Live Lean Love Life!

Finding me - the sequel

2011-01-03T20:22:00.002+10:00

Hi everyone,
I've shifted blogs yet again.
Jump over to www.lastchancetraining.com.au to visit.

You can subscribe too if you'd like.

You want to find me, baby?

2010-04-11T16:47:00.002+10:00

Hi all,

If anyone is still reading this and wants to find out what happens next please visit me at www.lastchancetraining.wordpress.com . As I wrote earlier, I am splitting my blog into two - personal and business/coaching. This is my personal take on things. Business/coaching blog is to come!

I will eventually find out how to move all my posts from here over to there!

And if you find all my babble remotely entertaining, you can even "subscribe" in Wordpress.

Cheers
Liz N

I'll be back

2010-03-04T19:56:00.002+10:00

Moving is really upon me now and as I have mentioned in previous posts, I am wanting to try Wordpress and also wanting to now split my blog into two. In the spirit of making it happen, rather than just talking about it, I have decided that this will be my last post here at "Live Lean Love Life- Girl Gets It Done".

Thank you for sharing my adventures with me over the last four years and I hope to be back in some shape or form some time down the track.

If you want to be on my mailing list for Blog Number Two, please get in touch with me via The Fitness Solution and I will add you to the list.

Cheers and best wishes,
Liz N

Avoidance of Packing

2010-03-03T15:59:00.004+10:00

I'm blogging because I'm sick of packing and taking a little break. I hope I never move again!

Isn't it funny how you always discover the best sites/things when you're on a strict deadline. Today I got stuck into an amazing site that has absolutely nothing to do with health and fitness.

It has got to do with, gulp.... craft.

Now craft and I don't have a very good history. Amongst other desires, I have a wish to be more of a crafty type of person. Unfortunately this is probably going to remain a wish for the rest of my life. Being the spatially inept person I am, I cannot 'read' a pattern if my life depended upon it. I sew the legs of shorts together and am a complete failure at origami. I admire all of my friends who are craft oriented and marvel at the creations they make. Sometimes I want to ask, "can you make me one of those? I will pay you for it!" and now I can that I've discovered the Etsy site. It's an American site, but it seems that artisans from all over the world sell on it. I can't wait to delve into it some more when the time is right. I don't think I'll be ever selling anything, but buying, you bet! I know it's been around for awhile so am wondering if anyone uses it?

Back to the purchases side of things, I'm still impressed with Team Estrogen - no, I'm not affiliated with them but reckon I must be one of their best Aussie Customers. Our RPM class bought good quality cycle knicks for 40.00 US and I got a dress, pair of shoes, bikini and some funky socks which say "Boys Drool, Girls are Cool" on them. Everything fits perfectly except the dress - which is a little small - but not for too much longer,eh?

Same thing, a different way!

2010-03-03T10:38:00.001+10:00

This is a minute or so from one of my favourite movies, "The Usual Suspects" - it involves saying the same thing in a number of different ways....enjoy!

Greed Aint so Good

2010-03-01T19:39:00.004+10:00

I've been hip deep in boxes today and contemplating my poo flinging activities and have come to the realization that I'm not alone in my distaste of the marketing of Juice Plus or supplements pertaining to the fitness/weight loss industry. There are disillusioned JuicePlus customers and others out there that are so unimpressed with the whole sham that they've set up a dedicated blog. It's called www.juiceplusresearch.blogspot.com . Suggest that if you want to find out more about the product you check out this link and then make up your mind.

I've been thinking about why the marketing of such supplements irritates me and it really touches on the fact that such companies and people are exploiting the fact that many people are searching for hope, especially when it comes to their health, weight control and overall vitality. If it were as simple as "eat less and exercise more", nobody would ever have a problem with their weight for a start.

Yet, the health and fitness industry, which should be aimed at improving the consumer's quality of life is driven by blatant greed, misrepresentation and false illusion. It seems that any opportunity to self promote and make money is way more important than really helping anyone.

Examples of such exploitation include Terry White Chemist's Tony Ferguson Program. In fact, I disagree so vehemently with the principles of it that I refuse to work in a Terry White Pharmacy. The same goes for the smaller pharmacy meal replacement programs - if I've ever been asked, my ethics have always won - I explain how these programs work and the pros and the cons and then let the consumer choice - but it is really buyer beware. I'm proud to have talked many would be customers out of the diet shake merry go round towards more fruit and vegetables and lean protein.

The unfortunate thing is that there are certain supplements out there that can be really beneficial for all sorts of health conditions. The difficulty is in being able to find reliable information without bias. It's worth looking for a health professional that has no bias towards a supplement company. It's similar to finding an independent financial advisor who does not receive commissions for selling certain financial products.

I'm going to be splitting this blog into two shortly - one to share personal anecdotes and the second one to provide reliable health and fitness info without bias - and to fling poo with a slingshot where indicated.

Freedom and poo flinging

2010-02-27T19:52:00.004+10:00

This post is a bit of a wrap up of the week and more social commentary on values, bullying and the right to freedom of expression.

I'll rewind back to Monday - after teaching RPM (which I knew was going to be hairy after my weekend workload), I had my second cortisone AC injection and then went to have lunch with some ladies from the gym who are Step and RPM regulars. Our morning group ranges from the very young to participants who have retired and I was delighted to receive the invitation. These ladies (who are all somewhere between late 50s and 60s) are a true inspiration to me. We shared stories around the table about our upbringing and education. One of my RPMers who is in her 60s and a retired Social Worker broke through the barrier that existed at the time that dictated men were those who received an education at university. She had to fight tooth and nail and ended up doing two degrees and her Masters and worked for most of her life, even with children - no childcare back then! Others were fluent in more than one language and well travelled. They all spoke about how their upbringing had shaped them - I could relate to Mrs S (Social Worker) - my mother fought tooth and nail to be able to study her Senior Certificate. Then she did her degree and part of her Masters by correspondence as she raised us all. In my family, the concept of a good education has been extremely important. From a young age, critical thinking and healthy debate has been encouraged and still goes on to this day. Both of my parents relish debates, Scrabble and anything study related. Back in the day, my mother and I would wait outside Newspaper House at an obscene hour waiting for our exam results to be published in the newspaper and wanting to get first dibs on our scores.

It's little wonder then that I love nothing better than a good debate - not a personal slanging match but a few good old fashioned rounds of "pro" and "con", "for" and "against". My mother used to rue the fact that she loved a debate because she didn't feel like it made her very popular - that she'd try and hold it in when she saw things that she considered to be "bull" and then she'd have to let it all out - her values eventually overrode the need to be liked.

I must admit to feeling the same way - if things rub up against my values, I have this inexplicable want to share my perspective! Of course, I'm not always right - being proven incorrect is a learning opportunity but I wish that more people focused on the subject of debate rather than getting personal.

Which leads me to my not-so-anonymous bully poster who, despite repeated attempts, isn't going to get too far with this little black duck - think the time has come to give it up and get on with your own stuff.

James Cook University has an excellent definition of bullying:

"

Definition of Bullying

Bullying constitutes unsolicited, offensive treatment through:

vindictive;
cruel;
malicious, or
humiliating

attempts to undermine an individual or group. These persistently negative attacks on personal and professional performance are typically unpredictable, irrational and often unseen. Bullying normally consists of repeated behaviour.

Bullying is NOT - constructive analysis or critical evaluation of a product, person or group.

Bullying is NOT to be confused with freedom of expression - that is the right of the individual to be able to express an opinion or view about anything.

We all have the right to freedom of expression - this is the cornerstone on which democracy is built. We have the right to read what we want to read and say what we need to say as long as we are not impinging on anyone's basic human rights.

I think it is extremely important to delineate between constructive criticism, critical evaluation and bullying behaviour. I think it's also very important to understand that we make the choice to read a blog. It's also important to realize that not everyone is the same as you or me and that not everyone will agree with what you or I write - which is more than fair.

My true passions lie in making reliable fitness and health information accessible for anyone that wants to make positive changes in their life, whether that is doing a Figure Comp, going for a swim, doing RPM or taking a walk with your baby in the pram. I am lucky that I have the background to do just that. I have also shared some of my personal journey in the hope that what I write just might help someone else. I will "fling poo" at concepts I believe are scams in the hope of helping someone make an informed decision. I now need to find a special "poo flinger" bumper sticker.

AT the end of the day, getting healthier and fitter should be fun (and not too expensive). Don't get me wrong, I'd love a 10K bike, but me and mine are doin' fine, just like peas and carrots. Have fun, life is short!

Methinks the lady doth protest too much

2010-02-26T07:29:00.002+10:00

I was having a little packing break last night (as well as watching "Predator"- I cannot believe that I still had not seen this movie through until completion) when I had a bit of a wander through the blogosphere and came across Rae's post on psychotropics, Juice Plus and natural medicine.

At the beginning of February, I wrote a critical post in relation to Juice Plus and how a Juice Plus salesperson claiming to be "Australia's Leading Nutrition Educator" was running seminars which, although spoke of sensible things, like eating more fruits and vegetables, seem to promote Juice Plus as "the missing link". Why I get cranky about these things is that it is obvious that money, not good medicine is driving the bottom line. I get cranky when I see the aggressive marketing, the posts about "I feel so good because I've taken my Juice Plus supplements" - what about all the improvements you've made to your diet and your training making a difference? It's difficult to feel any warm and fuzzy love towards any supplement whose claims are yet to be proven. Plus eating well and training hard without any fancy gimmicks isn't terribly sexy, is it?

And don't think I'm just picking on Juice Plus. I get cranky when I see L-Carnitine being recommended for fat loss (a blatant misportrayal of the Krebs Cycle if ever there was one). I get cranky when I see ads for "Fat Magnet". In fact, when I see people wasting their money on all sorts of unproven stuff, I get mad.

It also makes me angry to see the unregulated sales of natural medicines by people who do not have the knowledge to recognize potential trouble etc. I ask the question to any person peddling supplements - what are you going to do when you recommend your product to someone taking, say blood thinning medications, and they have a life threatening drug interaction and die. Are you insured for that? You may say "what I'm recommending is a whole food supplement" - well, without a standardized list of ingredients, including excipients, that excuse is just not good enough.

I am a health professional - a pharmacist - who also has a strong background in complementary medicine, having done post grad work in this area. You don't have to be blind Freddy to see that the complementary medicines industry has exploded over the last few years. People it seems are drawn to more "natural" alternatives, but what does this mean? The fact is that:
"Any substance (whether it be natural or man made) that exerts a replicable effect on the systems of the body is a drug"

In Australia, our traditional health professions have realised the impact and potential of alternative medicines and these are researched at tertiary institutions - at the University where I did my pharmacy degree, we also have a dedicated centre for the study of complementary medicines. In the light of this, the suggestion in the quote below is just plain dumb.

The fact is that alternative medicine is drawing more and more money away from mainstream medical practice and even more significantly, from pharmaceutical corporations. When people use “natural” remedies instead of high-priced patented drugs, pharmaceutical companies lose money.”

I really believe the natural medicines industry needs to be more tightly regulated for the above reasons. There is a place for natural medicine and alternative medicine - no doubt about it. But who dispenses that medicine should be scrutinized - I wouldn't expect someone to come to me for IT expertise, and I wouldn't expect anyone to go to an IT expert for healthcare advice.

So Emotional

2010-02-21T21:35:00.002+10:00

"I get sooooo emotionalllllllll" Whitney Houston

Today has seen me doing a really good Whitney in the emotional stakes. How do you know if it is best to keep your emotions within or to bust 'em wide open? Sometimes it seems as if we don't have a choice, they come up and grab you at the most inopportune moment.

I think we all need an outlet for pent up emotional energy. Sometimes I pour this into my training or my class and very rarely I have a good cry, which is something I should do more often. The only time I seem to cry is in movies - it is as if I have given myself permission to validate my feelings and bring them into the moment.

Today I cried during RPM. This is not the first time it has happened to me, but to be frank, today's episode shook me to the core. Today I participated in the Les Mills Advanced Instructor Module where we spent the day working the essence of what is RPM -today's focus was on coaching, choreography mastery and technique mastery.

The technique mastery sessions were amazing. We did a lot of cycling drills, some which I'm familiar with and other drills that I'd never used before. It was really enlightening and left me with a desire to start getting out onto the road to train.

The coaching sessions were inspiring too with one of the presenters, Meg, sharing some class stories, which were very cool. We then did an exercise where we had to place ourselves on a line of where we thought we were with our RPM journey and it was then the emotion hit me like a ton of bricks, that I feel like (for many reasons) I just haven't been achieving my real potential - this is all mixed in with the frustration of the arthritic shoulder joint from you-know-where. No matter how hard I fought to keep it in, I just couldn't stop the tide - and I have been on and off like this all day.

I have to admit that I felt sorry for the presenters having such an emo nutter on the course - I felt I had to explain that it wasn't anything they'd done that had set me off, but rather a combination of circumstances and emotive language about coaching that had contributed. We ended up doing two assessments, both of which were way below what I'm capable of giving. However, after a good sleep, I am sure that the great stuff I learned will fall into place.

My journey these past few weeks reflects the journey of what I know to be true. I'm human, I get emotional and I've just relearned the value of having a good cry. Self expression propels you forward, rather than backwards. I have a bed to fall into, a house to pack and a road bike to head out on this next week with a light pedal stroke and uplifted heart.

See you when I get back.

Male Enhancements

2010-02-19T16:25:00.005+10:00

In the spirit of "tell it like it is", I'm going to share that the shoulder issue that I have been dealing with is really cheesing me off. The story goes, I woke up on Melbourne Cup day with a bump over my AC joint (acromio-clavicular joint for the anatomists). This bump became more and more localized and painful over the course of the next week or so. I went to see my new sports doc who did an MRI and X Ray and discovered that this particular joint is degenerate and arthritic.

Enter an ultrasound guided cortisone shot and lots of hot dates with my physio and some initial improvement.
"Ah, " I thought, "rehabbing this will be a cinch.".
Unfortunately that hasn't been the case. Most of January saw many other joints in my body start to stiffen and ache. So, I've been tested for systemic arthritis (eg rheumatoid arthritis and its associated relatives). The only thing that has helped me forget the aches has been a good training session (not involving my shoulder).

So, as well as Uncle Toby the Oat Meister, I thought I would be joined by Arthur Ritis as one of the key men in my life. A bone scan and a blood test later has shown that Arthur Ritis and his friend Loopy Lupus aren't part of my life (phew!) and that my shoulder is purely and plainly cactus.

I'm now gearing up for a trial of two more cortisone injections, otherwise I'm off to pick up another bloke, Serge Un, who likes to get down and dirty with you with his scalpel. It has been enough to handle the threesome of hubby, Arthur and Toby - that is for sure, without inviting Serge along for the ride (I do like his handsome twin Surge though, especially after a hot and sweaty (training) session).

Today I came head to head with another one - Will Power, who told me that I had the potential to achieve anything I wanted to do if I had the belief. I had an internal conversation with Will on my way to teach my regular Friday morning RPM class.

"Do you think I can crack 168 as my HR max today (I have an incredibly low pussy old max HR)?" I asked Will.
"Do you think you can?"
"I don't know...." I mumbled.
"Look at your situation," implored my new best mate Will. "They are waiting for you to show them the way to the top of the mountain. How can you inspire them to reach their potential if you're not prepared to meet yours."

Sure enough I had thirty plus pairs of eyes looking up to me this morning on the podium. I also had the benefit of Emma (one of our other instructors and friend of mine) coming along for the ride ("nothing like having a peer in class to make you want to step up and nail it," I commented to Will).

We warmed up to the sounds of "Something Got Me Started," by Simply Red and then it was onto the next track and our first mountain climb, "True Faith". Then we rode like the wind and employed "Reverse Psychology" in Track 5 and smashed it. It's one of the hardest ones going and I was relieved that I wasn't the only one gasping for air. "Bruised Water" for Track Six saw us going within and riding a stronger cadence on the beat. Then we regrouped, worked together as a team and belted out "Runaway" by Groove Coverage to finish off the working part of the class. Some cool down bliss to follow...aaah and sweet release, we are done.

I look to Emma who told me she was hurting.
"Thank the stars I'm not the only one," I respond.
I look at my Heart Rate Monitor for my Max HR - 172 bpm. Yeah baby, I smashed it, I smashed it! We showered and had morning tea, feeling tired and triumphant.

There are no words for a training session where you feel like you go above and beyond and break through your perceived limitations, there is only wandering around with a silly walk and a stupid grin on your face.

Aaah endorphins, you gotta love em.

He Aint Heavy, He's My Brother

2010-02-18T16:35:00.002+10:00

You may be wondering what a report on interest rates and employment is doing on a fitness blog, but I had the opportunity to catch up with one of my brothers today - he works in financial analysis and is usually behind the camera. Sometimes he has to get in front of the camera as well. I think he has done and is doing an amazing job. Way to go Dan!

Expectation Vs Reality

2010-02-17T17:27:00.003+10:00

I can't believe that there are so many pregnant women in my life right now - I have family and friends that are all expecting or have just given birth and it brings back memories of shall we say a rather tumultuous time in my life.

I think that motherhood has got to be one of the most levelling experiences that you'll ever go through - many of your preconceived ideas get completely blown out of the water when you meet your new little person - depending on the child (and nobody seems to focus on this at all pre birth) and the labour (you definitely focus on this pre birth), you may be in for an easy run or you may feel as though your worst nightmare has started.

Which leads me to the emotion of guilt. "Guilt" would have to be the badge of motherhood, once we become mothers we instantly start to harbour feelings of guilt - such as "I'm such an incompetent mother that I can't get my screamer to go to bed at the right time,", "I feel guilty that I'm so exhausted, I no longer look at my hubby as a sex object", "I feel guilty that I'm not doing it right", "am I a bad mother because I feel so resentful this child gets me up 4 times a night" etc etc. Any mother who is reading this right now would probably be thinking, "uh huh".

As they get older the guilt turns into, "am I a bad mother that I would prefer to go to the gym rather than do tuckshop?" (all of these mothers hang out in my classes). "Am I a bad mother that I forgot Johnny's excursion money?"

Guilt seems synonymous with motherhood - and this often spills over into the fitness and health arena. Guilt arises from scenarios as not immediately returning to pre pregnancy weight, having takeaway occasionally (when said mother is about to collapse from exhaustion) and looking sideways at another Mum that's perhaps had an easier baby and been able to start running again and feel hopeless that she's not got her act together "going back to the gym".

It seems painfully obvious that as a sisterhood, we need to do everything we can to help our new mothers and mothers that for whatever reason are doing it tough. Sometimes a mother doesn't want advice, she just wants a bit of empathy. She's not weak or lazy or ill disciplined, she's just learning how to cope with another human whose personality she knew little of until they turned up. She might be coping with recovery from a Caesarean, in the early years, she's probably coping with sleep deprivation and many many repeats of the Teletubbies (I always thought the Purple One with the handbag was very dodgy).

From a fitness perspective, being able to access a great creche at the gym is a lifesaver for many mothers. For me, the hour and a half I had to do a class and have an uninterrupted shower was a godsend. Of course, you may not get this time if your bub is projectile vomiting every five minutes, but it's a good option if it's available. Of course it depends on the child - Miss S was happy to be left in creche, but I had to stop visiting the gym for about six months with Miss G, because dealing with the separation anxiety far outweighed the benefits of the gym.

If you want to encourage a mother to become fitter, there are a few rules that should be followed:

*never ask when the baby is due , especially if the baby is with its mother. I got asked this once when Miss G was 2 weeks old. I had to say in my nicest voice, "G is two weeks old, do the math".
*never give unsolicited fitness advice about how to get back into shape, especially if you're sporting a six pack and have never had a baby. This is the equivalent of an invite to be quartered up by a blunt blade.
*never suggest that having kids should not be an excuse to get out of shape (especially if you haven't had children yourself) This pertains especially to a new mother. My rule of thumb is that it takes nine months to get stretched out of shape so given the stresses of sleepless nights etc it's probably going to take nine months and then some to even feel like you're getting back to normal.

The bottom line is that some babies make it easier for a comeback into the fitness arena and that some pregnancies are more difficult than others and some labours are tougher than others. Sometimes all a mother wants to do after a sleepless night with a projectile vomitter is sit down with a cuppa and the paper and take a nap, not go and work out. And when you have children, you have to realize that you're no longer number one. Yes, it's very important to try and eke out some time for yourself in there, no question - but in these early years, little ones take up your full attention. I've had clients on the phone in tears with mother-stress. My words are always, "well I knew that you'd never always be 100% because you've got someone else to account for "

When I was frustrated that my workouts got so interrupted, my mother used to say to me, "time passes". Of course, I wasn't terribly impressed with such sage words; but it's true. Now those little ones come riding, running and swimming with me - and I've been able to branch out into things that I thought would never be possible, like teaching early morning classes, competing and riding my bike.

In the meantime what can we do to support our mothers? It's the things like offering to watch the kids for an hour whilst she ducks off to Pilates class. Or having the older sibling over for a playdate so she can take the little one for a walk in the pram.

However, I would like to take a leaf out of my beautiful Earth Mother type gynaecologist and say - "enjoy that baby - that's your main priority. Doesn't matter if everything else takes a back seat for awhile". How true.

On the other side

2010-02-16T16:53:00.002+10:00

Today I had the pleasure of participating in a RPM class with my friend Emma. Emma visited me on Friday and I returned the favour this morning. It was quite a shock being on the participant side of things - for one, I didn't have to worry about motivating anyone, so the energy that usually goes into my voice had to go into my pedal stroke and secondly, instead of having 30 or so faces to look at to keep me motivated I only had one (Emma). I had to really work hard to make sure that I was being as honest as possible with my load and technique (what I really need to work on) and it was nice being able to make adjustments where needed without too much scrutiny. The only down side is the risk of overtraining by doing too many classes. My original plan had been to swim, but Miss G is still unwell with her ear infection.

It looks like I will squeeze in a swim on Thursday and possibly Saturday (after Hi Performance and before our LMI quarterly workshops). That gives me my two swims for the week. My other mini goal is to try and get over 168bpm as my maximum HR output in RPM. No matter how hard I seem to push it, I seem to peak at 167 bpm every time. Step was a bit better, actually reaching 172 at one point (would expect that because I'm using more musculature). Why? Just because (have to prove to myself that now I'm in my 40s, my max HR really isn't on the skids just yet!).

