Smaller Sue

My first official 5km race

2011-08-30T06:46:00.000+12:00

What a beautiful setting for an event. The North Shore Marathon bills themselves as the most scenic marathon and half marathon in NZ, and I don't think they'd be far wrong.

We stayed at the campground just a few minutes walk away, and this was the view from the bus door:

The view from Takapuna to Rangitoto Island

What a pity, then, they made such a crap job of organising the event. My 1km time splits, taken at their km markers, should give you an idea (remember I was doing 5km).
1km: 6.24
2km: 6.38
3km: 8.26
4km: 4.58
5km: 7.12
6km: 7.25
6km to finish: 2.43

I think the final distance was 6.35km, but it was very hard to tell. You can imagine how grumpy I was by the time I got to the end. And as for the varying distances for the third and fourth kms......

And then I got talking to some of the other runners. One of the women who'd just finished the marathon ended up running 45km because the course marking and number of marshals was so poor. Quite a few of the half marathon folk ended up doing either 29km or 18km.

I have written a long email to the organisers, now that I've calmed down, letting them what I think they could do to improve for next year. I just keep thinking how demoralising it would be for someone in their first long distance event to have this experience.

But on the plus side - my 5km time was 33.38. An improvement of 1 minute and 53 seconds - gotta be happy with that! And it wasn't a dead flat course this time either; total gain was over 18m.

All in all, it was a lovely Sunday run.

And now wanting more...

2011-08-18T08:11:00.000+12:00

I've finished my 8 weeks of training with Up&Running and ran my 5km on Monday. This is the longest distance I've ever run at one time.

My time was: 35 minutes and 31 seconds.

Very pleased with that! Especially given the weather. I know lots of the country had terrible storms and snow; we escaped that (in Northland), but it did hail while I was running. Which makes me some sort of properly tough athlete.

And in a move that has surprised even me, I've now signed up to do Up&Running's 10km course in September!

I can't sing the praises of these courses enough. I never imagined I would be running these distances, let alone enjoying it.

Running my way around the country

2011-07-23T15:01:00.000+12:00

I've run in so many places in the last few weeks:
Whitianga
Thames
Tanners Point
Omokoroa
Ohope
Matata
Rotorua
Taupo

What a tour!

Feeling the difference

2011-07-20T15:24:00.000+12:00

Four weeks into the new plan for exercise and healthier eating and I can really feel the benefits.

I repeated the fitness test on Monday and can see an improvement in all areas - weight down, stamina increased, and a huge improvement in my 1km time. In fact, I'm a bit worried about ever being able to hit that time again!

I'm a copybook example of doing it right really (even if I do say so myself). I've kept to my goals and commitments for exercise and my food intake has improved out of sight.

What the four week results don't show is that my weight actually went up to 91.1kg. That was when I decided enough was enough. I know that, theoretically, I have all the knowledge and tools to eat properly, but sticking to it just doesn't happen. And hasn't happened for the last three years - my weight has wandered up and down between 84kg and 94kg.

So, I've joined up with WW again. And I'm really enjoying the routine - I'm doing it online, which wasn't around when I lost all that weight 5-odd years ago. And they have the cutest iPad app - the geek in me just can't resist.

No doubt I'll get point-counting fatigue again, but hopefully it stays away long enough for me to have made some really good progress.

Such slackness in posting!

2011-07-06T15:37:00.000+12:00

Goodness, how time just slips away when you've nothing to do!

Exercise has been going well. The Up & Running course is very well thought out and there is lots of on-line support - which I'm finding incredibly motivating.

There is lots of work on developing the right attitude to running, and I've already run further than I have in over two years.

Weights are also progressing well. My routine is very simple and won't keep me entertained long, but I'm going to stick with it until I finish the running course (although I will keep increasing my weights and reps).

And then I can get back to the world of super-sets and HIITs!

Cool!

Changed my mind

2011-06-27T16:35:00.000+12:00

Think I'd rather be motivated by this photo - my first triathlon!

End of week 1

2011-06-26T14:09:00.003+12:00

I've had a good week. Not everything went to plan, but I adapted and feel like I've put in a good effort.

I've completed all three Up & Running sessions, done my fitness test, had one weights' workout and a lovely long walk. I wanted to do more weights, but ended up with two days work and couldn't quite fit it in.

I used my long walk this morning to assess how my body was feeling. A few tired muscles, mostly butt and thighs, but nothing that feels strained or injured.

I've just made a point of reading my motivations again - and must remember to do this frequently.

This photo of me 6 years ago at age 40 helps with the motivation too!

Progress

2011-06-22T19:30:00.000+12:00

I've done my first fitness test (results on the sidebar) and the results were somewhat better than I expected for most parts. My sit and reach was awful - I've obviously lost a lot of flexibility.

Have also done my first U&R workout and a good weights session this morning. The body is tired but feeling pretty good. I'm working for the next two days, so workouts will be at 6am!

The photo below shows you the wonderful gym I worked out in this morning.

The training plan

2011-06-19T16:38:00.001+12:00

Warning: lists below!

Sunday is planning day, and what better way to spend a wet Sunday afternoon than creating a suite of new spreadsheets?

Sometimes my geekdom just goes into overdrive.

Having lost so much of my hard-won gym fitness, I'm treating this as a new start. So, rather than bring out the very challenging "bus programme" my trainer wrote for me before we ran away, I'm taking a back to basics approach.

Tomorrow I'm going to do a fitness test. This involves:

weight
1km time test (which I'll do on Tuesday as part of the first Up & Running day)
number of push-ups per minute (I'm going to allow myself the girly version. Mainly because I suck at push-up. Particularly since the whole "cartwheel your bike and smash your shoulder" incident)
how long I can hold a wall sit
how long I can hold a plank (or bridge, or whatever you call it)
my sit-and-reach distance in cm

I'll put the results on here and then repeat the test every four weeks. Should be interesting to compare the start, half-way and finish points of the eight week Up & Running course.

My training for the next eight weeks will look like this:

Up and Running training: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
resistance training: Monday, Wednesday and Friday
rest: Sunday

I have a nice set of gym equipment that travels with me in the bus. It consists of hand weights (the cool dial-up ones so you only have one set gives you different weights), a skipping rope, a yoga mat, a Swiss ball and a BOSU.

For resistance training I'll do a sort of "whole body" routine that I can vary as my fitness increase by adding extra weight or more challenging variations. The basic workout entails:

tricep dip
bent row
military press
chest press
squat
reverse crunch
Romanian deadlift
alternating Superwoman
toe raise

Feels nice to have a plan again.

It just keeps getting better

2011-06-18T09:30:00.000+12:00

There are so many things we love about our new lifestyle.

And I've just found another one.

I can commit to planning my weeks (the next eight) around my exercise, not shoe-horning exercise into a packed working/sleeping/living schedule.

We have no major work commitments over the next couple of months, apart from some writing work for me which is pretty flexible. We're staying in a lovely little town with quiet, flat streets and very little traffic - therefore no traffic pollution either. And there's even a room here I can use for weight-training when the weather is wet (I have my handweights etc with me).

So everything is in place, I just have to make sure I keep my head in order too.

With so much free time I could just make vague plans about when I'll exercise. But I know enough about myself to know that won't work.

Sunday evenings will be used to plan for the week ahead. I've already decided Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday will be my Up & Running days, so I'll need to decide what else I'll do that week - weight training, cycling, hiking, etc. I'm aiming for four hours of planned exercise each week; it would be very easy to miss that target without sufficient planning. There are plenty of beautiful walks around here we haven't done yet - and that way Craig is included in some of the exercise too.

We're expecting to leave Whitianga around 20 July, so then I'll just have to adapt the plan. Because we don't know where we'll be heading - another thing we love about our lifestyle!

Body check

2011-06-16T20:30:00.001+12:00

How is my body feeling at the moment? When we start the first week of the training plan next week, am I going to feel the lack of regular exercise?

Craig and I went for a bit of a walk today. Not to the local beach or even to the pub for a drink (although we did that later). We walked into New Chums Beach (other blog post here), which takes about 20 minutes each way.

It's not a difficult walk, but does offer a few challenges: wet feet, rock hopping, mud scrambling, up over a little hill and plenty of sand walking.

So, how does my body feel tonight? Well, ankles are a bit sore and I'm a little tired from all that lovely fresh air, but at no stage did I find it too difficult.

I feel like my general fitness is pretty good. But that doesn't mean next week isn't going to hurt.

The reward for our walk.

Hydration

2011-06-14T12:24:00.000+12:00

I need to get back in the water habit.

I used to be really good at it, but that seems to have slipped away. When I had an office job I always had a water bottle sitting on my desk, but you can't do that working at the pack house - it's a food handling area so you can only have a drink on your breaks. And then we'd usually just have time to slurp down a cup of tea before the next session - of up to two and a half hours (so you don't want to drink too much anyway because then you have to get someone to cover for you while you go pee).

Pack house work is finished now, so that excuse is gone. I try to drink plenty of water in the morning and up to early evening, then ease off a bit. Otherwise I'm up too often during the night. Yet another balancing act!

Why am I doing the Up & Running online course?

2011-06-13T13:48:00.003+12:00

I want to run 5km, just once in my life. Even if that’s the only time I do it, I want to know I can.

I want to feel strong and slim again.

I know how good regular exercise makes me feel. I want that feeling again. I need something to help me get back in the habit.

I want to be fit enough to do whatever I want. Climb a mountain (OK, a little one), kayak or ride for a couple of hours, go to a Zumba class or do a physically demanding job. Whatever it is, I don’t want to be held back by not being in shape.

I want to lose 20kg. The running course is part of the commitment I’m making to weight loss.

I want to be proud of how I look.

Starting summary

2011-06-13T08:00:00.000+12:00

My weight this morning was 91.8kg. Not very flash, particularly as it means I've put on 5kg in 3 months!

My highest ever recorded weight was 132.5kg in April 2005 and my lowest was 76kg in December 2006. Over the last four years my weight has slowly crept up and I have spent most of the last 2 years in the high 80s/low 90s.

September 2007

I have done no regular exercise since November. I have also only worked for 3 months out of the last 10 - that work has been quite physical, so that may have helped my fitness a little.

It has been very hard for me to put any really effort into getting back to a healthy weight. There are lots of reasons for this, not least that my life is so much happier now. But I really do need to do this - if only so I can stop thinking about it all the time!

