Checking in Week 6

It's starting to feel obligatory, but is quite enlightening for me to reflect back on my week to do better for the week ahead.  Some poor points to this week, things to focus on...

Monday – 3 - Run intervals, ride TK bareback, taught Balance.

Tuesday – 0 - NOTHING! Oh no! Circuit was too busy, too many new people, too much teaching, no workout for Andrea!

Wednesday – 2 - Slow start to the morning, but went for a 7km run. Ironically both my 7km runs have been slower than my 7.5! By several minutes in fact! What's with that? I blame the dog! I have a dog I run with... you've seen the post. I didn't stretch afterwards, and was sooo stiff! Taught Body Balance. Felt much better!

Thursday – 1 - A bad sleep meant a late start to the morning, but taught Body Balance, and it was quite nice. Had a new participant and felt that I taught really well, and had fun, where last night I had a new participant and felt distracted and bossy, rather than focused and guiding. However, I had some compliments on my teaching last night, and that made me feel really good!
Decided to not do Attack. My arm is so sore (left deltoid to be precise), and I was originally planning to do no arms or just running arms, but I don't think I can do superman's or jacks without the arms, and I'll just end up hurting it again... or not again, but worse. Might be time to seek medical assistance.

Friday – 0 - again new participants in Circuit kept me busy showing them what to do.  I run around like mad, but don't get a focused workout with my girls when we have newbies who've never even walked on a treadmill. After work I did some NLP stuff with my friend Lauren. That was quite interesting. Exhausting in a mental way.  Tell you more about that later.  Got home in the dark, fed the horses, packed for Rogaine course.

Saturday - 1 - I could almost call this three sessions, but that would be a cheat. We did go out three times, and did three to four controls each time, but it was a slow pace and mostly easy going, so we probably only walked 4 or 5km each time. I didn't have any weight on, and none of our walks was more than two hours long, I think. There were a few great spots where I got really zinged (hello exercise endorphins!!) on the uphill and downhill climbs, though. But really, not enough of a workout each session to call it three sessions. Also ate too much of poor choices, which would have completely obliterated any of the good of those sessions anyway.  More about this event later!

Sunday - 0 - Got home around 10am, slept, did laundry, dishes, horses, weeding, so much to do, but skipped out on three exercise opportunities.  Back on the wagon tomorrow morning!

Total sessions: 7

This is a major step backwards, I should be building up the number of sessions, not dropping back.  9 should be my minimum on any week.  I am working on it.  I am going to try to take the blame off OUTSIDE forces (the weather, the dark, the rain, the cold) and once again put the responsibility and pleasure of movement back INTO me!

My Most Memorable Bike Ride Ever

Just before the winter shut down my every desire to even look at a bike, I went for a short ride. I wasn't really feeling like a long or hard ride, and had just had some maintenance done on the bike, so what I decided was to ride up the highway to get a bit of a hill ride in and measure how far 6km out would be, so then I could start running that track up and back to get a 12km hilly run in for Blackwood training. Good plan, yes?

So up I go, up the highway, up the hill. The vets is nearly 3km up the road, and Trimmer Road (a very good hilly road) is about another half a kay up. I decided to ride down Trimmer as I think it will be my best training road for the Blackwood by far and wide. It's got the best hills locally. So, cruising along down there, I get to where it would be 6km, and there's really no identifiable place to mark 6km.

How do you remember a particular fence post on a line of fence posts? A shrub in the ditch amonst many? How would I ever know how far 6km was? Must remember to bring a ribbon or something with me on expeditions like this …

Well, what if I measured to the top of that big hill? Up the hill. Some oddly random distance, like 6.37km. Well, that's no good to me. I'll see what the disance is to Sirl Road and turn there, maybe the loop back into town will be around 12km?

And that's where things get a little out of hand!

Remember, I'm on my road bike. Skinny little tires. Recently replaced back wheel and cog and spokes; I'm just testing it out, taking it on a gentle, short ride. And now I am on a washboard gravel road that is NOT doing my bike any favours!

The gravel on the sides of the road is thick and grabby, pulling my back wheel out from under me, but up where the gravel has been compacted the road is as bouncy as a Magic Fingers vibrating bed!

And there's a car coming! The driver of the car must have been shocked to see me, especially as I squinted my eyes and pursed my lips and turned my head away to avoid swallowing the choking dust he was kicking up. In the process I rather closed my eyes too much and ended up getting kicked around in that thicker gravel, and nearly got bucked off my bike. I'm sure he was chuckling at me from his rear view mirror! But I recovered and powered on in a frightfully slow way, knowing that it wasn't too much farther to the railway line and believing I would be home free, back on smooth ground!

But along the way I am riding down these brutal corrugations, everything shaking and rocking and flapping around in a way I have never before experienced. My arms were jiggling so wildly, I felt as if my bones themselves were flexing and flapping. I couldn't help but equate the feeling to that of unsupported breast tissue. If I were 5 again, I probably would have been making that “aaaaaaa” noise to hear my vocal cords vibrate, but since I was much much older than that, holding on and just trying to get to the end of this vicious road was all that was on my mind!

I got to the railway track and thought I would be home-free, but I deceived myself! I forgot there was more gravel at the top of Forrest Hills Road, and so I fought again, downhill, in corrugated gravel till aaahh finally, the bitumen (pavement) and clear sailing.

All the time, I was watching the odomoter click over, and thinking I might actually have a 12km loop here. But no, it was not to be. The 12km, like the 6km mark, happened somewhere random down that road, too far out to be useful to me, with no identifiable tree, sign or marker. I rode home, and checked the odo. 14.19km, and nearly an hour of my time! And a FIRM promise to NEVER ride the gravel roads again!

Running with Dogs

So, I have a dog. He's sweet. His name is My Dog. (I didn't choose that name.) We call him MD for short :) He's an ageing Blue Heeler-Jack Russell Terrier cross. People love his patchy colour and his funny beady eyes.

