - I felt like I could have cycled forever - 18-22km - I don't know how I managed to keep my legs turning over - maybe the thought of falling off my bike kept them going.  I couldn't even stop as I wouldn't have been able to walk those last kms home !!!!!  But it was all good - so glad that I did it - the day was great - no wind, a little cool but OK once we got going.

Went to My Fit Fridge to see their meals and bought a couple to try out - mainly because with A going away and only K and I at home, I really can't be bothered cooking meals for just the two of us.  Plus I have a couple of clients booked this week and if I am going to exercise as well, I need to have decent meals planned otherwise I will land up eating toast every night.

Well another weekend nearly at an end - and another work week about to begin.  I said to Al when we were on our way home today - even though we don't know what is happening with his job - life is good I am extremely fortunate to have such an amazing family, the support and friendship of some amaxing people, my health and motivation to exercise and get fit - I LOVE LIFE right now !

Have the best week ever !

Our Long Weekend in Yamba

This is an aerial shot of the resort where we stayed - Angourie Rainforest Resort (calling it a rainforest resort was a bit of a stretch but it was in a big wooded area).  The rainbow was one we saw as we were crossing a brigde on our way just outside of Yamba.  The swamp lagoon was outside our unit !

The bikes on the back of the car - ready to exercise over the weekend. 

Our balcony overlooking the lagoon.

Our unit at Angourie Rainforest Resort

When we arrived at Yamba we unpacked and then went for a drive down to the beach where I took this photo.  Someone that works with A told him about a really good Italian restaurant but couldn't remember the name - not a problem as it wasn't difficult to find.  Had a great meal there before going back and having a good sleep.


Woke up at about 6am (as you do when you are away and can sleep in !!!) - I thought A might go back to sleep but when I said I was going to go for a run he said he would cycle with me so off we went.  Out the resort and turned left for 3kms and then 3kms back - the 'hills' were unpleasant - where I run on the Coast there are no hills - no inclines - nothing - it is absolutely flat !!!  Anyway, made it back to the unit, showered and off to breakfast.  I felt really good about being able to run while we were away - for me, the key is to keep the momentum and motivation going - I am always scared that if I stop I won't start again (having said that, this is the first time I have been away and actually exercised while we have been away !!!)


After that we jumped into the car and went exploring.  Got to McLean (about 10km from Yamba !!!) and saw all the lamp posts were painted with Scottish surnames and in the relevant tartans.  Found MacLaughlin and took a pic of it (that is our family name although spelled a little differently).

For some reason A wanted to look in all the second hand / antique stores so we were in and out the car numerous times !!!!  This is not something he is normally interested in and eventually I had to ask why - he didn't know except that we could !  So I then said he have 4 more stops he could make - we laughed so much.  Went to Grafton - really not much to see and while I would LOVE to live in Yamba, I wouldn't give you thank you to live in Grafton.



We caught the ferry across the Clarence River.



Got back to the unit and tried to find the Suns/Freemantle game on the TV but it wasn't being broadcast in NSW.  K called with updates every now and again and were following them on Twitter - such an exciting game.  Got changed quickly and tried to find the local tavern to see if we could catch the game there but couldn't find it so went to the Bowls Club - still couldn't see it there so stayed and had dinner - such good value for money and great food (if you are ever in the area try to make sure you go there at least once !).

Sunday morning we woke up and had breakfast before getting on our bikes and cycling down to the ferry across to Iluka.  Arrived there and cycled about 30kms all up - went to Woody Point.

Some of the beaches at Iluka / Woody Point and sunsets at Yamba



More beaches and another sunset

Cycling around there was great although our butts really felt it as it has been ages since we have cycled - the weather was magnificent which helped as well.  Actually I got quite a nice tan on my shoulders (and of course A's face got quite red as he didn't put block out on !!!)

Sunset at Yamba



We loved having the spa bath - a great way to finish each day.  We went back to the Bowls Club for dinner it had been that good the night before.

On Monday morning we woke up, had breakfast and packed the car.  Then we drove into McLean and had a wander up and down the main street.  They had a shop called Pot Belly Pies and we couldn't resist getting pies from there.  I am not a pie person - in fact I can't remember when last I ate a pie - I really don't like them - but these looked so good.  We bought them for lunch.  Left McLean and drove home as K was at home and we thought it would be good to spend the afternoon with her.  We had the pies for lunch when we got home - thank goodness we didn't have them any earlier when we were there as I would have bought a whole heap of them and put them in the freezer for another time - they were the nicest pies I have ever had !!!!  Again, if you are ever down that way, give them a try.

