The Million Dollar Question

Our family were having a rather fun time tonight coming up with the types of questions that should be asked as the final one on "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire". I was suggesting that the question be about something that we should really know about, almost off by heart, but cannot remember for the life of you when you're in that hot seat.

The conversation turned towards the programs that the kids watched when they were little. We felt that, at the time we knew every episode of "Teletubbies", "Thomas the Tank Engine" and "Bob the Builder" off by heart.. Therefore it was highly amusing when Hubs asked me, "for a million dollars ....what were the names of all of the characters in Bob the Builder?" I managed Bob and Wendy and Spud the Scarecrow and was feeling really chuffed with my efforts thus far when hubs said, "what about the cat?" I couldn't remember its name and we all started singing "Bob the Builder" at the tops of our voices to try and jog our memories.

"I have it! The cat's name is Pilchard!" I yelled (one million wasn't going to slip through my finger tips that easily).

Somehow we managed to get through all of the characters except for the cement mixer - nobody could remember the name at all.

I'm embarrassed to say that I went and looked it up on the Internet. I want to be able to go to bed and rest easy in the knowledge that I finally KNOW.

The cement mixer's name was Dizzy.

Look out Eddie McGuire...I'm coming!

Still on the brain topic

Today I had further (unexpected) insights into where I need to go this year. Thank goodness I didn't set any concrete goals - looks like a path is being laid out for me as we speak.

Right now, I'm immersed in school holiday activities. Today I saw "Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Squeakwel" with the girls after doing a Bodystep fill at Jinders this morning. I seem to be doing quite a few fill ins at the moment - I'm sure the reason for that is that I'm being given the opportunity to practice my teaching more often as LMI auditions are on again in May and I'm going to have another tilt at it, all things being good on the injury front.

My shoulder has settled down nicely and I'm hoping to test it with some weights next week. I can't see my way clear this week with another 7 classes to go before the end of the week. I'm sure my big quads have grown even more massive with some decent load being applied in RPM.

Tomorrow's goal involves doing another menu plan up - last week's effort was really successful and being prepared felt pretty good.

Going through a Right Brained Crisis

Katie posted a really interesting test to see whether you predominantly use your left or right side of your brain. I'm predominantly a right brain user - when extremely stressed fall into both patterns.

I'm writing this blog because I want to ask you all a question. Do you believe that things happen for a reason? That some events aren't really an accident or a coincidence?

I strongly believe that this is the case. Today the air around me seems to have been filled with the realms of possibility - events have happened today that aren't really what I thought was part of my plan. However, maybe they are - I just haven't realized it. I'm not trying to be mysterious or anything, I'm talking about things that can occur in everyday living.

For example, I left my keys in the local health food shop by mistake when I was doing an RPM fill one evening last week. The shop usually closes at 5pm. I taught class, showered and then realized I didn't have my keys with me. I thought that I would have to call the Centre Management, then decided that I would go to where I thought I had left them - the health food shop. Lo and behold, one of the doors to the shop was open (at 7.30pm no less) and my keys were on the counter. One of the staff members had stayed back to do a stocktake or similar and told me that "I was expected to arrive at some time".

At the moment it feels like my right brain is really tugging me towards something - then I'm brought back to Earth by the left side, telling me to pull it in, be sensible and not to be a cracker.

Hmm, maybe I've been infiltrated by Gollum?

The Female Body

Isn't it amazing how the female body works? That roughly every 28 days the body releases an egg that can join with an entity outside the body, get fertilized and result in a pregnancy? Even more amazing that in adult women (of childbearing age) this process is repeated month after the month and the body undergoes processes to prepare for an impending pregnancy. Of course, if no fertilization occurs, women menstruate. What I think is also amazing is that a woman can be so in tune with her own body that she can know almost to the day when she is going to menstruate.

In my own experience, things happen within my body and my mind that signal impending menstruation. I have a nosebleed, almost without fail, a few days before (as oestrogen/progesterone levels are dropping), I am extremely hungry on the day or two before it arrives and I'm cranky right before. Like many women, I often crave a quick fix of sugary fatty foods and feel like a new woman when it arrives.

