Today's To Do ...

I feel like I need to confess ... I may be obsessed.  It may be an impractical obsession.  I make lists.  I like lists .. you know, the to do type lists. 
I don't know if these lists are effective.  I lose them sometimes.  They don't get finished sometimes.  Sometimes they get superceded. 

It's something about the lists that make me feel like I'm being productive and organised.  Is this all in my head?
I like to cross things off my lists though.  It gives me great satisfaction knowing I have achieved at least something.

I know that there are other people like me.  My husband is not one of them.  If I write him a list of things to do, he will find at least 50 other things to do instead of the ones on my list.  I'm trialling subconscious mind manipulation at the moment .. I will advise my progress, it's slow.

I have lists for everything ... daily to do list, weekly to do list, weekend to do list, shopping list, what to buy on ebay list, what to sell on ebay list .. and the list goes on ( sorry, couldn't help it ).  I have a To Do app for my iphone too.  

Maybe now I have confessed by addiction / obsession I will be cured?  Will I cross everything off at least one list I start? Maybe I could add that to my list of to do?

I have just realised this post does not have anything to do with health, fitness, exercise, running, food ... 
It appears my mind is not thinking particularly cohesively at the moment.  I had better go and check a list ...

Stay focused,  stay strong

Fit Mum x

It's over, let it go and get on with it

We've all had those runs.  I had one today and I'm sure I'll have another one sometime.  You know .. those runs where you just want to sit down on the footpath and cry. 

I scheduled a 10km run for this morning.  I really do want to do it ... no I'm not looking forward to it.  Not sure if I'm really up for it .. I know, it's only 10km which I could normally do any day of the week.   I'm telling myself that I'm not going to crack any land speed times, I just want the time on my feet.

After procrastinating a bit, I finally got into my gear and put my shoes on.  My running partner was whining at the door.  He was fully recovered from his 15km yesterday with hubby and ready to go again.  

It was quite a pleasant day for a run actually, nice and cool and not too much sun.  Still, this didn't do me any favours as I got to about the 4km mark.  My calves are soooo tight, and I'm in my own little world of hurt.  Let's just get to the 5km mark and I can have a drink stop.  I kept plodding along and glanced at my watch for pace a few times ... not pretty. 

Drink stop done.  Let's just stick with it, I'm on my way home.  I've just got a hill to tackle and it's almost all downhill after that.  I am NOT going to walk up that hill ... geez, I couldn't possibly do that!  Bax led me up that hill and I didn't stop .. I was slow but I didn't stop.

Downhill was pretty good.  Then the downpour started.  It wasn't too bad, heavy enough for me to consider the short cut home but not heavy enough for me to be that tempted.  Besides, I'm feeling OK .. the calves and legs seem to have warmed up and I've picked up the pace a bit.  Not quite as I'd like but I've picked it up.  Nearly home, only 3km and some rather large puddles to negotiate. 

Home, I didn't cry, I still might.  Sympathy from hubby "yep, we've all been there". 

Ok, it's over.  Must go and ice my foot ( another story ). 

Might sit down and plan next week's training .. I am stronger than this run, I will not let it get me down. 
Don't let the crappy ones get you down either ...

Stay focused,  stay strong

Fit Mum x

My favourite run ..

I did my favourite run this morning.  I've missed it over the last few weeks.  I wasn't sure how I would go .. the hills can hurt.  Because of my reduced volume of training over the last few weeks, I have been building up slowly again and this week I was due to add a few extra k's to my training.  I have and I haven't felt too bad. 

Maybe I tried to do a bit much but I told myself that I would walk up Spider Hill and really slow my pace.  The hills were s..l..o..w.  My hamstrings were tight, my hip flexors were tired and my calves were screaming at me .. but I didn't stop.  I just kept my pace slow and I lumbered along.  My legs really felt like lead, there was no graceful stride going on today .. oh, wait .. I don't think I've ever had a graceful stride, that's just wishful thinking.

Anyway, while I was out today I thought I would take a few snaps of my bush track run over Spider Hill ...

 How fabulously peaceful does this look!? There is no noise out here .. just the birds and our footsteps ...

Track is covered at the moment with the bottle brushes and they are all brilliant orange .. really quite pretty!

                          

This pic doesn't quite do Spider Hill justice .. I'm about half way up here and the top of the hill in the pic isn't the top of Spider .. there is still a sneaky right hand turn and an even steeper ascent.  Yep, I walked the hill today ...

What I love most about this run is that it is super peaceful, there's always something to look at ( and look out for the kangaroos ) and it is right in the middle of suburbia!

Do you have a favourite run / workout that you like to do on a regular basis?  Why is it your favourite?

Stay focused,  Stay strong

Fit Mum x

Yay team!!

I know I'm not the only one who feels like this.  The weeks seem to be flying by.
This past weekend was a blur again and I still haven't caught up. 

On Sunday I went to a lunch to celebrate the end of the gym's 12 week challenge.  This was a chance for the girls to celebrate and be recognised for their hard work over the last 12 weeks.
As team leader of one of the teams I am proud to say that the girls in my team worked extra hard and our team won the overall team award!

Other than being so proud of all the hard work the girls put in .. I will admit that I am really inspired by their dedication and commitment to achieving their goals.  It is hard work to eat clean for 12 weeks and record every morsel for scrutiny later by the food coaches.  It is equally hard to keep coming back to the gym to complete a workout and push yourself every training session for 12 weeks.  And if they fell off the wagon .. they dusted themselves off and got back on track.

I know that I struggle to stay clean for 12 weeks and stay on my training program day in day out.

Thanks girls for your inspiration.  I look to you when I don't feel like getting out there or if I am standing in the kitchen cupboard looking for something to satisfy my craving. 

Thanks girls, you know I'm there if you need me too

Stay focused,  Stay strong

Fit Mum x

Feels like starting over ...

I haven't been around for a while.  I've been a bit busy and tired and consumed with the thoughts in my head.  I have wanted to write it down but just haven't been able to work out what I want to say.   

My doctor recommended that I take a little step back from training.  This is kind of big thing given that it's a big part of my job and my life.  The other downer is that I wanted to train!  Over the last week or so I've been laying a low, and have been feeling a bit sorry for myself.  

It sounds all doom and gloom but really it's not.  No injuries or anything hugely life threatening.  A health concern that left unchecked could lead to some other rather complicating health issues.  I'm now trying to get my head around it all and let my body catch up with itself.  A few adjustments needed to be made, particularly with my training, hence a week or so enforced time off regular training routine.  

I did train a little bit because the obsessive me couldn't completely miss out on training.  The reasonable me compromised and backed off weights a little and did some walk / jogs on the treadmill.  

That was last week.  Let's see what this week is going to bring.  I can't swing back into my full training program after having time off and my body needs to adjust to a few minor alterations, so I'm starting back with baby steps and hoping that I haven't lost too much.  

I'm trying not to think about my goal at the Gold Coast Half Marathon.  I'm hoping that I can still run a PB .. or maybe I should just be happy with a comfortable finish ... No matter what it is I'm going to finish the race because that's what I set out to do and I will not let myself down.

Stay strong, stay focused

Fit Mum x