A new winter plan of action

I have started to be very slack again…..skipping planned training sessions, over-eating, eating crap I shouldn’t be. The fact that J has not been allowed to exercise for the past week because of his torn hammie has just added to my “badness”. Ordinarily I would feel guilty that he is out running all the time and I am doing nothing but this week I have felt “guilt free”…..until now!
I have worked out that I don’t cope with winter very well at all. I actually think I start to get a bit depressed with the cold and the lack of daylight hours. I skip many more training sessions in winter than in Summer and I just feel completely unmotivated. So, I have a plan…. I hate getting up early to run because it is dark and cold and I find that if I plan exercise for after work I will find an excuse not to go. This morning I went for a run just after 7am (instead of 6am) and came into work an hour later than usual. This means I will finish an hour later (or earlier if all the other jokers disappear) but it means I can run at a reasonable time and get it out of the way early in the day.

Ordinarily I love to leave work at 4pm to get to the dog park during daylight but this is not an issue anymore as my psycho dog can’t go to the park anyway. So, I can leave work at 5pm and walk my dogs after work. I was also finding that I was feeling uncomfortable leaving work at 4pm anyway because I felt as though people were thinking badly of me…..especially because some people knew I was arriving at 8.30 instead of 8am! This way, I won’t feel bad about the time I leave either. Only time will tell if my new plan works…
J’s hammie is doing well. He can walk properly now and has had a few physio sessions. Tonight he is allowed to do a 20 minute run at 6 min/km pace so he will have to see how it pulls up. He will be spewing he has to run at basically my pace! The main thing is to let the injury heal though. Also….my hand has healed after my dog bite. There is only a small cut left but I can now shower with 2 hands, which I am loving!! I am so lucky that no infection set in.

I got some new runners on the weekend….Asics GT2130’s.

I love Asics. They are the only shoe that is right for me. The most exciting thing about my purchase is that the colour scheme of the shoe perfectly matches a running outfit that I have. I love colour coordination!! The runners made their debut this morning and they performed well. What I love most about Asics is there is no “breaking in” because my feet are so used to them. I also ran at a slightly better pace than last week too so I am not complaining.

J bought the shoes for me for an Anniversary present and he also bought me a Nike sportsband so I can now calculate my pace, distance, etc while I am running. I don’t usually care about this sort of stuff during normal runs but it will be very handy for events and especially for half marathons so I can monitor what I am doing.

Funny thing is that I also bought J shoes for his present. I got him the “Gold Coast marathon” edition GT2130’s….They are cool….gold and blue….nice looking runners! Not that J will care about the “look”!!

I have the Sutherland to Surf this Sunday and I am thinking I will do about 70 minutes. I did 68 last year but my fitness is rather hideous at the moment. Then I have the City to Surf 2 weeks after that. I am actually freaking out about that one because of Heartbreak Hill and also because I always get nervous on new courses. I am in the 2nd starting group so at least I don’t have to battle with thousands and thousands of people but I do have to come in at under 100 minutes, otherwise I won’t be warranted being in that group at all. I used my SMH Half result to get into this group….even though I haven’t run the C2S before.

I am seeing The Dark Knight on Wednesday. J’s work has booked Gold Class tix for everbody so it should be good. It is getting awesome reviews….Heath Ledger is supposed to be excellent in this movie. Friday is J and I’s 3 year anniversary. I am not sure what we are doing yet. I was thinking of booking a hotel room for the night but, if not, we will just do dinner somewhere nice. I love anniversary time….It always reminds me of when we were first together and how EXCITING that time was for me. I never, ever thought that I would end up in a relationship with him but it has all turned out perfectly! Most of the time at least!!!

Race Result, Dog Bite and a Torn Hammie

So I completed the 10K Sri Chinmoy at Dolls Point on Sunday in 63:24. I am overly impressed by the time as I was expecting about 70 mins due to my bad form of late and I also "felt" like I was going very slowly on the day. Anyway....63:24 it is. It was great to meet a few CoolRunners....a bunch of lovely people who were really friendly and supportive.