I'm still gearing up to move. That's where the sudden lentil and bean love has sprouted from, the desire to use up everything that is in the pantry. The lentils, rice and canned tomatoes have all been fair game this week. I've even polished off balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Ingredients like corn flour and evaporated milk have been harder to shift. Our packing boxes came today so I'm not sure whether to announce my exit from blogging just yet - on the one hand I need to pack but on the flip side, I'd prefer to be working out, blogging ie doing anything but packing!

Tool time

2010-02-15T14:36:00.004+10:00

Kitchen tools, that is. Since I've been getting ready to move, I've offloaded a whole plethora of pans and pots that have seen better days and I'm cashed up with David Jones' Gift Vouchers to invest in some more pots and pans. I'm after a saute pan like the one above, a skillet and a non stick Dutch Oven. I've been looking into all sorts of brands and had been leaning towards Scanpan (after hearing such good things about it ) and Caphalon, but I was at the doc this morning, taking Miss G as she has an ear infection and was doing a bit of trashy magazine catch up reading when I saw a Choice magazine article on pots and pans. Their recommendation was the hard anodized Circulon brand and Jamie Oliver cookware.

I was surprised as the Circulon and Jamie Oliver Ranges are way less expensive. The top recommendation was Swiss Diamond Cookware, which I've never heard of. Think I'd better check it out. I've already got a few recipes in mind!

Lately I've also been rediscovering the joys of legumes. I put an entire cup of lentils in our spaghetti bolognaise for dinner last night and it was most popular and I've had cannellini beans in my salad today and included them in some tuna patties that I've prepped for the rest of the week.

Andj has also inspired me this week with her 12 Week Challenge Goals. My goals for the week include getting two swims in and walking on the mornings I don't go and teach class. I find a morning walk incredibly therapeutic.

Hate-a-licious!

2010-02-14T08:12:00.003+10:00

In honour of Valentine's Day and feeling the love, what are some of the things in the world you just can't stand, your pet peeves?

Here's my list:

WORKING OUT:

1) Going to the gym on your way to work, having a shower, only to realize you've forgotten your undies.
2) Going to the gym after work and finding that you've only packed one of your shoes.
3) Socks that slide back under your heels when you run.
4) Planning on having a long workout and finding that you've either left your IPOD at home (there's a theme here) or that your battery is dead (damn you IPOD!)
5) People who leave hair balls in the change rooms or the shower. Enough said.
6) People that don't wipe their equipment down after using...eewwwww.
7) Personal space hoggers in the Group Fitness Room - just give me space to breathe or better still not cop a side kick where it hurts in Combat...
8) Wearing short shorts and forgetting that it's deadlift day.
9) Ads for fat burners in fitness magazines, especially the ones with the "eight page special reports" - especially when they're sandwiched between articles about the dangers of caffeine and maintaining your delicate hormonal balance.

EATING OUT:

1) Service Attendants who roll their eyes if you ask for "dressing on the side".
2) Waitresses that come up to you and ask you how things are going, just as you're about to accept a marriage proposal.
3) When you go out to dinner in a group and everyone's dishes arrive bar one person. Your dish goes cold whilst the poor person with the missing dish goes hungry.
4) People at buffets that eat directly off them, rather than putting the food onto their plate.
5) Menus and recipe terms that are so complex that they require an interpreter.

GOING OUT:

1) People that drive at 60 km/hr on the freeway
2) 4WD drivers who drive their vehicles like Sherman Tanks - crush and destroy!
3) Dress Codes - what exactly is "smart casual" wear?
4) People that talk in movies - hey I didn't spend $16 bucks to hear about Uncle Tom, 'K?
5) Desperately needing fuel for the car, only to drive into the servo and be told all the pumps are out of order - and that's the only servo around for the next 50km.

STAYING IN:

1) Cleaning the oven.
2) Cleaning the bathroom
3) Cleaning in general - enough said.
4) People that don't flush - I don't care about "yellow being mellow", just flush dammit (see #2, cleaning the bathroom) And if you leave poo, well I don't like you.
5) Service people who tell you they'll be at your place between 8am and 4pm. Gee, that's helpful!
6) Bert Newton - what's going on with that poor man's eye brows?
7) Ad breaks on TV - have just done a project with Miss S and we counted in a half hour program something in the vicinity of 28 advertisements..
8) Informercials for ab training gizmos, thigh trimmers and the like.

and finally, people who don't appreciate Dr Seuss.

That's about it for today.. Happy Valentine's Day and feel the lurrve!

Criticism and Caring

2010-02-13T12:42:00.004+10:00

Can't believe it's Saturday again and what a week it has been in this particular neck of the woods. The wonderful thing about blogging is that it can really generate lots of feeling and discussion on all sorts of topics.

The issue of "criticism" came up a number of times and I thought it worthwhile to blog more about the subject. Here's an excerpt from www.cracked.com about two forms of criticism.

Constructive Feedback

So you're working on your novel and you want people to tell you how great it is, and give you ideas to make it even greater. You might pass some copies to your friends or post it somewhere on the internet, and ask for feedback.

A lot of the time people misunderstand and tell you what's wrong with your work and give you suggestions to improve it. Seriously, how is that supposed to help? I guess people are just jerks sometimes.

Seriously, though, you will get all kinds of responses, from helpful people who have good suggestions to well-meaning people with bad suggestions to assholes who put you down but do not have any suggestions. Since you can't seal yourself like a hermit and avoid all criticism, you are just going to have to learn to sift and filter all this and smile politely at everyone, since you did ask for it.

3. Personal Criticism

Sometimes people will criticize you for very personal things, like the fact you are 400 pounds, or that your mother sleeps around with many men. This is actually worse on the internet than face-to-face, which is puzzling because while internet anonymity means people feel freer to say these things, internet anonymity also means that those on the receiving end must know their accuser is pulling this all out of their ass since all they can see is a username and some words.

Nevertheless, people get very angry about being told that they are fat, or smelly, or have sex with animals, by an accuser who can't see or smell them and had no way of seeing what happened with that goat behind closed doors. (They were just talking.) If these things constantly upset you, it might be worth exploring why.

The author at Cracked.com makes an excellent point that you need to learn to sift and filter all of this. Some of us may be frightened of getting run over by a bus or savaged by sharks, but many of us are even bigger wusses when it comes to handling criticism. I believe that if you choose to make your presence public on the Internet whether by blogging or Facebooking or Twittering, then you need to be aware that criticism is a possibility. We need to accept we're all "fair game".

I don't know anyone who enjoys being criticized. It's a wonderful feeling to get positive affirmations for what you do and how you live. However, when someone drops a big "C" bomb on you (btw, that's criticism, not something else!), you can feel hurt, confused and rather aggrieved. In reality though, it's a gift that enables you to self evaluate, filter and integrate if need be. I equate criticism with caring - some of the most defining moments in my life have come as a result of being criticized - yes, it has hurt but knowing that somebody cared enough to give you that gift can propel you forward. Criticism can strip us back to our soul, and encourage humility which in turn leads to personal growth.

In the realms of Group Fitness, any coach wanting to improve undergoes a filming and assessment process. Everything gets broken down and critical feedback given where required. As a GFI, you want constructive feedback, but at the same time it's a little scary. However, the process I've gone through for RPM has taught me to be less fearful of criticism and hence I feel that I've become more open in terms of my own personal growth. I've also learned how hard it can be for the assessor to be critical. I've had a few discussions with my mentor about how some people can't handle the truth. It's difficult for him as well, having put the time in to assess and give the feedback in the first place.

The other interesting thing I saw this week was a post with a defence of eating organically - maybe prompted by this post and perhaps the fun I poked at those who wipe their butts with organic toilet paper. Disclaimer - the toilet paper was all in good fun.... My opinion of the whole organic debate that it would be fantastic if animal husbandry and general farming practice could swing towards more organic production. I completely understand why many people choose to eat organic food and adopt a healthy lifestyle. No criticism there from me (though I do think organic toilet paper may be taking things too far lol!) If I can afford it, I eat organic produce too, purchased at our local markets. However, being able to eat exclusively organic foods is out of the reach of most Australian families. From what I've read, some farming practices that produce organic foods are way more labour intensive than other ways. I don't know whether this is the case for all organic produce but it all comes down to economic viability for many producers at the end of the day.

If we are to be passionate about giving Australians more choice in the foods that they buy by being able to reduce the cost of production of organic products, we need to start at the grassroots level. I don't claim to have any expertise in this area, but small and sustainable changes to practice may just be the way to go.

In the meanwhile, there are simple ways to remove pesticide residue from produce (washing before using is an excellent start) and to avoid preservatives (more fruit and veg, less processed stuff). Heck, there's even a good argument for the responsible use of animal protein which is well illustrated by our Indigenous people and American Indians - if an animal was killed, the entire carcass would find a use - no leftovers.. which meant animal protein was consumed sparingly. Of course there are different theories on this - I found my lone sociology subject to be very interesting!

Hope, Religion and Nutrition

2010-02-12T13:56:00.002+10:00

I've just discovered that our moving date has been pushed back another week and as I've been so popular lately (lol!), I thought I'd keep blogging for another week before I set off into the sunset. Plus, I despise moving, so a small opportunity to procrastinate is one that I'll take.

This morning I taught RPM and picked tracks with the theme of "love" - for example, I played "I Could Have Loved You More", "Young Hearts Run Free" and "Heaven", which was great fun. I'm thinking of adding in the remix of a song called "True Faith" tomorrow morning for the Hi-Performance crew.

The concept of "true faith" is something that has been resonating with me over the course of the last few days, faith in my ability to live a fulfilled life, which for me spills over into the area of health and fitness. I believe that there is a strong correlation between religion and the pursuit of health and fitness.

My definition of religion in the broadest sense is how you choose to live your life. For me, Jesus' greatest commandment, "love one another as I have loved you", is the direction in which I try to travel. For me, I find comfort in my faith - that no matter what you do or what happens, that God's love and forgiveness is unconditional ie it's never to late to start becoming what you might have been.... You can substitute the word God with "Universe", "Buddha", "Allah", "Spirit" but the general concept is the same. As we all know, with the practice of religion, there's a huge scope - from the more traditional Religions that we all know to newer branches of religion with different and sometimes extreme ideals - the more radical versions are also known as "cults" - which to me is a pretty extreme word.

I believe it to be the same way with transforming your relationship with health and fitness. So many of us want to cling to a shred of hope when it comes to changing your physique. We can then latch onto anything that sounds good or anything that sounds like we will finally have "the answer". We can look for anything that promises us the hope and care we are after. Often with nutrition and health practices, devotion can escalate to cultish levels, where extreme results are often promoted - remember that woman that claimed to live on air a few years back? More often than not, long term success is based on the less exciting cornerstone of "moderation in all things".

Marketing types have recognized these characteristics for years and have used the notion of giving hope and a fast result to many a hapless subject. Like religious zealots, supplement marketers will use evocative language to promote their own products/ideals. The woman living on air - from memory, was either promoting a book or health camp where people spent thousands of dollars to learn the "secret".

The latest trend from what I can see is terming foods "living" or "dead" - the language is again evocative - what are you going to do if you pick up something that is "dead" or you don't have time to eat "living" food? Surprise, surprise, the answer is in a supplement that (surprise, surprise) the person who coined the phrased is associated with. I must say that from what I've read "living" food seems to reflect healthy, whole food choices whereas "dead" food reflects highly processed "junk" foods that have little or if any nutritional value. It's actually quite a fun way of differentiating between food that is likely to help vs food that is likely to harm - the concept is pretty clever - however the emotions that it possibly invokes if you happen to eat something that is "dead" makes me wonder if this is the continuum:

Eat something dead-> feel guilty for eating dead food --> look for an answer/antidote to stop feeling bad ---> Supplement offered claiming to "fill in the gaps" or whatever ---->consumer buys supplement ---> company profits from consumer's lack of self confidence/belief.

Bottom line is that the power of the dollar rules!

And as for the "Secret", well the truth is that its contents aren't particularly mind blowing - you eat well (and if you're not sure of this, sourcing your info from credible sources), you make training as something natural as brushing your teeth and the hardest component - you learnto equate your choices with honouring yourself and your beliefs as much as you can (this is the lifelong process in learning to live lean and love life - the other two pieces are the easier parts).
My belief is that if I'm buying eggs, I'm for the chooks!

Au revoir for today.

Episode 2 - The Hater Strikes Back!

2010-02-11T10:24:00.005+10:00

Before I start on my packing, I decided to check my Reader before I got stuck into things (yeah, I procrastinate). Imagine my delight to see another post from my "hater" mate in my comments this morning. Again, whoever my new best mate is, I thought I'd copy and paste because there's a little more stuff in there that should be addressed and worthwhile reading if you're aspiring to the Figure stage.

Hi Liz ! Liberator again here!
Wow that reply to sparte was some major back peddling wasn't it!
I was over at the lowest common denominators site today & i see a least she's got some titles for all that showboat training, what do you have? Big fat ZERO! you must be so proud! How do you know about her training videos anyway? Maybe it's like the other ladies Facebook you just can"t help you self can you??
Maybe I should call the LCM the Guru next time as she has something to show for it! All you have is a big fat jealous chip on you shoulder that you can't shake off!!!! ps i see your moving, Overseas i hope :)

Hi Anonymous,

I'm really concerned about you. You're over at your LCD's site and you notice she's won some Figure Titles, awesome stuff. However by calling me a big fat ZERO because I haven't won any titles is disturbing, especially for any person that wants to give competing in Figure a go, because most would be competitors want to improve their self confidence , see how far they can push themselves and set themselves a goal. If you and anyone who is reading who is not familiar with the judging of Figure Comps, the judging criteria involve that of symmetry (balance in the body, between muscle groups, upper and lower body conditioning etc) and muscularity (also bringing low body fat into consideration here). There is a lot of debate that rages about what makes an excellent Figure Competitor - how much muscularity there should be etc etc and the requirements seem to vary between all the federations. The person you compare me with has outstanding symmetry which has a strongly genetic component to it. In fairness to her, I will also say that of course she has put a lot of hard work into it as well. This is her career. My career is as an exercise physiologist and a pharmacist. I don't have to have fantastic symmetry to dispense your next lot of medication or teach you about cycling efficiency - for that I need to be suitably qualified - and that is what I have in abundance.

To call me a big FAT zero for not being able to add that string to my bow tells me that your expectations are unreasonably high. I have gleaned from your comments that perhaps you have yet to compete and don't realize the level ofwork that you put into preparing for a show to be at your personal best. I have no qualms in saying I came dead last in my last comp outing, but felt that for me, I presented my best physique ever. You don't know what is going to happen until the day. If I based my self worth on what some bloke thought of my body on the day, it would be an extremely sad outcome. I really hope that you base your self worth on something other than looks or what somebody else thinks of you.

My blog is my story and my journey. If you're basing someone's fitness expertise on their looks, then go for it. It's a common mistake and easy to make.

In the end, Anonymous, I still think you need to get real. You may think I'm back pedalling (this is how you spell the word BTW), but many people find manaical self stroking of the ego (read THE BEHAVIOUR, not the PERSON) irritating...and after awhile, yes this does lead you to become very fatigued with it and hence start to begin to have a lower opinion of that person.

The same goes for me posting about Juice Plus and Helen Frost's website. This is nothing to do with personality or jealousy or what ever you wish to call it . It's an issue of credibility for me - no formal qualifications in the field and the heavy push towards pyramid marketing. It's a shame because there's a lot of good stuff written there - which I thought was great - she got on the right train but off at the wrong station. As for Juice Plus - I'd be wary of taking it if you're on any prescription medication, especially if you have high blood pressure or take anticoagulants. I did check out the site but the ingredients aren't listed and the 'studies' that have been done have been funded by the manufacturer which may implicate bias. I'd also be wary of it if has extremely high doses of Vitamin C which can interact with several medications as well.

I'm sure, Anonymous, you've read some of Craig Harper's work. Sometimes I don't agree with the way Craig says things, but he's a qualified exercise physiologist and life coach and for that he earns my respect.

I know you wish that I was moving overseas, I am sorry to have disappointed you.

Cheers
Liz N

PS - gotta go now, boxes to pack, cheerio!
PPS -" your" should actually be written "you're" as in "you are moving" - my next career is as a grammar Nazi...

Getting the Green Light

2010-02-10T07:28:00.002+10:00

Good news on the house front, we're getting the green light to move into our new house any day soon. My life over the next week or so is going to involve packing boxes and removalists and then my workouts are going to consist of the unpacking boogie, the oven clean n grind etc.

I'm going to put blogging on hold for a month or so whilst I get organized, so it's not goodbye, but rather a "see you all later" for a bit.

Who are you really looking for - Part One

2010-02-09T16:21:00.004+10:00

Since I've come out of the closest to quash the perception that I'm a "Guru Trainer", I thought it might now be a good idea to get on with the job of sharing some information for those who are looking but maybe not finding exactly what or who they are after.

What am I talking about? You - that's right, you. You want to get fitter, you want to look amazing, you want to run a marathon, cycle in the Pyrenees, compete in a bodybuilding competition or you just want to lose five kilos so you can keep up with your kids at the park. You read blogs, you watch TV and read magazines and you wonder what the heck is the right thing for you. You might (like me) be on a tight budget, you might have an injury or a medical condition, you may want sanity or you may want to achieve a big dream.

However, you're feeling dazed and confused. Low carb? High carb? Long slow distance or intervals, body fat calipers or scales? Counting calories, points or not - what gets you there? Do you use an online trainer or see a PT at the gym? What about dietitians - good advice or bad?

In this mini series I'm going to summarize various options that you have when it comes to planning a fitness and health regime. I'm going to share the things you need to look out for in choosing a coach or trainer and the characteristics you need to avoid.

Firstly though, let's have a look at a very common situation amongst many of us, the case study of "Jane". Jane wants to lose 5kg she put on during her pregnancy (baby is 2 years old now), and being on a reduced salary, is on an extremely tight budget. Jane cannot afford to go to the gym, let alone buy organic meals, supplements or afford a personal trainer. Jane would like to have more energy as running around after a toddler and balancing her part time job and despairs she will ever be able to reach the image of the fitter, more energetic Jane she sees in her mind. Jane has no injuries.

Options that would work for Jane:

For nutrition ideas and recipes:

Australian Healthy Food Guide - website (www.healthyfoodguide.com.au) I have mentioned this neat little magazine several times in my blog - it's a handy sized magazine with all sorts of quick, family friendly and practical recipes that don't need too much preparation - in fact there is even a "five pm panic" column designed for fast healthy recipes when you're in a rush. Also has a rough guide to estimate your caloric requirements, meals and snacks.

Michelle Bridge's Crunch Time Cookbook: RRP $35.00 I've only just picked this one up but the recipes I've tried are easy, yummy and good for you. Visit Michelle's website for more details.

For great recipes online check out Kerryn's Good Food Blog and an excellent American site called Ask Georgie And for a bit of fun, there's always Pimp My Protein Shake. Even if you don't use protein powder, it's worth a visit for the name alone.

Jane could also invest in some fruit and vegetable wash to remove pesticides/residues from her produce.

For workout ideas and plans:

Jane can have a look on E-bay for books such as "Body For Life" that have training programs in them.

Jane can go walking with her toddler in the pram (depending on the temperament of the toddler of course).

Michelle Bridge's "Crunch Time" Book contains workouts you can do at home and more recipes you can try. I've seen this book for about $25.00, a relatively inexpensive purchase if you want a good few months worth of training.

If you're an aspiring runner, check out Hal Higdon's site for running plans from 5k to marathon.

I'm yet to come up with a fantastic site about strength training for beginners but I will continue to keep digging.

For equipment:

I recommend not skimping on a pair of good quality athletic shoes. Get fitted properly for them if you can by a store such as Athlete's Foot.

You can substitute resistance bands for dumbbells and these can be found at www.sportstek.net.au These are relatively cheap and come in varying resistances so you can continue to challenge yourself through your training program.

Exercise DVDs are also another great option for Jane - she could go for something such as Amy Bento's Kickboxing DVD which requires no equipment at all, only a penchant for punching. This workout which has different "premixes" to create different workouts will set her back $25.00

Not counting the shoes, Jane can get going with her workout and nutrition plan for an outlay of less than $100.00.

Easy peasy Japanesy!

Got my first hater!

2010-02-08T16:30:00.004+10:00

Today's blog reminds me of the unknown wait that occurs when you begin to date someone that you really fancy - when that beautiful first kiss is going to happen. Today, after long years of waiting (I'm now blogging into my fifth year), I got my first "hater" comment today.

Because it's so complimentary, I've decided I'm going to share it with you and my thoughts on the subject. And, to think that I was resigned to "being boring" today now that my PMS has left the building....

Here is a copy of my wall plaque worthy first ever Hater Comment:

Liz you obviously are not far behind this person if you have taken the time to sit down & write this rubbish, who do you think you are to judge people on what they put on face book, aren't you supposed to be some guru trainer that supports people, the only thing you have is this blog, which gets more & more looking like it's author needs more help herself, how about you get off your butt & get outside & live your lean life instead of sitting front of your computer screen & watching face book to see if someone posts something you don't like :)

Here's my reply:

"Hi Anonymous,
Welcome to my blog (finally!) and thank you for your compliments. I never knew that in the whole time that I've been blogging and coaching others that I am regarded as a "guru trainer". I've always considered myself someone who has used their extensive University background to help make fitness and health accessible to anyone who wants to better their health and better themselves.

You're absolutely correct in saying that a nice coach will support people - a good coach will provide a dose of tough love. The clients that grow and achieve are the ones that take what they didn't want to hear, consider the information and go from there and do more than they ever imagined! There is tough love in my post and in real life I know this person I called out to be top notch. If anyone ever sees me Facebook between teaching tracks in RPM, I'd like you, especially to blog about it. I may be taking an unpopular line, but if you want to improve, you need to get off the phone and back on task. The status updates I mentioned all occurred within a thirty minute period - that's annoying in most people's eyes. Then to film it all (which I refrained from mentioning) is a little over the top, don't you think?

