Time to get serious

Got to say this round has not been as fabulous as my last round.

1. I haven't been on the forums as much - Lean and Strong are such a great, focused and talkative bunch. Lean and Fit no so much as some of us are doing our own thing - Including me.

2. My weight has been stable - still at around the 73-74kg mark. Diet as has not been good so this is my own fault. No one else to blame.

This week I am getting better organised and NOT buying extra food. I don't need it, I am not training the house down in fact even a heavy week is probably not that much more exercise than many 12WBT people are doing just following the program. So I do not deserve extra food and do not need it!

3. I am finding it easy to find excuses not to exercise. I am sure I will be OK with my event (and hopefully I can do well) but it is really easy to be slack when you have such a strong base.


This weekend has been a mixed bag - lots of couch time! but I needed that a little.

Got a long hard ride in on Saturday - 70km up to 45km/h with the big boys (and small ones - including the current under 15 junior Australian champion) they were kind and waited - and helped when I got a flat! Pretty happy with my 5 minute change and only a little help from the boys.

Sunday woke with a sore back - too much sitting and not enough stretching (need the challenge this week) so I went and did the body balance class. Great Stretch and strength and relaxation.

Today I got back into it with a good solid 45 minute run. 8 x 400m efforts so now I have a dog asleep on the couch snoring. a happy dog none the less. Then I called in and swapped dogs with a friend and took her little dog for a run. I ran to my 1km time trial course and did that - not rested so was a little slow 4:38 but happy enough with this. Now her dog will be a little quieter too (she is sick at the moment and can't run her dog herself).

I have cooked up a storm today.

Extra dinner for lunch tomorrow. Have a meeting tomorrow night so I have cooked tomorrows dinner and enough for lunch on  Wednesday. Breakfast is all sorted for a few days with a big batch of Bircher Brekki (bit of a fav of mine - acutally lots of the breakfast are!)

The other reason why I don't think I am doing as well this round is I haven't been watching the mindset videos. The mindset lessons or more importantly the headspace they help you get into is the key to the program. I know this and yet I don't make the time for them.... sigh. I should know better.

Time to catch up a little - but tonight it is early to bed - Got a date with my bike tomorrow morning starting at 5am and riding about 50km. Thats starting to get some serious training!

Triathlon Terminology

I guess as I keep talking about half's and full's etc I had better explain triathlon lingo

Triathlon

Sport involving 3 legs, traditionally swim, cycle and run. They are done in this order as if you are tired in a swim you might drown, and tired on a bike you might fall off at speed, but if you get tired on a run it doesn't hurt as much is you fall. That's my theory anyway.

transition

what we call the bits between the swim / cycle and cycle / run. Involves silly things like running to your bike (which might be a long way - was about 800m in New Zealand!) Having special bike shoes so you can tie them to the bike and jump on then put your feet in and ride off. Not very good at this. I use a skoot and swing method, where I skoot with one leg for speed, then swing the other leg over. The other technique is a superman technique where you launch your body onto the bike. Looks great if you can do it and REALLY funny is you miss (everyone laughing except you). Same getting off the bike, shoes stay on and we are big fans of elastic laces (particularly fond of Etenex myself).

Enticer triathlon

Short event designed to try it out. Often only 200m swim, 5-10km ride and 2km run. Short and sharp and very achievable for many people. I wouldn't need to train for this. Often targeted as Women's or tri a tri events.

Sprint

You have to laugh at triathlon - we call 750m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run a sprint - takes me more than an hour - but hey it's all about perspective.

Classic or Olympic Triathlon

Often called Olympic before it was in the Olympics. It is a traditional length of 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and 10km run. Takes me just under 3 hours for one of these and at this point I probably need to do some training, Although a couple of rides, runs and swims a week is more than enough to finish and finish strong. Lots of great events like Noosa are this length. World championships in age groups is competitive for this and requires you to attend many events to gain points.

Half Ironman

This is the baby endurance event -  1.9km swim, 90km cycle and a full half ironman. Also called 70.3 events when badged by the international ironman organisation. There is a world championship that you have to qualify for but it is by "roll down". I will explain this later.

These take me about 5:30-6 hours depending on my fitness and the conditions. Best time is just over 5:32. This is what I am currently training for in Mandurah in November. The cut off to finish is 7:30.
Training often involves 10-14 hours per week (if you take it seriously)

Ironman

These are the real endurance events. 3.8km swim, 180km on the bike then a lazy 42.2 marathon to finish. Running the marathon becomes optional. You have 17 hours to finish the event. Pro male competitors do it in about 8 hours (just a day at the office). I am a half day girl. Best time was 11:57 but am usually somewhere between 12 -13 hours. It takes up to 20 hours of training a week and pretty much takes over your life!

Here is my collection on medals and a towel from 2008 Busselton half (my first half).

