Livewire Rogaine

So as I may have mentioned, Mat and I went to a Roagine on the weekend.

I have decided that no Rogaine can occur without a drama. 

Our drama was our water pipes bursting on Friday due to the cold, and us having no water for the day.  Add to that the pressure of a very big day for both Mat and I - he had some big machine that needed something done pronto, and I was part of a busy team that was serving hundreds of kids and their parents at the kiosk during a winter sports carnival.  It was rather non-stop!

Follow that with a going away event for a very lovely lady from work, whom I shall miss, so I wasn't going to miss the going away party... but had to get home at 6pm to hold the torch (flashlight) for Mat so we could repair the water pipes.  As it turns out, getting home at 6:30pm (oops) wasn't a bad thing because Mat didn't make it home until 7:30pm (oops)! 

So I was packing and preparing so we could leave by 6:30am Saturday morning, but I was so tired and rather challenged by the lack of water. I was considering pulling out.  I just didn't think we could be ready on time.  I didn't want to leave without the pipes fixed because the first thing you need when you get back from a Rogaine is a shower... and there are a million dishes and all the laundry to do as well! And we didn't get the pipes fixed until 8:30, but luckily Mat did a great job of repairing that and water was restored! (You just don't realise how much you depend on instant water until it's gone!)

When Mat got home from work he came up with the BEST idea ever!  We would take our own car!  What a novel idea! I was so wrapped up in the idea that we had to be ready for our ride that I couldn't see our own sitting there in the driveway.  I felt such a weight off!  The pressure was gone! *big sigh of relief*

So we got the pipes fixed that night, and the next morning we got packed and left at a bit of a leisurly pace.  The event started at 12:00 noon and we arrived after 1:30pm.  We registered, set up the tent, had lunch while we considered our route.

The original plan was to go out for 4 hours and be in by dark, then go out again in the morning for another four hours or so.  But that was if we left at noon.  It was nearing 2:30 and dark was going to hit us soon!  So we changed course, as you do, a bit mid-stride.  We changed because the terrain was much more challenging than we had even anticipated... those HILLS!  So we decided to use the roads in the dark.

We did alright, but couldn't find one 20 pointer, the bush was so thick and we probably just didn't go quite far enough (a common problem, particularly at night), but we just thought to not waste our time, get in to the Hash House and have something to eat and a rest.  We decided we'd come back for the 30 pointer we passed on the way in, and never mind the 20 points.

We were out for about 6 hours, and although Mat's feet hurt (he needs better shoes), I was feeling pretty good.  The hills were tough, so I really felt my butt working on the way up, and my knees working on the way down, and my feet were wet and soggy, but I was really still feeling strong and fresh. The pace was easy and we weren't lost!  There was lots of moonlight - and a Lunar Eclipse!  Neat!

We must have crashed out around 10:30 or 11:00pm because we heard Ella and Marianne come in, but didn't hear them come back from the Hash House.  We got up and headed out again around 9am, I guess, and went up for our first target, #45.  Well, we didn't do a very good job navigating to it, just using landforms and no compass.  So we decided we better put our compass to use for 101, a big one up the big hill!  I was the navigator leader and guess where we ended up?  Right back at 45!  What the heck!? I walked us in a circle!!  Using a compass!

Honestly I was so disgusted with myself and so upset about it that I wanted to bail right then and there.  My competitive nature, the part of me that wants to do it all well and not make mistakes and be 'better than' and all those things I strive for just smacked me in the face and threw me into the dumps.  I was so downtrodden!  This is supposed to be fun and I wasn't having fun anymore!!

So Mat accepted that the fun had just ended and we headed back to that 30 pointer we passed on the road on the way back to the Hash House.  But we went down the wrong track and couldn't find it either! We weren't alone, there were others searching for it too, but to find it involved one of those "pacing" exercises.  There were a lot of little bush tracks off the main road, and only three marked on the map.  We just picked the wrong one by, once again, just not going far enough.

We came in after about an hour or so on that trek, and sat around, eating, considering our map, and wondering what went wrong, when Marianne and Ella returned triumphant!

They ended up placing 3rd in the Women's category, with over 1500 points.  Mat and I were very near the bottom of the list with only 390 points.  We were aiming for about 800.  However, on the up-side, we did get 40 more points than our last Rogaine, and it was a BEAUTIFUL place to walk around!  We had a nice stroll and got to spend some time together!

Mat drove Ella's car home and I drove ours because the girls were in no condition to drive - they had only 4 hours rest (they didn't completely sleep) in the whole event.  They walked for about 19 hours pretty much non-stop!  Now that's impressive!

Lessons learned from this event:

You probably just haven't gone far enough!

Tuesday

I didn't do my Circuit workout today.  No good excuse, just didn't feel like it, even though I know the strength training is great cross training and helps to maintain my muscles and strength and alignment, thus helping to avoid pain and injury.  I am reminded of a post from Jody from truth2beingfit.com.

Do you do what you know?

The answer is an apparent NO. :)


But I did do a 6km run after work. I was feeling really good and was actually thinking that I'd go for 7km, but  by 5:30pm the gym was filling up and I was feeling pretty conscious of the fact that I was hogging the treadmill. We only have three treadmills, and of those, the new one, the awesome 'space ship', is broken.  So, I hopped off after reaching my goal.  I ran for a very large portion of my run between 10.5 and 11 km per hour.  That was pretty awesome.  I am trying to get faster and go further!

Got home (after feeding two horses, two fish, two cats, two dogs, then another cat and a dog...) and although I did watch a bit of news, I didn't cycle because I was already showered and in my jammies by 6:30pm!

Now time for an early night and a big Wednesday!

