The loves of my life

This would have to be the most adorable picture I have ever taken- Scoop and Mia on our lounge at home.

Bugger

Well as some you already know, work has restricted net access at work so I won't get to blog as regularly as I have been! Boo!!! I will try to catch up with everyone's blog at home when I can- please don't think I've forgotten about you, its just a bit harder to catch up now!

The end of the week has been pretty good food-wise- I had to face the dreaded all-you-can-eat buffet last night though. I was very good to start with (short soup, salad, king prawns, smoked salmon- avoided all the deep-fried chinese foods!) but then I hit the dessert bar- my nemesis! I had good intentions and started off with the least damaging dessert pavlova, but the chocolate fountain was calling my name, and succumbed to two skewers of marshmallows dipped in the fountain :( Ah well- it tasted good!

Tonight we are off to a Greek restaurant, so will try and eat the most healthy option there! I think Greek food can be pretty good, as long as I stay away from the bread and dips!

Hope you are all having fab weekends, especially all the New South Welshmen having long weekends xxxx

Positivity

I sat at my desk here at work this morning dreaming about lying on a beach doing nothing- doesn't that sound glorious? I would love to just have a break and just rest for a couple of weeks. But, I have no spare money or holidays, so it won't be happening anytime soon!

So what I did do was sit down and make a list of all the things that would make me feel happy that I can do now. Things that would make me content! I am the queen of procrastination, so just by doing stuff, I can immediately feel so much better, as I am not racked with guilt about not doing stuff... if that makes sense!

Some of my list includes:

1. Get up and do 1 hour of study before work every weekday: I have been neglecting my PT course I am doing by correspondence as I have no deadlines. So I have been feeling super bad about forking out a load of money and not doing any of it! Well I have done some, but not near as much as I should have. I got up at 5:30am this morning and did my first hour... already feel good about that!

2. Stick to my food and exercise plan: this is something I do pretty regularly, but having strayed from it on the weekend, the guilt is creeping in already! Back to good habits the last couple of days, but will be happier when I start to see the results on the scales. Which brings me to...

3. Weigh myself once a week- I went back to my very bad habit of weighing myself daily! I really go screwy-louie when I do this, as I am on the rollercoaster of my daily weight fluctuations then.

4. Get 8 hours sleep a night. I've started staying up later recently, so want to start making sure I go bed early enough, especially since I want to get up earlier to study! You may say why not study at night then? My brain is dead by that stage! Better to have a sleep and get a fresh head :)

5. Write "To Do" lists at work and work through them. I seem to have become a bit of a scatterbrain as I have got older, so will work better if I do this!

6. Blog only during my breaks at work!! I've got a bit addicted!

So that's the general gist of my list- hopefully by sticking to my list, I will inject some more positivity into my life, and feel a little less like I'm dragging my arse around :)

The non-running blues

I weighed in today with a gain of 0.5kg since last week. I really let myself go a bit crazy towards the end of the week. I used the excuse of "carbo-loading" for the race as an excuse- not good!

I am feeling confident of a good loss this week- I am changing up my exercise program completely after the race, as I am now starting a two month rest from running... I really don't want to, in fact the idea depresses me! But, I have to be sensible, and think about my long term health. The whole reason I started losing weight and exercising was to get healthy, so it is counter-productive to continue running if it causes pain. But as the quote on Emma's blog said, running means more to me than just getting fit and being healthy. It's a challenge- by setting myself goals and beating them, my self-esteem increases. So I guess therein lies the way to cope with this rest from running- I have to find a new non-running goal! Watch this space- I'll have a brainstorm and see what I come up with!

This week might be a light one exercise-wise. I had planned on going to a spin class tonight, but I still have a bit of a head cold, so it might be a good idea to give it a miss and have an early night. I have my parents coming down to visit for the long weekend as well, so any exercise might have to be restricted to whatever I can cram in here and there!!! Here is what I hope to do:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Personal training (weights) and cardio machines
Wednesday: Pilates class
Thursday: Personal pilates session
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Treadmill hill walk
Sunday: Outdoor walk (get my Dad out for a walk!)