As Anne (who has a private blog) recently said 'Remember how good slim felt?'

Balance

2011-06-11T22:36:00.001+12:00

It's not something I've ever been very good at - balance. In fact, the other day I tripped over a ledge about 2cm high and fell arse over tit. Got great bruises on my knees to prove it.

But the other balance I've been thinking about is exercise vs. food. In the past three years I've spent an absolute fortune on gyms, personal trainers and private fitness studios. All so I could be fit - and exactly the same weight as when I started.

Training really hard lets me get away with eating and drinking too much.

That's not very balanced.

I don't want to tip the balance too far the other way. Just ease off a bit on the food and drink, add in the new running course - should all be good!

Irony

2011-06-08T08:50:00.001+12:00

Two and a half years since I wrote the last post on this blog (about retiring from running), and I'm about to embark on a running course!

Lots of reasons for this - and for writing about it here.

I've always felt I let running beat me. Did I hate it because I sucked at it, or did I suck at it because I hated it?

I've tried running again a few times since then. When we went to Outward Bound in June 2009, we had to be able to run 3km in 25 minutes, so I tried to build up to running that far. Trouble is, I can walk it in that time, so I never really had to push myself.

Have tried to do the Couch to 5K thing a couple of times too, but always fizzled out after a couple of weeks.

Now I've signed up for Up & Running, an online running course designed specifically for women. I'm going to track my progress here - not tell you what the course involves as such (because that would be giving it away), but how I'm feeling about it.

And why am I going to write about it here? This blog charted some pretty major changes in my life.

There's a job to finish.

Oh by the way

2008-12-17T13:29:00.002+13:00

I have officially retired from any events that include running.

I just don't like it.

In fact, it makes me miserable.

And that puts me off exercise generally.

So, why do it, when I usually love exercise?

Soon be Christmas!

2008-12-16T16:12:00.005+13:00

It's OK, Jake hasn't kidnapped me, although it feels a bit like the festive season has!

We had three weekends in a row away from home, so last weekend was busy trying to get lots of stuff done around the house. We did manage to sneak an early morning kayak on the harbour on Sunday, which was lovely.

Have been flat out with work (and work functions!) but....

I HAVE A MONTH OFF! I am finishing on 19 December and not back at work till 20 January. How blissful is that?

Craig has almost as much time off, although he is working until 23 December. After Christmas we are going to drag the caravan to the Far North for a 3+ week trip - and of course the kayaks and mountain bikes will be going with us.

I am going to run a trip blog while I'm away, so keep an eye out here for the link if you're interested.

Look - I can drink and BBQ at the same time! Talented girl.

Nostalgia shot

2008-11-20T16:51:00.002+13:00

We’ve just had our new fridge delivered, and it made me remember this photo from this post.

That fridge got left behind when I left the old house (and life) behind. I don’t like my chances of talking Jake into posing for another shot like this.

I spoke to him a couple of days ago when he was in Amsterdam (and I don’t even want to think about what he was getting up to). He is ambivalent about coming home – excited to be seeing everyone, but worried that it’s all going to feel strange and flat.

He has not yet really had to face the fact of his parents separating, which happened just after he left in April last year. That may take some getting his head around.

He’s not met Craig yet either, although he did work with one of his sons briefly. Mind you, I think Craig is more worried about this meeting than Jake is.

So, things are feeling a bit unsettled, but I’m sure it will be fine. Jake is not the sort to make trouble where it doesn’t exist and all he wants is for us to be happy. And happy is something that I certainly am; whether Mark is or not is none of my concern.

Anyway, my boy is coming home and that’s just too cool for words!

See how far my bottom lip sticks out?

2008-11-17T16:30:00.001+13:00

Not my most successful effort, the duathlon.

I was having real doubts about my ability to do the second (5km) run, but was happy to walk parts of it if I needed to, despite my earlier NO WALKING resolve.

What I didn’t expect was to strike trouble on the ride. It has always been my strongest discipline, and having done the 50km recently I was feeling fine about it. Maybe that was my downfall?

It was a very windy day on Sunday – gusting over 80km/hour on the course. So the first run was very tough, with some vile headwinds. In fact I even had to walk parts of that – I could walk just as fast as I could run in those conditions.

But the ride REALLY hurt. I was trying to keep my speed over 25km/hour on average, and it was probably too big a task in the wind. By about 12km I was getting cramp in my right thigh and it just kept getting worse. By the end of the 20km the upper leg was cramped solid and I just COULDN’T walk or run it off.

So, I made it about 1km into the second run and then pulled out.

DNF. Shit!

I spent the afternoon parked on the couch watching movies and sulking.

But, of course, I’m over it now.

I think there were a number of contributing factors. I spent the week on antibiotics because of a kidney infection – which also meant I hardly trained at all. I didn’t adjust my expectations to the weather conditions. And – I think this is the biggie – I listened to my own negative self talk. And, really, I just wasn’t prepared for the distance. I’m not a strong runner and the mental toughness to push through the challenge wasn’t there.

End of self-analysis, time to move on.

From now till Christmas I’ll focus on fitness for weight loss, so keeping my cardio load quite high. Then in the New Year – train for a short duathlon on 18 January (2.5km/15km/2.5km) and hit the medium duathlon again on 8 February.

Then I have a really big challenge planned, but more on that later…

Just stuff...

2008-11-10T16:30:00.001+13:00

Well, our general election may not have been as high profile nor as exciting as the American presidential race, but it has been an interesting weekend.

I thought Helen’s concession speech was wonderful, but could everyone please stop talking about her as if she died? All her opponents who have been unable to utter a good word about her for years are suddenly offering up glowing tributes.

Still, sincerity never had any place in politics…

Less than a week till the duathlon now. I’m mostly excited about it, but have moments of questioning my sanity. I have reached the conclusion that I always need an event or specific activity to aim and train for. It helps me so much with my focus and I really enjoy feeling myself improving and getting fitter.

Speaking of looking forward to things – just a few weeks now till Jake gets home. I’ve been getting texts from lots of different countries lately – I gave him a three week Contiki tour for his 20th birthday, so he’s having a last blast around Europe before heading back to NZ. Oh, and he’s having a week staying with friends in Greece as well!

Having my boy home is definitely going to be the best Xmas pressie.

Motivation Monday

2008-11-03T13:03:00.003+13:00

Well, who's been a slack tart then!

What's motivating me today? The great bunch of people I work with!

We had a training brick at our place yesterday - 1km run/10km ride/2km run - with the eight of us who are doing the duathlon together in TWO WEEKS (!!!!!). Then we had a BBQ brunch, along with the various partners, kids, dogs, etc.

I looked around at this diverse group of people and just found it completely motivating. The duathletes range from 32 to 50 in age, come from all walks of life and have varying sports backgrounds from former NZ representatives (women's cricket) to never having done an event in their lives.

And here we all are, with a common goal. Two of them are now talking about going on to do a marathon in the next 18 months, one is trying to get back the fitness he's lost in the 10 years since giving up competitive sport, one is so fit he does this sort of thing for a blast - and we're all in this together, helping, advising, competing a little, and having some really great fun along the way.

It's been a neat way to get my groove on again.

The rotating kilo

2008-10-22T15:30:00.001+13:00

Kathryn made a comment on my last post about how frustrating it is to lose and gain the same kilo over and over. I’ve been carrying this disturbing image of a rotating kilo ever since.

So, where does the bloody thing go?

I know when I gain that kilo, it likes to wrap itself comfortably around my hips to create that unsightly muffin top.

But what about when I lose it?

It can’t be holidaying in the fridge, for I’m sure I’d notice it. And it’s not relaxing in my undie drawer, there’s just no room. I guess it’s probably skulking under my bed, waiting to slide back onto my body under the cover of night.

Or maybe the kilo is clever enough to distribute itself around as random grams of fat. Maybe my healthy home made muesli now contains fat bombs that slip away from my stomach to find their favourite hip resting place. Maybe there are fat drops in the shower head that stick to my arse while I’m showering.

I’m going to have to come up with a subterfuge. Perhaps I should lose the kilo while working in Auckland and then try to sneak home so it doesn’t hitch a ride on my butt. Or ride very fast and hope it scatters behind me, hopelessly lost and gone forever.

Or introduce it to Kathryn’s kilo so they can fall in love and run away together…

Motivation Monday

2008-10-20T11:28:00.000+13:00

What’s motivating me today? The scales.

I’ve got all this stuff lined up nicely:
I’m exercising well and regularly. I’m being challenged in this area and really enjoying that.
I’m doing my usual no drinking of alcohol in October – and this year I’m extending it until after the duathlon in November. I definitely feel better and can really feel the benefits when I exercise.
I’ve got my head around how I want to approach food – BUT I’M NOT DOING IT CONSISTENTLY.

Today I weigh exactly 100 grams more than I did at the start of August. 83.9kg.

Okay, we all know I’m great at maintaining. But in that time I’ve only strung 2 weeks of losses together. The last 7 weeks have been up and down each week alternately.

Too annoying.

I know the way I want to approach eating is right. But I’m still not getting my head into it properly. I know that it’s not going to be an overnight change. But I would like to see some success to encourage me.

I am definitely not going back to tracking points. It drives me nuts!

But I am going to keep a food diary for a few weeks. What I eat, when and where.

Why?

To better identify my ‘weak’ times – what time of day do I snack when I don’t need to, which days to I have more trouble controlling, which locations cause me more problems – home, away on business or at the caravan? And then I can be more on my guard against them.

One thing I do know – I need to stop letting myself off. It’s this sort of thing:
It’s been a hard two days in Auckland – I deserved some cheese and crackers (and a little piece of brownie) while I wait at the airport to fly home.
Mmmmm, that black pudding, mushrooms and eggs on savoury French toast sound great. We only go out to brunch once a week, so I may as well have it.
If you look hard enough, you can find a reason to let yourself off every day. And there’s your eating shot all to hell.

So, I’m also going to write a few simple rules at the front of my food diary. Like:
Brunch – healthiest option only. If there’s no fruit muesli and yoghurt on the menu, its poached eggs on toast with grilled tomatoes on the side.
Airport lounge – a cup of tea and a piece of fruit in the evening, or cereal and fruit in the morning.
Caravan – Craig can eat cashews. I can’t. Find some rice crackers.

