Another perfect morning..

..and a great workout to boot!
I really enjoy my beach workouts - I met up with my training partner this morning down the beach - there was no wind, the tide could have been a little kinder but there was firm(ish) / soft(ish) sort of sand for running on, so we jogged, sprinted, did abs, then over to some real soft sand work... all in all a good tiring workout.

BUT given that I had sneaked out over the verandah so as not to wake the baby (Jemima), boy was I in trouble when I got back... little tyke woofed at me, then when I turned my back on her she raced up and nipped my bum, then darted away and woofed at me again. Talk about cheeky.

Personality Test

I had seen on LizN's blog her little personality test, so I thought it would be interesting to see if it differed to the Myer Brigg test I had done at work a few years ago.
Judging by the results, of INFP - it appears not! That was what I was...so clearly...that is what I am!
I believe they term it... the dreamer...
hmmmmmmm

where was I? ;-)

Sometimes the F word is better than the R word

That is, fillings are better than root canals.... which my tooth is close to! eek.
Back in another month to see how the filling has 'settled'...or if we do need to go the RC..yuck.

There's a moral in there somewhere. Don't delay!

This morning dawned beautiful and clear - and even a tad 'warm' - what perfect weather...shame I have to spend it in the office until tonight when I go and ride the big black pony.

The word for today is ......

DENTIST!!!
That word is enough to strike fear into my heart...and I have to go there today at 2.15pm.
I KNOW there will be a nasty drill involved...
and needles....
and I will be swollen and dribbling...

why oh why did i have to be blessed with cr@p teeth??

Video assessment practice run

Well, today I got in a good practice run for my video assessment. Went through all the exercises for the routine.
I've now booked my guinea pig in for the real thing in two weeks time... it would have been next weekend, but she's away, so is my husband...down at the racetrack!
Broom Brooom!
I had the most wonderful day yesterday too - took Jemima along to Obedience training, it's session no. 3. She was the absolute star of her class (okay, so it's only beginner class, but still!) She was heeling beautifully by my side on a loose leash, looking up at me, waiting for the next command (or treat..)
it was like everything had clicked! Wonderful.
Then I went and had a lovely ride on the big black one. Perfect.

Protein Bars

Last week I ordered some Chocolate Whey protein as I wanted to make a recipe in the latest M&F Hers (or Oxygen) = can't remember which!!!!
So, whilst I was online, I also scanned to see if there were any new yummy protein bars around - whilst I don't like to rely on protein bars, I like to have some on hand because I spend a lot of time in meetings, going to visit our agencies etc, so they are just handy.
Anyhow, I got a couple of chocolate chip protein cookies - verdict: Yum.
Another bar - Labrada Lean Body Granola Bar - eating now: Yum.
The other one, a Detour bar was decidedly ordinary. I remember they used to make a slimmed down version of these, marketed as Slim Whey and they were DIVINE. These are just way too big and unnecessary.... and basically fail my taste test!

Windy season in Wollongong....

July/August is traditionally our 'windy' season in Wollongong. The trouble is, these days, winds seem to be gusts up to 110km/hour - and these are becoming the norm rather than the exception.
Which makes outdoor training extremely hazardous and unpleasant..actually, just about bloody impossible!
Just taking the dog out for her walk prior to my workout is 'interesting' to say the least!
This Sunday I have a session booked in with my 'guinea pig'. I aim to do a complete runthrough of my video assessment, with a view to doing the real thing the following weekend.

Getting back on the bike.....

TRAINER!
God it's so noisy...if anyone has any suggestions of how to make it less noisy and less like an angry bumble bee, feel free to post!!! Can you get 'smooth' tyres I wonder?? Maybe that would work.
This is why I haven't been using it in the mornings - wakes up poor sleepy head husband!

It is freezing this morning.

