Introduction to Roller Derby

Last night I met some lovely ladies - C from musingnmayhem and A from Accidental Wonderland and Chaos (I'm sorry I don't have her blog address) at roller derby on the Gold Coast.  It was quite strange how it all came together - suffice to say that, while I don't do 'new' people well, I put my big girl panties on and went outside my comfort zone - and I am so glad I did !!!!  I had such a great evening !

A was busy working up on the Sunshine Coast and I wasn't sure when, or even if, he would be home last night.  I got down to the Carrarra Stadium and was sitting in the car listening to the Suns game against the Tigers when I got an sms from C saying that they were there and at the media entrance.  While my heart was racing, I knew that I had come this far I needed to actually get out the car, put my best foot forward and go and meet them.  I knew that they were lovely people but that didn't make it any easier - I really battle meeting new people, especially if I am by myself with no support from A.

We went into the stadium and it was so much fun even though I didn't know the first thing about what was happening.  The atmosphere was great.  Then I saw that Ames had posted a photo on twitter of the stadium and tweeted back asking her if she was behind the commentators (although when I had another look I saw that she was taking the photo from in front of the commentators - sorry Ames !) - we found each other and waved and a short while later she and her family came over and sat with me which was very nice as she explained the basics to me.  C & C came over and chatted for a while and then before the next bout we all went and sat on the floor up close and personal to the action !

 

I really enjoyed the evening and am so glad that I went - thank you for allowing me to spend the evening with you and for patiently explaining the rules and tactics to me.  It was a fantastic evening.

So, linking in with Dorothy from Singular Insanity with Things I Know - I know that there are many lovely people that I have met through blogging / twitter / FB and I know that, when I need to do things that I think I am not capable of doing, I am wrong - I can do them !!!
We are off for an afternoon of barefoot bowls - enjoy the rest of your weekend and have the best week ever !

TFTD : Your life isn't behind you, your memories are behind you.  Your life is ALWAYS ahead of you.  Today is a new day - sieze it !

A Quick Recap

Where to start - it has been too long since my last post but it hasn't been for want of trying or wanting to post - I just haven't managed to get my act together and get it done.

This evening I have spent the last couple of hours catching up on blog posts and twitter and a quick squiz on FB and feel that, while I haven't read every post on blogs I follow, I am generally all caught after utilising my super power of speed reading !!!!

Since my last post re my menopausal musings, I have had one day (Wednesday) off sick with a headache that saw me stay in bed all day and sleep about 22 hrs of the 24 hrs on that given day !!  Whether it was menopausal related or not I don't know, I just know that I don't like it when it happens. I used to suffer really badly with similar headaches when I was on the pill but it has been a while since I have felt so debilitated with it.

I have also been to see the dr (Thursday) who sent me for a blood test and put me on some anti-depressant tablets which have been successful in hormone balancing tests.  Honestly, I don't care what they are called, I just want them to work.  Unfortunately, they take 2-4 weeks before you see any results so, keep hiding family, probably better for all of us !!!

On Monday night I went for a run - my first since the race.  It was a reasonable run - I was glad I didn't go further than the 5.38km that I did do.  I don't know if it is just psychology, but I kept worrying about my knees giving in and getting damaged.  So, I have taken the lazy option and decided that I won't run until I get the orthotics which should arrive next week.

On Saturday night A and I went to see Ted while waited for K's plane from Melbourne to arrive.  A very stupid but at times very funny movie.  A didn't like the drug scenes in it and felt that the story wouldn't have been very different if they had of left those scenes out.  I said I wasn't sure that it would influence someone to take drugs just because they had seen a cartoon character doing drugs with Mark Warlberg !!

This is what I am talking about - have just realised that I can't even post a blog in sequential days of the week order !!!!  Sorry - blaming my mushy brain for this !

This afternoon I was going downstairs to the loo and decided that it would be quicker if I didn't actually walk down the last three stairs but rather slide down them, try to right myself before I went through the glass door at the bottom of the stairs and then use my head and my shoulder to stop myself up against the wall to the warehouse - really just try to add some fun to a Friday afternoon at the office (Don't you all do that or is it just me who tries to make it exciting at work ????).  Consequently, my knee and shoulder are aching and I have a nice headache with a red sort of burn mark on my forehead.  My knee is also swollen with a carpet burn on it - soooooooooooooooo I am now sitting here with my feet up and an ice pack on it.  Will this hinder my running when I get my orthotics - IT BETTER BLOODY NOT !!!!!!