It’s a long process, this learning thing!

Motivation Monday

2008-10-13T13:02:00.003+13:00

What's motivating me today? The ride yesterday.

Well, not the actual ride, but the way it felt when I finished. I was absolutely knackered, absolutely everything hurt and it was absolutely fantastic!

I set myself a really hard target and got so close to it the minute and half really doesn't matter that much.

I'd forgotten how good that feeling is - setting your sights high and knowing you worked like hell to reach them.

So, time for another target - my duathlon times. Forget about pissing about with whimpy targets like just finishing the damn thing - I know I can do that.

The distances? 2.5km run/20km cycle/5km run

Target one - no walking, not even in transition
Target two - one hour and 50 minutes (I really want to type two hours there, but I'm not letting myself)

The body hurts

2008-10-12T16:20:00.003+13:00

This morning Craig and I did our 50km ride at Waikanae. I did it in 2 hours and 1 minute, and Craig came in about 10 minutes after me. Last year it took us 2 hours and 30 minutes.

The improvement isn't quite as dramatic as it sounds - last year we did it on mountain bikes with knobbly tyres. Still on mountain bikes this year, but with road tyres, which makes a huge difference. The other big difference - a lovely still day today, whereas last year the northerly was gusting 100km an hour!

Still, very pleased with our times.

Has been another great weekend - weather at the caravan yesterday was lovely, so we just pottered about and spent a fair bit of time lounging in the sun. Came straight home after the ride this morning so Craig could watch Bathhurst. I've done a bit of gardening and some snoozing on the couch.

Our time at the caravan always feels like a holiday - the weekends just seem longer somehow.

The good times continue

2008-10-09T15:35:00.003+13:00

Still loving this hard-arsed exercise lark. How could I have forgotten how great it feels to push my body and then push my mind to push my body even further!

And having a trainer - brilliant! He's not the red-faced spitting drill sarge type, but he really does motivate me. And of course I lap it up. He has only had to explain to me once that doing an exercise to 'failure' really means till you physically can't do it any more, not that it hurts a bit and you don't feel like it...

Of course, I am trying to dish it straight back at him. Well, he did tell me that he doesn't embarrass easily. That's pretty much a challenge right there, isn't it? If you don't want to hear that one of my aims is that my thighs don't wobble during sex, don't ask me what my aims are, fool.

Motivation Monday

2008-10-06T11:44:00.002+13:00

What's motivating me today? Me!

I feel great. Yesterday at the gym was one of those breakthrough days - I ran a bit further, rowed a bit harder and grinned like a maniac through my weights programme.

I feel fit and trim. Not the fittest and most trim I've been, but a definite improvement on how I felt a few weeks ago.

I'm looking forward to exercise this week. I'm especially looking forward to the 50km ride this weekend.

Just generally, I'm looking forward.

Life keeps changing

2008-10-03T05:05:00.004+13:00

It has been a really tiring couple of weeks as Craig has been closing up his business. Very stressful for him, coping with that, and migrating himself, his staff and his major client - to the same company I work for!

So now I get to call him the new boy and threaten him with the fact that I usually do all the process/systems training with the new staff. It has been decided I won't in this case, but no doubt I'll get to act as the after hours help desk.

This is a very good move for him, as he was really over running his own business and competing in such a tight market. Despite the stress of change, I can already see him starting to relax and enjoy his work again.

Luckily we don't have to work in the same offices - that would be just a bit too much time together.

We're going to have another nice quiet weekend at home and give the garden a good tidy up. Off to the caravan next weekend and our 50km ride at Waikanae. Will be interesting to see if having road tyres on our bikes improves the times much compared to last year. Must put the bike computer back on my bike so I can pace us properly.

BIG NEWS OF THE WEEK: Jake has booked his tickets home and will arrive in NZ on 2 December. I'm not allowed to tell his mates, though, as he wants to surprise them by turning up at some concert that's on here the next night. Can you imagine how excited I am that my boy will be home in a couple of months? Even if he is sporting this new addition to his body:

Paddling muscles required

2008-10-01T13:35:00.006+13:00

Have survived my first proper session with Karl - although some of it was learning the routine, so I probably wasn't pushed as hard as I will be when I go right through properly. Will put the programme on my sidebar when I can remember what's in it!

My favourite part - having someone else to push my stretches for me...

Oh, and I really love going to the gym during work hours because there is hardly anyone there.

He's given my some great upper body work, which I'm rapt about for two reasons - my shoulder still needs strengthening, and Craig and I are about to buy a couple of these:

No, not the small child - the sit-on-top kayak!

They only weigh 18kg, so we can carry them the 100m from our house to the beach, and also they're easy to put on top of the ute when we go away.

So we'll be one of those couples that arrive at the camping ground with all the flash gear - caravan, mountain bikes, kayaks. You know, the people that make you go "Oh sure, you really use all that stuff! We know it's just for show!".

Exercise revisited

2008-09-28T12:49:00.007+13:00

How many of you are Healthy Food Guide readers? I've loved this magazine from when it first hit our shelves, and have had a subscription for ages.

The October issue has some great stuff that sits well with how I'm feeling about food right now - making positive changes to build a healthy life. If you get a chance, I really think it's worth a read.

I've made a big change to exercise this week - for the first time I have a personal trainer. I really needed to work out why I wasn't making any progress with my running. This running thing is weird: I have no ambition to be 'a runner', but I really want to be able to run if I want to. And I want to be able to run this duathlon in November, not walk.

My first session with Karl (seems like a typical PT name to me!) was to assess my fitness - mostly he wanted to see how I run so we could work out what my problem is. He quickly decided it was what I suspected - my shallow breathing. My technique is okay and my fitness is good, I just run out of puff.

So he's going to concentrate on pushing the top end of my fitness. At the moment this centres around the bike: I start on Level 9 with rpm around 95. Each minute for five minutes I increase the level by 1 till I reach 13, then drop straight back down to 9. This is repeated 4 times. So my heartrate steadily climbs and then drops down for a recovery before climbing again. Have to admit there was a fair bit of sweat involved!

I'm going to see Karl twice a week for the next four weeks - hopefully it will make a big difference to my fitness. It will also cost me a chunk of money, but I reckon that will help motivate me; why waste the money by not pushing myself to get as much benefit from this as possible? After that I think I'll just see him every couple of weeks for a while.

I'm getting my full progamme from him on Tuesday - really looking forward to that!

This week I have been toying whether or not I want to keep blogging. But I think it will help me with this exercise focus, so I'll stick with it for now.

Running fool

2008-09-22T14:02:00.005+12:00

So, last week's training wasn't great as far as regular exercise, but there were a couple of good things going for it:
I did two run/walks, and on one of them I ran a total of 3km, which is the most I've done this year,
Craig put road tyres on my mountain bike for me (and we rode 18km). Man, are they faster and easier!

This week I'm doing some research into how to run properly. That might sound silly, but I've never looked at the techniques of running - which is surprising when you consider what a geek I am! I will spend my running time this week practicing a couple of things I hope will help.

If I'm going to force myself to run, I may as well be smart about it.

Just when you thought it was safe...

2008-09-19T13:53:00.003+12:00

I'd been lulled into that false sense of security September often brings. The blossom was coming out, my carrots were poking their leaves above the ground and I've been able to leave the house without 2 layers of merino underwear.

So spring must be here, right? Right!

So long as your accepted definition of spring is a few nice days interspersed with freezing cold rain and driving southerlies.

I do love Wellington weather, honest!

Mind you, I was lucky enough to have two glorious days in Christchurch early this week. Surely nothing can beat running in Hagley Park in the morning surrounded by spring blossom and daffodils.

Wish I had got out of bed to do it!

Hold your balls please

2008-09-17T15:14:00.006+12:00

Okay, I didn't quite say it like that, but I certainly got a funny look from the waiter at our local Italian restaurant last night.

What I did say was "Can I have the spaghetti and meatballs without the meatballs, please?".

I love their spaghetti sauce. The meatballs, not so much.

My eating was dreadful last week. Days of over-indulging and WAY too much wine. And of course my weight has suffered. But there's no panic here yet.

Having read Anne's fabulous post about balance, I'm even more clear that I don't want to go back to a strict eating regime. I want to work out how I am going to eat for the rest of my life, so I can be healthy and maintain a healthy weight.

So, perseverance, my friends.

Yes, dammit, I am awake

2008-09-12T11:53:00.002+12:00

For those of you who have never read The Food Whore - you should, because that is where I swiped this quote from:

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the Devil says;
"Shit, she's awake".

Boy, do I love that sentiment.

A bit bilious

2008-09-11T09:09:00.000+12:00

Last night I ate a meal I regretted.

The meal tasted really good. It was well-prepared and made from fresh, organic ingredients.

I didn’t regret it because of any ‘diet’ guilt.

I regretted it because I didn’t feel good after it – in fact didn’t feel good for the rest of the evening and still don’t feel too flash this morning.

Why didn’t I feel good? Because it was just too rich!

It was chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce, served with gnocchi, pumpkin and spinach. The richness wasn’t helped by the fact the gnocchi was fried not just boiled.

Yes, the meal tasted great, but it just wasn’t worth how I felt afterward.

This is a big lesson for me – think of food not just in how it tastes and whether I ‘should’ be eating it from a calorie and fat intake point of view. Think of how food is going to make feel after I have eaten it.

Really, the Thai beef salad would have been a much smarter choice.

Rack off!

2008-09-09T13:04:00.003+12:00

Right, Mr New Trainer Dude at the gym trying to drum up clients.

No, I don't want to chat about my programme. Not right now. When I'm 40 minutes into my run/walk intervals.

Need a hint on why not? Well, the sweat dripping off the ends of my hair would be a good start. Or the face the colour of a baboon's arse. Or maybe the fact my earphones are slipping out of my ears*.

Next time, try approaching me before I start exercising. I'll still tell you to rack off, but I'll be able to breathe while I say it.

*Am I the only person who suffers from sweaty ears?

In the zone?

2008-09-08T09:16:00.002+12:00

The first week of duathlon training went really well. The weekend 10km ride got pushed to 12km, and as well as my run/walk session yesterday we went for a great MTB ride in the reserve near where our caravan is parked at the moment. I have to admit though, some of those steep climbs were pretty hard on the thighs after running only a couple of hours earlier.