We looked at property down there (we were that taken with it) but then, on the way home, we spoke about it - K wouldn't move because she is at uni, my Dad starts his radiation treatment and would need to stay here and given that we have all moved half way around the world, we really want to be able to see each other and be there in need, so it doesn't make sense to move - for now.  But, give me a couple of years, maybe we can turn this dream into a reality.

It was a great weekend away - just what we needed - time to be together and reconnect.  It has been difficult with A working away so much.  I am really glad that we went on that weekend because the following week they were called into the office to be told that the company had been bought out and the buyers didn't want their division.  So A is working today on stuff that they need to take with them when they leave on Monday.  He will be away for about a month but luckily will be home a couple of times in that month and I will go up one weekend when they are working so that we can at least have the evenings together.

Have a fantastic weekend - I am having a great time even though A and K are both working today !!!!

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

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

So Many Choices

I eventually left work at 1.30pm - I just couldn't take the noise anymore !!

Got home and put my walking clothes on, plugged the new earphones into my phone and hit the streets. Had a great walk but didn't know how far I had walked as I went a different route, so when I got home I got on my bike and cycled the route. 4.4kms which I didn't think was to shabby - the cycle wasn't that easy even though it wasn't far because of the wind. I was going to cycle further but my knee was starting to ache so thought I wouldn't push it and stopped cycling and came and paid sme accounts and then spent a couple of hours doing proof reading for a dear friend, Kathy, who is writing a book.

On Wednesday I had thought I would have Nando's for dinner on Thursday night. Then K wound me up so much I didn't want Nando's and had L&E thinking that I would have Nando's tonight. Well after the walk and the cycle, I wondered if I really wanted to make the choice of Nando's - mainly because I know how difficult the weekends are for me food wise and I thought that if I could make a better choice tonight it might really help me get through the weekend with better food choices - especially as I am anticipating being on my own for most of the weekend - always a dangerous time for me but unaccompanied, it is almost a disaster waiting to happen.

So, despite my longing / craving for Baskin & Robbins tonight, I have stayed glued to the TV watching a youngster I can't stand play tennis - all in an effort not to eat - and it has worked !! YAY !

I have also signed up for the 1 million kilo challenge - hopefully I can contribute towards that total ver 10 weeks. I have also signed up at daily mile to track my exercise - I LOVE seeing what I do in graph format

Just now I will go and shower and read for a while before hitting the sack. Here's to a sleep in tomorrow.

Have the best weekend ever - love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : The rare individual who unselfishly tries to serve others has an enormous advantage - he has little competition - Andrew Carnegie

A Totally Expected Gain This Week !

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't expecting a gain this week - I so wanted to lose all my weight without a gain but it is not to be. A quick synopsis and you will probably be like me, wondering how come it was only 1kg !!!!

• 2 extra large Anzac biscuits (which in hind sight I am glad I had because I realise that I don't like those particular ones anymore !!!!)
• 1 x street party where I consumed 1 x bottle of Amarula along with the marshmallows I bought for the children only their Mom's said keep them for us and don't let the children play near the fire !
• A lot of grainwave chips at above party because I didn't want to waste them by throwing them away (and I had had too much to drink and not enough to eat so thought it would be a good idea to get some 'food' into me)
• 2 x Christmas parties with too much food on offer and, having been too busy to eat during the day, meant I was starving and ate without thinking
• 2 x Magnum ice-creams - one of which I couldn't finish - but I managed to finish the second one last night without any trouble
• 2 x curly wurlies and 1 x chomp because they were on special at the servo when I put in petrol
• Too many pieces of shortbread at our mangement meeting
• 1 piece of custard and coconut bun (man this is going to be difficult to resist when I am up at that office next week)
• 1 x Cold Chisel concert after we had Nandos for dinner and ate our way through a packet of snakes while we were there
• 2 x mince pies
• 2 x very large chicken dim sims
• 1 x 600ml bottle coke

My knee is still worrying me.  I did manage a cycle on Monday and it did play up a little.  I have found that there are times when I am walking when it jars and is painful.  I suppose at some point I should take the x-rays back to the dr but right now everything is so busy I just can't be bothered to try to fit it in.  In the meantime I am doing sit ups and push ups and core exercise work on my fitball in at attempt to at least be doing something if I can't run.  Maybe I should set myself a date in a few months time and just not even think about running until then.  Will see how I go at training tonight and then decide.