A is working away from home.  I was supposed to drive up and meet him in Noosa after work tonight and then go through to Eumundi markets tomorrow but given the cr*ppy weather I have decided to stay at home and maybe go into the office tomorrow to try to get on top of things before the start of next week.  It is less than 4 weeks until we leave for NZ and I have so much I want to get done before I leave.  Then, Carmen from musingnmayhem is coming down to a roller derby (I hope I have called it the right thing !!!) and we are hoping to meet - if I don't get too self conscious and shy and not manage to get there !!!!

On Sunday we have a barefoot bowls afternoon with A's work (Don't understand why they would organise a family day once they have decided to close the division down - rather give him the money thank you very much !!!) - hopefully my knee will be fine by then otherwise I think I will have to take a book with me.  I don't find bowls that much fun to play and I think watching it is about as exciting as watching paint dry !!!!

I am linking in with bbeingcool for her last Team Friday linky.  B, I am very sorry that you won't be hosting this linky anymore but I will still be around reading !!!  Looking forward to linking up with Stacey-Lee from next week.

So, from a rather befuddled brain - wishing you the best weekend ever !  For those on the Gold Coast, stay as dry as you can and maybe we should all buys shares in whichever company sells wellingtons - if this rain doesn't stop soon I am going to have to seriously think about moving !!!!!

TFTD : You are a beautiful creation - perfectly imperfect - a work in progress.  You have everything you need to fulfil your purpose.  Don't dilute yourself for any person or any reason.  You are enough.  Be unapologetically you !

Menopausal Musings

I have come to the conclusion that I have hit menopause - BUGGER !!!  It really isn't fun and, to be honest, I thought that I was too young for it anyway !  Clearly I was mistaken on that count.  So, during my investigations of exactly what I can expect to happen over the next however long it takes to get over it, this is what I have found out with regards to the symptoms :

There are 34 of them on this website !!!  I suppose I should be grateful that I have not been afflicted with all 34 !!!

- hot flushes - oh this is a goodie.  I can sit here with everyone else rugged up and before you know it I am stripping off and sitting in my undies (sorry TMI !) - luckily we haven't had anyone around visiting when this has happened.

 - night sweats - similar to above except my jarmies get soaking wet and I have to change our linen at least every two days.  So what happens when I am in bed is that I snuggle under the doona until the sweats strike when I throw the doona off for 5 mins to cool down, pull the doona up and then at least another 3-4 times during the night I repeat.

I have been taking wild yam to counteract these two symptoms and it does seem to be working - the down side is that they taste like cr*p so even when you find a solution for the symptom, the solution is a bit cr*p anyway !!!

- mood swings - what more can I say ?  Sometimes my family run for cover when I arrive home because they aren't quite sure what to expect - hell I don't even know what to expect from myself from one minute to the next !

- fatigue - given how badly I have been sleeping, whether because of A's snoring or the bloody menopause, I don't know - what I do know is that I am always tired, even when I wake up, I'm tired.

- hair loss - on this one I seem to have gone the opposite way.  I have always had really thick hair - the amount of new hair that is growing is amazing - and painful - because I have all these new hairs sticking up in places where my hair shouldn't be sticking up !!!

- sleep disorders - like I wasn't doing a good enough job of having cr*ppy sleep every night all by myself - this just makes it 1,000 times worse !!

- difficulty concentrating - this I have really noticed at work.  I cannot seem to stay focussed on the task at hand for very long at all.  My mind is all over the place and my work is definitely suffering.  Things that I could knock over in an hour are taking me nearly a whole morning - it is driving me nuts given that it is year end and I have 6 companies I am supposed to be winding up for the year !!!  I cannot even read for any length of time.  I used to read 4-5 library books a fort-night - now I it takes me close to a month to finish a book.

- incontinence - well I don't really suffer from this but only because I have been really good for the past couple of months doing my pelvic floor exercises - I used to think they were a waste of time but I did them just in case they did actually work - I am sooooooooooooo glad I did because they do work !!!!

- irritability - see mood swings above !!!  I don't understand how things that never used to worry / annoy me can send me over the edge now ?????  Note to self - I wonder if this is why A has to work away from home so much - anything to get away from the dragon witch I am sure he thinks he is married to ?????

- headaches - definitely had more achey feeling in my head the last couple of months - not headaches per se, just not feeling right.

- joint pain - I thought this was just the arthritis in my knees and elbows but maybe it isn't just that - maybe it is the menopause on top of the arthritis / old age - yay double whammy !!!!

- muscle tension - again, I thought it was just stress and because especially my neck and back are always tight - this obviously doesn't help in any way, shape or form.

- weight gain - my weight is going up but my measurements seem to be staying pretty static so not sure what the go is with that.