I am enjoying having a structured training schedule again. Although I was exercising most days before, it was easy to slack off by doing slightly fewer exercises or less distance. Now I have my expectations down in writing, I'm much more likely to hit my targets. For instance last week Craig didn't feel like going to the gym one day, so I did circuit training at home instead of using that as an excuse to do nothing.

Of course not wanting to be shown up by my workmates adds extra motivation!

Also, Craig and I have decided to do the 50km ride at Waikanae again this year. That's mid-October, so 5 weeks before the duathlon.

Eating-wise, still feeling my way, but enjoying this style of eating much more than a rigid plan. I'm paying most attention to portion sizes and getting rid of mindless eating.

I get a whole week at home this week too, which is nice. Off to Christchurch next week as we have a new company down there, so some poor sucker needs to be trained on the World According to Sue.

Idle observations

2008-09-04T16:48:00.003+12:00

Sitting in the club lounge at the airport. The only people who don't look tired are the ones speaking in irritatingly loud voices. Does constantly striving to be noticed give you an energy boost? I would have thought it would be dreadfully exhausting
Why are drivers so reluctant to give way to emergency vehicles now? Don't they get the whole life-saving situation thing?
Exercise done when you really don't feel like it truly is doubly rewarding
Most men wear their trousers at least 3cm too short
I know having all this lovely oestrogen racing round my body keeps me looking young, but, really, I'm over getting pimples with every period, like some cruel gift-with-purchase

Sorry folks, guess I'm tired and grumpy!

BHAG time (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

2008-09-01T14:48:00.001+12:00

We were talking duathlons at work this morning. As you do.

Somehow, I seem to have challenged all my staff to join me in one. Well, my three Wellington staff anyway. The two in Auckland don’t yet know what a lucky escape they’ve had.

The four of us haven’t just decided to do a duathlon. We’ve decided the short course is too easy. We’re doing the medium instead – 4km run, 24km ride, 4km run. Of course, I could just wimp out and walk instead of running. But no-one else seems to be going for that option. And I do hate to be shown up. Even if I am the oldest.

The good part about it – we’re doing it in mid-November. So when it was suggested we should go the whole hog and do a triathlon, I could legitimately point out the necessity of a wet suit when swimming in the sea at that time of year. No-one here has one, so we dropped that idea. Phew! I swim about as well as a three toed sloth does aerobics. I don’t think even the Grade 4 AC dislocation/torn rotator cuff excuse would have got me out of that one – but luckily the cost of wet suits did.

Of course, I once did fancy I could do triathlons. The biggest relief of my life was when they cancelled that swim.

So, serious training time again. And at the perfect time of year to get fit for summer. At least it’s only 5 weeks till daylight saving starts. That always makes training easier.

Hence – the return of Sue’s exercise-geek sidebar.

Spreading hips

2008-08-29T09:04:00.003+12:00

This is the photo that really drove home to me that the creeping weight was starting to show. Of course it was after a week in Paris and 10 days in London, so all the eating and boozing with my sisters and my boy hadn’t helped. I used to be able to take those pants off without undoing them. Not anymore.

Nice story to the photo though. Jake and I are standing in front of the church in Willesden (NE London) where my parents got married – 53 years ago. Mum and Dad are were an ‘item’ at training college in Auckland. They both headed off on their OE in the early 50s – separately of course. They met up again in London, got married and stayed until Mum got pregnant with my oldest sister. The first time they went back was in their golden anniversary year – and they visited the church too.

Isn't my boy looking fine?

Easily derailed

2008-08-28T11:21:00.000+12:00

In fact, it sometimes seems the tracks aren’t there at all!

Having decided I really want to get my weight down, at least back into the (once briefly visited) mid-70s, I am struggling to keep my focus going for more than a few days at a time.

I know exactly why this is happening, but that doesn’t help me get it under control.

When I first lost a large amount of weight – 46kg in that first year – it was easy to become very self-centred in my approach. I didn’t realise it fully at the time, but my life was not really a very happy place. Apart from my son and my work, I wasn’t getting much fulfilment. So, it was easy to throw myself into eating plans and exercise schedules. More importantly, it was easier to stick to them when I had so few distractions.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not moaning about being deliriously happy. No way, baby!

But now I need to take a new approach, and it’s taking me some time to get my head around. In the long run, it will be a more realistic approach, because it will be how I live the rest of my life.

It’s no longer about being strict, about firmly defined limits. It’s about being flexible. There will be much more ‘listening’ to my body, and thinking about whether I really want something, or if it’s just a short term urge that will go away if resisted.

I’m actually very excited about this. There are lots of things involved that I’ve only be playing lip service to for a long time – portion sizes, healthy choices, self control. But it will take a bit of trial and error to get right.

Exercise continues to be very important to me. Not just because I love it, but because it helps keep me focused. I know how much better I run if I haven’t had those two glasses of wine the night before – so if I have a run planned it is easier to abstain. Basically, it is easier for me to eat well if I am exercising well.
So, in a world where sustainability is the buzz word of the moment, here’s to a more sustainable approach to my health.

Thank you Shauna

2008-08-27T12:08:00.001+12:00

How often have you rolled your eyes as you spot the latest bestseller wonder-diet book on the shelves? Are we really convinced that ballroom dancing changed Norm Hewitt’s life, or that the Movie Star Diet is the thing for us?

I certainly won’t waste my time reading books that tell me everything I’m doing wrong, or spend money to be preached at about how I should live.

The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl by Shauna Reid fits into none of these categories. Shauna isn’t claiming she can change your life or save you from yourself. She is, quite simply, telling you her story.

Not that the story is simple. Shauna takes her readers through not just the journey of her weight loss, but the journey of a huge part of her life – the influences that created her weight issues, her struggles with social isolation, and her battles with depression. But it’s not all about the hard stuff – what superhero adventure would be complete without triumph: overcoming evil, exciting travel adventures and a great love story?

I chose to read Dietgirl in two sittings – three hour flights to and from Sydney. I was crying within the first dozen pages and cursing Shauna for wreaking havoc on my makeup. Sleepy passengers were several times close to lynching me for snorting with laughter. But mostly there was most un-Sue-like silence as I devoured the story of this amazing woman.

I suspect Shauna would tell you she is just an ordinary person. If she is, then she has an extraordinary ability to communicate. If you have visited the Dietgirl website you know that, but reading the book shows the depth of her ability.

So Shauna, thank you for bring us your story. You may have changed your own life, but you have touched mine profoundly.

Owwweee!

2008-08-14T09:05:00.002+12:00

Oooo, it hurts. Somehow it doesn't matter how fit you think you are, there is always something that will prove you're not.

Last night I couldn't face running in the freezing cold again, so I decided to do my kickboxing DVD instead. For the first time in like 18 months.

And it burns. Thighs, butt and that bit at the top of my calves.

Of course adapting the routine to fit in a living room the size of a bread bin was interesting too!

What a lovely weekend

2008-08-11T10:43:00.002+12:00

The weather was still vile on Friday night – no surprise there, it really has been a hard winter. We wandered into Petone to see how opening night was going at Lone Star. Had a margarita there and then bailed because of the crowd. Very nice meal at Gusto though.

On Saturday the forecast looked better for Paekakariki than Petone, so we headed up to the caravan about lunchtime.

It was still less than 10 degrees, but we headed off for a ride on the trails in Queen Elizabeth Park. Great fun and great exercise. Good for my confidence too, which I’ve been struggling to get back after my accident. If I went any slower downhill up be peddling backwards up the hill!

We got caught in a heavy downpour, but were only about 5 minutes from home, so toughed it out and got back to the caravan dripping wet.

Freezing overnight, but Sunday dawned to one of those magnificent winter days – clear and still, so the cold doesn’t seem to matter any more. Back on the bikes for another great ride – down to the beach for coffee, along the beach to Raumati and then back on the trails again.

Then it was time for the great shift – we needed to get off the site we were on at the caravan park as it had a long-term booking. After much wandering about, scratching of chins and working out the angle of the sun, we decided where to go.

So, pack a few things away and hook up the truck. Easy. Did I mention it’s been a vile winter? And that the ground is really wet? And that our truck and caravan combined weigh in at over 3.5 tonne? That’s right; we got stuck in the mud. Chewed the hell out the grass and then couldn’t go either forward or back.

Had to go and get the tractor from the camp owners and pull the van to another site. We’ll leave it there for a month or so till the ground dries out.

Of course now there’s lots of mud to clean off both vehicles…

All round, it was a great week of exercise. I aim to do at least 240 minutes a week, spread over 6 days. This week I got to 320 minutes.

I told you it was cute

2008-08-08T13:38:00.003+12:00

Actually, you can't help but say 'cute' when you see it. And just wait until we finish the renovations inside....

Our perfect little love nest!

Hellooooo?

2008-08-06T09:28:00.004+12:00

Just in case anyone notices I’m here, here’s some of the stuff that has gone on in the last six (!!) months.

I went to Paris and London with two of my sisters – and got to spend over a week with Jake
My shoulder took a long time to get really better, but I’ve been back on full time exercise since the middle of May
We now live in a cottage in Petone – it is incredibly cute and tiny, only 70 square meters, but just perfect for us and less than half a block from the beach
We are also the proud owners of a caravan. It is very flash and luxurious – but I am now officially trailer trash, apparently. We have left it up the coast for now and pop up for as many weekends as we can
Between lack of exercise and being incredibly happy, my weight had gone up to over 88kg. I've been working on that for the last six weeks and am back under 83kg. I still have a hankering to get down to that 72kg mark

Not sure if I'm back to full-time blogging - will try for a weekly update for now.

Best laid plans...

2008-02-26T12:10:00.000+13:00

Okay, having a bit of a sulk now.

The conversation at physio this morning went something like this:
Her: How’s the arm?
Me: A bit sore today, actually.
Her: Why do you think that is?
Me: Because I went for a run. (failing to mention the second one this morning)
Her: It is way too soon for you to be running. Those poor ligaments are just hanging on by a thread. Stop torturing them.

So there goes the original return-to-fitness plan. Oh well, shit happens.

Change the plan. I’m allowed to walk. I’m allowed to ride (on nice flat surfaces).
That means, this year, it will be a walking and riding duathlon. No running for Sue.