Roll Down

Each branded ironman and 70.3 event allows people to qualify for the world championships. Ironman is always in Hawaii at KONA. the half is going to be moving around but was in Las Vegas. So there are only so many spots up for grabs. Each age group gets one, then the biggest age groups get allocated more according to size. From here it is easy, First gets offered it first, then second then third and so on until they run out of people or spots. Any unused from one age group goes to the biggest age groups. There are a couple of rules but
1. you must be present at the roll down ceremony
2. you must accept and PAY for your spot at the time - no rain checks - no can I use it next year.

So IF everything goes to plan and I do really well at Mandurah I am planning to attend the roll down on the off change that others aren't that interesting in going to either
1. KONA (there are 20 spots to this) or
2. 70.3 Worlds (??? not sure where) - 40 spots up for grabs.

This would fulfil a dream of mine - not necessarily a SMART goal as the achievable relies on others but a dream none the less.  

Long run

Finally got back into my running so I thought I'd boast about tonight's mammoth effort!

I was suppose to run this morning but the weather was terrible - Severe weather warning with recommendations to stay indoors or seek shelter away from trees and power lines - I think that constitutes a good reason to not go for a run!

So this afternoon I dusted myself off and went for a long needed long run. Couldn't take Sasha my dog for the whole run - it was going to be too long - so she just tagged along for the first 6km then I dropped her home and headed out for the remaining 9km.

The 1000 + calories was pretty good too.

So tomorrow I will ride and run in the morning and swim in the afternoon - I am staring to feel like I might still be OK for the Half Ironman in November - only 6 weeks to go!

I am back and busy but whats new

So I am back from my trips away. I have been away in Cairns for most of the last week, essentially as far away from Albany as I can go without falling off the country. The Conference was great but I have to say I really let myself go!

Eating out every night!
Ice cream for dessert!
Not very much exercise!
Sitting on my bottom most of the day at a conference!!!

So on the scales this morning (clothed) I weighed in at 76kg - 2kg up on my pre-going away weight!

So it's time to knuckle down and start being an adult.

My promise to myself this week

1. train and train hard - that mean 90 minutes of running tomorrow (30 in the morning and 60 at night), Ride and a Swim on Thursday! and a long ride and run on the weekend.

2. Eat well and clean - time to cook dinner and lunch tomorrow. Take some snacks and stick to the plan.

3. Sleep well and get to bed early!

Easy right !

Relaxing weekend

So I am over the first road bump - Craft weekend away with girl friends.

In terms of stress level and relaxation it was a FANTASIC weekend. Got lots and lots of craft done....

In terms of food and exercise not so good.

Felt like I spent the weekend eating but it was actually healthy food like pea and ham soup, fruit and wholemeal pancakes for breakfast. Prawn and Feta pizza for dinner Friday night. Only drank 4 bottles of champagne between 5 of us all weekend.

So it probably wasn't too bad

AND I did manage to go for a lovely run in the country side yesterday (not a long run but it was a quality run). Had to watch out for the swooping magpies.

One lovely thing about the location of our craft weekend is that it is a mobile phone blackspot - so no ipads or phones all weekend. Just some music playing in the background and we did turn the news on for 20 minutes last night to see who won the footy. Great to reduce the stress levels and checkout for a little while with good friends.

Now onto the next bump in the road - Cairns for a conference for the week.

It's a tough life but someone has to live it

Feeling good and on track but road bumps ahead

Check in time.

And at the moment its all going pretty good.

Friday was a day off
Saturday I got a great 1200 cal 150minute 70km bike ride in
Sunday I had the morning off. Did a little gardening, caught up with some old friends then went for a 8km run in the afternoon.
Monday was a run in the morning with 2 dogs in tow this time as I am dog sitting at present.
Tuesday got up and rode for an hour - messed up the session a bit but got it in and 500 cal as well.
This morning was wet and wide so I did the full Bend it like Bridges Video - love a good stretch.

So not perfect but pretty happy this that.

Food has been OK. With the higher intensity sessions I have had to up the calories.... but the weight is holding now and down to 73.4kg.

Snacks are again my problem - I really haven't planned them well! but at least the weight is stable.

now for the challenges!

So I am a little better organised this week - easier without my hubby but I am away this weekend on a girls craft weekend in the country side.

My plan is
1. Bring the 12wbt prawn pizza to have Friday night - delicious anyway so it will be easy to share.
2. Take the running clothes. - AND run preferably a long run.
3. exercise on Friday morning to allow myself a day of on Saturday or Sunday.

Then next week gets even harder.

Wednesday morning I fly out to Cairns  - the long way via Sydney for a conference. To day Wednesday will be a write off is an understatement. Food is going to be tough all week, but I will just have to concentrate and make good choices.

