There’s a dinosaur in my throat.

Tags

boot camp, Running

Ever since we were kids, my sisters and I have always said “I have a throatasauras” when we have that just starting to get sick feeling. You know the one, sore throat, stuffy nose, blocked ears. Now we are older, we just say “There is a dinosaur in my throat”. It does say something about how mature we are 🙂

Meh

I said this to my sister today. Turns out I may be getting sick. Too early to tell right now, but I feel bleurgh. No amount of water is fixing my fluffy head. I feel specially tired. I need my Husband here to look after me. Booooooooo.

And to make matters worse, I have to keep working on my presentation for this Friday. No getting out of it. BUM!

No running for me today and I will be missing boot camp too. Sux.

At least I am safe and warm and not in a state of emergency like all those people in the path of Sandy. It’s shocking seeing the images on Twitter and the news. I do hope that if you are in it, you are keeping out of harms way. Same for any family or friends. Be careful out there…….

Super Sunday

Tags

Archaeology, Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, Running

Im having a Super Sunday! My ebay auction finished today, goodbye fat clothes! I made a decent amount of cash too 🙂 Happy days!

Image via CrunchBase

The weather has been cold, windy and rainy on and off all day. All my attempts at heading out for a run this morning were thwarted, so I have given up. It’s almost lady time (sorry boys for oversharing) and I feel pretty bleurgh anyway. It is the kind of weather that if Husband was home, we would be curled up together watching a movie. Eating something warm and drinking hot chocolate….. Missing him……

Instead, I have spend all day applying for academic jobs. This is why it is SUPER SUNDAY!! There are a few in America and one in UK that I have applied for. These jobs are massively competitive so I am not anticipating packing my bags just yet, but you gotta be in it to win it! Who knows, I could be just the archaeologist some university department out there wants 🙂

Applying for all these jobs makes it really hit home that soon I will be done with my PhD. I desperately want it to be finished, I am sick to death of doing it, I want nothing more than to have spare time again, and not to be constantly thinking about it, worrying about it, talking about it, etc. But I am also a bit sad it’s finishing. Life will change after this, we might even move overseas. Our pretty laid back student life will come to an end and we will have to work!!! I know, everybody has to work, and don’t get me wrong, I work pretty much 7 days a week on this bad boy. It’s the 9-5 (or lets face it 7-7 that most academics work) that will be odd. I’m so used to working when I feel like it, early in the morning or late at night, taking breaks whenever I need one, popping out to the shops before the peak hour rush of kids getting out of school, etc. This is the part I will miss!

Oh well, time to grow up 🙂

The silver lining in getting the PhD done will be even more time to spend training. I stuck my excellent race calendar stuck to my wall, and I gotta tell ya, I am so shit scared that I will stuff it up, that getting a run in every other day will be mandatory! So yeah, lots of words and lots of running for me over the next few months as I wrap up my thesis.

Anyway, enough of me rambling, I have one more application to finish and then I might just pour myself a glass of Pinot Noir and settle in for the evening. Cheers and hope all your weekends came true!

Storm

We are about to storm here. Nothing like what is happening in USA with Sandy, but it is going to be wet wet wet for the next few hours.

No running for the last few days, my legs have been buggered. Skype scheduling with Husband has also kept me home as I have been waking up late and then we chat for a while. I wanted to go for a run this afternoon but the weather came too fast….

I love stormy weather, but I get scared of lightening and thunder. Once it is all over, the air is clean again, no humidity, and calm – the best!. I especially love when they start, the smell of first rain hitting the road, that steamy feeling which is so quickly replaced with a chilled air.

Storm front approaching Brisbane City (Source)

 

We get lots of storms here in Brisbane although it is unusual for us to get cyclones (southern hemisphere hurricanes). We have entered storm season again, so we will get lots of days where the heat and humidity increases until you think you can’t take anymore and then a storm starts in the afternoon. I remember as a kid, these storms seemed daily during summer. Hail as big as tennis balls. Soggy grass in the evenings. That smell of storm. Such drama!