Return to fitness

2008-02-24T08:07:00.002+13:00

It's two months now since I last did any real exercise - gosh, that sounds like something that should be said in the confessional!

The lead-up to Christmas meant the usual slacking-off about exercise. But that was all going to be put right during our 2 week holiday in the South Island - camping, mountain biking and kayaking.

Then all those plans were blown on New Year's Day. We'd just ridden the lovely track around Lake Hayes and were zooming down the access road back to the car. Gravel road, lots of potholes, riding too fast - crash! I cart-wheeled my bike and landed in a very messy heap.

End result - small fracture in my forearm, dislocated elbow, grade 4 dislocation of my AC joint (shoulder). Lots of pain, lots of drugs and major change to the holiday plans.

So, here we are almost at the end of February. My recovery has, of course, been much slower than I would like. But the last couple of weeks has seen quite a lot of improvement and it looks like I will escape the surgery that was on the cards.

The most fitness work I've done is a few walks - not very far, not very fast, not very many.

Hence, I have forced myself to concentrate once more by setting a deadline - the REAL duathlon on 6 April. I've signed up already, so somehow I need to be able to walk/run 3.5km, ride 10km, walk/run 1.5km. And I'd really like to run, not walk.

I have just got home from doing day 1 of week 1 of the couch to 5km. And at least I managed to do it. Not sure about riding though - I think I'll start that later this week in the gym, rather than on a real bike.

And my other motivation - I want to be fit when I go to see Jake in London in April.

Okay, yes...

2007-11-28T20:55:00.001+13:00

Okay, yes, I'm still alive.

Okay, yes, I still love ALL of you.

Okay, yes, my life is bloody wonderful.

Okay, no, I don't know if I'm going to get back into blogging.

Bit of a ride!

2007-10-14T20:36:00.001+13:00

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!

2007-10-11T14:30:00.000+13:00

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

2007-10-10T06:53:00.000+13:00

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

2007-10-08T09:40:00.000+13:00

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!

2007-10-07T13:03:00.000+13:00

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!

2007-10-05T09:23:00.000+13:00

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

2007-10-03T08:56:00.000+13:00

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...

2007-10-02T08:53:00.001+13:00

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!

2007-10-01T14:40:00.000+13:00

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.

All-about-exercise-post

2007-09-30T19:51:00.000+13:00

September exercise wrap up
Days I did something: 27/30
Days I did nothing: 3/30
Days I did something I rate as significant exercise: 20/30
Number of gym visits: 8/30
Number of non-gym days where I did exercise that I consider a worthy replacement: 7/30

October exercise aims
No more than 6 days without significant exercise (September was 10)

Although I really like the gym, at the moment I'd rather be out riding, weather permitting.

Cool shit from the weekend
Craig bought me a bike computer. How geek-cool is that? I can measure distance, time on the bike, top speed, average speed...
Much application of ice (external) and gin (internal) meant my knee felt not-too-bad on Saturday, so we rode all over the place, stopping to drink coffees and cruise the Lyall Bay mega centre and clocked up 17.5km.
Some dickhead tried to kill me again (cut in front of me at an intersection), so I went and bought a BRIGHT yellow cycle top (and an orange one for Craig) along with some cool sunnies to make me go faster on the bike.
Sunday the weather in town was yucky, so we went out to Paekakariki to eat brunch and rode the trails in QE2 park. Only 8km, but LOTS of grunty hills.
I remembered DG's post about spending the first part of any exercise adventure freaking out about not being able to do things, as I crept/skidded down steep gravel-pathed hills, terrified of leaving half my skin on the stones if I came off. But I did it, and got very brave as time went on!
Finally got sick of my shonky gears and bought a bike off TradeMe tonight. Have already picked it up. Very cool and can't wait to try it out.

Phew!

Off to Auckland for the day tomorrow so I suspect the first day of October may be without significant exercise...

Thanks a bunch

2007-09-29T07:48:00.000+12:00

I'd just like to say thanks to the woman driving the Fiesta who pulled a U-turn in front of me while I was riding my bike in Evans Bay last night.

Thanks for missing me.

Thanks for being completely unaware of my existence.

Thanks for opening your door without checking your wing mirror.

Thanks for making me stop so suddenly that I managed to wrench my knee - again.

Thanks for at least driving so badly I had already started to slow down before your idiotic stunt with the door. That way I didn't hit your door and fly off my bike into the wild blue yonder.

Thanks for checking to make sure I was okay before getting back into your car and driving off.

Thanks.

It's okay, my knee has been vastly improved by applying gin. Internally.

Never skip two days in a row

2007-09-28T14:44:00.000+12:00

Not a bad rule this one – and it can apply to eating and to exercise!

We all skip a day now and then – we’re human and sometimes these things just happen. But how you cope with the next day can make all the difference. Because if you skip two days, it’s even easier for it to become three, then four…

One day off track with your eating won’t do much harm – but a whole week will! Try not to just shrug your shoulders after a self-indulgent day and say “Well, this week is shot, might as well eat whatever I like”!

If you missed your run yesterday when it was pouring with rain, or didn’t make it to the gym because you bumped into a friend on the way home and went to the pub instead, you might be feeling a bit lazy today. GET OVER IT! Get those running shoes on your feet and get out the door – you know you’ll feel better if you do.

Now, if I can just practice what I preach…

Look for inspiration every day

2007-09-26T08:52:00.000+12:00

Daily inspiration will help sustain long-term motivation.

Inspiration can be found in all sorts of places. Lots of us find it other people’s blogs and online forums. There is inspiration to be found in magazines, in books (especially biographies); in music and in the people you see everyday.

It’s not just stories of other people’s weight loss which are inspiring. I love to hear about people who have achieved success through determination and hard work, or overcome supposedly overwhelming obstacles to get what they want (Mark Inglis is a perfect example, even if he did cause a bit of controversy on the way).

On days you struggle to find inspiration in the world around you – look back at your own success. Read some of your old posts; remember how it felt when you lost the first 5kg or how much it thrilled you the first time you ran instead of walking.

Inspiration is all around us. And it’s much easier to see if you actually look for it.

My fabulous weekend PART TWO

2007-09-25T08:04:00.000+12:00

Well, we had our romantic night away, a lovely time looking at beautiful glass – so how to fill the remaining day of our weekend?

By kicking our arses on a gnarly bike ride of course!

Okay, not really gnarly, but pretty challenging for us. We rode round from Burdans Gate, past Pencarrow Light and almost to Baring Head. It’s mostly flat all the way, but harder than a normal ride because it’s a gravel track. We rode 40 minutes there, and then 50 minutes back because of the head wind.

Amazing scenery – a lot of ships were wrecked on this coast. It’s all quite bleak, and yet the city is just over the other side of the harbour.
Stopped at the ‘car gate’ to catch our breath – and for me to wash some of the crud out of my brakes after getting stuck in some swampy stuff. Craig tried to catch a pic of me taking a pee behind a bush. Luckily he was too slow so all you get to see are my legs, not my hairy butt!
I found the last 20 minutes hard work (not helped by a downpour of rain) and think I would rate this the toughest ride I’ve done. Boy I loved it though.

It’s so cool to be with someone who wants to do these things with me – and I’m sure that pushes me into doing more things too.

Weight this morning was 80.2kg, so managed to keep steady over a couple of fairly hectic weeks.

My fabulous weekend PART ONE

2007-09-24T16:45:00.001+12:00

Whipped off after work on Friday to Wanganui. I know, not a glamorous holiday destination - but there was GLASS to be looked at! And we got to stay here. It was just glorious...

Arrived just on dark on Friday night and had a BBQ - steak and salad we'd picked up on the way. All the provisions for breakfast were supplied (bacon, eggs, cereal, bottled fruit, coffee....). And the next morning the woman who runs the place walked over the paddocks from her place with a loaf of fresh-baked bread. And her gorgeous golden Labrador brought us the paper. Aww...

Then, into Wanganui for coffee and some serious glass viewing. And a bit of buying.

Home again on Saturday evening. That made it feel like a long weekend, because we got home and still had another day before we went back to work - and Sunday is another post.

Later with photos.

Our room...

Do I look as happy as I feel?

What a fabulous day yesterday!

2007-09-21T13:08:00.000+12:00

The weather was great – 18 degrees, clear, sunny and still.

My day at work was great – everything I needed done just feel into place.

Exercise was great – 45 minute bike ride, 15 minutes of which was uphill so I really put in some good work. And we had fun doing it.

The man was great – I got home and ALL the housework had been done. He'd gone home during the day to do it. Just gotta love that!

Overall, I just feel fantastic at the moment.

Continuing in yesterday's theme...

2007-09-20T09:18:00.000+12:00

NEVER under-estimate the power of positive thinking. Focus on why you can instead of why you can’t, and so many obstacles fall away.

Watch what you are thinking. Be aware of your self-talk. I know this sometimes sounds a bit touchy-feely, but we talk to ourselves all the time.

I don't mean the nutty lady wandering down the street muttering to herself. I mean those thoughts we usually aren’t even aware of. You know the ones – I don’t have enough self-control to eat well, I can’t get fit because I’m not a sporty person, it will never work.

Start listening to yourself. Catch those negative thoughts and push them away. Replace them with positive thoughts – eating well will make me feel good, I’ll find an activity I like and then getting fit will be fun, I can make these changes.

The positive thinking habit can be hard. You might even feel a bit silly doing it – but our thoughts have a powerful influence over our lives.

LBTEPA wrote a great post about this a while back, and it has been going through my head a lot in the last few weeks. I hope you don’t mind me quoting you, but the ‘Act as if’ idea struck a real chord with me:

This week has been such an “Act As If” week – Act As If I’m disciplined, motivated, cheerful, organised. And let me tell you, as strategies go, it’s worked a TREAT. Really. I’m sure the effortlessness will return soon. It WILL.

What this says to me is: when things are a bit too hard, act as if you can do them. Then suddenly they’re habits again and doing them comes naturally.

It’s another form of positive thinking. And it doesn’t just apply to weight loss or getting fit. It applies to all parts of our lives.

Thought about your reasons lately?

2007-09-19T11:45:00.000+12:00

Instead of giving yourself reasons why you can’t, give yourself reasons why you can.

