Adventure Racing and finding the lucky socks

Last night I participated in my first Adventure Race with Rose and Kev (on the left side of the photo, I am on the right). We had a ball running around Brisbane in our little Kermit shirts. This is what the race was about (from Area 51 Website):

"Round 1- One Night in Vegas
Date and Location
Fri 15 Feb 08 - Brisbane CBD, HQ at south bank, further info emailed & posted on web 5 days before the race. all urban.Teams turn up at 6pm as registration opens, you receive your race packs containing all your maps and information and some other goodies. You have some planning time to work out a route and after a race brief the hooter goes off at 7pm! prior to the race all teams will be emailed information about the event...
Length and Timings
Race length 3 hours (and five minutes) - registration opens 6pm, race start 7pm, race finish 10:05pm.
Disciplines and Style
Trek, Public transport (NO mountain bike) and many urban challenges- rogaine style, get as many CPs in any order you choose then be back at HQ before 3 hrs is up. urban challenges play a big part.... the harder the challenge, the more points you get!
WHY?
ONE OF THE MORE MEMORABLE ADVENTURE RACES YOU WILL EVER DO!! GET A TASTE OF THE BIG SMOKE AND THE CITY LIGHTS ON A BALMY SUMMER EVENING. iT ISN'T A RACE SO MUCH ABOUT FITNESS, BUT EXPERIENCING ALL THE CITY HAS TO OFFER. after the race teams pop into the Plough Inn next door for a celebratory drink! Never done anything like this before? All you need to be able to do is get a team of 3 people together, be able to read a street directory and know how to have some fun"

We got our race pack just after 6pm and spent the next half hour or so contacting our map (so it wouldn't fall apart) and working out a route that would enable us to get the most check points (CPs) in the three hours we had available to us. At 7pm we were off and Rose, Kev and I hurtled over the Grey Street Bridge and found our first Checkpoint in the Queen Street Mall, then it was onto the Gap Cycle's Eating Challenge in the middle of the mall where we had to eat foods related to bike parts. I don't know where wasabi peas come into the equation, but I skulled three of them, not realizing how hot they were. Rose and Kev fought over the WeetBix and I finished off with a good chaser, nearly a tablespoon of vegemite. We then decided to take a quick dash for a checkpoint at Central Station and then back tracked for an Internet Cafe challenge.

That done, it was back to the station to try and get a train to Brunswick Street. Silly me who was really quite enjoying the whole adventure got us on the wrong train and we went Express to Bowen Hills (aaagh). So it was lucky we could get back to Central relatively quickly and run towards The Valley where there were four checkpoints to pick up.

The first involved fishing around in a rather nasty looking broth of "pond water" for a plastic spider which we nailed rather quickly, then it was off to Chinatown's rotunda for the second CP. Our third Valley CP involved a memory game where we had to memorize a card sequence which Rose and I forgot immediately :) We eventually knuckled down and got it done before heading to Brunswick Street Station to pick up the fourth CP.

We then had to decide what option to take then as our plan to train it to Toowong was thwarted by a patchy timetable at best. Here we decided to train it to Roma Street and run past Suncorp Stadium to Milton Station, pick up CPs at Savoire Faire and Milton Station, before taking the BONUS point challenge of Ten Pin Bowling at Milton Bowl. Whilst we were making that decision we came across another team involved in a Scavenger Hunt. We quickly worked out that it was part of a checkpoint we had purposely avoided at the beginning of the race. Luckily the team we met was happy to tell us that we needed to collect a red napkin, straw, current day's newspaper, beer coaster, business card and a movie ticket from today. I immediately asked someone on the platform for their business card, we were gifted a coaster and a newspaper and we found the straw and our napkin on the way to Milton.

We made the train back to Roma Street and connected with a train back to Southbank. We picked up another 2 CPS in South Brisbane and then were extremely fortunate to pick up our final Scavenger checkpoint item from a fellow who was leaving the Southbank Cinema Complet. Then we completed a 100 point "Maritime Challenge" at the Maritime Museum which was a bit finicky. We then sprinted more than half way over the Goodwill Bridge and picked up our last CP before Race Close.

How could I also forget to mention that I had to strap an orange helium balloon to my pack and carry it for the whole race to earn bonus points? Rose was fantastic at ensuring that I didn't run under any low branches as I kept forgetting that I had the balloon.

We finished the Challenge at 10pm, handed in our Points Card and will get the results in a few days.

We went home feeling pretty fatigued - I was trying to momentarily forget that I had to teach RPM Hi Performance at 8.10am this morning. I was so pleased to see Rose turn up to do the class - a kindred spirit who just "knew" what I was going through up there. I must admit I had a few very cautious dial turns up there this morning but I managed to pull through. I even found a pair of Shimano socks that I originally purchased with my cycling shoes which I call my "lucky socks " - I seem to have taught several decent classes with these socks, so I kept the legend alive and decided to wear them.

Miss S had come to RPM and shouted me a post workout "Surge". I think I could literally feel my body vacuuming it up this morning~!

There is another race coming up soon that hopefully we'll be able to participate in but for now, I'm just going to bask in the enjoyment of this one - it was great to work as a team, it was great that I was able to run around Brisbane without any ill effects and I'm so relieved I managed to do a half decent job with RPM this morning.

Now it is time for a nana nap :)

Racking more than my weights!

Since considering having my girls cheered up, I've spent a lot of time looking at magazines, other people's chests etc for some ideas of what I'd like them to look like when I'm done. Obviously not like the example above, though you could definitely knock yourself out with these whilst you're out running.

My goal is to remain looking athletic, but just a little bit curvier - though hubby suggested going 'a little larger'. Just what I expected a man to say, lol.

Woke up this morning to some pretty intense DOMS. With big compound moves like deadlifts and squats where you recruit not only prime movers but accessory muscles, it's a pretty normal phenomenon. My love affair with deadlifts has not only improved my glutes and my hamstrings (which are my weakest link) but also my back muscles.

Many women avoid lifting big weights for the fear of getting "too big". If I focus more on my quads, I certainly do look bigger. However most women by virtue of our anatomy have a less than satisfactory posterior chain - so it makes sense to work it hard - it also has a corrective effect. I'm getting bigger right where I need it - in the glute area. I'm nowhere near a Beyonce bubble but it's really nice to feel some muscle there finally!

Scale Question and Answer Time

A few posts ago I talked about not letting the scale do one's head in. I received a few emails about it and I want to share the email and my response.

Here it is:

"Just read your blog re: scales, Would LOVE your opinion on my thoughts below - here goes..
I am very anti scales.....given that there are so many reasons for variation, why should we weigh ourselves when it isnt a true indication...I TOTALLY understand that we have the control over how we interpret the number on the scales. I just think that too many of us freak about the number and become obsessive about being a particular number or losing so many kg's - a number! If we train hard and eat well and look good, why weigh? I know it's one of many tools to check progress (especially when preparing for comp etc) but when you weigh in daily and see the numbers fluctuate, i think it does more damage than good......I havent weighed myself since my last comp - i just knew that i would of been in a deep depression (post comp) knowing that i wouldnt be able to hold the scales at a weight i would be happy with...it's bad enough that the size 8's have to be put away until next comp.....gosh - i am sounding so mental right now - but do you get what i mean ???"

My answer:

I want to "challenge" you on a few points and see where the
cards fall, OK :)
1) Your weight, combined with other measurements is a TRUE indication
of where you're at. Alone, it ISN'T (due to normal natural
> fluctuations). You can't outrun a crap diet (as we all know,myself included).
> 2) If we have total control over how we interpret the number, then why
> would it do more damage than good to see a fluctuating scale, whether
> it be up or down?
>
> 3) Re deep depression about the scale: the scale is what it is, the
> scale has no emotion and could care less about what you think, so why
> give it the credence of basing your self worth on a number? This is
> where society has instilled in people a toxic relationship with scale weight and self worth.
> If you're fat, you're "undisciplined" and if you're "skinny" then
> you're good. You're worthwhile BECAUSE YOU EXIST, THIS IS NOT BASED
> ON YOUR BODY SIZE :)
>
> 4) I think worrying about clothing sizes is crazier than worrying
> about the scale, especially with vanity sizing and all. Personally at
> my current weight which is 6kg over competition weight I have items
> that are XS, 8, 10, 12, M and L.
> Depending on whether you do physique or figure, a healthy off season
> weight is anywhere from 5-7kg over comp weight.

