Many many years ago, we had what sounded like a herd of elephants living in our roof. Okay, they were rats, but it seemed that, the more ratsak we provided, the more they came and partied. It really sounded like a ratty rave party. Then..one day...no more. Silence. My husband had to go into the roof to do something, and found what looked to be the Taj Mahal of all rats nests. Inside this 'taj mahal' was a large skin...recently shed by one obviously very well fed snake.
We would occasionally see the odd skin shed over summer, here and there, but never got to see the shedder. Until one Melbourne Cup night about 3 years ago - I had been at a party, drinking far too much champagne, and was back at home outside in the barbeque area whilst husband was cooking dinner..it was dusky...I looked at the lattice beside our gate and saw this thing that looked like an exotic sea slug...it was just a mere portion of our diamond python, now about 6 foot long, winding her way back into her lair. She has since been affectionately known as 'diamante'.
The only time I have ever been upset with her was when I did have two cute little tree frogs that lived in the wisteria (unfortunately, on Diamante's nightly route) - one day, I found a skin winding through the wisteria, but no frogs. Clearly they had just been too much for her skin to take! LOL.
Anyhow, what does this have with renovations? Well, we're getting a new roof. We had warned the builder about Diamante, but hadn't seen her of late, and she wasn't in her usual lair, so we had assumed the worst - she must be getting on in years now.
Well, the builder was up in the roof, inspecting the trusses this morning, and discovered one Diamante, fast asleep, curled up high in the roof. Wires have said to just let her be, she'll apparently just remove herself from the fracas and return once the builders have finished! Cute.
Oh...just for Sue...got down the beach this morning! Yay :-) NOT an inch of hard sand though, all soft sucky stuff. Legs very tired now!!! Will attempt to ride the black beast tonight too.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
what a blur of a weekend
hmmm, I feel as though I blinked and missed the weekend...not quite sure where it went....let's see...
Sat am - kickboxing, friends popped over, went to horse, then friends over for dinner - mammoth cooking effort including dessert - Pistachio madeleines with chocolate sauce.
Sunday am - had to drive to Bowral, pick up mother in law, drive to Blue Mountains, sister in law's birthday...finally got home at 7pm.
Flash & it's Gone. Oh well...here's to next weekend of no plans - except, maybe, a weights session & ride the pony and do some STUDY!!!
This week's plan:
Mon am: was going to get to the beach, but it started to pour just as I stuck my head out the door....and since I'm still doing the 'black lung' thing...decided to just do a makeup no weights leg circuit this morning - soooo hard with my weights shoved away in the garage where i can't access them...
Mon pm: kickboxing
Tues - Fri am: beach workouts, weather permitting
Tues & Thurs pm: ride pony, weather permitting
Wed pm: Kickboxing or weights session - probably KB.
Fri pm: rest...
Sat am: weights ; ride pony
Sun: rest...& ride pony
I'm really struggling with motivation for my job at the moment.... MUST find some motivation other than the obvious (bills...which will be increasing with the renovations!)
Sat am - kickboxing, friends popped over, went to horse, then friends over for dinner - mammoth cooking effort including dessert - Pistachio madeleines with chocolate sauce.
Sunday am - had to drive to Bowral, pick up mother in law, drive to Blue Mountains, sister in law's birthday...finally got home at 7pm.
Flash & it's Gone. Oh well...here's to next weekend of no plans - except, maybe, a weights session & ride the pony and do some STUDY!!!
This week's plan:
Mon am: was going to get to the beach, but it started to pour just as I stuck my head out the door....and since I'm still doing the 'black lung' thing...decided to just do a makeup no weights leg circuit this morning - soooo hard with my weights shoved away in the garage where i can't access them...
Mon pm: kickboxing
Tues - Fri am: beach workouts, weather permitting
Tues & Thurs pm: ride pony, weather permitting
Wed pm: Kickboxing or weights session - probably KB.
Fri pm: rest...
Sat am: weights ; ride pony
Sun: rest...& ride pony
I'm really struggling with motivation for my job at the moment.... MUST find some motivation other than the obvious (bills...which will be increasing with the renovations!)
Thursday, April 26, 2007
coughing up lungs....
Aaaah, what a great picture...
one woman, jogging through the soft sand, stopping every so often to cough up the odd lung or two....then soft sand sprints.... again, interspersed with the odd cough.
What is wrong with this picture?
I HATE being sick.
But then again, who doesn't?
Managed to get to the gym last night and did a good legs & back session. After working out at home for so long, it's kind of good having to go to a gym and gee, just having to use their plethora of stuff... the smith machine, hack squat, leg press, lat pulldown, seated row instead of just having to make up my own things with a barbell and trusty dumbbells and more than adequate bench!
People did look a little strangely at me as I was doing my Peterson Step Up though.... but, it is a kickboxing gym..and not many people are using the weights...which is great for moi!
Am planning on kickboxing tomorrow morning, then hopefully, weather permitting, ride my wild pony...then Sunday will be a well earned day of rest. We have friends over for dinner (bringing the mini infector aka Eva with them ;-) ) So I have found a lovely lamb loin with lentil and rosemary aioli recipe in my cookbook to try... which apparently goes beautifully with a nice shiraz... as if I need an excuse to have a nice Shiraz! LOL.
Sunday is off to a sister in law's birthday barbeque in the Blue Mountains. So no time to ride the black wonder horse.. he won't be impressed.
It took him a couple of days to talk to me after being away all weekend.