But as I mentioned, he's getting older. And he's going deaf. He still hears under most circumstances, but he can't always tell where the sounds are coming from, and his hearing range is pretty short. Loud banging noises tend to get his attention, but he can sleep through nearly anything.

We've had MD since he was about 6 years old. He's 12 now! A few years ago, MD was fit enough to keep up with my horse on a 12-20km fast run nearly daily. Now, he thinks he can still do it, but he's not so fit any more. He'll still make the distance, but it's at his pace.

When I first started running this year, and noticed he was following me, (and nearly getting run over the process!) I tried putting him on the lead, but got INCREDIBLY frustrated with him - he just can't keep up. He jogs, walks, then trots to catch up more or less, then stops, walks, etc. On the lead he made me positively WILD! Not a bonding experience, I can assure you!

But he really really really wants to come for a run with me when I go, or a horse ride when I go! I decided if he is coming with me, he needs to be off leash, so ...

So, if I'm going to take him, there's some special considerations I need to take:

1) the ride or run must not be longer than 1 hour

2) it must not go on any main roads or busy areas

3) we should travel, preferably, in known areas so he can find his own way home if necessary

4) I must be listening for traffic that is up to 300 meters behind me, because this could be how far he is lagging and he won't hear it and guaranteed he'll be running right down the MIDDLE of the road!

5) if I am riding, I cannot canter more than one street length, or trot more than three street lengths consecutively, or I will lose My Dog.

6) he must have the opportunity to sleep for about three hours following the run or ride to recuperate

Here he is after today's 7km run

Just a Thought

I was saying to Dana in a comment that I'm looking forward to summer again. Ironically, it's not even *really* winter here yet. And it's not really summer in Canada yet. We're hanging around on that cusp. But here in Oz, we're heading into one of my least productive times. And I need to come up with some strategies to solve the dilemma of my negative attitude towards work and exercise in the winter time. This is something I've written about lots.

So what are some possible solutions?

#1: Well, I had the thought yesterday as I was heading of to sleep that if I summered in Canada, and trained all summer there, then came back to Australia for summer here... well, I wouldn't have the winter blahs! I think that sounds like a GOOD IDEA! Plus I'd get to see my family on both sides of the world... I love it!

Idea number one is a good one! But it will be hard to accomplish. What do I need to do to make that happen? How can I do it? What do we do with our animals for 6 months of the year? Can we afford to ship them overseas? What do I have to give up to make this all happen?

Or, what are the alternatives? Positive thoughts? NLP intervention? Spend the money on the gadgets like a treadmill, wind trainer, heart rate monitor? Or hire a personal trainer?

Any thoughts?

How can I survive winter and improve my fitness towards my goal when my motivation wanes in the darkness?

Checking in Week 5

I didn't really plan a lot of sessions this week. I have my 5 classes that I teach - Balance three times and Circuit two times - which I count as workouts. I actually teach 8 classes a week, but the others are not active enough to count. Everything else was done if and when I felt like it. I was off colour much of this week, so just went with what I felt capable of. Interestingly, I still did a whole lot of sessions, even without a plan, and I also had one of my best runs yet.

Monday – 1 - Travelling and sick. Taught Balance.

Tuesday – 1 - Taught Circuit. Wasn't feeling great on Monday night so told Graeme I wasn't coming to RunFit. Was awake early enough to go and decided to stay in bed and stay warm and rest. I don't think I want to go anymore: it's early, dark and cold! Sadly, I don't think the class will last – only two people showed up this morning, and I think most of the others are suffering from the same thing I am: winter!! :)

Wednesday – 3 - Went for a 5km run and ended up going 7.5km, and felt really great! Played with TK, but didn't get on him, working on “back” in hand to voice command. Taught Balance. The only thing that was really planned was to do a session with TK, and I didn't get on him in the end due to my other horse busting out of the paddock! I took some time to run Nero around in circles and reinforce a few manners. It was harder work than I had thought it would be! :)

Thursday – 2 - Not feeling well enough to run – AGAIN! Just not right, weak, lethargic, head-achey. Taught Balance. Took a Berocca Performance tablet (full of good vitamins, no caffeine or sugar or other untoward things) and started to feel better in time to go to Attack. Wasn't my best Attack effort ever, but it was great to get sweaty! I think I've been a little dehydrated, and probably not getting all the vitamins I need to replenish my muscles effectively. Plus heaps of people have been getting sick all around us...

Friday – 2 – Taught Circuit. Still a bit sluggish, not a huge effort, but still got a sweat up. Riding lesson on TK. That was good!! My left delt is REALLY sore after Attack. I don't do the things that I know will hurt, but I think I do too many things overhead that don't hurt at the time, but still use the delt as a secondary mover and cause it to KILL over the next few days. Next Attack will be done with no arms overhead, and see if that makes a difference.

Saturday - 0 - Planned to run 10km or more, was hoping for 12km, but aw shame, it was raining! Worked in afternoon. Baked a lasagna instead and enjoyed a morning in.

Sunday - 0 - Plan to ride bike if not too cold, but it was MISERABLE. Even the keen riders were saying how bad it was. Thought I might ride TK in the morning, but I didn't. I made muffins instead. I worked all afternoon.

Total sessions: 9

This coming week will be better. Will actually make a plan, and will be doing a lot more Balance training as the new release is out.

Ladder Runs - Attempt #1

Well, on the good advice of Men's Health Magazine contributor Matt Fitzgerald, I should try some intervals. Advice I give to my clients. I should follow my own advice. And I promised my next run would be a ladder interval. So, here's what I'm supposed to do:

The Ladder
Do this workout at a running track.

1. Warm up with 5 to 10 minutes of easy jogging, followed by stretches for the hamstrings and calves.
2. Run one lap hard, then jog one lap.
3. Run two laps hard and jog one.
4. Run three laps hard and jog one.
5. Optional: Run four laps hard.
6. Cool down with 5 to 10 minutes of easy jogging.

