what not to do......

when you start running.... here's my list compiled of what NOT to do

1. set out at 8.30am, when the traffic is busy and all the bored motorists waiting in queue have no better scenery than you in your running clothes...
2. leave less than 30 minutes after breakfast, meaning you feel like heaving about 2/3's of the way through
3. notice that there is A LOT of traffic, and not wanting to interrupt your podcast running/walking times, proceed to run down the busiest road in your city on a weekday morning
4. breathe in all the lovely fresh diesel and petrol fumes from all that traffic
5. get to the bottom of the hill, then realise that you now have to make it up some hill nearby as a part of your run (because you don't want to overdo it when you're just starting out)
6. decide that to make your run exciting (and to avoid the zillions of passing by motorists staring at you) that you will not run back up the hill you just came down...
7. Notice that the ONLY hill nearby is the steepest hill in your locality, and maybe even your city
8. Take two kids in a double mountain buggy, up the steepest hill in your locality

Yip, that pretty much sums it up.  I completed my first run today.  I feel great for achieving it, and hopefully next time, I will know exactly what NOT to do....

Running..... how's that working for you?

haha.  I've just read this great book on parenting.  It is one of THE best books I have ever read on the subject - and I am quite a reader.

The guy has this quote that he uses, at the most hilarious times - "How's that working for you?"  like say his kids are brawling and one comes in sobbing for a sympathy vote - in discussion he says, and what could you do to your brother?  son says "punch him," dad replies "and how's that working for you?"

It sounds a bit crazy - you'll have to read the book ;-)

Anyway, I was meant to begin the great running game last week.  Notice I said meant to.  Because I didn't.

I have lots of reasons, but really they are all excuses.

BUT.
I didn't get the podcasts loaded onto my iPod until Tuesday.  Then on Tuesday, I thought my princess Adelaide had broken her wrist.  I spent Tuesday and Wednesday doing EVERYTHING for her (as well as a couple of trips to white cross etc).  Then it was Thursday.  It rained.  Anyway, the rest of the week flew past. I have been eating terribly for about 2 weeks, which does not motivate me to run in any sort.  As in, I don't normally eat bread, and I myself have probably consumed 2 loaves in the last 2 weeks.... not to mention the icecream, caramel everything and so on.  You'd think I'm pregnant.  And, I'm not.  hehe.

So, I am pondering a 30 day challenge coming up soon.  Anyway, I am inevitably going to try and start the running this week.  It just happens that the podcasts that I managed to load go from couch to 5k in 8 weeks instead of 9.  So I will still reach my goal when I wanted to - provided I actually begin this week!

Now I just need to switch off my desperate cravings for baking & eating it all!

More on succeeding at that some other time......

still a battle everyday!  don't want to live that way forever!  hey food, I'm supposed to rule over you.  So help me God!  ;-)

xx

Let the running begin.....

So I bought me one of these....

A second hand one. 16gb, original generation.  Old, but it will do the job.  New for me.

It's quite nifty.  No camera, but connects to WIFI.  With a quick, cheap software update it can run apps and games and a whole lot of other cool stuff.  It can almost do anything... except for fly me to the moon.

I lost my old ipod in our move.  I actually cried, I was really upset as it was a gift and quite precious to me.  I don't hang on much to stuff, but replacing it was quite a task, which I guess, is why I was so sad.

But my new one is great.  I paid virtually the same as the original one cost.  (the original was second hand too).  It arrived and I loaded everything on, a few hours later I was making my first attempt at actually listening to a video on it - to find that the sound wouldn't work.  After a few investigations, I discovered that the input for the headphones/speakers was faulty  :'(  I was really discouraged and upset again because of thinking about having to deal with the company in Auckland that I purchased it from etc.

I figured out that I could hear it if the headphones were 1/2 plugged into the jack.  But it was very quiet and the volume adjustment made no difference to the sound levels.

But a brief thought popped into my head to pray for it.  I have what I call "weird" faith.  Like, I can believe for stuff like this to get fixed, but I struggle to believe for provisions of basic necessities!!!?  crazy.  Anyway, I didn't even really pray.  Just thought it.

Next thing, it's blasting in my ear so loud that I jumped & shrieked.  Then I heard nothing.  I resorted to that it was properly broken now.  Then I had a thought that perhaps it would work if I put the headphone jack in properly, and sure enough, now it is working A-OK!  Don't you love it!?  Someone else traded it in because it was faulty, and here I am with this cool blessing, that is working just fine!  He makes me laugh out loud - literally.

Anyway, I want to start up a couch to 5k running programme.  Losing my ipod put a spanner in the works, so getting a new one means I have to start it now - right!?

The trick is, you listen to these podcasts that have portions of walking music and running music that alternates... beginning on easy for the first week and increasing the running times/decreasing walking times as you go on.  You have to dedicate 3 x 1/2 hour slots per week to it - and in 9 weeks, I should be able to run roughly 5km in 30 minutes.  I'm not sure about being able to dedicate the time necessary, but I'm going to try.  I really want to get fit - I am so unfit it's ridiculous and it's time I sort that part of my life out.

So its me, couch to 5k in 9 weeks.  I'm starting Monday. 21 February.  Which means, all going ok, sometime around 23 April I should be able to do a 5k run non stop.  Eeeek sounds impossible right now, but I'm going to give it a shot!  Hopefully it will help me tone up a bit too!

I'll report in on it, maybe once a week.

Happy weekend all!  x

what I've been up to....

Well, the year has officially begun.  Why does it feel like the year never begins until February?  I guess I still feel like I'm on holiday until February hits, and suddenly I realise that hubby gets no long stretch of time off until December, the years programmes are beginning again and well, what do you know - here we are, a month in to 2012!

Here's a mini-update on what I've been up to:

• we just returned from a week's holiday in Hamilton & Auckland.  I feel refreshed and ready for the year to start now...
• we have a great tenant in our house, a nurse, it worked out perfectly
• I'm considering commencing a couch to 5k running program.... but I've lost my ipod.  The music is cool though, semi-addictive, so I think I'll either have to find my ipod or get a 'new' (pre-loved) one  :(
• loving the new place, nicely stretched out, seemingly perfect for my passions - cooking & having guests!
• as it seems many others are also, I am quietly heading back to old fashioned communicating this year.... I have missed and long for face to face relationships over media ones....  I will still show up, but don't count on an update heaps... perhaps the face of this shall change - we will see.
• Mr John has a tooth (or two).  Happy 7 month birthday - a  tooth!  He is keeping my hands full!
• My year is looking excitingly amazing right at the outset!  New opportunities arising, getting regularly back into some things I'm passionate about - the joys of a baby weaning himself at 6 months! :-)
• I'm busy pondering an outfit, or three, for an up-coming wedding..... looking forward to getting glammed up once again!
• I cut and coloured my hair.  Dark brown, fringe again - a long easy to hide one :)  Feeling like a new me!
• I had a child-less shopping spree while away (I had about $250 of vouchers for Auckland stores to blow).  What an AMAZING time I had! whee!
• I have been offered a few jobs lately.... I'm not even looking for work.  Quite nice politely declining!
• I had an amazing opportunity to have a hands on experience at being a chef last night.....  I went into Vie Restaurant (at Flames Hotel) and assisted them with a wedding - catering for around 90 people!  It was so much fun and made me see why I love cooking all the more!!  My job was to plate half of the entrees & then plate the veges (and decorate the plates with sauces) for the mains!!  I got a few ideas, and just loved seeing the 'behind the scenes' at how they do what they do and why etc!  Good times.... better still, I get paid for it!  A busy job still!

Anyway, that's about it from me - seeya!