Hmm, looking at my plan, I think its a good one- I had been contemplating a week off, but I think the plan is light on cardio enough to constitute as a comparatively restful week :) So my aim this week will be to lose my gain and concentrate on sticking to my food plan very closely to make up for the loss in exercise intensity.

Yay- my net time was adjusted!

These were the results posted on the Sydney Running Festival Site:

Bib number: 13225
SHERRIE MORAN
PROSPECT
Place: 3,508 (8, 461 total finishers)
Finish Time: 00:55:55
Net Time: 00:50:43
Gender: Female
Gender Place: 1,405
Category: F20-29
Category Place: 506

Bridge Run 2007

Me at the finish

Dad and I

Thanks Scoop (again!)

Donna and I

What a fabulous day!!! Between the race, having Scoop and my Dad at the finish and getting to meet WW supermodel/Shannan protege/RPM queen Tiny Donna, I have had the best day!

1. The Race

Today ended up being great conditions for the race- sunny but not hot! The race got off to a slow start, taking 5mins just to get across the start line. Once I was across though, it was a nice clear race, where I got to run my own pace for nearly the whole race. My legs felt like lead for the first two km's but soon warmed up and felt comfortable, and had to try and hold myself back so I had enough petrol to last myself the whole race. Then I let rip for the last 3kms. I crossed the line with an official time of 55:55, but it doesn't seem quite right... I kept rough tabs by my analog watch I was wearing, and it seemed like closer to 51 mins. I think perhaps the start gate never registered my proper start time, seeing as the difference equates to roughly how long it took for me to get to the start? Ah well, I know I did good, so that's all that matters!!!

2. Scoop and Dad

It was so cool having Scoop and Dad there to support me! Especially my Dad- we're from a small town called Scone, 4 hours away from Sydney, so it was a real treat to have my Dad in town to see my effort. And Scoop has been a fabulous support for all my races- he puts up with my whinging about my achey bits, and gets up early for the races and travels in with me, and carries my backpack around till I finish. Poor bloke felt like a packhorse for the C2S with my big bag of food and water! I'm a lucky girl to have such lovely boy!

3. Tiny Donna

It was so wonderful to meet Donna in person finally! It just cemented in my mind what a beautiful person she is- just so lovely and nice! I was so excited that she made the effort to come and see us runners! And to come up to where my family and I were having drinks after the race- I really appreciated it Donna! Can you tell how blown away I was from the meeting by all the exclaimation marks I've used :) I hope this is the start of a great friendship, as I would be honoured to have such a cool person in my life.

Well done to Nic, Katie P and Kate A on their efforts! Especially Kate- I am in awe of your achievement! You are my idol! Hope everyone recovers well x

Pork Pie won :)

Had a lovely night last night- Scoop did end up coming into the city with me, so we headed to the Lord Nelson. Got a bit lost and walked the long way, but I was happy enough with that, as it meant I got in a bit of bonus calorie burning! I had a small pork pie for starters- I was happy that the one we had was far less fatty than the ones I use to eat in England! Then I went and had a sensible main course of Thai beef salad. But I couldn't help myself- I had some chocolate pudding for dessert! It was a posh small serving though, but very good quality chocolate! Yum!! Very tasty and enjoyable!! Had a lovely evening with Scoop as well- its been a while since we did something fun together, so will have to make a point of getting out more!!

Feeling a bit under the weather with a head cold, so looking forward to having an early night tonight!! Was planning on doing a run and possibly going to yoga that is starting back up at our gym, but will see how I feel when I finish up this afternoon. Want to give myself the chance to be 100% for Sunday's run!!!

Sushi or Pork Pie!

