My inspiration

I saw one of the mums from Poppy's Kindy at the gym last week. We were both surprised to see each other because neither of us knew that we went to the same gym. She told me that she hated coming to the gym and although she had been a member for about 2 years, she doesn't go very often. She, along with the other mums who were involved in the conversation, was amazed when I admitted to going every day.  Since then I have seen her at the gym a number of times and she has told me that I inspired her to go. That really brings a smile to my face because I love to think that my active lifestyle is a good example to others and to think that it inspires other people to be active makes me feel great! Lets just hope it inspires my girls when they are old enough!!

It has got me thinking about what or who inspires me. Without doubt, my biggest inspiration is my husband Trent. His attitude to life is simply amazing. He is a massive believer that anything is possible if you imagine it and work hard to achieve it. He has done 4 ironman triathlons and too many half ironman and Olympic distance triathlons to count. He is never completely happy with his results even though what he does is awesome. He is always striving to do better. Trent's attitude and commitment to living a healthy and active lifestyle is contagious and it would be impossible for it not to rub off on me!

Trent supports everything I want to do. If I happen to mention something out loud, he jumps on it and gets me believing that it is possible. That's what happened with the marathon. He knew it was something I wanted to do and he helped me train, pick a race, and most importantly, believe that I could do it! I think he was almost as proud of me as I was of myself when I actually did it!

Having a supportive partner is so important when you have 'athletic' goals. Managing and balancing family, work and training commitments can be a real challenge. It can be even more challenging when both husband and wife have goals!!! Fitting my training in with Trent's ironman training can definitely be a logistical nightmare. But we both support each other so much that we make it happen. We have prioritised exercise in our life and it has become just as important as eating and sleeping. I often wonder the impact this is having on our children but I'll delve into that issue at a later date!

So a massive shout out to my inspiration - thanks a million Trent :)

Directionless!

Lost, pointless, scatty, disorganised. This is how I'm feeling about my training at the moment.  I'm still going to the gym every day (almost) but I don't feel like there is any purpose or direction to what I am doing. I pretty much just turn up and do whatever I feel like doing - walking, cycling, rowing, stairs, weights, core strength - with no consistent effort on any of these.  Im pretty sure this approach is not going to get me anywhere!

Im not sure why I'm feeling like this. Perhaps it's because:

1. I get bored easily so just change things up

2. I'm not training for anything in particular

3. Biding my time until I can run again

I suspect it is a combination of these 3 things.  My problem is that running is my number one. It gives me the results I want and in a relatively fast time frame. Without it, I don't really know what to do. And I don't believe that anything else I do will give me the same results in the same time. Please let me know if I'm wrong!

I think it might be time to book in a couple of PT sessions just o get me on track. I'm not necessarily looking for them to write me a weights/cardio program, but rather a 4 week, 8 week, 12 week plan with some goals to achieve. And of course, I'm sure they'll have some great suggestions for keeping me on track.

I'm sure I could probably do all this myself but I think I need the PT there more as motivation. If I know I'm seeing them every week, I will make sure I've done the work. Accountability if you like.

My races

2012

January

Brisbane Resolution Run - 11km - 1.01.54

BRRC - 15km - 1.28.16

February

BRRC half marathon - 1.58.09

March

Twilight half marathon UQ - 2.01 (ran for 1hr before the race)

April

Canberra marathon - April 2012 time: 4.10.51

May

Noosa half marathon - 2.01.22 (PB 53min for first 10km)

September

Twilight Wynnum - 10km- 1.06.47 (19 weeks pregnant)

2011
Summer Run Series Hyatt Coolum - 10km - time unknown

2008

Sonomas Sandgate Fun Run - 10km - time unknown

Intraining Easter Classic 10km - 1.00.30

Brisbane Half Marathon - 2.06.34

2006

Noosa Triathlon - 3.16.45

2005

Gold Coast 10km - 59.24

Jetty to Jetty 10km - 59.04

2002

Bridge to Brisbane 12km - 1.12.

Noosa 10km - 57.59

QTS Enticer triathlon (200/5/1) - 27.02


Times in red are PB's

Number of 10km - 7
Number of half marathons - 4
Number of marathons - 1

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to the physio I go!