He usually greets me with a massive big deep whinny when he sees me walking in the distance. When I got back on Monday he turned his back on me. Funny boy :-)
one woman, jogging through the soft sand, stopping every so often to cough up the odd lung or two....then soft sand sprints.... again, interspersed with the odd cough.
What is wrong with this picture?
I HATE being sick.
But then again, who doesn't?
Managed to get to the gym last night and did a good legs & back session. After working out at home for so long, it's kind of good having to go to a gym and gee, just having to use their plethora of stuff... the smith machine, hack squat, leg press, lat pulldown, seated row instead of just having to make up my own things with a barbell and trusty dumbbells and more than adequate bench!
People did look a little strangely at me as I was doing my Peterson Step Up though.... but, it is a kickboxing gym..and not many people are using the weights...which is great for moi!
Am planning on kickboxing tomorrow morning, then hopefully, weather permitting, ride my wild pony...then Sunday will be a well earned day of rest. We have friends over for dinner (bringing the mini infector aka Eva with them ;-) ) So I have found a lovely lamb loin with lentil and rosemary aioli recipe in my cookbook to try... which apparently goes beautifully with a nice shiraz... as if I need an excuse to have a nice Shiraz! LOL.
Sunday is off to a sister in law's birthday barbeque in the Blue Mountains. So no time to ride the black wonder horse.. he won't be impressed.
It took him a couple of days to talk to me after being away all weekend.
He usually greets me with a massive big deep whinny when he sees me walking in the distance. When I got back on Monday he turned his back on me. Funny boy :-)
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Back to the beach....
With lurgy gradually getting back under control, but a bit tight in the chest, I got down to the beach to meet Donna, my workout partner. It's been a whole week away from the beach!!! I really didn't know how my breathing would go, given my chest feels constricted, but I managed to jog the length of the beach okay, then because we didn't have any really good hard sand sprint areas, we had to opt for soft sand sprint sessions.
So, I marked out a 20 metre line, then a 40 metre line, and we rotated between doing the 20mx2 shuttle run, then some squat jumps or lunges, with doing the 40metre sprint with walk back and tricep dips. We did that for about 40 minutes! Good workout. Legs struggled a bit at times.
Off to the kickboxing gym's weight area tonight for a leg workout.... with all these renos going on and my weights stored away under the house I am DYING to do some weights...!
Oh.... and can you believe that we had the most rain we have had in FIVE YEARS on Monday night? How typical is that when you have had your roof taken off?! LOL.
Will go for a run on the beach tomorrow morning, then kickboxing on saturday morning.
So, I marked out a 20 metre line, then a 40 metre line, and we rotated between doing the 20mx2 shuttle run, then some squat jumps or lunges, with doing the 40metre sprint with walk back and tricep dips. We did that for about 40 minutes! Good workout. Legs struggled a bit at times.
Off to the kickboxing gym's weight area tonight for a leg workout.... with all these renos going on and my weights stored away under the house I am DYING to do some weights...!
Oh.... and can you believe that we had the most rain we have had in FIVE YEARS on Monday night? How typical is that when you have had your roof taken off?! LOL.
Will go for a run on the beach tomorrow morning, then kickboxing on saturday morning.
Project VMO
For the next 8 weeks I will be working on Project VMO. Yes... I intend to have visible Vastus Medialis within 8 weeks...
courtesy of the Peterson step up...http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp?qid=36606&tid=105
courtesy of the Peterson step up...http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp?qid=36606&tid=105
Monday, April 23, 2007
Filex!
Well, what a weekend. I signed up as Event Crew for this year - a/ because my horse's injuries had put paid to any spare cash that I may have ever had for it, and b/ until I am earning from the fitness industry its not a tax deduction, so... roll on next year I say!
All event crew had the briefing on Thursday from 12-2.30, then I wasn't schedule to work until Friday afternoon - first afternoon on the desk and the second and third afternoons (12.30-7) I was scheduled as 'door bitch' on the Parkside Auditorium, which meant I could listen to such luminaries as Paul Chek and Len Kravitz, as well as Seamus Dalton.
The first morning I jogged on over to the Pyrmont Park to check out Suellen Dennehy's outdoor session, before hoofing it back to quickly chuck my tuna & salad down before clocking on. Luckily my first afternoon we had some quiet time, so a couple of us snuck into the lecture by Tony Boutagy on Lower Limb assessment and programming. FABULOUS stuff!!! I am so glad I got in there. He demonstrated the Klatt test to determine where people's weak/tight areas in their legs which helps you to focus your programming on those areas. Talk about valuable information!!!
Len Kravitz was interesting - very scientific though - but for those that have read Metabolism Advantage, kind of reiterated what John says - the optimum time for your body to utilise carbohydrates (and for you to eat them) is within 3 hours of your workout.
Popped in to listen to Gavin Aquilina for his 'wicked workouts' session - but ...nothing groundbreaking or astounding there...just common sense really.... still, not bad on the eyes!
Had a go in the session for balance devices for PTs - that was excellent.
So, for my first foray back into the fitness world, I was totally impressed - at least I have a much better understanding of the things I would attend if I was paying - because I know now that I would have been trying desperately to swap a few things at the last minute - but working as event crew and trying to attend as many sessions as possible leaves you NO time whatsoever - so my best intentions of at least catching a five minute hello with Kek was not to be - but maybe next year.
I now have a dreaded lurgy to contend with, courtesy of my friend's 6 month old who had just had her needles on the Thursday I arrived, and I guess because I ran myself into the ground a little I was a bit susceptible! At least it waited until Sunday afternoon before it started to say..ahem...Caroline...how would you like a little scratchy throat...before it turned into swollen glands which I could feel swelling with every kilometre I got closer to home on Sunday night!