- itchy skin - at night my arms can drive me nuts with how much they itch.  I have tried different tops, I have tried different sheets, I have tried using moisturiser on them, I have tried not using moisturiser on them - nothing seems to help - they itch like I have been touching poison ivy - another yay !!!!

When I look at the list above, I realise that maybe I am not that badly done by given there are 34 possible symptoms that I could be suffering from.  I think it is time I took myself back to the naturopath to see what she can recommend to try to make me a little more bearable to live with !!!

Have you suffered with this ?  Can you make any recommendations about what I could try to do to alleviate some / all / any of the above ? 

Linking in with Dorothy at Singular Insanity for Things I Know this week !

TFTD : Your past circumstances and background may have influenced who you are today, but only YOU are responsible for who you become tomorrow.

My Run !

Today I am linking in with Dorothy from Singular Insanity for Things I Know - about things I now know that I didn't know yesterday morning !  (And I am going to cheat and link this in with Team Friday at bbeingcool because I cannot get a post written that is going to be worth reading)

Anyone who has been reading this blog will know that I have been training for the C 10km race for the past couple of months.  (After talking to my Dad I learned that he used to train for 2 months for an 89km race - I trained for 2 months for a 10km race - maybe the difference in our ages when we ran said races had something to do with it !!!!  Or maybe our level of fitness before we started training - I don't know !!!)  Anyway, a back injury last week played havoc with my head as I had planned another 25-30km of training which I didn't get done and eventually I had to accept that the training I had done would have to be enough.  Everyone said that it was enough.  My brain said maybe not !!!

The weather on the Gold Coast last week left a lot to be desired - rain poured down for hours at a time, the wind blew at a million miles an hour and the cold that was felt in our home chilled me to the bone.  If this was the weather that I was going to have to run in, I wasn't sure that I was even going to bother.  So, on top of the weather issue, was the early morning issue.  I don't do early mornings.  And I definitely don't do early morning runs.  I knew this when I entered but I thought it would be OK.  It wasn't that OK - I hated going to sleep at 11pm knowing that I would be up in 4.5hrs time.  Then waking up and wondering, even though I had set two alarms, if they would work.  It messed with my mind big time !!!!

On Friday afternoon I had popped into the Salvos store to buy a throw away jumper for the morning - picked one up for $4 which I was very happy with.  Got home and we went to Charlie's to carbo load - not sure that it was totally necessary, or even whether it makes a difference or not - but we did.  And I finished my meal with a chocolate pizza - so good !!!!

At 4.30am when the alarms both went off I lay there and wondered what on earth I was thinking about ?  Who was I kidding ?  I am not a runner - why did I think I could run 10km.  I wondered whether I should just curl up under the doona and just sleep the day away ?  No such luck - Al got me up and I got dresssed, had my protein bar and half a glass of OJ to take my tablets and we set off at about 5.15am.  Got there waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to early but it did mean we got a good parking !!  Walked through and found where the start was and then did some stretching and went and waited in the starting area.  A stayed with me until about 3 mins before the start of the race so I gave him my throw away jacket with the thought that I would be able to use it for the next time I ran (holy cr*p - at that point I was already thinking about the next race I was going to run !!!!).  The starter gun went off and we started shuffling forward.  I got near the start line only to find that I couldn't switch Runkeeper on on my phone so had to step aside to sort that out.  No panic - yet !

We headed south over Sunningdale Bridge - not a lot of running happening as we were still quite close together.  A fair bit of pushing and shoving which annoyed the cr*p out of me - we are all here to run the race people - just hold on for everyone ahead of you to move !!!!   I did manage to go the whole race without getting tripped up or tripping anyone up so I thought that was a good win !

One guy pushed past me and at that point I had had enough of the pushing and shoving and so said "Really" quite loudly - he turned and I just held my hands up as if to say "What - you think it is OK to push people out the way" and off he went.  We turned at the end of the bridge and headed north.  The leaders had passed me when I was less than 1km from the start !!!  I went up and over the little hillock in front of CQU (where I used to work) and then saw A just in front of the chemist opposite the swimming pool.  I struggled a little from 3-4km and then before I knew it I saw my first sign - 8km - holy moley - how did I get to 8km without seeing a sign !!!!!!  I could feel my legs were tiring but I knew that I had less than 2kms to go to the end and I seemed to get some strength from somewhere and keep going.  I had said to myself that I would like to run the whole 10km without walking BUT if I had to walk I would.

