Breakthru

When I do any exercise, I am constantly counting the minutes until it is done.  I am an ardent clock watcher and can not wait until my time is finished.

I had a breakthru at zumba today.  Actually, my first breakthru at zumba came about two weeks ago. I realised that I could get through the whole class and give 100%.  I would be tired but I could do it.  Up until then, I was at about 50% as I was sure I wouldn't be able to make it through a whole class.  So, for the last 3 or 4 classes, I have not done anything halfway.  I am just going for it.

Today's class was really good and I was working hard.  I looked up at the clock and saw that there was 5 minutes left.  Normally, I would think "I hope she does cool down now."  But, today I thought, "I hope we have time for another fast song - this is a good workout."

WOW!
Breakthru!

I CAN do this

I still can not believe I am running this 5.2k race on Sunday by myself.  Just show up and do it.  Who is going to take my picture to show how cool I look in my number?  Who will carry my car keys?  Who will tell me I am being crabby when I am being crabby?

I know that I can do this race.
I am not going to stop.  Stopping is purely mental as I know I can do this distance.
I don't care about a time for this race.  Under 1 hour is my goal.  (laugh if you want - I will not be discouraged by my pokey pace)

Call me pokey but I am not stopping.
And someone will have to take a pic and send it to me.

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.”

I know that getting a healthy 8 hours of sleep aids in weight loss.  The reality is we don't really know why but there is so much scientific evidence on sleep and weight, it is silly not to get your sleep in when you are being healthy.

I have really been trying to sleep by 9:30 or 10pm every night so I can get up for gym relaxed and at my maximum.  But, since fat camp, for the first time in my life, I am having awful nights of tossing and turning.

Most nights I am my normal self, totally passed out and snoring away.
But, I am 1-3 nights a week tossing and turning.  I don't know what to do.

I just want a good nights rest.

Goals are dreams that you write down

I did well on the scale this week and I FINALLY broke through past the 20kg mark!  It seems to have been hovering for forever!  So, my next goals are:

1 April - Run the 5.2kg Run for the Kids
5 May - 50 lbs /23kg
12 May - zero land! (under 100kg)

I am just under my target goal of 1 pound/.45kg per week.  Doing well always is an incentive isn't it?

Go Chubby Old Man!

The Australian Olympic Swim trials are on TV this week and last night was the mens 100 butterfly.  And one of Australia's old swimmers, Jeff Huegill, came back from retirement to try out for the team.  But the real story was that he had gained 100 lbs/45 kgs since retirement!  So, he had to lose the weight while he was training.  And he did it!  And he looks hot!

Before and after - HELLO!

So, while I was cheering for the chubby, old man... he came in 5th place so he is not going to the Olympics.  But a year ago - look at him!  And he was 3 places away from going to the Olympics.

Here are his weight loss tips which are my beliefs as well:

1. Set realistic goals - not everyone can climb Mt Everest - and a realistic time frame.

2. Get balance. You can have Tim Tams but don't do what I did and eat the whole packet. Each chips if you like but make the packet last a few days.

3. Live your new plan every day. Don't make it a five-day-a-week thing.

4. Surround yourself with positive, like-minded individuals. You can't rely on self-motivation every day.

5. Have self-belief. That will get you out of bed and make you fight through.

6. Don't think you are going to be perfect. Everyone has down days. Just be your best.

7. To bring out the champion in you, play to your strengths. Manage your weaknesses but don't be obsessed by them. 

If he can do it, I can do it!  A year from now - the Olympics!

I Love Donny!

Guess what he bought me?  New Bose headphones that aren't earbuds but look like earbuds to I can tune out and not look like I am listening to an 80s walkman!  And not have gross earbuds in my ear which I can't wear because they hurt and are disgusting!

Yea Donny!!!!  Thank you!!

I am sure I can run a 5.2km now!

Nothing Like Some Fat to Make You Feel Good!

On Saturday I was complaining to Tina & Cara that my weight loss progress is so slow that it is difficult to stay positive.  It is so easy to forget where you started.  Cara suggested that I go to the grocery and put 20kg of butter in a basket so I could see how much I lost.  This is only HALF of it.  There is 10kg of butter in that basket and I could barely lift it.  (Obviously need to work on upper body strength.)

Scab vs the World

Firstly, Tim did rise to the challenge and he did post some kms so he is still in the comp unlike Kelly and Nick.

I have changed it to Super Scab vs EVERYONE else.  Scab, you are up for this, right?  It's not mean?  We just need to make this competition a competition.  If you want, I can make it Team Marcol vs Everyone.  Let me know.

I struggled after about one km this morning and had to walk.

I'm Giving You Until the End of the Weekend

The March Madness has to be competitive and get everyone going.
1 - unless things change, it is going to be Scab vs Everyone
2 - if you are still at 0kms, you are being kicked off the team (Kelly, Nick and Tim - you have two days to run a darn km!)

I really don't know how I am going to get to 5.2kms in two weeks.  I was toasted at 3.5 today.

I Am Back...

I ran three times this week, went to zumba twice and was almost perfect with my gym time.  But, it wasn't until I ran this morning that I was able to get out of my funk.  I did 3.5km on the treadmill at my target pace.  But the thing that really got me out of my funk was my music.

STOP right now.  If you don't have the remake of I Ran by the Ska Rangers on your ipod, download it immediately.  (or tell me how to get it to you!)  It is from The Hangover 2 soundtrack and it rocks - perfect for running.  Actually, I have both the Flock of Seagalls version and Ska Rangers on my running play list.

still super crabby

Did Zumba today but haven't been on a treadmill since Friday which brings up a few running items:

1 - I think I am going to re-do the March Madness teams to Scab vs everyone.  Scab ran 23km in one go last week.  While I am very proud of him, I just want to say, showoff, showoff, showoff.