I know I can reach the level of health and fitness I want because:
I have come so far already.
I understand so much more about nutrition than I did two and a half years ago.
I have learned to modify my behaviour and curb unhealthy eating impulses.
I love to exercise.
I love feeling fit and strong.
I know that being fit and healthy makes me feel good!

D'oh!

2007-09-18T09:03:00.000+12:00

Oops - forgot to weigh this morning. May have been subconscious self-protective amnesia - there hasn't been much exercise and food has been a bit 'grab whatever you can find'.

Oh well, I'll just leave it till next week.

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts, comments, texts and emails. This has been a tough time for Craig, but after the funeral today we can start looking forward again.

A bit all over the place

2007-09-16T17:20:00.000+12:00

Not our usual pleasant weekend. Gave the trip to Wanganui a miss; might go next weekend. Lots of things to be sorted out here for the funeral on Tuesday.

Went for a lovely walk through the Botanic Gardens today. Did the lazy version - caught the Cable Car to the top and walked down. Lots of pretty tulips to be seen. Had late lunch at Picnic (the new cafe by the Begonia House) - yummy chickpea salad. Made sure I wore a cap; the wind would have me looking like Sideshow Bob in no time!

Plenty of cups of tea

2007-09-14T06:40:00.000+12:00

There's lots of cups of tea being made at our place at the moment. Craig's Mum passed away yesterday. She had been ill for a long time, but this makes it no less sad.

I talked to my Jake yesterday. He was on the booze with his mates in Reading; first day off after working 45 days straight, so it wasn't a particularly coherent conversation. They've put off the Turkey trip until November - he's going to Oktoberfest instead.

Catch you all soon.

Hotel headache

2007-09-12T09:19:00.000+12:00

Woke this morning with one of those awful headaches you get sleeping in a hotel room without enough fresh air. Mind you, I feel much better after reading about the diving pigs...

Forgot my towel when I went to the gym last night - so of course I sweated like a very sweaty thing indeed. Much surreptitious wiping of face on tee shirt sleeve.

Anybody know when blueberry season starts? Hanging out for those little globes of yumminess.

My favourite spring food will soon make an appearance, too - asparagus. Hooray. Saw some in the Wairarapa at the weekend - but still well over $10 a kilo. It will come down though, and then I'll be scoffing it by the bunch.

Think a day trip to Wanganui might be on the cards this weekend - the glass festival is on.

My hair turned very dark brown last week (not all by itself, the hairdresser was involved too). Must get a new photo.

Much more better!

2007-09-11T10:10:00.000+12:00

The direction the scales are moving in, that is. 80.5kg this morning.

Here are the promised pix from the weekend.

The Pinot Noir vertical tasting tray at Vynfield - the house in the background was built in 1908, in Lyall Bay, Wellington. It was moved over the hill a few years ago. The vertical collection was 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 - the 2006 is definitely too young to be let out of the bottle on it's own! Okay, so I had a couple of sips...

The view from our room - no people, just cows and pukekos.

The car and bikes - we're such urban sportspeople!

Rugby, riding and wine

2007-09-10T13:02:00.000+12:00

Somehow that doesn't have quite the right ring to it...

Anyway, had a carefully planned weekend, based around wanting to get away for the weekend, but without rushing and without missing too much of a sport-filled weekend.

So, booked Saturday night at Margrain Villas in Martinborough. The plan was to watch the Warriors win their (rugby league) semi on Friday night at home, then wake up early on Saturday to watch the opening game of the (rugby union) World Cup. After that we would drive to Martinborough with our bikes on the back of the car, then ride around some of the vineyards. Out for an early dinner, then home for a sleep before watching the All Blacks play about midnight in their first World Cup game. Then drive to Carterton on Sunday for the Daffodil Festival and some more riding, then home for a quiet night in.

A plan that worked well, except for a few minor points:

The Warriors didn't win. Nor did they deserve to. But at least they have a life and get another crack next week.
Riding round the vineyards is great. Except that I'm not drinking for the whole month, so wine tasting was a bit of a bust!
Made sure I booked a room with a TV, but didn't check the size - 14".
Riding in the Wairarapa in spring is really silly for two hayfever sufferers.

Actually, we had a lovely weekend and thoroughly enjoyed our mini break.

Photos to come.

Looking back

2007-09-06T14:11:00.000+12:00

I've just done a bit of a cruise back through some old posts.

This time two years ago - I has just hit double digits - a loss of 33kg.

This time one year ago - I was just under 80kg.

And this year - I'm basically in exactly the same place.

Oh well, sometimes that's just the way things go.

MORE incentive

2007-09-05T11:46:00.000+12:00

Guess who booked a holiday on the Gold Coast yesterday? We're going for a week in mid-November. Just want to be somewhere warm and away from people we know!

Boy, does that cause a dilemma with the reverse reward. How can I go to Surfers and NOT buy new clothes...

But I'm not going to put pressure on myself to get to 72kg before we go - it's less than 10 weeks and there's no surer way to make me fail than to set unrealistic goals.

I might just have to work out some sort of compromise. Maybe only buy clothes I need for while I'm there. You know - new bathing suit and a couple of light dresses. And some shorts. And some sandals. And some strappy high heels for going out at night. And a matching handbag. And a nice hat to protect my pale skin. And...

Oh bugger!

Wrong way!

2007-09-04T08:52:00.000+12:00

That's what I yelled at the scales this morning when they showed me 81.5!

Pretty much expected that to happen, in fact almost glad it did. I know I can't spend 4 days a week being kind of good with my eating and 3 days a week being nowhere near good with my eating.

So, time for some 7 day efforts. And I know how to do it - planning, discipline and keeping the end game in sight!

I've always struggled with finding rewards for reaching mini-goals. This is mainly because I indulge myself all the time, so there's nothing left to use as rewards!

Instead, I've taking the reverse-reward approach. Every week I'm giving Craig $100. When I reach my goal of 72kg, he'll give it back to me to go and spend on new clothes. And here's the kicker - until then, I'm not allowing myself to buy any new clothes. Not even underwear!

Trust me, that's going to be damn tough on this girl.

We can rebuild her...

2007-09-03T12:02:00.000+12:00

Another lovely weekend gone - and we even had some lovely spring weather.

I've put a link on my sidebar to another wee blog where I'm going to track my exercise (keeps it off this main blog). It's good for me to be able to review it, to make sure I really am doing enough, increasing my effort AND having the occasional recovery week - where I back off a bit and let my body catch up with itself.

It's too easy to get caught up in always pushing yourself harder - ride further, lift heavier, cross-train faster. Your body needs time to recover and rebuild - not doing that is a great way to lead to injury and exhaustion.

I always have one day off a week, but I know I need those 'slower' weeks as well.

Spring is also making me think about events again. Do I have the commitment to train for another duathlon? Maybe it would be a good idea...

Bye bye winter

2007-08-31T14:47:00.000+12:00

Spring is sprung,
De grass is riz,
I wonder where dem birdies is?
De little birds is on de wing,
Ain’t dat absurd?
De little wing is on de bird!

Well, spring will be sprung tomorrow. Hallelujah to that.

I can tell it’s nearly spring, because I wake up every morning with a sore throat – which means there’s lots of pine pollen floating about.

And I can tell it’s nearly spring because people are more active, more positive and more motivated.

We finally feel like the long haul of winter is coming to an end (and we Wellingtonians can pretend we don’t know it will now blow forty bastards till Christmas).

Take advantage of that upsurge in motivation that spring brings, exploit it for all it’s worth. Get those bodies into the great outdoors and get moving!

And for you northern hemisphere readers facing the slide down to winter – tough shit.

Have a nice weekend everyone.

Fitness focus

2007-08-30T14:22:00.000+12:00

Last night after work Craig went to have a couple of beers with one of his sons, so I went for a walk on my own for a change.

I needed some stuff for dinner, so walked to the supermarket in Thorndon (instead of the one straight across the road), and walked there the looooong way, which took me half an hour.

With my backpack weighing an extra 5 kilos or so, I then walked back a different way - 40 minutes this time, with plenty of hills as well.

While walking, I found myself doing those things I used to do when I was really committed to fitness and weightloss. You know, things like taking the longer way around, or choosing the route with the big hill in it, or skipping the slow song on my ipod because I always inadvertently slow down.

And I felt really great when I got home - I could feel how hard I'd worked - even if I didn't move my butt like M.

Resources

2007-08-29T08:49:00.000+12:00

One of the great things about the electronic age is the number of resources we now have right at our fingertips. You can find information about just about anything on the Internet - in some cases way too much information! Healthy living is a perfect example of this. There is so much you can find about exercise and eating and associated topics, I think if it was all printed out we'd have to chop down every tree on the planet to do it.

Of course, a vast amount of this information is absolute shit. Anyone can put anything they like on the Internet, no matter how ill-informed they are, no matter how flawed their research, no matter what their own personal (or corporate) agenda.

So, the new trick is not getting information, but working out if it's any good.

I think it's one of the good things about blogs. Everyone has their own opinion, everyone has access to slightly different resources, lots of people have tried lots of different things. Instead of trawling through 432 million web pages (75% of which are actually thinly disguised porn sites), I can read the blogs of people I know have similar interests to me. Then I can take the pieces of information that interest me, choose the things I think might work for me, and include them with my own research and experience - and come up with my own vastly ill-informed opinion!

It's very interesting to watch trends in blogs, too. We all reach plateaus, lose motivation, get lazy or generally lose our way at different times. At the moment, lots of people seem to be searching for ways to kick-start their weight loss. This has brought some interesting fads (go on, you detox girls, you know I'm talking about you...), some of which work for some people. Not all things are right or wrong for all people, it's just a matter of figuring out what works for you.

I still think the best thing about blogs is the sense of community. Think of all those people out there who you would have never otherwise had any contact with - people who you know are interested in what you're doing, who care about your ups and downs, who are in turn either inspired by you or giving you inspiration. People from NZ, Australia, Scotland, Canada, America, Spain.....

In my long-winded way, I'm just saying thank you to you all.

Oops!

2007-08-28T09:36:00.000+12:00

Weight crept up by 100 grams this week. Not really a big surprise - that big night of drinking followed by a day of over-the-top eating obviously caught up with me. So, just need to be a bit more disciplined this week.