Marvellous Monday

Well, despite a two hour delay to getting the morning underway (don't ask), I still managed to get in a few good workouts!

First, in between loads of laundry and feeding animals, I squeezed in 40 minutes of 'spinning' on my lovely mag trainer.  I wore my shorts - so much better! I had my pumpin' spin music, and I had my notes on what to do to have the best stationary bike workout possible.

Wow!  I was working my butt off!  I was DRIPPING with sweat!  I can honestly say sweat was flinging off my body!  I could NOT do another four tracks, I was too tired!  The other day, I thought maybe I could say that 35 minutes of steady going should count for one whole session, but there is no way I can accept that now!  This morning's ride was a real workout, and will count as "one".  I probably won't ever get the intensity up to that level while watching tv, so duration will definintely have to increase to get the benefits.  What a huge difference!  I'm still astonished by that session!

Then I ran around a did a few quick things in town (all sweaty still from my ride! Iew, people must think I'm really gross), and headed to the gym for a 5km run on the treadmill.  I was going to do it outside, but the weather looked like it was going to turn very nasty, and why suffer when you don't have to?  I did some speed intervals, because the new treadmill with the hill program is broken (after only one week!) and worked up to 11.5km per hour.  It made me think I might have the potential to run faster than my current average of 10km per hour.  New targets and goals all the time!

Then this evening I did Body Balance! I put a lot of effort into my workout!  I love the stretching and stabilising, especially after the weekend of rogaining, plus today's great workouts.

My Week in Review - Week 10

Monday – Planned: 2: 5km run, teach balance

Actual: 1

• No run, we were driving home from Bunbury, had to pretty much shower and run to work.
• Taught Balance – laughed at myself because I couldn't do left and right all night :)

Tuesday – Planned: 2: Circuit, spin 1 hour

Actual: 0.5

• Circuit! Nope! New people, teaching teaching teaching.
• Spin 35 minutes and was done! Do not do this without bike shorts, the padding is critical! :) And my legs sure knew I had done it. Stopped at one point and took some tension off the trainer cuz I was going to have to stop after 10 minutes! Could I call this ONE instead of HALF?

Wednesday – Planned: 2: run 6km, teach balance

Actual: 2

• I wanted to ride my horse today, but I had to go clean the kitchen at work. We had our last Healthy Bodies session last night, which was a dinner we cooked ourselves, and we went overtime. Security nearly locked us in. Had a lot of dishes to do. Once again, my horse gets neglected.
• 6km run – yep, on the treadmill, hill program, level 6, 40 minutes. Highest grade was 4.9% and stuck to 9km/hr for whole time, so slower than usual, but was on the high end of my target heart rate the whole time, so felt I was working in the right zone. My butt was on fire! So it must have been working!
• Taught Balance.

Thursday – Planned: 2: Teach Balance, run 7km, T&E for dinner, so no other workout, unless time for a spin or row at the end of the night.

Actual: 1

• Taught Balance
• When did I think I'd have time for a run? Really, what was I thinking?

Friday – Planned: 2: Circuit, Row

Actual: 0

• Circuit - again no workout for me.  I could have actually gotten in a workout, but we were having a school winter sports carnival, and I needed to be accessible to the staff if things got out of hand.
• Row - now when did I think I'd be able to do this?  Lindy's going away party, packing and preparing food for the weekend, and NO WATER in the house.  Holding the torch (flashlight) for Mat so he could fix the burst water pipes in the dark.

Saturday – Planned: 1: Rogaine. Leave at 6:30am for Donnybrook area. Planning on doing 30-40km over the weekend, in approximately 4 hour/10km stints. 12-4pm (approx 15km), break for lunch, 6-10pm (approx 10km), sleep, eat breakfast, 7-11am (approx 15km), have second breakfast. Event ends at 12pm on Sunday.

Actual: 1

• Rogaine - did 1 6 hour stint.  HUGE hills and good walking pace most of the time. Feeling like I've worked, but not SORE, so my feet and legs are getting used to the increased impact. 

Sunday – Planned: 1: Carry forward of Rogaine. Won't want to do anything but sleep and shower and get rid of ticks.

Actual: 1

• Rogaine - only went out for an extra two hours on Sunday, and had a poor time of it.  Missed several hundred points we were aiming at.  Might do a post about this.

The best thing that happened this week:  The Rogaine was really good, as always. Had family over for dinner, and it was nice to have them over, as they usually feed us! We don't entertain enough.

Planned: 12

Actual: 6.5

Success Rate: 54%

Renewed Vigour

After looking at where I am in relation to my goal yesterday, I have found a renewed sense of purpose to my training, so have had two wonderful workouts in the last two days.

Last night I got to spin on my bike for the first time!  I was watching NCIS, and planned to stay on for the whole show, but just couldn't!  I got about 35 minutes through and my butt and legs were really aching.  Out of practice, but I thought it was a good start and I am committed to my plan and will continue to work towards four hours or more on the bike each week.  I will also remember to wear my bike shorts, because it's amazing what a difference the padding makes to one's comfort!

This morning, I had to go in to work to clean up after last night's last Healthy Bodies Seminar.  We cooked a meal ourselves, and shared it, which was wonderful!  We had a great time, and ran overtime.  Security nearly locked us in, so the dishes didn't get done.  We had an event on at 10am so I went in at 8 to do dishes, thinking it'd take me 30 minutes, then planned to do 30 minutes on the tready.

Dishes took a lot longer than that, and I also decided I needed a longer run to get the 6km in that I was aiming for taking the hills into account, so in the end didn't get home until after 10am.  Oops! And so much to do here too!