When $200 turns into around $2000-$3000

Of course, this sort of thing only happens in the bad way, right? Never in your favour! I suppose that is murphy's law!
Anyhow, I had the saddle fitter up, to supposedly restuff and reshape the saddles to fit my horse's changed back - and it appears that my horse now needs a wider gullet in both saddles. That's okay for my jumping saddle as he can easily pull the old gullet out and put a new one in...but for the dressage saddle, no go. I need a new saddle...
So that means around $2-3,000. He thinks he may be able to sell my old saddle for me for around $800-900, so... fingers crossed...and then fingers crossed again he may come across a decent second hand dressage saddle that may be suitable to fit to my boy.
Horses.
The cheapest thing about them is the purchase price!!!

A word about netball.....

Well, after coming second in our grand final last season, we feel as though we have leapt up a couple of grades this season. Our first two games we have felt decidedly bad!!! The other teams play as though they know what they are doing (!) you know, real game plans etc.... The team we played on Monday night, we actually did okay - 42-35 we lost - but we thought we were being thrashed well and truly... and it appears that the members of this team are also basketball players. But not just any basketball players. they play for the local Illawarra Kitty Hawks team. Just the top level team in our area - think Illawarra Hawks for girls...
sheeeeesh!!!!

A day in bed makes all the difference

Well, I feel much better today. Just the typical residual snufflyness to cope with now, which is much easier than those aches and fever yesterday.
So, today has dawned beautiful again - so Jemima and I are off for a quick run on the beach to get out some of her energy - poor babe, because I was sick yesterday and a little preoccupied with shovelling the other day she hasn't had a run since Monday - so she took it out on her bedding (a nice quilt) this morning - it looked like it was snowing when we let her in this morning!

Then I'm off up to the horse - he has the saddle fitter coming today to refit his saddles - both of which are a little tight on one side - the last time I had them restuffed/fitted he had just recovered from his somersault over the fence, so I guess his musculature has returned to normal now.

Hmm, I haven't quite gotten around to booking in my dentist appointment....

Flu!!!

Hmm, let's just recap on that.... a week to do whatever I want... excuse me, that did not include getting sick!!!!

Yesterday I spent 3 hours shifting 2 cubic metres of soil from our front nature strip, up a plank into our front garden... and yes, my throat was a little scratchy, sure, but did it have to turn into the flu complete with aches, fevers etc so that I couldn't even manage more than 3 wheelbarrow loads of mulch today?

Not fair!!

A week off...

total bliss. A week to do whatever I want....
apart from the fact that I need to go to the dentist..uggggggh.
I have had a total fear/loathing/hatred of the dentist for most of my life... But now a molar that chipped some months ago is playing up....

so I have to somehow try and find some brave internal fortitudey stuff and ring...make an appointment..then show up.

I also made the first tentative steps into doing my video assessment on the weekend, did some practice with my guinea pig with bp testing - LOL at first I couldn't hear a thing, then decided perhaps I'd best ensure that the stethoscope is over the brachial artery before claiming her dead.

Yay, finally EI free

Most (normal) people would be forgiven for thinking that Australia was considered EI free a while ago...well, not so. For the last few months in a large part of NSW, it was still necessary to obtain a travelling horse statement from the Department of Primary Industries prior to moving your horse anywhere..
well, from 1 July..no more.. they have said we are EI free. Yay.

Hopefully the canary pox that my horse was injected with has no ill long term effects... if he starts turning yellow and sings a lot..I'll be worried.

Captain Cranky Pants

Boy have I got my cranky pants on today. Agencies just sending through things full of mistakes, colleagues asking your opinion on design and then saying they prefer the other design. WELL DON'T BLOODY ASK ME THEN!!!!! STOP WASTING MY BLOODY TIME!
aaah, that's better.

Maybe it was the wind this morning. It wasn't just any old wind...it was howling a gale, serious high speed winds...and we did attempt to have a beach workout.. it was dark, about 100km/h winds.. then we opted for the relative (or not) safety of the soccer field to finish off - went under cover and used the benches for step ups and dips, and then did some runs across the field, lots of squats, half squats, lunges...
So at least we did it!!

Sex & the city

Well, considering I was a S & T C virgin, it was thoroughly enjoyable.
Absolutely loved it and could even convert....
LOL

But I didn't get home until 11.15...which meant it was about 11.45 before I got to sleep... then I woke at 6.05..but stayed in bed until 6.30, so no baby walk this morning - and boy did I suffer for it.