Anonymous, thank you so much for picking up that life has been a struggle over the past few months. Now that you know that I'm not a guru, and just an normal human being like everyone else, you'll understand that I have my ups and downs and ins and outs. And that the last year has been a bit of a downer for me.

Now Anonymous, I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that you just may be part of my former subject's BFF brigade and probably have no idea about why I'm not a fan of her said BFF or why I'm tiring of self promoting Facebook posts, videos and the like. I was also friends with the BFF once. I supported the BFF as her star rose and she became the Editor for a well known fitness publication. I was really pleased for her, however these warm and fuzzy feelings quickly evaporated when I saw the first edition under her direction. Imagine my horror when I saw one of my "sorting fact from fiction" posts on her forum (written, like you said, to help and encourage others), plagiarized and presented as "Letters to the Editor - Ask the Expert". To say that I was gutted and felt betrayed by my supposed friend was the understatement of the century. Then there was the promise of including my photos in an article that I had written for the mag's sister publication. The photos that were being included are in this link.

Not only was the article published in the Sister Publication in my ex-friend's name, I was told by the publisher of the magazine that I "really wasn't looking my best that day". Gotta admit that it hurts a bit, when you think you look pretty darn good.

I did seek legal advice and got the right resolution out of this and a piss weak apology from the Publisher in his last Editorial about how I had "worked alongside" Ex Friend (the more accurate description being wrote and submitted pics for the entire article).

Yes, Anonymous, I have to admit the whole shebang has left a rather sour taste in my mouth and had me feeling down and out for awhile. I have had the internal debate raging within me for months about whether I should post my story and bits and pieces have slipped out over the months rather like an octopus falling out of a string bag.

To sum up Anonymous, I want to thank you for setting me free. I know it was your intention to give me a serve and put me back into my box, but that isn't ever going to happen. I've set the truth free now and I've released the monkey off my back and I can now go forward and keep doing what I do well - post user friendly and real fitness and health info for real people. And creep in some of my RPM exploits in there as well.

Thanks a million mate, you've made my day!
Cheers
Liz N

PS

It should be noted that any post you make on a forum remains yours under Copyright Protection and protection of your moral rights, no matter what the forum disclaimer says. And it's always good form to seek permission from the author if you wish to republish material. My unfortunate situation could have been avoided with the offending party simply asking permission to publish the works with credit going to the author. You know the story, credit where credit is due and nothing else....

PPS - beauty fades, dumb is forever...

Just Not Into You.. PMS free

2010-02-07T09:29:00.002+10:00

I'm wondering if the notion of locking yourself into a padded cell when you're in the throes of PMS is a good thing sometimes, because at that time of the month, I'm really dangerous. I start to mouth off and finally say it how it is. The most intoxicating part is that I can rationalize my behaviour by writing it off to PMS, all the while feeling rather gleeful about my new found boldness. The downside of PMS fuelled activities is that when TOM arrives you can feel like you've spent an evening drunk texting, Facebooking or whatever and woken up the next day without any recollection of what you've actually said and that's when it can get a bit hairy.

I immediately get on the phone and have a chat with my mother, who has been a model citizen her whole life, except for the times she had PMS. Between the two of us, we've shared some shocker moments, which for her safety I won't divulge, except to say - "you said what?!???" By the end of these conversations we've both decided what fun it has been to let our inner lunatic out for a day or so... and then we carry on being good girls for the next month...

The first post that I deleted was titled "she's just not into you" and refers to the minefield of Social Networking Etiquette. I have had a "friend" who has been inadvertently stroking my lunatic muscle for months now. Every time she would update, I'd just about want to hurl spears into the screen. She was the Facebook type that would post every last bit of minutiae about her life experience.

Once she posted about her workout with her fabulous BFF
- "about to go and train my shoulders and calves with x" (this is mildly annoying because what idiot goes to the gym just to train their calves?).
Two minutes later, "I'm just about to start my first set of ........." (okkkkaaaayyyyy)
Then - "I'm resting in between sets" (now I am saying in my head, get off your f**** iPhone)
Fifteen minutes later....
"Oooh that was such a hard workout" (for your fingers maybe?)
And then, the piece de resistance...
"Now I'm having my recovery shake" (to recover from what?)

I didn't know what to do, so I tried her theory, "if you haven't got anything nice to say, then don't say it at all". OK, so I'm going to let it go and quietly marvel at that massive ego and try and change my Facebook settings so I can't see as many updates....no luck there.

Instead I prayed for an easy way out. Redemption came in the way of (yep you guessed it) a status update. It was (wait for it) an announcement! It was an announcement that there was to be a massive "friend cull". I crossed my fingers and kept praying.

Yesterday my prayers were answered - I made the cut!!!!!
I've just had a source of digital stress removed from my life, that of the crashing bore.

Many of you may guess who the crashing bore that I'm talking about is. I expect half of you to delete me from your blogroll for having the smarts to say it like it is. That's OK. I'd rather stand up now and be a little more truthful, even if it turns me into a social pariah.

Oh, and I just wish PMS would hit me a little more often.

Life Imitating Art

2010-02-06T14:02:00.004+10:00

Buzz: Right now, poised at the edge of the galaxy, Emperor Zurg has been secretly building a weapon with the destructive capacity to annihilate an entire planet! I alone have information that reveals this
weapon’s only weakness. And you, my friend, are responsible for delaying my rendezvous with Star Command!
Woody: [pauses and looks incredulous] YOU! ARE! A! TOYYYYY! You’re not the real Buzz Lightyear! You’re - you are an action figure!
[holds hand up to eyes indicating something small]
Woody: You are a child’s play-thing!
Buzz: You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity. Farewell.
[starts to walk away]
Woody: Oh, yeah? Well, good riddance, ya loony!

I must confess to feeling some affinity these days with Woody, the cowboy character from "Toy Story" - these last few days as I've had the misfortune to navigate towards some really disturbing purported "health and fitness" sites . Poor old Woody finally loses the plot after trying to point out to Buzz Lightyear that he's a toy, not a real "Space Ranger" - and trust me, there are a few "health" conscious" Space Rangers out there who truly are off the planet in my opinion.

Take Pauline Nordin's FighterDiet Blog for example - the last two posts are a classic. In the latest one she extolls the evils of fruit, dairy and red meat; all of which can be consumed in moderation as part of a healthy intake. It's frustrating as a someone with university qualifications see somebody who blatantly lacks any credentials in the field of nutrition glorifying a lifestyle of disordered eating. In the second last post she complains that it's hard but that achieving this goal of leanness is of the highest importance to her. It's like the Pro-Ana movement with muscle - if Pauline is eating what she says she is and not paying attention to her nutrient timing at her supposed level of leanness, what's making her retain her muscle, my dear readers....any guesses?

Then I stumbled across a site called Helen Frost , who claims to be "Australia's Leading Nutrition Educator."
"Wow," I thought, "this sounds awesome." In being curious to find out what makes Helen so special, I clicked on the "about us" tab, keen to know more. I was to be sorely disappointed. "Australia's Leading Nutrition Educator" has no formal qualifications in nutrition - I would have expected a Science Degree at the minimum - and surprise, surprise, owns a supplement company that promotes "Juice Plus", a product that sounds good in theory but unfortunately is under the microscope right now for making spurious claims about its efficacy and benefits - here's the link .

Now I'm sure I'm not going to be too popular with the Pauline or Helen fans of the world, but just as my mission is to make fitness for everyone, I want to make it my other mission in life to help others make sense of credible nutrition data. I'm thinking of compiling a database of recommended sources for all things health and fitness so if you're a practitioner with a qualification who wants referrals, let me know and if you're keen on the idea of a one stop place to get more unbiased information then please leave a comment.

Esprit de Corps

2010-02-04T12:24:00.002+10:00

A wee little French for my gorgeous friend Shelley - "Esprit de Corps" is roughly translated as "the spirit of the group".

The "spirit of the group" is embodied in a concept that sports psychologists call "group cohesion". When I was at University last (lol!) I studied sports psychology as part of my Exercise Science degree. It's easy to see in many events the power of group cohesion. Think of rugby and cricket matches where the power of the group pulling together creates the winning try, wicket or whatever. Stories of group power and cohesion have become legendary in many a sporting biography.

My question is - why don't many of us fitness enthusiasts tap into this potential more often? The need for group cohesion is so strong in us that we create "Our Team -eg our trainer, our nutritionist, our massage therapist etc etc" and we create forums and blogs, hoping that we'll meet "like minded" people. We complain that our world is "small", yet at the same time I read about many fitness enthusiasts discourage others from communicating with them in the gym - you put your headphones in to drown out the questions, you show disdain towards a hapless newbie and you (inadvertently) give the impression you're a complete narcissist, when you're trying to give the impression that you're truly dedicated to your training.

I love to train as hard as the next person - but where's the fun if you can't share the love around occasionally? As somebody who works in a gym teaching Group Fitness, my mission is to involve as many of our members as possible in our classes, in our gym, and possibly socializing a bit after class - many a fitness enthusiast has started off being scared stiff in the back row of a class and has gone on to become a lifelong member. Often that "newbie" gets even more confident and ventures out into the weights room - keen as mustard for more - so by being welcoming, who knows, you may get a training partner, client, or good friend out of it - another member to add to "the tribe" so to speak.

Yesterday I had a new and very nervous lady in my Step class, who didn't give the impression she was into fitness . She did a great job, especially as it was her first visit to the gym. On my way out, I saw her sitting by herself and I took the opportunity to sit down and have a chat.
We talked about the class, how she'd come to join the gym and before I knew it, the words, with a tear in her eye were tumbling out - "I'm too fat to be in here, I don't belong. I want to do this for my sanity but I just feel so intimidated".

My response was to give her hand a squeeze and tell her how much I enjoyed that she had taken the time out of her day to come, that I loved meeting new people and that having kids myself that I understood exactly where she was coming from sanity wise. Then I told her that once we got round to introducing her to the other girls, she would see that no one could give a fig about what she looked like, only that she was enjoying the journey." I'm genuinely hoping to catch up with her next week in class. This example is not to big note myself but rather to say that having everyone "buy in" to the fitness experience together is so powerful. Magic happens - I've seen divorced couples reunite, strong friendships form and a new level of trust in my group fitness coaching. I was that girl once, who was fat and awkward and look what happened - little bit of love, trust and pixie dust!

So promise me that next time you're in the gym with your headphones on and a fitness newbie speaks to you, TAKE THEM OUT, shake their hand and say "welcome". It only takes 30 seconds to point someone in the right direction and perhaps sow the seeds of a beautiful friendship.

Cinderella's Transformation Myth

2010-02-03T17:47:00.003+10:00

I made a promise to myself in January that I would work on living with less rather than more - and what I chose to keep in my life would be things that inspire and move me rather than pull me down and depress me. One of these choices was that any media I choose to watch, read or listen to should support the goals of being my authentic self. It didn't start off as a resolution, but a gradual shift in my thinking that certain types of media really drive the narcissistic "I'm a star (regardless of moral fibre)" type persona as being that of being desirable or the D Grade social commentary of "I'm making an important announcement now about how I'm going to wipe my bum with organic toilet paper because I'm a star and my butt deserves nothing but the best"... a bit extreme, but you know the drill. These are concepts that I want to avoid.

I was waiting for the kids today, so I popped into the local newsagency and picked up a fitness rag. In it were some bodybuilding types with nice low body fat and bulging muscles, aided no doubt by a visit or two to the local vet or pharmacy (depending whether they were in Mexico or north of the border) , further perpetuating the myth that "Cinderella Narrative" ** of " if your body if perfect, then life will be happy".

I flip to the Publisher's letter which states "we're so proud of you, our readers.... Don't ever feel like a failure, just push through and re-affirm your goals. Now is the time. " nothing too dreadful or offensive about that but since when is keeping fit and feeling good associated with failure?

He goes on to say, "you may not look like the ladies in our workouts, but you are part of a movement among women who are not afraid to go for it!". I was gobsmacked when I read this - blatant admission that what his publication is peddling is a crock of shit, totally unrealistic and an insult to any fit minded woman who has been blessed with a brain cell or two.

I flip further to a page devoted to "Happy Hormones", which states that " you shouldn't have to starve yourself or be jacked up on stimulants, high caffeine products or thermogenics in order to get the body you want" - yet sandwiched next to this blurb is an ad for a supplement store, and just five pages ahead an article for a fat loss supplement. Resisting the urge to vomit, I instead thought "dumb ......." and moved on.....

Needless to say I was thrilled to sit down with the good old Courier today and see an article from one of my favourite columnists, Karen Brooks.** The article pertains to the rise and rise of plastic surgery procedures that are commonly performed these days for no good reason. There are of course situations where plastic surgery can be helpful (and as many know, I have had some surgery myself) but the best part of the article relates to the whole myth of "transformation". The long term success stories are the ones who transformed into (as Karen says) " working on being themselves".

After my foray into the fitness magazines, I watched "The Biggest Loser". Yes, another source of media portraying the need for transformation in the reality TV setting. I've never seen this show and there were parts of it that made my stomach turn. But in this, a breath of fresh air named Hayley Lewis, who was outstanding in her support and gentle encouragement for the contestants. What would keep me watching it would be seeing the genuine empathy she has for those who are struggling with their weight and the behaviours that got them to that point, where they felt their choices become so limited. I sincerely hope that through the journey, the contestants slowly but surely learn the tools they need to learn to honour themselves and truly live lean and love life.

Cracking myself up

2010-02-01T20:11:00.002+10:00

Quick blog tonight - had a wonderful catch up with Carolyn today - folks, I'm telling you that those triceps could crush small animals and scare away children - yeah baby, the girl has packed on some muscle since I saw her last and become a pretty deft hand at the old RPM too. It worked out well as I had the opportunity to fill my old Monday morning class at Toowong - Carolyn and I got a good workout and it got pretty rowdy in there this morning (a lot busier than usual).

Unfortunately I had to cut and run to the physio. As well as my shoulder, my lower back and hip flexors are giving me grief now and I'm glad I went. I have to admit now to being pretty frustrated about the whole injury situation - off to the sports doc tomorrow to see if I need another cortisone shot or if it's off to an orthopod for assessment.

In other medical news, it looks as if UQ wouldn't accept me with my degree being completed more than ten years ago - I could go to Griffith, but I think the strain on the family with two hours travel each day and a full time study load too much to cope with. However, it was good thinking about it. Who knows what the future holds?

So all of this led to a bit of crankiness on my part on Facebook with me updating my status as "Liz wants to put the F word into a helium balloon and then let it loose all over Brisbane....FFAAAAARRRRK!!!!!"

The thought of this concept totally cracks me up and had me smiling by the time I logged out. And I have yet to look forward to the joys of "Desperate Housewives" tonight.

Sheesh, life can't be all that bad.....

Pizza Night

2010-01-29T19:10:00.002+10:00

Thanks to everyone for their supportive comments, re studying Medicine. I want to let you all know how much they are appreciated. There are a few hurdles to get across as I mentioned in the last post, it's not a certainty, but I'm checking with the University to see whether I can get special consideration re the amount of time between degrees. If this all goes to plan, I'm going to give it a crack. If not, well, not meant to be and I'll be happy either way. I shall update when I know more of course. I know from seeing many friends study Medicine that it is not an easy road and the idea of being a doc is one that has to be taken with a lot of seriousness. Aside from the hopeful ability to be able to get through a challenging degree, I think that my love of connecting with others would be a major asset. Will have to see how it pans out....

Today I taught RPM at Toowong which is always a consistently good class to teach but for some reason I was feeling flat and lacking in energy this morning. I had to fight for every bit of load that I applied this morning and had to tough it out to the end! I'm using the same mix for High Performance in the morning, so if I get evil looks from people, I'll know it's not just me that is suffering!

I have mentioned on Facebook that I was sussing out a George Foreman Grill. I got several comments about the plates being a bit difficult to clean and I ended up with a Cuisinart "Griddler" from David Jones (with a handy 15% off too!) - the grill plates detach and it will be awesome for grilling the next poor chook I can find amongst other delights! I also bought a sushi maker from Robins with a Christmas Voucher and two big activity books for the girls with an ABC store voucher. I've done really well with buying no books or magazines in 2010 - I figure that I have easily saved enough for my Griddler purchase so I am happy (isn't it funny how women justify purchases?)

Tonight is "Pizza Night" at home - the girls are making pizzas for dinner and we have some DVDs rented from the video store (that they chose) so it should make for a nice family evening.

Struggle Street

2010-01-28T19:31:00.003+10:00

Yes, that's me suffering from a good dose of BMW syndrome over my crook AC joint - bitch, moan and whine...

It's been a compelling reason to keep any goals I have quiet for now - I've had a flare up over the last couple of weeks (that came oddly after I spoke about my RPM goal, surprise surprise). The ol pelvis has chipped in to join the pity party and with this going on, I haven't felt much like blogging.

All of my injury complaints have been doing my head in - out of left field. Yesterday I receive a phone call from my mother - "you need to stop working at the gym and do your GAMSAT - you know you'd be a fantastic doctor". Then, I spoke to hubs, telling him the "crazy thing" my mother had told me to do. Expecting him to say, "that's just crazy," he instead told me that my mother was actually right and that I should go for it because I would be awesome.

GAMSAT is the Graduate Admissions Medical Test here - it's a 6 hour exam and to actually get through it would be a marvellous achievement in itself so I have thoughts of giving it a crack just for the heck of it. The problem is that if I went to UQ, although I fulfil Grade Point Av requirements, it's been more than 10 years since I did my last degree (oh dear, that sounds like I collect them) which may put me out of the running. The last time I fronted up for GAMSAT, I found I was preggers with Miss S, so I had to cancel the exam as I couldn't picture studying medicine with a young baby.

Incidentally applications close next week - have been trying to feel if this is where the universe is trying to direct me......could I, should I, this would be a huge decision and have to be done for the right reasons....

On other fronts, our house is nearing completion - floorboards are being polished next week, pool fence to be certified, pool to be filled and carpets and flyscreens to be organized after the handover - very excited about new house and my new office :)

Ten Things I Love

2010-01-26T21:27:00.002+10:00

Thanks to Steph for inspiring this one...

Ten things I love, I don't know where to start.....

Teaching RPM has surely grabbed my heart.

Then there is watching the sunrise, with a hearty mug of tea.

And my gorgeous hubby who loves to be with me.

What about the sound of the waves on the sand?

And holding onto both daughters tiny little hands?

There's also the joy of laughing with my friends ,

and saying, "no more heavy shit, I've really reached the end."

Learning new things every day and being a fantastic coach

Helping all my clients with an individual approach.

A shiny new pedicure, a massage of my head...

And when is all said and done, there's reading in my bed.

Ye Olde Blogge Ramble

2010-01-21T17:52:00.004+10:00

I've been quiet on the blog front of late, because I've been thinking. Plus I have discovered that when I take on several things I do them, but not very well! In fact, I barely keep my head above water! I've been quietly discarding the superfluous from my life, mostly physical stuff as we prepare to move and realizing that at the end of the day, we don't need much to be truly happy.

To do something really well, one needs to prioritize. This is why Olympic athletes live their whole lives around their training - it's impossible to achieve that standard with everything else humming away in the background. It's what makes Figure Competitions so appealing to many - it's what got me competing in the first place - 20 weeks to focus on me, me, me!

I've been searching for that priority in my fitness life lately. I make a start, and feel like I get waylaid by injuries, class fills, and other minutiae I'd rather do without. Last Friday I blogged about my RPM Assessment with Maka which was an incredible learning experience - was a bit overwhelmed with the feedback but was able to take some of it into my class today and it really rocked - felt so strong, so powerful on the bike and alive! I really put the intensity on and toughed it out, even though there were some points where I just wanted to fade badly.

Inspired by this, I've signed up for an Advanced Instructor Module for RPM with Les Mills in February, exactly one month away. My goal and my intention is to really nail this module both with fitness and my presentation. Soooooo, I'm putting my first goal out there for the year. The module is locked in and I'd be doing myself a great disservice by turning up as less than the best version of myself. A month isn't too long to focus, the kids are going back to school and I'm not doing any pharmacy work. Me, me, me and RPM sounds rather nice! The aim of this being to have another crack at LMA auditions in May. I feel funny writing about this - I've had thoughts of "what if I don't succeed and I've got to blog about it again?" It's the same feeling I had when I came dead last in Figure Intermediate all those years ago - but I look back on that comp with pride - I did the best I could and arrived in the best condition I've achieved. So, if I don't make it, I'm going to look at it as a wonderful learning experience and I can only become a better coach and teacher for making the effort.

The plan involves doing what I can in the gym - mostly at this stage, very specific strength work and Pilates, indoor and outdoor cycling.

Nutrition wise, I do best on a good balance of foods - deprivation is not a term that I care to have in my vocabulary. Self care by honouring myself with the best nutrition that works for me is what I do best.

Katie has written a couple of thought provoking posts in the last few days. The one I've linked to, I could have written word for word. When I moved to the middle of nowhere and knew nobody, I felt exactly the same. Even though I'm a tried and true introvert, the importance of connection cannot be underestimated. That is how I got into blogging and found "my tribe" - all the other girls around competing in Figure in 2006.

The last six months or so has seen an evolution of the tribe I want to hang out with in the blogosphere. I've retained some excellent internet and real life friendships and others in my tribe have moved away from my circle as our lives and interests have diverged. This has puzzled me and saddened me at times, but I think there is an element of "nature" in it. I have evolved as well and cannot expect that the same people who thought I was cool back then to may be think I'm crash hot now I've had four years or so blogging about my neuroses. Though I must also say, I've met some pretty cool bloggers in the past few months whose blogs I love to read and comment on (waving!).

I too, feel happiest when I have a deep sense of connection with people too - Katie is an example of someone who I started with in a completely different context to where we are now. Same with many of my others like Shelley, Shan, Kerryn , Nicole and Kirst (if I've left anyone out, it's because I'll run out of room mentioning how fantastic you all are). True friendships grow - and embrace changes.

Meanwhile, I have still got one foot strongly leveraged in the Figure camp with girls who are prepping for various shows during the year. We're even going Fitness for the All Females in July - different training focus - just love the challenge of bringing in a smashing hot body that is going to spin some fantastic moves as well as look sensational - can't wait. All the other girls are doing really well, training hard and not turning into carb depleted lunatics. I'm so proud of 'em!