The race was not without it's fair share of drama though.....J was doing the half and at about the 3K mark I saw him walking and he had torn his hammie. So he had to pull out. He was shattered! I tried to use this an excuse to pull out myself but after about a minute of trying to convince J I was more than happy to stop, he made me continue. Damn! I had a perfect excuse too!!!! J is now getting physio and undergoing an enforced break from running, which he isn't happy about.

My other "perfect excuse" for stopping was that I was bitten pretty badly by a dog the day before the run. To cut a long story short, I was bitten by a staffy at the dog park because my hand got in the way of him biting my dog. Many tears and a trip to the medical centre for treatment followed. The owner of the dog was a PIG!!! As soon as it happened I saw there were puncture wounds through my hand and I started bawling my eyes out. He just yelled at me for "making his dog look bad", etc and did not even offer any assistance. Everybody else in the park was having a go at him for not controlling his dog. This all happened because Max (my psycho mini foxie) was showing his teeth at the staffy because he wanted to fight him. So as soon as I put Max on the lead and went to drag him from the park the fight started but my hand was the only thing hurt. So, all in all, I am very silly for having Max at the park because he inititaes fights most of the time but the guy should have shown some concern once I was bitten at least! Needless to say, Max will never be at the park again. He obviously is not a social dog. My hand is healing very well. I am so lucky it didn't get infected. The wounds are nearly sealed and in a couple of days I will be able to shower with 2 hands...yay!!! Showering with one hand is hard work!

My food has still been good and I have even gone without dessert for about 2 weeks now. This is rather amazing for me as I have not gone without some sort of treat after dinner for about 6 years. The scales are going down and that is the main thing!

I have had to give Boxing a miss because of my hand so the weekly exercise plan looks like this:
MONDAY: Rest
TUESDAY: 8K run....done
WEDNESDAY: Body Attack
THURSDAY: 10K run plus Pilates class
FRIDAY: 10K run
SATURDAY: Spin class or Body Attack
SUNDAY: Rest

I am going to get some new runners this week. This time I will stick to my trusty ASICS. I think I will get some GT2130's. I have 1130's now and I love them but the 2130's come in a nicer colour so I want them...even though they cost quite a bit more. After all, the "look" is very important....ha ha ha!!!!

Work has been dreadfully quiet lately and each day just drags on forever! I can't help but "watch the clock" when it is like this. Winter is always quiet at my work. I guess it gives me a chance to "surf the net" but it can get rather annoying. I hate winter for so many reasons! I actually start to get a bit "down" in winter because I am cold and it gets dark so early. Exercise is much harder and I need to decide between taking my dogs out and exercising....which is always a tough decision. I prefer taking them out in daylight but if I exercise during daylight they get taken out when it is pitch black and cold. Summer is so much better! I can do everything in daylight.

Another run bites the dust!

I went out for another 7K this morning. Once again I struggled and still sitting at about a 7min/K pace. I find it hard to believe I ran a half marathon about 8 weeks ago. Having said this, it was slightly easier than last time. I can't wait to get some fitness back so this running business is not such hard work. I will NEVER have such a long break from running again!!!

I went to a Pilates class last night. It was very good and I enjoyed it. Perhaps I have finally found a physical activity that I am slightly "OK" at?? I think Pilates works well with running....gives me a good chance to relax a bit and do some stretching and strengthening. It is so nice to come out of the Gym "dry" and not have to peel my sweaty clothes off my body.

My food is still excellent.....although my calories may be on the low side so I need to watch that. I don't care much for food at all at the moment. I only know that lunch time has arrived because my stomach grumbles like crazy. This is a VERY weird feeling for me. Certainly makes it easier to control food intake when you have no appetite though! The scales are down 2 kilos from Monday, although I am fully aware this would not be a "real" loss...probably just water and the shock of doing exercise again!