I had a charming weight to report this morning - back in the 61s with the advent of TOM and the associated fluid retention that goes with it - I even thought I looked like a bit of a puff ball in the mirror, but I'm looking forward to the exit of this fluid in good time.

Had a great training session today: 60/60 intervals at 4:30 min k/6 min k pace for 10 cycles, Heavy Leg training. I was really focusing and let out the odd grunt today - there's a big deadlift monster lurking at Fitness First! Then I finished off with 20 minutes of steady state running. Apart from being a bit of a puff ball today, I'm feeling very strong :)

My other snafu today was forgetting my bra and undies to change into after my workout. A perfect excuse to go to Lorna Jane, which is next door to the gym. I decided to buy a padded workout bra with the idea of seeing what the old chest would look like with a little more plumage. Of course as soon as I put it on, I felt like I was one massive mono boob but when I looked in the mirror there really wasn't much difference at all! I have a bit of fear about being too big but somehow I don't think that will be an issue.

Kicking it Loud

I had an awesome workout yesterday - I taught RPM Hi Performance and totally thrashed it. I had thought after last week's effort that I wasn't going to raise the bar any higher for awhile, but yersterday proved me wrong again. I know I've been on about this for a long time in my blog, but the power of your mind is an amazing tool! You see, I was expecting the arrival of my good monthly mate and was feeling a bit low, but before the class I listened to my music and visualised a good teaching effort and good performance, which is exactly what happened. I don't think there's a better feeling exercise wise - the endorphins you receive after giving something your best shot.

I left on Cloud Nine and had morning tea with Miss S - our RPM meet ups on Saturday mornings have become a regular thing and so much fun to share the RPM love with someone who is just as keen for a thorough pasting as I am.

Today has been pretty low energy - I've been fending off the monthly attack with some super duper Naprogesics and planning for a great week ahead.

Going for Goals

Many motivational speakers talk about how important it is to be focused on the task in front of you. If you're an athlete, this becomes very important if you're preparing for an event or competition. I find myself very focused on my training to the point that I let the housework slide, which I think is perfectly fine. You can't be 100% at everything if you are truly to be 100%.

However today I had to take a housecleaning break. I cleaned our place from stem to stern and everything is now nice and organized.

I booked my second consultation with the surgeon and it doesn't look like I will be able to have the surgery until late May, which is perfectly fine - I've been in contemplation mode for a long time, so waiting a few months is no problem. In the meantime I'm going to keep enjoying my training. Next Friday is the first Adventure Race - it's called "One Night in Vegas" which I'm looking forward to immensely.

feeling my way through big decisions

It's been a few days since I blogged - I've had quite a few issues of a more personal nature to deal with - all is good though and I'm going to talk about one of them right now.

As many of you know, I have been considering having an abdominoplasty for a long time (several years!) and that one of my goals in becoming a Figure Competitor way back when was to see how far I could take my abs without surgery. I am very proud of what I've achieved but could not get rid of the loose skin no matter how hard I tried. Coupled with that I actually had a very funny looking "hole" close to my belly button. My GP suggested I have an abdominoplasty over a year ago, but I wanted to spend 2007 maintaining a stable weight and feeling good about myself. At my last annual check up we discussed it again and I agreed to get a couple of referrals to Plastic Surgeons for muscle repair and removal of the loose skin.

I had my first appointment with a surgeon on Monday morning. I was extremely nervous and self conscious and must have made at least three nervous visits to the bathroom as he was running an hour behind schedule. However the reason for his lateness it seems is the amount of time he spends explaining the surgery to his patients - my consult went for a solid hour. Initially he examined my skin and thought that I could opt for partial repair and then I lay down and he felt my diastasis - it is 10cm wide in places running from my sternum to pubic bone! No wonder I've been having trouble holding my tummy in! He then suggested a full abdominoplasty and showed me exactly what would happen and his unique approach to scar and swelling management. He wasn't confident that it would help my SIJ issues.

Then I don't know what came over me because I then asked him to have a look at my breasts - I didn't want big breasts but was it possible to lift what I had? His answer was that I hadn't really drooped but rather had shrunk and suggested small implants to take me from an saggy A cup to a B cup. He suggested I try on the recommended post surgery bra in the size I wanted. I chose a 12 B (I was a B/C before kids) and was horrifed to see that there was no way I could "fill" this bra. I don't understand why I've been so oblivious to my chest as I haven't worn a proper bra for the last few years, rather using those wonderful Bonds crop top/comp prep bras.

The worst part is that I'll probably have to take six months off training, though the surgeon said I should be back full throttle within about 12 months.

I've spent the better part of the last few days agonizing over this decision - questioning myself - "am I being too vain", "should this be of importance to you?", "is the down time worth it?" , "what if I have complications" etc etc.

Anyway I think I'm going to do it - wish me luck.

Training today:
Heavy legs
Deadlifts
Barbell Front Lunge
Pull Throughs
Single RDLs
Glute Ham raise (oooh aaah)

Run: 60 /60 intervals 20 minutes, 20 minutes steady state

Thank you to Deb!

Alas I am not the header creator, I have Deb (Splice) to thank for that!

Thanks Deb, it gives me so much pleasure looking at a custom template~

Strength and Power!

I have no idea who the model is but she looks as if she may kick some endurance athlete butt!

I've had a great day.

Taught RPM Hi Performance and had Alicia and Miss S in class going for broke. Had one of those "zen" classes where I just felt powerful, strong and up to dishing out any challenge.
Miss S and I then had post workout Biotest Surge. We had it mixed in about 3 glasses of water which I thought would give it a diluted taste, but it was just superb. I'm officially in love with Biotest Surge - I am off to the Biotest site to place my order!

We then went to the LesMills quarterly workshops and did the newest RPM (38). Didn't work all that hard - I must admit I was a bit shattered after Hi Performance and I have DOMS from all of my strength training all week. As Miss S would tell you, the only muscles that are working pain free right now are in my jaw :) We sat in the steam room after class for a little while and it was an awesome feeling to come out feeling so loose and limber!.

Did the post Valley black Poison drinkies (that's Diet Coke and Pepsi Max), had our Crunchola Recovery Meals and then went our separate ways.

This afternoon I've just been hanging out around the house and cruising.

Having a splurge icecream tonight and a bit of chocolate. Yummy yum~

Weight: 60.4kg

Why the scales shouldn't do one's head in

I hear this quite a bit from my clients - "aaah, I don't want to weigh myself, the scale does my head in". If you step back and re read this statement, can you see how nuts this statement is?

We have 100% control of what we think, say and feel and we have 100% control over how we are going to react to that number. A highly disproportionate amount of time is spent analyzing scale weight over other measures of progress - the thing is, that scale weight is a very useful measure, but it is just ONE item in the toolbox of things that we measure "progress" by.

I try to weigh myself daily if possible. If you are fully committed to your progress and are eating well and training hard, then you have nothing to fear the scale. Fear the scale only if stepping off it gives you the excuse to indulge in crap "because noone's looking".

Even if you're training hard and eating well the scale can be quite variable.

Reasons for variation include:
a) menstrual cycle changes
b) DOMS - lots of DOMS produces a lot of fluid as a by product of recovery, sending your scale weight higher than usual.
c) salty food - you retain fluid if diet is very salty
d) high carbohydrate intake. When you eat carbohydrate and it is digested, much of it is stored in our muscles and liver as glycogen. Glycogen provides us with ready to go fuel when we exercise. For every gram of carb that is stored, 3 grams of water are stored with it. "Carb bloat" is not a figment of your imagination.

Yesterday's eating and training was classic - I have severe DOMS, I ate a lot of carb yesterday dipped in soy sauce (salty) - you gotta love Sushi Rolls! These sorts of uncharacteristic eating days can give me a 2-3kg increase in scale weight. But knowing why variations occur is essential for me in brushing it off and drinking plenty of water!

Training Today:
Upper Body Strength training, including mobilization and preparation
Elliptical: 30 minutes steady state (harder than it sounds); Rower: warm up + 5 Tabata Intervals (ouch), Heavy Stationary Bike 5 minutes)

Think I'm getting the camera thing down

Here's a pic of Miss G and Miss S on first day of school, with Yours Truly in the middle. Now I've got my camera I'll be doing a bit more picture taking which I'm rather looking forward to.