Auckland sister was down yesterday, so we got to see her and Wellington sister and the two Wellington nieces for dinner last night. Craig copes remarkably well with all those women - we're having Christmas Day at our place, so he probably needs the practice. At least there will be a couple of other blokes there for Christmas though.

Had planned to make a curry for dinner, so I just made it a bit bigger to cope with the four extras, and sent the girls over to the supermarket to grab some roti to go with it - evil, fat-filled stuff that it is...

We didn't have time for the gym, so went for a 45 minute walk instead, including the evil steps. Both of us coped much better with them than we did a few weeks ago, so the exercise really is helping.

Monday food:
Breakfast - cereal and yoghurt
Lunch - roast vege salad with smoked chicken and spinach
Dinner - red chicken curry with rice and three quarter of a roti
Snacks - two trim flat whites, bean sprouts, dried cherries (yum, I love dried fruit but I think I need to banish it from my pantry), two greengages, a mandarin

Weekend wrap-up

2007-08-27T14:19:00.000+12:00

Hmm, let’s see, what have I been up to for the last three days?

Friday
The work do was fun. Didn’t eat too much, but drinking was definitely WAY over the top. Of course, the three large bourbons while we were getting ready wouldn’t have helped!

Saturday
Was a very, very slow day. Had planned to go for a nice long ride. Luckily the gusty wind gave us a good excuse, because the hangovers (something I hardly ever have) were definitely not flash.

Made it to a local café for brunch about 11.30 – I even indulged in a big breakfast. Wandered about doing some shopping for new exercise gear (cheap running shoes and expensive running tights from Rebel) and then off to the stadium for the 5.30 rugby game.

Went to the Black Harp to watch the Shield challenge after that, and have roast pork for dinner.

Finally felt better just in time for an early night – and not the best food day!

Sunday
Definitely the highlight of the weekend.

Rode to the gym, did a one hour workout then rode home.

Met all the blog girls for brunch at 10.30. Boy, we all can talk. Then off to the lifestyle expo (thanks Helena). That was fun – everything from gyms, financial advisers and walking tours, through fudges, soaps and waxing to condoms, Tupperware and a rather odd looking gadget that was apparently for helping strengthen those muscles – it looked more like a cross between a vibrator and a medieval torture device.

Then just a quiet night in for Craig and I, with steak and roast veges for dinner.

All ready for another week.

Do the Friday dance

2007-08-24T06:27:00.000+12:00

Oh yeah, here's comes the weekend!

Craig had an early start today, so I'm getting my post done before I go to work. Usually I have an 8am meeting on Fridays, but that was canned (due to lack of interest) today, so I feel like I've got all the time in the world.

Busy day coming up though. Still got far too many meetings for a Friday. Tonight we've got a work do at Monsoon Poon, partners included, to celebrate our great year-end result. Might be a bit slow getting to the gym tomorrow morning.

Had my favourite kind of breakfast meeting yesterday morning - a non-work one! Met up with Helena. Always such a treat to see her, and boy is she on fire. But pretty on edge too, understandably, so if I catch anyone being mean to her they'll have me to answer to. AND, YES, I AM SCARY WHEN I'M MAD!

Craig and I went for a lovely 15km ride after work last night - I just love these clear winter evenings and exercising outside always beats the gym hands-down.

And the food list was:
Breakfast: yoghurt and fruit with honey (with Helena)
Lunch: leftover pasta
Dinner: salmon with potatoes, beans and spinach, fruit salad
Snacks: banana, apple, mango, yoghurt, two trim flat whites

No, I don't go nuts for donuts!

2007-08-23T08:43:00.000+12:00

It's that time of year. Everyone around me at work is flat out raising money for Daffodil Day. There are lots of raffles, golf putting competitions, bike-a-thons - and people selling food!

The won tons are safe - bought a few dozen and put them in the freezer. But yesterday someone was selling donuts! The best approach for me is to tell myself I don't like them. I bought half a dozen for Craig and didn't even have a bite myself. Pat on the back...

But then one of my guys brought in some chocolates to give to the clients! Little bugger! Got me at weak moment - and I ate three. And, boy, they were good.

Apart from that, had a good day yesterday. 25 minutes cardio at the gym and a lower body workout - have to make sure the legs are strong for riding.

Food-wise:
Breakfast: cereal and yoghurt
Lunch: chicken, walnut and blue cheese salad with mango chili dressing
Dinner: pasta with chicken, mushrooms and snow peas
Snacks: two trim flat whites, banana, carrots, yoghurt, two apples and the bloody chocolates.

And it's a beautiful day today.

Ow, ow, ow!

2007-08-22T08:51:00.000+12:00

Went on my first bike ride last night since...hmmm...I think March.

Finally got my bike fixed (last ridden by Jake, appeared to be missing some bits) and Craig has just got one, so we rode to the Zephyrometer and back - about 12km on the flat, around the edge of the harbour. Bit chilly, but so nice to be out in the fresh air.

Now I remember how different from the bike at the gym this is! The main bits to suffer are my wrists and shoulders - my upper body strength has always been crap. And it hits the bottom part of my thighs, rather than right in the middle.

So, better make sure I get some push ups and shoulder presses back into my routine, especially as we plan to take the bikes to the South Island with us this summer.

Ate well yesterday:
Breakfast: bircher muesli
Lunch: chicken soup
Dinner: tortilla pizza with pumpkin, smoked chicken and prosciutto on it and a green salad
Snacks: 3 (!) trim flat whites, pear, banana, carrots, handful of wasabi peas

New scales, new weight

2007-08-21T09:05:00.000+12:00

Just couldn't stand those old, whirring scales anymore, so went and bought some new digital ones - these ones even do body fat percentage!

Of course, this means I can't squint up my eyes and make the numbers appear kinder than they are. Or round down to the nearest kilo.

Official weight is now - 80.8kg.

First goal - in the 70s by the end of August.

Body fat percentage - 30%. That seems huge to me (I've never done the body fat thing before), but apparently the range for my age is 24-36%, so I guess it's not too bad...I'm looking at it more out of interest than with any aim to hit a certain number.

Another good workout at the gym last night - no weights, just a good cardio blast. 20 minutes on the cross trainer, 15 minutes on the bike, 15 minutes on the treadmill (with 4 x 1 minute running intervals). Burned 560 calories.

And food was good, too.
Breakfast: bircher muesli
Lunch: lamb salad
Dinner: chicken and udon noodle soup
Snacks: 2 trim flat whites, 1 banana, 1 pear, some grapes, a carrot, a yoghurt and a little piece of fruit toast (with no butter or anything on it)
NO ALCOHOL! YAY ME!

And now it's Monday again

2007-08-20T09:48:00.000+12:00

And it really feels like Monday! Not only did I have to drag my sorry butt out of bed this morning, now it's hailing!

Made it to the gym both days this weekend. I really like weekend gym sessions, as I have plenty of time and can have a full body workout AND do lots of cardio. No crowds either - I guess everyone else is out having a life...

I have the exercise thing well and truly sorted now (last week was four visits to the gym, two 'planned' walks and lots of other walking - like to the gym and back, to the movies, that sort of thing). The food thing - not so good.

So, this week, for the first time in who knows how many months, I've written a food plan for all my meals for Sunday through to Thursday. Friday I've just planned the first part of the day and Saturday will have fend for itself.

Hopefully this will mean the kilos starting to come off again, rather than me just maintaining.

And it's definitely time I went back to no alcohol during the week...

How much do I love the weekend?

2007-08-17T17:15:00.000+12:00

Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and, yeah, quite a bit.

It's amazing how rarely I work in the weekend now - got lots of motivation not to. Craig and I just spend as much of our time together as we can - soppy, I know!

Tonight we're off to the movies - Die Hard 4 - for some mindless drivel.

Forgot to mention, one of my lovely sisters and two of her girls were in Europe last month and had a few days in London, so they caught up with my boy. Yes, I was insanely jealous, but here's a nice photo.

Gee thanks, you lot!

2007-08-14T13:56:00.000+12:00

Thank you, everyone who managed to point out to me how warm it is where they are!

It's not that I mind the cold, but when it's constantly accompanied by howling wind, driving rain and the occasional hail storm, I'm definitely over it! That, and the fact winter now feels like it lasts 9 months of the year...

I think I can only last one more winter in Wellington. I love this city, but maybe it's getting close to time for a change. My beloved coffee capital will always be here to come back to.

80kg again this morning, so no loss or gain this week. No worries.

Officially useless

2007-08-13T13:49:00.000+12:00

Posting once a fortnight really isn't up to scratch, is it!

So, what have I been doing in the meantime?

Had a great trip to Queenstown. Got really cheap (Wellington to Queenstown direct for $69) flights off grab-a-seat a while back, so Craig and I flew down Tuesday morning and back Thursday afternoon. Got cheap accommodation off wotif too, so that left me heaps of money to spend on clothes and fabulous Central Otago pinot noir!

The weather was fabulous - typical South Island winter days where the temperature stayed under 10 degrees, but it was so still and sunny it didn't matter. We spent most of time just wandering around and stopping for coffee, but did get a car one day so we could go to Arrowtown and visit a few vineyards as well.

Loved it so much we're going to head back down that way for a couple of weeks after Christmas and do some camping.

Craig has joined the gym too, so now I'm back into much better exercise habits. Last week we managed three visits to the gym and two nice long walks.

Food - mostly good. Weighed dead on 80kg last Tuesday, so I've managed to shave off a kilo.

Rugby has now finished for my lot for the season. I was at the stadium to watch Tana's last game on Saturday too - yes, I did cry when he left the field. Sook!

That's about all the (minor) excitement in my life.

That delicious ache*

2007-07-29T17:40:00.000+12:00

On Friday morning, I felt that almost forgotten sensation in my thighs. That slightly achy feeling brought on by exercise - in this case our walk the night before, which included climbing the considerable number of steps from the bottom of Boulcott St to the top of The Terrace.

Ah yes, that's one of the reasons I love exercise - you can actually feel the progress.

Tomorrow I think I'll feel it even more, after today's gym workout.

It really feels great to be exercising again - and that feeling is one of the best motivations I can find.

*No, not THAT delicious ache! Stop being filthy.

Talked to my boy!

2007-07-25T12:23:00.000+12:00

I had a lovely chat to Jake on the phone last night. He sent me a text about 2am (!!!), so I called him then.