I took Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons off from work - got all my Christmas shopping done on Tuesday and all the grocery shopping (except for fruit and veg) done yesterday so am hoping not to have to brave the crowds again until we collect the turkey bon-bons on 24th and pick up fruit and veg then (unless we go to the markets this weekend).  Even though A wasn't with me I had the most amazing luck with parking spaces - going to pick up tiles, pick up basin, drop off basin, order bon-bons, go to Bunnings, go to Harbourtown, go to Runaway Bay, go to Helensvale, go back to Harbourtown - and in all instances I found a parking space within 5 spaces from the entrance of the shopping centre - man I love it when the universe hears me !!!!

Have a fantastic day and take care !  Love, hugs and positive energy.

TFTD : The less you hear what people say about you, the more you succeed - Kazi Shams

Another Great Exercise Day !

Last night I stopped and chatted to my folks on my way home from work and then came home and I went for a run while A cycled with me.  I couldn't believe it - I did a 4.88km at an average pace of 6'29"/km.  How did I manage to do that ?  It was only on 7th November that I was bemoaning the fact that I couldn't seem to break the 7'/km - now I am breaking 6'30"/km !!!!  How did that happen ?  Maybe the regular exercise that I am doing ?

Got home from that and hopped on the bike and did a quick 12km ride - landed up doing that a little slower than normal 19.57kph but that is OK - I was so happy at breaking my running time, I gave me legs a bit of a rest during the ride.

We landed up watching Kung Fu Panda 2 and Transformer 3 (I think that was which one it was) - didn't particularly enjoy either of them but I did manage to get my blanket finished and have started a scarf with the leftover yarn that I have.  Hopefully that will be finished soon so that I can get started on my next blanket.

This morning we went to look at more bloody taps - hopefully we have found the ones we want - and then I caught up with a friend whom I haven't seen for ages which was just great - we talked and talked and talked.  Then I went to KMart to see if I could find some running tops.  I had bought two ($10) tops recently and A wanted to buy me more but I said no because I have heaps of T-shirts that I can run in.  The other night I ran in a T-shirt rather than one of these tops - man it was awful !!!!  So I went to see if I could find any more and I managed to get another 2 so that should last and give me enough so that I don't have to wash every day.

My sister has given me some great info about training and rest days so I am going to have a look at changing the days I train and rest to take advantage of her knowledge.  Well, I say I am going to change the days I train but right now I may not be training if I can't get my knee sorted out - it is doing the dodgy on me and I am extremely unhappy about it.  Last night when I was running, I walked so that I could blow my nose - my left knee was so sore while I walked but then when I was running, it was fine - very strange.  It was fine on the cycle.  I iced it during the evening when we were watching TV.  I have it iced now as I am sitting here typing this because when I was walking around the centre it was starting to get painful.  I don't want to have to try to explain what it is to anyone because I don't really know how to describe it - will see how I go tomorrow and then see if I can get an appointment with the osteo on Monday.

This is pretty much what my leg looks like except

it is on an ottoman and not up on a table.

K is baby sitting today - not sure when she will be home.  A is off on a brewery tour - not sure what state he will be in when he gets home !!!  I am having a wonderful 'me' day today - and I am loving it !!!!

We have had a couple of responses for the street BBQ and drinks so looks like it will be a go - I have got my bottle of Amarula chilled and waiting - I am going to make the most of the evening !!!!!

Have the best weekend ever !

Love, hugs and positive energy !

A Sad Day and A Great Day !

Today has been a really mixed day for me.  Today I spent a lot of my day reading about domestic violence and abuse as a result of the Speak Out campaign organised by Kristin of Wanderlust - so much of it happens - and I had no idea that this happened in so many homes.  I knew that I had lead a very sheltered life but I didn't realise just how sheltered it had been. My Dad never abused my Mom in any way, shape or form - I never even heard him raise his voice to her or us kids.  We did get a good couple of smacks as kids but to me, there is a difference between discipline and abuse, and he never crossed that line.  My Mom would shout at us - as Mom's do - and she would smack us - as Mom's do.  I had a rule when K was little that I would not hit her with my hands because my hands were for loving and wooden spoons were for smacking - and it never did her any harm - well not that I can see.  Now when we talk she knows that we mean what we say and we don't have to use the wooden spoon anymore which is good because now she is 19 yo she is probably too old for a smack !!!!