But the run was great!  6km, 40 minutes, hill intervals at level 6, which means a maximum grade of 4.9%.  I will probably need to work towards a 10% grade to get hill-ready enough, but there is also the outdoor training that will take that into account.   Anyway, I really felt the burn, but no pain in the knee or hip.  I am pretty sure I burned WAY more calories than the little machine said!! I think I will also wear the heart rate strap next time, rather than using the hand sensors, so I can get a more consistent read out, but I seemed to be working around 85-90% most of the times that I checked my heart rate.

The other thing I've resolved to do is actually GET UP when my alarm goes off. Today the alarm went off at 7:15am - the official time of sunrise. And each week I will bring the time forward a few minutes to coincide with the increasing daylight, and my increasing need for longer workouts!

My new plan is still a work in progress, as there are a few changes coming to the schedule in light of a few programs ending, the school term changing, school holidays on the way, and new programs starting in 3 or 4 weeks.  But I think it'll actually be better - there shouldn't be any split shifts to work around, and that will definitely make things easier to plan around.

I'm going to be ready!

Half-Way There! Am I Ready!?

I have 18 weeks to go!

It might sound like a lot of time left, but really, it isn't.  I've got 9 weeks recorded here already (haven't they flown by?!) and another 20 weeks under my belt before I started recording this.  It's taken a long time to get where I am already, and there's less than that amount of time left to get me where I want to go.

So at the approximately half-way point, am I half-way there?

• Run 12km - I want to be able to run 24km to have legs left over by the end of the 12km run. Yes, I am 50% there, I can run 12km.  But I need to get this distance up up up to have the extra strength and stamina to complete the next four legs of the race.
• Paddle/kayak 8.5km - I need to be able to paddle for about 2 hours, or 17km. No I am not there.  The longest I have rowed on the rowing machine is about 50 minutes, and this isn't utilising the same arm action as required for the double-handed arm-over-arm action that is used in a kayak.  I need to get ahold of a paddle, so I can just sit in the lounge room and paddle to get the arm strength up.  Then I need to get ahold of a kayak and get onto the water. Even if only once a month, I still need some practice out on the water!
• Swim 1km - I believe a freestyle (front crawl) swim of 1km in the pool will be an equivalent training distance to match my needs in the race.  The race is in open, flowing water, and you travel with the current, so a 1km pool swim will probably take me 40 minutes or so (huge guestimate there), but the average time in the moving water is only 15 minutes.  However, I am not half-way there, due to lack of water.  The pool will reopen hopefully in October. If not, I may have to don the wetsuit and have a swim in the river! (brrrr!!) However, I am still confident that if the pool opens in early October I will have enough fitness and just need to put in 2-3 short sessions per week leading up to the event to get the breathing and technique re-established.
• Ride Horse 16km - I feel that TK is capable of this ride now.  I want to do a lot more training with him, and tune up the fitness and our race pacing, and go over our vetting and cooling procedures so those are more established.  But I think we are over half-way there.  The 20km endurance ride at the end of July will really help us gauge if my confidence is well-founded or not.
• Cycle 20km - I was there, piece of cake, but now, not so much.  I have not ridden my bike for weeks and weeks, and I decondition from cycling rather quickly. It's the one discipline I really need to maintain to do effectively.  And I need to be able to do a hilly 20km cycle after I do all this other stuff!  So, bring on the mag trainer!  I plan to cycle at least four hours per week to keep the legs fit.  Then I need to get out and do one training ride to Woody and back at least once a month. Pray for good weather because I am going to have no choice, I need to do those hills, feel the wind resistance, work the gears!

So, that's a bit of a bummer.  Of the 5 disciplines, I am only half-way there with 2 of them.  Swimming aside, that's only 50% of 50%!  I'm not so good at math, but I think that means I am only 25% of the way there!

I am glad I did this re-evaluation.  It has reminded me that matters are now pressing, and that I can't be having the slack days I have!  If I miss a workout, it needs to be made up, because I am truly running out of time!

Time to put pen to paper and start re-scheduling my workouts!

My Bike!

Mat and I went to Bunbury for the weekend to visit family; we haven't caught up since January or February!  Far too long!  And we did a little shopping too - I had a $500 voucher I won at the Women's Only Triathlon in November last year, so it was time to spend it!

I bought:

• A mag trainer (there's a difference between a mag and a wind trainer, who knew?)
• Lights
• A helmet (that was really expensive, so thank goodness it wasn't "real" money I was spending!)
• Pedals
• Bearing packing grease

And it cost $515!  Sheesh, it doesn't go far!

We arrived home Monday morning, and had to head to work. Got home at just about 9:00pm and started setting up the trainer.  It took us until 10:30pm to get it done, so I haven't had a 'real' spin on it yet, but I sure will tonight!

It's set up right next to the lounge, so the plan is that any time I'm watching TV, I'll be turning the old legs over!  It sounds like a deceptively simple plan!  I think it will work!

YAY!

My Week in Review - Week 9

Monday – Planned: 3: Balance training, 5km run, teach balance

Actual: 1.5

• No run, had a work emergency which completely mucked my morning up
• Balance training, took it easy, only ½ a workout
• Taught Balance – launched the new routine and LOVED it, it was so much fun! I was so nervous! 15 people, heaps of new people! I felt completely zinged!

Tuesday – Planned: 1: Circuit

Actual: 0

• Circuit! Nope! New people, and woke up with the most PAINFUL leg in history. It's getting better, and I did a very short cycle and tiny little jog (honestly, only 5 minutes each) in Seniors Gym to get the leg moving in a reasonably comfortable way. Not sure what I did to hurt it, but man, it SUCKS!

