RIP Diamante

As I walked up home from Jemima & my walk around the block, my neighbour called out to me to find out what the snake looked like that lived in our roof.

Sadly, it appears that poor old 'diamante' has come to the end of his life. Our neighbour found a diamond python dead in his garden  - looks like it would just be old age.  We have been aware of the snake in our roof for 20 years... I am presuming that would be about their lifespan.

So sad.

Yay, I am alive after all :-)

Last night, as I was getting my running gear ready for this morning, I thought I'd best check the HR monitor instructions - and low and behold, I found this extra 'bit' in the bottom of the box... aaah, so that's the logo unit thingy that is supposed to clip on to the chest strap. Doh.

So.. needless to say, it actually registered my HR today!
I got up to a max of 172, and averaged around 152.
Now, if you were to follow the Karvonen formula...my max HR is 177 (being 43). Now, I'd be inclined to agree that at present, 172 is pushing it a bit for moi - when my HR got up there I was close to nausea, so I actually stopped at that point and walked.
This morning, my intention had been unclear. I wanted to do a 20 min continuous, but.. I also wanted to increase my pace. So, I increased my pace, and in the first 10 min was pushing myself (or so my body was telling me - probably still really slow by normal person standards) and got a lot further than my usual 10 min stint BUT I had to walk 1 min, then resume. It was at the 9 min point on my return that my HR got up to 172 and I felt the old nausea brewing, so I opted to end the run and walk it out from there (only about 100 m short of my usual finish spot).
So..I am reasonably happy with this because I did increase my pace and push myself a lot harder, but I need to be clearer about my intentions of the run before I go out.
I think now I need to work on not pushing the pace so much as just continuous running for the next few weeks, and gradually increasing the distance.
So, that's the plan from here :-)

disappointing...

sheesh, there I was thinking I was going great guns with my running, then I did...mapmyrun.
All illusions of jogging grandeur have now left the building.
Let's just say, a piss weak 2.7km is my jogging distance.
Clearly, I have some work to do on my pace and my distance.
blah!
Oh well, a goal is a goal.

Another run session!

This morning I decided, since I want to hit the 20 min continuous on Thurs, that today I should go out for a two part run.
So... iPod working check
HR monitor working negative grrrrr I guess I need to read the instructions!
Warmup walk - 4 minutes
Jog - 10 minutes (good pace, got further than last week)
Walk 2 minutes
Jog - 11 minutes - that was a mind hurdle - just getting that second stage in a bit longer.
I seem to do better running continuously than in two bursts, but... at this stage I need to do two bursts I think

Kerryn, glad you're coming to FILEX!
I've booked in to a few 'action' things - Punchfit powerhouse boxing (my clients love boxing so I want to get a few other routines happening) - although it was a toss up with the Core Camp Kids as I'd like to introduce some kids fitness groups too.
Second session is Powerpacked group activities - Outdoors.
3 - Fresh Baked outdoor ideas (yes, there's a theme here!)
4 - Kettlebell power training (I love my kettlebells)
Sat
1 - Metabolic hard core training
2 Circuit training partner challenge _ although it was a toss up for all three PT sessions here..
3 Advanced resistance training for every client
4 The complete guide to body weight training or essential portable tools for PTs

sun
Bosu skills & drills
Pain Practice and Performance - the shoulder

to be honest, if they had less sessions, and repeated a few of the popular themes/ones it would be a whole lot better - it always turns out that the ones I really want are on at the same times!

Cold and dark!

Seriously, yes, dark I can sort of deal with...but cold as well? brrrrrr it was pretty chilly this morning, with a strong south westerly blowing. The sky was as clear as anything though...hence the chill I think.
So, I put on my new heart rate monitor, got my iPod on, and off I set.
Firstly... iPod battery dead. GOD! HOW WILL I COPE RUNNING WITHOUT IT?
Then, I'm either dead, or just haven't worked out the HR monitor properly.
I'm thinking it's the latter.
Anyhow, since my continuous run session last week, I had planned on a broken one this morning, lengthening the second stage run a little. So, this morning, I warmed up walking 3 mins, then jogged 11 minutes (and getting much further than usual, even with a strong head wind), walked 3 mins, then jogged another 8 mins and finished off cooling down walking 3 mins. As I turned, so did the wind (of course it did...why would it stick to a southerly and make it easy for me when it can change to a north westerly?) so I was pretty happy with my efforts this morning on several fronts.
No iPod
I just ran, no issue, no stupid inner voice telling me to stop - I think I may have slapped that one down. Yay.
My pace has gotten better
I actually enjoyed it
I increased my length of time running overall
So next week, I will aim for 20 minutes continuous.

