Why are you wearing that?

It's hot again today .. almost unbearably hot.  I can stand hot, in fact I really LOVE summer as compared with winter ( or what we call winter ) but I've just about had enough.  I would dearly love to be able to feel a nice cool breeze rather than feeling my clothes sticking to me.

When I got home from work today, I sat down and listened to the birds out the back in the trees and have my lunch. It really was rather peaceful!
Except that I'm still in my work clothes .. fabulously figure hugging stretchy pants that if you're not careful show the extra cupcakes .. not that I have any of these by the way, well not this week anyway!  And my running shoes and socks .. these are the first things I get rid of .. just to get a bit of air for my poor toes!

I decided to change into something cool, and something that did not remotely resemble any form of training gear.  I changed into a summer dress .. sometimes a girl just wants to wear a dress!

Off to school I went to pick the kids up.  I was nice and cool and feeling the breeze around my legs finally .. but no, not Marilyn style because that's not a good look at school.

This is how the conversation went when I met my daughter ...
Me:               Hi babe, how was your day?
Daughter:         Why are you wearing that?
Me:               Because it would be rather embarrassing for me to pick you up in my underwear ...
Daughter:      Where are we going?
Me:               Nowhere ...
Daughter:      Where are you going?
Me:               Nowhere ...
Daughter:      Then why are you wearing that?

I grew tired of this conversation at this point, so proceeded to ask my son how his day was .. he didn't even comment on what I was wearing ( typical though .. clearly they learn very young! ).

I didn't expect that my choice of clothing was going to be such an issue! I love wearing dresses in summer, it makes me feel a little bit like a lady and really, can't a girl just wear a dress without having to answer a dozen questions??

Maybe next time I should consult my fashion stylist prior to choosing my outfit?

Don't you sometimes feel like dressing it up just a little when you get the chance?

Fit Mum x

Will you be there?

It's always exciting when you book accommodation for a holiday! It was no different yesterday when I booked an apartment on the gorgeous Gold Coast for 3 nights.  Even though it is in July, which is right in the middle of winter, it's a holiday.  Well, sort of ...

I have booked the accommodation for the Gold Coast Marathon weekend! And whilst this is a weekend of nervousness and hard work, this is my mid year holiday.  It is usually a quite enjoyable weekend and this year is the first year that my daughter will take part in one of the races! As a family we should be well represented .. hubby runs the marathon, I will be doing the half marathon and our daughter will run her first fun run .. the 4km Junior Dash and our son is begging us to run too, but we've told him at 5 years old he is still a little bit young!

Hopefully, we will even have time for a trip to the beach .. it's across the road from the apartment so there's a pretty good chance! 

As much as I am really looking forward to this brief weekend escape, I keep reminding myself that I had better make sure I keep up my training.  Sometimes my motivation lacks a little bit and I have to remind myself of my goals .. to keep me on track I might put some pictures of the view from the apartment around the house to remind me.  The view is pretty stunning .. imagine relaxing on the balcony after securing a PB and sipping on a glass of bubbly ... 

What inspiration do you use to keep you motivated and on track when your training program gets a little ugly?

Will I see you at the Gold Coast in July this year??

Fit Mum x

Enjoy your weekend workout

I have been thinking that I should start to make the effort to write a little bit more on my blog.  I'm not sure what about but I had been thinking about it for a while before I actually took the plunge.  I've always wanted to write a journal and studiously I begin, I buy a lovely notebook and make the first few days entries religiously .. then it all just fades into the background of books on the bedside table. 
So, I thought that writing a blog might make a difference.  I'm not particularly regular ( at writing that is! ) but I'm keeping at it and I will improve.  Not sure what I'm going to talk about but have so far found it quite relaxing to write down my thoughts occasionally.  Nothing special, I'm a regular mum with 2 kids, cat, dog, husband, job .. and I want to be the fittest and strongest that I can be .. this is what I'm using to keep me motivated.  If by chance someone else is even a little bit motivated by reading this then that is fabulous!