I am pleased to say that I slayed the dragon that is leg training this morning. I didn't use much weight, but I didn't need to go that heavy to achieve complete and utter fatigue.

Workout went like this:
20 minute run: 8 minute warm up and 12 hard 50/50 intervals
Specific warm up and preparation, mobilization exercises.
Front Squats
Romanian Deadlift
Bulgarian Split Squats - my nemesis, though today I really felt like I made more "connection" through my glutes. Used a plate rather than dumbbells and made a big difference
Single Leg Back Extension with glute focus.
20 minute steady state run/stretch

Done and dusted!
Weight today: 60.5kg .

My little one is a baby no more!

Yesterday marked a milestone in our family. My baby, Miss G, started school today. I must admit I felt very strange as I saw her skittering (she doesn't walk quietly, she skitters) along in her uniform, complete with yellow bucket hat into the classroom. I felt strange that I had reached the end of an era - both girls off to school.

After drop off I went to Fitness First and did Upper Body Training and went for a run on the treadmill, as well as doing some bike work. Ran into Miss Alicia - her first day on the job as a PT - I think she'll enjoy rubbing shoulders with our crew here at Indro. This morning's workout involved RPM - I could not believe that 6 out of the 9 tracks John used this morning were tracks I had worked into my class this Saturday. There's a weird synchronicity there! It was a good workout and I rather enjoyed riding and experimenting with even more resistance than usual.

Then morning tea with Miss A and back home to do all the fun things like the washing and ironing.

I bought a new digital camera and am working out slowly how to upload photos with it. Today I'm putting in a photo of Cathe Friedrich who is working on her new series, STS (Shock Training System). I love the use of Gliding Discs/paper plates with lunges! There will be 37 DVDs which are incorporated into a full six month strength training program. I'm unsure of final cost at this stage but I think the series will be awesome for those who train at home. It goes without saying that any Aussies who are interested should get in touch so I can finalize orders.

Back to almost normality

After yesterday's events, things have almost returned to normal. I think about what happened yesterday and believe still that I was really lucky, the whole situation was not normal and that I'll keep being very mindful of my surroundings.

I taught RPM to a full house this morning. Nothing like looking at 44 bikes, all with riders on them. It was a good session this morning - got all my choreo right and felt fit and strong!

The girls are at school tomorrow. It is Miss G's first day as a Preppie and she is excited. I don't think I will know myself without a little person holding my hand. The end of an era. I will miss her, but mostly I am happy for her because I know how much she is looking forward to it.

I finally bought a new digital camera (ours got lost in the move), so hopefully you'll see a lot more family shots in the blog.

I've added the rhino in because I'm having a "I could eat the a... out of a rhino" kind of eating day. When I look back on what I've consumed today I can't really say I've missed out in the food department, so with my inner crave-o-meter firmly in check, I'm off to bed.

Fitness is a gift, be grateful

Yesterday I was going to type up a tome about how to eat well when you're in a nutritional minefield (aka Australia Day BBQ at relos)but I have put that on hold to describe today's events.

This morning I went for my morning walk. I left at 5.10am in full sunlight and walked a good couple of kilometres when I decided that to help acclimate my feet to bitumen that I would do a bit of running on the way home. I ran down the hill (about 500m) and towards our local service station where there was a young man in his early twenties loitering towards the path that I take to go home. Being cautious, I ran up the path on the opposite side of the road and decided to cross a good 100m or so in front of him to be safe.

Anyway imagine my horror as I'm crossing the road and here is this guy running toward me as if he is going to spear tackle me. I started picking up the pace as he drew level and he said to me that he wanted to "race me up the hill" (home is uphill all the way). I was getting really worried by this stage and told him I wasn't interested - then he started hurling abuse at me. I thought then that it was time to put the foot on the accelerator and I took off towards home and up the hill with him in hot pursuit. Good news is that I managed to outrun the bastard pretty quickly my thoughts were that he was probably high on something, likely speed, but my overwhelming thought was "thank goodness I'm fit".

I've spent the morning talking to the Police and describing the incident. It's not going to deter me from running, but it does pay to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times.

In Terminator 2, Sarah Connor had a point. Being prepared for anything is a must....

On Personal Responsibility

Ooh, looks like a good ol Friday post coming your way.

Today I had an interesting discussion with a gym member today about the criteria they used for choosing a personal trainer. Not surprisingly there was a bit about looks in there - if the trainer looks good, then often the client will aspire to "a body like theirs". Although I would prefer that clients chose their trainers on the basis of their credentials and experience, I do understand this phenomenon as many of us are really "visual" and want examples of the "trainer's work" eg the trainer themselves as a measure of how competent said trainer is.

However no trainer, no matter how well qualified, is going to take you where you want to go physique or fitness wise, unless you take responsibility for your workout. We can give you the tools, we can arm you with the knowledge and we can provide a kick in the pants if you need it. At the end of the day, it all comes down to you. Did you leave your class thinking "that was way too easy"? Truth is, it probably has more to do with you than your instructor.

The same idea works with nutrition - many people who are overweight develop this complex network of reasons that are contributing to the weird phenomena of them being over fat. Mostly what they're trying to do is dump the responsibility of their weight problem on someone else's shoulders - that's when they hire the "consultant" to do all their work for them. Does it work? Guess what I think!

Today I went for a 65 minute run. As I will be on the road for up to three hours in this adventure race, it's time for me to develop some endurance :)

Wrestling!

Today has been a day of wrestling with my Core 2 choreo - it is harder than it looks. I also did a workout that I often give clients (yes, I road test the workouts) - 12 cycles of 30 seconds on/30seconds off treadmill sprints + balance of time in steady state training (35-40 minutes total, including warm up). I also did Mike's Upper Body Workout and really focused today on the bench press. I experimented a little bit with the foot placement, placing both feet on the ground powerlifter style and arching my back - turned out to be a good move as I was able to lift the magnet that I have had taped to my sacrum for the last month off the padding.

I'm not exactly sure how the magnet works, but it has done wonders for my sacroiliac joint dysfunction. It's a different approach to what I usually do - my new physio is trying to re pattern a lot of my movement rather than simply correct my pelvis every time it slips.

What else - pretty good day nutrition wise - I made a rather yummy Mexican lasagna using low carb tortillas, ultra lean mince (you could try chicken), salsa and a little reduced fat cheddar sprinkled over the top (it's not Mexican unless there is a bit of cheese). I also put 1/2 can of refried beans in the mix.

Tomorrow I am possibly teaching RPM and going to try and squeeze in some deadlifts and squats - hopefully beforehand - it's never very pleasant doing anything to your legs after RPM

Another busy day

Love this quote today - a timely reminder for me of what will happen if you spend too much time ruminating, rather than doing.

Busy again today -taught RPM and had a little run. Tomorrow's effort involves some strength training and grappling again with Core 2. I'm not looking forward to it, but when it is done, it will be done ;)

Weekend Wrap Up

Another busy weekend wrapped up and another week to look forward to.

Recapping:
Taught CORE on Friday and then had the pleasure of having lunch with Lisa, who is doing mightily well on her "Lean and Green" Protocol - I handed over her copy of "Gourmet Precision V 2.0" with strict instructions not to drool over it until her L and G Protocol was over. Anyway, I'm looking forward to vicariously watching her journey this year.

Taught RPM Hi Performance on Saturday morning - felt this week's effort was much better, felt pretty good during and after the ride. Had a great morning tea with Miss S - just wish I could have stayed longer.

Today - practice CORE 2 - this release is a b*&tch! The choreo, hard to master in the "back" track and the "push" track - a killer, if you don't like tricep pushups on your toes.
I finished off by doing BodyBalance - only the third class I've ever participated in but enjoyable nevertheless.

Indecision and Evolution

It seems that my life has been full of indecision lately in varying degrees. For a start, I've been wrestling, rather than toying with the idea of competing again. One minute, I will say "yes" and the next minute I will say "no". After flipping again to "yes" on Saturday, I realized that on Sunday and on Monday and Tuesday that I didn't feel one bit excited about it - no "competition bug", nothing, whereas with many of the figure girls I know, it is the candle that is burning brightly in front of them without exception. It was this morning that I realized that I couldn't give myself to training for a competition, "no exception". At the same time I was also wrestling with doing my Bodyvive Certification - yay or nay - the program hasn't excited me but one of our Cluster GFCs had phoned me and asked me to consider doing the course etc etc.