Dance!

2010-01-18T15:36:00.003+10:00

The Ants in your Pants Dance! -- powered by flowgo.com

Ever wanted to dance just like you've got ants in your pants?

I'm breaking out, I'm running free....I'm taking hip hop lessons next term! Just for something different.

Got up and trained this morning before coming home to house appointment. Now we're at the business end of things tying everything up and getting ready to move.

Speaking of moving I do have a couple of things on the sale tray this week

1 X Copy of "The Primal Blueprint" by Mark Sisson which is an excellent Paleo book I bought from "Mark's Daily Apple" - Mark is an former endurance athlete and Crossfitter...it's an excellent read - contact me - 15.00 + postage.

2 x Copies available of Cathe KickMAX
(was 35.00 now 20.00 each + postage)

2 x Copies of Cathe Low Max
which is a butt burning workout I used to shape the top of my legs for comp prep. I still recommend it to prospective clients. USes a step. Was 35.00 now 20.00.

Contact me via thefitnesssolution
if you are interested.

I also have some freebies if anyone is interested.

"Portable Personal Trainer" Eric Harr,
"Yoga" Jesse Chapman

Just need to pay for the postage!

Saturday Night in Brisvegas!

2010-01-16T20:23:00.002+10:00

It's Saturday night in Brisvegas and true to form, I'm relaxing in front of the computer having a giggle at some lol-cats. I think today's installment is hilarious. I had written on Facebook that I'm craving a feline in the house - I think it's Rae's Bengal kitties that are having that effect on me, they are just gorgeous. I did own a kitty cat - a Burmese - who went by the name of Secret because she was a "secret surprise" for my 21st birthday and she was amazing and quite trainable (being a coach of all things, I want to train everybody!). The biggest downside is that hubs hates cats. So I'm hoping that this feeling of wanting cats will go away soon - I've even taking to dream about them a few times in the last week or so...subconscious is a strange thing..what gives?

I finally found the chance to throw around a few weights after teaching Step this morning - I don't usually teach Step on Saturdays but the usual instructor was away so John taught my RPM and I filled Step instead - I wasn't as shattered as I usually am post RPM so I did lots of shoulder drills and can feel how weak the muscles on my bad side are - but this will improve. One and a half weeks until school starts again and I can focus more on myself.

Results Not Typical

2010-01-15T15:18:00.003+10:00

Chelle tagged me a few days back about what a day in my life looked like. To be honest I was trying to string together a set of days that was similar but no can do, every day is completely different for me.

I thought I would just share what's happened in my life today - "results not typical".

7am: Rise after unexpected sleep in - no classes to teach this morning.
7.15am: Make cup of tea (today it was Perth Breakfast from T2) and sit down to bowl of oats, protein powder and dash of milk - oats are back on the menu after a hiatus. Chat to hubs over breakfast (girls are still asleep). I tell him that last night I dreamt that we had a lot of kittehs in the house that we trying to get out, despite my best efforts in keeping them inside the house - I think the "Bendable Learnings" term for this phenomena is ...... "it was like herding cats".

7.30am -8.30am: Dress and get ready to teach RPM. Revise choreo notes and additional notes I have made about the mix that I'm teaching this morning. Am being filmed for assessment by Maka, our Senior RPM mentor at Fitness First so I've spent the better part of the week going through the education sessions, the choreography etc. Girls meanwhile get up and get dressed and I organize breakfast for them

8.45am - drop girls at my parent's home to have a play with their cousin whilst I teach RPM.
9.00am- get to RPM feeling rather nauseous at the thought of being filmed and assessed, could I possibly have a quick hurl in the ladies beforehand and would I feel any better for it? Decide against it - I remember one of my PT clients who used to tell me no matter how hard I pushed her that "she didn't do vomiting". I decided to follow suit.
9.15am - class participants start rolling in and I meet Maka, who sets up the videocamera and gives me a few tips and tells me how he does the assessment. Maka is a top bloke who would do anything to put your mind at ease - which made the whole assessment procedure a much better experience - he is encouraging and insightful and even though I'm feeling nervous, I'm so glad that he's there.
9.30am - Start the class and try to stay focused on the "Five Key Elements" that we use when we are teaching classes. I have a pretty busy class, they're a really great bunch of participants, which helps as well.
10.15am or so - class ends and I bid all the participants farewell and Maka stays back with me and gives me a brief assessment of the class and a few pointers (he's going to do a more thorough analysis and put my class onto DVD for me to watch and learn from). We were going to have lunch or morning tea but we both had children duties so we'll meet up again in a few weeks.
11am - have a bite of morning tea -after killing myself in RPM, a few good carbs are on the menu and I "digest"what Maka had to say. As you get better and better, there is much more expectation about what you should deliver and I got some really good ideas out of the feedback.
11.30am - do one of my biweekly fruit and veggie shops, try to decide what we're having for dinner( didn't get round to my menu this week) and head to parent's place.
12.30 - share lunch with my Mum - big salad, some lean ham and 2 nectarines to finish up - have a good chat.
3pm - take girls home answer emails and get ready to go to the pool.
4pm - take girls swimming (perfect opportunity to have a Diet Coke and kick back with Alan Aragon's Research Review.
6pm - prepare dinner (steak, steamed veggies, with yoghurt as a bedtime snack)
7pm - have dinner with the family and usually watch a DVD with them or play some games
8pm - computer time
9pm - watch movie or TV show with hubby next week - Aussie Open!
10pm - lights out!

The Million Dollar Question

2010-01-14T20:50:00.005+10:00

Our family were having a rather fun time tonight coming up with the types of questions that should be asked as the final one on "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire". I was suggesting that the question be about something that we should really know about, almost off by heart, but cannot remember for the life of you when you're in that hot seat.

The conversation turned towards the programs that the kids watched when they were little. We felt that, at the time we knew every episode of "Teletubbies", "Thomas the Tank Engine" and "Bob the Builder" off by heart.. Therefore it was highly amusing when Hubs asked me, "for a million dollars ....what were the names of all of the characters in Bob the Builder?" I managed Bob and Wendy and Spud the Scarecrow and was feeling really chuffed with my efforts thus far when hubs said, "what about the cat?" I couldn't remember its name and we all started singing "Bob the Builder" at the tops of our voices to try and jog our memories.

"I have it! The cat's name is Pilchard!" I yelled (one million wasn't going to slip through my finger tips that easily).

Somehow we managed to get through all of the characters except for the cement mixer - nobody could remember the name at all.

I'm embarrassed to say that I went and looked it up on the Internet. I want to be able to go to bed and rest easy in the knowledge that I finally KNOW.

The cement mixer's name was Dizzy.

Look out Eddie McGuire...I'm coming!

Still on the brain topic

2010-01-12T19:51:00.004+10:00

Today I had further (unexpected) insights into where I need to go this year. Thank goodness I didn't set any concrete goals - looks like a path is being laid out for me as we speak.

Right now, I'm immersed in school holiday activities. Today I saw "Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Squeakwel" with the girls after doing a Bodystep fill at Jinders this morning. I seem to be doing quite a few fill ins at the moment - I'm sure the reason for that is that I'm being given the opportunity to practice my teaching more often as LMI auditions are on again in May and I'm going to have another tilt at it, all things being good on the injury front.

My shoulder has settled down nicely and I'm hoping to test it with some weights next week. I can't see my way clear this week with another 7 classes to go before the end of the week. I'm sure my big quads have grown even more massive with some decent load being applied in RPM.

Tomorrow's goal involves doing another menu plan up - last week's effort was really successful and being prepared felt pretty good.

Going through a Right Brained Crisis

2010-01-11T20:55:00.003+10:00

Katie posted a really interesting test to see whether you predominantly use your left or right side of your brain. I'm predominantly a right brain user - when extremely stressed fall into both patterns.

I'm writing this blog because I want to ask you all a question. Do you believe that things happen for a reason? That some events aren't really an accident or a coincidence?

I strongly believe that this is the case. Today the air around me seems to have been filled with the realms of possibility - events have happened today that aren't really what I thought was part of my plan. However, maybe they are - I just haven't realized it. I'm not trying to be mysterious or anything, I'm talking about things that can occur in everyday living.

For example, I left my keys in the local health food shop by mistake when I was doing an RPM fill one evening last week. The shop usually closes at 5pm. I taught class, showered and then realized I didn't have my keys with me. I thought that I would have to call the Centre Management, then decided that I would go to where I thought I had left them - the health food shop. Lo and behold, one of the doors to the shop was open (at 7.30pm no less) and my keys were on the counter. One of the staff members had stayed back to do a stocktake or similar and told me that "I was expected to arrive at some time".

At the moment it feels like my right brain is really tugging me towards something - then I'm brought back to Earth by the left side, telling me to pull it in, be sensible and not to be a cracker.

Hmm, maybe I've been infiltrated by Gollum?

The Female Body

2010-01-09T20:35:00.008+10:00

Isn't it amazing how the female body works? That roughly every 28 days the body releases an egg that can join with an entity outside the body, get fertilized and result in a pregnancy? Even more amazing that in adult women (of childbearing age) this process is repeated month after the month and the body undergoes processes to prepare for an impending pregnancy. Of course, if no fertilization occurs, women menstruate. What I think is also amazing is that a woman can be so in tune with her own body that she can know almost to the day when she is going to menstruate.

In my own experience, things happen within my body and my mind that signal impending menstruation. I have a nosebleed, almost without fail, a few days before (as oestrogen/progesterone levels are dropping), I am extremely hungry on the day or two before it arrives and I'm cranky right before. Like many women, I often crave a quick fix of sugary fatty foods and feel like a new woman when it arrives.

Despite the nasty period pain, despite PMS, I am grateful that I function the way God intended me to. I can't believe that I probably have less than ten years of menstruation left, so I want to enjoy all the benefits of being a healthy fertile woman whilst I can.

It's little wonder that many women "blossom" in their 40s and I hope to be one of them.

Wow, wasn't sure what I was going to write today - just said that I was going to 'go with the flow' (pardon the pun)

2010-01-09T20:35:00.005+10:00

2010-01-09T20:35:00.003+10:00

2010-01-09T20:35:00.001+10:00

Sharing is Caring!

2010-01-08T21:00:00.003+10:00

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Kerry for RPM and a cuppa which was great fun. Kerry and I met for the first time at the INBA Nationals in 2008 and have seen each other briefly since then. If you check out Kerry's blog you'll see she's a Crossfit babe (aka can work very hard without throwing up), so I threw down the gauntlet and invited her to come and try out RPM.

I was a bit unsure of how I'd go, because I had filled in the 6.00am class and here I was backing up again at 9.30am, thinking of the two classes I did yesterday and the two I did the day before. However the thought of not giving my 100% when I had a wonderful workout to share was unbearable and we managed to thrash it out to the end.

I knew Kerry had worked hard because I could hear some heavy breathing at the end (I was thinking "have I tamed the Crossfit chick?), so I casually asked her how she enjoyed the class and how she was feeling.

"There was one stage where I wanted to spew," said Kerry. "Oh, goody," I thought, "mission accomplished!"

We had a great old chatter and a nice Chai Latte and Hot Chocolate and chewed the fat about workouts, nutrition, blogs and everything in between. Being 40 and mothers, there's a lot of common ground between us, fun, fun ,fun!

Kerry, if you're reading this, I hope you can meet me for an RPM workout again (plus a complimentary triceps workout! Yeah, I'll take ya!.....)

Anyway, bottom line about why I'm writing about this is to say that blogging is a great way to meet up with others who share the same interests. And whilst climbing the performance mountain is great, it's always a wonderful thing to share the view at the top....

How can you spot a fit chick?

2010-01-07T20:01:00.002+10:00

Q: How can you spot a fit chick?

A: Visit her home and check her laundry, you'll see workout gear in the linen hamper, workout gear in the washing machine and workout gear on the clothesline (or hanging up inside when it's raining)

*************

Have decided I can't feel my legs anymore after filling Bodystep this morning and then teaching my regular Thursday RPM gig. And, it was supposed to be leg day (fatta chance-a). Tomorrow's effort includes giving the crew at Toowong a 6am and a 9.30am thrashing. Are my legs up to the task? I'm thinking of Shelley today and how she got on lifting her heavy shit. I'm wondering if she'd like to lend me some moral support on my quest for a total "out of lower body" experience...

**************

It's little wonder that today I felt like I could eat a horse - here's what's gone down, just for fun.

3am - woke up hungry, told myself to hop back into bed.
5am - first breakfast - small bowl of Fruity Bix and Trim Milk
6am- teach Bodystep
7.30am - monster bowl of oats, powder and dash of milk
9.30am - (wondering how those oats could have disappeared so fast) Larabar
11.00- (wondering now where the Larabar is...) apple and 1 l of water
12pm - teach RPM (smash it!)
1.30pm - sushi (raw tuna and sesame)
3pm - white Freddo (they have magic powers, right?)
4pm - rice cakes, cottage cheese and tuna
7pm - beef casserole, mashed potatoes, copious amount of greens (wondering now where the sushi, frog, rice cake and tuna have gone - probably now camping out with the oats and the Larabar)
from here in in: not sure.

I think TOM must be due for a visit - I can't believe how much I've put away today. Body obviously needs it.

Back on the Bike

2010-01-06T15:30:00.003+10:00

It's back on the bike this afternoon to teach RPM! I usually don't teach in the evenings, but poor John has rolled his ankle so he is at home resting (I gave him strict instructions to cheer for the Aussies in the cricket...being a Kiwi, that is going to be interesting!). I'm looking forward to it as Fitness First at Toowong have brand new shiny Spinner bikes and I have yet to have a play.

Also taught Step this morning which was good fun. Tired leggies and sore upper body from the pussy weights on Tuesday!

I'm still really enjoying our menu this week - especially when Pecan Pie makes it onto the menu with a touch of icecream for arvo tea and Sticky Date Pudding makes an appearance for dessert. You may be wondering if this is heralding a return to "Dirty Diana" eating, but no, I eat so well most of the time an indulgence or two here and there is one of life's pleasures. Plus it is amazing how we condition ourselves to think we need more than we really do. The pleasure comes from the first couple of mouthfuls, then becomes slowly forgettable the more you eat. So the trick is to stop at the third mouthful so you're in line with what you're trying to experience. These treats are not on today's menu - there is more a focus on tropical fruits and steamed seasonal vegetables which provides a nice balance to Tuesday's delights.

Today I'm proud to report that I am a Guest Blogger on Katie's site - I've never done a guest blog before and I felt a bit rusty as I wrote, but go on over there and let her know whether it's a thumbs up or a thumbs down (in which case, you may remain anonymous lol!). Thanks for having me, Katie :)

Here Puss Puss!

2010-01-05T17:30:00.004+10:00

That was Shelley calling me out on my leg training! We spent the day sorting out our assorted treasures to put onto Ebay, chattering away about the pussy weights I lifted and the heavy shit she smashed. It was all going to plan when she suddenly turned to me and said "are your legs sore?" I told her that I was too scared to tell her that my pussy weights had inflicted nasty DOMS and that I'm walking around like I've got a pole wedged when it 'don't belong' (thanks Nicole).

This morning's training effort went well - more hip flexor work and shoulder rehab which took about 20 minutes to get through and then I did some girly push ups pain free as well as pussy weighted cable rows using the Paramount machine and some medium grip lat pull downs. I also did a 26 (yes I counted!) minute set of undulating X trainer intervals (that sounds pretty techo).

As for the pussy above, it's of my favourite breed, the Burmese. It is an open secret that I would like to again have a couple of kitties in my life but unfortunately hubs hates cats. No win situation there.

I have just read Kerry's post about her hip (sorry to hear about the inflammation ) and it reminded me of just how frustrating injuries can be. I think that my own rehab experiences have taught me that it's a real journey - ie do things, but progress slowly without too much agenda and in an obtuse way given me the confidence that I can conquer whatever comes my way (to a point). Which is why I haven't blogged about specific goals, figuring that it's more prudent (after last year's disaster where I achieved nothing) for me to be vague about things. That way I'm not down on myself for not achieving something I wanted to do yet everything that I can do is an added bonus!

Generally I believe goal setting is a good idea and can give you a template to achieve things in a set order. However, it's not just about the end point, it's the journey in between. Some of my goals have been interrupted by random occurrences where I have veered off on a tangent and it's often been some of the best life experiences I've ever had.

No matter how tightly, factually and precisely we want to do something eg achieve a goal (Left Brain thinking), there will be some point where things will happen in a rather nebulous way that is the Universe's or God's way of telling you "it was meant to happen" - right brain thinking at it's best. I think when this happens, it's not necessarily a poor reflection of your character, there's often more to the story.

I wonder if true success is all about accepting the balance that is right for you?

Hello legs, did you miss me?

2010-01-04T11:48:00.001+10:00

Training today:
Running: Intervals 2:1 cycles 40 minutes (yee-haw!)
Hip flexor stretching and glute activation (let's hope 2010 is not the year of the Cranky Hip Flexor)

Lower Body Strength Training:
1) Rack Pull 4 x 10
2) Leg Press 4 x 10 (back didn't like leg press, so I'll probably squat next week)
3) Plank 2 x 1 minute

Felt good to lift some weight, though it was nowhere near the heavy shit that I had been moving late last year. I'm a big pussy when it comes to leg DOMS, can't stand it!

On a brighter note, guess what's for lunch?

I should be grateful

2010-01-03T20:48:00.003+10:00

I should be grateful that Miss G likes my modified tuna burgers but it was a case of "leave some for me, that's Monday and Wednesday's lunch!". As I mentioned in my last post it was time to "just do it" and work out an entire week of meals for the family.

As I like to fly by the seat of my pants with most meals - probably because after all these years, I'm in a cooking rut, it felt like I was chained to the computer as I slaved away on my spreadsheet. Why the organization? My reasons aren't to do with comp prep or anything like that - I am hoping that I spend less on my weekly groceries - my tendency is to run out to the shops at the last minute and pick up dinner stuff as well as other items that "I think we may need" (aka stuff that we DON'T need).

As well as the lamb cutlets I made, I also did a really nice chilli, made a new version of the Paleo Tuna Burgers I blogged about last year as well as create a special something for Shelley and Nicole. Nicole gave me the best 40th presents, some chocolates she had melted into the shape of a male member (she also has boob moulds I am told!). Well, it was great because my husband who can't keep his hands off chocolate, could not come at licking these phallic treats. I think that it's the only chocolate that I've been given that I was able to eat all by myself in my own good time!

Here's the recipe for Tuna Burgers, not quite Paleo, but taste better in my opinion.

One big can of tuna in springwater, thoroughly drained

1/4 cup of linseeds/flax seeds partially ground

dash of teriyaki marinade

one onion in very fine dice (I used food processor)

1 egg

2 tablespoons unprocessed bran

3 tablespoons oats (partially ground)

Mix everything together and compress into egg rings or burger moulds. Cook and slide out of moulds. This lot made 7 decent sized patties.

Guess who's having tuna burgers and a big fat salad tomorrow for lunch???

Just Do It Girl is in da house!

2010-01-03T11:30:00.002+10:00

Today I'm organizing a week's worth of dinners and a new training program that will see my dinky shoulder progress back to normal. How does Moroccan Lamb Cutlets with Greens and Orange Couscous sound? I nabbed that one out of the Australian Healthy Food Guide magazines as well as one for Tangy Chicken Curry. Shelley is coming over on Tuesday so we can play Ebay together (as we're both highly committed to removing the extraneous crap from our lives and Ebay is the perfect place to try our luck - though my blog has been a good source of business as well. Most of the items I listed have sold and I hope that everyone who purchased these little bargains enjoys them as much as I did.

I've bought a monthly pass to our local pool and am going to start swimming again. I've been testing out the dodgy shoulder by doing a bit of "air freestyle" which is more embarrassing to look at than painful, so hopefully the added resistance that the water gives won't make too much of a difference.

On that note, I had better sign off and create my shopping list. My weekly menu, is in (gasp!) a Word Table. Stranger phenomenons have happened, I'm sure, but this is a first for me.

Bringing in the New Year!

2010-01-01T09:42:00.003+10:00

Happy New Year!

We saw in the New Year at my Sister-in-Law's place which was a pretty good evening. Hubs is becoming quite the Masterchef and made all sorts of really nice snacky starters and I made a pecan pie (yeah, that sucker was goooooodddd). Watched the Sydney fireworks on the telly as well as play with their new Labrador puppy, Louie. What I learned last night is that I'm horribly allergic to those glow stick thingies that are all the rage and that pecan pie tastes as good as ever.

Now onto the New Year. I've decided that this is the year of the "just-do-it" chick. No time management books to act as my compass, just me, me and me!

"she wanted to run, she wanted to race, but the main thing she wanted was something to chase"

Beautiful Blogger Awards

2009-12-31T11:50:00.002+10:00

Thanks to Chelle for tagging me. I love reading about all these unknown facts about everyone - they're a lot of fun.

Here goes:

1) It's now an open secret but I'm really dreadful at the art of time management (anyone want to buy a book on time management)

2) I hate wearing anything with a V Neck - for some reason, it just aint flattering on me.

3) I've been busted for using a mobile phone in my car (on a country backroad) and now have the nickname of 'The Criminal Cat'. It's stuck, even though the offence happened a good two years ago.

4) I have two piercings, one in each ear. I did have another, given to me by Shelley, but it kept getting infected so I've let it close. I don't have any tattoos.

5) I love getting mail, listening to the rain on the roof and reading books.

6) I would love to be a good photographer

7) I'm an eternal student. I've done two degrees and given the chance would be back at University like a shot!

Now I have to tag seven people:

Shelley

Katie P

Kerryn

Andrea

Michelle C

Mish

Shannon

Importance of connection

2009-12-30T16:22:00.002+10:00

Today marked my return back to teaching both Bodystep and RPM. The classes could not have been further apart this morning - RPM was very quiet and I had only 3 participants - one who wanted to go really hard, a 20 weeks pregnant gal, who wasn't sure about training in pregnancy and an older gent with a shoulder injury. I turned this one into a bit of a more personalized coaching session for the three of them and actually really enjoyed it because I could see improvements in all three over the course of the class.