Still, it didn't stop me from kickboxing last night...I thought a good sweat may do me good, but ...I felt a little worse for wear again this morning so ..maybe that wasn't so wise.
We have also broken the drought.... our renovations started on the house yesterday and the builders decided in the morning, yes, we will take the back room roof off....
I can honestly say we haven't had rain this heavy in quite some time!! There is now no roof between our dining room (which is closed off) and our laundry...my husband casually reminded me not to lick any of the power points in the laundry this morning...
and you know, that was exactly what I was going to do too! LOL.
All event crew had the briefing on Thursday from 12-2.30, then I wasn't schedule to work until Friday afternoon - first afternoon on the desk and the second and third afternoons (12.30-7) I was scheduled as 'door bitch' on the Parkside Auditorium, which meant I could listen to such luminaries as Paul Chek and Len Kravitz, as well as Seamus Dalton.
The first morning I jogged on over to the Pyrmont Park to check out Suellen Dennehy's outdoor session, before hoofing it back to quickly chuck my tuna & salad down before clocking on. Luckily my first afternoon we had some quiet time, so a couple of us snuck into the lecture by Tony Boutagy on Lower Limb assessment and programming. FABULOUS stuff!!! I am so glad I got in there. He demonstrated the Klatt test to determine where people's weak/tight areas in their legs which helps you to focus your programming on those areas. Talk about valuable information!!!
Len Kravitz was interesting - very scientific though - but for those that have read Metabolism Advantage, kind of reiterated what John says - the optimum time for your body to utilise carbohydrates (and for you to eat them) is within 3 hours of your workout.
Popped in to listen to Gavin Aquilina for his 'wicked workouts' session - but ...nothing groundbreaking or astounding there...just common sense really.... still, not bad on the eyes!
Had a go in the session for balance devices for PTs - that was excellent.
So, for my first foray back into the fitness world, I was totally impressed - at least I have a much better understanding of the things I would attend if I was paying - because I know now that I would have been trying desperately to swap a few things at the last minute - but working as event crew and trying to attend as many sessions as possible leaves you NO time whatsoever - so my best intentions of at least catching a five minute hello with Kek was not to be - but maybe next year.
I now have a dreaded lurgy to contend with, courtesy of my friend's 6 month old who had just had her needles on the Thursday I arrived, and I guess because I ran myself into the ground a little I was a bit susceptible! At least it waited until Sunday afternoon before it started to say..ahem...Caroline...how would you like a little scratchy throat...before it turned into swollen glands which I could feel swelling with every kilometre I got closer to home on Sunday night!
Still, it didn't stop me from kickboxing last night...I thought a good sweat may do me good, but ...I felt a little worse for wear again this morning so ..maybe that wasn't so wise.
We have also broken the drought.... our renovations started on the house yesterday and the builders decided in the morning, yes, we will take the back room roof off....
I can honestly say we haven't had rain this heavy in quite some time!! There is now no roof between our dining room (which is closed off) and our laundry...my husband casually reminded me not to lick any of the power points in the laundry this morning...
and you know, that was exactly what I was going to do too! LOL.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Beautiful morning for the beach....
Slept like a log last night, which was great, compared with the tossing and turning I did the night before....was probably too exhausted the night before!!
Anyhow, up before dawn, down the beach, jogged 1.2km, and there was some firm sand, bliss. So I managed to get 10x60m sprints in on the gradually decreasing area of firm sand (some of the sprints were through water towards the end!) Tide was determined to come in despite me.
Then I shifted up to the soft sand and did 5x40m soft sand sprints. Figured that would do me considering I will be going to kickboxing tonight - yes another hour of sweat & torture.
I'm still feeling the stiffness in my lats, rhomboids & hamstrings, but figured this time I may just really concentrate on technique over and above trying to kill myself too much.
This will be my last blog until next week, when I've returned from filex!
Anyhow, up before dawn, down the beach, jogged 1.2km, and there was some firm sand, bliss. So I managed to get 10x60m sprints in on the gradually decreasing area of firm sand (some of the sprints were through water towards the end!) Tide was determined to come in despite me.
Then I shifted up to the soft sand and did 5x40m soft sand sprints. Figured that would do me considering I will be going to kickboxing tonight - yes another hour of sweat & torture.
I'm still feeling the stiffness in my lats, rhomboids & hamstrings, but figured this time I may just really concentrate on technique over and above trying to kill myself too much.
This will be my last blog until next week, when I've returned from filex!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Kickboxing convert
Well, I have to say, that is one of the best /hardest workouts I've encountered for a while. I did give it my all though - no pussyfooting around punching & kicking those bags - thought I might vomit at one stage....so had a quick recovery then got into it again.
Excellent stuff. Will definitely be going back on wednesday night!
Felt pretty fatigued on the beach this morning - my arms hurt at first when I was jogging, but... I soon forgot about it. We did beach sprints (2x20m) then one set we did 10 pushups, then the next set we did 10 sit ups, then we did 10 tricep dips, then 10 pop squats. then water, and start again! Then I marked the sprint session out to 40 metres, and we just did 10 x 40 metre sprints with a walk recovery in between.
So, off to ride the pony tonight, hopefully my legs will still be working!
Excellent stuff. Will definitely be going back on wednesday night!
Felt pretty fatigued on the beach this morning - my arms hurt at first when I was jogging, but... I soon forgot about it. We did beach sprints (2x20m) then one set we did 10 pushups, then the next set we did 10 sit ups, then we did 10 tricep dips, then 10 pop squats. then water, and start again! Then I marked the sprint session out to 40 metres, and we just did 10 x 40 metre sprints with a walk recovery in between.