So, I have a 1km horse track right next to my house! How convenient! And I think, well, a 1km sprint is pretty unrealistic, so I will do 500m; most running tracks are, on average, over 400m, and I can find the half-way mark on the track pretty easily.

So I figure I can get to step 4 and with the cool down, I'm looking at about a 7-8km run: 1km warm up, 500m hard, 500m easy, 1km hard, 1km easy, 1.5km hard (figure that might be out of reach, but will try), 1.5km easy, 1km cool down.

Great, so out I go, do my warm up lap, my stretches, all is well.

And then I start to burn rubber, heading out for my first 500m all-out sprint. By the end of the first corner I am hearing this odd noise, something between a wheeze and a grunt, and it's coming from ME! My lungs are heaving, my heart is pounding, and I've only just made the straight! That's maybe 250m! And I'm thinking I'm pretty near death, I am sure of it! But I power on, pushing hard hard and make the 500m mark and slow down to a near walk. I'm pretty sure you can't call this a jog. My chest has never expanded so much, I feel like my ribs are going to burst through the skin! But I recover and have a nice easy jog in to the 1km mark.

I stopped, I drank some water, caught my breath and decided, "yeah, okay, I can try that again!" So I did!! Clearly I wasn't as near death as I thought I was!

And so I blast out of there with a little less vigour than the first sprint effort, but still good, and the wheeze comes on right into the first corner. That didn't take long! I was thinking, "This is probably what an asthma attack sounds like." And I kept thinking, "just keep pushing, push, push" and I got around the corner and into the straight. I'm slowing down, I'm struggling to breathe, I am hoping to make that 500m mark, but I'm not so convinced any more. Finally, in a cough and a sputter I have to concede and end up walking the last 90-100m to the half-way point. Yup, right down to a walk.

I was gulping for air. I was shaking. This was as close as I can recall ever being to a 10 (throwing up) effort in a run. I managed to pick up a jog again, and tried (as I had been in all my easy runs) to concentrate on maximising my stride by pushing back when my foot hit the ground. It does help, but I'd forget what I was doing and go back to plodding. This was a very slow lap in the end.

But the effort of running with awareness, of trying to run fast and efficiently, reminded me of when my friend Keri and I had a short-lived track running season back in the day - we were still in high school I think. We were pretty into it for a few months. We even went to competitions. And I was thinking of the drills and stuff we did. I used to run the 400 and 800m pretty well, and also did okay in the 4x100m relay race. I don't think I'm doing as well now as I was then... maybe I need to do more drills. It was a nice distraction to let the mind wander like that for a few minutes... then I concentrate on the work again.

I ran one more steady lap, at my usual pace and was surprised to find that I came in at an alright speed/time overall, despite the walking/gasping/dying. Well within my averages. But only 4km! I couldn't have gone any further. Well, maybe another easy 1km, but I just felt like I had done enough! I was TIRED! I felt finished, and I felt like I had a good workout! So I stopped!

It would have been pretty neat to be able to carry on at that first 500m speed. I would have made a 4 minute 20 second kilometre! Hard to believe there are people who just run that fast, and can maintain that pace over a marathon distance, and for me that's a flat out sprint effort that results in a massive crash!

All in good time, right?

I'm sure I'll have better results next time!

Searching the Web for Good Advice!

Been browsing the web, and one great link leads to another and so on, and you come across some super duper information!

Oh my! I got lots of great running ideas from this post from Men's Health Magazine!

I think I'm going to try the ladder on my next run! And I love the easy-hard principle. I think active recovery and interval training are awesome!

And I also like the Plan A and Plan B thing. I find myself doing that sometimes anyway: plan to go out for a short run, feel great, so stay out longer. I always tell my clients to listen to their bodies. Your body will tell you when it wants more, or when it's time to rest.

I've really started to love running, so I'm looking forward to doing it better and faster!

I wonder why men's fitness magazines seem to have better information than women's? Men's Health Magazine has a whole section on Triathlon! I can't find anything like this on Oxygen or Women's Health Magazine, or even on one of my favourites, Girl Get Strong. I suppose that the majority of female exercises are exercising for health and weight loss, not performance or competition, but I wonder if they are missing out on a target market here? These ones are sometimes a little too fluffy.

I think the only magazine that stands out against this trend is UltraFit Magazine. I love this magazine! Their web page is pretty lacking, but I can assure you the magazine is JAM PACKED with uber-fit ideas! Stuff well beyond me, but hey, they're not fluffy!

Anyway, those are some of the sites I've been busy looking at. Maybe you'll enjoy some of them too?

What are your favourites?

Good Food

I did some cooking today! You know, follow a recipe and make something special! And that's a relatively rare thing for me. And I was so pleased with the food I made I wanted to share the two recipes with you!

Mexican Chicken Lasagne from the Australian Institute of Sport's cookbook Survival for the Fittest. I added a whole heap of spinach leaves to this and also had some tofu left over so I chopped that up and added it as well. This recipe was easy to prepare and there is so much of it. They divide the nutrition information into 4 and 6 serves and you'd have be awfully hungry to eat this in 4 servings! I love all AIS recipes because they do make lots and we always have leftovers. They are also simple and fast and so far, none of them have sucked!

(For the Canadians out there, capsicum is a bell pepper, and minced = ground)

The other recipe I made was Susie Burrell's version of Banana Bread. Banana Bread is a delightful treat in my opinion, but can be a bit bad for you, so I like that this is a healthier version with less sugar and fat than usual, but still tastes great! And again, quick is good!

(For the Canadians out there, self raising flour is just plain flour that has 2 tsp of baking soda per cup of flour. I have noticed that the flour in Canada and Australia are a bit different, so I don't know how successful this will be without a little experimentation.)