Next up was Bodystep and it was pretty busy. I probably knew 80% of the class by name and I had a great catch up with everyone in the class. For me, this is the importance of connection! I love nothing more than the concept of sharing a class with friends on the same wavelength, teaching or not! Because it was so busy and the fact that carb depletion wasn't an issue for anyone (lol!!) there was a high energy atmosphere going through the room which was really uplifting. I have to admit though to feeling pretty tired at the end of it - a good feeling!

I was surprised by hubs and the girls turning up and we shared Vietnamese for lunch, had a wander around the shopping centre, came home for coffee/tea and a chat and now here I am.

To sum up - today I feel extreme gratitude for the sense of connection I feel with my class members. It renews me and lights my fire even further. I had a good chat with one of my ex Fitness First PT clients about personalities and cause and effect. I concluded that the gaining 'energy from connecting' is wrapped up in my personality. I gain connection from my music when I run, I seek a connection with the outdoor environment when I walk. In fact, I think I could substitute "connection" for "motivation".

Which leads me to ponder the question - do you need to feel a "connection" to have a fantastic workout or are you the "just do it" type who gets up and gets the job done no matter what. I often feel like the second option, especially if I'm tired, but typically exercise lights the fire and soon enough, I'm connected.

For Sale and Some Freebies

2009-12-29T15:14:00.003+10:00

As you all know, I'm moving house and trying to sell a few bits and pieces. I'm also giving away some freebies.

So here's what to do:

If interested in any of this stuff, please visit The Fitness Solution and click on Contact Me and I'll get back to you.

For Sale:

Spinervals: 17.0 Aerobase Builder 2 (one hour steady state bike session to help you maximize your fat burning metabolism) 49.95 New - my price $15.00 (gently used)
Tracie Long Training: Functional Foundations - 3 workouts designed for core strengthening and ab development (Region 1 DVD - should play on most Aussie DVD players) 15.00
Tracie Long Training: Better Burn, Better Buns - focus on hip stability workout 10.00
Tracie Long Training: Endurance for Movement - another core stability workout focusing on ab/glute coordination 10.00
Tracey Staehle - Cardio Sweatfest 10.00 - advanced kickboxing routine (have 2 of these)
Amy Bento: Abs and Stretch 7.50 each (2 copies left)
Cathe Friedrich - Ab Hits DVD - 12.00 - has 12 different ab workouts over varying length on them (approx 7-12 minutes) (have 3 copies)
New Glucose Revolution DVD - 4.00 (about low GI nutrition etc)

Books: $3.00 each + a freebie
Time Management from the Inside Out (Julia Morgenstern)
Organizing From the Inside Out (Morgenstern)
Your Pocket Life Coach Carole Gaskell
The Organizing Sourcebook - Carole Posener
Organizing Plain and Simple - Donna Smallin
Women's Weekly Cookbooks- Good Food for Babies and Toddlers + Kid's Cooking (3.00 for both)
Life is Hard, Food is Easy - Linda Spangle (book on emotional eating)
How to Train - Hal Higdon (for the runners amongst you)
Pilates on the Ball,
Abs on the Ball - Colleen Craig
Nurture By Nature (applying the Myer Briggs concept to kids) Tieger et al
Kathy Kahlers Hollywood Body workouts and Real Life Fitness,
Stronger Legs and Lower Body - Keli Roberts
Woman's Guide to Runnning - A Jutel (beginner to intermediate)

Freebies:
Training for the Ageless DVD - a DVD about two women bodybuilders over the age of 50
Cooking With Conscience - Michelle Trute ( low fat, natural cooking)
Desserts - Julie Stafford, The Wok Cookbook, Julia Stafford
Healthy Home Style Cooking Evelyn Tribole (low fat natural cooking)
Step Inspirations and Power to the Third - complex choreo step DVD
Jammin 32s complex choreo step DVD
Secrets of a Former Fat Girl - Lisa Delaney book
Ultimate Fitness - Gina Kolata - The Truth about Exercise and Health
Yoga, Jesse Chapman

So if anyone would like any of these please get in touch. The prices don't include postage. Hope someone can get some good use out of these otherwise they're off to charity.

On loving yourself lean

2009-12-29T09:38:00.002+10:00

"Making an allowance reflects that there will be a large variety of foods to choose from over the Christmas period and that it's perfectly OK to eat a few treat foods over this time and enjoy time spent with friends and family. Having a few treat meals and different foods and enjoying time with friends and doesn't cause the Christmas weight gain, it is the self destructive thoughts and behaviours around this different food and not making an allowance for yourself that cause the problem. Underlying issues of restriction, rebellion and "discipline" can really backfire on the person wanting to stay lean over the holidays.

This is completely different from overindulging until you hurt and making the excuse that "it was Christmas time". Making an allowance will make you feel good about yourself - ironically by giving away "control" you find true control because you're holding the reins. Making an excuse and trying to grit your teeth and "stay strong" is a soul destroying, self esteem crushing venture"

Bugger, can't seem to turn off the bold or italic functions and here I was thinking I was really smart. My question to you all is did you make an allowance for yourself over Christmas or did you try and "stay strong".

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I chose to "make allowances" and enjoy some Christmas foods. I didn't try to "stay strong" - I just ate what I felt like and didn't train for four days. I gave myself what I needed for Christmas, some time with family and friends, a few slices of cheesecake and plenty of rest. Now I wonder if anyone is imagining that doing such dreadful thing would cause them to wake up as a complete fat heifer five days later......

The answer is "no". As a bit of an experiment and a testimonial to the fact that long term success is about your internal locus of control and respect for one's self I weighed myself on Christmas Eve and then I weighed myself this morning. This morning after all that indulgence and supposed lack of discipline, I am 1.5kg lighter.

There is a place for logging food and being particular with your nutrition, but there's also a place for learning to be more intuitive as well. The balance between both methods is entirely up to you. The thread that draws it all together is the concept of being able to "love yourself lean". The cornerstone of living lean for the long term is bolstering your self worth.

To sum up - start to learn to trust yourself. You just may find that you're not the 'broken' individual you thought you were.

uh oh

2009-12-28T19:59:00.002+10:00

I'm sure most of us have heard the quote "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

Today I had a little wake up call, regarding this very thing! Hubs and I spent this morning drawing up a rough plan about our impending move - what we wanted to sort through, toss, keep, donate to charity, put onto Ebay etc. We then split up and started our various tasks - his to sort out the china cabinet and mine to start sorting out the books in the bookcase. Now as many of you know I love to read and often I like to read so much that I can purchase a book and forget all about it - I've usually got so much on the go. Therein lies my biggest issue - time management and organization. I've obviously tried to address it many times over the years because I managed to pull out (hangs head in shame), FIVE books on organizing your life/house etc and a book on PROCRASTINATION. I can just see Shelley pulling this one up on her reader and pissing her pants. Hubs and I spent the better part of the afternoon laughing about it, but deep down I was somewhat embarrassed. Anyway I have removed a ton of books ready to be donated to charity, Ebayed etc. If anyone wants a good book on time management for small dollars, get in touch NOW! New Year's Resolution is to employ a bit more discipline in getting tasks done, particularly if they're unpleasant!

Still no training to speak of - had another big sleep in today (I've been doing a few 11 and 12 hour sleeps) but I'm finally beginning to feel like I want to do something. I'm thinking of a bit of running and stretching tomorrow. We're all settling back into a more normal eating pattern which is nice after four days of "fend for yourself" - enjoyed grilled salmon, potatoes and a big bunch of greens for dinner tonight and I feel satisfied and content.

The Change Up

2009-12-27T10:21:00.002+10:00

There's an adage that "change is as good as a holiday" and I'm inclined to agree! I'm now coming up to my third exercise free day and I think my body is thanking me for it. I know I mentioned it yesterday, but I believe we all need periods of total rest and recovery for us to be at our best in life. Today I am tapping away at my blog whilst watching the rest of the family play on the Wii. We are all together, enjoying each other's company, with no particular agenda in mind. Meals are of the "fend for yourself variety" and are mostly comprised of fresh tropical fruit and Greek yoghurt with the odd glass of wine or mineral water with lemon thrown in.

Today we are going to Hubs' Uncles home for a get together with the extended side of his family. We have to bring a plate. I was thinking fruit, but he was thinking "American Baked Cheesecake", not only one, but two of them. He is a superb cook when he does a recipe he knows well. Perhaps my day may be yoghurt, fruit and a sliver of cheesecake for dessert.

I have no plans for the next two days except for reading good books. Then it's back to the gym and my classes. My January plan is to keep on rehabbing the shoulder with a well thought out program and to ramp up my cardiovascular fitness levels. I'm still trying to find a cycling coach to do one on one stuff with, rather than a group ride for now - but that can wait until the New Year. Perhaps the more likely scenario is that if I can't find what I'm after, I will join a swim squad once a week. Swimming is awesome as an activity that promotes hip extension and glute activation and I think the change would be really beneficial.

No plans for any events at this stage. I just want to run, ride, lift and swim happy!

I love Boxing Day!

2009-12-26T10:13:00.003+10:00

Although I love Christmas, I don't think anything can beat the "chilled out" feeling I seem to always have on Boxing Day. It is teeming with rain, the girls are playing with their presents (Miss G is drawing on a sketch pad and Miss S is playing Mario Kart on the Wii. We're all still in our PJs at 10am after having a rather lazy breakfast of croissants, smoked salmon and tropical fruits and some Melbourne Breakfast tea.

This makes me wonder, after all the Christmas madness, how anyone can be possessed to go shopping on Boxing Day. Though I will admit to eyeing off the David Jones Stocktake Catalogue in today's paper. I'm hoping to get some really good non stick cookware - the sort where you can even use a metal utensil and it doesn't affect it whatsoever (I hope these pans exist!). Also hoping to pick up a nice bedroom duvet set for our new bed and the new house.

Speaking of the house, it looks now to be February when we move in. The house has been rendered and painted and the concrete for the driveway is going to be poured in the middle of January. We have to fit the lights, put the oven and dishwasher in, polish the wooden floors and organize curtains and carpets. Luckily, we've picked the type and colour of carpet which is a great time saver. The theme of the house is blue and cream - both hubs and I love blue and we laughed at how we both seem to gravitate towards blue things - probably because blue is such a relaxing colour.

I haven't decided when my next workout will be - I had plans not to train until Wednesday when I have to teach RPM and Step again but after a good rest today, who knows - I might feel up to a run tomorrow. Sometimes we forget the importance of recovery and getting away from the gym or the studio or whatever. Seems to be testament to the fact that we all love to be in equilibrium!

Almost forgot to say I had a lovely Christmas Day - Santa brought me a chair for the study as well as some foot massage cream and a lovely wooden massager.

I hope Santa brought you some lovely gifts too!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T08:17:00.001+10:00

Signing off for a quick Christmas Break.

May you all experience joy, peace and love.

See you for the New Year sales!

PS I think this is just about the funniest kitty pic I've ever seen!

Alone in the Universe

2009-12-22T20:20:00.004+10:00

To quote a really dreadful film - "It appears the question of whether we are alone in the Universe has been answered". Before I go any further, that "really dreadful" film was "Independence Day" where Bill Pullman was cast as the President of the United States - the outcome wasn't good.

Back to my quote - it seems sometimes as if the Blogging Community is quite small. You find a niche to blog about - in my case, when I started my blog, it was about preparing for a Figure Competition. I found like minded individuals doing the same thing and blogging about it and soon an online figure/bodybuilding community began to develop.

Since my competitive days and due to all sorts of circumstances, I'm more about long term health and fitness and a mix of different stuff rather than bodybuilding alone. I still coach girls in prepping for a comp the sane way, but my interests are diversifying as my fitness pursuits change. All of a sudden I'm finding others in the Universe who are just like me - dabbling in all sorts of fitness related stuff and writing some really terrific blogs and inspiring me to introduce myself and leave a comment.

I think that meeting other bloggers who are travelling similar paths is awesome. I get inspiration, encouragement and smiles all wrapped up as one! Not all the blogs I come across are interesting - which leads me to the question of what do you all think makes someone's blog stand out? Is it the writing, is it the journey itself or is it the attitude?

As Molly Meldrum would say, "go and do yourselves a favour" and travel past your usual reading list. You'll be delighted at just who is out there. Conversely, if you're reading this and you've travelled a long way from your usual reading list, please say hello!

Are you in control this Christmas?

2009-12-22T08:39:00.003+10:00

"Are you going to be "in control" over Christmas or are you going to go for it and make excuses?"

I saw this question posted in a Women's Fitness Forum and underneath it was the plethora of predictable responses that said "I am going to try and have a controlled Christmas". Of course this is in regards to eating and nutrition but when you read this, what does this mean to you?

Does it mean that on Christmas Day you'll be balancing macronutrients in your head, counting calories and wondering if you can sneak in some extra vegetables and a run to burn it all off? And then on Boxing Day and beyond, will you be ruminating that you shouldn't have eaten "x, y or z" and that you've failed to maintain any sense of control or discipline and that you've failed. Or on the flip side, you've eaten like a bird and feel a bit hollow about the whole event (perhaps you feel you missed out on all the fun?).

I'm all for a different approach - that of "making allowances". This is not to be confused with "making an excuse" but rather "making allowances" encourages a global perspective during a time where overeating is par for the course for many.

Making an allowance reflects that there will be a large variety of foods to choose from over the Christmas period and that it's perfectly OK to eat a few treat foods over this time and enjoy time spent with friends and family. Having a few treat meals and different foods and enjoying time with friends and doesn't cause the Christmas weight gain, it is the self destructive thoughts and behaviours around this different food and not making an allowance for yourself that cause the problem. Underlying issues of restriction, rebellion and "discipline" can really backfire on the person wanting to stay lean over the holidays.

The take home message is "go with the flow" and treat yourself with respect. For me this will mean having a bit of what I feel like and leaving the rest. It will mean not abusing my body with gallons of Diet Coke or too much ice cream. It may mean a walk in the morning to clear my mind without regards to calories burned. It will be as God intended, a day of peace and joy.

Now to head off to do some final last minute shopping!

2009 The Year That Was

2009-12-21T21:14:00.002+10:00

If I had to pick a descriptor of what my year has been like, I would choose the words "amazing learning experience". I have waded through some tough times this year, starting this year off doing personal training , leaving to work as a pharmacist, finishing that and ending the year at the end of a springboard, waiting to take a huge leap into the unknown!

There have been a couple of constants, which include my family and teaching group fitness. The consistency and stability in those two elements of my life have only served to strengthen bonds, rather than break them. I also had the pleasure of coaching three fantastic girls (Shan, Selina and Casey) who competed at the INBA All Female Classic in Melbourne this year - all did really well and we bagged a 1st, 3rd and "Best Routine" - no one went home empty handed! ( Yay!) I also coached some fantastic "real life" and "online clients" in 2009.

Fitness wise, it's been rather mixed. I gained some amazing strength when Shelley told me not to be a pussy and to go and lift some heavy metal with her! Benching 50kg without thinking about it has been one of the highlights of the year. On the down side, I've been nailed with severe AC degeneration (age related, yikes!) as well as foot issues (which I've pretty much rehabbed now). The plus side is I'm learning a lot about rehab which has opened up a new and interesting world for me.

Personally, it's been an emotionally trying year, with posts that I had made in a Forum in the interests of helping and supporting others being published in a well known fitness magazine without my permission and attributed to somebody else. I also discovered chunks of my blog being plagiarized on several other websites and took action to have the content removed. This experience, although extremely unpleasant, gave me insight into my value as a writer, especially in health and fitness related circles. It was the nail in the coffin that awoke the "monster at the end of my bed" and I've spent the last few months getting well again.

However, on the plus side, I've rebuilt and strengthened friendships dear to me and these friends have helped me to heal and come back stronger and they've given me inspiration to write again about what I am passionate about.

I'm not making any resolutions for 2010, even though I have plans to do all sorts of things in the fitness, family (sorry no babies) and personal spheres! I'm not putting it out there though, especially after last year, where I blogged about my 2009 plans and events and didn't execute a single one of them! Looks like I'm going to have to be the master of surprises.

Before I go back to regular programming, I wish to thank everyone who follows this blog for joining me on this journey in 2009, it certainly wasn't what I expected! However I believe that everything happens for a reason and I'm looking at 2010 with a sense of curiosity and anticipation.

Favourite Things 2009 Review

2009-12-19T19:50:00.002+10:00

I am hoping that I receive my "Shock Cardio" DVDs before the year is out but with all the Australia Post unrest, I think I shall be lucky.

"Shock Cardio" falls into the "Favourites - Workout" category and this video clip is the HIIT DVD which is based on Tabata training - it's fantastic to be able to do top notch workouts in my own home (can't wait to try this puppy out!)

I've been thinking back over 2009 and I'm going to give a short review of favourite sites, books and blogs, etc that I really love.

*Workout Favourites:

a) Cathe Friedrich - Shock Cardio (see the video to find out why!)

b) Powerbands from Australian Kettlebells - these helped me to doing unassisted pull ups throughout the year (from "wuss to wonderful")

c)My IPOD Nano - I have a 16gb model which holds all of my favourite tunes - as Kerry mentioned, music maketh the workout!

d) My Bodybugg - got me off the couch and moving a whole lot more when I wasn't working out.

*Music and Les Mills Favourites

As most of the music I had time to listen to was related to learning my Les Mills choreography, I've lumped these two together.

RPM Highlights were - Release 42 and Release 44 and the "Piranha" track by The Prodigy in our latest effort.

Step Highlights were - Release 76 which had a "Space Theme" - favourite track - "Planet Claire" by the B52s - quirky and a little loopy - a lot like me actually!

Best Running Track: "Jump That Rock" - Status Quo vs Scooter - couldn't get enough of this one!

*Online Shopping Favourites

a) Amazon.com - as a confirmed book lover, this site was a must for me, culminating in a 3 carton delivery in late November. Half of it was kids books that don't seem to be available here.

b) TeamEstrogen.com - I can't speak highly enough of this company - shipping to Australia is cheap and I've bought several pairs of bike knicks, funky socks, sports bras and the like. Recommended!

*Foodie Favourites

I discovered lots of beautiful edibles - on the sweet side, Koko Black Dark Chocolate with Pistachios ruled my tastebuds and the birthday dinner I had at Thai restaurant Cafe De Siam rates as one of the nicest I've had this year. Thanks to Katie and Shelley I developed a love affair with Larabars - they're pretty rich, so they are more of a treat than everyday eating bars.

*Blog and Website Favourites

a) Liz Waterstraat's Blog - Liz is an elite level triathlete and writes amazing stories about her triathlon adventures and her training. Must read for any endurance enthuiast.

b) Katie P's and Shelley Stark - Both of these women are good friends of mine, but they've changed themselves , challenged their beliefs and come out winners - makes for great reading and a dose of inspiration as most say they'll change, but fail to execute. Nice work, girls!

c) I like Melissa C's Figure Blog - it documents her journey to her pro card without a hint of arrogance, but rather gratitude! I love it that she's also a normal mother who loves nothing more than to bake her kids a round of cookies. Oh and she's got a pretty nice physique too!

d) Alan Aragon's Research Review - which provides an in depth analysis to studies pertaining to nutrition and exercise physiology without bullshit or bias.

e) Healthy Food Guide Magazine - fantastic pocket sized magazine with all sorts of great nutrition ideas and recipes that taste good, not boring.

f) Kek -she dishes the good stuff about fitness, fun and being a shopping recessonista - blog more please Kek!

g) Australian Cyclist - a very readable cycling magazine that's great for recreational and racer riders

h) Shrink Yourself and Normal Eating - two excellent sites devoted to emotional eating. "Normal Eating" which is also available as a book, has some good practical recommendations and the blog is a good read as well.

i) 2xu - for the slickest looking compression wear and fitness gear. I drool all over the keyboard when I see some of this stuff.

Hmm that's all I can think of for now. There's plenty more to share I'm sure.

Lessons I've Learned

2009-12-18T20:15:00.002+10:00

Today's post refers to some of the lessons I have learned during my fitness journey.

1) Don't get hell bent on finding "THE WAY"

Because like clothing, a lot of the time "one size doesn't fit all". When I was a student of exercise physiology, it was during the time when high carbohydrate, low fat diets were all the rage and we all furiously scanned our food labels for fat grams and the like. Now various research has shown us that perhaps a low fat high carb intake doesn't suit all. However, at the time, I was convinced that because I had learnt these things (high carb, low fat) at University, then that was "THE WAY". Years of experimentation and exposure to lots of different methods of training has shaken a lot of that out of me. Now, I'm almost embarrassed to say that I thought that this was "THE WAY". The same thing could be said for abdominal "h0llowing" vs "bracing".

Unfortunately many people who partake in the fitness industry seem to have many cases of the "all or nothing" attitude shining through. It almost may be safe to say that the more extreme the sport, the more obsessive the attitude (think marathon running, bodybuilding etc) - like most things, there are probably exceptions to the rule but I think my observation is on the whole pretty accurate.

The take home message for all of us is to breathe in the air of possibility - there is still so much we don't know yet. Scientific studies aren't always independent, there can be bias - so it is up to us to learn to critically evaluate claims about things and tread our own path.

2) To go LONG you need a wide angled lens.

ie - to enjoy your chosen sport or activity you need to be able to have a global view of things. A week where the gym is a distant memory will often do more good and hasn't been known to harm too many people. Connecting with experts who have specific interests can be really useful - to prevent injury or imbalances keeping you out of the game in the long term.

3) Maintenance Can Be Bliss

A common theme around us fitness buffs is the concept of goal setting, of always moving forward and always improving. Physiologically and psychologically it's hard to remain in this state long term. Many clients tell me they consistently want to improve and in the same breath finally be happy just as they are. This doesn't make any sense - sometimes appreciating where you are fitness wise and stopping to smell the roses is the biggest favour you can do for yourself. Be thankful for what you have done, enjoy being fit, enjoy being strong, just enjoy being for a change. Yes, you can always improve, but if you never stop to celebrate your improvements, you lose that sense of gratitude and never get a chance to appreciate what you really have.