These days, I just worry about my veggies and hope they weather the wind. I may need to hide a little as thunder has started…….

Running tomorrow, my legs are itching to get out there……….

Those of you near Sandy, stay safe….

 

Personal Training

Tags

boot camp, health, healthy-living, P90X, Running, Yoga

OMG. The muscles that were sore from yesterday’s boot camp are completely and utterly trashed now.

Before we went to PT, I went for a 3.8km run. I smashed it, and felt on top of the world. I really hoped that going for run would purge the lactic acid from my legs but they were still sore after the run.

An hour and a half later, hell was unleashed. Started with a run to warm up, using some  kettle bells we did some swinging backwards and forwards thing, squats with the kettle bells, lunges with the kettle bells, push ups and pull ups with that TRX suspension thingo. Then a run. Repeated three times.

Followed by dead lifts with kettle bells, bicep curls on a resistance band and more freaking lunges. I cannot tell you how much I hate lunges. They SUCK!

More running, then some core work.

I swear I cannot stand from sitting without some serious pain. Not in my ass, in my quads. They were SCREAMING at me by the end. OUCH! The trainer dude was making conversation at the end and all I wanted to do was crawl to the car and get the hell home….

This just confirms that I need to continue with some P90X after boot camp finishes, I was a lot tougher than this a few months ago. I have focussed on running and stretching, which I love, but I know now that I really must keep up the strength workouts as well. Right now, I wish I could sink into a neck deep hot bath and then get a massage for, like, a week.

On a positive note, (Yeah, stop whining!!) I burnt 876 calories today. That is the most I have burnt since I started on my fitness and health lifestyle. I really think my next weigh in will be awesome!

Tomorrow, yoga – to stretch as much as anything else.

I am seriously in doubt at the moment if I will be able to run on Friday due to the pain. If you have any suggestions for me on how to make it go away quickly I would appreciate it. I’m not kidding, I need some help!!

What goes on at Boot Camp.

Tags

boot camp, health, healthy-living, P90X, Running, Weigh In

So we arrived at boot camp last night, after driving around looking for the place. The trainer seemed really nice which we were’t expecting from the tone of the emails we have been getting. It was freezing cold with a strong wind whipping our hair and making us shiver. He commented I looked scared (wtf?) and I replied there was no way on earth I was getting in the nearby water. It was a joke, although I don’t think he got it. Seriously.

Prior to it starting he emailed us a form to fill out that asked for your 5 Dreams in Life. I was tempted to write:

• Buy a house
• Get a dog
• Have Christmas Lunch on Antarctica
• Travel to space
• Meet Sir David Attenborough.

I decided not to be cheeky and wrote:

• Buy a house
• Get a dog
• Achieve and maintain a 65kg goal weight
• Run a half marathon in 2013
• Get an academic job.

I swear he though I was going to be lame, he kept looking at me as he explained we could pull out at any time, rest when we needed, walk the runs if needed, etc. Little did he know…..

So we got started.  A run to warm up then three sets of squats, lunges, push ups, dips and then a run. Followed by three sets of lunges, pushups, core pushups, more lunges and more running. The final bit was abs, plank and bicycles. It was relatively easy. My triceps are less than stellar so the dips sucked, but the rest was cool! I am a bit sore today in my quads and triceps but overall feel really good.

I really have to thank P90X for my ability to cope with the session last night. As much as running is making my legs stronger, P90X really got me used to working out my upper body and core a lot more than I ever have before. So thanks again to freaky Tony Horton. I think when this boot camp finishes I will drag out the P90X workouts again a few times a week to maintain any progress I make with boot camp…

I measured myself as well as weighing in to track my progress. At the end of 6 weeks, I’ll put it out there 🙂

I slept in this morning so no early run. I’ll head out a bit later on today.

We have our personal training session tonight. I wonder how that is going to roll out???