So, off to ride the pony tonight, hopefully my legs will still be working!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Sssssnakes
Diet has been so good today...but must be lacking carbs....the fundraising snakes are calling to me!!! But I shall ignore them...400 calories I DON'T need!!!!
And I don't need them to fuel my kickboxing workout...
And I don't need them to fuel my kickboxing workout...
kickboxing again
okay, if you can't tell, I'm excited about kickboxing.... this is where I'm going:
http://www.reflexcentre.com.au
I'm also going to check it out for its weights area - my weights have been put away indefinitely until our back room (my previous gym area) is renovated..... which involves laying of new slab, new roof which goes over our entire house, etc.... we've got the builders in doing the roof & slab, but it will be up to us to finish it off - which knowing our lack of spare time could take ages!!
So I need to find a weights area. Was toying with checking out fernwood which is just literally a hop skip and a jump away down the road, but.... the whole girly atmosphere doesn't appeal, nor does the meat market of fitness first appeal....so... I'm kind of looking forward to checking out the feeling of a kickboxing studio.....
more reports tomorrow (and hopefully I won't be too sore to do my beach workout in morning!)
http://www.reflexcentre.com.au
I'm also going to check it out for its weights area - my weights have been put away indefinitely until our back room (my previous gym area) is renovated..... which involves laying of new slab, new roof which goes over our entire house, etc.... we've got the builders in doing the roof & slab, but it will be up to us to finish it off - which knowing our lack of spare time could take ages!!
So I need to find a weights area. Was toying with checking out fernwood which is just literally a hop skip and a jump away down the road, but.... the whole girly atmosphere doesn't appeal, nor does the meat market of fitness first appeal....so... I'm kind of looking forward to checking out the feeling of a kickboxing studio.....
more reports tomorrow (and hopefully I won't be too sore to do my beach workout in morning!)
weekend, horse and bike rides & kickboxing
Well, this weekend I was just soooooo good it's astounding. Friday night was my 'cheat meal' which also involved 1/2 bottle of champagne - all good and planned.
The rest of the weekend not one thing passed my lips that wasn't on the plan. Sickening! :-)
Saturday was my rest day - but I did ride my still wild pony. It appears that my saddle is also incredibly scary and does possess teeth that I knew nothing about. At least, that's what Kado was telling me when he spotted it sitting (lurking) in the stables (ready to pounce).
Luckily, the hour and a half of work on Saturday may have started to take the edge off some of that overdose of sugar in his system, because on Sunday he started to resemble something more like my old horse that I used to have before this manic monster took its place.
Sunday afternoon I went on my own for a bike ride as speed racer had been working like a dog on Saturday - 4 hours of ripping out flooring, and lugging it downstairs to the trailer. He said that was more than enough of a workout for him. Phewy. Anyhow, I endeavoured to make the same time as last week, and I did - it's a damn fast pace to get to this spot in 15 minutes....and it hurt a bit too. But this time I only gave myself a couple of minutes to recover before turning back - more fool me. I turned back into the mother of all head winds. It took me 22 minutes to return - there were times when I felt i was pedalling but not moving!!! Excellent quad burn though, but when my quads fatigue guess what takes over? My glutes!!!!! Must be from riding horses - you use your glutes so much in riding!
Then I did a couple of hours study.
This morning I went down to the beach for my usual workout - well, it's usual depending on the tides, state of the sand etc!!! So this morning there was no firm sand whatsoever, and I opted for barefoot yet again - thank goodness! I did 900m walk warmup, 1.2km in soft sand jogging, then 10x40m soft sand sprints. Tonight I am trying kickboxing for the first time - I have been dying to do this for years, but never got around to it - well, tonight's the night!!!!
The rest of the weekend not one thing passed my lips that wasn't on the plan. Sickening! :-)
Saturday was my rest day - but I did ride my still wild pony. It appears that my saddle is also incredibly scary and does possess teeth that I knew nothing about. At least, that's what Kado was telling me when he spotted it sitting (lurking) in the stables (ready to pounce).
Luckily, the hour and a half of work on Saturday may have started to take the edge off some of that overdose of sugar in his system, because on Sunday he started to resemble something more like my old horse that I used to have before this manic monster took its place.
Sunday afternoon I went on my own for a bike ride as speed racer had been working like a dog on Saturday - 4 hours of ripping out flooring, and lugging it downstairs to the trailer. He said that was more than enough of a workout for him. Phewy. Anyhow, I endeavoured to make the same time as last week, and I did - it's a damn fast pace to get to this spot in 15 minutes....and it hurt a bit too. But this time I only gave myself a couple of minutes to recover before turning back - more fool me. I turned back into the mother of all head winds. It took me 22 minutes to return - there were times when I felt i was pedalling but not moving!!! Excellent quad burn though, but when my quads fatigue guess what takes over? My glutes!!!!! Must be from riding horses - you use your glutes so much in riding!
Then I did a couple of hours study.