Anyway, hope you like these recipes and I do recommend you browse the sites. The cookbooks from AIS are awesome for non-cookers and really active/busy people and worth the approx $10. They also tend to be pretty nutritionally complete on their own, so you don't usually have to fuss with a salad or extra side dish if you don't have time.

Bon Apetit!

Rainy Days and Good Habits

It's Saturday morning, I work this afternoon, and I was going to go for a 12km run this morning before work, however it is raining ... and not just a light misting rain, but a deep long soaking rain that we need so bad. I don't mind being locked in the house on this occasion. The earth needs rain more than I need a run! So, I've spent the morning doing dishes and other boring things, and have been reading blogs and books and magazines. It is a wonder how much information is out there, and how willing people are to share. What a wonderful treat to get to enjoy their experiences and learn with them and from them.

Another thing I did this morning, and a bit of yesterday too, was to write up a list of habits I'd like to form. Perhaps in the future I'll be able to come back and tick a few things off the list!

Nutrition

• eat 2 fruit daily (I currently eat one consistently, and two occasionally, but usually need to think more about that second piece of fruit.)
• eat 5 veg daily (I thought I was eating a lot more vegetables than I am. But doing a quick survey of my usual meals and it's evident that I am getting 2-3 on a regular basis only. That doesn't add up to adequate nutrition, especially with high workout demands.)
• reduce portion sizes, particularly of sweet foods (I won't give up sweet things completely, that's daft!)
• plan to eat treats, snacks or 'junk' only once a week
• meal plan (working on it!) and
• get meals prepared ahead of time, when I have time, so I'm not short of time and choose convenience foods or the good old peanut butter sandwich for dinner
• have lunches and dinners prepared for work
• organise and prepare foods for when travelling
• reduce fat intake, which should be much easier when eliminating convenience foods (eaten at lunch at work and when travelling especially)
• learn effective pre- and post- workout fuelling techniques for me
• slow down when I eat! No need to choke it down! Geez!

Exercise

• ride bike three times per week for total of 4 hours or minimum of 80km
• run minimum of three times per week building to 24km in single run effort
• ride horse minimum three times per week, preferably four
• become more focused in arena work
• build distances and time in endurance work up to 3 hours riding in next three months (August 2010)
• spend more time building bond with TK, especially through grooming sessions. Plan to spend one session per week just grooming and massaging
• row once per week for 1 to 2 hours
• swim three times per week for up to one hour per session, once pool opens

Wellness

• get a massage once per month
• establish regular sleep and wake times, even on weekends
• have more effective time management with household chores
• nurture friendships by calling, emailing, and visiting with people just because they are nice to be around! Don't wait for a special occasions! And don't wait for them to always invite you! Invite them! This will probably be my biggest challenge, and will probably also be the most rewarding.

Anyway, that's all for now. I have a few other post ideas, but I think I'll make some Mexican chicken lasagna, since I have time while it rains.

Our First Lesson

Tonight TK and I got to enjoy our first lesson with Chris. Well, I don't know how much TK enjoyed it, he worked VERY hard!

For those of you not into horses, you might just want to skip this post. It's probably pretty boring. But one great way to get the most out of your lessons is to write down what you've learned so you can refer back to it before going out for your next ride. So here's our first lesson!

We got there early so we could get organised - horses need a LOT of stuff and most of it is heavy and you have to lug it halfway across the planet..., oh, and also so I could lunge him and saddle him before the lesson started. It also gave TK time to meet and greet the two other horses that live there, and become familiar with the surroundings.

Chris has a really nice arena with a deep sand and wood chip footing, and I knew right away that TK and I were in for a BIG workout! Running in sand is hard work!

I started lunging him out, to warm him up and he was so hot an excited, he was really struggling to do just a basic walk and trot. He also seemed to forget how to change direction, something that is easy as pie for him at home. Tonight when I called "change" for a chance of direction, he decided to change into a canter instead, showing off for Chris' pretty mare. Silly boy! But he got nice and warm and did put his attention on me and mellowed out and felt ready to work. In some ways he was more ready than I've ever seen him. He was bright and interested in the new place, and was really willing to accept everything. He even took the bit better than usual. It's nice to know that in a new place, thus far, he will show signs of being excited, but that he's going to be attentive still.

We did two basic exercises at a walk and a trot.

Walk: speed up the walk by bumping up - with the CALVES, not the heels, Andrea! - when the back leg steps forward to encourage the back end to become the engine. Left, Right, Left! And we did it with our eyes closed and I really actually felt the back leg come through, which is awesome, cuz I can't always feel when a particular foot is moving.

The next step with this for me is to get the timing right. I'd feel it, notice it, then react to it by bumping, rather than just feel it, bump it, no pause, no thinking.

Trot: we worked on me guiding him through a corner using my hands less and my body more. Look over the shoulder, turn the shoulder, set the outside leg back and the inside leg forward. The outside hand does NOT cross the centre line. You would not believe how much better this made our turns when I finally got my outside leg back and stopped trying to direct or steer him! Time to go back to quieter hands! I didn't realise how sloppy they really were!

Other stuff we learned, just cuz things always come up:

- when he breaks into a canter, don't block him, turn him directly into a circle and ride him hard, so it becomes more hard work, and not an escape or a fight. Personally I was just shocked that he'd choose to try that evasion. Stopping seems more his style!

- I really need to take more contact with him - at least for now - and especially to hone in on these messages I am trying to send him. Move the hands with his head at a walk, set your hands in a trot. Out on the trail I'll give him his head, in the arena, we'll work the contact and learn the cues properly.

- When I lose my right stirrup, it means I've gripped on with my knees and have to OPEN the hip back up to let the knee off the saddle. Then I can drop my foot back into the stirrup and get my weight down. Relax your knees! Don't grip the saddle!

Anyway, it was an awesome time and I think I'd like to do it more! Once a week if I can! Not that I can afford that... Might need another job!

I Don't Know Why I Complain!

So, I always tell my clients that the hardest thing about going to the gym is getting in the car.