2 - I have heard that the Run for the Kids is sold out so if you were thinking about doing the 5.2km on 1 April, you better have signed up.  I did and I think I am going to be out there all by myself, which is a good thing because I am super, dooper crabby and don't run with anyone anyway.

3 - That race is in 2 1/2 weeks and I am nowhere near ready.  I can easily do a 2k.  Could someone find me a 2k to run?

Nothing to post

because I am still wallowing.
Still lots of self pity.
Still thinking "its not fair"

very, very, very, very crabby

Wallowing in a pool of righteous self pity

Firstly, I want to say thanks to everyone who has been emailing and texting to say that I look great.  You all are very sweet and you rock and I appreciate you thinking of me.

Next I want to ask you not to send me supportive emails and I spend the rest of my post crabby and full of negative energy.

While I am so excited with my progress and I know it is going to take 2 years to get to my goal, you can imagine my disappointment when I did the math today and realised that after six months (and 6 weeks at a fat camp) I am only 1/3 of the way to my goal.  That is so depressing.

I think I need a weight loss treat but I am off buying Tiffany's in Australia.  I think I need to fly to the States so I can buy a Tiffany treat.  Now, that will cheer me up.

Up and Down, Up and Down

I have been pretty consistent with my weight loss since fat camp.  But lately, I will have a big loss, then nothing, then big, then nothing.  So, I need to not worry about a week off and not let the scale judge whether I am doing well or not.

This week I lost 4.18lbs/1.9kg.  I feel like I am on the TV show that is such a big number.

I am so close to so many goals.
.6kg to 20 kgs
7.32 to 50 lbs
and a few other milestones, so it is difficult to just keep plugging away at this slow up/down rate.  But, it is working and I just need to keep going.

Memories, light the corners of my mind

I was trying to figure out how to have a slideshow on the side of my blog so I could rotate a picture from each month since I started all of this, but I can't get the slideshow to work.  But, I thought I would share a few pics because I am in a bit of a mental rut.  I think, I don't look that different but then I see these pics and I think "look at that runner's body!" :)

 Jim, me, Kelly (26 Feb 2012)

Sione and me (Aug 2011)

New personal trainer - Barry Stoneham

I don't think Barry* realizes he is my personal trainer, but I ask him questions and he gives me his opinion and then I take it as gospel.

Usually his advice is something like, "I didn't have to train very hard when I as young" or "when I started we didn't care about training" but he still had to run around a football oval for a lot of years against other professional athletes.  Also, while I don't think he won a Premiership (did he?) he was still in a few so he knows what it takes to achieve goals, so he is unofficially my personal trainer without him knowing it.  (In his defense, Tim Street also said I should start sprints to improve my time, but it sounds better to say that Bazza told me.)

So, under his advice I am now doing "sprints" and long distances.  Which means that I am continuing my c25k program at my 7km pace, but have started back at day 1 on a 8km-9km pace.  The 9km pace is the goal for August.  That basically puts me at ALMOST a 30 minute 5k.

That is the new goal - 30 minutes 5k in August.

*For those of you who don't know - Barry Stoneham is a guy I work with and according to Wikipedia - is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club between 1986 and 2000. Stoneham appeared 241 times for Geelong in the AFL and kicked 223 goals. He played at both centre half back and centre half forward and played for Geelong in two losing Grand Finals in 1989 and 1992.

Officially official 1 March

So, today is the first of March and that means March Madness.  In March I am really going to challenge myself with different things every week.  Something that puts me outside my comfort zone.  One week I will go without any sugar.  One week I will drink all the water I am suppose to drink, etc.

And, as stated early, the March Madness challenge begins.  I decided to boys/girls because the country thing was too complicated.  It is not too late!  Email me your kms whenever you want and I will post them up.

Technical definition of running - counts.
Shuffling - counts.
Just get your KMs in!

I am trying the no sweets for the first week of March.

I ran ugly, I ran technical definition but, in the words of Flock of Seagulls, I RAN.

This must be in the beginning of the race because I am smiling.  (and so is Kelly...she doesn't know the crabbiness that will ensue at this point.)

I know this is a few days late but yes, our internet is still down.

The 4k was this past Sunday on a ridiculously hot Melbourne day.  I think it was about 90*/35*.
My first goal was to finish the race without stopping - ACCOMPLISHED!
This was particularly difficult when you had a hill before the last 1km.  That hill was definitely run at the technical definition of running.

My second goal was to finish the race in under 40 minutes - ACCOMPLISHED!
But, I didn't keep to my c25k pace which would have had me finish in 34 minutes.
My official race time was 38:04.

I think when I talk about how crabby I am when I run, no one believes me.  But, Kelly is now a firm believer. All the way from Hong Kong to run with me and I wouldn't run next to her, talk to her and if she tried to point something out, I growled at her.  I am not fun to be around and I don't really like people next to me when I run.  Having said that, I couldn't have done it without her.  I know it was a really slow pace for her to keep but she did and I did.

I was a little disappointed with how I pulled up.  I thought since I had been training, I would be in a bit of a better place, but I wasn't.  We needed to leave immediately after the race as I thought I was going to be sick and there was no escaping the sun.  (HUGE APOLOGIES to Cara and Mich!!!!!  I hate it when everyone doesn't wait around but that was not going to happen!)

There were a few other mishaps, (water tank issue!!!) but for the most part it was a really great morning and everyone came over for brekkie afterwards.  (thanks to Pookey and Hookah for the help)

When is the next race?  :)