This morning I went down to the beach for my usual workout - well, it's usual depending on the tides, state of the sand etc!!! So this morning there was no firm sand whatsoever, and I opted for barefoot yet again - thank goodness! I did 900m walk warmup, 1.2km in soft sand jogging, then 10x40m soft sand sprints. Tonight I am trying kickboxing for the first time - I have been dying to do this for years, but never got around to it - well, tonight's the night!!!!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
common sense....
well, after much deliberation last night, I decided to allow common sense to prevail, and decided to stick with my planned leg workout this morning, rather than pushing it back down the beach for more cardio. I've become a little addicted to my cardio sessions down the beach - it's a fabulous way to start the day - clears the mind and all that, BUT... my legs need a good hard weights session..and I will need a day's recovery. So, I did a leg circuit session, which involved skipping rope, very light barbell squats to lunges to sumo squats, then back to skipping rope, then I just added a bit more weight to the barbell and did some stationery lunges, then diagonal lunges, and squats with pop squats in between. Then I did a heavier modified hack squat (with my swiss ball and heavier barbell behind the legs), then more pop squats, then swiss ball leg curls, then a final pop squat session and aaaah, cool down and streeeeeeetch.
Food today is pretty much same as yesterday, except the chicken for lunch is the shredded coconut variety (Metabolism Advantage recipe), and dinner will be out with friends at Il Porcellino with a nice bottle of red.
Looking forward to calming my psycho pony this weekend too..... and then it's off to filex next weekend!
Food today is pretty much same as yesterday, except the chicken for lunch is the shredded coconut variety (Metabolism Advantage recipe), and dinner will be out with friends at Il Porcellino with a nice bottle of red.
Looking forward to calming my psycho pony this weekend too..... and then it's off to filex next weekend!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
barefoot
Now I've been running barefoot on the beach for a few weeks now, and all has been good. I decided to switch back to shoes today purely for reasons that...when I get out of my car, walk through the grass down to the beach - my poor toes are icy!
Well, I did my 900m walk warmup, jog 1.2km, then did 10x40m soft sand sprints. What a struggle. I struggled even in the first jog!!!! I haven't felt like that since I first started out - so I am going to forego my leg session tomorrow morning, move that to Saturday and go for another run tomorrow on the beach sans shoes.... I just want to see if it's just me running a little empty or the SHOES! These were new Avias that I had on..
Maybe I'll try my not so old Asics next week.
But even my rectus femoris was tightening up again in my sprints, which hasn't happened since I've been going barefoot, and now I can feel tenderness under my right foot on the ball of my foot.
Husband's off at the racetrack for a racetrack lesson at Eastern Creek today - hopefully he'll appear home happy and in one piece! (and the car will be in one piece too) he has supersprints next weekend, so he wanted to get some good times in and he's been coming in a little too cautious and slow - I guess that is what happens when you're driving something that you've built from scratch and put 3 years of hard labour into!
Rode the horse last night -god he's being a complete and utter bloody nutcase at the moment. God only knows what's in the grass he's eating - his other diet is the same - good old chaff, hay & a muesli mix type cereal (easi results). But with the rain and the sun, I think that grass is pushing out some good high sugar contents at the moment. Hence the fire breathing lunatic that has replaced my laid back beast.
Diet has been excellent.
This morning made my cottage cheese pancakes (from www.stumptuous.com)
had a half serve (this means 1/2c oats, 1/2c cottage cheese and 1 and a half eggs) with 2tbsp blueberries, 1tbsp nat peanut butter, and a squirt of sugar free maple syrup.
mid : the peanut butter choc protein bar (metabolism advantage)
lunch is 1/4 whole chicken breast with salad - the virgin olive oil / lime & balsamic squirted over it
afternoon is nat low fat yoghurt with blueberries & handful of mixed raw nuts
dinner is going to be salmon fillets with mango salsa & salad. Yum can't wait!!!
Feeling so much better for being back on track....
tonight I am going to get in my back, biceps & abs workout since I am moving legs to saturday... sunday should be a day off, but I want to get in a bike ride.. maybe i can just convince speedfreak to do a longer slower ride...
Well, I did my 900m walk warmup, jog 1.2km, then did 10x40m soft sand sprints. What a struggle. I struggled even in the first jog!!!! I haven't felt like that since I first started out - so I am going to forego my leg session tomorrow morning, move that to Saturday and go for another run tomorrow on the beach sans shoes.... I just want to see if it's just me running a little empty or the SHOES! These were new Avias that I had on..
Maybe I'll try my not so old Asics next week.
But even my rectus femoris was tightening up again in my sprints, which hasn't happened since I've been going barefoot, and now I can feel tenderness under my right foot on the ball of my foot.
Husband's off at the racetrack for a racetrack lesson at Eastern Creek today - hopefully he'll appear home happy and in one piece! (and the car will be in one piece too) he has supersprints next weekend, so he wanted to get some good times in and he's been coming in a little too cautious and slow - I guess that is what happens when you're driving something that you've built from scratch and put 3 years of hard labour into!
Rode the horse last night -god he's being a complete and utter bloody nutcase at the moment. God only knows what's in the grass he's eating - his other diet is the same - good old chaff, hay & a muesli mix type cereal (easi results). But with the rain and the sun, I think that grass is pushing out some good high sugar contents at the moment. Hence the fire breathing lunatic that has replaced my laid back beast.
Diet has been excellent.
This morning made my cottage cheese pancakes (from www.stumptuous.com)
had a half serve (this means 1/2c oats, 1/2c cottage cheese and 1 and a half eggs) with 2tbsp blueberries, 1tbsp nat peanut butter, and a squirt of sugar free maple syrup.
mid : the peanut butter choc protein bar (metabolism advantage)
lunch is 1/4 whole chicken breast with salad - the virgin olive oil / lime & balsamic squirted over it
afternoon is nat low fat yoghurt with blueberries & handful of mixed raw nuts
dinner is going to be salmon fillets with mango salsa & salad. Yum can't wait!!!
