Runners HIGH!

As I said in my last blog, last year I started a exercise group called Step Into Life. After a couple of months joining the club they started a Sunday running group which started at 8am. Yes 8am! My first attempt at running was not very good as I wanted to try and keep up with the fast and more experienced runners. Well, this didn't go very well as I ran out of puff and so had to walk most of the way. In my head I was thinking, I am never going to be able to run even 1km let alone 8 or 10km. Fast forward 1 year and now I can run 12km in about 1hour. So what happened?

• Kirsten: I noticed that Kirsten always managed to run the entire way. I would often race ahead and she would pass me as I walked. So the next time I ran, I decided to stick with her. Her technique is simple, keep at an even pace that you are comfortable with for the entire way. Following her, I managed to run my first 8km! It was not fast but at least I ran the entire way.
• Posture: Back straight, shoulders relaxed, straight arms and head are the key for running I have found. When your back is straight your lungs are able to get more oxygen in them and you don't feel as puffed. Slouching over collapse the lungs and makes it harder to breathe. Swinging your arms and head also makes you work harder. A trick my trainer did with me was having me hold two sticks in my hand and told me not to make fire!By doing this and keeping your head up and straight stops your body from swinging, I know what you are thinking, swinging harder will make you go quicker, well it doesn't, it makes your body work harder. Try it.
• Mental Strength: I know easier said than done but at the end of last year I decided I was being lazy and that I gave up to easy. To keep motivated on a run and when I got tired, I pretend that their are people cheering me on on the side or that someone is watching me so if I stop and walk well they will find out. I also don't think more than what is in front of me, if I think I have 8km left then I start to feel tired.
• Goals: Setting goals is a great motivator. I used to try and compare myself to others but I am not them! My very first goal when I started running was to run the entire way, it didn't matter if I took 20 minutes longer than the others. This gave me a sense of achievement and motivated me to do better. Then it was to run 5km and so on. I try to set different goals for each run rather than focus on time, for example, making sure my posture is good.

I hope this has helped. Happy running.

PS Having comfortable clothing on helps as you don't want to get too hot!!

PPS You get a high after running as you have pumped a lot of blood into your head and heart making you feel great!

Fitness Fun

I have struggled with trying to find something interesting and inspiring to write about. My day is not very exciting. I get up, go to work, come home and then watch TV. I can't help it at the moment because the Australia Open is on. Anyway, last year I decided I wanted to join the Army. To join the Army you had to be able to do 7 male push ups, 32 sit ups and do a running beep test. Easy hey? Well looking at me, people would think no worries as I am tall and slim. Being tall and slim does not equal fitness. The first hurdle was trying to push 65kg with twig arms! Having a flat stomach also does not mean you have the ability to do 32 sit ups in a row. Lastly, the stamina to run 8 minutes, increasing your speed as you go! I decided I needed to join a gym or something. I had a couple of options.

• First option: a gym. I looked around and found that you had to pay a joining fee and then sign up for 12 months. I was hoping to join the Army within 6 months, so I didn't want to have to pay for something I wasn't using. Also, I had used gyms before and found little contact with other people and they were quite cold and uninspiring. Also in big group classes the instructor really can't see if you are doing something wrong and won't stop the class just for you!
• Second Option: Do it myself. This was ok at first but I didn't really know what exercises I should be doing or if I was in fact doing them right.
• Third option: personal training. Well I thought this would be great but at $50 a session, I would only be able to do it once a month!
• Fourth Option: Group personal training. I found through a flyer I program called Step Into Life, they did exercise outdoors and the price was good at $12 an hour. In addition, as I was joining the Army, getting used to being outside in all elements would benefit me greatly.

This was the option I chose to do and I just love it. The groups are small and my instructors are great, they have time to stop me and show me how to do something properly. More important I have made some great friends, who during class encourage me to do my best and keep me on my toes. I have learnt to set myself goals, when I first started I could barely do 2 modified push ups (also known as girls push ups), it took me a good six months but before my operation I was able to complete all the requirements to join the Army.

Now, I must set myself new goals as my recovery from my operation took longer than I thought. I was unable to do anything for over 2 months and then I was told that I was not medically fit for the Army! This made me both angry and sad and I lost a lot of motivation to train as I had no goals to reach! I did not train for 4 months. My sister has inspired me to start again and I am determined to show the Army that my illness will not affect me. My sister Mel, who was never the sporty type and had never run, has started with my training group and within 6 months she is now able to run over 5km. We have set ourselves a goal to run 14.6 km in a fun run for a kids charity in March, so wish us luck. Anyway, in my next post I will share some tips for running. Oh the Monday nights is kick boxing and well it is just GREAT to push the crap out of the bag to let go some frustration!!!