Once you're there, you're there and you usually have a pretty damn good workout.

I say this cuz it is so very true to me especially. Look at how many posts I have about why I'm having trouble getting going. And then I reflect back on how good each off my workouts felt and I wonder what ever held me back in the first place!

Weird.

So, today, once I got my shoes on and started out on my 5km run, I got going, and it felt good and I went for 7.5km. I found myself back home before I knew it, and had done it faster than pretty much any run I've done. This run was at 10.29km per hour. The only faster run I've done was a 1km sprint around the track at 11.15kph. But this is distance run, not a sprint, so I figure that's pretty darn good!

Now, let's see if I can have just as much fun with my horsey boy!

Struggling Along

I took a few days off last week due to other commitments and taking some time out for Mat and I. It was great. :)

But now I'm struggling to get back into the swing of things, and have only done the bare minimum. In fact, right now I should have already finished my run, and been onto saddling my horse. Then after finishing my ride I was going to bake some snacks, shower, and head to work. But I am on the computer, no run under my belt, and the horses aren't even fed. And it's 8:30am!

Reasons?

Partly, I suppose, because I didn't really lay out a plan for the week, I was still playing it a bit by ear, so I hadn't really committed to what I was going to do.

Also, I was focusing on my diet and scheduling in time for meal planning and shopping and food preparation. This isn't a big deal for many people, but I'm a rice and tuna or pasta and tuna person. Boring and probably not so nutritionally complete. So this has taken a bit more time than I had thought - but well worth it to enjoy a great meal that Mat and I planned together.

And finally, because it's easy to do less! It's nice to sleep past 6am. I know why getting up early and exercising at the start of the day is a good idea, but I still struggle with it in the winter time. I don't like doing things in the dark!

But I suppose I have run out of excuses and it's time to get moving! I'll get dressed (yup, still in my pj's!) feed the boys, go for a run, and take TK for a spin, even if it's a short one.

Back on the wagon!!

Sweaty Saddle Pads

Lauren and I went for a great ride today!

Over 2 hours, and at least 4km of good hard trotting. Must have been 15 or more kilometres, which would make it TK's longest ride yet! He did so good, he was forward and a few times I had to actually pull him up! He was keen as the proverbial mustard!

Today he was sweatier than I have ever seen him!

I let him out for a roll, but he was far more interested in eating! He cooled down nicely and actually had a play and a run with Nero shortly after getting put away for bed, so he must have been feeling just fine!

Today he surprised me a few times. I've never really had to fight with him before, and today he showed me that he can be obstinate, and will put up a fight. I'll still win, but it reinforced in me the need to ensure that those 'buttons' (stop, go, left, right, reverse) are well installed. I got to thinking that if we were on a more technical part of a ride, and we had to slow down for safety, I'd like to know that I had him ready and responsive on-call. He always came back to me and did what I said, but it was slow, and could have been dangerous in different situations. We ran up the backside of Sparky more than once, just because he wasn't quick to halt.

But that said, he travelled well and forward in a place where he's never been before and was very happy and on a loose rein for the majority of it. And despite him showing signs of getting sore - that stretch of the neck and tilt of the head - he didn't end up too bad at the end, and didn't show signs of soreness when I rubbed his back. So those indications are probably more a sign of his lack of fitness and strength than saddle fit or anything else.

Still interested in trying a treeless saddle on him to see how it fits and if there is any difference in behaviour or performance.

Anyway, if he is stiff or sore he'll have some recovery time, as he gets the next few days off. Next ride is Wednesday morning!

Checking in Week 4

This week was a bit crazy and I didn't have as many sessions planned since we had so much on at work, and a trip to Perth to fit in. So, let's see:

Monday – Bike, Horse – 2 / 2 except that I did a run and a horse, not a bike. Can't recall the excuse I used. I think I just felt like running after everything went belly up last weekend and I didn't get a run in Saturday or Sunday.

Tuesday – Run Fit, Circuit – 1 /2 – slept in and missed Run Fit! Oops!

Wednesday – Bike, Ride, Balance – 1 / 3 – this was the day I locked the keys in the car. Horse ride that was planned with Lauren and Kristy got moved to a time too late for me to make it to work, so I bought groceries and did laundry instead. These things just needed to be done, and I know I could have ridden alone, but thought I should seize this opportunity, knowing how busy the rest of the week was going to be. Might have to plan in time for these tasks too! I'll be like some regimental solider with my plan getting this specific!

Thursday – Run, Balance, Attack – 3 / 3 – this makes up for everything! I ran 10km, I taught Balance and didn't wimp out, and then did Attack (though it was REALLY hard and I was quite stiff!!) and I still fit in dinner with family! This was a really great day!!

Friday – Work - no planned sessions due to massive work event, and then had to prepare to travel to Perth. Was thinking I might be able to have a little ride on TK if I had time after getting ready, but after sorting everything out to leave it was too dark. Didn't plan on it, but was hopeful.

Saturday – Course - no planned sessions as was in Perth on a Wellness Coaching course. Left at 5:30am and returned home at 8:30pm. Did the dishes (this is oddly relevant to me).

Sunday – Unplanned Day - wasn't sure what would happen, if we'd still be in Perth or in Bunbury, there were a few ideas floating around, so didn't actually plan anything for today. We came home Saturday night instead so suggested a horse ride to Lauren and will probably run, but Mat was also talking about heading to Albany for a bit of R&R. We'll see what happens!

Planned: 10
Actual: 7
Percentage: 70%

I have decided that I need to get a wind trainer so I can ride my bike inside, since the weather turned colder I am loathing every thought of riding outside! Perhaps some gloves and arm warmers and long winter riding pants will change that, but right now I am just avoiding the bike like the plague. We will spend my $500 gift certificate in the next few weeks when we go to Bunbury and I will get this wet weather riding gear then. If we go to Albany this weekend and if K-Mart still has those Wind Trainers for $150 I will grab one of those right away. After all, my dad already gave me the money for it for my birthday two months ago!