Feeling so much better for being back on track....
tonight I am going to get in my back, biceps & abs workout since I am moving legs to saturday... sunday should be a day off, but I want to get in a bike ride.. maybe i can just convince speedfreak to do a longer slower ride...
Monday, April 09, 2007
food..
today's food:
1/3c oatmeal, 8 strawberries, vanilla protein shake (with skim)
1 metabolism advantage peanut butter protein bar
1/3rd of a whole chick breast coated with pistachio & sesame seed 'dukkah' & grilled with a drizzle of lime infused olive oil (www.pukaraestate.com.au)
Salad leaves with dressing of 1/2tsp of lime infused olive oil & balsamic - This is the BEST dressing. The Lime is just gorgeous and the balsamic just brings it more to life.
1/2c natural low fat yoghurt with about 12 raw mixed nuts & some frozen berries - about the last 8 or so in the pack (sob). Time to go shopping!
Dinner will be :
Grilled Lamb with spinach leaves & tomatoes with raspberry vinegar dressing.
1/3c oatmeal, 8 strawberries, vanilla protein shake (with skim)
1 metabolism advantage peanut butter protein bar
1/3rd of a whole chick breast coated with pistachio & sesame seed 'dukkah' & grilled with a drizzle of lime infused olive oil (www.pukaraestate.com.au)
Salad leaves with dressing of 1/2tsp of lime infused olive oil & balsamic - This is the BEST dressing. The Lime is just gorgeous and the balsamic just brings it more to life.
1/2c natural low fat yoghurt with about 12 raw mixed nuts & some frozen berries - about the last 8 or so in the pack (sob). Time to go shopping!
Dinner will be :
Grilled Lamb with spinach leaves & tomatoes with raspberry vinegar dressing.
bike riding boy
Well, so much for convincing my husband to go for a bike ride.... now, last week it took us 40 minutes to do our ride to Towradgi. This week it took us 30 minutes. How could we possibly shave 10 minutes off an already fast ride??? Hmmm, simple...take one husband who is in the 'speedy' frame of mind and off we go... cripes just trying to keep up with him was pretty torturous....and I'm supposed to be the fitter one... ha! evil swine. He does have much longer legs than me...honest.
My weekend workouts were pretty much as planned - just reversed around a bit. I did legs on Friday - and so much for my VM being burned to buggery (that happened after the bike ride) - I felt it more in my glutes & hamstrings - damn and blast. Saturday morning was Back & Biceps, then Sunday was day off, Monday was bike ride, then this morning was beach time. I timed myself at 11seconds over 80metres. Wish I could run that over 100metres!!! or even maintain that pace for 100metres. That can be my next goal. hehe.
My weekend workouts were pretty much as planned - just reversed around a bit. I did legs on Friday - and so much for my VM being burned to buggery (that happened after the bike ride) - I felt it more in my glutes & hamstrings - damn and blast. Saturday morning was Back & Biceps, then Sunday was day off, Monday was bike ride, then this morning was beach time. I timed myself at 11seconds over 80metres. Wish I could run that over 100metres!!! or even maintain that pace for 100metres. That can be my next goal. hehe.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Easter, diet & workouts
Oh joy, 4 days of not having to come in to work. What a blissful thought. It's also made me realise why I have been lusting after chocolate so much of late (and desperately telling myself...you can have something at easter) - I love easter egg chocolate.
Oh well, I can have some on Sunday!
Well, yesterday I did weights - Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, before heading up to Sydney for a full day of agency meetings.... such a waste of time! Still, I suppose it has to be done.
I resisted all the goodies that they put on the table yet again - they just love bringing out all the good pastries etc for morning tea. I packed my water, my John Berardi protein bars (easy travellers), and a tuna/soy pasta mix for lunch. Mmmm. Inspirational . Not. Dinner was the shredded coconut crusted chicken breast from John Berardi's book, and green beans.
I watched Biggest Loser as well last night. What transformations have taken place with those contestants over the past 8 weeks. Hell, I'm even beginning to like Courtney. God forbid. I can understand what made him the way he was though, just insecurity. But the courage that took to do that canyon swing..god, my stomach was in my mouth, and I was just watching it on TV!
This morning I ventured back down to the beach - did about 1.5km jog, with 8x100m sprints with a walk in between. Nice and tiring.
Tomorrow morning will be a big leg workout - and I will incorporate some of those VM burning lunge pulses/half ways. Then I'll go and ride the horse and rake the arena - more good 'incidental' exercise.
Sunday, apart from a visit to my mother in law, will involve a bike ride.... if I can convince my husband...otherwise that might switch to Monday and Sunday may be a back/biceps/abs workout..... all depends on time!!! Plus I need to get an early ride on the horse in both days....
Oh well, I can have some on Sunday!
Well, yesterday I did weights - Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, before heading up to Sydney for a full day of agency meetings.... such a waste of time! Still, I suppose it has to be done.
I resisted all the goodies that they put on the table yet again - they just love bringing out all the good pastries etc for morning tea. I packed my water, my John Berardi protein bars (easy travellers), and a tuna/soy pasta mix for lunch. Mmmm. Inspirational . Not. Dinner was the shredded coconut crusted chicken breast from John Berardi's book, and green beans.
I watched Biggest Loser as well last night. What transformations have taken place with those contestants over the past 8 weeks. Hell, I'm even beginning to like Courtney. God forbid. I can understand what made him the way he was though, just insecurity. But the courage that took to do that canyon swing..god, my stomach was in my mouth, and I was just watching it on TV!
