Bit of a ride!

Sunday being a day of rest, we thought we'd go for a quiet ride.

50km.

The Tour of Waikanae is based on a 25km loop - you can do it 1, 2, 3 or 4 times.

It's a lovely ride, without too much hill work, but once again we got nailed by the wind.

This was Craig's first event, and the first time either of us has ridden over 20km. Our first aim was to finish, and we did it dead-on our target time of 2:30.

Very pleased with our efforts; let's see how we feel tomorrow!

Great weather for ducks!

I went for a lovely run last night - in the rain. I'd had enough of people for the day, so headed out to the waterfront, instead of in to the gym.

I did 5km - and ran about 3.5 of that. It would be no fun if it was windy as well, but the rain itself didn't worry me (I know you girls with glasses feel differently). I just made sure I wore a cap to keep my head and face fairly dry.

Things I like about running in the rain:
The shower afterwards felt wonderful
Hardly anyone about
Makes me feel like I'm really tough
I know everyone going by thinks I'm insane
I ran more and faster than usual
Everything feels so clean, despite being in the middle of the city

Bruises

You can tell when I'm getting lots of exercise. Not by how fit and trim I look - by the number of bruises I've got.

I've never been the most graceful soul (Mum, stop snickering) and my full clumsiness comes out when I exercise - particularly when there's equipment involved.

There are always a few around my ankles and lower shins where I knock the bike pedals or the cross trainer as I get on and off.

There's a beaut on my back at the moment - I got tangled up getting off my bike on a bridge and back-slammed the concrete balustrade.

A couple of big bruises on my thighs from walking into various weight machines.

The one on my knee where I tripped over my big feet and fell while walking (honest, I don't need any obstacles, I can trip over all by myself).

So, there's Sue - fit, healthy and damaged!

More bloody rain

DG has put up a great post about how to keep yourself exercising during the winter months. Perfect timing for us Wellingtonians - after all, we're well into spring so the weather is complete crap! Blowing 40 bastards and pissing with rain again today.

Last night we had a spectacular electrical storm - not something seen in Wellington much. The lights in our apartment kept dimming and then slowly coming back up again.

Still, the weather matches everyone's mood today - what a bunch of gloomy guts! Yes, I'm upset that we lost the RWC quarter final but really, IT IS ONLY A GAME! Get over it.

Like so many things, it all comes down to passion - and they wanted it more.

Certifiable!

By Friday I was really sick of not being able to ride my new bike. So we went for a 17km waterfront ride after work, regardless of the gale-force northerlies.

Going there was great, of course - going at over 40kph without even peddling. Coming back, not so much.

Not only did I get blown off the bike (stepped off before I fell off), but the wind then picked the bike up in the air, only connected to this earth by my grip on the handle bars. Still, it was a great ride.

The wind has pretty much continued all weekend - I think it's the only time I've heard a forecast for Wellington that included the words 'gusting hurricane force'!

Managed to get another good (18km) ride in yesterday morning though, when the weather was a bit calmer.

And then this morning (after the ABs got humiliated by the French) I went and took my angst out on the cross trainer and treadmill - and my abs - so it's been a great weekend of exercise.

Now there are a couple of blokes parked in my lounge watching Bathhurst - oh well, guess I can't have the perfect weekend!

Love your kids? Make them poo!

Anyone else seen it? An ad on TV recommending we feed (a famous brand fibre product) to our kids!

That's right folks! Forget about proper nutrition. Let your kids eat all the fat-filled fast food they want. Don't worry that their protein-rich, vegetable-poor diet is bunging up their bums. Just sprinkle a handful of this stuff on their sugary breakfast cereal and all those dietary short-comings will be solved.

Forget about teaching your kids about proper nutrition. Just show them there is a supplement for every need - including the need to poo. Don't worry that all that fatty meat is increasing their risk of colon cancer, because this fibrous wonder-food will fix all that.

Oh, please!

A few simple steps

There are lots of different theories about how to lose weight and keep it off, lots of plans for being fit and leading a healthy lifestyle. I found a plan that helped me to lose the life-restricting weight I was carrying; what worked for me may not be right for others - we all need to find our own way.

I do think, however, that most plans boil down to a few simple steps. Following these steps might not show a drastic change in your weight and fitness, but will eventually lead to a healthier, sustainable lifestyle.

Water
The massive upsurge in bottled water sales shows how much everyone is buying in to this. It's one of the easiest things to change in your lifestyle - simply DRINK MORE WATER. You don't have to buy it; most of us are lucky enough to live in places where the tap water is fine for drinking.

I make sure I drink two litres a day, with about an extra litre per hour of exercise. It's simple to work out if you're getting enough water - if your pee is dark, you need more; if it's clear you're probably drinking too much and making your kidneys work too hard. Aim for a pale, lemony yellow.

Food
Simple changes here, too, can make such a difference. Less fat, sugar and salt, more whole foods, fibre and lean protein.

As well as the type of food, look at the volume. Whether you eat 3 'large' meals a day or go for the approach of having 5 or 6 small meals, look at how much you are eating. Reducing portion sizes, particularly of protein and high-carb foods, will make an enormous difference.

Exercise
Again, this is simple. Get more of it. If you're not getting any exercise, start doing something. If you're already exercising a bit, increase it - maybe track it for a couple of weeks and then work how how/when to do more. If you're a complete fit-freak and exercising for hours everyday - good on you (but make sure you're doing quality exercise and that you give your body recovery time).


Okay, so you've decided you want to make some changes in your life. How will you do it?

Again, this is different for everyone. You might feel comfortable making all these steps at the same time - I did, and it worked for me. But if the thought of all that change completely freaks you out, try this:
Make a list of the 10 things you'd most like to change (and I would suggest you start with the water thing and have exercise fairly close to the top of the list). Then write a schedule of when you're going to make those changes - maybe one on the first of each month? That way, each change will become a part of your life (a habit) before you move on to the next one.

No matter which approach you take to change, you will be making change for the better.

Best laid plans...

I really wanted to go for my run last night. And yes, Helena, I even would have done an extra 5km for you (not).

But the weather and the airline intervened. Quite a few planes got turned back from Wellington yesterday afternoon - couldn't land because of high winds. Which meant by the evening the schedule was pretty well stuffed.

So my flight was nearly 90 minutes late (and it was one of the worst landings I've ever had). By the time I got home just after 8 o'clock, there was no way I was putting on my sneakers and heading out the door.

Now I just have to make sure I follow the 'never skip two days in a row' rule and move my butt today. Preferably on my new bike.

Now, cut that out!

I just re-read yesterday's post and realised I've started October with a defeatist attitude!

Just because I'll be getting back from Auckland a bit late doesn't mean I should give up on getting any exercise.

So, when I get home, I will be going for a 5km jog (with maybe as bit of walking).

That's a better attitude.