4) Everybody's Free

We are lucky to live in a world where freedom of speech is encouraged. I cannot begin to say how much I've learned by tuning in to the opposite view. Recently I did some reading about diets that promote ketosis (to those who know me well, it's the last thing I would do - besides I'm too lazy) - it gave me some insight into why some choose this way of eating. Don't be scared to look at the opposite point of view for example - some love running, some don't enjoy it; some love competing, other people's experience is different. It's not about who is right or wrong, it's about being tolerant of others. I look at my marathon running friends and marvel at their ability to get through 42.2km and come to the finish line smiling like Cheshire Cats, I cheer my Figure friends on at a comp, knowing how hard they've trained to get there. I admire my friends who can hold yoga poses like true champions and I admire the group of ladies in my RPM class who are in their 60s and are so excited to be in the gym kicking butt with women half their age.

Which brings me to my last point:

5) Stop Looking Sideways

It's fine to admire other's physiques, but you need to stay focused on YOU and your own standards. Eg my current standard is to stay relatively fit whilst on reduced classes and limited time. People tend to focus on their own weaknesses but look at the strengths of others (which is probably why I have a fetish for amazing abs). However, focusing too much on this is a no win situation. I'm never going to have a fantastic six pack (even after surgery), so comparing myself to those with awesome abs is just an exercise in futility. Celebrate who YOU are and focus on what you can do, rather than what you can't and give yourself congratulations when you do make improvements.

And the greatest lesson of all - have fun, do what you love and love what you do!

Words or Workouts?

2009-12-17T12:27:00.004+10:00

Hubby and I are having a laugh at this book which is all about how the corporate world, in its' desire to become more efficient, have come up with the most laughable play on words to describe the world of business. No doubt you've heard of the concepts of "Mission Statement, Key Performance Indicator and now, "Bendable Learnings". The current ones from the office apparently involve "getting traction on a problem", and the word "appetite" - ie our business doesn't really have the "appetite" for that venture. I think it's hilarious and then started to think about the fitness world and the some of the ridiculous words and phrases that come into play when describing exercise, fitness and supplements.

Try phrases and words like:

*"iron clad guarantee" ( please, if anyone sees what iron cladding looks like please email me, I'm intrigued)

*guaranteed results" ( if you do any sort of working out, you're going to make some sort of change, thereby you're automatically guaranteed of a result"

*Supplement Gobbledegook -"Amino Acid Transportation System", "Protein Matrix", "guaranteed pump"(they should therefore market it to the Viagra seekers of the world), "100% bioactive peptides" (uh, do you mean whey protein?) "nitrogen positive supplement for superior anabolic action " (eat protein and lift heavy shit for best results!)

*"metabolic conditioning" (what, do you mean circuit training and going so hard you want to throw up?)
*"Raise the Bar" (where? how? to infinity and beyond?)

*"a workout complex" (coined by Alwyn Cosgrove, I hate this term, still haven't figured this one out - personally I prefer "KISS - Keep it Simple, Stupid")

* "working into deficit" (could be akin to singing "How Do I Know" by Whitney Houston ie do, don't think!)

Do any of these words make the concept of getting fit any more technical? No matter what the words, the basics remain the same. Have a good giggle, have some fun - can anyone relate? I think the supplement stuff is hilarious - an entire industry built around clever word play......

Speaking of having fun today, I taught Step this morning for poor Miss C who has been sick with swine flu - we were having so much fun that I think we all forgot how hard we were working until the end - shattered, but in a good way.

On that note, I'm going to take my learnings and make up a special carb protein matrix sourced from natural ingredients (ie no barcodes lol) and ingest it into my rather large (yet bendable) digestive tract.

Bon appetit and have fun!

Training Tips to Ponder

2009-12-16T17:22:00.004+10:00

I've whacked a shot of Dara Torres, who competed in the Beijing Olympics last year in the 50m freestyle. Dara looks amazing, but from reading more about her, she's a woman that has "trained smart". She has overcome injury to be swimming world class times at 41. She does a lot of stretching and flexibility work, functional training in the gym (ie training to help her move better in the pool) and other strength training I am sure. I aspire to be in tip top shape like Dara and not let my injuries hamper my progress towards good form again.

Here are some tips to help you get the best out of your training:

1) Progress, not Perfection:

All of us, whether we're Olympic athletes like Dara, or fitness enthusiasts like myself need to focus on injury free progression in all of our training. A "niggle" is the body's way of warning us that all is not well, an injury is our body's way of whacking you on the head with a paddle and making you get a grip. When this happens or any other setback occurs you need to look at your progression relative to your situation - for example "Even though I'm not doing a sub 20 minute swim for my triathlon, I'm effecting better movement through my rotator cuff daily and doing all my rehab". The sub 20 minute (if you're talented and nobody kicks you) swim will come in due time. Walk before you run!

2) Rules not Rigidity:

For me this applies to nutrition the most, but can be equally applied to exercise. Your number one concern is when you take a mouthful of food "am I honouring myself by eating this" irrespective of whether it contains fats, carbs, protein or whatever. The drive to eat well should come from an inherent desire to do what's best for you and for most, we tend to thrive on whole food sources, with the odd treat thrown in. Rigidity with nutrition is really an extension of dieting - eliminating whole food groups, only eating certain macronutrients at certain times, being anal at EVERY meal about how your food is prepped (this can be reasonable if you have a finite goal or food allergy, but totally unreasonable if you're at your bestie's wedding as the maid of honour). Many people get caught up in the hype of nutrient timing. For most of us, the pre training meal should be the meal we eat before we go training and the post training meal is the one that you eat afterwards. Does it matter what you eat? Maybe if you're an elite athlete , but if you're a regular person with kids, a 9-5 job and limited time, you are just better off sticking to regular nutritious meals ( and avoid things that come out of packets with a barcode!)

3) Want versus Need:

If it's something you want to do often it's something you don't need to do. This was a common theme with many of my PT clients, especially the boys - who wanted to work all the muscles they could see (eg chest and quadriceps) versus the muscles they needed to develop (ie back, glutes, hamstrings). The best way of getting them to see the light was telling them that we girls dig guys with nice butts. End of story.

4) Planning, Not Paralysis by Analysis

Too many people talk about what they can do in the gym, on the road or on the track and you never actually see them deliver. They get caught up in the minutiae of planning everything down to the last crank of their pedal stroke or the last bicep curl. You do need a plan though if you want to tackle a specific event - if you're not sure get a fantastic Coach and do what they say "follow the plan". My best advice (borrowed from Shelley) is that if you want to add more muscle you need to lift heavy shit and eat protein. Simple, really.

5) Fun, Not Fear

Something we often forget is that fitness should be fun. I've read a few blogs lately about making sacrifices to be a better athlete, about strength, courage and commitment and whilst these are all admirable qualities to have, very often many of the best are motivated because of the adrenalin rush that training can give you. Recently, a few of Australia's swimming greats have retired, the indominitable Libby Lenton and Jodie Henry who made the interesting comment that she got a tremendous buzz from training, but that competing left her cold. I have seen this in some of my clients as well and interestingly enough, a more laid back approach has had nothing short of spectacular results.

So get out there, have a rough plan, train hard and enjoy yourselves!

When Things Aren't Truly As They Appear

2009-12-14T20:18:00.003+10:00

Intriguing title, I know but it's got nothing to do with my current emotional state, but especially for Kerry I'm going to talk about the subject of hamstring tightness.

Here's a little experiment: Rock on up to a personal trainer and tell them that your hamstrings are really tight and seek some advice about how to fix the issue. What do you think most would say? On doing this little experiment I had 100% success rate with this one - said PTs would show you "some stretches" so you can "release" the hamstring muscles. In some cases, this would be an appropriate solution but sometimes tightness relates to a bigger fish in the ocean.

One thing I do as an exercise physiologist is a fair amount of postural analysis. The best way to do this is to observe someone in their natural state, standing, walking around, running if you can. Soon you can begin to get a good picture of the 'state of the nation' before you even do any formal exercise assessment. The joints that are the most telling are the hips, shoulders and ankles - ie joints that have multidirectional movements. Knees and elbows tell relatively simple stories in comparison.

Most people, due to genetics and to lifestyle factors (such as sitting a lot - shortens the hip flexors) are in some form of pelvic anterior tilt. This is where the top of the pelvis (anterior iliac spine) tips forward relative to the spine. This causes excessive curvature of the lumbar spine, shortened tight hip flexors, quads and adductors. Many of the activities we do in the gym are hip flexor dominant - think step and cycling for a start, the way most people squat doesn't help. So think for a minute, if my hips are shortened excessively as my pelvis is being pulled forward (think of the posture of a normal weight person who has a distinct lower belly pooch), what is happening to the hamstrings? They're likely to be in full stretch trying to keep the hips from shortening even further. The worst part - glutes and hamstrings are switched "off" because they're at their full stretch and at their weakest. Ever done a bicep curl from a straight armed position and been able to lift way more when you start with a slightly flexed arm? Try it and see for yourself!

So the answer to the hamstring tightness question may be more complex - you may need to do more hip flexor work combined with glute strengthening and activation work to take the tone off the hamstring. Completely the opposite to what you thought!

To cut a long story short, if you have a dinky pelvis as well as tight hamstrings, you pronate and your knees are internally rotated when standing naturally, I can pretty much guarantee your issue will be anterior pelvic tilt. For the figure athlete, too much anterior tilt gives the impression of the dreaded "pancake" butt.

Often traditional bodybuilding routines, whilst delivering size to muscles, lead to injury and horrible imbalances later on down the track. If you want to increase muscle mass and you want to do it for the long term, seek out an exercise physiologist (like me) or a good physio who does pilates and treats pelvic problems to do a thorough assessment before starting. It just may be the best money you spend for long term gain.

Here's a link to an article by Mike Robertson (a biomechanist who I have buckets of time for) about Hip Function (just skim over the sexist porno like pics) that will show you some illustrations of APT and exercises to help address the problem. It also deals with posterior pelvic tilt which is seen, but not as often.

Strength and Function

2009-12-14T08:42:00.004+10:00

Recently I googled "Fitness Blogs" and I was blown away just by how many people write about being "fit". At this time of year it is a common theme, I read a lot of posts about how 2010 is going to be the year that the author got really "fit".

For some that means having single digit bodyfat, which has more to do with nutrition as opposed to "fitness", but for me, the term "fitness" means being able to do all that I want to do (and then some) without being limited by pain or weakness. For example if I set my goal to be able to bench press my bodyweight, then I want to be able to do it without injuring myself. If I want to run a sub 45 minute 10k, I want to be able to do it without developing shin splints or a cranky pelvis.

Which means that for most of us, it's good to work from the ground up - make sure your body is in the best alignment/posture given your anatomical limitations, your core musculature works properly and that you follow a nice steady progression in load/duration rather than jump in at the deep end. Many of us find the foundational type of work rather dull, but when you think about the long term benefits, I find it rather exciting.

Today's training involved an easy 40 minute run and 30 minutes of self myofascial release work using a foam roller and some pilates. As I mentioned in a previous blog, the class I taught on Saturday was a real rip snorter from the intensity point of view, my quads and hip flexors were tight this morning from all that riding, so today's workout makes good sense physiologically and psychologically. First, I worked on stretching out my hip flexors and quads and then focused on the pilates side of things (mostly glute activation stuff and lower ab coordination) - then repeated - much better activation after releasing some tone from the front of my thigh.

Tips for foam rolling:
1) Be gentle! If you're in pain, you're doing little to initiate the "relax" reflex!
2) When you find a tight spot, rather than rolling backward and forward over it, just be still and focus on that particular spot - in muscles lies something called a Golgi Tendon Organ which relaxes the muscle in response to tension. Once you have "released" the spot, move onto the next.
3) Don't overdo it - just go over each spot once.

reading meister

2009-12-12T19:42:00.002+10:00

Following on from my last post about enjoying reading about research, I've really taken things into overdrive the last day or two. I liken education to reading a menu - a bit of this, a bit of that. I'm all about using stuff that has scientific backing and merit. Of course there are limitations to many studies and the parameters used as such, which is why I believe one must not see things in terms of absolutes, rather "in the light of the information gathered, it seems like approach x is the way to go".

I need to do some research for the few projects I want to tackle in the New Year and having a path to follow is starting to generate new ideas and inspirations. It's such a nice feeling, after feeling rather flat for most of the year. There's been a permanent smile plastered on my face this last week - this morning one of my RPM girls asked me if I realized that I smile, even when I'm suffering!

This morning's fitness effort was teaching my RPM Hi Performance class - I combined the new release with tracks that were almost perfect duplicates of the Cadence and Mountain Climb - ie double the muscle endurance effect. I haven't taught this class for four weeks due to step teaching commitments and it was in the words of Scooter, "Good to Be Back". I felt fantastic after what I felt for me was a pretty maximal effort - and so inspired.

Then had lunch and headed over to the Brisbane Apple Store for a Macbook Workshop. Today I tackled Iwork, which was really beneficial and I also visited Borders and picked up a book that I've been wanted to read for ages - "Freakonomics" - I'm hoping hubs wants to read it more than me as it's part of my Christmas present to him.

Research Queen

2009-12-11T07:58:00.003+10:00

As part of my pharmacy practice and as an exercise physiologist, I've always been interested in research, especially critical and non biased analysis of study results and evidence based complementary medicine. Due to poor old Clav being so swollen, I've had my nose into studies on Omega 3 fatty acids and fish oils. After reading several studies, I went and calculated the exact dose I would need to temper inflammation and have been taking a high grade fish oil religiously for two or so weeks. The effect on inflammation with increased Omega 3 consumption is long term, but I'm noticing an improvement across all of my joints - I seem to be moving more freely which is very encouraging. Omega 3s have a positive effect on mood and I'm definitely feeling more chipper than I have in a long time.

Off to teach RPM at Toowong. I can feel a thorough caning coming on...nothing better than a good hit out on a beautiful Friday morning!

Love Will Save the Day!

2009-12-10T12:04:00.002+10:00

Sometimes life can make you crazy

It can really put your body to the test.
You try so hard to make sure
everything is right

And you find you've only wound up with a mess.
It's a common situation even though
you feel abandoned and alone

Child
you ain't the first to experience a hurt

So don't panic when you hit the danger zone.

What you need's a little change of heart
- change of heart -
Forget this fear and frustration.
Love will always play the greater part
- greater part -
When your battles wear yov
down. Here's my advice:

When you're feeling down and out

And you've got troubles on your mind
- love will save the day.
When you're feeling full of doubt

And fear has got you in a bind -
love will save the day.
When your world's falling apart

AII you have to do is say a prayer
and love will save the day.
[ Find more Lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.org/ThGH ]
There's an answer in your heart

So let your light shine on
my dear
and love will save the day.

Love will save the day
love will save the day

Love will save the day
love will save the day.

Many things in this world bring you down

It's a wonder you can make it through the day.
Well
you can't sleep 'cause your
problems are too deep

And there's always something
getting in the way.
And when you turn on the evening news

Mass confusion is the only thing you'll see.
Well
there's no question that we
need a new direction

'Cause we all could use some peace and harmony.

What you need's a little change of heart

- change of heart - . . .
When you're feeling down and out
. . .
Love will save the day
love will save the day
. . .

"Love Will Save the Day" - Whitney Houston

*****************************************************************************

Not really a post today about love, but about lyrics - does anyone else out there find music and lyrics to be a salve to the soul? When I hear a song before I know the lyrics, sometimes I can be a bit non plussed - I love songs with funny lyrics (think Katy Perry and Lily Allen (her "Not Fair" song tickles me in all the right places lol), songs that are full of angst (like "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morrisette), quirky songs (think Black Eyed Peas, Pet Shop Boys and The Doors), Classics (anything by Abba and Queen come to mind), good honest rock (think Van Halen, Def Leppard etc), songs you can work out to (my favourite being "Take You High" which I cannot find anywhere.

Sometimes I think I could describe my life in the lyrics of some songs and isn't it amazing how some songs provoke great memories. My hubs and I bought a car (from an Indian salesperson named "Sultan" at an auction, but that's another story) and travelled around Canada and the US for six months or so before we got married. We were rather stingy and bought ourselves two CDs - Pet Shop Boys "Very" and "Best of Queen" - to play on our travels. We used to sing "Can You Forgive Her" at the tops of our voices going into Banff to eat pizza and had competitions to see who could do the best rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" .

We've spread the musical love to the kids as well - ask them to their best "Flo Rida" impersonation and they're down and dirty with the "boots with the fur" which is hilarious.

As for Whitney Houston, I'm a big fan - what an amazing voice and lyrics that are simple yet true - I'm sure love will save the day if we let it!

Because I'm making it mine...

2009-12-08T19:43:00.002+10:00

"Well there's a bridge and there's a river that I still must cross
As I'm going on my journey
Oh, I might be lost

And there's a road I have to follow, a place I have to go
Well no-one told me just how to get there
But when I get there I'll know
Cuz I'm taking it

Chorus:
Step By Step, Bit by Bit,
Stone By Stone (Yeah), Brick by Brick (Oh, yeah)
Step By Step, Day By Day, Mile by mile (ooh, ooh, ooh)

And this old road is rough and ruined
So many dangers along the way
So many burdens might fall upon me
So many troubles that I have to face

Oh, but I won't let my spirit fail me
Oh, I won't let my spirit go
Until I get to my destination
I'm gonna take it slowly cos I'm making it mine " Whitney Houston Step by Step

I was complaining to Shelley today that the combination of injuries, loss of my pharmacy job, stress etc that I was feeling rather rudderless about the direction my life was headed from fitness goals to earning a buck. So after I hung up, I grabbed the girls and headed for the local pool. I took a black Nikko pen, a few big sheets of scrap paper and a bottle of Diet Coke (kidlet watching is very thirsty work) and drew up a list of options - look for another pharmacy job, look for an exercise physiology job, look for more classes - when it dawned on me - why work for someone else when you can work for yourself? I realize that this is no new observation for many people and that indeed I have worked (and still work) for myself, although I've intentionally dialled back the coaching this year. Yes, I'm going to continue online coaching (with some changes), but I'm going to take a big leap of faith like Katie and have faith that my penmanship will lead me to a place of prosperity and inner peace.

Whilst I would love nothing more than to set some health and fitness goals for the New Year or do an "Operation Hot Mama", it's not going to happen. The events of this year(both fitness and non fitness related) have created a paradigm shift in my thinking. Not that I believe that being lean and healthy is a dishonourable goal, far from it - but it's the thinking behind it that has changed for me, possibly driven by my injuries.

What I seek to do with life is to honour myself (mind- body- spirit) with the choices I make when I move, when I eat, when I rest and when I work. From a practical perspective, my days of lifting really heavy stuff have come to an end, but I will continue to practise some resistance training as I heal. My intuition has me heading to the pool and onto the bike next year as well as taking in the delights of Cathe's latest series "Shock Cardio".

What I've learned about nutrition is that most of the information out there is pretty suspect to say the least. An intake of mainly whole foods and the odd treat here and there keeps most people happy. The pre training meal is more important than the post training one. Nutrient timing is only for people with too much time on their hands. If the basics are right, then you're probably OK.

So plenty going on in my world. I can't wait to see how it all pans out. I just hope God's not going to laugh at my next plan (ie I got it right!)

Moving House - anyone interested?

2009-12-05T12:53:00.009+10:00

As most of you who regularly read this blog would know, we're building a house and we're getting to that end bit where we are getting ready to move. I've had a sift through some of my fitness related stuff and have this list for sale - you can contact me via my "contact" page at the Fitness Solution. The prices don't include postage (I will charge what ever Aust Post charges me).

I've included some pics but if you want more info, please don't hesitate to email.

1. Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbooks - AS NEW $15.00 each
2. Muscle and Fitness Hers 101 Workouts (strength training) $12.00 AS NEW
3. Pilates On the Ball (also Abs on the Ball) 10.00 EXCELLENT CONDITION
4. Outsmarting the Female Fat Cell After Pregnancy: 5.00 EX COND
5. Real World Fitness (Intermediate Level good for post preg and workouts at home) 5.00
6. Eating For Life - Recipe Book - Bill Phillips (Body For Life) 5.00
7. Get Up and Go - Lisa Curry Kenny (has an excellent swimming program/strength training program in there) $5.00
8. Pocket Personal Trainer - Eric Harr (triathlete) $4.00 -tips for athletes particularly runners
9. Women's Guide to Running (through Lifespan) - A Jutel - good introductory book for runners - $5.00
10. Fat Loss Handbook Guide for Professionals - 2.00 (or free with anything else)
Also:

Precision Nutrition - Volume 2 (updated version 2008) - binder including Quick Start Guide, Individualization etc $75.00 (including postage on this one). I have a spare copy.

Muscle and Fitness Hers Magazines - Most copies from 2006 through to 2009 (approx 20 magazines) $50.00 + postage

P90x Extreme Home Fitness - DVD set - Upper Plus and Abs/Core - $30.00 ( I have two copies - this one is sealed) - this is not a workout for the faint hearted - advanced/elite buyees only. You can do all the exercises at home if you have a chin up bar, dumbbells etc.

Ladybird Figure Tone Vanilla 500g - below cost price one left - $15.00

If any of my trash can be your treasure please let me know - it's much handier using my blog rather than ebay as there are no transaction fees.

Conversations with my Clavicles

2009-12-03T17:02:00.002+10:00

"Well hello dear Clavicle (or should I just call you Clav) ? I think it's high time we had a bit of a catch up.

Rumour has it that Mr Lefty hasn't been feeling well of late - he's been aching, sore and sporting a rather undesirable hard spot over his distal end. Catching up on the latest goss, Dr Jeff tells me that you're starting to degenerate over the whole sad situation. I must apologize for any part I could have played in your demise - I thought that lifting heavy with good technique would keep you strong into old age - but it seems in this case I got it wrong. Dr Jeff tells me to rest you and that he'll stop the pain with a couple of ultrasound guided cortisone injections into my sub acromial space and AC joint (your next door neighbour) tomorrow after I teach RPM. I bet you're looking forward to some pain relief.

And what do you think about the bulldog that's moved down the road into the head of your humerus - he's a big round fellow by the name of "endochrondroma" or "Endo" for short - he's got to be checked out further because he's a usually benign tumour that may be contributing to your woes.