Despite the nasty period pain, despite PMS, I am grateful that I function the way God intended me to. I can't believe that I probably have less than ten years of menstruation left, so I want to enjoy all the benefits of being a healthy fertile woman whilst I can.

It's little wonder that many women "blossom" in their 40s and I hope to be one of them.

Wow, wasn't sure what I was going to write today - just said that I was going to 'go with the flow' (pardon the pun)

Sharing is Caring!

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Kerry for RPM and a cuppa which was great fun. Kerry and I met for the first time at the INBA Nationals in 2008 and have seen each other briefly since then. If you check out Kerry's blog you'll see she's a Crossfit babe (aka can work very hard without throwing up), so I threw down the gauntlet and invited her to come and try out RPM.

I was a bit unsure of how I'd go, because I had filled in the 6.00am class and here I was backing up again at 9.30am, thinking of the two classes I did yesterday and the two I did the day before. However the thought of not giving my 100% when I had a wonderful workout to share was unbearable and we managed to thrash it out to the end.

I knew Kerry had worked hard because I could hear some heavy breathing at the end (I was thinking "have I tamed the Crossfit chick?), so I casually asked her how she enjoyed the class and how she was feeling.

"There was one stage where I wanted to spew," said Kerry. "Oh, goody," I thought, "mission accomplished!"

We had a great old chatter and a nice Chai Latte and Hot Chocolate and chewed the fat about workouts, nutrition, blogs and everything in between. Being 40 and mothers, there's a lot of common ground between us, fun, fun ,fun!

Kerry, if you're reading this, I hope you can meet me for an RPM workout again (plus a complimentary triceps workout! Yeah, I'll take ya!.....)

Anyway, bottom line about why I'm writing about this is to say that blogging is a great way to meet up with others who share the same interests. And whilst climbing the performance mountain is great, it's always a wonderful thing to share the view at the top....

How can you spot a fit chick?

Q: How can you spot a fit chick?

A: Visit her home and check her laundry, you'll see workout gear in the linen hamper, workout gear in the washing machine and workout gear on the clothesline (or hanging up inside when it's raining)

*************

Have decided I can't feel my legs anymore after filling Bodystep this morning and then teaching my regular Thursday RPM gig. And, it was supposed to be leg day (fatta chance-a). Tomorrow's effort includes giving the crew at Toowong a 6am and a 9.30am thrashing. Are my legs up to the task? I'm thinking of Shelley today and how she got on lifting her heavy shit. I'm wondering if she'd like to lend me some moral support on my quest for a total "out of lower body" experience...

**************

It's little wonder that today I felt like I could eat a horse - here's what's gone down, just for fun.

3am - woke up hungry, told myself to hop back into bed.
5am - first breakfast - small bowl of Fruity Bix and Trim Milk
6am- teach Bodystep
7.30am - monster bowl of oats, powder and dash of milk
9.30am - (wondering how those oats could have disappeared so fast) Larabar
11.00- (wondering now where the Larabar is...) apple and 1 l of water
12pm - teach RPM (smash it!)
1.30pm - sushi (raw tuna and sesame)
3pm - white Freddo (they have magic powers, right?)
4pm - rice cakes, cottage cheese and tuna
7pm - beef casserole, mashed potatoes, copious amount of greens (wondering now where the sushi, frog, rice cake and tuna have gone - probably now camping out with the oats and the Larabar)
from here in in: not sure.

I think TOM must be due for a visit - I can't believe how much I've put away today. Body obviously needs it.

Back on the Bike

It's back on the bike this afternoon to teach RPM! I usually don't teach in the evenings, but poor John has rolled his ankle so he is at home resting (I gave him strict instructions to cheer for the Aussies in the cricket...being a Kiwi, that is going to be interesting!). I'm looking forward to it as Fitness First at Toowong have brand new shiny Spinner bikes and I have yet to have a play.