Wait a second, is that a Race Calendar??

Tags

10km, 5km, half marathon, healthy-living, Racing, Running

So yesterday I had a realisation. I like running by myself(*). Whenever I run with other people I feel like I am not good, fast or agile enough. I judge myself when I shouldn’t. It messes with my mojo. So I didn’t go to running club, I went running by myself.

It was about 32 deg C yesterday afternoon, that forecasted storm never eventuated. Despite the heat, I busted out some tunes and went for it. Not as fast as the other day but so freaking liberated. I felt like I was back in control. I was chasing people down like we were in a race, doing what I need to do to get my speed and distance up. I got home tomato red, sweating like a pig and feeling on top of the world. I guess this means I have broken up with running club? Great peeps but maybe just not my style….

After a shower to re-human, I had dinner by myself and girly tv shows to keep me company – BLISS!

This morning, after doing yoga I googled to see what running events are in Brisbane for next year. Turns out there are heaps. So I made a race calendar. Wanna see it?

• March 24th Twilight Run 5km St Lucia
• April 7 Womens Running Fun Run Pink – Team Pinkie 5km (Registered)
• May 26 Rotary 10km Run
• June 2 Heritage Bank 10km Run
• June 16 City to South 14k Run (Registered)
• 4 August Brisbane Running Festival Half Marathon (Yes that says Half Marathon)
• 1 Sept Bridge to Brisbane 10 K Run

Yep, I have registered already for two of these bad boys. The rest I have to wait for registration to open. I know I said earlier I like running by myself but running in these events will be different to a training run, a different atmosphere and purpose.  Plus, I figure the longer runs can be part of my training for the Half Marathon on August 4 (!?!?!). Big challenge, but I am up for it. This marks a new phase in my running life. I know that if I can do all of these runs, then a marathon in 2014 is an achievable goal. Watch this space.

In other news, it’s boot camp tonight, it feels like the longest build up ever. I can’t wait!

So there you have it, a race calendar, a commitment to running and training and hopefully some cute medals. I’M EXCITED!!!!

 

(*) when I say by myself, I mean me and my virtual WP running gang, you know who you are 🙂 if you wanna be in the gang, just say so!!

 

Selling my fat clothes

Tags

boot camp, health, healthy-living, Running, Weigh In, weight-loss

Yep, that’s right. I spent some time yesterday putting all my fat clothes for sale on Ebay. (I made those words bold cos the clothes I am selling look too big now!)

The main motivation for doing this is to make sure that I can never ever ever go back to the size I was. I hate seeing how big those pants are. MY GOD THEY ARE HUUUUUUUGE!

And if you only have clothes that fit your smaller self, it will help to keep the weight off right?

So 17 items are up for grabs. Some of the clothes were things I had bought in a desperate attempt to look good whilst I was still carrying those extra 10kg. They never fit. Still had tags on them. Now I have lost the weight, they are too big. What a waste of money!! Shame on me!

I am freaking loving wearing all my old clothes, but I gotta tell ya, I can’t even wait to buy even smaller clothes soon. I desperately need some shorts as it is getting quite hot here, but I am holding out from buying some a bit longer, as I already have a pair that are a bit too snug at the moment. I keep trying them on, they will fit soon 🙂

So yeah, the weight loss is getting real. And PERMANENT!

In weigh in news, I did not lose or gain any weigh this week. I know that taking a running break and also letting a few ‘treats’ into my diet this week kept me from losing weight.

I have been thinking all week that I should up the ante for the next six weeks that I am doing boot camp. A kind of pre Christmas cleanse. Not any weird ‘juice only’ cleanse. I mean cutting out ‘treats’ like beer, hot chocolates and other things I have been indulging in. I also mean totally healthy foods, that will keep me energised as I do a bit more exercise.