Anyway, that was a random thought that pops up occasionally and I've now said it.  Back to today, it's the weekend again and I have been looking forward to it for a whole week!  As usual we are up early for swimming training .. it's a bit of a drama trying to get moving but it's over and done with early and I have the rest of the day to do what I like ( read .. housework .. ).
  
My plan for the day was to get home from swimming and head out for my run for the weekend.  By the time I got home it was getting a bit later than planned so I was starting to prepare my excuses .. it's getting hot and it might rain .. well, that's all there was really.  Apparently it wasn't particularly convincing .. 
I didn't have my usual running mate, Baxter our border collie .. he had already clocked 18km early this morning on hubby's long run.  It really was a bit hot to take him given he had to wear his thick fur coat!  So, I grabbed my ipod to listen to some tunes .. it was flat! Geez, kids!
Heading out the door I felt rather naked with no dog, no ipod, what was I going to do?!  
Moving along an hour later, I had a great run! The best part was the run through the bush on the way home.  I could hear the leaves and gravel as I ran, I could hear all the birds and the bush smelled great after the rain! 
As much as I missed my mate, I'm thinking that every now and again I might head out completely alone and just enjoy the run!

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend workout!

Fit Mum x

 

Make the most of yourself ...

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you" ... Emerson

I saw this quote today and for some reason it rang some bells with me .. I'm all for making the most of what you have.  I see so many different ways that this can relate to our everyday lives that always seem so busy.  So, I thought that I would share ... 

Firstly, it is important to always try to the best of your abilities.  You may only get one opportunity, make the most of it.  It will pay off .. you may even surprise yourself with the sense of achievement / accomplishment / satisfaction that YOU made it happen! Be the best that you can be ...

Secondly, stop comparing yourself to others.  You are not them and they are not you .. you are different people with different thoughts, needs, wants and abilities and each are unique to YOU.  Besides, it wastes so much precious energy and you have got better things to do than worrying about what others are doing.  Make the most of YOU!

Lastly,  do something for yourself.  I know, I know, I'm already hearing you say that you don't have time!  Well, it's important! Make time for you .. make the most of you.  It doesn't have to be every day, even if it's just once a week where you can do something that you enjoy that lets you think ( or not think! ) away from all the daily goings on.  You are special, why not let yourself feel that way ...

Wow, now that I have written this all down it seems a bit deep and thoughtful!

What does this quote mean to you? 

Now off you go and .. Make the most of yourselves!!

Fit Mum x

It's Tuesday ...

Well, it's Tuesday .. the weekend has been over for 2 days and I've sort of caught up on a few of the things that were left behind while we partied for my son's 5th birthday!
I spent Sunday running between the laundry and the oven.  The washing is not much exciting I'm afraid but I was having a lovely relaxing time baking cakes.  Yes, it is normal in our family to have 3 different birthday cakes .. family, friends and school!

Needless to say, I may have over indulged on cake batter.  No really, I swear it should be a food group!  I will however endeavour to take a positive out of my nutritionally imbalanced meal .. I felt great on my Monday morning run, almost back to my last season times! Yay!  I so rather chuffed with my effort that I thought I would celebrate with the purchase of a new pair of running shoes.  I really did need them .. honest! Not that there's anything wrong with the new pair I bought two months ago .. I just wear running shoes all day and I don't like wearing wet, sweaty shoes!


I know, they're blue .. don't you love them!


I got to try them out this morning when I took my daughter out for her training run .. 2.5km.  Her goal is two 4km fun runs in the next few months and I'm sure in a few weeks she'll be faster than me but for now I'm telling myself that I'm taking it a bit slow for her benefit!


After work today was my PT strength training.  Great session .. though I think I'm going to feel it tomorrow.  It appears my PT has decided that we are going to do strength endurance training my legs for running and high reps was the order of the day today.  I'm staying positive that I will still be able to get through my run tomorrow! Mmmm, on that note I must push off and take some magnesium before bed .. I think my muscles are going to need all the help they can get this week! 

What do you do to keep your muscles loving you when you have pushed them to their limits?