Wednesday – Planned: 3: ride horse, run 5km, teach balance

Actual: 3

• Horse Ride - nope
• 5km run – yep, on the treadmill
• Bike – 35 minutes hard on the spin bike
• Taught Balance.

Thursday – Planned: 3: Teach Balance, run 7km, Attack if arm okay, or a horse ride

Actual: 0

• Didn't teach Balance. We only had 3 people show up! Had 13 last week, what's going on!?
• Run – nope, cuz I was going to go to Attack
• Attack – nope, stayed home with Mat and had a nice dinner together
• Horse – nope, raining!

Friday – Planned: 1: Circuit, Go to Bunbury for weekend

Actual: 1

• Circuit – yeah, and it was a GOOD workout! Sweating like a piggy! Loved this workout!

Saturday – Planned: 0: might squeeze in a run, but more likely to just enjoy the weekend off.

Actual: 0

• took the day off

Sunday – Planned: 0: Unknown, again, might just enjoy a weekend off

Actual: 1

• Went for an approximately 5km run (30 minutes) around Nell's neighbourhood. It was a great spot for a run, really enjoyed it! Nice trails, pretty parks, not too much traffic. She lives in a good spot.

The best thing that happened this week: Visiting with family, relaxing completely and enjoying great food and company!  Also, bought my wind trainer (it's actually a mag trainer, I have learned there is a difference) and now I can cycle inside at home! YAY!

Planned: 11

Actual: 6.5

Success Rate: 59%

Exercise Makes Me Human

Otherwise, I'm a terrible ogre!!

Oh my goodness, I was such a cow this morning. And after 9 hours of sleep no less. I just couldn't decide on anything, and couldn't listen to or agree with anything Mat had to say and finally, before heading to work he said "go back to bed! You're miserable!" and I realised that I really really needed to release some energy!

I've been doing so much Balance training that the other stuff has been left to the wayside. And now look at me!  Viscous!

So I decided do 30 minutes spin bike and 30 minutes treadmill.  I thought that way, if the leg started to scream, I could pull up, and not be off in the bush somewhere with a long way to walk/ride back.  So, despite it being a beautiful day, I went to the gym (where I work) to workout.

While there, I did a harsh 35 minutes on the spin bike, and then 5 minutes into my run, I got bailed up by a customer who had a pointless complaint - while I am running on the treadmill ... sweating like a pig ... NOT AT WORK!  So I wasn't as friendly as I probably should have been.

For the record, at 10am, the customer complained to me that the tables needed to be set up by 10am. 
- I asked, are they set up? 
- Yes they are. 
- Then what's the problem? 
- They need to be set up before 10am (some garbled bullshit I can't quite make out over the music, the treadmill, and my laboured breathing) ... blah blah, should have been done by 9:30am.  
So my reply?  
- A not so nice: well if you wanted it done by 9:30 you should have asked for 9:30. Since you asked for 10, you got 10.  
- Then he said "your boss will be hearing about this."  
- So I called both my bosses to tell them about it and both of them went "what's his f'ing problem?"

I ran a LOT faster after that interaction, I can tell you!  The ogre wasn't gone for another 30 minutes!

(Oh, and the leg held up okay.  Only a minor complaint, easy to run through. Didn't feel it at all on the bike.)

Hurt my Leg

I woke up this morning and my left inner thigh was on FIRE and I couldn't lift my leg up to put my ugg boots on!  I had to sort of push the leg backwards into my shoe, and then use my hands to lift the leg.  I can't cross my left leg over the right without manually placing my leg there. What the?!

It loosened up over the day, and I was able to cycle a little, and do a short jog (5 minutes of each) but couldn't do a step-up to save myself!

I seriously don't know what I did, although there are a lot of hip opening stretches in Body Balance, and I may have done something in class, but I would have thought I'd've felt it at the time.

Then again, it was a launch, and I was excited and nervous, and I do go totally whole-hog at a release.  I mean, it's new and exciting! Maybe the adrenaline rush made me not notice a twang?

The good news is that it completely drowns out any pain in my shoulder, so I don't really notice that pain anymore!

Hope it gets better soon!

My Week in Review - Week 8

Monday – Today is a public holiday in Western Australia! Wicked!
  Planned: 3: Balance training, ride horse, 5km run, paint front hallway
   Actual: 0

• No horse ride due to lameness.
• In fact, I did NOTHING I planned today! I rested, I cleaned, I vaccuumed and mopped and did laundry. And I slept.

Tuesday
  Planned: 1: Circuit, physiotherapist apointment
   Actual: 1

• Circuit! Yes, awesome! So much fun!
• Physio told me that it's not actually my deltoid, that's just referred pain from a tendon or this little dohickey thingey that give my muscles a cushioned gap to sit in. Everything is pinched and if I keep hurting it, I will really wreck it. Rest it, avoid the things that hurt.

Wednesday
  Planned: 4: Balance training, ride horse, run 5km, teach balance
   Actual: 3.5

• No horse ride due to lameness :( Still :(
• 5km run – knee pain, modify plan for tomorrow, another 5km until knee stands up to longer durations
• Balance training – one really really good hour. Wow that back track'll kill ya if you let it! And then a short break and another solid 30-45 minutes on just my tracks. Obsessing about warmup. Going to call this 1.5 sessions.
• Taught Balance.