I didn't - I ran the whole 10kms in a PB time of 1:03:21 (was aiming for 1:10-1:20) - and, I never thought I would say this, but I really enjoyed the run.  I don't know if it was because it seemed to go so fast, whether it was because I just got into the zone and ran, whether it was because my legs felt good for most of the race - I don't know what it was but I wish I could bottle it up to use for future races.  Yes, there are going to be future races - and, despite me saying I would never do a half marathon, I think that might be the next goal AFTER I have been to someone to get my knees checked out (as requested by A who is worried I may be doing more damage than can be fixed if I carry on running without getting them looked at).  My right knee twinged at about 7km and I told it to suck it up and hang on until I had finished before it decided to do anything horrible on me - and it did (Thank you right knee !!).  Both knees were sore once I had stopped running but after icing them yesterday afternoon they pulled up fine today.  I have also got a big blister near the ball of my right foot - very strange as I have never got a blister there before on any of my training runs. 

If only I had the confidence in myself that everyone else seems to have in me I would save myself a lot of angst !!!!  I hope I haven't put the hoodoo on myself with this first run being so good and that runs will only go downhill from here !!!  Maybe because I didn't over think it, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.  Hopefully I will be able to under think all future races.

To my family who have been amazing in helping me train - either by riding with me or not nagging for meals when I have been out training and couldn't be arsed bothered to cook dinner or entering the MDC to keep me company and then running ahead because I told her to or just telling me that of course I am going to finish it even if I have to walk, to my virtual cheering squad who cheered me on during my training runs when I felt like I had no more to give and who were there with me yesterday cheering me on finish and to finish strongly, A HUGE BIG THANK YOU because, for sure, without your support and encouragement, I don't think I could have accomplished what I did.  So, while it may have been me out there running, it wasn't without help from all of you !

My legs were a little tired last night and a little tight this morning.  But they felt good - they feel good provided I don't sit for too long in one position !!!!!  I am thinking of having a rest week this week - except for the normal 2 x PT sessions - but no running - and then starting again next week.  I think I am going to enter the 5km Bridge to Brisbane - we get back from NZ the week before the race so if I can get enough kms done before we leave, I will be happy to enter that race.  The following week we have The Stampede so I will have to look for which races there are after that is over provided my knees are OK !!!!

Have the best week ever - for anyone involved in financial year end - good luck !!!!

TFTD : Without pain there would be no change.  But pain, just like everything in life, is meant to be learned from and then released.

Fitness Friday

Linking in with bbeingcool for Fitness Friday for the last time to bang on about the race tomorrow !!!  (I have to say that I felt very special when she asked if I would comment on blogs for Fitness Friday in her absence - thank you B !!  I hope you have an amazing time in Sydney at blogopolis - so jealous and wish I was going but then I would miss out on my run tomorrow and that would be sad !!!!)

Well due to the stupid back injury that I picked up (excuse the pun - totally unintended) moving furniture at work on Thursday, my training this week has been soooooooooooo much less than I wanted it to be, not helped in the least by the cr*ppy weather we have been having here.  This is the Gold Coast people - it is supposed to be sunny and warm and all things wonderful - not cold, raining, windy and bloody miserable !

Anyway, my only run this week was 5.14kms on Sunday in 32:44 and two PT sessions for 30 mins a time.  A far cry from the 25-30kms plus the PT sessions I had planned !!!  But, what can you do - no point in going for a training run that aggravates an injury to the point where I can't take part in the race.

On Wednesday I was working up at Inala the whole day (was supposed to only be for 3-4 hrs in the morning but dragged on and on until nearly 4pm) - just before we left there, I got a phone call from one of the guys on the Logan Motorway to say that there had been an accident so we landed up going the back roads which probably took longer than if we had sat in the traffic !!!  It was just before 5.45 before I got home.  In my head I HAD to run - having only done that one run on Sunday I really felt like I had to get out there.  I called A as I was leaving Yatala to tell him I was on my way home and said I was going to run.  He was "I don't think so - it is pouring and blowing gales" - "Well I do think so - I HAVE TO, LOVE" - "OK, whatever you want" !  A few kms later I called my Dad - the font of all running  knowledge having done all the races he has in his life time - his comment "Don't be silly - you have done enough for the race on Saturday and really, whatever you do this week isn't going to make a difference anyway.  In this weather, I would say stay home and keep warm."  So, being the good daughter that I am, I listened to him and stayed at home and stayed warm (nothing to do with it suiting me to listen to him THAT time !!!)

After training tonight A took me down to the Convention Centre to pick up my number.  If the whole race is run as efficiently as the number collection was, it is going to be a slick race !!!!  This is my number so if anyone sees me and waves, I apologise in advance if I don't wave back - when I run, my head is down and I don't look up much at all !!