I was really really wanted to be at 65kg by NYE but I think truthfully that is not going to happen. I don’t want to crash diet and lose the weight as that is a recipe for disaster. I think it is more reasonable to see a kg a week come off over the next 6 weeks during boot camp. It would mean that by Christmas, which is a month after boot camp finishes, I will be close to 70kg. I’m ok with that as I really want to lose the weight slowly and keep it off. Forever. So yeah. Another goal getting pushed out a bit longer, but in all reality it is keeping me sane not fretting too much about it.

Husband is away for the next 10 days so I will be cooking for myself. I have so many workout activities planned for every night this week, I think I will be totally exhausted by the Sunday night. I am so looking forward to smashing out some killer workouts this week. YAY!

I’ll let you know how running club is tonight, although there is a storm forecast for this afternoon here, hopefully it doesn’t get cancelled!

Over n out – RunninBear

Aaaaah, rancho relaxo….

Tags

Life, PhD, Running

Guess how many km I ran this weekend. Go on guess.

Remember my plan? Well sometimes plans get chucked out.

This weekend I ran 0km. ‘0’ also known as ‘zero’ or ‘nought’. And you know what, I don’t care! I’m not beating myself up over it, I’m not sad about it, I actually feel fantastic!

And that is fine by me!

It all started on Friday night, a beer with my friend turned into dinner and beers and very out of tune singing till midnight. I woke up a bit dusty and thought, “no worries, I can go for a run this afternoon”. Afternoon rolled in and I just did not feel like it so I bailed. A friend came over and we had dinner. After he left I finally got to watch Season 3 Ep 1 of The Walking Dead. (Which BTW was freaking awesome and I can’t wait to see more). This morning I woke up and skipped my run, went for a swim with my bff and am going to take the rest of the day easy.

Husband is going away tomorrow for 10 days so it is a no brainer to spend time at home with him today. But otherwise I really feel like I needed a rest. The PhD has been exhausting me a bit lately and I want to smash next weeks fitness goals out of the ballpark. So a break is well timed. I feel so refreshed just chilling out, hanging at rancho relaxo and being with my hubby….feeling the love….

I hope all of you out there are enjoying your weekend. I’ll check in after running club tomorrow 🙂

Rest Day

Tags

Homeland, PhD, Pinot Noir, Running, The Walking Dead

After feeling bleurgh all last night and this morning , I decided this morning TODAY IS A REST DAY!! I am pretty convinced now that I caught a bug or something. I did read some freaking hilarious stories when I was researching googling why running makes you want to go. Thanks for all your advice 🙂

To make myself feel better I took a long hot shower, washed my hair and blow dried it so I look more human. I put moisturiser on and even some fragrance. I am sitting here in jeans and a pretty top, feeling content with my decision to take it easy. PhD writing this morning (it’s coming along well btw) and then I am heading into uni to see my supervisor and catch up with a good friend. Then home and watching S2 Ep 3 of Homeland and S3 Ep 1 of The Walking Dead. I do love a good zombie 🙂

Maybe even a glass of wine if my tummy settles down!

Pinot Noir Anyone?

Tomorrow it’s game on. Run in the morning (to catch up on today’s missed run) then yoga for a stretch. Sunday 5km run. Oh Yeah.

In boot camp news, we already have an appointment for some extra Personal Training, which will be on Wed!!!

ext week is shaping up to be huge. Running club on Mon and Thurs, Boot Camp on Tues and PT on Wed. Plus my normal running. Look out scales, there could be a huge drop after all that hard work 🙂

What is on your workout schedule for next week? Any new things to try?

Running to the toilet :(

Tags

Running

Running club tonight was a bust. I got there, and immediately my tummy started rumbling. UH OH! I have experienced this before – last time I was stranded on a path with no toilet. I thought I had this nailed. I always ‘go’ before I run. I drink plenty of water. I have been incident free since that one time…..

The park where running club is has a clubhouse for the soccer fields. Usually the toilets are locked but today they were mercifully open.

I attempted to get back into the training session but my tummy was and is still a bit grumbly. So I legged it home.

I am so not down with this. Any suggestions??