Thursday
  Planned: 3: Teach Balance, Balance training with Kirsty, run 12km (modify to 5km), Attack if arm okay?
   Actual: 2

• Taught Balance.
• Balance training with Kirsty.
• No run, got late and dark. Wished I had a treadmill!
• No Attack, excused for medical reasons :) (dickey arm)

Friday
  Planned: 2: Circuit, 10km night walk practice for rogaine
   Actual: 2

• Circuit was pretty poor. I only did about half the circuit, and mainly just the cardio stuff. Warmed up enough to take off some of the layers, but didn't really get a workout. No points for this one!
• Ran 5.5km on treadmill, building speed with BPM increases to the music (thanks for this tip, Dana!!). Had to pull out half-way through Layla at 11km/hr at about 33 minutes. Built up steadily from 8km to 11km over 30 minutes, and the last 5 minutes were pretty much killer! Great workout! Knee did start to object by the end, however, I don't usually run at that speed out on the road, I average about 9.5, so I kinda understand why it went "hey, this is HARD!"
• Walked 10km in the cold and the dark up Balligan Hill (or something like that) with Mat, Ella and Marianne for a Rogaine training walk. Mat and I really do need proper hiking shoes/boots. It was cold, but a nice walk. We had heaps of fun together!

Saturday
  Planned: 2: Work morning, Balance Training, run 14km (modify to 7km to rebuild knee strength)
   Actual: 1

• Worked, then had a 2 hour nap, and then blogged about the crazy thoughts in my brain.
• Then mowed the lawn, collected a load of fire wood, and did the dishes. Ah! I feel better now! I have clean dishes and can cook something!
• Balance training! Really feeling great about this one. Only one track I didn't feel like I knew well enough. Awesome. This one is sinking in very well!

Sunday
  Planned: 2 or more: Balance Training, Horse ride, run? (If feeling up to it, 12km) Bike? Row?
   Actual: 1

• Started painting front hallway. Thus far this only means washing all the walls and filling the holes. Due to the wintry weather and cool interior (even though it's around 13 degrees inside today, NICE!) however, the stuff isn't drying in the 30 minutes it predicted. It's been about 2 hours so far, and will probably be several more before any painting takes place. And there's sanding to do, and rewashing... so probably no paint on the walls today.
• I went and rode TK bareback for a few minutes. Then ended up on the ground!  It was really windy, he's had a week off, he's feeling his oats. So I knew I couldn't hop straight on, and I lunged him until I felt I had his respect and attention, and then got on.  We did a little walking, but Nero was a shit-bag, all stirred up, kicking and lunging at us, and because of the wind, we couldn't tell when he was coming. Add to that the odd sound of someone seeming to be right next to you, talking, all because their voice carried on the wind from the playground across the road, and the guys at the race track driving their little remote control cars, well it sure made for a stirred up ride!  Still, he has to be able to be ridden in any conditions! I held on for one Nero attack, and spook, and stopped and waited till all was calm and demanded that he walk quietly, but it was not to be. Very shortly after stepping back off at a walk, I landed firmly on both butt cheeks, but held onto him, got him lunging in circles and then walking quietly beside me again. I didn't get back on. I know, everyone says to get straight back on, but from experience, I believe common sense should prevail: it wasn't safe to ride him with Nero acting like that around us.  I had him in control and was content with that for an ending for the time being.  Booked a riding lesson with Chris.

The best thing(s) that happened this week: 

1. TK's leg is healing and I am relieved to know he's going to be just fine!
2. Mat and I got out and socialised and did something together this week, and it was really fun to take a break from work!

Planned: 17
Actual: 10.5
Success Rate: 61.7%

When I Grow Up I Want to be Like My Mother

My Mom is one of those effective people. Constantly doing something productive. My Mom, it has always seemed to me, is always on the go, has always been able to make a list and get through it.  She has always seemed capable of developing a new habit simply by force of will - she seems to simply need to decide to accomplish something and she will.  She may not be rich or famous, or someone they write about in the Seven Habits type books, but surely she has most of those habits or characteristics.

I wonder how she does it.  Because I am currently working on accomplishing so much more than usual, I have thought to get some advice from my mother. I have even thought that I should interview her.

But what questions would I ask her? Here's a few that pop into mind (keeping in mind I'm not much of a reporter!):

• have you always been highly productive or have you taught yourself skills to be more efficient and productive?
• what drives you to keep going?
• do you feel you balance productivity with relaxation and time for yourself?
• how do you manage your daily list of tasks?
• when you plan your list, how do you manage the time? ie: are you very certain on the time-line or required time for the task, or do you over-allocate time to complete the task?
• do you ever have tasks you fail to accomplish on your list? How do you cope/feel about not accomplishing tasks?
• how do you cope with changes to your plans, or interference from outside forces?
• how much of your daily routine is simply "habit"? Do you do many tasks simply as a matter of course in your day?
• what habits have been most difficult to integrate or develop?  Which were easiest?
• how do you stay motivated? Do you ever have feelings of lethargy, or days where you feel you won't be able to do the things you planned?
• is your day more about "have to's" or "want to's"?
• what is your "system" for organising or accomplishing things?
• how do you rate the importance of each task?  Do you weight the tasks so you can change or delegate activities?
• do you reward yourself when you accomplish certain tasks?  What would be a reward to you? And under what circumstances would you feel you "deserve" a reward?

What might you ask a person who has traits you seek to emulate? What other questions could I ask to get more in-depth or revealing replies?

Jumbled Up

I have a lot on my mind. I have a lot going on, and I think I have a lot to say, but it's all jumbled up.

In no particular order, things on my mind:

I've been dealing with the shift, once again, from a positive to a negative mind-set. I could feel the frustration coming at work on Friday, the desire to lash out rising in me again, and I didn't like it, so have been reflecting on trying to get back to that quiet calm me.  I had been feeling really mellow, in control, relaxed.  Yes, relaxed is the right word.  No matter how busy I was, I didn't feel stressed, rushed or panicked. It was nice. I did some NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) with a friend a few weeks ago, and although it seemed a little corny, and was sometimes confronting, it did really level a few things out in me mentally and emotionally.  Seems I might be in need of a 'touch up' or something.