YELLOW

Well as you can tell, I have not blogged for a bit, as I was bogged down with a nasty summer cold. After five days, I woke up this morning and could breathe out of both nostrils so I am very happy and feel like writing. Yellow, I have decided is my new favourite colour, I have noticed it quite a lot lately and each time it has made me feel happy. Even looking at a terrible expensive pair of running shoes made me happy because they had yellow tailoring. To think of it, I can't get away from yellow, today at work two men had yellow shirts on and my new bike I just remembered, has a yellow seat and handlebars!

Vitamins and Milk

I went to a naturopath who recommended that I take vitamins. Well the first couple of days that I took them I felt sick and had bad headaches. The lady said it was just my body getting rid of toxins and that it should pass and it did. However, I thought taking vitamins would stop me getting sick! I was taking vitamins C and B. Well I have a chest infection and a sore throat at the moment and I am not happy. I feel grumpy and tired and with the weather in the 40's well you can imagine how I have been. I also thought it could be the amount of milk I drank before I got sick, as I have read that it brings out the gunk. Anyway, I have stopped taking the vitamins and stopped drinking milk and am feeling much better. The picture represents how dry my throat feels at the moment. I hope to bring you much more positive and inspiring blogs in the next few days as I know I certainly need it!

SOUR

I would say that I am a happy and smiley person but over the past two days I have been tested by sour people. At the moment I am working as a waitress and I deal with a lot of people. Even when I am feeling sick or not really in the mood to work I make sure that I still smile and say hello. However, the past two days I have been really tested by some employees at my work. Sure you are in a bad mood but that does not mean you can't reply to a hello or a good morning. Walking around with a sour look on your face is not good and brings everyone else's mood down. My advice is put a smile on your dial and you would be amazed how better you feel!

REUSE

Well, I went to bed last night thinking about the sofa I was going to redo. I was excited about what funky material I was going to buy at Spotlight. Spotlight is a fabric and craft store. Then I was thinking about the money I had spent that day which I had not planned and how I could stop the flow. Well, I then remembered my mum's linen closet and a queen sized sheet that I never use and how perfect that would be. For cushions I just used two pillows that weren't not being used. Total money spent today $0! I know it is not what I had thought but it works and no sewing needed. I can easily take it off to clean.

RICARDO

I have been thinking about getting a road bike for the last two years. The price was stopping me, I wanted a good one and well they were $1000! I just couldn't spend that kind of money, especially if it got stolen! Well I went to an antique store today and well I found Ricardo. He is an Australian made road bike and he cost me $40. It was so nice not buying something that was 'MADE IN CHINA'. I will probably have to spend another $100 dollars getting it ready for the road but it is a lot cheaper than I was going to spend. I have also helped the environment by recycle something old. Ii may not be as fast as those expensive ones but he is mine and will be unique. It is also another great way to exercise. You should always find something that you love to do and then it won't be such a chore. Also you can see the sofa in the background. This is the one I was talking about in my previous blog. I am going to spotlight tomorrow and hope to find something nice to put some new life in it.

HOARDING

I love my mum, but she is a hoarder. She will tell me ' I will us it someday!' but I think if you have not used it within the last year or two then get rid of it. I am not saying throw everything out, for example, good dinner sets or vases. Today, I spent the morning cleaning out her shed and garden area. I have managed to get rid of at least 4 garbage bags of rubbish. I am trying to recycle or reuse as much as I can. It felt really good. I know mum works very hard and is getting older so I think in a way she does not mind. I have set myself a goal to have the backyard area to be cleaned by Thursday. I have been inspired by the old ratty coach outside and so will try and make a nice cover and colourful cushions to redo it a bit. I must admit it is a bit selfish, as I want to use it to read books outside. I will show you the photos when I get it done.

Resolutions

I don't make New Years resolutions just like my best friend. Like her I think it is just another day. I think when we are inspired or challenged, that is when we try and be better people and try do something different in our lives. These things can happen at anytime and we shouldn't have to wait til a certain day to do something about it. So relax and enjoy a new decade.

Happy New Year, here is my cute cat Elvis. 2009 was such a busy year for him that he needed to take time out and just relax. Hope you had a great 2009 and I look forward to writing about people and things that inspire me to be a better person in 2010.