I smashed step this morning and hope you notice I didn't bother you trying to do the push up track - just cued it from sitting on the step on the stage. I must admit that I was thinking of you a little too much before RPM today and I got a bit distracted and muffed up Track Seven - however I know what I need to work on as I am meeting up with Maka next week for some more coaching and assessment.

I was pleased I saw Dr Jeff about you - he was really knowledgeable and helpful and didn't want to rule out the possibility of lifting heavy shit again , but I told him that it was OK with it. I can't help it that you and all your other jointy mates are extremely hypermobile. He asked me about why I enjoyed the whole fitness gig and it took me back to a conversation I had with Carolyn yesterday about how enjoyable doing some sort of athletic training is.

Clav, it suddenly occurred to me that exercise wise, I'm in it for the long haul - I want to do stuff that I enjoy and that works for my body. I don't want to try to be what I physically can't be (eg a downhill skier is a good example with the pelvis I own).

Then it got me to thinking about where I am body wise as well. The bottom line is that I want to be good to us for the rest of our days. For us, that manifesto is to eat well, explore all sorts of things, move in activities that suit this old bod we're living in and do it our own way. I've seen so many books about coaching lately, so many approaches to strength training, eating or whatever. I've come to the conclusion that the best approach is the one we individualize for ourselves (based of course on sound science - I just had to throw that one in Clav!) For us, Clav, a more back and hamstring dominant workout is the ticket. I know not to feed us oats when we've had enough of em - I know that you're partial to "Love Sushi" after RPM - all those DHAs/EPAs from the fresh tuna sushi abd sashimi we had has got to be good for you!

I'll let you know when I think you're ready to be taken out for a bit of exercise - but for now, you must sit back, enjoy a cuppa and a few cleverly timed Naprosyn and begin your journey of healing."

Hugs,
Liz;)

Ten things you really didn't know

2009-12-02T18:10:00.002+10:00

Number One: I'm officially unemployed as of January 1st - there have been staff changes resulting in the shifts that I usually do being taken over by a full time employee. To say that I'm irritated is the understatement of the week - it was close to home and although I find the practice of pharmacy like watching paint dry on a wall, the money is fairly decent and I liked the predictability of the work etc etc.

Number Two: I had my very first MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) done on my shoulder last night - you get trussed up like a chook and shoved into a very weird looking cylindrical object with earphones (because the machine makes a jackhammer like sound as it's scanning you.

Number Three: Doc reckons the problem I have with my clavicle is either degenerative arthritis or osteolysis (where the bone melts away due to mechanical stresses - bench pressing being a really common cause) So no matter what the result is I will have to take three to six months off lifting. Bummer!

Number Four: Although I seem to present a "go with the flow" attitude, I'm really a very happy camper when I have a plan that excites me. I'm feeling really lost right now because I don't know what "the plan" is. (seems injury and unemployment can do that to you...)

Number Five: I tend to like all the tracks in LMI releases that everyone dislikes.

Number Six: I'm usually even tempered, but today I'm cranky (can you tell)

Number Seven: As I'm cranky about the state of my life right now, I tend to start receiving slews of Christmas Cards with swarmy Family Newsletters telling me that the twins are waiting on their Mensa qualifications and that they just bought a new Mercedes. I wonder whether I should send them the newsletter outlining all the of the expenses we've incurred with our 20 year old claptrap.

Number Eight: I am sick of eating oats for breakfast (so they are no longer on the menu - never thought I would say that!)

Number Nine: I hate running out of the "thinks" that I want to "think"

Number Ten: There is no number ten....why be so predictable?

Princess

2009-11-30T08:59:00.002+10:00

Yeah, I'm a princess of the rehab variety!

Training today: Bodyattack (went as full throttle as I could at 5.45am), Run 25 minutes
Lower Body: hip flexor stretches, glute bridges in neutral spine, incline leg press (3 x 15)
Upper Body: serratus anterior activation, pec broomstick stretch, seated row with lower trap focus/neutral t spine, T Spine mobilization with foam roller.

Pleased to say that although the old clavicle is really tender, I'm starting to achieve much better range through my cervical/thoracic vertebrae. Rather than cursing this problem, I'm looking at it as an opportunity to learn more about clavicular function.

I am grateful that I have acquired such a firm foundation of knowledge in this area over the years. I'm know I've saved myself a lot of physio bills.

Today I'm off to work. I've decided that today is "Larabar Monday" - as well as my massive salad, nectarines, yoghurt and rice cakes, I've packed an Apple Cinnamon Larabar which will come in handy when my tummy starts growling at 5pm.

More DVDs for Sale

2009-11-29T11:07:00.008+10:00

I'm planning on closing my DVD store in the New Year and I'm offering anyone who is interested in picking up a good quality fitness DVD for nearly half price the opportunity to do so before I hit the mass market so to speak.

I have Cathe Friedrich Core Max (2 copies only) - usually $34.99, now $19.99, Amy Bento Abs(3 copies) usually $20.00 now $11.00; One copy of A Team Bootcamp which is a plyo interval style workout $12.95 (was $25.00), HiLo Cardio Knockout (was 30.00 now $17.95), Tracey Staehle DVDs - all $15.00. If you're interested, contact me via my Store I also have Cathe's Hardcore Series on sale reduced from $35.00 to $23.95.

She is Beautiful and other thoughts....

2009-11-28T14:15:00.003+10:00

"The Girl is So Beautiful".

This was one of the tracks in our Bodystep 78 launch this morning. I did from Track 6 ("She is Beautiful") all the way through to Track 11 with Clare, who is a young and upcoming stepper from Melbourne (to show you how upcoming she is, she shadowed at the last Quarterly here, so she's pretty darn talented indeed). Our theme was Fitness First's Ninth birthday (nine years since they opened their doors in Brisbane) so my get up involved a hot pink boob tube from Supre layered over a yellow wide necked T Shirt and my Lulelemon pink and black shorts - not to mention a party hat! Was a bit disappointed in myself when I made a few mistakes - I'd get nervous then I'd relax, only to get nervous again...bugger!

RPM with Bron at 9.30am was hilarious - I had to do a quick change out of my Step outfit into my RPM outfit - we decided to be clowns attending a 9th Birthday party so we kitted out in clown suits (that were a bit of a stretch over my massive cycling quads :) ), wigs and squeaky red noses. RPM, after Step was pretty good - if an hour of solid cardio hadn't calmed me down, the sight of Bronnie and I wearing our suits was just a great laugh and a pretty good relaxant. Despite not spending a lot of time on the choreo for this one, I breezed through it without any errors at all (which makes me think I should try doing that for Step and see how I go..lol!)

I think that having the launches every few months brings the fun factor into the workout and us being dags up the front probably helps to keep everyone relaxed and smiling.

Afterwards, the girls and I went to a cafe with a few of the RPMers from class and had a catch up and coffee. Good fun.

I also thought I'd post an update about my shoulder injury. I went to see a sports doc on Thursday, got X Rayed and apparently the lump that I have is over the distal end of my clavicle, not my AC joint, which is good news. I do need some physio to sort out my tracking, but hubs has been awesome (I've been teaching him how to mobilize my first rib - how romantic!) and I'm actually feeling like I'm moving better, although the pain is still pretty localized over my lump. X rays showed an issue with this bone, but I'm also having an MRI to try and work out more about the lump itself.

Unfortunately this has meant no strength training for the last 3-4 weeks which has been annoying to say the least - but I'm really positive that whatever this problem is, that I can work it out. I must say I've been wondering whether lifting super heavy shit(ie bench pressing body weight as an example - gee, I loved writing that!) is all that fantastic for my hypermobile shoulders, even though Louise reckons it's fine.

The house building project is coming along well with shelving, skirting boards and architraves all going in this week. Next week I think the tiling is to be done, another step in the right direction. With an impending move , I'm taking action by starting to use up any tinned food in the pantry - just hope I don't have too much left over. When we were moving around a lot, I had a tin of salmon which went through an interstate move and then off to Woop Woop. Needless to say it wasn't the best when we got around to opening it.....

OK, time to go and make a meal out of anchovies, green curry paste and lima beans from the pantry (NOT!)

Brush With Fame Pt 395 section B

2009-11-26T18:24:00.002+10:00

The Section "B", refers to "B Grade" celebrity - would have scored this fellow lower, except he:

a) comes from another country
b) had an entourage
c) posed willingly for pictures (am kicking myself I didn't get a photo..but I digress)

Yes, folks, today as I hurtled into Fitness First CBD (running late as per usual) I had a literal "smackdown" with none other than Hulk Hogan, semi retired professional wrestler that is touring here. I extricated myself as quickly as possible to the sounds of Hulk and his entourage commenting "Australians move so quickly or was it the two shots of vodka I had this morning?" Then I wondered if I should have challenged him to a round of RPM...

Could have gone something like this:
Me: "Hey Hulk, want to see what a real smackdown looks like?"
Hulk: "huh" (remembering the man has had two shots of vodka )
Me: "So you really are a pussy then?"
Entourage moves closer.....
RPM regular Anthony waves me into the studio with a cleated shoe. "Time to teach!"...OK,
I'm off and teaching...bugger...convincing "Hulk" to participate in class would have been kind of fun.

Seriously though, the man is about 6'6" and built like a Sherman tank. And his entourage of beefy wrestler boys - all of the same dimensions, with Hulk definitely being the top dog physicality and brutality wise!

My brush with Mr Hogan has outshadowed my whining about my corrupted clavicles so I'm going to leave it there....

and regret that Brit had already left Bris vegas by the time I got to the gym to teach my class.

What's wrong with this word?

2009-11-25T11:49:00.002+10:00

No, it's not "shit", "f**K" or even "c***".

No, the word is "enough" and how we choose to apply it to ourselves.

Today I taught Step class and a beautiful tall athletic girl approaches me about personal training and who I'd recommend.
"My clothes don't fit "(read ' I'm not good enough')
"My arms are flabby" (read 'they're not good enough')
"I just don't feel fit" (read 'I'm not fit enough')

Enough, enough, enough, blah, blah, blah.

I turned to this beautiful young thing and said, "did you see yourself in Step? You were amazing. You ARE amazing and you're smoking hot. You don't need to lose weight, you need to change your mindset to amazing yourself with your feats of fitness, getting fitter, faster and stronger".
"I've never looked at it this way before." (read 'you mean I'm good enough just as I am?')
"Dismissed!" ( "Amen," sister!)

Today I chose to dismiss "enough" and decided to be amazing today. RPM was amazing and so was Bodystep. Now off to a rehearsal for the new one - my affirmation is when faced by difficult choreo " I can, I can, I can!"

Hope you all have an amazing day!

Thank goodness for Larabars!

2009-11-23T19:57:00.003+10:00

Training today: Bodyattack (modified so no overhead work), Run 30 minutes, stretching

Today's shoulder update: I'm suspicious the problem is acromio-clavicular degeneration - first line treatment, rest and anti inflammatories - I can now feel a grinding sensation and hoping it's not bone against bone, mate against mate, state against state. Solution? Practitioner Only High Dose Fish Oil, NSAIDS (I'm so lucky to work in a pharmacy where I have access to both)

Today's work update: Horribly busy, did over 400 scripts - and our Consis dispensing machine chose to have a spack-attack just as I had five people waiting for scripts. Thirty minutes later I had the bastard back in operation,, only after a fair bit of cussing ensued (why is it that the staff laugh if I say "fuck"?) and phone calls to the manufacturer.

Today's Nutrition: To say that I have been a Starvin Marvin is the understatement of today. Luckily a Larabar came to my rescue. These little rippers are full of fruit and nuts and just gorgeous as a bit of a treat. Came in very handy as it stopped me turning into a complete cracker(broken machinery and being hungry don't combine too well for me!). Our resident Naturopath has been on holidays in the US and bought me one of each flavour - so next stop is Pecan Pie, followed by Apple, followed by Pistachio. I think I'll enjoy one a week so I can make them last :) Thank you to Shelley for introducing them to me, via Katie :)

Today's Thoughts: This is on my Facebook page and it's a favourite of mine: ""All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" J Tolkein from "Lord of the Rings - thought of this today - just do what needs to be done and don't stress out about it :)

(wo)Man in Motion

2009-11-21T18:36:00.002+10:00

"I can see a new horizon underneath the blazin' sky
I'll be where the eagle's flying higher and higher"

I've nicknamed my Saturdays "Superhero Saturday" because I start off teaching a class and sometimes feel like a bit of a superhero - inspiring, motivating and loving it loud. Then class finishes and...poof! I turn into a dork in a lab coat dispensing prescriptions and providing advice on things such as how to remove splinters to potential interactions between natural medicines and the prescription stuff. Then I may be helping someone out who's worried about feeding their baby or giving advice on haemorrhoid creams (woot! sorry about that, I'm really very immature...still).

Some days are pretty slow and torturous and others are so busy that you feel you've been crumpled up and fed through a paper shredder. Today has been one of those - just happy to come home and chill out and not do anything.

There's an interesting overlap between the pharmacy and the fitness world. Many of the pharmacy customers take my classes. One of my RPM participants has just applied for a position working at the pharmacy. I don't do those diet shake programs that have infected the pharmacy world very well (can you imagine? lol! ) - when I explain what you could EAT for the same caloric value, it sends all potential shakees running into Coles salivating at the thought of some beautifully cooked fish and fresh steamed vegetables.

Today Hubs told me that some of his family have read my blog (hey guys, if you're reading you should leave a comment!) - must admit that feels a bit weird..they're probably all now getting confirmation that I really am crackers (as if you needed it anyway..lol)

Smash n Sweat

2009-11-20T13:54:00.002+10:00

Another "smasher" of an RPM class this morning, even though my legs, after teaching two classes yesterday, felt like they didn't want to leave my mattress when I woke up this morning. I admit to being utterly in love with the endorphin rush I get from teaching.

Today I have had some time to read a few blogs and I came across some interesting perspectives on "intuitive eating" from Rae and Steph D. Steph mentioned that if she surrendered to intuitive eating, she'd be "lured into a sugar coma". My opinion on that is that many of us confuse the concept of intuitive eating with the idea of eating many foods that are not very high in nutritive value. All intuitive eating simply means is listening to your body's wisdom - you eat when you are hungry and you stop when you are satisfied. It's all pretty simple really - however, learning about your hunger and fullness cues is what makes most of us stumble. Have you ever felt like you've "overshot" a meal - that is eaten to a point where you think you are satisfied, but realize that you've overshot the mark a little and you're now uncomfortably full. Mastering hunger and fullness cues and realizing that all foods are morally neutral is one of the cornerstones to success in this way of eating.

Research is showing that certain foods and processes can interrupt our body's natural wisdom in determining fullness. In nature there are very few foods as calorie dense as some of the processed stuff that's on our shelves today, so it makes sense that the body can't always intuit hunger/fullness cues well with this sort of stuff. Imagine having a day of fatty fried foods and sugars - you would be craving fresh fruits, vegetables and lean protein very fast. And in doing so you'd become more aware that whole foods and fewer "processes"(ie ditch the stuff with a barcode!) seems to help you work in sync with your body - so much so that you learn to say to yourself - "I could eat KFC, but I choose to eat this chicken and salad wrap instead". Looking at your children is another way of seeing the value of being more "intuitive" - for example, my girls often have morning tea at the food court if I take them to RPM. My eldest in particular will choose a protein/salad sandwich or fresh sushi over anything too processed ("I like veggies and they fill me up, Mum")

Steph's example in her blog is a perfect example of learning to be more intuitive about her eating - she knows that if she eats a lot of sugary foods in one sitting, she does not feel good physically (sugar coma) - it's like accidentally touching a hot object - you might try it once, but in the end you know to avoid it so you don't get burnt.

I think learning to be intuitive as an athlete is of utmost importance. I have a natural (intuitive) preference for fresh whole foods and I trust myself enough to know that this is what I want to eat. But yesterday with little time for digestion between 2 classes I chose to drink Biotest Surge - knew I needed recovery fuel that was quick to digest... common sense really.

You might also know that your intuition tells you that you work best when you have a plan. This is also good thinking in my book. If you are training for an athletic event where nutrition makes a big impact, it makes sense to have a plan. Your intuition may have taught you that certain foods trigger unwanted reactions in your body (which is why I don't eat buckets of bread, doesn't seem to agree with me).

None of this is relevant to dieting where you put artificial limits on things, foods become taboo, you exercise like a rat on a treadmill to burn off that fat and you become a raving lunatic.

There is a huge difference between living a healthy lifestyle and being on a diet - the key is to be vigilant to ensure that lifestyle is not "mutilated into a diet" as Dave Greenwalt says so well.

Girl's Got Grunt!

2009-11-19T17:20:00.002+10:00

Yeah, this girl's got grunt after teaching two RPM classes in a row today. Best feeling was that I felt so strong on the bike and so powerful - that is an unstoppable feeling and one that I'm sure every RPM instructor craves. By the end of my second ride, my quads were screaming and I just wanted to stop - but some voice inside told me not to be a pussy so I kept going!

Just chilling now with a cuppa and closing my eyes and connecting with the tiredness in my legs - should be a nice early night for this black duck!

Joy of Movement

2009-11-18T17:18:00.002+10:00

I've been a busy little beaver here in my corner of the world. After Body Attack on Monday, I felt like I had rediscovered the joys of cardio and did a 30 minute session on the elliptical before training with Shelley yesterday - shoulder is cranky and my "lump" has swollen up again with a vengeance, so it looks like any strength training I do over the next few weeks will all be rehabby pilates style stuff which I don't mind at all. After the huge shoulder injury last year, I've grown to love the patience, progression and reward of steady rehab (I did most of my own shoulder rehab last year in conjunction with Lou's spectacular joint mobs). I had a session of real time ultrasound ( click here for a more science based paper on the subject ) to check to see where my pelvic stability was as well - I'm about to head off for more pilates and possibly a practitioner course in the New Year. I was thrilled to see an almost perfect set of abdominals (in terms of function) on the ultrasound screen and an awesomely functioning pelvic floor. The only weak spot is my lack of multifidus (a stabilizing muscle that runs between the facet joints of the spine) activation - so that is my next mini challenge. The last time I had real time ultrasound, I was told my pelvic instability was one of the worst cases that they'd ever seen and that I'd never run again, let alone teach Step. Just to show that long term rehab is worth it - seven years and counting!

I also had a bit of a shopping spree at Lorna Jane at Indro - I just had to have the inspirational singlets that say "Cardio Addict" and "No Pain No Gain" (I got this for a bit of a laugh), and a red T Shirt that says 'dance, laugh and sing" . I also received an order from Team Estrogen
who are a women's cycling/triathlon shop in the USA - new gorgeous cycling shorts, a yoga inspired tank top and socks that scream "Bad Kitty"! What fun! I'll enjoy trying out all my new duds over the next week or so.

Today I taught RPM and Bodystep. Another great RPM class this morning that left me feeling full of energy and ready to take on the world - I love nothing more than just being so immersed in the moment that you forget everything else for 45 minutes. Came back to Earth with a thud (needed breakfast) before saddling up for Bodystep. This class doesn't feel like hard work to me any more but rather an adrenalin charged dance party! Left the gym today appreciating the joy of movement - so the shoulder's a bit cranky - I just love having a party with my feet instead.

On a more serious note, does anyone ever question their parenting ability. I received the gift of having two girls and the challenges that come with raising them. One of them is now ten and is going into a phase of her life where all of her classmates are forming cliques and there's a lot of "I'll play with you, but not you" type of pre teen bitchiness going on. For my little pup, a lot of it has gone over her head because that's just not who she is. Today she looked upset on coming home from school and then after a fair bit of coaxing, she cried and told me how some girls had "left her out of things" and called her names. I held her, worried that I wouldn't know what to say to give her any perspective on the fact that girls can be very bitchy and told her about similar experiences I had growing up (I was never part of the popular crowd). I was so pleased when she opened up some more and she told me that she had gone to sit next to the other girl in her class that was being teased "because she could see that she was upset".

I told her that I was so proud of her for not being a sheep and following the "in crowd" that she had stood up and done the right thing in treating the other girl with kindness and compassion. "Showing kindness is the greatest thing you can do to make the world a better place." I said and gave her a hug.

Then she talked some more. I felt really relieved as I want to be the sort of mother their kids can talk to me no matter what event happens. I hate the thought of "losing" my girls to others because I didn't listen or relate well enough - scares me senseless really. Anyone relate?

A Thorough Pasting!

2009-11-16T09:07:00.002+10:00

Drumroll! This morning, after a six and a half (the half a year is very important) hiatus I participated in a Bodyattack class. I really enjoyed the change and pushing it hard enough so that my heart was up between my ears at the end of some of the tracks, it was hammering so hard.

The thrill of the class was being able to nail the tuck jumps. I've always sucked at any sort of jumping and what do you know, one-two-three - JUMP! I banged those suckers out like a beauty! I thought of Shar as I was doing these, thought she would be proud that I ventured out of my comfort zone. I then did a twenty minute run afterwards on the treadmill, alternating speeds every five minutes - this, after Attack, was really tough but I went home drenched in sweat and feeling rather triumphant! I have to add that I even did three sets of leg presses - that was about all the weights I felt like at this stage.

I've just had a fantastic breakfast of Naturoo Kangaroo Sausages (da bomb!), grilled tomatoes and a slice of this heavily seeded bread I found in a corner of the supermarket. I packed in some veggies this morning so I can have "lazy girl oats for lunch". Chop up some nectarines and peaches and throw in some natural yoghurt and I'm good to go for the day. I hate having to buy lunch - BYO is more my scene, even if it, gulp, means packing it in Tupperware!

PS - love this image today - I laugh every time I read it :)

Liberation

2009-11-15T20:04:00.002+10:00

Today's Exercise (won't call it training) - was more of a restorative activity - I had two half hour walks today - one as the sun came up and one as the sun went down - kind of zen like really, although I didn't entirely plan it that way.

I love how walking soothes the soul, especially after a long day at work. So much better than trolling for crap in the pantry I say~

Carving it Up!

2009-11-14T19:53:00.003+10:00

Training today : taught RPM Hi Performance. Rode it like there was no tomorrow! I have made the decision to switch to sleeveless jerseys of next week - I literally wrung out today's sleeved number.