Breaking Barriers

There are benchmarks in our lives. Things that you look ahead to, like turning 18, or your first trip overseas, or graduation, that mark the beginning of something new, a barrier broken, an end to something withheld.

And some benchmarks are smaller, but are still important barriers that you want to break through. Little tests for yourself. I make a million of these, I set them all the time. Sometimes they set themselves. To me these are the things that seem out of reach, unless you put in a big effort and lots of work!

For example, riding my bike to the end of the bitumen and back the first time on Police Pools Road (20km), was massive! Then there was riding ALL the way to Woodanilling (20km with hills), where I got picked up and driven back home, completely exhausted by the ordeal. Then there's the ride to Woody and BACK! What an achievement! And after riding to Kojonup (40km with huge hills and no real resting spots) I was on a high for days!

These were all big bike barriers, and when broken, there was such a great sense of accomplishment, I can recall thinking: I've made it that far! I NEVER would have thought I was capable of that 3/6/12 months ago.

And today I busted through the 10km running barrier.
FINALLY!! And it was AWESOME!!

I had been planning for it for ages, but if you had asked me 6 months ago when it would happen, or even if I would be possible, I would have completely doubted it. Six months ago I struggled to run 1km without pain. I frequently had to walk, rest, I tried different kinds of shoes, knee braces, techniques, speeds, training programs... and then I found the combination that worked and kept working at it!! And I made it!

Running 1km without stopping and without pain was the first barrier. And it took ages to get to that big 5km mark. From there, 10km wasn't too far away, but it held out a little longer than I had hoped, my training program would have had me running it a few weeks ago, but it doesn't matter, because I did it!!

And, I never would have thought I would ever say this with the truth and enthusiasm that I am about to, but IT WAS FUN!

I know, fun?! What? Seriously?

I had an absolute blast! The weather was nice, especially considering we were getting some of our first winter rains and we didn't get rained on, the track was good, and in a few places required some quick feet, or a little jump over some obstacle, which made it interesting. There were a few hills, and it wound along... and I got to do some reminiscing. I used to ride my horse, Cassie, along that track, and I started thinking about taking TK down there.

And I felt strong and capable. When we turned around at the 5km mark, I felt like I was running really freely, strong and fast. Well it turns out I'm not fast, but it FELT fast, and for me that's good enough! And I didn't have to stop to rest, and I didn't even want to!!

It was great! I couldn't have been happier with that run!

Next big benchmarks:

• 12km run - the actual distance of the event. And after that, hitting anything over 20km will be incredible!
• 50km bike ride to Dumbleyung
• 20km enduro on TK

There's still swimming and paddling to work on, but no water makes for no training which makes for no benchmarks. They'll come though! All in due time!

Checking In, Week 3

Monday: Horse, Balance – 1 / 2 – no horse, was supposed to ride with Helen, but didn't do anything at all! Very strange for the start of the week, when I'm usually right on top of things.
Tuesday: Run Fit, Circuit, Row – 2 / 3 – no rowing, moving this to another spot, this is just not working.
Wednesday: Run, Bike, Horse, Balance – 3 / 4 – no horse (hmm, he's getting a bit neglected here)
Thursday: Run, Balance – 1 / 2 – no run (slept in) and no Attack on schedule due to planned dinner at family members
edit after the fact: Friday: Rest day, changed to makeup day – 2 / 1 - Circuit (makeup for sleep in, missing run. I changed this to 1 planned session, as I *didn't* plan to do circuit, and I did it to make up for a planned session on Thursday.), Row (makeup for missing Attack for family dinner, which was planned). Will try moving rowing to Fridays after work. Mat stays late at work and has a beer, and there's nothing on tv. And I certainly don't get out socially!
Saturday: Horse, changed to rest day – 0 / 1 - no run or bike planned due to big plans for Brig Challenge Sunday and all day riding plans for today. Then the horse thing went belly up, so … replan to bike and run? Ride my horse anyway? Or use today as a rest day since I haven't had one? An easy choice to have a rest day! We just did house work and cut fire wood. It was really nice to spend time with Mat.
Sunday: Run, Bike - 0 / 2 – Due to no one going over (everyone got a better offer), and therefore no longer having a ride to Kojonup, I ended up not doing Brigadier's Challenge, so changed my plan to a run and ride at home. Then things changed AGAIN!
I had no horse ride planned due to Saturday's original horse plans, and also due to the amount of biking and running planned for today. However, Lauren invited me for a light ride on Sunday afternoon, which would have been really fun, but then Lauren bailed on me, and I had said no to Helen for a bike down Withers Road, since I was waiting on Lauren... and honestly, I just didn't want to run today. My knees are aching, even though I know I have to run to keep their strength up. So we did a few jobs around the house and again, spent time together, but I didn't do any exercise!

Planned: 15
Actual: 9

Percentage: 60% (originally 56.25%)

This is an ok percentage but emotionally this feels like a massive fail. There were fewer planned sessions, and I completely neglected my horse. I didn't do any exercise all day Saturday or Sunday, and allowed other people to manipulate my schedule. The fact is, I simply made bad choices and chose to accept those situations. This means that I am either tired or lazy. Neither makes me feel good about myself.

Edit after the fact: 60% is something I can live with. Not happy about ignoring my horse, but 60% is a percentage I want to be at or above in all weeks to come. It means that in MORE than half the cases I'm on track. Good! Feeling a little better about myself now. Thanks Monday! :)

What is Rogaining?

You may have noticed that some of my upcoming events are Rogaines. And you may be wonderings, “what is that anyway?”

Basically you get a map with some dots on it, a compass, and then you walk around the bush looking for these orange and white carboard sheets stapled to trees where the dots on the map are. These dots & cardboard sheets are called 'controls' and you want to collect a whole bunch of points by visiting as many as possible.