The obvious answer it seemed was to go and do RPM. I was sitting next to Mark, who always pushes me to the absolute max when I participate and by the end of Track Seven, I thought I was going to die - I was pushing some major load and thought my heart would explode and that I was going to puke there and then but whilst I was there I had some good fortune.





Firstly the opportunity to be part of a team that is going to do Johnny G Spinning as well as RPM and secondly (the best bit) being invited to go Adventure Racing in Brisbane with good mates K and R - the race is on 15th February and it involves running all over Brisbane for 3 hours making different checkpoints and challenges and picking up all sorts of goodies along the way. This sounds like a lot of fun for an "Amazing Race" addict such as myself.



The best part about it is that I have never done an Adventure Race before and it gives me something to train for and focus on.

In regards to competing, I think it is one of the most amazing experiences I've had and it's even better when you're helping others out -again, I will say "never say never", but for now, I've got to step on this boat and see which path it leads me down the river. I can't wait to see where this one will take me.

Polly want a smackdown?

As I've written previously, I've suffered from bouts of depression over the years and twelve years ago I spent six months working with a fantastic psychologist who taught me all about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which I use to this day. Every time I would see her, she would be very calm, very collected and it would be easy to imagine that her life was sheer perfection, just by the way she carried herself. However, during the time she saw me, she was going through a separation, trying to keep her business going etc etc.

Today I want to bust the illusion that all coaches, teachers and mentors have perfect lives and that we handle them brilliantly . Instead of feeling eager to get up and get going, TOM decided to inflict me with more pain and sent in some IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) to set up camp for the day as well. After taking some Colofac, Nurofen, Panadol with a good measure of peppermint tea, I could see that fighting the above combination was not going to bring me any joy whatsoever - so I gave in and decided to have a rest day (on reflection, that was a brilliant decision!).

Instead, I took the girls to see "Enchanted" at the movies today - Patrick Dempsey really is McDreamy!

I took the girls for lunch at Sumo Salad and found a big horse fly in my salad (which I coolly and calmly returned, but what rotten luck!)

I'm exhausted, crabby and tired. The best part of my day will be curling up with The New Rules of Lifting for Women. Cassandra, if you're reading this - "I'm in love" - my head is about to fall off nodding in agreement!

Instead I took the girls to see "Enchanted" which we all enjoyed immensely. Patrick Dempsey really is McDreamy!

Do...or Do Not...There is no Try!

I'm always amazed at how many lines from "Star Wars" can be applied to the rest of life. George Lucas did a great job with these movies and Yoda's one liners always fire the old imagination.

Which leads me to my training today. Sometimes I have an off day where I don't feel like training and I don't feel like eating well - today has been one of them. It started with my alarm clock going off at 5am for my usual morning walk. I didn't feel like it one little bit, but reminding myself of my commitment to action, got up and did it anyway. Still feeling no better (TOM is giving me cramps), I think of asking somebody else to teach my RPM class - I don't feel inspired and the thought of Track 5 makes me want to puke in a bucket. However, I have all of these participants who I don't want to let down, so I put in a thorough effort and cane Track 5, even though I don't feel like doing it.

Then I'm back home to work.. typical of the day, I don't feel like cooking up a healthy lunch. I do it anyway. I don't feel like working - however, I'm doing it just the same. Dinner will be prepared on auto-pilot.

I will look back tomorrow and be thankful for what I achieved today. Sometimes you need to ignore your inner voice that is whining at you and telling you "it's too hard". There's a victory to be achieved by telling that critical inner voice to go and shove it, and victory to be achieved by just getting stuck into it. There will be no regret later on :)

Training today: walk 30 minutes (for mental sanity!), teach RPM 45 minutes.

Question and Answer Time - Cardio Before Weights or the other way around?

Friday just posted a question in the comments area of my last post which goes like this : "is there any particular reason that you do your run before your leg weights?", which I've interpreted as a variation of the age old question "cardio before weights or weights before cardio"?

My answer is - depends on what you're doing and aiming to achieve. You should always train "the most important thing" first when you're rested and "fresh". In other words, if you are training to gain muscle or strength, then prioritise accordingly - have a light warm up and do your weights first.

The lower body training I've been doing with Mike takes a lot of effort and there is a high energy cost involved, particularly as exercises such as deadlifts and squats use more than just the lower body. The weights are heavy and the reps are low. There is also a high neural (nervous system) cost involved as well.

For me, it's usually weights first.

Over the past few weeks though, I have had a change in focus to improving my aerobic power (how much work I can output given a certain heart rate), so yesterday's workout was a test to see where my endurance is right now. I need to maintain a high level of cardiovascular fitness to be able to teach classes such as RPM Hi Performance. In terms of how much muscle I own, I can definitely get away without trying for more growth in my legs these days. I love my cyclist's quads and my Bodystep calves! The leg workout was more about technique than heavy iron :)

Which leads to the question, "is training for strength and cardiovascular fitness mutually exclusive?" Most people benefit from doing both, however as you progress (depending on what your goals are), excessive amounts of both become counterproductive. For example you won't see many athletes who train for strength and power doing lots of long slow cardio and vice versa - you won't see many endurance athletes performing cleans in the gym.

Today's training: Elliptical Steady State 30mins (warm up)
Upper Body Specific Warm up and preparation:
Strength training: Chest/biceps (taking a more bodybuilderish approach for 3-4 weeks) 10-12 rep (cardio! ouch!) range
Treadmill: 30/30 Intervals x 10 (triple ouch)

Yummo!

My latest post workout recovery meal is a little bit like the picture above, except it contains way more cereal and Ladybird Protein Crunch.

Enter the "Crunchola Recovery Meal"
1 scoop Ladybird Crunch (15g)
20g Crunchola cereal in apple/cinnamon or apple and blueberry
200g Nestle Diet Vanilla Yoghurt or Strawberry or Mixed Berries Flavours
30g blueberries or raspberries (I use the frozen sort).

I usually take this to the gym in two containers. I simply dump the yoghurt and fruit into one and then mix the Crunch and Crunchola (like an old married couple!) in when I'm ready to eat.
Stats are 235 calories, 20.8 g protein, 31.7g carbs, minimal fat. This is a fantastic post workout PN compliant treat!

Training today was a 45 minute run at 11km/hr (steady state). I was pretty exhausted by the end though! Then I trained my legs and shoulders and I can already feel the DOMS setting in. Still not doing as much volume as previously, just easing back into things.

Scale weight up a little this morning, no problem. Which is going to lead me into another thing - putting the scale into perspective. I seriously want to jump off a cliff when somebody tells me that the "scale is doing their head in". Following on from other posts, we are 100% responsible for what we think, say and do, thus we are totally in control as how we decide we are going to react to a NUMBER. Do you let it define who you are? Do you avoid the scale with the "see no evil, therefore no accountability" lense? I will post more on this later.

On the flip side there are those who are obsessed with jumping on the scale ten times a day. This isn't any good either. For this , I recommend putting in the good habits first and reconnecting with yourself for a little while before you deal with your irrational beliefs about scale weight. It's not the scale that is the problem - it's what WE believe about scales that does our heads in.

Gosh, once I start rambling I can't stop myself :)

Training Update

Today I had the opportunity of participating in Ruthie T's RPM class. Amongst us Les Mills afficiondos, Ruthie T has legendary status, being the head choreographer for Bodystep until Release 55 (I think) and featuring in numerous Bodypump, RPM and Bodystep DVDs. I think Ruthie's gift lies in her ability to be "at ease" with herself and her participants. I worked hard and felt a zen like calm wash over me as I rode. I had my 10 minute obligatory warm up run beforehand and had an abbreviated chest and bicep workout.

I also got up with the sun and had a nice hour long walk to get the daily newspaper. I don't count this as working out, I call this early morning time to myself. I listen to my IPOD and enjoy some early morning quiet time because when I get home it certainly is anything but quiet.

I've enjoyed a little more scale loss this week and am edging closer to that 60kg mark. Nutrition has been good but not perfect. Tonight, I had Thai left overs with plenty of steamed veggies. In my old life I would have freaked out - "coconut cream---oooh how fattening - this meal isn't clean". In my new life I now know coconut cream contains good saturated fats and that it's not a reasonable portion of red curry of chicken, beans and eggplant with steamed rice (who can resist that) that will derail me, it's mindless eating and bad habits.