Matilda is 3 months old today! And it has been a wonderful 12 weeks with her in our family of four!

Lots to report since my last post.

Bootcamp is a no go. I made the decision that my body just wasn't ready for it. My mind is definitely ready and I have no doubt that I could do it, but at the end of the day, there is no hurry and it's a smarter choice to give my body as long as it needs to get right.

Went to the doctor on Friday. Her report is that everything I am feeling is completely normal. I still have quite a bit of inflammation and the feeling of looseness in my pelvic floor is not helped by the fact that I'm breastfeeding.  Apparently your body doesn't produce oestrogen when breastfeeding and thats what you need to heal fully.  She also told me that I'm not doing my pelvic floor exercises correctly. Great!  The result is that I have been given oestrogen based cream to apply twice a week and have been referred to a pelvic floor physio.  I'm happy to try both and see if it helps.  I also assume that things won't go completely back to normal until I've stopped breast feeding - and that won't be for a long time!

Good news is that exercise is more than ok as long as I don't do anything that puts pressure on the pelvic floor. You guessed it - that's running! But I knew that anyway so I've had time to come to terms with that.  I've still been going to the gym every day. Doing cardio on the bike, rower and stair master and alternating that with weights.  The cardio sessions are absolutely killing me and the last couple of sessions have left me feeling like I'm going to vomit. Must be doing something!

On a completely different note, I read something this week that said:

It takes 4 weeks for you to notice a change in your body, 8 weeks for friends to notice, and 12 weeks for the rest of the world to notice.

This gave me a grand idea that I should keep a photo record of my body over the next 12 weeks to see what happens - hopefully it will look better in 12 weeks! My idea was to take photos and put them here on my blog. That was until I saw the photos!!!! Since seeing what I actually look like (I knew I was out of shape but really????) I'm extremely nervous about showing the big wide world. I know, I know, I had a baby 12 weeks ago. I keep trying to tell myself that! 

I have decided that, in the interests of accountability and motivation, I will post the photos.  I ask you to please remember that I had a baby 12 weeks ago! So here goes......

I'm thanking my lucky stars we're heading into winter! This body is definitely NOT bikini ready......yet!

Bootcamp???

I just found out yesterday that my gym is running a 6 week bootcamp starting this Saturday morning. Should I or shouldn't I? Trent has given me the all clear but I can't decide whether I want to do it or not. I have never been too keen to do group exercise classes. I am skeptical that gym classes (step, body pump, etc) actually do anything and are full of people who go to the gym once a week just so that they can say they 'go to the gym' (yes, I'm a snob!). Perhaps if I'm honest with myself, I also avoid group classes because I'm worried I won't be able to do it, I'll be the worst one there, I'll look like an idiot, etc, etc. That fear of the unknown again strikes again.

The difference with this bootcamp is that the personal trainer who will be running it is a guy that I'd like to see what he's got. He's a successful gymnast (not sure if he's still competitive???) and this intrigues me. I often see him training people and also working out himself and I am always in absolute awe of his strength. I'd like to see if his gymnastics background makes his approach different to the normal pt sessions.

On a side not, and this has nothing to do with my decision, it's at 6am Saturday morning. Normally this would mean I'd have to get up at 5.30 to get there on time but as I am breast feeding, I'm going to have to get up even earlier so that I can express before I go! I don't think I've mentioned before that I am most definitely NOT a morning person and the thought of getting up at 5am to exercise actually makes me laugh!

So I've got a couple of days to decide. I'll keep you posted!

Trying to stay positive

It's been a week since my last blog and things haven't improved :( I have taken it a lot easier this week - no running or walking on the treadmill, just weights, bike, rower and stair master. But nothing has improved. I haven't even been to the gym since Wednesday. That's 4 days of complete rest with very little improvement. 

I have an appointment with my obstetrician on Friday so I'm curious to hear what he has to say. I'll wait until I hear from him before I book in with a physio.

I'm really disappointed but I'm trying to keep positive. I had a good talk with Trent on Friday night and said all of the things out loud that I haven't said before. I know this won't last forever but I didn't actually realise that my recovery from a natural birth would be this long.

I had a c-section for Poppy, much to my disgust. I desperately wanted to give birth naturally but when I was 4 days overdue and she wasn't even looking like engaging, the obstetrician convinced me that I would never go into labour and I needed to book in a c-section. I have regretted it ever since. 