And I've been looking around at my house, wondering when I did dishes last, or went for groceries last and can't help but wonder what I've been doing this last week!  Despite writing down a little bit of a daily note that I post up as my weekly update, and reflecting on what I have done for workouts each day, I haven't felt like I've actually been all that busy. So where has my time gone?  Why do I have dishes filling the entire kitchen counter?  Why didn't I notice that we were running out of bread? How come I haven't cooked my chilli chicken yet?  What are we going to eat?  You can't tell that I washed the floors, and the pile of clean laundry on the couch is starting to get worn, which means that the pile of dirty laundry in the basket is growing!  Ah, the never-ending house work problem.

I know some of this stress and delay comes from the fact that I haven't had running water three mornings this week - the pipes have frozen solid! But that shouldn't stop me from doing dishes once they thaw and I get home from work.  But I've come home from work so tired I've gone nearly straight to bed! I have had pretty productive days, and they have been pretty full, and have often had to spend an extra hour or so at work for various reasons this week.  But I am often leaving in the cold and dark and/or returning in the cold and dark. Maybe the cold just makes me want to hibernate?

I have also felt the frustration of having an unfinished house rear its ugly head again and again.  Since the weather turned it has highlighted the many faults of our home. No insulation, missing cladding on the exterior wall, exposed water pipes, and heat escaping through the gaps in the floors. I know house are built for summers and not winters here in Australia, but it is very annoying to have to wear layers inside, which can be removed once outside.  It is frequently several degrees warmer outside than in!  Not a nice feeling to a Canadian, who always wants to feel comfortable inside!

And I have been missing my family. My sister is building her house and both Mat and I wanted to be there to help her, and it'll be all done and dusted before we even get close to Canada again. I miss my Mom and grandparents.

My workouts have been going reasonably well.  I have been disappointed with my arm injury, but am quite content to work around it and prevent further damage. I was sad to have a hurt horse, but he seems much better today!  I am really wanting to go to Bunbury to buy my bike toys so I can enjoy riding my bike again!

Mat and I have been working so much we hardly see each other, and we're both so exhausted, we barely speak.  Or when we speak, we're both focused on our own problems - we frequently have what I think of as parallel conversations: he talks about the header front he's working on and I talk about the horse's leg; he talks about the price of shipping steel rod from Perth, and I talk about how the person who booked that big event kept changing their mind, and so on.

Today, Saturday, after working for only 4 hours, I came home so tired I needed a 2 hour nap!  I just feel I should be able to do better, to do more.  You know?

I will probably feel better if I knock a few things off my to-do list. So, where to start on that list of mine?
- Horse ride
- Run
- Dishes
- Floors
- Laundry
- Balance Training
- Groceries (can't be done until Monday morning now, everything closes after 1pm on a Saturday - welcome to Oz!)
- Cook
- Mow the lawn (weeds)

Despite the lovely weather outside, I think I am going to start with dishes. They are a constant nagging reminder... they make me feel ... hmmm ... mismanaged?  That's the best I can put it.

I might try mowing the lawn and then just a 10 minute bareback ride on TK before the dark falls. I only have about 2 hours of light left.  I can run tomorrow, and hopefully I am full of vigour then!

My Poor Lame Horse

I injured my horse. I have never done this to a horse before and I am really upset about it.

On Sunday, Lauren and I took our horses to Woodanilling and planned to walk/trot at about 10km per hour back to Katanning.  That is not a difficult task really.  It's approximately 22km, and TKs done 15+km at that pace or better, so this didn't seem like a stretch. He's reasonably fit and I thought it would be fun.

Well, right out he started showing signs of being foot tender. He had just had his feet trimmed the day before, so maybe they were a bit short?  But it was gravelly and once we got onto softer stuff he seemed fine.  But was it already too late?  Should I have pulled up right from the get-go?

We also encountered lots of mud, and TK slipped a couple of times, until he was refusing to cross muddy bits.  Did he strain a muscle in one of those slips?  He started walking through them with a bit of encouragement and with me insisting on a slow walk.

He was sweaty pretty heavily, but he's got a long coat and it was a surprisingly warm day, but maybe he wasn't feeling well to start with, and the strain was showing?  Maybe that little cut on his other leg that still has a slight infection needs more antibiotics?  Maybe he's still fighting that off, and maybe there's still a bit of that twig stuck in the wound? Could that have affected him?

By 10km I was wondering if I should call Mat and ask him to pick us up, but I just asked Lauren if we could go a little slower and we did, and all seemed well again for awhile.  At about the 15km mark we even cantered, and he seemed to be feeling really free, so I put aside my worries again.

Then when we hit the 20km mark, he hit the wall.  He refused to go forward. When he did, he stumbled, he was short strided. I got off and walked him home the last 3km.  He wasn't eating at first, and TK with no appetite isn't normal, so after some encouragement I did get him to eat and relax a little.

At home I undressed him, hosed him off, let him eat, but he didn't drink well then, another cause for worry, and when he dried off, I felt his legs for hot spots and swelling and really couldn't discern anything abnormal.  I didn't know what to do, since I couldn't tell the source. There was nothing in his feet, no evidence of bruising, he wasn't showing pain, but he just couldn't walk right... I just left him, and have been letting him rest.

He's been short strided on that same leg since Sunday, and it's now Wednesday. I am still not sure what to do!?  He could just be really muscle sore, and the rest is really all he needs.  Then again, I could be missing something bigger.