Heck, I even had Mexican the other night (which is a carb and fat fest) and rather than beating myself up for having such an offplan meal, said "oh well" and just got on with it, realizing that I haven't eaten a Mexican meal for well over a year. It's not the rare off plan meals that ruin a transformation, it's every day bad habits. (did I just say that - heck I must have wanted to make a point!).

More from Cass

Here's a few words of wisdom from Cass, my exercise phys on the other side of the world and New Rules of Lifting for Women Co Author:

1. Women always underestimate their strength. I've never once walked into a gym or weight room and seen a woman lifting to her full potential. If I do, however, her body composition reflects the hard work: she's lean, attractively muscular, and still very feminine. True - I was so fortunate to see a woman lifting heavier than I do in the gym the other day - she offered me a spot and now we can look out for each other in the weights room and support each other to better lifting!

2. Most women avoid lifting weights because they don't know how. You don't need anyone to show you how to use a cross-trainer or a treadmill, but it's a good idea to learn how to properly lift. Men usually learn from their buddies or their favorite magazine, but a woman has to learn either by following her boyfriend around the gym or reading a non-female magazine (because most female magazines are worthless). The better way is to seek a good personal trainer: one who won't just promote bicep curls and only lifting weights less than 10 lbs dumbbells. Women have to stop using the excuse that they don't know how to weight train because weight training is the best way to achieve the body that they've always desired.

3. Women do not need to train differently than men. Period. Amen!

4. Protein is still the most misrepresented macronutrient in the diets of most women. Women still think that low-fat, low-protein diets will make them lose more weight, when in fact, an equal balance of high-quality protein, fat and plant-source carbohydrates is the best way to positively influence body composition. Have fish, poultry, eggs, beef, pork, cottage cheese, ricotta, or whey protein every time you eat a meal. I agree, the key, the secret!

5. Arachidonic acid, the n-6 polyunsaturated fat, in plasma membranes is good. Free arachidonic acid in the circulation is bad. There's a difference. True, arachidonic acid may lead to pro-inflammatory eicosanoids if released from the membrane, but if you eat a diet that reduces oxidative stress (i.e. with antioxidant foods, no trans fats, low sugar) arachidonic acid will stay in the membrane and serve its positive role as a polyunsaturated fat. I need to read all about this :)

6. It's harder for women to lose weight than men with exercise and diet. Mostly this occurs because women gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously while training which causes their body weight to stay the same. Also, psychologically, women tend to believe that they need to severely under-eat in order to lose weight. This often leads to failure with any diet plan because it's not providing enough calories to allow her to workout or to function normally throughout the day. Therefore, women first need to not judge themselves by a number on the scale to determine if they're body composition is changing and secondly, they need eat enough food to give them energy to exercise effectively and to not force them to abandon the food protocol to which they've committed. I often wonder why women are so scared to try something different. After all, the restrict-binge way of life doesn't work...as we all know!

7. If you hold your body fat in your abdominal region then you should reduce the amount of carbohydrates in your diet and increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids (from fish, walnuts, and flax). A large waist circumference is positively correlated with insulin resistance, which means your ability to process carbohydrates is limited. Several lines of recent research have showed that low carbohydrate diets containing less than 30% calories as carbohydrate are most effective for battling belly fat. They also increase insulin sensitivity. Omega-3 fatty acids (especially the fats in fish oil) are also well-researched for their ability to promote increased fat burning and improve carbohydrate processing. Liz's note: Some women do very well on macros like this, whereas other women will do better with slightly higher carbs and lower fat. Increasing you intake of Omega-3 fatty acids is a good thing.

8. If a woman loses her menstrual period and is actually eating enough calories to sustain her metabolic demands, then it's likely an overactive stress response that is inhibiting her reproductive hormones. In this situation, she should evaluate her stressors and look for ways to promote relaxation. Sometimes this may mean time off from working out, time away from work on the weekends, and spending more time with people who make you happy. Losing your period not only has negative consequences for long-term bone health, but also depresses the immune system and makes it harder to reach a desired body fat level. Amen to that. Eat enough calories and minimize stress responses.

9. Women use fat for fuel better than men and need more protein to promote muscle protein synthesis. This means that fat and protein are definitely macronutrients that should not be limited in any woman's diet. Agreed~

Feeling Fat? Then guess what....

Fat is not a feeling!

When you hear others describe emotions, do you hear words such as angry, happy, excited, resigned, positive or sad? Do you ever hear anyone describe an emotion called "fat"? You may carry fat on your body (as we all should) but you cannot feel fat. You are more than just your body - you have your psyche or your soul - your psyche doesn't weigh anything and fat does not live as an emotion there.

Then what is fat - what it is - a chemical structure with certain characteristics just like other molecules eg salicylates have their own structure and function.

When somebody says that they're feeling fat, it's really a smokescreen for something else that is going on in your life - so go beyond thinking "fat" and really work out what is going on. Many people are scared of feeling a negative thought. What is the worst thing a negative thought can do? Heck, it can be unpleasant but the take home message is that it won't KILL you.

That's it for today - off to teach RPM just for something different

Yip, yip...a training post..finally~

Hooray, after the insanity of the past two days I can finally write a decent training post:

Yesterday's training: run 30 minutes 4 x 1km repeats at 4.45minute k pace +5.15 warm up and cool down.

Decline Dumbbell Press 3 x 8 (I am sore today)

Today's Training: Elliptical warm up + ten 30/30 intervals and cool down 15 minutes, assorted bits and pieces of strength training with Miss S - she just loved the clock push ups..yeehah and finally I taught "Core". I wasn't looking forward to this one little bit because I know that I am going to be suffering the dreaded leg DOMS tomorrow. Started off a bit hesitantly but once I got going, all seemed to go well.

Today's Eating: I'm still a bit all over the shop - haven't had a chance to check out my GN properly and ended up eating a McDonalds Lean Burger for lunch. But, hey, at least it didn't cost me $45.00

Today's Body: Weight a hair under 61kg and that's with a truckload of DOMS and bloating. I'm looking forward to a bit of fluid release overnight~

Coming up for air!

Today hasn't exactly gone to plan. One sick husband and three children to look after, not two..lol. Only workout I got in was walking everywhere and taking the girls to the park. Better than nothing!

Hopefully I'll be able to write a smashing post about my training tomorrow!

More about the road I'm travelling

We had a fantastic New Year's celebration last night and I am reporting that the curries were fabulous, though rather rich. However my first goal is to start cooking some of the recipes in "Gourmet Nutrition" which came from Precision Nutrition ( www.precisionnutrition.com ) last week. I've been racking my brains trying to think of new goals and plans and have been flip flopping around in a pit of indecision.

I know I wrote about my plans in my previous post, but I'm still work in progress there.

About the book: I'd like to write a book about how to "live lean and love life" from the Liz perspective. I have been immensely fortunate to have worked with such a wide variety of clients and friends who have taught me so much about this from so many different angles. I'd like to be able to show others that living lean and loving life is within everyone's reach. Yes, it requires discipline and hard work, but nothing that is good comes easy.

About my fitness goals: As I have previously posted, I have been considering having abdominal repair surgery to fix up my separated abdominals (diastasis) as a result of having a very large baby. I have been doing a lot of research and speaking to a lot of other health professionals and it does seem that having this surgery done will go a long way in helping me with the stability problems that have plagued me for the last 7-8 years. I don't have appointments with the surgeon/s until February and late March though. So....my current plan is to continue to raise the bar as much as I can with both strength training and my cardiovascular fitness. I have been very pleased with Mike's work and have learnt a lot from him. I was amazed to look in the mirror today and see a lot of hamstring growth as a result of really focusing on the posterior chain. Cardio wise, I am enjoying a good level of fitness right now - my aim being to be as tough as old boots (aka unstoppable) on the bike. I am also restarting Clinical pilates in preparation for the surgery, should I go ahead. Leanness wise, I am hanging around the 60-61kg mark - I feel my best at 57-58kg so my aim is to start nudging off a little body fat this month.

