Can you believe it?

two posts in a row... its been awhile.

*ahem*

I was so inspired by posting yesterday that I set the alarm clock for 5AM and went out for a run. (so much easier to run when its cool) For the past 3 weeks or so my running has consisted of running an average of once a week for about 3kms per run.  So today I decided to go for a hilly (as always) 5ker. Thinking it was time to push myself after slacking off a little. The run was AWESOME!  I have this route that I do where I run a certain block and then cut in to avoid the mother of hill climbs, each time i do the run i think 'one day I'm gonna attempt that hill'. The hill climbs 84meters  over a 1.5km stretch, like a said BIG MOTHER of a hill.

As I was coming up to the part where i cut in I was feeling pretty good, so guess what... I decided that today was the day to run that hill. OH BOY... it was hard. I was shuffling along at snails pace, panting like I was about to give birth  and saying to myself OUT LOUD 'you are powerful, your legs can keep going, you have powerful legs'. I ran that hill and got to the top in 12 minutes, with a little bit of a walk just near the top. Stoked! The upside to running up a hill is that you have to come down. Coming down the hill is the best, a great time to catch your breath and bring your heart rate back to normal. I got down the hill in 3 minutes. hehe.

The full run was just under 7km long, and I loved it. It feels good to be running. Back in the swing of things.

If you want to get into running, and don't know where to start, the link in my side bar may help. Im  telling you  if i can run so can you.

time to get jiggy with it...

2010 is here. Actually it has been for... oh... um... about 18 days. So i figured that the christmas festivities are well and truly over.  The indulging of late is finished.

ITS TIME TO GET THE JIGGY (JIGGLES) OFF!

I am extremely afraid to admit that some of the old habits snuck back in with the pavlova. The biggest leachy habit been eating at night. And when I say eating I mean EATING! Ha.

So anyway now that it is well and truly 2010 I am back. into. it. Eating healthy, exercising, and taking care of myself.

The goals for this year are:

Enter a triathalon again (actually considering if I have time for this one as its next month... do I have time to train?)
Complete a 10 km fun run (March/April)
Followed with a 1/2 marathon (June/July)

Lose the remainder of my excess weight 16kg or so

Balance the work/play ratio in my life

Theses are quite some goals as this year is looking to be a lot different for me than last year. I am returning to work part time so i am going to need to be super organised in order to ensure i get regular exercise, and continue to eat well. hence the need for balance.

I have been finding it pretty hard to go for my runs lately. The heat is incredibly hard to run in and it is pretty hot by 6am so if I want a comfortable run then i really need to be out the door by 5am. Everyday this week I have told myself I am going running and then I just can't drag myself out of bed. I need to find another way to get my run in. And running in the evenings doesn't work either as it doesn't cool down until the sun goes down. And then its too dark for a woman to go running on her own. Perhaps I just need to go to bed earlier... eek.

Well dear freinds (I am taking web liberties here) that is me. I will be posting here regulary again so please pop back, your encouragement means the world to me.

Oh and by the way, the wedding has been and gone and I looked and felt wonderful! Here is a pic. I couldn't have got there without you!

I am avoiding you....

Thats right please don't look me in the eye and ask me how I am going... I don't want to lie to you.

On the up note to balance out my unfabulous eating today and yesterday and the day before... you get the picture... I have been running. Today i managed a 5.31km run in 45 minutes with what has got to be the biggest hills yet. Stoked.

Check out the elevation in this run...

Basically from 1km in I am climbing for a whole km then I get a reprieve and then I finish with climbing for the last 1.5km.

I have had this run in my sights for quite sometime but it has had a very daunting effect on me until today. Today I nailed it... well maybe I didn't quite nail it but I conquered it that is for sure.

My decision today to take it on was prevocked by another decision that I made on the weekend. I am going to run a marathon! Thanks sis your challenge was all I needed. Who am i to shy away from a challenge? So in March i hope to complete a 10km fun run, then July I will run the Brisbane 1/2 Marathon followed by a full marathon in 2011 sometime. Sis and i will hoepfully compete in this one together... Hey sis what say we do the New York one??? Na kidding that is way too much $$$. Lets just go for a NZ one. Gail want to join us? Anybody else is welcome to join us as well of course!

So I am excited. Chugging away at this thing called a journey. Still learning to overcome some bad habits but happily forming some pretty cool new ones.

This morning I awoke to the same thought I have had since Saturday... I should go for a run, I don't feel like it, I am too tired, it is too hot, I will train later, run tonight.

But today i decided that I would run. It has been six days! Where the heck has all that time gone. So reluctantly I  got dressed and headed out the door.