I've never had a horse with this kind of constitution. All my horses have been hardy little sure footed bush monsters. TKs a bit more city slicker, and clearly needs more care and attention. I don't know what that's going to mean for future endeavours, if he's going to end up being more of an arena horse or just a pleasure horse with no real endurance rides in him?  I guess time will tell.  I guess the expenses will tell more - if he needs extra vet treatments, extra feeds, supplements, extra medications, then the cost of trying to make him my endurance horse might become prohibitive.

I will call the vet on Thursday if he's still showing signs of soreness and make a decision of what to do based on that chat.

I'm a Magpie

I like toys and gadgets and nice things. I regularly deny myself these things, but it's fun to think about them, and maybe even save up and get one of them one day.  Here's a few items that I have on my wish list. Some of them in reach and others not so much!  Some of these might end up being reward items...

Bike:
Wind Trainer - so I don't have to ride outside
Lights  - so I can in safety
Also need a few spare parts, new pedals and some winter woolies, good gloves and a better helmet.

Horse:
Endurance Saddles - another custom made product that would be marvellous, but the $$ !!
Exercise Quarter Sheet - too keep the rain and the cold off us both in the winter!
Polar Equestrian Heart Rate Monitor System - just plain cool!
Saddle Rack - (I have four saddles and they all sit on the backs of chairs in the spare room... not a single proper place to hang one of them!)
Safety Reflective Riding Gear - just common sense really
Saddle Packs - there are a million styles, just a matter of testing and trying different ones to suit saddle and needs.
Saddle Pads - a semi-local lady who custom makes saddle pads.  I want the Endurance one near the bottom. Pricey though...

Running:
Treadmill - I'm not entirely fussed on the machine or brand, but do want one with a hill program.
Garmin GPS Training Watch - These are just the bomb. They tell you all sorts of stuff, from bicycle cadence, mapping your runs, and managing your workouts on multiple exercises (running, cycling, horse riding, kayaking, etc). Just the ultimate training toy, really!

Rogaining:
Hiking Boots - we have got to stop doing these events in our running shoes! They just don't cut the mustard! Both Mat and I need hiking boots. After that we can get a few other items.  We need a second camelback/daypack and maybe a waist pack for shorter events. A better compass for Mat, and/or a very nice luminescent night compass.  There are lots of great outdoor clothing items that are fast trying and tear resistant which would also be nice.

Paddling:
Kayak - it will be very hard to do this leg without a kayak.... this has to be a priority purchase. Saving saving saving!

Other gadgets:
Muve by Gruve - What a cool little gizmo!  Is there nothing that can't be computerised these days?
Kindle - I like books!  So I say that's my excuse for wanting this new and cool toy!

Anyway, feast your eyes on a bit of retail eye-candy!

What's on your wish list?

Checking in Week 7

Monday – 1 - Bike 40 mins on indoor spin cycle. It's harder than regular cycling in lots of ways, because there's no free-wheeling, so you MUST be turning your legs, no resting or coasting.

Tuesday – 0 - Circuit had 17 people in it, 6 newbies! Again, I was run off my feet, but didn't get a workout. Tuesdays are such a big day, so no other opportunity came knocking. I did a few minutes of fitball with my Healthy Bodies, but that wasn't enough of a workout to count.

Wednesday – 2.5 - Great horse ride! And then some balance training, but not enough to call it a full workout, will call it half a workout :). Then taught balance.

Thursday – 2 – Taught balance and then ran 12km! Was tempted to call this run 1.5 workouts, but won't :)

Friday – 3 – Circuit! Got to workout today, as I had only 5 of my regulars, which was great cuz it loosened up all those sore muscles and I got a great stretch at the end! YAY! And then a full hour or more of balance training (though I don't feel much closer to knowing anything at all!) Also rowed for 30 minutes.

Saturday – work all day 8:30am-6:00pm Hoping for two hours of Balance training … but really was more of a mental exercise than a physical one.

Sunday – 1 - Horse ride (yay! 20+km) but sad, came up with lame horse afterwards. A run, bike, and balance training were all on the cards but I was soooo tired! Slept and slept and slept!

Total sessions: 9.5

Reasons To Run

I found this awhile ago, and to me, these reasons 'feel' better than all the physical benefits lists (bone density, strength, flexibility, heart health and so on).  I like the idea of changing focus for each month, too.  It doesn't have to be "to run" either.  It could be any physical activity you enjoy!

January - New Beginnings
February - Efficiency & Strength
March - Health & Vitality
April - Achievements & Satisfaction
May - Feel Good Factor & Adrenaline Rush
June - Variety & Stimulation
July - Fun & Participation
August - Adaptability & Versatility
September - Sociability
October - Appreciation of Nature
November - Simplicity & Independence
December - Weight Loss & Maintenance

What 'feel good' reasons do you have to exercise?

Just one question...

I got asked this awhile ago in a course and I am really stuck.  So thought I would share and see how you respond to the following:

Name two things you are incredible at.

Not 'good at', not 'okay at', but INCREDIBLE at.

Wow, how hard is that?

I am really struggling.

The interesting thing is that we could name a million things we are horrible at, but don't focus or remember or can't seem to find the positive!  Part of this may be because even if others think of us as incredible at something, we still want to be better at that thing.  We may see the problems or errors in that thing we are incredible at where others cannot.

So, I think one thing I am really good at (I hesitate to use incredible) is seeing two dimensional drawings in three dimensions.  I really can look at a floor plan and to a great extent a contours map, and build it up and 'see' the inside, the rise and fall, the edges and walls.

I also think I'm a very good goal setter (again with the hesitation to use incredible... interesting). I can set a goal and work well backwards, formulating the plan and the tools and everything to make the progression forward.  I'm not necessarily the greatest goal achiever but that's a different skill all together!