About my coaching/teaching goals: My aim is quality, not quantity with clients. I am taking on fewer clients this year because I want to give the ones that I already have a higher level of service. I have really enjoyed being on the coaching end of things this year and want to continue to develop my skills in this area. On the teaching side of things, I love teaching my classes and enjoy all of the friendships I've made at the gym immensely. I had such a great time doing RPM this afternoon and feel so lucky to enjoy things so much.

About my family and personal goals: I want to become a "Tuckshop Mum With Triceps" this year - my baby is going to school and I want to spend a little time doing something for both of my girls at school. I can't leave out my DH though - I'd like to spend more time having fun with him too.

Wow, that has turned into rather a ramble.

I'll just post my training stats for the day:

Run: rolling fartlek (yes, I want to snigger every time I post this word!) run 20 minutes

Iron Work: mobilization/stretches: Romanian Deadlifts 3 x 10, Front Plate Squat 3 x 10

RPM HiPerformance (John E) 55 minutes.

2008, I'm ready!

I hope everyone has a fantastic New Year and successful 2008.

I love the beginning of the New Year for the realm of possibilities it presents. I love making plans and even better, following through on them!

Right now, I'm gathering my thoughts about a few things -

a) when to have the repair surgery done (I am thinking winter as you do need to wear a compression garment for a good few weeks after), plus I want to be fully fit to help everyone backstage in the April/May comps.

b) whether I should consider a comp pre surgery - this will depend of course on the surgeon and other things - so no true commitment there yet.

c) Inspired by some of the other bloggers around here, I'd like to write a book...any takers?

d) Taking my RPM a little further, doing Proinstructor and hopefully getting more involved mentoring other instructors.

Ah, decisions! Right now an evening of eating curry and imbibing sparkling water awaits ;)

Before I depart, I'd like to thank all of my Blog readers and fellow Bloggers for all of your encouragement and support this year. I hope 2008 is wonderful for all.

Thai Harder?

Don't you just love this Thai Green Curry of Veggies?

DH and I have decided to do a Thai inspired New Year's Eve bash - he thought of having family around and I thought that instead of the usual BBQ fare, that Thai would be fun. We are in the middle of making:
Massaman Lamb Curry
Thai Green Curry of Chicken and Holy Basil
Red Curry of Pumpkin and Eggplant
Various appetizers
DH has gone on a bit of a cooking bender and taken over the kitchen. I don't know whether that's a good thing or not, judging by the number of cans of coconut milk that are being used in our concoctions :)

I am taking care of dessert but going more Canadian and making a Saskatchewan style Bumbleberry Crumble. I fell in love with Saskatchewan pie when I lived there :), just not Saskatchewan itself.

I've had a day off training today. I'm continuing the "slug" theme!

Sore wings and training for today

I know I said that I wouldn't do any strength training until next week, but I managed to slip in a run and some upper body training yesterday. Whoa, am I sore, particularly in the lat area and triceps - courtesy of some wide grip low cable rows for the back (excellent for developing overall posterior (back) strength in the upper body, plus shoulder friendly. Then there were the throatcrushers (say no more!) for the triceps. Ouch!

Last night I found out that I had to teach two RPM classes back to back today - firstly my Hi Performance class at 8.10am then the 9.30am class. I had a good laugh with the absent instructor telling her that I'd just polished off an enormous icecream in an equally enormous waffle cone (after eating all of my veggies of course), so that the second class would be just the ticket.

I gave it a good whack in the first class and then as there were three other instructors at the club who could take the second class, I decided to give it to someone else and participate (as she had my DVD). This served another purpose - one of my New Year's resolutions is to get around and participate more in other instructors' classes . I don't think I gave it my best effort after the pasting I got in Hi Performance, but it was lovely to hand the reins over and simply enjoy the riding experience.

After such effort initially, I've been a bit of a slug for the rest of the day. What are weekends for anyway :)

Nutrient Secret Bars are here

I've just received shipment of Slim Secrets latest bars, "Nutrient Secrets". I have been "trialling" them over Christmas. They are neat little bars, almost exact 40-40-20 ratios for protein, carb and fat and taste pretty good.

As far as I'm aware, The Fitness Solution is the only online store that has these in so far, yeah me!

I have six bars to give away for free - if you'd like one please visit my site ( www.thefitnesssolution.com.au ) and contact me via the store button. The first six of you to get in touch will get a free bar!

I'm still sharing the love.

Making my inner Exercise Physiologist jump for joy!

I am a big fan of the original book, "New Rules of Lifting" and imagine my delight, when a couple of months ago I found out that a Women Specific version was being released. I already know a bit about Alwyn Cosgrove and Lou Schuler but I didn't know anything about Cassandra Forsythe, the female contributor for this book.

Anyway, after a bit of Googling, I came across Cass' blog - she's got a degree in Exercise Physiology and is doing her Ph.D in exercise and nutrition. She has also competed in Figure comps and is one of those people that lives what she believes (Amen!). She has some great stuff in her blog, which she has given me permission to copy and paste.

The first post is about "Exercise Hyperphagia" (increased appetite with exercise).

Exercise what?", you ask?Hyperphagia = noun, Abnormally increased appetite for and consumption of foodIn Gary Taubes new book (with which I’m completely absorbed), “Good Calories, Bad Calories”, he suggests that exercise may not be the answer for weight loss because it increases one’s appetite.This statement is completely true. Exercise does increase your appetite. How many times have you had a totally hard workout, where you’ve almost completely lost all desire for food because you were so tired, to then feel completely famished only a few hours later? This massive desire for food sometimes just doesn’t seem to be satisfied to matter what you decide to eat. You’d like to keep on eating, but you knew that all your efforts in the gym would be negated, if they weren’t already.This phenomenon is exactly what Gary has presented and it’s more than just the thought of one author. Here in our exercise research lab at the University of Connecticut, we’ve observed the same thing. In some of our exercise & weight loss studies, especially those involving a lot of aerobic activity, many participants have a hard time losing weight because they’re always hungry. Interestingly, this occurs more often in women than it does in men.Now, this sexual dimorphism (i.e. difference between men and women in hunger response to exercise) may be due to the energy deficit women experience compared to their male counterparts. To explain, say you have Joe and Jane, both eating and exercising to lose weight. Joe’s body needs at least 2000 calories to maintain his metabolism (his RMR) and eats 2600 calories a day to see his abs. When he exercises, he expends 350-400 calories which leaves him about 200 calories over his RMR, but still loses weight and fat, and isn’t hungry. Now, Jane only needs 1500 calories to support her RMR, but, due to the silly weight loss advice she reads in most magazines, she’s only eating 1200 calories a day to minimize her thighs and make her waist smaller. When she exercises, she expends about 250-300 calories per session, which now puts her in a severe calorie deficit. She loses some weight and fat, but she can barely control her appetite because she’s basically starving herself. She can hardly stick to her diet plan and usually binges several times per week. Clearly, if Jane ate more, and ate foods that were more satiating, she’d have a better chance at meeting her weight and fat loss goals.The difference between men and women may also be due to the energy conservation mechanisms that are inherent in a women’s genetic makeup. Women are traditionally the child-bearers, which is an activity that requires plenty of energy (food). When exercise is thrown into the picture, the energy lost tries to be recovered by the body through an increase in appetite.Despite the fact that exercise can greatly increase hunger, especially in women, it’s still beneficial for body re-composition goals. When one is trying to change the way their body looks, exercise helps to diminish fat stores and increase muscle mass so the body appears firmer and more sleek. Exercise is also beneficial for the cardiovascular system, enabelling you to sustain activity for a longer period of time without feeling like someone kicked you in the lungs. Finally, it is well known for reducing risk of developing chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease.So, if exercise makes you so hungry that you feel like it’s not even worth it, what should you do?Well, first, since you’re more than likely going to be hungry after you workout, have a plan in place of good things you should eat. Don’t hide cookies in your cupboard, with hopes that you won’t find them, because when your hungry strikes, you’ll reach for them for sure. Make sure you have easily accessible good protein, fat and carbohydrate foods pre-prepared, such as cooked chicken, or tuna in a can, raw nuts and avocados, and fresh fruits, vegetables and whole cooked grains like barley and brown rice. This way, when you come home after a long day and a hard workout, you won’t be tempted to order out for pizza, but instead have a healthy satisfying meal at home.
Then, always make sure you don’t wait too long after eating to engage in a serious workout. For example, if you usually workout at 4:30 pm, always make sure you eat a complete protein with some fat and/or carbohydrate no later than 2:30 pm. If you know your workout is going to be more than an hour and a half long, you should eat no later than 3:30 pm. As I’ve said before, you need this food to allow you to have an effective workout. If you’re concerned about fat loss, then just wait at least 30 minutes AFTER your workout before you eat to lengthen the fat-burning window. A good pre-workout food would be something like a scoop of whey protein, mixed with water or milk, poured over 1/3 cup Fiber One cereal + 1/3 cup Kashi Puffed Whole Grains, with 1 Tbsp of unsalted sunflower seeds.Finally (for now), since blood sugar fluctuations are a major stimulus of hunger, prevent extreme highs and extreme lows by eating slow-digesting, low-glycemic carbohydrates (such as spouted grain bread vs. a honey bagel) with a small amount of health fat (such as almond butter) and a complete protein (such as whey protein, chicken, fish, eggs, etc). If you let your blood sugar levels spike by eating food rich in sugar or refined starch, you’ll never be able to control exercise-induced hunger when it strikes.In my new book, the “Women’s Health Perfect Body Diet”, I write a lot more about why we’re hungry and how we can prevent it. Although the title of the book says “diet”, the book is more than just an average Jane diet plan. It comes complete with 75 original recipes that I created (that actually taste good and are easy to make) and 3 effective workout programs, that are specific to your body type. Also, in our book, "The New Rules of Lifting for Women", Lou, Alwyn and I emphasize over and over again that women have to eat quite a lot of calories or their bodies will revolt and halt their progress in the gym.(Note, this blog didn’t start out as an advertisement. I’d been thinking about this topic for a few days and just realized that the information tied into my new book. You don’t have to buy the book. I just thought I’d pass along the word).