I am feeling really tired today. I can't wait to leave work in half an hour. It feels as though everybody is staring at my PC today and I have spent too much time surfing the net because it is quiet. I hate nosey people!!!!

I am having sushi for dinner tonight. There is an awesome sushi place near where I live....I have become addicted! After sushi, I will just veg out on the couch and have an early night. Tomorrow I will try hard to sleep in and then probably take my dogs out and get some housework done. Sunday is the Sri Chinmoy 10K for me and a half for J.....With my lack of fitness I will probably feel more shattered than him afterwards!! I am guessing I will only have to "hang around" for about half an hour after my 10K for J to finish....Probably the only benefit of being so mismatched in running ability! So it is shaping up as a fairly boring weekend really....but anything is better than being at work.

Kitty....Looking forward to you coming to Sydney soon. I am looking forward to meeting you as I am equally entrigued and scared by you.....ha ha ha!!! Your posts provide me with so much entertainment every day!

Have a good weekend everybody.....

Miss Pinky

In point form

* Boxing last night was really good. I have so much fun in that class. I am glad I have found one form of exercise that does not feel like torture!

* Body Attack tonight and my legs are still killing from my run on Tuesday. I will just need to push through the pain.

* Tomorrow is a 6am Pilates class and an afternoon run....probably 7K's.

* Food has been excellent since yesterday morning.

* I am doing the Sri Chinmoy 10K run this Sunday at Dolls Point. With my disgusting form I will be lucky to finish in under 70 minutes but at least I am "back on the horse". J is doing the half marathon.....he is much tougher than I am!

* I am back on the Cool Running site....This is always a good sign that healthy living is becoming an interest again.

* Funny thing has been happening the last few days....I comment on a blog I have never commented on before and next thing I know the blog has become "private" or shuts down completely. This has happened a couple of times. Is this just a coincidence or reason for concern?? People's words are their own and they can do with them what they please so I won't take offence. I must admit that I don't think I have ever posted a rude, or even "controversial" comment on a blog. My apologies if you think I have!!

* Forgot to mention that I had a major hair chop last week.....It now sits just above my shoulders and is heavily layered. Prior to the chop it was just above waist length. At first I thought the haircut looked rather "rude" but now I like it. No more getting strangled by my hair at night and much quicker washing/drying time. I am no longer the "paddle pop lion" in the mornings. I will take a photo one day....

* In addition to the chop, I also had acrylic nails put back on. I love them! I feel much more "polished" with nice nails. They are currently painted bright red and, as somebody at work commented, "I look like a harlet".....Nice!!

* It is freezing in Sydney today....maximum temp of 14 degrees.....brrrrrrr.....It will be so nice walking my dogs this afternoon....Not!!! I absolutely hate cold weather! I have 3 heaters going in my house all winter and a heater under my desk at work. Not to mention the masses of coats, scarves, gloves, bed socks, flanelette PJ's AND a throw rug to put over myself at work. Bring on Summer!!!!!

Miss Pinky

Finally.....Some Running

Enough is enough!!! I can't keep on avoiding running and just sit on my lounge eating bad food. My clothes are tight and I feel yuck! It is about a 3 kilo gain on the scales but it feels like about a 10 kilo gain of fat. So......I ran. I ran 7K's last night and it was so painful and so hard! I couldn't breathe properly and I could feel every inch of the extra weight I am carrying. It was a very hard slog and I had to stop quite a few times. I can't even imagine how I ran a half marathon 7 weeks ago! I felt so terrible afterwards for letting myself get this unfit. Unfortunately there is no "easy option" when it comes to fitness so I just need to keep at it and never have a 7 week rest from running ever again.

Despite the fact that the last thing I felt like doing this morning was going for a run, I dragged my fat arse out of bed and went. 7K's again and a tiny bit easier than last night. My pace is 7 minute K's, which is simply disgusting! I am normally 6.2 minute K's. The extra weight is dragging me done literally!! I know I will get back to where I was at but I need to keep getting out there and doing the K's. It is so much harder at the moment due to my lack of fitness though.