I am quite nervous already and just wish it was all over BUT I know that it will come and before I know it, it will be over and done with and I will wonder what I was nervous about !!!!  I have booked dinner at Charlie's tonight - a GREAT Italian restaurant just down the road from us so I can carbo load - I believe this is what I am supposed to do anyway !!!! 

I am thinking about what my next race is going to be - can't be running with no aim now can I ????  Maybe the Bridge to Brisbane although that is the weekend after we get back from 2 weeks holiday in NZ where I don't imagine I will be doing much in the way of training given the following temps over there today :
Christchurch 0
Dunedin -2
Invercargill 1
What I can imagine is that maybe we need to go and buy another pair of thermals each - one pair is not going to be enough for two weeks !!!!!

We (A, K and I) have entered The Stampede on 8th September at Woodford so that will be exciting.  We have entered the 5km race just so that we can see how we manage. 

If anyone is looking for some assistance with their blog or web page, I can recommend Liz from Mumstrosity.  She has been a huge help to me with my blog and my web site. When it comes to techno stuff - I am totally useless.  In fact, most times you could be talking English yet it sounds like a foreign language to me so I admire those people who know what they are doing especially when they deal with me because I make it really difficult for them by not having a clue what they are talking about !!!  Thank you so much for your help Liz - I really appreciate it !

Have the best Friday possible - take care and catch you next time !

TFTD : Sometimes we don't forgive people because they deserve it.  We forgive them because they need it, because we need it, and because we cannot move forward without it.

Thankful Thursday

I love Thursday because I get to play Thankful Thursday with Kate from katesaysstuff and everyone else who has joined in.

Today I am thankful for :

- life because even though sometimes it is tough, the alternative is not that great

- my family because they add so much to my life - how dull it would be without them

- running because how unfit would I be without it

- my cheering squad because they are there when I need to pull out something more than I think I am capable of

Have the best Thursday ever !

TFTD : I learned the hard way that I cannot always count on others to respect my feelings, even if I respect theirs.  Being a good person doesn't guarantee that others will be good people too.  You only have control over yourself and how you choose to be as a person.  As for others, you can only choose to accept them or walk away.

Things I Know

Today I am linking in with Dorothy from Singular Insanity for Things I Know because I know that I like linking in with other bloggers.

Let me start by acknowledging that I am not good at not doing something that I have planned to do so when I hurt my back moving furniture at work yesterday, I was not happy.  It wasn't sore straight away but rather twingeing by the time I left work.  By the time I got home it was aching and really really sore after I had given a client a treatment.  An Epsom salts bath and a wheat pack did little to relieve the agony.  This morning I went to the osteo who has helped but it is still aching - not unusual after a treatment.  He has suggested cutting right back on my training until it has cleared up completely - not happy Jan !!!  I have this planned schedule for my training and this is stuffing it up completely.

I know I have to get my head in the right place - just because I won't be doing nearly 190kms of training does not mean I won't be able to run the race.  Just because I am missing the last 8 days of what I planned to run does not mean I won't be able to run the race.  Chances are if I do try to train over the next couple of days, I won't be able to run the race because I will have stuffed my back up completely.  I have  to get my head in the right space so that I don't do this.  I don't want to jeopardise my chances of running on Saturday so I need to get my head right.

I promise to stop going on about my running once next Saturday has come and gone !!!

As an aside, I saw that I have had 7,000 page views on my blog - who would have thought that there would be that many people interested in reading what I have to say - certainly not me !!!

Have the best weekend ever !

TFTD : Some days are diamond and some days are coal.  However, every day is a golden opportunity to learn, demonstrate gratefulness, and positively impact the world around you.

Team Friday

Today is Friday which means I get to link in with B from bbeingcool about what I have been up to this past week.
Saturday 15.03km run - yes I ran all bar one lamp post - 1h 45m 04s
Monday 6.05km run - 40m 24s
Tuesday 30 mins personal training
Wednesday 30 mins personal training
Thursday forced rest day as I hurt my back at work moving furniture

As you can see from my first activity this week, it was a big week for me - mentally to be able to do that sort of mileage was amazing.  I did battle the last two kms and I blogged about it here but I did it and I was very proud of myself as were my family and my support team (thanks guys !!!!)

I was disappointed when I left work yesterday as my back was twingeing quite badly.  By the time I got home I knew that if I ran last night I may not be able to run next Saturday so I treated the one client booked in and felt awful when I was finished with him.  A soak in Epsom salts and a wheat pack gave me some relief but this morning I am off to the osteo because I cannot stop my training now.  I need to be able to run from tonight.  I have a training schedule for the next 8 days and I can't afford to just let it all go.