I'm looking forward to tonight as I am going into the city to pick up my event kit for the Bridge Run. I just love going into the city- it has such an exciting vibe, and as I love shopping, its like heaven on earth to me!! I have two possible scenarios for tonight though- if Scoop gets off work at reasonable time, we are both going in for a bit of a night out. There is a pub that we want to check out at the top of Kent St called the Lord Nelson. They brew their own ale and serve traditional English pub food. I read on their website that they have pork pies!!! It is one of my fave foods from when I lived in England- not the most healthy food on the planet, in fact I would rate it as high on the list of fattiest foods! Oh, but so yummy! So I plan on having one if we go, plus a pint of pale ale :)

The other scenario is if Scoop can't get off from work in time, is that I go in, eat sushi (way healthier than a pork pie!) and go try on posh frocks in the Pitt St Mall! Either way, I am going to be one happy happy girl! Hmmm and I just got an email saying there is a sale on at George with nothing over $100.... ohhh watch out!

Possible new exercise plan

I've been doodling on my notepad as I often do trying to come up with a new exercise plan, and I think this is what my new schedule will look like:

Monday: Spin class
Tuesday: PT session (weights) and cardio machines
Wednesday: Pilates (mat class)
Thursday: Pilates (PT)
Friday: Cardio machines, weights and yoga
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Cardio machines & weights

My PT is meant to be helping me set up a weights/resistance program this Saturday, which I hope to do at least 24 sessions before Christmas as part of the Countdown to Christmas challenge. I've written "Cardio machines" above- what I plan on doing is a mix of the crosstrainer, bike and rowing machine... the big one though is the rowing machine. I am absolutely crap on that machine, so I will use that as my new challenge! I am going to miss running, but hopefully conquering the rowing machine will help fill the void!

Pilates-tastic!

This wonderful looking contraption is one of the machines we use in my private Pilates session. It looks like a torture rack hey? Well it can be torture for my abs!!! Its called a reformer, and this is what is going to help my get rid of the jelly belly!
I really enjoy my private Pilates session- really feel like it helps a lot with my core strength- also I walk with a lot more consciousness of my posture. I have had terrible slouched shoulders for years, partly due to lack of confidence! But slowly its getting better, as I keep correcting myself more.

Had a really good food day yesterday- stuck to my plan, and didn't feel hungry, so managed to stop myself from unplanned snacking! Have struggled with that the last couple of weeks.

Just thinking now how I had planned on giving up running for a couple of months after the Bridge Run to let my body repair. I am really going to miss my runs!!! I had planned on taking up swimming in its place... I'll have to put some thought into what my new exercise schedule will comprise of, especially as I now want to increase my weights/resistance training as well. I'll post a proposed new plan shortly!!

New week with no mistakes in it

I feel really positive this morning for some reason. I have a clean slate to work from and I am keen to make this week a super good week. Last week I was really unsettled with my routine thrown out the window, and as a consequence my exercise and food planning was all over the place. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't spot on the mark. I had a loss of 1kg this week, but know I could have lost more if I really applied myself.

So this week.... still a bit out of my routine, but I can plan around it. I have to train it into the city on Thursday night so I can pick up my event kit for the Bridge Run. Hoping Scoop can get off early enough so we can both go in and have a lovely romantic dinner- not done that for a while! Then its the Bridge Run itself on Sunday. I did a 9km run yesterday afternoon and felt really comfortable, so I am looking forward to the Bridge Run! It is going to be so much fun running on the Harbour Bridge! And my Dad is even going to be in Sydney and is coming to see me at the finish! And possibly my sister and her fiance are coming to visit.... I can't wait!

So with all these happenings in mind, I have the following plan for exercise this week:

Monday: Pump
Tuesday: Treadmill Run & Pilates PT
Wednesday: Pilates class
Thursday: Rest (night in city)
Friday: Treadmill run
Saturday: Cardio machines and PT session (weights)
Sunday: Bridge Run!

Stocked up on good food yesterday, so I'm all set for a good week!

Mucking around with Mia

Off from work sick today, so just having a squiz at people's blog's. Here is Mia checking out Tiny Donna's blog:
Do I look sick? Maybe not!! This is my first go at a self-portrait in ages- it took 6 goes till I got one I was happy with!!!!

New week!

Ok, I'll get the bad news out of the way first- I put on 2.5kg over my bad week!!!