Also taught Step this morning which was good fun. Tired leggies and sore upper body from the pussy weights on Tuesday!

I'm still really enjoying our menu this week - especially when Pecan Pie makes it onto the menu with a touch of icecream for arvo tea and Sticky Date Pudding makes an appearance for dessert. You may be wondering if this is heralding a return to "Dirty Diana" eating, but no, I eat so well most of the time an indulgence or two here and there is one of life's pleasures. Plus it is amazing how we condition ourselves to think we need more than we really do. The pleasure comes from the first couple of mouthfuls, then becomes slowly forgettable the more you eat. So the trick is to stop at the third mouthful so you're in line with what you're trying to experience. These treats are not on today's menu - there is more a focus on tropical fruits and steamed seasonal vegetables which provides a nice balance to Tuesday's delights.

Today I'm proud to report that I am a Guest Blogger on Katie's site - I've never done a guest blog before and I felt a bit rusty as I wrote, but go on over there and let her know whether it's a thumbs up or a thumbs down (in which case, you may remain anonymous lol!). Thanks for having me, Katie :)

Here Puss Puss!

That was Shelley calling me out on my leg training! We spent the day sorting out our assorted treasures to put onto Ebay, chattering away about the pussy weights I lifted and the heavy shit she smashed. It was all going to plan when she suddenly turned to me and said "are your legs sore?" I told her that I was too scared to tell her that my pussy weights had inflicted nasty DOMS and that I'm walking around like I've got a pole wedged when it 'don't belong' (thanks Nicole).

This morning's training effort went well - more hip flexor work and shoulder rehab which took about 20 minutes to get through and then I did some girly push ups pain free as well as pussy weighted cable rows using the Paramount machine and some medium grip lat pull downs. I also did a 26 (yes I counted!) minute set of undulating X trainer intervals (that sounds pretty techo).

As for the pussy above, it's of my favourite breed, the Burmese. It is an open secret that I would like to again have a couple of kitties in my life but unfortunately hubs hates cats. No win situation there.

I have just read Kerry's post about her hip (sorry to hear about the inflammation ) and it reminded me of just how frustrating injuries can be. I think that my own rehab experiences have taught me that it's a real journey - ie do things, but progress slowly without too much agenda and in an obtuse way given me the confidence that I can conquer whatever comes my way (to a point). Which is why I haven't blogged about specific goals, figuring that it's more prudent (after last year's disaster where I achieved nothing) for me to be vague about things. That way I'm not down on myself for not achieving something I wanted to do yet everything that I can do is an added bonus!

Generally I believe goal setting is a good idea and can give you a template to achieve things in a set order. However, it's not just about the end point, it's the journey in between. Some of my goals have been interrupted by random occurrences where I have veered off on a tangent and it's often been some of the best life experiences I've ever had.

No matter how tightly, factually and precisely we want to do something eg achieve a goal (Left Brain thinking), there will be some point where things will happen in a rather nebulous way that is the Universe's or God's way of telling you "it was meant to happen" - right brain thinking at it's best. I think when this happens, it's not necessarily a poor reflection of your character, there's often more to the story.

I wonder if true success is all about accepting the balance that is right for you?

Hello legs, did you miss me?

Training today:
Running: Intervals 2:1 cycles 40 minutes (yee-haw!)
Hip flexor stretching and glute activation (let's hope 2010 is not the year of the Cranky Hip Flexor)

Lower Body Strength Training:
1) Rack Pull 4 x 10
2) Leg Press 4 x 10 (back didn't like leg press, so I'll probably squat next week)
3) Plank 2 x 1 minute

Felt good to lift some weight, though it was nowhere near the heavy shit that I had been moving late last year. I'm a big pussy when it comes to leg DOMS, can't stand it!

On a brighter note, guess what's for lunch?

I should be grateful

I should be grateful that Miss G likes my modified tuna burgers but it was a case of "leave some for me, that's Monday and Wednesday's lunch!". As I mentioned in my last post it was time to "just do it" and work out an entire week of meals for the family.