I live at the top of a hill so all my runs start out down hill and finish with the opposite. As i trotted off my inner conversation was centered around getting myself to keep running. In fact the whole 32 minutes that I was running I had to convince myself I could do it, to keep running. Some days are like this. Today was one of them.

It seems the longer the gap between runs the harder the next run is. I must remember this next time I make excuses to not go running.

It actually still blows me away that I am running at all. It is not something that comes easy to me. I am not a natural runner.My strides are short, I am short and stocky and thick set. Not the long legged gazzel type whose body is made for leaping.  But funnily enough I actually dream of running. In my dreams i can run and run and run. The idea of running for ages actually appeals to me. The IDEA of it.  In reality it is something that I think may take a while to be able to do. One day I would like to complete a 1/2 marathon, perhaps a full one after that. :) If Oprah can do it so can I.

WEZA

Weigh day

It has been a great week!

Today I jumped on those scales knowing that i was going to see good results. How did I know? I am starting to see real changes happening in my body. The tummy is shrinking, as are the boobs, the bum, however, is still a work in progress.

This week I feel like I really turned a corner in my fitness. I was able to run my first 5kms EVER, and it was up and over hills! I have continued to do my press ups each day, as well as 60 ab crunches, 12 swiss ball passes (Oh my these are a killer) and 10 burpees. If I include tomorrow I will have run four times this week. I am feeling good.

The scales read 1.2kg lighter. Another indicator of healthy lifestyle. Permanent change. All up I think I have lost just under 6kgs now. I would really like it if I could lose 2 more before NZ but I may be pushing it considering it is 2 weeks away.

Tomorrow I am off to particpate in a surf school... Loving the new confidence I am experiencing these days. Should be heaps of fun, as well as a good all over body workout.

Have a wonderful weekend

PS I have posted a recipe on Everything by twos, that actually came out of the Sureslim cookbook. It is extreamely delicious and has virtually no fat. It is a real treat when you are feeling a bit over salads or just want a really tasty low fat meal.

WEZA

I am back

Sis went home last Monday. We had a fantastic time while she was here, and if you read my last post you would have seen that I was taking the food side of life a little easier while she was here. Towards the end of our holiday i got just a little too relaxed, I must say.

i have learn't a little bit more from it. Old habits lurk around looking for a chance to re appear. it actually didn't take me that long before i had gotten back into the habit of eating late at night. Just picking away at things here and there, finishing off left overs, grabbing a bag of popcorn to eat while watching tv. Old habits, unnessesary eating. Snuck on in and set up camp. I would go to bed and wake up in the morning feeling grotty. Sluggish. Its a cycle. Eat bad, feel bad, so eat bad... etc.

i have to admit it was hard going last week. Sis was back in NZ and i was tired, sluggish and close to quitting. I had a headache that refused to budge so I didn't feel like cooking, nor exercise, nor planning meals. Then Friday came around. WEIGH day. EEEK. I didn't want to go. I still had my headache and I wanted to use it as an excuse not too. But I made myself. I donned my exercise gear and off I went to Anyas. The scales are 700g heavier. I knew they would be. So i trained hard. I am so thankful I went. I felt better. The headache went, and I found new resolve.

We have to learn to face our mistakes, look them in the eye, own up to them and then resolve to move on and to keep going. This is a long term thing. It is not about instant results. It is about my health and well being.

Guess what! We measured, and it was good to see the progress. To look at other indicators.

When we started         Now

chest 103.5 cm       99.5 cm

butt 110.5 cm           109.5cm

waist 99 cm   95.5cm

arm 36.5 cm   34 cm

thigh 65 cm   62 cm

I am happy with those results.

Also, I ran 5km today around our neighborhood. I was surprised to see Anya out on her run and we ran a little bit of the way together before she powered off up a steeper hill than I can run right now. it is super hilly around our place and I had two large hills to run before getting home. I did it without stopping. I am getting fitter. Running is getting easier. And I am starting to love it. Who would have thought? 

A big old long post but I needed to share. Hope you are all doing good.

Blessings

WEZA

on or off the wagon?

My wagon has parked up. It is happily enjoying a rest while I have a weekend with the extended family. I glimps it every now and again promising to be back soon, but i must say i am enjoying having the odd bit of icecream in the evening. :)

I have continued exercising and yesterday I did 2 sets of 24 MAN press ups! I am completely amazed at how quickly i went from been able to do three to 24! The human body has an incredible ability to endure and strengthen quickly.  I may be an 'elephant' but I am fit and strong. HA.

Weigh in yesterday, another gain eek. 100grams. not bad considering I am in holiday mode. I guess.

I am honestly not too worried. Sister goes home on Monday and then I will be back into routine. Now don't get me wrong, i am not in binge mode I am just allowing myself some extras while she is here.

WEZA