How would you answer that question?  What are you incredible at?

Race Run Distance - 12km

I did it! I ran 12km!

I set out for a 10km run, and then thought that it was just silly to not do the extra distance and hit that 12km mark.  So off I went.

By the second kilometre I felt my knee object. I ignored it.  It's been awhile since my knee hurt, and I know my form has to be right to keep it from hurting, so I thought I could easily avoid the pain.  The pain would rear its ugly head from time to time, and I would remind myself to put my foot down right, to flex the foot, bend the knee, run with good form and I'll be fine.  By the 6km turnaround point it was screaming at me, and I allowed myself to walk for 2 minutes. On the way in, the pain got worse but I was more determined to keep running, so there I am waddling like a duck, my knee and hip stiffening up, my ankles aching from doing more work than they should, my back taking the strain as I lean forward to keep momentum.

I'm pretty sure I'd've laughed at someone running with this form, but hey, there wasn't anyone else out here and I was GOING TO RUN 12KM!!

A few times I thought I might give myself permission to walk for just a little bit, but then a car would come by, and I didn't want to be seen walking!  And then I saw the light at the end of the tunnel!  There was only 2km to go!  I was moving slow, and I knew it, so I gave myself 20 minutes to finish off the last leg of the run. And good thing too, I used nearly all of those 20 minutes.  Part of it was taken up with me being chased by a very aggressive dog (I'm going to have to speak to Vicki about that mutt of hers!) and I had to stop and face up to him, yell at him to go home, then walk so he didn't think "Yum! Lunch is running!"

I made it back to start/finish line in 1 hour 17 minutes, and I was damned impressed with that.  I was planning a race pace of 1 hour 15 minutes, but now I might have to up the ante!  Or, alternatively, I might have to double-check my distance - maybe I didn't run 12km after all! :)

It's the next morning and I am still stiff in the legs, the right one in particular, but I have run my race distance! I know I can do it no matter what!

Horse Stools

On Wednesday morning I rode TK on that same 15km ride as we went on a few weeks ago. I took him out on an empty (grazing only) stomach, and gave him his full hard-feed when returning around noon. He got 3 or so flakes of nice hay at 5 or 6pm that evening, and all seemed well. But then this morning (Thursday) Mat noticed that he had been scouring a bit, confirmed by me when I went to check on him.

Now, this could be caused by the change of season (we are getting grass now), and he's a skinny thoroughbred so maybe he's just got a sensitive belly, and I haven't had him through a change of season yet, so don't know how he's likely to be.

But I worry a bit, so I am wondering if it could have been caused by the exercise-feed schedule he went out on. Normally, I feed early in the mornings and go out about 2 hours after he's done, so he's usually got a bit more feed in him to start with.

Or, alternatively, could the difference also be caused by him making up for lost fluids by really drinking well? He is a good drinker.

Now, I can just continue to watch and wait, and monitor how he responds to his next ride and how his feed intake might be impacting on his stomach. But if any endurance people happen to be glancing at this blog, I'd appreciate your comments on the change of his stools, as I'd like to get some advice on managing his diet effectively to ensure maximum health and performance for him. Thanks!!

Visions Goals Action Steps

I have taken a Wellness Coaching course. It's a really neat discipline, and highly complimentary to being a fitness instructor. I try to help my clients set goals and move towards their vision of healthy living! And, as I always say, I should practice what I preach!

So, to move towards wellness you need a vision, goals, and action steps.

I have been really focused on the Blackwood Marathon, obviously, and part of me was asking “Yeah, but then what?” In other words, I was wondering what would happen after I finished? Would I just end up in a big lump, gain a thousand pounds and be done with fitness? I mean, to be serious, this is a ridiculous schedule I'm trying to maintain. Do I really want to work out this hard and spead myself this thin forever? No, not really. And I didn't want the other option either! So I needed to spend some time exploring my purpose, my vision.

Now, it's still forming, but I simply changed the focus from the EVENT to the INTENT. My vision currently is:

I am a person who can compete in marathon events.

Too simple?

Not really. After this event, shouldn't I be able to do any event I want? So even if I decide that I don't want to do 5 sports, I only want to swim – I can swim the Rott-Cott swim if I feel like it! I don't have to do all sports all the time! And I can still keep very fit! And the follow-ons of that: the nutrition, the health, the discipline – it all stays. It helps keep me on my wellness path!

So, after you have a vision, you need Goals. Obviously, my ultimate goal is:

To complete the Blackwood Marathon Relay Race on 30th October 2010 as an Iron Woman.

And then you need to break down the ultimate goal into Three Month Goals.
I won't bore you with those, mainly because I haven't actually done them. But it is a good idea, especially to have a target distance, speed, etc, at the three month mark to know that I'm on track to my ultimate goal.  Something for me to do.... put it on the list!

However, I do have many Weekly Goals, as I have laid out a plan for all my sports and hopefully I do better than 60% for the next 20 or so weeks! Basically, I like to think of my Weekly Goals as just my schedule. Easy! I have a schedule, I just need to stick to it!

And after that, you need Action Steps.
Sometimes you have small goals, like “run 5km” which, isn't too hard (relatively speaking) to accomplish, but some people need to have a few action steps to get there, such as “buy running shoes” or “see a doctor to get medical clearance to start exercise”. They're not really goals in themselves, but things you might need to do to get started.

I've taken care of most of my action steps. But I do keep adding things to the list. Like, “buy a Garmin Forerunner 305”  and other great but unnecessary things.

Maybe I should reflect on the fact that I don't really need that much gear, and why do I want all the shiney things with buttons? … Maybe I'm just a magpie! :) But I guess that's a whole other post!!