I have Boxing tonight and, ordinarily, I would hate to do 2 sessions in one day but I need to lose some weight very urgently so I am going.

I did my Bikram yoga last Friday night. It is not for me. A bit too "trippy" for me. The actual yoga was OK and I quite enjoyed the heat but the odd breathing sounds and the "talk" of the teacher turned me off. I sort of felt like I was being indoctrinated into some sort of cult. No offence to people who do yoga....I just think this type of yoga is not for me.....or maybe it was just this certain school that was not right?? The "talk" of the teacher seemed to assume that anybody who is doing yoga is there because there is something "wrong" in their life. Besides the fact that I am not the luscious size 8 that I wish I was, there is nothing "wrong" with me. I was just trying yoga for the stretching and strengthening aspect. I will stick to the Pilates though because that was great.

As of today I have started to be strict with my food again. I can't keep stuffing cakes and chocolate into my mouth and wonder why my clothes don't fit. It is only me who can make the change so that is what I am going to do. I think I need to cut out carbs (bread, rice, pasta, etc) completely so I will slowly start omitting things....otherwise I will feel like I am starving and binge.

Work is crap! I am pretty sick of it. Sick of dealing with stupid, annoying people. I hope I start to feel better about it but at the moment I am certainly not enjoying it. I can't wait for December to take 4 weeks leave and go overseas!!!

Miss Pinky

Gymming and Stuff

So, what's been happening?? I have started back at the Gym, which is good news. The first week I only went a couple of times but this week I have been pretty good so far...2 Body Attacks, 1 Boxing class and 1 Pilates class under my ever-expanding belt. I did my first pilates class ever today. It was very, very good. Hard in a way that is very different for me. I am used to high intensity cardio where the difficulty lies in keeping up and breathing properly. The pilates class really worked my muscles and would be fantastic for strengthening I believe. I am also doing a Bikraam yoga class tomorrow for the first time. I have never done Yoga at all and this is done in a class heated to 38 degrees or something so it should be.....different! I love the idea of the heat and I love the idea of doing some low intensity stuff in place of my usual classes.

I have layed of the junk food considerably but I am still not being 100% strict with my food. I just need to gradually cut portions and cut things out or I will binge my head off!! The scales are showing a weight gain so I don't know what's going on there?? I have also started drinking more herbal teas and water. I feel much better though, even if the scales are not reflecting it. My skin is much clearer and I just feel "less full" and have more energy than a few weeks ago.

J and I have booked a weekend away to Noosa at the end of August. J is competing in the Noosa half marathon. The course is described as being "flat as a pancake". He is doing this in preparation for his full marathon in September. I am not sure if I will do Noosa yet. Considering the last time I ran was the 18th May, I may be a little "out of running shape", to say the very least!!!! I will start running again next week to get ready for my 11km run in a few weeks time. Not much training at all but the 11K is on a course that I run all the time and it's mostly downhill. I should be OK.

J and I are also looking at going to LA, Las Vegas and Mexico in December. The trip is going to be rather expensive though so we are still at the "investigation stage". Either way, I am taking 4 weeks annual leave in Dec and I will be going somewhere OS. I am very over work so I need a good break. My work is annoying me so much and I hate being on call 24hrs 7 days a week. If people cannot contact me IMMEDIATELY they don't even leave a message on my phone, they call my Boss. I don't think they realise I need to shower, go to the bathroom or do other stuff that I can't do with a phone. It is bad enough to always be on call, they should at least give me a few minutes to call them back!!!! GRRRRRRR!!!!!! This pisses me off so badly because I am actually very reliable and always call back within an hour. Now if only I could win Lotto.....

Well I am off to do some crappy paperwork and count down the hours until home time.

Miss Pinky