As I like to fly by the seat of my pants with most meals - probably because after all these years, I'm in a cooking rut, it felt like I was chained to the computer as I slaved away on my spreadsheet. Why the organization? My reasons aren't to do with comp prep or anything like that - I am hoping that I spend less on my weekly groceries - my tendency is to run out to the shops at the last minute and pick up dinner stuff as well as other items that "I think we may need" (aka stuff that we DON'T need).

As well as the lamb cutlets I made, I also did a really nice chilli, made a new version of the Paleo Tuna Burgers I blogged about last year as well as create a special something for Shelley and Nicole. Nicole gave me the best 40th presents, some chocolates she had melted into the shape of a male member (she also has boob moulds I am told!). Well, it was great because my husband who can't keep his hands off chocolate, could not come at licking these phallic treats. I think that it's the only chocolate that I've been given that I was able to eat all by myself in my own good time!

Here's the recipe for Tuna Burgers, not quite Paleo, but taste better in my opinion.

One big can of tuna in springwater, thoroughly drained

1/4 cup of linseeds/flax seeds partially ground

dash of teriyaki marinade

one onion in very fine dice (I used food processor)

1 egg

2 tablespoons unprocessed bran

3 tablespoons oats (partially ground)

Mix everything together and compress into egg rings or burger moulds. Cook and slide out of moulds. This lot made 7 decent sized patties.

Guess who's having tuna burgers and a big fat salad tomorrow for lunch???

Just Do It Girl is in da house!

Today I'm organizing a week's worth of dinners and a new training program that will see my dinky shoulder progress back to normal. How does Moroccan Lamb Cutlets with Greens and Orange Couscous sound? I nabbed that one out of the Australian Healthy Food Guide magazines as well as one for Tangy Chicken Curry. Shelley is coming over on Tuesday so we can play Ebay together (as we're both highly committed to removing the extraneous crap from our lives and Ebay is the perfect place to try our luck - though my blog has been a good source of business as well. Most of the items I listed have sold and I hope that everyone who purchased these little bargains enjoys them as much as I did.

I've bought a monthly pass to our local pool and am going to start swimming again. I've been testing out the dodgy shoulder by doing a bit of "air freestyle" which is more embarrassing to look at than painful, so hopefully the added resistance that the water gives won't make too much of a difference.

On that note, I had better sign off and create my shopping list. My weekly menu, is in (gasp!) a Word Table. Stranger phenomenons have happened, I'm sure, but this is a first for me.

Bringing in the New Year!

Happy New Year!

We saw in the New Year at my Sister-in-Law's place which was a pretty good evening. Hubs is becoming quite the Masterchef and made all sorts of really nice snacky starters and I made a pecan pie (yeah, that sucker was goooooodddd). Watched the Sydney fireworks on the telly as well as play with their new Labrador puppy, Louie. What I learned last night is that I'm horribly allergic to those glow stick thingies that are all the rage and that pecan pie tastes as good as ever.

Now onto the New Year. I've decided that this is the year of the "just-do-it" chick. No time management books to act as my compass, just me, me and me!

"she wanted to run, she wanted to race, but the main thing she wanted was something to chase"

Beautiful Blogger Awards

Thanks to Chelle for tagging me. I love reading about all these unknown facts about everyone - they're a lot of fun.

Here goes:

1) It's now an open secret but I'm really dreadful at the art of time management (anyone want to buy a book on time management)

2) I hate wearing anything with a V Neck - for some reason, it just aint flattering on me.

3) I've been busted for using a mobile phone in my car (on a country backroad) and now have the nickname of 'The Criminal Cat'. It's stuck, even though the offence happened a good two years ago.

4) I have two piercings, one in each ear. I did have another, given to me by Shelley, but it kept getting infected so I've let it close. I don't have any tattoos.

5) I love getting mail, listening to the rain on the roof and reading books.

6) I would love to be a good photographer

7) I'm an eternal student. I've done two degrees and given the chance would be back at University like a shot!