So for Matilda's birth I was more determined than ever to try and give birth naturally.  I found an obstetrician who was willing to attempt a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section), and resigned myself to the fact that I could be pregnant a very long time while I waited for this baby to make its grand entrance. As it turned out, she was a week overdue! And interestingly, the end of the pregnancy was exactly the same as Poppy - no engagement, looking very much like she was going to be in there a very long time.

But, they can't stay in there forever! After a long 30 hour labour Matilda arrived, and did quite a lot of damage to me on the way out.  I'm now wondering if the 2nd degree tear I got and 20+ stitches has made my recovery longer than usual. It certainlt is longer than my recovery from the c-section. but when i think back, I didn't get back into any exercise for 6months because I wasn't imto running then. 

Adding to my frustration is the fact that women really don't talk about these things. It's really hard to know what's 'normal' because no-one talks about it and its not really something I feel comfortable asking people.

Anyway, my frustration levels are at an all time high even though the logical part of my brain is telling me to be patient and give it time.

I am still entered into the 10km Jetty to Jetty fun run which is on July 21st. Depending on what my doctor says, I'm leaning towards having the whole next 4 weeks off completely from walking/running and see what happens. That will still give me 5-6 weeks to get ready for the 10km. Wouldn't be enough to do a quick time but that's ok with me. Baby steps!

Small set back

I've decided to have a week off the treadmill. Although I really don't want to, my pelvic floor is not feeling right and I want to see if time off from running helps. Stupidly, I stopped doing my pelvic floor exercises because it was feeling pretty good. But now it has gone back to feeling wrong. Not really sure how to describe the feeling other than 'loose'. It doesn't hurt, it is just uncomfortable and annoying. I feel like I constantly need to be pulling everything up. So I'm back on the exercises religiously and will take a break from the running. If it doesn't improve in a week I'm going to book myself in to see a physio.

That all means I need to do other things at the gym to keep me active. I have been quite enjoying doing some light weights and will definitely keep doing those. I will also continue the core work that I've been doing. Yesterday, I did some squats and had a go on the stair master for the first time. For some reason I've never been into squats even though I know they are great for legs and butt. I have also read somewhere that strengthening you glutes also helps the pelvic floor. And the stair master - well, what can I say? It's really hard work! My legs were ok but I had to work really hard to keep my heart rate from going through the roof! I managed to do 20 floors. I think I'll try to increase that by 5 floors every time I go! Will see what happens.

I've also reacquainted myself with the stationary bike :( Possibly the most time consuming way to burn calories!!! I did 15 mins this morning and only burnt about 50 calories! But I just keep reminding myself that I'm not really there to burn calories (lose weight), rather to tone up. And the way my legs were burning during that 15 minutes, I figure it must be doing something!

Fingers crossed that things feel better next week!

What's happening to me? Oh oh, I think it's already happened!

4 days of no exercise and I feel like rubbish.
This is a surprise to me.
I am only just starting to realise how important exercise is to me.

I have never considered myself to be an overly active or athletic person. Sure, I've done lots of running including half marathons and a marathon but I don't do them very fast. i just plod along and do my own thing. In our house, doing hours of exercise is actually considered normal. Although he would never admit it, Trent is a mad keen ironman triathlete. Or as I like to put it - he is totally obsessed! He has competed in 4 ironman races and I've lost count of how many half-ironmans. He is constantly training for something and ironman training means up at 4.30 every morning to either swim, ride or run before going to work. It is not uncommon for Trent to run 20km before work and he often does this multiple times in a week. Then there's training after work as well, although this has cut back a lot since we have had children. Many of our friends are also into ironman. So me going for a run every day doesn't ever really seem like a big deal.

Today I felt really awful - headache, no energy, just really flat. I really wanted to go to the gym but just couldn't fit it in to my day. Yesterday, when we decided that Poppy wouldn't go to Kindy because she was sick, I was actually pissed off that I would miss my gym session.

The feelings I have had this week have caught me by surprise. I think running might actually be part of who I am. This is a novel and strange concept. Somewhere in the last 2 or so years, running has crept into my life and I now can't imagine not doing it. Weird!