I went back to 2006 and re read my entire blog - was quite entertaining really but also amazing in how it's changed from 'training log into life log' - my current mood is dictating that as well as having a love affair with exercise, it's time to look at new avenues to enrich my life. Who knew that being completely fit and well wasn't just due to physical training?

Here's are some of the potentials I could look at for 2010:

Starting an Arts Degree and trying out subjects like Literature and Creative Writing.... I like the idea of furthering my education without career pressure.

Doing a course in Web Design and a Mac course...because I'm fascinated by Web Design and want to learn all the ins and outs of making pages look sensational.

Doing some type of Retreat or Self Awareness program.

I'm keen on getting some one on one coaching in Road Cycling.

I want to get in the pool.

I want to learn more about cooking.

I would love to do dance - jazz, tap, hip hop - what ever is close and on offer.

I'm considering doing a Pilates Course - I need it for my dysfunctional pelvis, so why not make it a Tax Deduction?

I like the idea of photography.

Wow, there's so much out there to experience. I can't wait to sink my teeth into whatever pops up. After having a few trips away this year, I've come to the conclusion that a few days of complete "time out" every year is essential to my sanity. So, I'm also going to plan to get away as well.

Is Big Brother Killing Your Internet Community?

2009-11-13T17:10:00.004+10:00

Today Shelley and I went to a course in Creative Journalling which was fascinating and reminded me of the times before I used the internet so freely, where every year I'd get really excited about creating a journal for the coming year and what I was going to create with my life. My blog has taken over much of this role and in writing, have literally (pardon the pun!) opened myself up to public scrutiny. Not only that, but by writing my blog, starting off with my Figure aspirations and going through surgery, career changes etc, I've established a wonderful network of friends who I now see much of the time "in real life". The friendships I have made through my blogging are amazing. Today Shelley and I had lunch with Lyndsay (who isn't blogging any more - a tiny bundle of gorgeousness will do it to you :) and we were all reflecting on the same things.

When I started my weight loss journey, I was a member of a huuuge forum called "The Firm Ya Yas" - most of my compatriots there are North American and introduced me to the delights (and butt kicking potential) of Cathe Friedrich. There would be at least 5000 members in this forum and we all log on with our own user names to preserve anonymity. I started writing in the Personal Journals section of the forum and have met some smart, witty not to mention athletic women who kick it up to fantastic levels of fitness. I didn't know anyone when I started my first journal, but by the end of my weight loss journey to my first comp, I had "met" a loyal band of supporters who I still stay in touch with. Even though blogging and journalling in forums may seem personal, it's really, really encouraging to get support from your visitors (and your lurkers that come out of the closet during the really good or the really bad times ).

Which is why I was surprised when I made a rare visit to an Aussie fitness/figure forum the other day. There is a section there for "Accountability Partners" - where a couple of likeminded people team up and share the journey. From my memory it was able to be accessed by other forum members and commented upon which in my opinion would amp up the support factor. However, there was a message posted telling forum members that only the two partners and anyone else they deemed suitable (had to be screened first) could post to their particular thread. Not only that, but if you post on this forum in general, your privacy is compromised by the publication of your full name (probably a much worse scenario to have if you were hacked than having support threads with usernames, rather than full names). Then I wondered what the point of having an accountability thread was if nobody could support you on your journey - why not just cut the middle man (who's now got full control of your information/posts and prints out a disclaimer saying that they "own" everything written on the forum) out all together?

I think fine, if a forum is deliberately private (for example David has a forum within Leanness Lifestyle that is for members only) and you agree to it, yes, use your name by all means, but for a forum and site that I assume is trying to attract new members, it makes little sense.

It's a scenario unfolding in this neck of the woods that's an eerie blend of "Animal Farm" and "Big Brother". Who's the animal at the top who's controlling everything, under the guise of an 'even playing field'? Very concerning indeed.

MY QUESTION IS THAT DOES THIS SORT OF THING CONCERN YOU, PARTICULARLY IF YOUR PERSONAL DETAILS ARE BEING STORED?

One of the ideas of the journalling course was to collect your passions and write about them:
This took a bit of thinking, but my passions for this moment are:

a) The rights to Freedom of Speech and Expression in the Digital Media
b) The Art of French Cooking (though you'll never ever see me cook Sole Meniuere, it just sounds delightful)
c) Piranhas (Teeth, Grip, Razor Sharp, Bites Hi Power, Tears You Apart!) - much more on that at a later date
d) Learning another language, oui?
e) Finding out how by killing Nathan, Sylar returns (this is a complex one and never likely to be answered on this blog
f) Finding the correct balance of tracks that will completely saturate my Shimanos by Track 10 on Saturday ....weeehaaaaaaaa!
g) Tulips (I love tulips, which is why winter sun rocks for some, sorry Kek)

Eat your vegetables

2009-11-12T19:36:00.003+10:00

Eat your veggies and look as good on the inside as you look outside!

Don't go on too many Asian food benders...otherwise your large intestines shall resemble ginger.

A "leaky" stomach valve or oesophagus can be real, not imagined.

And you'll always find the magic capsicum in a heartbeat!

The End.

Turn it Up

2009-11-11T13:19:00.004+10:00

Back after a short blogging absence. I think the combination of work, hormones, my shoulder,extreme fatigue and my Dad's 70th birthday party sent me over the edge into lunatic heaven yesterday because I embraced the day hoping that I could just hide under a rock and speak to nobody. Howeve, unfortunatley that didn't happen, I saddled up and went out Christmas shopping for the girls. Whilst I didn't get everything, I did about 75% of the job which is going to save buckets of time over Christmas. I was in bed by 8.30pm and out like a light shortly after and woke up to Uncle TOM.

It's always such a relief to know that you're truly not psychotic after all.

I was up with the birds this morning for a quick cuppa and then it was off to teach RPM. I was chuffed to see at least 25 people this morning for class - this time about 18 months ago, I begged John to let me have it (it used to get 2 participants) and it's been ever so slowly picking up ever since. I still have my days where the numbers aren't all that high, but the past few weeks have had much fuller classes - I would say due to summer being around the corner and it being so light, so early - it's conducive to getting up and having a good whack on the bike.

Had breakfast of oats and protein powder, making a mental note to bring less next week. Katie has written an excellent post today about how you really need to have a "figure competitor" determination to master eating on a more intuitive level. I need to work on this aspect more in my own eating - often I'm eating on the run or distracted, so my meals go in before I've had a chance to really register the taste (bad Liz!). I weighed out my oat and protein portion but obviously what my body needed today was less than what I thought I needed. I stayed pretty much comfortably full until lunchtime. So give it a go - even if you're weighing/measuring your food , really sit down, chew thoroughly and rate your hunger before and after - it's pretty enlightening.

Taught Bodystep at 9.20am and then it has been home to do the housework. I'm still wearing my Bugg - it's a wonderful reminder to stop being a slug - in fact I now set myself little step challenges (complete x number of steps and I get a bit more TV time, sad I know but I'm really enjoying Celebrity Masterchef, followed by Heroes - so I figure if I move a bit more, then I've earned the right to sit down lol)

Finally, I want to mention that from little things, big things grow. It is from our seemingly small actions that wonderful things can happen. As a mother, I'm dismayed at what our kids are bombarded with every day, told that they're not good enough, they're not beautiful enough, they don't measure up. Shelley has taken up the challenge of reaching out and making a difference. I want to stand next to her and make the world a more positive place via the Inspire Foundation

What you can do to help:
1) Visit Shelley's blog and leave a comment. (tell her you love her blog too BTW)
2) Leave a comment on my blog (tell me you love me too BTW lol!) and I will donate $1.00 from every comment I receive as well and give the money to Shelley on Friday
3) Consider standing next to us and make a difference if you regularly blog. Remember from small things, big things grow!

Where do you want to go?

2009-11-05T20:13:00.004+10:00

Yeah, got you all - you thought this was going to be some enlightenment on the virtues of mapping out the future but it's not true.

Do you ever think that there's a message for you in the relatively humdrum events of the day? My day consisted of many many people asking me for directions. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, just my usual Thursday visit to Indro and the CBD for RPM, but at least four people stopped me in the street to ask me where to go. I can only conclude that I am the keeper of the keys. For today anyway (giggles).

My more serious post is in relation to my shoulder - yes, I've got a definite lump/cyst /who knows on my acromioclavicular process. Possibilities - calcification, degeneration (gosh getting older is a joy!) or something more serious. Actions to be taken - my awesome physio, Miss Lou has referred me onto my sports doc up here, Nifty Nev (well that's what Shelley and I call him). No lifting super heavy shit until it settles but rehab work and lighter stuff OK.

Now it's off to kick back with a magazine and slop around like the champion that I am on the lounge. If there was an award for ingrained slugdom tendencies, it would be a toss up between me and the nearest greyhound.

The Beauty of it All

2009-11-04T18:06:00.005+10:00

Pied Beauty
Gerald Manley Hopkins

Glory be to God for dappled things—
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;
And áll trades, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spáre, strange;
Whatever is fickle, frecklèd (who knows how?)
With swíft, slów; sweet, sóur; adázzle, dím;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is pást change:

Práise hím.

One of my favourite poems relating to beauty - ever woken up with the sky an intoxicating blue, a gentle breeze blowing and the soft morning light dancing across your bedcovers (only today to become stinking hot later on, but that is for another post!)

On Wednesdays I teach two classes, an early early RPM and Bodystep in the mid morning. My RPM class is a small but very loyal bunch who I love to teach every morning - a few come to High Performance, but Wednesday has a very different vibe to it. It's as if I come to a small family celebration. I deliberately chose pretty complex choreo to learn for Step this week in my quest to be a banging step instructor and was delighted to teach my whole class with only a few minor mistakes.

I then met hubs (today's task was purchase of new dining table (Recycled Aussie Hardwood - blissfully beautiful) and an outdoor setting (lightweight and easy to clean..woot) and commented that the reason I love teaching so much is what I get in return for making the effort. I get friendship, I get smiles, I have a laugh, I am challenged and I feel so good about myself. I swear I need to bottle this feeling to see me through the downtimes..".Eau de StinkyBike Shorts Liz perfume", perhaps?

The only downside of my day is that perhaps I got too vigorous with the mattress testing yesterday - I have a very odd painful lump on the border of my clavicle/acromion (near shoulder). Ah well, a sniff of "Eau de Stinky" and I'm thinking "I'm sure this problem can be solved!"

Time for dinner - leftovers! It's about all I can afford after our few days of Economic Stimulus..

Horizontal Workouts with My Husband

2009-11-03T19:18:00.003+10:00

Before you start getting all hot under the collar, I'd like to advise that this is a strictly G rated post. Kitty, if you're reading this, I can't put the "adults only" disclaimer on my blog just yet - but who knows, one day that may come (pardon the pun).

No, today, it was decided with the move into our new home imminent, that it was time to buy ourselves a new bed and look at outdoor furniture for the new deck. I got up early and squeaked out a good run and stretch at FF Jinders as well as some pulling/posture exercises and foam rolling. We dropped the car off for its scheduled service and then headed off to Fortitude Valley to check out the homemaker precinct.

We had coffee at the awesome smelling Merlo (well I had tea, love the smell of coffee but not so keen on the taste) and then ended up at Forty Winks and ended up spending about two hours trying out mattresses and choosing a bedroom suite (we ended up with the one in the link). I have always found the concept of testing out mattresses hilarious and I commented to the salesperson with a bit of mirth that it must be an odd job selling mattresses. He replied with something along the lines of "we take our customer's sleep needs very seriously". OK, Liz, back in your box and try not to laugh, OK?

Then after all of the ups and downs of lying down on what seemed like a gazillion mattresses, we went to Meccabah for lunch. I had to use the powers of mindful eating and not clean my plate of the three cups of delicious rice that were adorning my plate! I would have certainly felt really uncomfortable if I'd eaten the whole shebang (which further solidifies the need to focus on the intuitive side of things even if you choose to log your calorie intake - there will be events/meals where you can't log them so you need to be able to learn to listen to the wisdom of your body's satiety signals and learn appropriate hunger and fullness cues when such things occur). And in long term maintenance, as opposed to short term action where a food diary can be very useful, it's more important to focus on lifelong changes to lifestyle and personal growth.

Time to go and eat a chook, lovingly made by hubs, prepared in the Stephanie Alexander tradition (I have a budding Masterchef on my hands!) No, seriously that show scares the living daylights out of me - I love to watch it, but I'd hate to be in the kitchen under pressure doing those Challenges. Yikes!

Chuggering

2009-11-02T08:24:00.003+10:00

Not much to report in my world today.

Had a good sweaty cardio session this morning (mixed up elliptical/stairclimber and treadmill) for 70 minutes of heart pumping action and then did lots of foam roller and trigger point release for the old hip flexors and glute activation drills - my poor old hips and quads are as "tight as" - probably from the five RPM a week that I teach. Needless to say, my glutes were rudely awoken from their slumber and my hips are a little bit looser.

The above pic is the house about 4 weeks ago - we've now got render, plaster and a garage door and we're tracking for a January move. I'm really looking forward to it all.

Better go and prep my lunch for work. Sometimes I wish that I could just buy my lunch but nothing in the centre is never as nice (or as cheap) as home made so I'm going to make the effort.

Amy Bento Specials

2009-11-01T16:33:00.008+10:00

I'm clearing out my Amy Bento DVDs - they're 2007 stock and all brand new in shrink wrap. Originally 24.95 to 29.95 , I have a few copies of each left at 14.95 (plus postage). You can visit my site to check out the workout descriptions and contact me via the site to purchase. My personal favourites are the kickboxing and the Hi Lo (yes, I'm a cardio gal, through and through!)

Australian/NZ customers only.

I also have one tub of Ladybird Crunch and a couple of 500g Figure Tone (vanilla )to sell at cost price - get in touch with me to purchase.

It All Counts

2009-10-30T16:52:00.003+10:00

Having a bit of a Friday troll around Youtube and have been picking up a few of my favourites to download. I love Alanis Morissette, but only own the "Jagged Little Pill" CD, and this one is off her second album and a song I really like.

I love the focus on the connection and gratitude for emotions that we usually render extremely uncomfortable. If we never had any of this to deal with, how would we grow? How would we move forward and appreciate what we have and what we've learned? ( you can still see I'm on the "growing up" train here)

Wow, that was pretty deep for Friday - have had a pretty busy day - taught RPM this morning and connected with my sweat and my breath in a big way!. THen off to smash a few weights with Shelley - got 52.5kg in some floor presses, but was a bit of a pussy on the supinated grip rows (go Shelley - she smashed em!).

RPM Hi Performance and work tomorrow - I'm going to be smashed by the end of the day and reckon it may be time to schedule a little Chill Out day in the near future.

A different perspective

2009-10-28T14:40:00.002+10:00

I have to admit that lately I feel like I've been playing a "waiting game" with my life. Do you ever feel like you're in 'flux' for want of a better expression. It's as if the light has been on, but I haven't been home. There have been so many changes this year, where I started off with a thriving PT business and online business, a goal of a figure comp and a budding career as a fitness writer... I'm finishing the year as someone who has dialed back their online business big time, resumed her pharmacy career, albeit part time and become a banging (I've picked this one up for Shelley, I'm banging everything) RPM instructor who's ready to take it up a notch in step.

After suffering from depression, I've been totally reassessing everything from the way I eat to the way I train to the way I sleep and how I choose to live. The SSRIs help but sometimes you just need the penny to drop so you can rocket your way out of there. Last night, the penny dropped. It was a moment I've been anticipating for a long time. I was reading about someone's struggle with something or other and they said something to the effect of "BEING A GROWN UP MEANS YOU DON'T DO EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO." Bingo!

If that isn't a good reminder to get on with the job, I don't know what is!

Had a great training session with Shelley yesterday - we threw around 50kg bench presses without blinking - can't believe the improvement really! Taught RPM this morning - had a big class for a Wednesday morning and backed it up with Step later on. I'm looking forward to taking the "Step Improvement" journey - if nothing ever comes of it, then I can rest easy in the knowledge I have become a better teacher anyway.

Here's another great quote from Roger Gould: "The only way failure is sure to happen is if you don't try to meet the challenge. If you put in sustained intelligent effort, you will learn something and that is automatically a success" (that's how I'm thinking about my RPM!)

Not the Expected Outcome..

2009-10-26T10:37:00.002+10:00

I rang Les Mills this morning to enquire about the outcome of my application. Unfortunately, I am not going to get an audition spot but it seems they liked my DVD presentation and would I be interested in presenting another program (as well as RPM)? This would mean that I would have to submit a Bodystep DVD as well - either next week (I have to hear back from them on that first) or for the next round of auditions. I was told that they wanted presenters that could teach multiple programs.

So it seems that even though the outcome isn't what I wanted, I don't feel it's a negative thing - my assessment was very, very positive - maybe it's now a push to make my Step classes as banging as my RPMs! Obviously there is a new challenge to rise to! I am going to be having more coaching with Maka on the RPM and a formal assessment done in November and in the meantime, I'm going to start focusing on Step a bit more now. Never thought I'd "need" it, but maybe I just do!

I'm really proud that I put myself out there and went for it, had the initial assessment from Maka etc because I'm sure that it has helped me buckets - not to toot my horn too loudly but I've have spoken to a number of people lately who have told me that I've really taken my RPM coaching to the next level, something that I am really thrilled about. I think it's a long, long journey to become an exceptional group fitness instructor and when I hear these positive comments it really makes all the unpaid hours of choreo learning, DVD watching, practice and coaching etc worth it. I'm never going to make any real money out of teaching classes but what I have learned about myself, other people and relationships is priceless.

Had a great run this morning and am about to head off to work. Onwards and upwards!

Such a slug!

2009-10-23T08:23:00.000+10:00

Well what my gadget is reminding me of this week is that when I'm not training in the gym I have the natural tendency to enter the Kingdom of Slugdom (notice the double DOMS..lol). It has been a real eye opener to see how naturally lazy I am and after my experience this week of nailing twenty thousand steps (this includes training so it's more like 10,000 lifestyle steps plus training), I have been sleeping like a baby.

Wow, what a worthwhile lesson that has been for me. All of this movement is really encouraging to get back in the game of life a lot more too - I have such a tidy house from trying to get those steps in.

So, teaching RPM this morning and hoping that Shelley's ready for a good pasting with the weights. I must remember to pack my Surge, which is pure gold after caning it on the bike and keeping me interested in my weights!

The Interview

2009-10-22T19:56:00.004+10:00

Here's a transcript of an interview I had today..

Interviewer: So Liz, how long have you been involved in the world of fitness for?

Me: Twenty two years - I've been involved with all things "fit" for more than half my life.

Interviewer: Yes, you've developed quite a reputation as a fitness expert through your writing and as a trainer to other trainers

Me: Thanks!

Interviewer: So when Michelle Bridges pulled out of The Biggest Loser to pursue her Celebrity Masterchef commitments were you surprised that you were contacted about filling her role on the show?

Me: Yeah...

Had you going there for a minute, didn't I? LOL

FYI - I think Michelle is happily working on "The Biggest Loser" set as we speak!

Unprepared for pranayama

2009-10-21T17:32:00.002+10:00

In case anyone is wondering, pranayama is the technique of breathing and breath control which regulates energy flow and aims at maintaining energy balance in yoga.

Today I taught RPM, slammed down breakfast, reviewed my Step choreo, taught Bodystep then participated in yoga. It is a mix of Hatha and Power Yoga and we started with a relaxation sequence - unlike the first time, I relaxed my mind and breath straight away and was beginning to feel like a smug yogini but once we started into our Sun Salutation, and various poses within this, I started feeling really seedy. My problem? Low blood sugar it seems - feeling dizzy really dents your enthusiasm for Downward Dogs, so I quietly snuck out of the room with my apple and refueled - feeling much better, it was back to the group fitness room for the relaxation (perfect!). The above picture can mean many things, today it represents that I was feeling rather messy doing my yoga!

Now back to the picture - it's a famous "droodle" and can be interpreted in many ways. For example this picture could refer to:

A spider doing a handstand.
Total eclipse of the sun on a stick.
A family of worms stuck on a toffee apple.
A frightened mop.
A dandelion seed making a perfect landing.
A supermodel on a bad hair day. ( I particular like this one, because it happens to me often - the hair, not the supermodel!)

I try and think of droodles when my hubby and I talk about what's important in the house (he has been blissfully ensconced in cabling up the room we are going to call the home cinema. I hardly watch TV, so I'm concentrating on what's going in the kitchen and bathroom instead). Actually I'm pretty lucky that we agree on most decisions (though I could care less about speaker cable, just for the record).

I really enjoyed both RPM and Bodystep although my legs are still screaming from Monday's "pussy effort" on the weights (really, you'd think I was lifting monster load here, but it's woefully small) and my triceps were on fire from our dumbbell extensions yesterday (I do believe that I heard "sook" emanating out of the back corner of the group fitness studio as I did all push ups rather than tricep push ups in our conditioning track!) Hmm, I'll just have to wait until Friday to give the girl a thorough pasting in RPM (he he he)

Good Times

2009-10-20T07:50:00.003+10:00

After two very hectic days of pharmacy work, I'm looking forward to getting into the gym this morning and having a good old workout. Not that I neglected my workouts yesterday - got in a 60 minute run/walk (mostly running) and some deadlifts and squats (effort a bit "meow" compared with Shelley but she would be proud of me that I actually did them, lol) and traipsing all over the pharmacy brought my steps for the day to nearly 22 000 - again, I crashed into bed - all that incidental exercise has got to be helping me with my sleep. Interestingly my mood has lifted (exercise, the natural antidepressant) - I have been feeling much better of late, but now I'm feeling really on top of things!

We're going into phase 3 of our sixteen week plan - have some interesting exercises lined up - like speed bench presses off pins - I don't know how we're going to manage with our equipment this morning as we don't have a proper cage at FF but I'm sure we'll come up with something kickbutt and inventive.

Then we're having Vietnamese for lunch and going to see "Julie and Julia" before picking the kids up from school. I have to practise Bodystep this afternoon, but I'm having a lot of fun with it and as dinner is already prepared, it's not going to be particularly stressful.

It's really nice to have such a nice day to look forward to after all my work efforts. Yeehaw!