The amazing thing is, this is the first time I've talked to him since a couple of days after he got there at the end of April. I don't know why I've never rung him - I think to start with I was trying to give him space and he was travelling, so I just fell into the email habit.

The pub he's working in is near Twickenham - something he discovered when he got lost while out running and found the stadium. And he's starting to make plans to go to varsity in Christchurch next year to do a commerce degree. At least the South Island is closer than England!

I'll certainly be ringing him more often now.

Eating was good again yesterday. Didn't go for a walk, but hadn't planned to every day this week anyway.

Line in the sand

2007-07-24T07:57:00.000+12:00

Right, so now I have my starting point. On the scales in my apartment I am 81kg - can't do the decimals like I used to with my other scales, so I'll just have to work with round numbers from now on.

81kg means I have 9kg to lose to reach my goal. I would like to do that before the end of 2007.

Ate well yesterday and went for a walk after work - walking is good at the moment because Craig joins me, which makes it a special part of the day.

I no longer have my flash digital scales, because basically all I have taken from the house is my clothes. I have since picked up a few other things (important stuff like my good knife and some of my beautiful glass), but the rest is still there. It's no problem - just don't have room for all that stuff in a furnished apartment. Mark is quite happy for it to still be there. It's mostly all been moved into Jake's bedroom now, so that's become a bit of a storeroom.

The situation with the house (and therefore our settlement) is very complicated. It goes something like this:
Moved into house January 2005, but didn't pay for it because it wasn't finished and didn't have Code Compliance Certificate.
Paid rent to developer for about a year while we waited for him to complete it
IRD put developer into liquidation for non-payment of tax in February 2006. We stopped paying rent.
Developer's finance company took over responsibility of completing house (and the 6 others in the complex) so they could get their money back.
Finance company put developer into receivership February 2007. We expected them to then finish the houses and go to mortgagee sale so they could get the capital gain for themselves, instead of selling to us at the original contracted price.
July 2007 - finance company went into receivership themselves. That's right folks - our house is owned by Bridgecorp. Bloody hell, could it get any harder?

What we expect to happen is that eventually the receivers will sell the places and we'll lose the house and our deposit. In the meantime, Mark is living there rent-free.

I guess it will all get worked out eventually.

The rise and rise of Smaller Sue

2007-07-23T11:51:00.000+12:00

Boy has my life changed a lot – not just in the last couple of months, but in the last couple of years!

*insert wavy flashback image here*

On my 40th birthday, I weighed over 130kg. For quite some time before that, I had been moving toward the decision to lose weight. I believe that making this decision slowly made me more committed to it. It wasn’t a rash decision and therefore also wasn’t easily brushed aside once made.

In late March 2005, I started with Weight Watchers. I did the At Home programme, as I know that meetings are not my style. I weighed 132.5kg on my flash new home scales. I was wearing NZ clothes size 24/26 and my BMI was 43. Walking 2km around the block with the dog was an enormous effort for me.

By February 2006 I had lost 46kg and had just completed a triathlon. My size 16 jeans were too big for me.

The following year was just one long plateau really. I briefly touched 76kg on the scales, but spent most of the time in the high 70s and low 80s. But at least I was very fit and healthy. And wearing size 14 jeans!

At the end of April 2007 I was about 78kg. My only child (Jake) had just left home to travel and work in Europe. I had come to the realisation that my partner of 15 years and I had no future together and I had moved out of our house.

And the change didn't end there. There has been more good change, like getting together with Craig. And some not so good change, like barely going to the gym for two months and letting my eating and drinking get very, well, relaxed.

*wavy flashback image brings us back to the present*

So, it’s time for even more change. Or maybe that should be un-change? I need to take back control of my lifestyle. The main points are:
Good portion control
Snacks to be fruit and vegetables only
Reduce alcohol intake
Reduce treats
Get back to regular exercise

Tomorrow, I will weigh myself for the first time since 1 May. I’m guessing the number will sit around 83kg. I will go back to weighing myself every week.

This week, I will follow the NoCount eating plan again. I will not drink alcohol during the week – Friday and Saturday only. And no sweet things at all. I will go for three 45 minute walks and go to the gym once.

I know that I have achieved an awful lot so far. But I really do want to get to 72kg. And I really do want fitness to be part of the rest of my life.

I am a happy woman, and I know I can be even happier.

It's me!

2007-07-19T06:20:00.000+12:00

Hi everyone. I hope you've all been having a lovely time while I've been missing. Actually, I have kept a bit of an eye on you, but haven't posted or commented at all.

As some of you know - I am very happy and deeply in love. His name is Craig. We've been friends for a long time. And now that has developed into something much more. It's wonderful!

Yes, I did (very) briefly worry that this might all be too fast. But I will not let this chance at happiness slip away.

But why haven't I been blogging? Mostly because I haven't felt the need to. I have someone close to me who is interested in what I have to say, and I don't want to spend time on a computer when I could be spending it with him.

Blogging has been very important to me over the last two years, and the support I've received has been immeasurable. But just now my needs and focus have changed.

What has all this change done to my eating and exercising? To be honest, that's all gone to the pack! No, I'm not an out-of-control slob, stuffing my face and sitting around doing nothing. But my exercise is practically non-existent, and eating is, well, pretty average really.

I haven't been near the scales for nearly two months, but my jeans tell me I've probably put on a few kilos. I guess I'm hovering somewhere in the low 80s.

I'm not completely freaked out by that, but I do know it has to stop. In the last week or so I've started to reduce the number of treats and the amount of alcohol, and we've been going for walks along the waterfront in the evening when we can - the Kiwis among you will know the weather has really been too awful much of the time.

By the end of July I want to have a new routine established - one where exercise is part of my daily routine, but doesn't consume my life and isn't used as an excuse to not be at home. Eating will have to settle into a new pattern and I will need to be vigilant about portion sizes and sneaky treats.

I've been through so much change in my life in the last few months, I think this will really show whether I have really managed to change my lifestyle for good.

Jake update:
Jake is working in a pub in London. They did a bit of travel - Valencia and Paris included - and then he was flat broke. So he's got a job with bed and food provided and still gets a decent amount of cash as well. Apparently he's made friends with the cook, so in exchange for a few beers he gets extra-size staff meals - typical Jake! His mate that he left NZ with has come home. He enjoyed the travel, but decided he didn't want to work there. I have to admit being very jealous that his mother gets to give her boy a hug!

This girl never fakes it!

2007-05-30T07:12:00.000+12:00

No, you bunch of suspicious (but kind and well-meaning) old bags, I'm not just putting on a brave face! My life really is going great.

It's just over a month since Mark and I separated, but I've realised I was much further down that track than I had admitted to myself. And because it was me who made the ultimate decision, it was all pretty much settled in my head before it happened.

Yes, it was really hard and I was devastated at the time. But I have quickly picked myself up and moved on.

The question has been asked (by lots of people) - how much did my weight-loss have to do with this other major change in my life?

That's a hard one to answer. I certainly didn't wake up one day and go "I'm not fat anymore, think I'll leave my man!".

I do think that making such a major change in my life over the last two years has made me recognise I have the strength to change things I am not happy with. That I don't have to settle for things that don't give me what I want.

It's not that I was desperately unhappy with Mark. I describe it more as 'absence of happiness'. And that's not what I want from my life.

Nor did I give up at the first sign of trouble. Relationships really have to be worked at, but you also have to be able to recognise when something is no longer worth the work.

So, that part of my life is over. And I'm moving on. And I'm happy.

Don't worry

2007-05-28T14:30:00.000+12:00

Thanks for your concern, I'm absolutely fine.

Living in a furnished 2 bedroom apartment right in town
Hardly ever drive my car because I can walk everywhere
Joined a new gym that absolutely suits my extreme geek-ness - you log in and it tracks all your exercise and lots of other fancy stuff
Jake has been in Valencia and Paris and is now trying to find work in England to shore up the state of his finances
Lots of good things happening in my life
Blogging is low on the priorities at the moment

See ya later!

Photo time!

2007-05-10T06:47:00.000+12:00

For all those tedious reasons you've now read about, I hadn't got around to posting photos of Jake's departure.

The day before he left was ANZAC Day, so I had a whole day off to help him rush around and get things organised. His lovely Wellington auntie took this photo that day:

The next morning the boys left Wellington airport at 8.30. A crowd of friends turned out to say goodbye, which was lovely and also helped distract me. Here Jake is with his mate Jacob - the one he's travelling with. And yes, Jake is still slightly drunk from going out the night before. His hangover hit somewhere between Auckland and Kuala Lumpur.

And a last shot with his mum before he went off to discover the world (I wonder if anyone thought to warn the world before he went?).

As far as I know, they're in Spain at the moment - that's what his very brief email on Tuesday said. Don't ask me where in Spain, all I got was a country, no details.

Looking forward

2007-05-08T07:50:00.000+12:00

Not looking forward to anything specific, just looking forward instead of back.

Thanks you all for the support. Your comments, texts, emails and calls have meant the world to me.

During the weekend I sent Jake an email to tell him what had happened. It wasn't the ideal way to tell him, but calling him is difficult for lots of reasons.

I had an email back this morning - typically short but all I needed was to hear from him. As I expected, his main concern is that I am okay and things aren't too hard. He's in Spain at the moment - that just seems so exciting to me!

The rental market in Wellington (particularly for city apartments) is a bit nuts - lots of people looking. The first couple I looked at I walked straight back out of. There was nothing wrong with them, I just wasn't coping with the situation and didn't want to fall apart in front of strangers. I'm past that now and will be able to approach it more calmly.

The duathlon on Sunday was great. I didn't feel like doing the whole thing, so I walked with Felicity and didn't bother with the bike. Felicity was amazing - she overtook lots of people on the bike and kept a huge smile on her face the whole time. It was lovely to see her again and catch up with a few other bloggers too.

I have been managing to exercise every day - yesterday was an hour of walking with 15 minutes of running thrown in. Because I'm living in the city my incidental exercise is higher too. I walk to work (just leave my car at work all the time), down to the supermarket for supplies, across town to look at apartments, that sort of thing. Eating is mostly okay too - helped by the completely empty pantry!

And last night I had the best night's sleep since all this happened, so things really are on the up.

I know I will still have moments of feeling very down, but I am in a positive frame of mind most of the time.

And I'm a very resilient woman!