I will run daily and perhaps get in a swim - if there is a pool at the hotel, but it is going to be busy. Conference Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Conference dinner Saturday night then back to Perth Sunday (late afternoon). Overnight in Perth Sunday and back to work Monday after a 4 hour drive home

phew.

So the Goal will be - Exercise 6 out of 7 days and hold my weight stable. Anything under 74kg I will call a success!

Next weigh in is going to be 2 weeks away!

It's all starting to come together

So the training is coming along.

I feel like it's all starting to come together.

Wins this week include
1. Eating well - bit more due to the high intensity work outs
2. Running well and longer runs - 10km Monday and 4km Wednesday.
took the dogs running with us this week

As you can see - Sasha was looking really happy for the run. She didn't look so good after. I met the challenge this week well and ran both times with a friend (who is not doing 12wbt). Great motivation and she brings her dog too.

Jaz on the other hand looked a little tired afterwards.

3. Got some great rides in this week too. 80 minutes (and 600cal) and the windtrainer doing intervals on Tuesday and 90 minutes (870 cal) this morning on the road.

Other goals like getting in the water I haven't managed yet this week, and limited myself to 1 coffee per day isn't working so well.

But there is always tomorrow... up early (ish) and down the beach as it's getting lighter. Swim, shower at the beach breakfast, coffee with friends and then off to work. Going dancing tomorrow night.

Sounds like a plan.........

So how's the week been for you?

Time to check in - keep up the accountability - and ask the all important question

How's the week been for you?

Yep it's check in time. I started the week with almost no food in the house - quickly fixed by a shop on Monday night. Printed my plans on Sunday night and wrote a shopping list, then forgot a couple of things on the list - sigh.

Breakfasts have been simple (actually maybe not so simple) but tasty favourites. Apple and Ricotta
Toast, Baked beans and avocado on toast and my all time favourite yesterday French toast with maple syrup and berries. Amazingly I purchased a bottle of maple syrup (not maple flavoured syrup) early last round and it's still going 3 month later. Shows I really can restrain myself with this.

Lunches have been a mixture of pockets and leftovers and salad. Tuna and homemade coleslaw on Monday, antipasto pocket Tuesday, leftovers Wednesday and Thursday and tuna and coleslaw (without the pocket) on Friday. I had to laugh, my work colleagues asked what dressing I was using and I said yoghurt. They turned their noses up - I had bought in a tub of strawberry yoghurt to have as an afternoon snack. They thought I had mixed this through the coleslaw -ewhh.

To digress for a minute, in the meditation lesion the teacher was telling us about the monks in monasteries and their daily routines. Breakfast is porridge and dinner is tea or soup. Lunch however is the feast of the day, but you can only have what you can fit into a single bowl. It also depends what is donated to the monastery that day. So they have vegetables from the garden they tend and whatever is donated into the same bowl. Hence if it's dhal and strawberry pavlova then that's what is in the single bowl. Not sure some of those taste sensations are going to take off!

Dinner this week has been great as usual. Lamb and cauliflower mash, dhal and I can't believe its not butter chicken (which is quite good and has rave reviews). Clearly I customise my menu quite a bit! Soup at a friends place on Thursday night and Friday night was a treat meal - take away roast pork from the butcher in town with carrots and pumpkin.

DHAL

 

Training has been reasonable considering the weather. Monday was body pump (but no run in the afternoon due to bad weather), Tuesday was on the computer trainer (for my bike) with a tempo ride through the Pyrenees foothills. 450cal later and a small run round the block to finish off (and get to 500 cal). Wednesday was another run and half the bend it like bridges video with a friend.

Thursday was a special ride in memory of Mark Rimell who passed away this week. Black armbands over my bright pink top and I smashed out 90 minutes on the road and a whopping 988 cal! no wonder I was a bit hungry at work!!

Friday was a rest day and Saturday I did 2 rounds of the SSS and a run with the plan to do the cycle race in the after noon. However race was cancelled due to 100km/h winds and a tricky causeway in the cross breeze! So I had a lazy day instead. Then planned a good ride with the group on Sunday. There were some fast riders at this one including the current under 17 men's state champion and some much faster riders. I was thinking I was going to bid them farewell but I hung in there and met up with them at the top of Frenchman bay hill. Then the fun started - 65km/h down the hill and holding 40km/h on the flat at the bottom and I was taking my turn. The boys we laughing at me cursing getting into the wrong part of the pack but I did really well. Lots of "what have you been on" questions and a couple of suggestions I have been getting into the EPO at work!

I know 24km/h average isn't fast but in the strong wind and up hills it was good for me.

Challenges for the new week

So this week it
1. Train daily (except Friday that is now my rest day but I do go tango dancing with Murray on a Friday night)
2. Get in the pool and swim
3. Eat clean and snack well
4. keep my coffee intake to 1 per day

Here  is lunch all organised for Monday and Tuesday -

So the Question is again.....

 

How's you week been?