Here is a small section of our last map:

So basically, the way a Rogaine goes, you arrive at the Hash House (which is where the food and toilets and fire all live) and you set up your camp. What happens next depends on the start time of the event. But at some point you eat, you get dressed up to run around in the bush, and you go to the Admin tent and get your map. Then the feverish route planning begins!

Route planning involves: highlighters, string, compasses, and lots and lots of guessing. Pens and calculators and paper are also very helpful. First you colour in all the dots that are worth 100, 90, and 80 points. Sometimes more if you have more highlighter colours. You want to get the most number of points you can collect, so knowing where these really valuable spots are is a good thing! And you colour in the Water Drops blue, so you can get a water refill on your route.

Then you spend a little time guessing how fast you can walk and how many hours you want to march around, and estimate your planned distance. For example, you might estimate that you can walk 4km per hour during the day, and you have 6 hours of daylight, and you estimate 2km per hour night and you only want to do 2 hours overnight. So then you work out you can walk a total of 28km. And then you go, “I'm not going to walk that far! Let's make it 20km.”

Then you use your string and measure your total distance against the map scale distance thing and tie a knot. Then you hold one end of your string on the Hash House symbol Δ and start stringing together the little dots on the map with a return trip to the Hash House, writing down each control number and then adding up the number of points you would collect. Do this repeatedly, until you find one worth heaps of points!

Then look at the route and ask yourself... are there any really big hills? Is there anything in the way, big bodies of water (not likely in WA, but it could happen) or out of bounds areas you would have to walk around? You may want to readjust your route based on these obstacles. Another thing we like to do is plan a few 'outs'. If things go wrong, where's the water, where's the patrolled roads, how easy would it be to get back to the Hash House after 10km for a rest?

And if you have time, we like to plan an “after our rest” route, that is a short route to collect a few extra points if we're feeling up to it. So far Mat and I have slept through all of these opportunities, but it's good practice. Ella and I went out for 80 points and came back with 300 once on one of these just-in-case routes, so it can help.

Now join the dots with your pen and straight edge of your compass and then calculate the bearings from each control to the next.

Phiew! That's hard work. Get a drink, double-check your pack, wonder what you should really be wearing and ask if you really need the gloves or beanie (toque).

There's a gathering at the Hash House before the siren blasts, and everyone gets their punch card. If you lose everything else, you cannot lose your map, your compass or this punch card! No card, no punch, no points!!

When the siren sounds, it's a strange and anti-climactic start. Everyone just sort of heads out in random directions, some even head back to their camps. And although you're travelling with a fairly large group for the first two or three controls, things thin out and you're out there with your partner, map and compass in hand, hunting for these orange and white sheets! At each control, you have two jobs:
1) fill out the intention sheet – who you are and where you're going next (so they can hunt you down if you get lost)
2) punch your punch card! No punch, no points!

The rest of it is really just endurance, planning and problem solving. And walking walking walking. Good shoes help!

The event is time limited to 6, 12, or 24 hours, and the time spent 'out' is recorded too, so that if two teams came in with equivalent points, the one that collected them quickest would be ranked higher. So when you return to the Hash House, you hand in your punch card, and if you go back out, you sign it back out and these times are recorded. At the end of the event, either 6, 12 or 24 hours after the starting siren, everyone needs to be back in and all punch cards returned. You lose points for every minute you are late. And if you're half an hour late and they have to go look for you, then you get no points and you are in serious trouble (probably because it means you're lost!)

Then you EAT AND EAT!! Oh how the eating is such a wonderful treat! The Hash House cooks food! Breakfast food, dinner food, desserts. Bread, rice, eggs, curries, stew, soup, sausages, toast, cake, fruit... You wouldn't believe the feast they manage to put on for the 20 or so bucks you pay to register for this event! And there's also the wonderful joy of sleeping!!

Presentations are next, and they read out absolutely every result for every competitor. You sit around the fire and enjoy. Then you can help clean up or pack up, sleep some more if necessary, and then drive home.

It's a great way to spend a weekend – it's like camping and hiking, but with better food and a little bit of a challenge! And best of all, it's something Mat and I enjoy doing together!

Being Flexible

Things change, they always do, so you have to be flexible. But you have to have a plan. Some people think there's no point in planning, since things always change, but I think you have to have a plan so that things run smoothly and then you only have to make decisions and changes when things actually change. Consistency makes life easy and predictable, and then gives you room to make modifications when things become unpredictable.

(Just an aside, I blame mobile phones and instant access for the instability of life... but maybe that's for another blog.)

One of the first questions I always ask my clients, after asking them their goals, is what their plan is. Most people have a plan: "well, my son is here for hockey on Tuesdays and Saturdays, so I was going to use the gym while he trained, and then I walk on ... " etc etc ... I worry about those who say "Oh, I dunno, I was thinking I'd come three times a week" but don't know when or how they'll fit it in.

The next question I try to ask them is, "what will you do if you miss a session?" In other words, what are you going to do when things change? Because people stop by for coffee, you might get sick or a child get sick, or work demands you stay late, there was a great birthday party with the best cake you ever tasted, or you slept in. And then what?! Then you have to go to plan B. The back up plan! Some things are unforeseeable, and others you can work around with a little forethought. And I find that people who make these sorts of arrangements have more success. Why?

Because nothing good happens by accident. People win when they practice, people succeed when they work hard, people reach their goals through consistent application of their action plan. Luck won't help you lose weight or win a competition, the only thing it might do is win you the lottery. I can't recall who said it, but a famous athlete once said:

"I find the more I practice, the luckier I get."

I'm sorry if that was Tiger Woods, but it's still true! :)

I also think that people who plan (and plan to be flexible) in this way have more success because they aren't applying the "all or nothing" principle to their lives. The people who decide that they have failed or fallen off the bandwagon might go and binge eat for a week, all because of one chocolate bar, or those who don't exercise for three months because they took two weeks off when they were sick and found it just "all too hard" after they got better are struggling with an all-or-nothing mindset.