Now I have to tag seven people:

Shelley

Katie P

Kerryn

Andrea

Michelle C

Mish

Shannon

Importance of connection

Today marked my return back to teaching both Bodystep and RPM. The classes could not have been further apart this morning - RPM was very quiet and I had only 3 participants - one who wanted to go really hard, a 20 weeks pregnant gal, who wasn't sure about training in pregnancy and an older gent with a shoulder injury. I turned this one into a bit of a more personalized coaching session for the three of them and actually really enjoyed it because I could see improvements in all three over the course of the class.

Next up was Bodystep and it was pretty busy. I probably knew 80% of the class by name and I had a great catch up with everyone in the class. For me, this is the importance of connection! I love nothing more than the concept of sharing a class with friends on the same wavelength, teaching or not! Because it was so busy and the fact that carb depletion wasn't an issue for anyone (lol!!) there was a high energy atmosphere going through the room which was really uplifting. I have to admit though to feeling pretty tired at the end of it - a good feeling!

I was surprised by hubs and the girls turning up and we shared Vietnamese for lunch, had a wander around the shopping centre, came home for coffee/tea and a chat and now here I am.

To sum up - today I feel extreme gratitude for the sense of connection I feel with my class members. It renews me and lights my fire even further. I had a good chat with one of my ex Fitness First PT clients about personalities and cause and effect. I concluded that the gaining 'energy from connecting' is wrapped up in my personality. I gain connection from my music when I run, I seek a connection with the outdoor environment when I walk. In fact, I think I could substitute "connection" for "motivation".

Which leads me to ponder the question - do you need to feel a "connection" to have a fantastic workout or are you the "just do it" type who gets up and gets the job done no matter what. I often feel like the second option, especially if I'm tired, but typically exercise lights the fire and soon enough, I'm connected.

For Sale and Some Freebies

As you all know, I'm moving house and trying to sell a few bits and pieces. I'm also giving away some freebies.

So here's what to do:

If interested in any of this stuff, please visit The Fitness Solution and click on Contact Me and I'll get back to you.

For Sale:

Spinervals: 17.0 Aerobase Builder 2 (one hour steady state bike session to help you maximize your fat burning metabolism) 49.95 New - my price $15.00 (gently used)
Tracie Long Training: Functional Foundations - 3 workouts designed for core strengthening and ab development (Region 1 DVD - should play on most Aussie DVD players) 15.00
Tracie Long Training: Better Burn, Better Buns - focus on hip stability workout 10.00
Tracie Long Training: Endurance for Movement - another core stability workout focusing on ab/glute coordination 10.00
Tracey Staehle - Cardio Sweatfest 10.00 - advanced kickboxing routine (have 2 of these)
Amy Bento: Abs and Stretch 7.50 each (2 copies left)
Cathe Friedrich - Ab Hits DVD - 12.00 - has 12 different ab workouts over varying length on them (approx 7-12 minutes) (have 3 copies)
New Glucose Revolution DVD - 4.00 (about low GI nutrition etc)

Books: $3.00 each + a freebie
Time Management from the Inside Out (Julia Morgenstern)
Organizing From the Inside Out (Morgenstern)
Your Pocket Life Coach Carole Gaskell
The Organizing Sourcebook - Carole Posener
Organizing Plain and Simple - Donna Smallin
Women's Weekly Cookbooks- Good Food for Babies and Toddlers + Kid's Cooking (3.00 for both)
Life is Hard, Food is Easy - Linda Spangle (book on emotional eating)
How to Train - Hal Higdon (for the runners amongst you)
Pilates on the Ball,
Abs on the Ball - Colleen Craig
Nurture By Nature (applying the Myer Briggs concept to kids) Tieger et al
Kathy Kahlers Hollywood Body workouts and Real Life Fitness,
Stronger Legs and Lower Body - Keli Roberts
Woman's Guide to Runnning - A Jutel (beginner to intermediate)



Freebies:
Training for the Ageless DVD - a DVD about two women bodybuilders over the age of 50
Cooking With Conscience - Michelle Trute ( low fat, natural cooking)
Desserts - Julie Stafford, The Wok Cookbook, Julia Stafford
Healthy Home Style Cooking Evelyn Tribole (low fat natural cooking)
Step Inspirations and Power to the Third - complex choreo step DVD
Jammin 32s complex choreo step DVD
Secrets of a Former Fat Girl - Lisa Delaney book
Ultimate Fitness - Gina Kolata - The Truth about Exercise and Health
Yoga, Jesse Chapman

So if anyone would like any of these please get in touch. The prices don't include postage. Hope someone can get some good use out of these otherwise they're off to charity.