Filex

So... just before the 'early bird' deadline finished (better to have a few extra $ in my pocket than theirs) I tried to register online.... and of course, due to my slackness, the two outdoor sessions I really wanted to attend, it appears, so did a lot of other people, who weren't quite so slack in the booking department. they were 'greyed' out non-options . tsssk.
Still, there's nothing to say I can't go along and watch anyhow... just because there's enough people participating, doesn't mean one can't watch and take note :-)
I am actually looking forward to going this year - the schedule last year left me feeling a little flat...nothing really grabbed me...but this year it all seems so much more relevant to what I'm doing in growing (slowly, oh so slowly) my business.
I have two new clients who have started in my groups, and have had a few enquiries about mid morning sessions...shame I'm at my real work then ;-) (god, but for how much longer, who knows?) but I digress....
I can't wait to refresh my ideas and get a look at all the new stuff around!
Nothing like being around lots of fit people to get one fired up.

my running...

so I have continued with my weekly run (which is supplemented with all my outdoor sessions) - last week I ran 10minutes, walked 2, then ran 6... all good.
This morning I was very proud of my effort - a whole 17 1/2 minutes running. Non-stop. My inner impatient & bored with this voice didn't hamper me at all.
I was quite proud of my efforts. Next week I will just do a 11 minute / 2 min walk / 8 minute session, then the week after I'll aim for 20 minutes... ha! will that be possible? let's hope so.
we were told today that redundancies are imminent.... 20% reduction in our team. ouch.

It's been a long while between posts...

which can only mean one thing....busy busy!

I've been focussing on marketing my business, doing 'battle' with council - which is going alright, more radio interviews - almost a regular damn segment ;-)

..and waiting to hear what this recession will mean to my 'bill paying' job... analysts are waiting to hear the outcomes of our mid year reporting on Monday... 

one of the (joys) of being in marketing in a slump.

Better get my business booming then hey! :-)

can one build a business in a recession? guess I'm about to find out.

How's everyone else fairing in the real world? 

Biggest Loser observation #2

..yes, the other one's over on my attitude to burn blog
but..
has Michelle had a facelift?

she's got a perpetually surprised look on her face...
plus...there's definite botox overload there

Running

Well, after having to 'stall' my couch to 5km program that I was so enjoying (okay, I lie) to train, I have been doing just a nice running session on Thursday mornings each week. As you know... I am a crap runner. So, I have to ensure my iPod is loaded... thank god for Faithless Renaissance - Studio remix - which has their remix of such wonderfully funky (and long) versions of I feel Love by Donna Summer etc. Yes, I am old, but it keeps me going.
I decided to resume the couch to 5km as it is a real mind struggle for me to just jog..and jog..and jog... without my brain overriding everything and saying STOP! The iPod goes a long way in helping. Anyhow, I managed to do a 8minute run non stop, then a 6 minute run to finish with a 3min walk in between. Much better than my 6 minute run, then 4 minute run of last week, so I shall repeat this again next week, then increase both times again.
Aaah, I hear all you runners scoffing... but I would seriously prefer running up stairs, in soft sand and sprinting ...honest!!

Root canal early and done...

Well, I would have liked to have gone another 2 weeks before getting it done, however, my tooth had other ideas. I'm not sure I would have lived for 2 more weeks with the pain. I was seriously ogling the pliers and scalpels that belong to my husband (the scalpels are for mockup artwork!).

I have never experienced that much pain in my entire life. I am quite good at ignoring pain, but when it feels as though every tooth in your head is going to explode from aching so much, it's very hard to ignore.

Luckily, the endodontist had a cancellation... even Panadeine forte was beginning to have little effect.

But, I digress... I had an entirely pain free experience as he drilled, filed, refilled. That has to be a world first for me. He was brilliant. and fast. He said it would take 45 minutes and it did.

I am in shock. It seriously has been the best ever dental experience of my life. (and believe me, there have been many...majority of which have been horrendous).

So... on to other things.

Biggest Loser... I know my approach wouldn't make great TV, but do they have to be so brutal to those poor people?

Busy Busy Busy....

Poor little blog hasn't had much attention lately. Been too busy updating my website, working, doing media interviews(!) and training.

I've also been in extreme pain. Just before christmas I finally got to the dentist about an aching tooth (which had become an aching jaw), to be told it was cracked and they placed a nice stainless steel ring around it to hopefully keep it together and allow the nerves time to re-settle.
Well, they resettled....for a while..then they started aching like buggery again..and still are. Which means, no such thing as a crown will suffice..no I have to do the root canal thingy.
So..I shall be living on pain killers for the next two weeks until I get to the endodontist. It appears that because I have such massive roots in my teeth, I can't just get it done by any old dentist... no, I have to go the specialist ker ching ker ching route - $1760 thank you very much. Shame my health insurance won't cover that sort of thing! Anyhow... enough about that.

On to more exciting things, like media interviews. So far, since just before new year's eve, I have had three newspaper interviews and two radio interviews!
The first newspaper interview was with the our local Illawarra 'mockery' just on new year's resolutions and fitness - so after a half hour on the phone I did get a nice little paragraph in the overall article on what I think people need to do to maintain the rage so to speak - ie set concrete measurable goals. I want to run a 5km fun run by April... that sort of thing.
Then of course, the Council issue reared it's ugly head - and continues to rear. So after another interview with the 'mockery', I then had a call from our local radio station, i98. Now it appears that Council have issued a draft policy on outdoor fitness services, and of course, I had another radio station ringing for my opinion - so another radio interview with the ABC Illawarra the other day.
This morning, another freebie local paper called for my comments on the latest proposal as well.
Sheeeeesh.
Still, nice publicity albeit over a negative thing.
I still don't feel it's ethical that a council can just tell us to submit a quote to train on a parcel of land. I mean, how long is a piece of string?? How much will be considered enough to win us the right to train there? What if we don't want to just train in one spot? After all, that is the beauty of training outside.
The saga continues.