Once next Saturday is over I am going to have to sit down and work out where I take my running from here. I need to have a goal to aim for - I really battle to run every week when I am not aiming for something but I don't know how far I want to go - a friend in encouraging me to do a half marathon but I don't know if I can do that mentally given how much I battled with the 15kms last weekend.

But, something will come up and it will all be good.  Have the best weekend and take care !

Have you been up to anything interesting this week ? 

Share it across at bbeingcool with Team Friday !

TFTD : Life is sometimes confusing.  It takes sadness to know happiness, noise to appreciate silence and absence to value presence.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am linking in with Kate from katesaysstuff for Thankful Thursday because it is one of the few days of the week that I make a concerted effort to post a blog - I like linkies and so I like Thursday and Friday when I can join in with a bunch of other fantastic bloggers and celebrate the small things in life !

This time next week I will have done my last training run before the 10km race - I will probably be nervous and anxious and wishing that it was 10am on Saturday morning because if I haven't finished my 10kms by then someone would have come and picked me up in a car !!!

Earlier this week I planned my last two weeks of training and I took it to my trainer and asked his opinion - he thought it was great with enough kms to keep me going and not enough to burn me out.  On Monday I had planned an 8km run - I got home and on some level I knew that 8km was too much - I had a headache, I had had a big day at work and I just felt that I wouldn't be able to manage that.  So I swopped it for the 6km run I had planned for Wednesday night.

I got to training on Tuesday night and the trainer said he couldn't make it on Thursday night as he would be away for work so suggested we train on Tues and Wed  this week.  So, the run I had planned for last night was swopped with the PT session tonight.

Today at work we decided to move the office around (another long story that I won't go into here) - the gist of it being that I probably over did the pushing and pulling and lifting and I left there this afternoon with my back absolutely aching and my right knee twinging more than I liked.  I also had a client booked in for a massage tonight (when really I felt like I needed to find someone to give me a massage !!!!).  I got home and as I got out the car I just knew that I couldn't run tonight - as much as I wanted to, I knew I couldn't.

So, I treated my client, went and got some groceries, came home and had a soak in Epsom salts.  As soon as this is posted I am off to bed with a wheat pack for my back.  I am now looking at an 8km run tomorrow and a 10km run on the weekend.  This is going to mean that I won't reach my 190kms of training runs before the race on 30th BUT it does mean that I am more likely to be able to run on the 30th given the rest that I gave my back tonight.  It was so hard for me to say "My back is sore so I won't run tonight" when all I wanted to do was come home, get changed and get out there to clock up some more kms.

I am thankful that I listened to my body and I am really hoping that my body is thankful too and heals quickly and allows me to run tomorrow night.

What are you thankful for today ?  Link up with Kate and share your thankfulness with others.

TFTD : Don't let the people who aren't worth it get to you.  Focus on those who love and accept you for who you are, and shower them with the love and kindness they deserve.

15kms - Done and Dusted !!!!

Last weekend I planned to do a longer run - I didn't because of the crappy weather and I felt bad, I felt like I was always saying I was going to do this longer run but it just never happened.  I had done a 12km run the Wednesday before but, for me I wanted more.

I knew A and K were working today and so had planned to go to work as well - but only after I had run.  A left at about 7am and I got up and got dressed.  Thought about what to eat / drink before I left - this is a dilemma for me because I always run at night and have something to eat at about 3pm.  Anyway, I had a couple of sips of water to take my tablets and had a protein bar - worked like a charm which is great because now I know what I can have before the race on 30th June which starts at 6.30 am !!!!  Bloody hell - how am I going to manage to get up for that !! Sorry I digress - again !

The next dilemma was what to wear - I have long sleeve tops which are great but I thought they would be too hot by the time I was 5 or 6km into my run and the weather got warmer. I found two short sleeve tops that I had bought when we were doing a lot of bush walking and it worked so well - warm enough when I started but not too hot later in the run.  The only problem was my hands - they were bloody cold for most of the run and have got so fat I battled to get my rings on when I left home a little while ago.  It's been a long time since my rings have been so uncomfortable on my fingers !!!

I got to half way and stopped to stretch my gastrocs, hamstrings and quads - they were getting tight and tired.  I turned around and headed home -  I had run 7.5km away from home knowing that when I got there I had no option but to turn and go home - no short cuts - no way to get home except put one foot in front of the other and keep going.