Ok, so the good news is, I'm back on board the healthy living train, and confident of ditching the gain soon!

The big question- will I continue to rollercoaster through my life, putting on 2kg, then trying to lose it again? Is that what "normal" people do? My guess is that I should be aiming to enjoy food occasionally, but do everything in moderation, not pig out, like I am known to do. Hmmmm... I reckon finding the balance on maintenance might be just as hard as losing the weight in the first place.

Anyway, as I figure it all out, I'm going to focus for now on losing the gain and getting to my personal goal- and I'm feeling quite positive as I write this about doing that!!!

In other news, we named the kitten Mia, and she is going great- getting bigger, her eyes are clearing up a bit, and we have an appointment to see a veterinary ophthamologist to see what we can do for her long term... I can hear the pennies dribbling out of my bank account already! It's all for a good cause- she is such a sweetheart!!!

Going to be a tough week

I'm not looking forward to this week- I have so much on, and I am tired already. Its TTOM and I'm waiting to hear if my kitten is to be handed a death sentence- so I feel pretty drained. We are meant to be going out for dinner with one of Scoop's mates who is in town one night this week, then I have a two day course where the food is provided, and then we travel up to my parents' place for the long weekend. I've already come to grips with the fact that the opportunities to get to the gym are going to be slim this week! And faced with different food temptations, its going to be tough week on the weight-loss front...

Ok, so here is how I am going to deal this week!

Food: So for my course where the food is provided, its meant to be a hot and cold buffet. I'll stick to the salad, a bread roll and some lean meat. I'll take apples and low cal snack bars for morning and afternoon tea to avoid the biscuits!!! I've also bought some Equal tablets to have in my tea. Up at Scone I'll go to the supermarket on Friday to stock up on "Sherrie" food, so I have an alternative to my parents' treats!!!

Exercise: Not looking good! Travelling back to Scone Thursday night, and meant to be going out for tea probably Wednesday night. So my only aim is to get 3 x runs ins. I'll do one tonight on the treadmill, one on Friday and Sunday in Scone. Also on Saturday, I thought I might borrow my brother's bike and go for a ride.

The aim of the game this week will be to maintain my big loss from last week! Fingers crossed for me.

Piccies of the Kitten!

Oh, just one little thing I forgot....

I'm under WW goal :) Now for my personal goal of 65kg- onwards and downwards!!

Unbelievable

I have had the most amazing weigh-in ever this morning: I lost 3kg this week. Its amazing because I am comparatively little but I still lost a massive amount! I mean, I could lose big amounts when I was big, but now? Wow, what else can I say. I certainly worked for it though. I nailed my food and exercise plan. I didn't go to pump on Saturday as my darling bf wanted the car (later found out for ring shopping!), but I went to a boxing class later in day- whoa! What a massive class that was... my upper body is pretty weak, so it copped a hiding... between combinations we were doing push-ups, which is the one exercise I am completely crap at! Then I went for a 9km run yesterday around Seven Hills, so got some quality fat burning in on the weekend. And I stuck very strictly to my food plan for the weekend, which I never have done. So not once did I dip into my "bonus points". The best week yet!

It was an eventful weekend besides the weight-loss adventures- I took home a kitten that was rescued from the roof cavity at work. The poor little thing was rubbing at its eyes, so we took it to the vets, and she told us she has been born with under-developed eyelids, so has the eyelashes pointing in at the eye and has caused one of her cornea's to ulcerate. We are waiting to hear from her today after speaking to an eye specialist. The vet has warned us that it may be hideously expensive to treat if there is a treatment, and we may have to put her down. I was shattered, as I am already in love with her! I cried most of the day. After Scoop came home from the footy, he told me we may have the money to treat her, as he has been saving for an engagement ring!!! So I was doubly over the moon: that he was saving for that, and that we may be able to afford to treat my little princess!!! As the weekend has progressed and she has been eating more, she has become such an affectionate, playful, happy girl. It would break my heart to put her down! I've taken some pics, so I'll upload them when I get home tonight- she is adorable :) Can you tell I'm a besotted mum?