This morning I ventured back down to the beach - did about 1.5km jog, with 8x100m sprints with a walk in between. Nice and tiring.
Tomorrow morning will be a big leg workout - and I will incorporate some of those VM burning lunge pulses/half ways. Then I'll go and ride the horse and rake the arena - more good 'incidental' exercise.
Saturday will be a day off - we have friends coming over, but there will be an early horse ride.
Sunday, apart from a visit to my mother in law, will involve a bike ride.... if I can convince my husband...otherwise that might switch to Monday and Sunday may be a back/biceps/abs workout..... all depends on time!!! Plus I need to get an early ride on the horse in both days....
Monday, April 02, 2007
Zen sarcasm
I received this in an email today... being of a sarcastic nature, some of these really appealed... in particular the last one!
ZEN SARCASM
1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me,
for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much
leave me the hell alone.
2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and
leaky tire.
3. It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your
neighbour's newspaper, that's the time to do it.
4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be
promoted.
5. A always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.
6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of
car payments.
8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their
shoes.
9. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish,
and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was
probably worth it.
12. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
13. Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.
14. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
15. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put
it back in your pocket.
16. A closed mouth gathers no foot.
17. Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side,
and it holds the universe together.
18. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.
19. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are
moving.
20. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
21. Never miss a good chance to shut up.
22. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative
on the same night
ZEN SARCASM
1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me,
for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much
leave me the hell alone.
2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and
leaky tire.
3. It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your
neighbour's newspaper, that's the time to do it.
4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be
promoted.
5. A always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.
6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of
car payments.
8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their
shoes.
9. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish,
and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was
probably worth it.
12. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
13. Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.
14. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
15. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put
it back in your pocket.
16. A closed mouth gathers no foot.
17. Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side,
and it holds the universe together.
18. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.
19. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are
moving.
20. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
21. Never miss a good chance to shut up.
22. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative
on the same night
today's workout
Well, this morning I met my training partner on the beach for our regular Tuesday session.
This consisted of:
Walk 900m to warm up, then stretch - continual stream of chatter
Jog 900m, then stretch
6x100m soft sand runs
10x40m hard sand sprints with a walk back in between each one.
2x100m soft sand runs, with last one in a fast run
Lots of stretching & talking in between.
This all took us 50minutes.
One of the guys at work has just come back from Port Macquarie, where he did an Ironman Triathlon... wow, certainly not for the faint hearted.
It consists of 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42km run. The last 5ks on his run he was doing 5minute kilometres - pretty bloody good for the last moments of such an incredible effort. He did it in just over 12 hours. Sensational stuff!!
This consisted of:
Walk 900m to warm up, then stretch - continual stream of chatter
Jog 900m, then stretch
6x100m soft sand runs
10x40m hard sand sprints with a walk back in between each one.
2x100m soft sand runs, with last one in a fast run
Lots of stretching & talking in between.
This all took us 50minutes.
One of the guys at work has just come back from Port Macquarie, where he did an Ironman Triathlon... wow, certainly not for the faint hearted.
It consists of 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42km run. The last 5ks on his run he was doing 5minute kilometres - pretty bloody good for the last moments of such an incredible effort. He did it in just over 12 hours. Sensational stuff!!
Calories
It's funny how when you've been eating pretty well for a while and you stop really planning out your days and WRITING it all down because it's second nature and all that guff, how quickly it can all turn to crap! Well, not crap food per se, but... just an extra little handful of nuts here and an extra teaspoon or three of peanut butter, and what effect that can have on your suddenly increasing waistline...and then..bingo ... before you know it.. you're up a few kilos instead of down!
Well, with my food yesterday all was exactly as planned, except for my dinner, with the fish (which I cooked in a little lime infused olive oil with a sprinkle of dry chilli - it was barramundi), and I had to have one of those yummy protein bars for after - I was a little peckish still. I had bok choy & red capsicum with it instead of the green beans and sweet potato that I had originally planned.
I started to work out what calories I am going to be ingesting now - and it's around 1500-1600 per day, which may be a little low, but I'll see how I go. The max I think would be around 1700-1800, and that will be on cheat meal day. I think on that day I may have to invest in some low sodium sparkling mineral water and do the spritzer thing with wine so I'm not sabotaging myself too much. I can easily polish off a bottle of wine when you are having fun with friends - you still have to live a little and enjoy yourself, but... it's time to reel in the excesses of the last few months, which if I'm honest, have continued through from November. I find that it starts with Melbourne Cup day, then there's my birthday, then there's all the Christmas parties that start and continue, then Christmas and New Years, then ...well, you know, it's summer, in the backyard having barbies with friends. Then it's April and you go... holy crap!. Time to get serious again.
Anyhow, back to calories. I worked out as much as I can, that by mid morning I've ingested around 750 calories already!!! But given I do my workouts in the morning, i figure that's the best way for me at the moment.
So, breakfast & mid morning are the same today as for yesterday.
Today's lunch is turkey breast with salad
Afternoon snack is yoghurt with berries
Then I shall ride my horse, then around 8pm will be dinner which is actually going to be a chicken & vege soup.
Well, with my food yesterday all was exactly as planned, except for my dinner, with the fish (which I cooked in a little lime infused olive oil with a sprinkle of dry chilli - it was barramundi), and I had to have one of those yummy protein bars for after - I was a little peckish still. I had bok choy & red capsicum with it instead of the green beans and sweet potato that I had originally planned.