On loving yourself lean

"Making an allowance reflects that there will be a large variety of foods to choose from over the Christmas period and that it's perfectly OK to eat a few treat foods over this time and enjoy time spent with friends and family. Having a few treat meals and different foods and enjoying time with friends and doesn't cause the Christmas weight gain, it is the self destructive thoughts and behaviours around this different food and not making an allowance for yourself that cause the problem. Underlying issues of restriction, rebellion and "discipline" can really backfire on the person wanting to stay lean over the holidays.

This is completely different from overindulging until you hurt and making the excuse that "it was Christmas time". Making an allowance will make you feel good about yourself - ironically by giving away "control" you find true control because you're holding the reins. Making an excuse and trying to grit your teeth and "stay strong" is a soul destroying, self esteem crushing venture"

Bugger, can't seem to turn off the bold or italic functions and here I was thinking I was really smart. My question to you all is did you make an allowance for yourself over Christmas or did you try and "stay strong".

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I chose to "make allowances" and enjoy some Christmas foods. I didn't try to "stay strong" - I just ate what I felt like and didn't train for four days. I gave myself what I needed for Christmas, some time with family and friends, a few slices of cheesecake and plenty of rest. Now I wonder if anyone is imagining that doing such dreadful thing would cause them to wake up as a complete fat heifer five days later......

The answer is "no". As a bit of an experiment and a testimonial to the fact that long term success is about your internal locus of control and respect for one's self I weighed myself on Christmas Eve and then I weighed myself this morning. This morning after all that indulgence and supposed lack of discipline, I am 1.5kg lighter.

There is a place for logging food and being particular with your nutrition, but there's also a place for learning to be more intuitive as well. The balance between both methods is entirely up to you. The thread that draws it all together is the concept of being able to "love yourself lean". The cornerstone of living lean for the long term is bolstering your self worth.

To sum up - start to learn to trust yourself. You just may find that you're not the 'broken' individual you thought you were.

uh oh

I'm sure most of us have heard the quote "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

Today I had a little wake up call, regarding this very thing! Hubs and I spent this morning drawing up a rough plan about our impending move - what we wanted to sort through, toss, keep, donate to charity, put onto Ebay etc. We then split up and started our various tasks - his to sort out the china cabinet and mine to start sorting out the books in the bookcase. Now as many of you know I love to read and often I like to read so much that I can purchase a book and forget all about it - I've usually got so much on the go. Therein lies my biggest issue - time management and organization. I've obviously tried to address it many times over the years because I managed to pull out (hangs head in shame), FIVE books on organizing your life/house etc and a book on PROCRASTINATION. I can just see Shelley pulling this one up on her reader and pissing her pants. Hubs and I spent the better part of the afternoon laughing about it, but deep down I was somewhat embarrassed. Anyway I have removed a ton of books ready to be donated to charity, Ebayed etc. If anyone wants a good book on time management for small dollars, get in touch NOW! New Year's Resolution is to employ a bit more discipline in getting tasks done, particularly if they're unpleasant!

Still no training to speak of - had another big sleep in today (I've been doing a few 11 and 12 hour sleeps) but I'm finally beginning to feel like I want to do something. I'm thinking of a bit of running and stretching tomorrow. We're all settling back into a more normal eating pattern which is nice after four days of "fend for yourself" - enjoyed grilled salmon, potatoes and a big bunch of greens for dinner tonight and I feel satisfied and content.