Take home message? Fit girls need to eat to support their training! If you're going to cane it in the gym, eat accordingly!

Back on the Bike!

Today I taught RPM, yes, on Boxing Day. Apparently our Fitness First was the only one in Queensland to open on Boxing Day and I was fortunate enough to have a full house this morning. I really enjoyed the class this morning, and left the gym in high spirits. Had a bit of a chat with Miss R (hey Miss R, sorry I chewed your ear off with RPM philosophy!) - then it was off to pick up the paper, pick up plates from my parents and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

I had a great Christmas - I was lucky enough to receive a gift voucher from DH from Sunglass Hut to replace my well worn sunglasses and I managed to score six (!) boxes of chocolates for Christmas. I'd best change my side bar - I think it is going to take me a long time to polish off those suckers, unless DH gets there first.

Tomorrow I may do some weights, but am planning to just cruise training wise until the New Year - I lost very few classes over the last two weeks, but dropped the weights - my lower body has been pretty sensitive and reactive. The DOMS I will have will certainly be no picnic.

Best be off to work out New Year's Eve celebrations with DH - we are going to have an Indian themed evening.

Yearly wrap up and Christmas Greetings to all

I don't think I'm going to have another chance to post before Christmas, so I thought I'd do a quick yearly wrap up of 2007. I must mention Combatgirl, who has inspired the "what 2007 has meant to me" post - Thanks, Miss Combat.

If I had to sum up the year, 2007 has been one of tremendous personal growth, starting with the five months I had in Woop Woop before we moved back here. Living there taught me that I can put up with a lot more than I think.

In Woop Woop, the idea of developing myself as a fitness and lifestyle coach started to emerge and I officially began my website, The Fitness Solution, in April/May. This coincided with our move back to Brisbane, where I got straight back into my Group Fitness job at Fitness First, considered personal training and helped the kids adapt to yet another move.

My other goal was not to compete and learn to maintain my weight after such a big weight loss. The biggest thing I have solidified in my mind is that you cannot out exercise poor nutrition. Living lean means eating well most of the time for me (and 99% of the general population). My weight has stayed fairly stable all year :)

I got to try out new training techniques and methodologies thanks to Mike Robertson and I got a great look into the world of powerlifting, thanks to Lisa S.

I had the opportunity to enjoy two fantastic bodybuilding shows as Shannon C's coach. I think I almost enjoyed cheering Shannon on more than I enjoyed competing myself, it was a lot of fun - every time I see a packet of jelly snakes, I think of her!

It was great to be involved in the launching of Fitness First "Core" and to continue teaching RPM and Bodystep. Even though Group Fitness pays peanuts, it has taught me so much about what motivates and encourages others and myself - priceless really.

Hmm, what else - have been blessed to have unfailing support from DH and the girls (who help me with my RPM choreo and know the words to all the songs) and friendship from both my real life friends and internet mates. Thank you very much.

Finally, to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and blessings for the New Year ahead. I chose this photo of the baby Jesus because babies represent so much about the future - the dreams, the hopes and possibilities that we all have. Plus I never cease to marvel at the sheer perfection of a new born.

See you after Christmas!

Slapping my Inner Princess

After many posts about positive thinking and powerful behaviour, I woke up this morning to a petulant Inner Princess.

This year I have been working hard at maintenance and had made the comment to a lot of friends that if I could nail the problem I have had with baking, then I could truly say that I have fully completed my journey. You see, every time I would bake, I would pick, troll, lick the beaters and do everything I shouldn't do even before the cakes, cookies etc hit the oven. Over the past few years, I've tried many different counters to combat the situation. Telling myself "no trolling for food" didn't sink in.

This had been bothering me as I could see that I had been dabbling in plain bad behaviour and the "I can't control this" attitude was creeping in. Of course I could "control it". I just needed a different cue.

Inspiration came to me in the form of a sentence. "Don't eat standing up". The penny had dropped. I've been so busy this week ensuring that I have been seated when eating and mindful of what I've been eating that I've not wanted to "fail" this particular challenge. So I roadtested the theory with baking. I baked twice yesterday, once in the morning and once in the evening and I am pleased to say I did not touch morsel of anything. I was more interested to see whether the "no standing" theory would work for me and I'm pleased to say that I've found the "missing link" to my own personal puzzle. And on looking in the mirror, it's also had a positive effect. It's only taken me a good two years to work out, so my advice to anyone that feels like giving up on themselves - just keep going!

After yesterday's victory though, my Inner Princess is really challenging me today - telling me that I can let the reins go. I know her well enough now to know that the negative talk is just garbage and that I can deal with her (by sitting on her crown...ouch).

In other updates on me, I did one of Mike's upper body programs this morning and taught "Core". Tomorrow I have a Bodystep/RPM doubler and RPM on Sunday and Monday, so this easier day has done me good!

I also have appointments to get my separation checked out early next year. Until then, life goes on as normal.

More from my couch

I regularly receive email about this blog and of course email from clients. I'd like to share some of my philosophies with some questions and answers.

Why do I have to work so hard? Such and such a person is doing this and getting 'x' results!

Firstly, I want to ask you who you are taking the journey for - yourself or "such and such"? The truth is that everyone's realities when it comes to health and fitness are different. I have to work hard to stay healthy and maintain my weight, so does Craig Harper, yet you don't hear either of us bitching about how "hard it is". We just accept it, deal with it and do the best we can. I have other clients with extremely robust metabolisms but poor thought processes surrounding them. The key is accepting and understanding YOUR REALITY right now. Work with what you've got RIGHT NOW and start accentuating the positive (see below). Live your journey for YOU.

Why can't I eat just for the sheer pleasure of it?

Hell, I'm not stopping you!. It's called a "planned indulgence" - yes, that's right, something that you eat just because it tastes good. Life is too short to eat crappy food. Life is also too short to eat yourself comatose having a "free day". The only freedom I see is freedom from common sense.

"You made me keep a log and it triggered me to overeat."

Must have been a powerful piece of paper! I've never known anything inert to trigger certain behaviours. My advice: take responsibility for what you did and try to work out the situation that triggered it. If you still come back to a sheet of paper or a spreadsheet, you need a thicker skin, Tiger.

PS - many studies have shown that keeping a food log to be extremely beneficial with long term weight control.

"You eat perfectly all the time, but I can't over this time of year"

Hello, staying well isn't about being perfect all the time. It's about being consistent. Try substituting your can't with won't and re read the statement. Again, it's all about choice. It's commendable to be intuitive with your eating and being more aware of oneself. But it doesn't do you any good having no modicum of character and discipline in your life. Allowing yourself to "eat intuitively" does not mean "I can shovel heaps of poor quality crap down the old pie hole just because I feel like it". There are other overriding factors such as overall health and well being that factor in. Loving yourself and being intuitive sometimes means saying "no".

