Monthly Archives: December 2011

The highs and lows of my twenty eleven

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Before heading into 2012, I sat back and made a list of all the highs and lows of my 2011 year. The ironic thing is that for me, 2011 felt like one of the most stressful years I’ve been through. It was a year of change, a year of ill health, a year full of anxiety. Yet when I compiled my list, I was surprised that I came up with more highs than lows. It made me realise that I had perhaps spent the year too focussed on the bad, the stressful, the negative instead of all the good. It’s definitely going to be something I focus on for next year.

So looking back, here’s what made me smile, laugh, comforted me and gave me many hours of joy:

  • Starting a blog and realising just how much I love writing and sharing my thoughts.
  • Celebrating 10 years of marriage and going on a fabulous cruise through the Mediterranean.
  • Coming back to not only get my Two Oceans 2011 half marathon medal, but achieving a PB at the same time.
  • Making a stack of new friends on Twitter and meeting some of them in real life.
  • Coming to the decision that the Media industry is where I want to build my future career.
  • Coldplay. #enoughsaid

The lows where I wasted too much time and energy and which got me down more days than it should’ve:

  • Organisational change at work which I struggled with.
  • 6 months of cortisone treatment to treat “trigger finger” associated with enteropathic arthritis.
  • Putting on weight (almost 7kgs since December 2010) due to the cortisone. *sobs*
  • Starting January off in a post-retrenchment office environment and watching some of my friends leave the organisation.
  • Watching helplessly as two of my closest friends go through separations from their partners and realising that they’ve been hurting for a very long time. Then subsequently hearing of another friend’s divorce.

How strange that it took me a while to come up with this list. The lesson is that a whole year can fly by so quickly and yet it feels like just the other day that things happened. I had forgotten a lot of it and I’m sure there’s still stuff I’ve left out. I’m even more grateful for my blog now. I’m definitely going to use it to log all the important and special things that happen in my life next year.

But for now…

Good bye 2011…

I found a coach! (or rather, he found me!)

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My Christmas present arrived early this year.

 

In early December, I received a Twitter DM (direct message) from one of my followers informing me that he was a running coach and asked if I would be interested in some coaching. Are you kidding me? Of course I was interested! However, being the sceptic that I am, I didn’t take it too seriously. In fact, I told no one.

 

Reason being is that I don’t have the best of luck when it comes to finding coaches. After missing the cut-off for a Two Oceans half marathon medal by a mere 6 minutes in 2010, I decided my only hope was to find myself a running coach. However, finding a coach proved to be quite challenging. I was either met with the excuse that it was too close to Comrades for anyone to take on my cause or that my running pace was so slow (8 mins/km) that I would slow the other runners down.

 

I Googled for names, searched local running sites, phoned running clubs with no luck. In the end, I landed up with a personal trainer at the gym who specialises in sports science and who was willing to work with me.

 

That was May 2010 and it’s now December 2011 and even though I managed to do a PB and get my Two Oceans medal in April this year, I still run at the same pace.

 

Yes, I feel much stronger and my core muscles are strong. And don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my gym workouts. But I am still slow. The ‘walkers’ are still able to finish races well before me.

 

So yes, you bet I am interested in any running coaching!

 

As a typical Information Scientist librarian, I did my homework and discovered that this man came highly recommended, was known in running circles and knows his stuff.

 

But his credential was not what impressed me and got me hooked. It’s his motivation and belief in me.

 

From day one, he has spoken to me as if I am the New York marathon champion. He believes in me and makes me believe in myself. He has mapped out a training schedule and a planned goal of where I can be in the next four months. All he expects is dedication and hard work. Trust me, he’s a no-nonsense kinda guys too!

 

I secretly think the name of my blog “Keeping up with the walkers” bugs him. One of the first things he told me is that running at my pace is for old tannies. *ahem*

 

Anyhow, so I’m going in to 2012 not only with a renewed dedication to running but with butterflies in my stomach. My head is telling me that I am capable. My legs already feel like jelly after two days of training (mainly because I haven’t done squat for weeks and my belly is full of gammon) but what an awesome goal to work towards. I’m so excited!

Thanks Eldi!

Every runner needs to rest

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When KK and I were invited by our close friends to spend a long weekend with them and some others at a holiday camp called Lindani in the Waterberg, we jumped at the opportunity. We never really take any long weekend breaks and decided it might be a good idea to take advantage of the December 16th long weekend.

With a car boot packed full of food, drinks and cozzies, off we went…

Lindani is a 3800ha game farm in the Waterberg 275kms north of Johannesburg situated on the Palala and Melk rivers. It has eight secluded houses and lodges, each with its own pool. We hired out Motseng, which is 4 lodges, sleeping 18 people.

Our days comprised of nothing else but eating, sleeping, laughing and relaxing…

LINDANI MOTSENG LODGE

 DOWN AT THE RIVER…

SUNDOWNERS…

GOOD FRIENDS…

We had all intentions of running and even took our running kit with us. But the running shoes stood at the door and the Energades on ice. We were just too relaxed to run. I guess every runner needs that once in a while…

I love Christmas. I hate getting fat!

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I’ve been having more fat days than skinny days of late. I seem to wake up, climb on the scale, see that I haven’t dropped 2 kgs over night and proceed to be in the worst mood for the rest of the day. I know I shouldn’t weight myself every day and should gauge my weight on how my clothes feel. But you see, that’s just the problem.

My clothes have become tight so I know I’ve definitely put on weight. And what’s worse is that it’s just before Christmas so I don’t even have that 1 or 2 kgs to play with. I can just see myself going back to work after the holidays with camel toe!

It’s tough though. Trying to stay ‘good’ and on track when all around you, there are loads of delicious, scrumptious munchies is torture. But in an attempt to survive and do the best I can in order to not put on (too much) weight, I pulled out my dietician’s notes from a few years back. (Thank-you Melanie Levy!)

As I read through my notes, I picked out a few simple tips which I’m going to try and stick to…

  • Salads are fine as long as you avoid the dressing. Go for vinegar, not oil. Ditch the olives, avo and cheese.
  • Bread rolls are silent evils. Do you really need them?
  • Don’t be fooled by the vegetables at a restaurant. They are usually loaded with butter or even cheese.
  • Stick to the white meat.
  • Choosing to have the fish is not the best option as it is usually basted with butter or oil. Ask for dry-grilled.
  • Steak or chicken, grilled over an open flame is actually one of the safest foods to order. No side sauces.
  • Tomato based pasta sauces are better than cream-based ones.
  • If ordering pizza, ask for less / no cheese.
  • For desserts, choose jelly (no custard) and swiss roll.
  • Sugar based sweets are allowed. These include boiled sweets, gums, lollipos, marshmallows.
  • Opt for skinny cappuccinos or freezochinos (if made with water)
  •  NO NOs! Potato chips, crisps, pies, peanuts ‘n raisins.

In the back of my mind, I do know that it is Christmas and it is a time of enjoying the time spent with family and friends as well as all the yummy dishes that we don’t normally eat during the year. Like gammon, christmas cake, trifle… *drool*. And I can always diet in the new year, surely.

PS: my running shoes are parked next to the bed, just as a reminder that a second helping of roast potatoes is simply not worth it in the long run…