People with backup plans seem to have a better sense of the Big Picture: If I am MOSTLY healthy MOST of the time and get straight back on the wagon after I fall off, I am not going to be chasing myself in circles, I won't undo the work I've done.

Your body really doesn't know what time it is, what your plan was, and doesn't really care if you had cake today. It cares about balance. About energy in and energy out, and if OVERALL you keep that balance steady, if you keep your work and diet and life consistent you should come out on top. Then good behaviours become habitual behaviours... I'm digressing!

Where did this big old lecture come from? From me having to modify my plans this week. I had a plan, but I slept in one morning, had a family dinner one night, and now I am not going to the Brigadiers Challenge due to lack of a ride. Things change. But I still got a makeup workout in, and will still ride and run on Sunday, even if it's not in the competition. All Plan B stuff.

And for my Plan A, in reviewing my last few weeks I realise that I am going to have to make a change to my schedule to fit my rowing in elsewhere. It is not working on Tuesdays between my split shifts. I simply have too much prep work to do before my Healthy Bodies sessions in the evening. And today I bumped into a horsey friend who is very into endurance and we have arranged to do a big ride on Wednesday mornings, so that will take up most of the morning (9am-11:30 or 12), meaning I can't do a ride and a run as well as a horsey ride.

Out come the pencils and charts! Let the rescheduling begin!

Do-Over!

So, last week Patricia slept through her alarm and we didn't go for our 9km run. This morning, it was different! We were up, we were on time, and we went for a 9km run!

Holy geezus, first of all, I gotta say, Australia is NOT a tropical paradise. At least not where I live, and I firmly believe that a run at 7:15am should not also come with a 5 degree temperature! But this morning did! We could see our breath for the full 57 minutes of our run! It was COLD!!

It was great, though! I had a running buddy, and she was keen as mustard! So when we got to the '6km-out', she said "No, let's go for 8km!" and when we got to the '8km-out', she said "Let's try for 9km". So we ran the whole distance and she didn't let me cheat! :) I think I definitely would have cheated this morning, at least at 8km for sure! And we both kept running the whole time, thinking "I'd like to walk now, but my buddy hasn't slowed down, so I guess I'll keep on running." So it kept us both running, when we might have otherwise walked.

It was a bit more challengeing of a course than my regular 5km loop. There were Katanning's broken sidewalks to negotiate, gravel roads and verges, rough uneven bitumen (pavement), and really corrugated (washboard) dusty roads, and even a few hills - which are hard to come by here in KA! My calves are so tight and sore following the run, they feel like they could POP! And that's probably a sign that even though it was slower than I would have thought ideal, that it was a good run!!

Now, just to crack that 10km barrier!!

Re-Blog - Fighting Globesity

The following link to a blog from Justin Tamsett is one that I think is really important. Obesity is a major problem in the world, and so is the crushing doom of an environmental meltdown (pessimisitc? maybe!).

Both problems are too important and too expensive to ignore, and yet, so many governments seem to think they are too expensive to fix!

Justin's review of Phillip Mills' presentation just touches the proverbial iceberg of Globesity (the Global epidemic of Obesity).

If you want to know more about Globesity, please read this brilliant publication (even if you are not a fan of Les Mills programs!) "Fighting Globesity". Then share it with your friends, family, and everyone you know! Not everyone will care, not everyone will get it, but some WILL and I hope you will!

Comments!!

Keeping Track - how'm I goin?

So, in light of last week's post about a mere 52% success rate, I thought I would see if this week's results were any better than last weeks:

Monday - Horse, Balance - 2/2 (yay!)
Tuesday - RunFit, Circuit, Row - 2/3 (no rowing)
Wednesday - Run, Bike Hills, Balance - 1/3 (what happened?! Oh yeah, no bike, but I should have run at least)
Thursday - Run, Balance, Attack - 3/3 (yay!)
Friday - rest! :)
Saturday - Run, Bike Long, Horse - 0/3 (I had to work)
Sunday - Run, Bike PP, Horse - 2/3 (bike was fixed by noon, I just didn't go out... lazy!)

Success Rate: 10/17 or 58.8%

Iew, I thought I was doing much better.

Of course, I did work Saturday, and had given myself permission to take these days off, so in theory it was more like 10/14 which is 71.4%!! Ooh, I like the sound of that! Either way, a definite improvement, with room for more growth!

Inside, Outside, Upside Down

I have discovered I am an outside runner.

I was going to hire a treadmill for the winter, to make sure I got a run in when it is cold and dark and wet this winter. But after today's effort on the treadmill, I realise that I am probably better off battling it out with the weather.

I was aiming at a 10km run today, and only managed to run 7km in 47 minutes on the threadmill. Well under the average speed I can do outside, I just could not run fast, it was so hard! And it was BORING, Oh MY GAWD!! And I can't watch tv while running, the bouncing just doesn't do it for me! So just my thoughts and the damn display to keep my busy, showing me that my distance is going up in such small increments, and time is standing still... gotta stop looking at the display!!

So I guess, as the weather gets colder and wetter, and the days get shorter, I will really have to be dedicated to my outside runs. If the reality of the weather saps all motivation from me, then maybe we'll consider the treadmill just to keep the legs turning over and the fitness up, but I hope I can just get out there and tough it out!

Do you prefer the treadmill or outside runs?

And sadly, I still haven't broken the 10km mark! Need to bust that 10k barrier this week! But the good news is that I ran a total of 25km this week, my biggest total so far!!

Oh, and my bike is repaired, so no excuse for not riding now. Damn! :) Better get my three rides in this week, so that I can be ready for the weekend.

The Brigadier's Challenge is this coming weekend - on Mother's Day (weird). It's a 16km run and 96km cycle, but I am going to do only 10 or 11km run and cycle just 40ish km of it.

Should be fun!