PS - I am far from perfect, but I'm pretty consistent.

"Isn't 'eating clean' just a pretty name for another diet?"

Depends how you define "diet". If you're talking caloric restriction, I'm in the "no" camp. Eating clean aka eating healthfully and staying away from highly processed stuff is beneficial to health and sporting/life performance.

"yeah, but" and "I can't"

This means a) I have an excuse for everything and b) I won't.

PS - I never saw this couch jumping episode but if I saw my kids doing this, I'd throttle em :)

What can you do?

In my last post, I spent a bit of time writing about how changing your thinking can change your life. Sounds good in theory - now how do you put it into practice?

The best thing you can do is give yourself some credit for a job well done. It may seem odd to everyone who knows me as an RPM instructor who loves to work really hard, that my first foray back into exercise was to ride an exercise bike I had hired from the local pharmacy for 5 minutes. Yes, on my first day of committing to change my lifestyle, I lasted on the bike for 5 minutes! Now rather than call myself a complete failure and imagine all these successful Lycra clad RPMers around me, I decided to simply say to myself, "nice work". This was then all I needed to hop back on the bike and try for six minutes the next day. As you all know, the rest is history!

I applied the same credit towards my changes in nutrition. I found learning to eat less carbohydrate and more protein daunting, but each time I got the balance right, I would tell myself that I'd just taken a step in the right direction. I'd praise myself for eating more vegetables - a few years ago you couldn't get me eating tomatoes and cucumbers but today, they feature in nearly every salad. I'm still working on alfalfa sprouts though!

I went back to the gym. I saw members I knew in my thinner days. Some told me I'd "gained weight" (duh!). I just put my head down and trained..."good job, another step, awesome ride.." - I would tell myself. Because, when the going got tough and I made mistakes or overate at points, I would tell myself, "this is tough, but I can do this. I'm just learning from my mistake, keep swimming!"

Then I started getting positive reinforcement from others around me. It was nice, but didn't really mean as much to me as learning to like myself the way I was at any given point in time. Sooo, don't forget to give yourself positive feedback for a job well done and remember fit, strong girls are gorgeous!

This morning I taught RPM which today was sheer hard work! This was reflected in my HR monitor stats telling me I'd burnt 550kcals in 45 minutes. Wowsa! I made a few mistakes into Track 7, but at that stage I was willing myself home (see more positive talk~) - think it's a combo of humidity and holidays :)

Best be off now. As our dear Rae says, "keep training hard and eating well!". Couldn't agree more really!

Save the Cheerleader, save the world OR..

Change your thinking, change your life!

Lately I have been doing a lot of reflecting about how your thinking affects the way you live, move and breathe. Over the years I've come to the conclusion that learning to think objectively is the cornerstone to success in the whole physique transformation process, and rest of life really.

Think about the messages you give yourself - if they are generally negative, they poison your heart, soul and spirit. I call it "poisonous thinking", Dave Greenwalt calls it "stinkin thinkin" - and as you can imagine it's pretty unhelpful. I cannot tell you how many emails I have had over the years where said client beat themselves up over their mistakes ..you know, how stupid and incompetent they are..they're failures...you get the drift..... and you thought I was going to beat you over the head?

Now imagine if in the same situation you began to look at your thoughts more objectively and made decisions based on these thoughts instead. What if you said "Hmm, what triggered this reaction. OK, I was feeling anxious about "x". What could I do to tackle this situation better next time. OK...a) b) c) d). I'll move on from this mistake now. Mistakes give us an opportunity to learn and grow". Bet you're already feeling better.

Another theme that is common is those seeking success is the "when I lose weight..I will then...". I was a victim of this mentality myself before I made changes. I would always say 'when I lose weight, then I will book the holiday, buy the clothes etc". I had to learn to live in the "now" and accept myself for where I was at that stage of the journey. Accepting yourself as you are is truly key. It doesn't mean that you're not wanting to seek self improvement, but rather your eyes are open to the possibility of what you CAN achieve versus what you CAN'T.

On that note, I'm off to "therapy"!

What's your therapy?

Can you tell I need to give that bike a good thrashing in the morning!

Despite my weekend not getting off to a great start, I've been very productive today and done a lot of admin.

That's it for tonight!

McMoney, Deep Fried Cheese and a Hangover (not mine)

You can just look at the title of this post and know that it's going to be a beauty! It follows on from the theme of "Christmas Madness" very nicely.

Last night, we went to DH's Christmas get together, which I was told was "drinks and dinner" at Alchemy on the Brisbane River. I was rather looking forward to a nice three course dinner (and a Diet Coke, as I have an allergy to alcohol - it makes me extremely ill if I ingest it, even in cooked meals- that is another story). I met DH there a little late and it appeared to me that they had already eaten plenty of appetizers (except for deep fried cheese that I tried with much reluctance - I was starving). Well our little group, sans me, drank and drank and drank. Apart from being completely disillusioned watching everyone drink themselves silly, I was beginning to wonder by 8pm whether we were actually going to eat or not. By 8.30pm I told DH that I had to leave and find something to eat. DH agreed and we decided to go to "Char Char Cha" which apparently cooks some of the best steaks in Australia.

I don't eat steak often, but every now and again I really love to eat a steak. We ordered and were chatting when, suddenly DH sits up straight, calls the waitress and cancels his order, telling me he suddenly felt sick. I did likewise and on leaving, I begin to realize that DH had drunk too much - out into the fresh air we went and I raced off to McDonalds and had a burger - it was 9.30pm and I was desperate!

We then got back to the parking lot to pay for the parking and nearly fell over when the parking total was $40.00. Then I started to get mad - I had just paid $44.00 for a McDonalds dinner and had a less than stellar evening with DH! DH started moaning about "why do these evenings always happen to us" - in my cranky state, I said "don't say us, say me".

I drove home and dropped off DH, who was profusely apologetic (I have only seen DH get drunk twice) , and then drove another 40 minute round trip to pick up the kids who were at the Outlaws house.

I came home to DH throwing up and generally being unhappy but I was so tired and cranky by this stage, I just wanted to eat and go to bed. So cornflakes and milk it was followed by the solemn resolution that Christmas parties revolving around drinking and blotto company rather than fine food and friendship are no longer on my agenda.

On a more positive note, I taught my beloved RPM HiPerformance this morning and got to ride with two mates, Miss S and Miss N (whose names I have abbreviated, in case after this morning's ride have had enough of me ;) ). Absolutely caned the living daylights out of myself and enjoyed a post RPM Diet Coke, water and Sumo Salad.

Needless to say, I went home after my workout and chit chat feeling like balance had been restored to the Force

Christmas Madness

That time of year again when it seems like everyone goes mad with parties, functions, shopping and the like, only to pack out the gym in January! Actually numbers in classes have been quite positive - maybe not as many as usual but it is nice to see people looking after themselves and having a quick ride, run or session with the weights.

I forgot to mention all of the school break up parties which obviously have more impact if you have more children. Miss G finished today and big sis will finish on Friday. School break ups mean "bring a plate" - Miss G requested banana cake and Miss S asked for poppy seed cake - I will be surprised if her classmates take to all those little black seeds.

Taught RPM this morning and gave it a good smack. Off to parents-in-law for dinner. Seriously I will be glad to go hide under my little rock post Christmas.

RPM weekend!

I've had a rather busy weekend teaching RPM. I taught RPM Hi Performance (which Fitness First describes as a "one hour monster") on Saturday morning and then regular RPM yesterday afternoon - I taught RPM this morning and went for a run as well. I'm also teaching RPM on Wednesday (just for something different!)

It's little wonder that all of this cardio has found me extremely ravenous today. I've polished off a 500g bag of stirfry veggies already today in addition to all of my regular treats and will probably add another bag tonight!

OFf for another visit to the physio tomorrow - the clicky knee is slowly improving and we are doing more stability work and trying a magnet to help activate TA more. She has also been doing some research into diastasis repair and core stability, so I'm looking forward to more answers tomorrow.

Not much else to report. I'm tied up with Christmas preparations and this week should be head down, butt up!