Up until I stopped to stretch I was still averaging 6:32/km which I was extremely happy with.  At about 11km my legs were getting really tired - I considered giving up. I thought about phoning someone to come and fetch me.  I thought about what I was doing and why.  I thought about my village of cheerleaders and I put my big girl undies on, sucked it up and go on with it.  At 12kms my pace had dropped to 6:42 - still good and still acceptable for me.  At 13km I had tears running down my face - why was I doing this ?  Why didn't I just stop ?  Why didn't I call someone to come and fetch me ?  What was I trying to prove ?  What did it matter if I didn't finish these last 2 kms ?  Would it be the end of the world ?  No, it wouldn't be the end of the world but it would be one more goal that I set for myself that I didn't manage to achieve.  In any case, who could I phone - A was at work and I thought that K would have left for work already. I could call my BIL - how to explain I was 2 kms from home and just couldn't go on.  I could call my folks - no explanation required - just could you please come and pick me up and they would be there faster than I could say Jack Flash. 

And then I heard the voices (no I am not going off my head - they were virtual voices) - Aroha, Lyndal, Jane, B and Lee - cheering me on those last 2kms - telling me I could do it and to just keep putting one foot in front of the other - cheering me with every step that I took - cheering me to keep going - not for any reason other than to help me on my way.  1.25km from home K called to say she was leaving for work (I COULD have called her at 13kms to come and collect me - I am SO FRIGGIN' HAPPY I didn't !!!) - I waved as she drove past and I knew that I would make it all the way home - and I did !!! 

This morning I ran 15kms in under 7min/km (because 6 mins 59 secs is under 7mins isn't it ????) - and, right now, I would have to be one of the happiest ladies on the planet (even though I am about to start working for a couple of hours !!!) - my legs are tired and aching (not helped because I didn't stretch) but I can live with them like this - they tell me I am alive and I have achieved something I NEVER thought I would - never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would RUN (plod ?) 15kms.  Rhianna asked the question yesterday - when does jogging become running ? If anyone knows I would love to know the answer.

Tonight may be a different story when I have to walk up the steps at Metricon Stadium to get to my seat but I will deal with that when it happens !!

For those who think they can't run - you can - you so can do it because if I can do it - ANYONE can do it !!!

Have the best weekend ever - and thank you again for your support, encouragement and motivation - I can't tell you how much it means to me !!   This TFTD is for all of you who are on this journey with me - A HUGE BIG THANK YOU !!

TFTD : Never forget where you have been.  Never lose sight of where you are going.  And never take for granted the people who travel the journey with you.

Fitness Friday

Trying to get a head start on this post given I know that I won't be able to post at work tomorrow !!!  Linking in with B at bbeingcool (in anticipation that she will be hosting the meme this week as she always does !!!!)

I didn't quite achieve what I wanted to fitness wise this week - my effort consisted of :

Friday - 5.15km run 34:17
Tuesday - 5.16km run 33.:22
Wednesday - 30 mins personal training
Thursday - 5.13km run 34.:41

My goal for the long weekend was one long run of between 13-15km - I did nothing !  In fact, on Monday I didn't even get out of my pyjamas !!!!  And the reason for that was the weather - it was miserable - but not only miserable, it was cold and raining and windy and, while I did think about going out there, sanity prevailed and I stayed under the doona with the rest of the family !!!!

We did manage a big cook up on Saturday / Sunday.  Now I have a freezer full of slow cooked meals that I need only take out in the morning to defrost, put some rice on to cook before I go exercising in the evening and voila, we have a lovely home cooked meal for dinner.  I love being this organised so that I know that while I am exercising I am also eating well, and not damaging the good that I am doing with my exercising by eating badly.

Last night our trainer had us doing walking lunges while holding 10kg weights in each hand.  I cannot believe that I used to walk around carrying more than that in extra weight - how did I manage it day in and day out ?  Needless to say, my glutes can feel it today and my legs felt really heavy, tired and stiff on my run tonight.  I had planned on running 6.25km but just couldn't manage it - I still battle with not meeting the goals that I set for myself but part of me does realise that, while my head may think I can achieve a certain goal, sometimes my tired old body won't comply - and that is OK !!!

I am planning on a long run this weekend (the one that didn't happen last weekend) - will let you know how it did (or didn't) go next week !!!

Have the best Friday possible and an ever better weekend !

TFTD - Giving up doesn't always mean you're weak, sometimes it means you are strong enough and smart enough to let go and move on.

Thankful Thursday

I love these linkies because when I am struggling to think of a post, they normally prompt me to come up with something - not necessarily anything mind blowing, but something !