I did however, do some weights - I did pushups, DB chest press, DB flyes (incline), crunches, and medicine ball pullovers.
In between throwing someone's skanky meaty bone back outside...

Winter solstice

This morning dawned fine - although it's dark until I get home...at least it's the shortest day this weekend..which can only mean one thing - the days will be getting longer again! Thank god.

I am totally and unequivocally 'over' the rain. My horse is a misery guts because we haven't been able to do any riding - I've had to make do with lungeing him in the roundyard..poor bugger. He'd much prefer to be galloping around over a few jumps...but the ground is too slippery and greasy still.

I mentioned about the Smart Foods Centre and their upcoming research which I had put my name down for. I had been called by them and gone through a long questionnaire, then they said they would be in touch if I fit the criteria. I have had a message to call a dietician there, so I've now left a message for them to call me back. It would be really interesting to be involved in this research as it's to do with the importance of dietary fats in weight loss. All interesting stuff!!
One of the questions was, would you be prepared to eat meat for breakfast? Um.. Yes.. I am a carnivore!

This morning was back and shoulders after the pooch walk.

We're off to see Sex & the City movie tonight - now, I must confess, that I have never seen the show - it started when I was commuting 1.5 hours to and from work, and starting at 8am - so in order to get my workouts in at that time I was getting up at 4.45am. Needless to say, late night (after 9pm) TV was out of the question!!!

So it will be an eye opener.

DOMS

Well, I have to admit, it's been a while since I've had DOMS. Today my legs are killing - going downstairs is particularly difficult!!!

Yesterday morning, after I took Jemima for her quick round the block outing, I then proceeded to do some proper deadlifts, walking lunges, plie squats. This is what has caused the damned soreness today! yay... gotta love that :-)

This morning we did a couple of laps of the block, then I did a quick step workout, then finished with crunches & medicine ball / swiss ball ab rollups (you hold the medicine ball out behind your head with straight arms and bring it up to your knees).
With added degree of difficulty of one rhodesian ridgeback standing across my knees...

A good week

This week has been a pretty good week with diet and exercise - had to have a cheat night on Wednesday as we had a dinner with our agencies at . Fantastic!!! then had to stay at Star City as we had a meeting first thing next day...but get this - they said they had upgraded me to a harbour front room..blah blah, and I thought I heard her say smoking, but one of the other girls with me said, no way, it was non....
Anyhow, we had 20 minutes to get up to our rooms and get changed before heading out again for dinner (no time for nice relaxing showers!) - and yup, it was a smoking floor. What the??? how is that an upgrade?????????????

Had a good leg workout this morning after my doggy walk.
Miss Jemima was literally bouncing on her walk this morning - I think she was quite pleased to have me back home!

Got to love a long weekend!

How nice is a long weekend? That one extra day really seems to make such a difference. You can actually get things done, and not feel as though you are just rushing the whole time.
Bliss.

However... some dry weather would have been more than appreciated. My poor horse is just a little bored - and this will mean he'll be a little naughty next time he gets worked..think bucking bronco !

Still, Miss Jemima got thoroughly spoiled with lots of runs around up at the property over the weekend. I'm trying to discourage her from leaping up to Kado's mouth to kiss him though - she thinks he must be a big dog - just one that smells a bit strange. It's cute, but... she thinks all horses are just as cool as the Kado..

Had a great workout yesterday afternoon, managed to kick and punch the bejesus out of my bag in the back room - this I alternated with star jumps, then I finished with a variety of ab exercises. Then this morning I took Jemima for a walk around the block and then worked chest and shoulders - they are pretty tired from yesterday, so feeling nice and sore now.

Food's been great too - all meals are planned, and written on the fridge. We didn't want to buy a new fridge, but the door was looking a little less than pretty - a few bubbles of rust etc were coming through... solution: blackboard paint!!!
It's the best - you can write your shopping list, notes to the other half, important dates and meals for the week on your fridge! Very handy.

Dare I say... finally back on track?!