I started to work out what calories I am going to be ingesting now - and it's around 1500-1600 per day, which may be a little low, but I'll see how I go. The max I think would be around 1700-1800, and that will be on cheat meal day. I think on that day I may have to invest in some low sodium sparkling mineral water and do the spritzer thing with wine so I'm not sabotaging myself too much. I can easily polish off a bottle of wine when you are having fun with friends - you still have to live a little and enjoy yourself, but... it's time to reel in the excesses of the last few months, which if I'm honest, have continued through from November. I find that it starts with Melbourne Cup day, then there's my birthday, then there's all the Christmas parties that start and continue, then Christmas and New Years, then ...well, you know, it's summer, in the backyard having barbies with friends. Then it's April and you go... holy crap!. Time to get serious again.
Anyhow, back to calories. I worked out as much as I can, that by mid morning I've ingested around 750 calories already!!! But given I do my workouts in the morning, i figure that's the best way for me at the moment.
So, breakfast & mid morning are the same today as for yesterday.
Today's lunch is turkey breast with salad
Afternoon snack is yoghurt with berries
Then I shall ride my horse, then around 8pm will be dinner which is actually going to be a chicken & vege soup.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
New Quarter ... New Goals
Well, now that we're into the second quarter of the year, it's time for me to review and refresh my goals. I allowed too many extra nibbles into my schedule over the last couple of months and haven't been as focussed on the food front - well, I have been focussed, but I've just been a bit lax. So... we have now booked a holiday to Bali in July - so I aim to lose around 6-10kg for that holiday! I've managed to gain a bit of muscle over the past few months, so am happy there - but I just need to really get my food back under control and only have ONE cheat meal, not two or three - as this clearly doesn't work for me. I can also see a little bit more lard lurking around my waistline that wasn't there a couple of months ago. Uggghhhh!!!! Considering how much I've been working out, c/v wise you'd think it wouldn't be there..but .. oh lordy it is. So...nose to the grindstone time and time to get serious again.
I would like to join a gym for a few months just for a change of scenery - we have our back room renovations starting in the next ten days and this is where my weights are set up - so they need to be put away until the renos are complete..... and I need to do my weights.... so it would be cool to go to a gym for a while to use the plethora of other pieces of equipment rather than just my basic bench with squat rack / leg extension/curl. I could use a real smith machine and a real leg press, and a real squat rack that i could load to the hilt!! And, if I joined Fernwood down the road, then I'd probably be pretty guaranteed that nobody else would be using those things at 6am....and then I could get to know the people that manage /work there and...see if I can do my 20 hours there as well.
My other goals, on a more personal note (and these should also be achieved by July) are:
Be fully qualified as a Personal Trainer - that means two more modules, two more assessments, two more exams and 20 hours practical AND my senior first aid certificate.
Have my websites complete (for both my natural products and my online PT site)
The bare bones of my natural products site is there, but... I need to redo the photography to get the best images of the products.
Attend another trainer's bootcamp sessions - for competitive review!
By the end of the year, I aim to take my horse to Berrima One Day Event for one more hit out at the course there before the end of the season - it's scheduled for November, so a nice time of year for a blat outdoors. Hopefully he shall remain sound, and be fit enough by that stage. I would have liked to aim earlier, but...I don't want to push him too hard and there's not enough local events to go to around September.
My food plan today:
1/3c oats 1 scoop vanilla whey / 250ml skim milk
1 Metabolism Advantage choc peanut butter protein brownie
Chicken breast & green salad
Yoghurt (skim) with berries
Fish, sweet potato, green beans
My workout this morning:
Walk 900m on beach to warm up
Jog 1200m on beach to get warmer
Sprint 8x60m in soft sand to get exhausted
Cool down / stretch
I was knackered after Friday's pump class and yesterday's fast paced 40min bike ride with sprints...damn competitive nature & competitive husband! LOL
I would like to join a gym for a few months just for a change of scenery - we have our back room renovations starting in the next ten days and this is where my weights are set up - so they need to be put away until the renos are complete..... and I need to do my weights.... so it would be cool to go to a gym for a while to use the plethora of other pieces of equipment rather than just my basic bench with squat rack / leg extension/curl. I could use a real smith machine and a real leg press, and a real squat rack that i could load to the hilt!! And, if I joined Fernwood down the road, then I'd probably be pretty guaranteed that nobody else would be using those things at 6am....and then I could get to know the people that manage /work there and...see if I can do my 20 hours there as well.
My other goals, on a more personal note (and these should also be achieved by July) are:
Be fully qualified as a Personal Trainer - that means two more modules, two more assessments, two more exams and 20 hours practical AND my senior first aid certificate.
Have my websites complete (for both my natural products and my online PT site)
The bare bones of my natural products site is there, but... I need to redo the photography to get the best images of the products.
Attend another trainer's bootcamp sessions - for competitive review!
By the end of the year, I aim to take my horse to Berrima One Day Event for one more hit out at the course there before the end of the season - it's scheduled for November, so a nice time of year for a blat outdoors. Hopefully he shall remain sound, and be fit enough by that stage. I would have liked to aim earlier, but...I don't want to push him too hard and there's not enough local events to go to around September.
My food plan today:
1/3c oats 1 scoop vanilla whey / 250ml skim milk
1 Metabolism Advantage choc peanut butter protein brownie
Chicken breast & green salad
Yoghurt (skim) with berries
Fish, sweet potato, green beans
My workout this morning:
Walk 900m on beach to warm up
Jog 1200m on beach to get warmer
Sprint 8x60m in soft sand to get exhausted
Cool down / stretch
I was knackered after Friday's pump class and yesterday's fast paced 40min bike ride with sprints...damn competitive nature & competitive husband! LOL
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