Remember, it's your body, your life, your choice .. make it a good choice!

Fit Mum x

Astromazing week!

This week seems to have just flown by! Super busy with all the usual things, I think I must be running on adrenalin to get it all come together.  I have slowed up a bit on my training in recent weeks, which isn't great with my Half Marathon goal in a few months but this week I made that extra effort to put training back on the daily agenda and I am feeling so much better for it, both physically and mentally!

So far, the best part of my week was taking the time to stop for a morning coffee catch up with a friend of mine.  She listened while I ranted and raved a bit but it helped me to clear my head. Aren't good friends just the best!! 

Last week I made a commitment to try attend a Body Balance class at least once a week.  I did that last weekend and I mentioned that I was feeling a little less stiff.  Well, that was until the next day when my hips were so sore from being stretched I could barely finish walking my run! I'm not one to give up that easily when the going gets tough so I went to another class to see if I could survive a little better.  I feel definitely feel like I've stretched but I survived this one relatively unscathed! And it gave me a chance to slow down a bit from the week and before the weekend starts.

By far, the most exciting part of this week has to be today's birthday party for my 5 year old son.   He is so excited! And I am madly running around the place to clean up and finish getting food ready for the boys who seem to have endless energy and bottomless pits for stomachs!  Enter party food .. cheerios, mini pizzas, chips, lollies .. you know, all the good things that blow the diet and give them a sugar rush just in time to send them home to their parents!
I was up last night finishing off the birthday cake .. don't tell him about it though because I thought I would surprise him ...


A blank canvas ...

 His current obsession ... I must say it's a bit of a flashback to the cartoons I used to watch ...



ASTRO BOY!!!

When my daughter saw it, she told me it was amazing and she thought someone else might have made it! I was a bit chuffed at this I must say .. quite proud of my efforts!  Maybe not mum of the year .. but ... I can't wait to see his face!

Well, I must go, I have party bags to prepare! 



Fit Mum x

 

Lazy Glutes

So apparently I have lazy glutes .. or it probably sounds better if I say my gluteus medius is not being recruited effectively. I admit I have been told this before and given my primary choice of exercise is running I kind of need them to work to a pretty high standard.

How do I know this? Because I will admit it's not something that you can see working, unless you know what you are looking for I guess. 

Well, I booked in to a seminar on Lower Back Pain Assessment and Training.  I was quite looking forward to going and I must say that with so many of my clients complaining of lower back pain, I thought it was rather informative.  The presenter was a physiotherapist with QAS and he certainly gave me more insight into lower back pain and how to assist and train clients with this complaint. 
Anyway, I'm rambling ... while I was sitting there taking all this knowledge in I started to think about how I had been starting to feel a little stiff in the hips lately.  I did put it down to my infrequent stretching routine after training.  Don't get me wrong, I do stretch .. it's usually as I walk up the steps to the shower and then a couple of obligatory stretches in the shower.  Or after I hop of the treadmill I do the usual hip flexor, glute, hamstring stretches ..
So while I was sitting there I thought that given I have this massive wealth of knowledge talking to me, why not ask him if he could help me out with a few more stretches to release my hips.  

After a quick assessment of my flexibility, watching me walk and a quick jog .. I was told I don't recruit my glutes enough and I am quad dominant.  What!? I have been doing my strength training and I really thought that I was focusing on activating my glutes and strengthening them! Clearly I have not been doing this enough *sigh* .. time to pick up my act and start doing a few extra exercises to get my butt moving .. technically my glutes.

Enter exercises .. hip / glute bridge, clam shells,
one leg supported squats.


   
And stretches .. quads, hip flexors, revisit the foam roller ( I wince as I think of this instrument of torture ). Make commitment to attend Body Balance class once a week ( check, did that this morning and already feel a bit less stiff ).

I guess I can't complain .. I did ask the question.  And I really want to set a new PB in the half in July ... oh the things we do in the name of a challenge! But I love it!!

Until I ramble again .. don't forget to recruit your glutes!

Fit Mum x