..and my face still aches.

Blink and it's all over for another year!

Hope everyone had a lovely christmas and new year's break. Due to the economic downturn we had to take leave from 19 dec to 5 jan! Such hardship. And, the weather was even fairly kind to us - although I wouldn't mind having another week this week given how warm it is outside. Seems such a waste to be cooped up inside on such beautiful days.

I'm now doing battle with the Council over training on their land. They are intent on playing hardball at the moment, so I've now been interviewed by our local paper and also our local radio station, i98. Story is here:http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/council-fee-plan-angers-outdoor-fitness-trainers/1401053.aspx I don't mind paying a fee, but council are proposing that we tender for a certain spot to use - so god only knows how much that will cost! It would have been a lot more fair if they'd been transparent in what they were planning, and at least engaged with the fitness trainers to come to an amicable solution. Will we have to tender $10,000 to secure a spot? or will $100 be enough?

In the meantime, they say we can't legally operate our businesses - although there's been no mention of any licence on their website area for business licences at all so far - just sounds like convenient revenue raising. Why not just charge a standard licence/permit fee?

My new flyer...

Hmmmm

so, my new nickname after our barefoot bowling is 'cazza the cannon' - why use technique when you have brute force at your disposal? Still... i was accurate!
lots of fun!

The start of 'silliness'

Well, tomorrow afternoon marks our afternoon/evening if silliness with our agencies. Barefoot bowls tournament in North Sydney! Ha, should be fun.... with a gourmet barbeque, so at least food will be fairly good! Possibly just the alcoholic extras that will have to be 'watched'.
It promises to be an afternoon of fun and frivolity, which is possibly just what we all need in these times of 'doom and gloom' amidst the financial crisis. With all the talk going on at the moment, it seems we are all just waiting until the new year to see how things are...and if we will start losing jobs. But...no point worrying about it for now. :-) What will be will be!

In the meantime, I'm planning my tomorrow morning workout session for the girls. It's called 'ab-solutely no butts about it'. .... all abs and butts, with some sprints and kettlebells added in for good measure.

A time for presents....

Someone at work asked me if I had finished all of my christmas shopping.
Ha! Have I even started..??? I guess I have in a way... I have some small 'things' stashed away in readiness.
I only just wrote all of my cards on the weekend (including those that need to go to England).

Why am I so slack when it comes to this time of year?? I guess this year, I've just had too much on my plate. I hope everyone else is better than me at getting organised!

__________

The weekend was one of a very bittersweet moment. A couple of weeks ago, a lady posted on our horse trials website offering a retirement home for a horse to be a companion horse.

I offered her my boy - there's been more downs than ups in our relationship in terms of my riding/continuing on with him - he constantly has muscle issues in his back which now we think is caused by the bones inside his foot slowly sinking - referring pain from constant workload back through his back. So I had decided to put him out in a retirement paddock.

This retirement paddock will offer him daily love - which is something I couldn't offer in a normal retirement situation. At least he will be well loved and cuddled on a daily basis, and I can still go and see him whenever I like.

It's been a while....

that I weighed myself - the last time the scales had registered 5kg of loss.... we're in the midst of renovating our bathroom.
All large charcoal grey tiles, white bath & sink etc and sexy deep russet red towels.
However... we're a way off yet. Our friend is doing the tiling...and we're up to 'waterproof' stage... almost ready for the tiles... woohoo.

But I digress.. .I grabbed out the scales - I haven't 'consciously' been thinking too hard about weight loss - basically I've been too busy. BUT I have been pretty darn good about my eating, and watching portions - even on 'cheat' times, and it appears to be paying off. Another 2 kg have dropped away.

I am determined to not let Christmas interrupt my great eating. I know there will be a few days of additional drinking and celebration - starting on next Wednesday when we have a 'lawn bowls' tournament with some of our agencies, then Thursday night is dinner with my sister and her partner, Friday night is our work team dinner, then I think we're fairly safe until 25&26th..
So all in all, I should be pretty good to keep up with a loss.

I suppose backing up with doing two full participatory sessions on Monday & Wednesday has probably helped along the way, amongst other things!

Fitness Gifts...Free!

Just thought I'd let you know about the site at http://www.12daysoffitness.com where over 200 of the world's leading fitness experts are GIVING AWAY diet plans, workouts, videos, audios and reports about practically every aspect of getting and staying in great shape.

As it's all free I thought you might like to check it out at http://www.12daysoffitness.com and get your name on the list!

Check it out and tell me what you think!

The downside to outdoor training...

is rain!
Ooops. My group got fairly saturated during a downpour on the beach on Monday night.
Let's hope tonight is better!
Tonight we'll be on the park, so we do have an undercover area to race to should we need it!
Still - it didn't kill us... therefore it must have made us stronger