Linking in with Kate from katesaysstuff - this week I am thankful for :

- my Dad starting radiation so that he can fight the cancer

- my great organisational skills which saw us having a big cook up on the weekend so I haven't had to cook during the week - nor did we have to resort to buying take-aways or eating toast for dinner

- my motivation to get out there and run even when it is the last thing that I feel like doing

- a long weekend with cr*ppy weather that saw us have a pyjama day on Monday

- a trainer who pushes me to achieve more than I ever thought I could (Thanks Hudson for the stiff glutes that I have today as a result of walking lunges whilst carrying 10kg weights in each hand and to think that I used to walk around 24/7 carrying an extra 25kgs - scary stuff !)

- my Mom and Dad for making yomazzoti and dropping it off yesterday so I have another two nights that I don't have to cook

- my job, which is so hectic at the moment I don't know which way to turn

I love Thankful Thursday because, even when life gets tough and I feel like tossing it all in, it allows me to dig deep and find things that I can be thankful for and I realise that it isn't all bad - there is good out there as well !

TFTD : Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together - Marc and Angel

Who Am I ?

Eden from Edenland posed this question today in her Fresh Horses Brigade today - and I have been thinking about it on and off during the day - still not sure I can answer the question but I am going to give it a try !

I am :

- grateful
- happy
- cranky
- busy
- lazy
- unorganised
- loving
- quiet
- thoughtful
- inspiring
- encouraging
- helpful
- shy
- annoyed
- daughter
- wife
- mom
- sister
- lucky
- accountant
- reflexologist
- massage therapist
- work colleague
- niece
- aunt

I am all of the above at some point in time or another - sometimes I am even more than one at a time.  I can swop from being one to the other very quickly if I am crossed !

Eden is right - it is a simple question that is hard to answer.  Thanks for making me think of who I am - and even now I am not sure I got it right !!!

(Random) Things I Know

Today I am linking in with Dorothy from Singular Insanity with Things I Know :

- our house is great in summer but bloody cold in winter
- it is colder inside our house than outside it
- I can get my hair washed, dried, straightened, get dressed and my make-up done quicker than I thought I could
- my child can be the sweetest child out, when it suits her
- the sweet chilli and basil pizza from Crust really is the best pizza going
- I am hoping to be more organised with meals this coming week (I wanted to do that today but didn't get to it because :
- today I spent most of the day in my pj's watching baseball on TV and crocheting a blanket
- I am one lucky lady who is surrounded by a great family
- sometimes I take them for granted

Have a fantastic Saturday and long weekend to all those who have a long weekend !

Fitness Friday

Gosh, how quickly does Friday come around - it seems like I am only posting one or two blogs a week lately but that is OK because it means that I am interacting more with my family which is what living is about.  Isn't it ?????

Anyway, linking in with B at bbeingcool who has been sick this past week and I hope is well on the way to be fine again soon !!!!
My exercise for this week was :
Friday - 5.12km run 32:56
Sunday - 8.32km run 54:48
Tuesday - 30 mins personal training
Wednesday - 12.16km run 1:26:56 (my first long run with only 2 x 10m walks in it !!!)
Thursday - 30 mins personal training

I should have run on Monday but I got home, had a client and when I was finished with her I just couldn't be bothered - I felt tired and so I decided to give my body a rest which I believe was the best thing I could have done.  I did the long run on Wednesday night which I may not have done if I had of run on Monday night.

Once again my eating has not been great - why, why, why can't I get my head in the right head space - where it used to be when I was doing so well with my food ??????  Is it because A's work is all over the show - sometimes home, sometimes not, sometimes working at night, sometimes during the day - I don't know from one day to the next whether he is going to be home or not because their plans change to frequently.  Who would think that a company the size they are could be so disorganised.  On the up side he has his finish date - 31 August - times in really well with us getting back from holiday on 24th August - 5 days left for him to clear up any loose ends.  Alternatively, he will have found something else to move to and can come back from holiday and start at a new company.  Whichever way it goes, it will be fine.

I think I am just using his work as an excuse for not being a*sed about meals and I need to get myself back on track - soon !  Cheese on toast or a tin of soup have become staples for me for dinner !!!  I will try this long weekend to get more organised with my meals but not making any promises !!!!

GC Suns play St Kilda tomorrow - definitely not a game I think we have any chance of winning unless St Kilda turn up with only half a team.  It really is becoming frustrating that the Suns can't get a win under the belt - just a couple for the year would be fantastic guys !!!!

Have the best Friday possible - I will try to get around to other Fitness Friday blogs as soon as I can !

TFTD : Take up one idea.  Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea.  Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone.   This is the way to success, that is the way great spiritual giants are produced - Swami Vivekananda Quotes  (Maybe this is what I need to do about my food / eating !!!)