I am going to be thinking about what I can do to help victims of domestic violence and will hopefully come up with a plan in the next week or so.

Then the great side of my day was coming home and exercising.  I was talking to a client the other night and he said that after 21 days things become a habit and I realised that that was what had happened to me - I am now in the habit of exercising - AND I LOVE IT !!!  I love the endorphins that it produces.  I love how they make me feel.  Tonight I did a mini bi-athlon (it took me a while to come up with the right word - actually I never even came up with the bi-athlon - I was thinking du-athlon and couldn't think of anything else until I asked A while we were cycling !!) I ran 3.38km at - wait for it - drum roll please - 6'32"/km - with no walking - go me !!!!  And then we got home and I changed into cycling pants and we cycled 14.4km at 20.6kph.  I feel so good.  I said if only competitions were in those sort of lengths - I don't think I will find any race that is only 3km run and 15km cycle - no way I can do a tri-athlon because if I had to swim anything further than the 8m of our swimming pool, I wouldn't be able to run or cycle - and they always have the swim first so I would be stuffed before I even started the other segments.  But, definitely something that I think I might look into - it would be so cool to train for an event rather than just running and cycling because I need to exercise.  (Quick question - if I run and cycle on the same night does that count as two exercise sessions ?)

When I uploaded my run from tonight - I saw the following statistics on my Nike+ site :
- I have had 20 recorded runs
- I have run for 8 hrs and 22 mins
- I have run 72.38kms in total
- I have run at an average of 6'56" per km
- I have burnt 6,019 calories

Yesterday I went to see a naturopath at the recommendation of the osteopath that I see.  She was amazing (and not just because of the nice things she told me !!!).  She took a sample of blood - I thought that I might be dead because my red blood cells were not moving - they are supposed to move - but it appears that I must be dehydrated which means they slow down stop moving altogether.  BUT I have great white blood cells and my omegas are great.  Then she took photos of my eyes - I have a strong constitution - don't get sick but watch out if I do get sick (absolutely me), like processes and lists and doing the right thing (killed myself laughing at this one as it is a joke at work that I don't want to know about things that they do that aren't right because I won't sleep knowing that we have done the wrong thing !!!).  I also have stress rings - not because I am stressed but because I find it difficult to say no and I internalise things rather than talk about them (never thought I would hear anyone say I don't talk enouhg !!!) - maybe it is just that I am talking about the wrong things !!!  She pretty much wanted to know how come I had gone to see her because clearly I was extremely healthy.  Well I made the appointment to get my metabolism, liver function etc checked out - turns out it is probably the Pill that is stopping my weight loss - bloody oath - definitely going to have to find a way around that.  I don't want to find that I am doing all this hard work and it is being negated by the means I am using to make sure I have no more cherubs !  That is something that we are going to investigate moving forward.  I can't wait to work that one out so that this weight can move - I am too motivated to let a little thing like the Pill stop me from achieving what I want to achieve.

I have so much more to say but figure if you have made it this far you deserve to have a chance to do something more beneficial like have a drink or a soak in the bath or possibly just time to veg out !

Have the best weekend ever !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

TFTD : The hardest work you will have to do is to learn to depend on your inner self  because you have been taught to look always to someone else - Venice Bloodworth

A Great Evening !

I got home from work and A wasn't home yet but that was OK - unpacked the latest L&E delivery and the dog food that had finally arrived (long story about Rosie and her operation - AWL recommended she have this special food - $153/12kgs - better bloody be worth it !!)  Anyway, A got home and got the bikes out and off we went.  You know how sometimes within about 5 mins you just know it is going to be hard doing ANY exercise - well I was like that on the bike - I really struggled the first 1-2kms - into a dreadful head wind (again !!!) and battling to stay at 17-18kph.  Anyway, kept at it and then got my second wind - plus I was trying the breathing that the osteo recommended - instead of in for two steps / pedals and out for two steps / pedals - to go 3 and 2 so that I am using alternate feet with my breathing.  I tried this when I was running and felt so unco and bloody awkward that I went back to the 2/2 that I was comfortable with.  Spoke to the trainer about it last night and he said to keep at it and it will feel right eventually.  So I did that with my cycling today and it was definitely easier than with the running - hopefully it will become a habit that will fit with my running as well.  Had a good cycle - 14.3km at 20.6kph - slower than the ride on Saturday morning - maybe a harder head wind (wish I could measure it somehow) and maybe my legs are a little fatigued after training last night.  Last Thursday H (trainer) really worked my arms - so much so that on Friday and more so on Saturday I battled to do my bra up and lift my arms much at all.  Last night he worked our legs - and I felt that today at work up and down the stairs - man I love that I can feel DOMS and know that I have had a good workout.

We got home after cycling and chatted for a while then A suggested taking the dogs for a walk so we got them and off we went - 5,5km later we were home and my legs could REALLY feel it.  Luckily A had a techie who had gone up to Toowoomba to the horse feed store there and bought me 2 x 5kg bags of Epsom salts - I ran out ages ago and won't pay $7/500g from the supermarket - so I was really glad to get the 10kgs for $40 !!!  Man, I loved my soak in the bath with a whole bunch of Epsom salts in it - and my legs loved it even more - they feel so much better now.  (If I cycled and then walked does that count as 2 execise sessions in the week ????)

K is out baby sitting and I am off to have an early night.  I still can't believe how I have got out of the habit of going to work from 8-12pm and only getting to sleep close to 1am most nights - it is SOOOOO good !!!

Pulled out some dresses tonight to see just how many cms I still need to lose before I can fit into them for A's Christmas party - if I can lose another 5-6kgs before 10 Dec it would be great but I don't think that will happen so will have to see what sort of corrective underwear I can find to hold all the wobbly bits in.  Any suggestions ????

Have a fantastic evening !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

Life Is Good !


Things have been a tad hectic in the M household BUT I have managed to keep up with my exercise, good eating and good drinking.  I am even managing to get through at least 1L of water a day !

Tomorrow I am hoping to be a 70's girl but have decided that if I am not, all will not be lost (no pun intended), because if it doesn't show this week, it will show next week or the week after or the week after that (geez, I hope it doesn't take that long !!!)

The good thing is that I have noticed how much fitter I am.  We cycled the other day and managed a good 22.5kph and my legs didn't feel nearly as fatigued as they used to when we cycled and we would never have maintained that sort of speed given the head wind we were cycling into.  So it is all good !!!!

And for that I am grateful.  (Plus K managed to sell her car last night - and I am EXTREMELY grateful for that !!!)

Love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : The first step to waking up is the discovery that you have been asleep - Alan Cohen

Some Losses !

I stepped on the scale this morning so wishing, hoping, really really expecting to be in the 70's but I wasn't - I was only down 0.1kg from last week.  I was disappointed but A suggested that I measure myself even though I don't feel like my clothes are getting looser at all.  I wasn't keen to measure myself because my clothes aren't any looser on me but I did.  What a LOVELY surprise - I have lost 21cm in 6 weeks !!!!!  I suppose I can't be upset or disappointed with THAT !!!


The only thing is that I have lost 17cm above my hips and only 4cm from my hips down. I never really look at my top - only how my pants fit and clearly they aren't fitting any differently because I have only lost 2cm on my hips, and 1cm on each of my calves and nothing on my thighs.  I have been thinking about it since I measured myself and when I think back, I am sure that this is how I have lost weight previously.  I start losing from my top which is where I am not fussed about and then eventually it starts to move from my lower half which is where I really want it to move from.

Last night A and I went for a cycle - into a really strong head wind - and we cycled 13.5kms at an average a smidge under 20kph, which, given the conditions, I was really happy with.  The thing that really annoys me (well annoys probably isn't the right word but I can't think of another word right now because there is too much noise around the office !!!!!!) is that so often we cycle into a head wind when we leave home (in anticipation of cycling with the wind on our way home) except that when we 'turn', the wind either drops, or changes direction and we cycle in the wind again.  It is a good work out for my legs but sometimes it does make them really tired !!!!! Anyhoo, what I am hoping is that if I can mix up the running, cycling and training the weight will HAVE to come off eventually.

My bike is plain old silver - not pretty pink like this one !!


My eating is spot on, I am now doing L&E 7 days per week without any extra snacks or meals of any kind.  What I need to concentrate on (and it won't be today because I am on my way to Richlands to sort out something with a new system they are wanting to put in) is drinking more water.  I am trying to drink at least 1L of water before I have any soft drinks - not always easy because I LOATHE water with an absolute passion and the only water I will drink is filtered water. (Reminder to self - bring new water filter to work as the one at work is shot !)

On that note, while I still didn't make the 70's this week, I am one happy little 'not so large as I was last week' lady !

Love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : Laughing at our own mistakes can lengthen our own life.  Laughing at someone else's can shorten it - Cullen Hightower