Yearly Archives: 2012

MTB’ing is just as hard as the riders

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Riding a bike is not the same as running. In fact, off-road mountain biking is not for sissies as I recently discovered.

Last weekend, we decided to join some friends out at Groenkloof Nature Reserve to do some riding. All of us have mountain bikes so it was a perfect spot. However, what I initially thought was going to be basic dirt roads turned out to be a mix of gravel, stones, dusty sand paths and just as many down hills as up hills.

It was a chance for me to try out my new bike and I was so thankful that I had invested in a strong, proper bike which at last fitted my height. My bike handled the turns and tight spots well and I was impressed with how fast she rides on the straights. I’m still happy I chose a 29’er (bike talk).

After what must have been an hour and a half of really technical riding, I was sure I had bruised my cocksix!

My experience of cycling so far? Well..

  • Cyclists do not greet one another. They are the oddest, most unfriendliest bunch.
  • Cyclists are selfish and competitive. There is no such thing as “Let’s all ride together.” If you cannot keep up, you’re on your own buster.
  • More gears make a difference. Do not believe those who try convince you otherwise. It’s the same with good running shoes. If the shoe fits, the run feels good.
  • There is such a thing as being ‘bum fit’.

So it looks like we’ll be trying out Groenkloof in November which should be great fun again. At least I know what to expect and not be too surprised when I get home covered in dust and have a sore bum! But I do believe a few more spinning classes at gym is required to up my fitness levels!

And if I happen to cycle passed you and greet you, don’t be alarmed. I’m a runner by heart.

Lessons from Roald Dahl: Ugly thoughts

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When I was growing up, no author ‘spoke’ to me more than what Roald Dahl did. In my little world, it seemed as if only he knew what it was like to be me. So when I found the Roald Dahl collection of books a while back, I was thrilled. Every now and then I pick one up and read a paragraph or two. The one I seem to go back to the most is The Twits.

Dahl’s account of The Twits has been etched in my memory ever since I was a little girl. The way they lived and how they treated one another and everyone else, including animals horrified me. As a child, I hoped to never come across people that ugly. How ironic that as an adult, I do. To this day, when I see a man with a big beard, I always imagine food stuck in it just like Mr Twit. *yuck*

The story always leaves me smiling. Not only is it filled with clever humour, but also such great lessons about life. Here’s one of my favourite examples:

Thank-you Mr Dahl. Thank-you.

** Reference: Roald Dahl’s Scrumdiddlyumptious Story Collection. 2007.

SUCCESS by Neil Tovey

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Soccer legend, Neil Tovey presented at a workshop I attended this week. My initial reaction when I heard he was coming was panic. I planned to keep as far away from him as possible for fear that he would sniff out my lack of knowledge about anything football/soccer. But surprisingly, he is a pretty casual, down to earth kinda guy. Over and above sharing some really cool stories about Bafana, Neil shared with us his take on S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

S – Solid Foundation

Laying a solid foundation is key to future success and is key to achieving your desired goals. You need to build this platform before embarking on any journey.

U – Unlimited Resources

Without people, we will fail. Each individual is an integral part of the journey. This not only includes the players but also those behind the scenes; the medical staff, finance etc. Do not underestimate the role these people play in your success.

C – Communication

It’s important that people communicate from the top down, bottom up and across all levels. Your game plan will fail if you get into the field to play a game and the team cannot communicate to one another, especially leaders to the rest of the team.

C – Committment

Go the extra mile. Put in the extra work. It’s worth it in the end.

E – Enjoyment

Do everything to the best of your ability. Enjoy doing it. Have fun.

S – Sacrifice

Time spent away from home playing games. Time put in to train. Time away from family and friends. To achieve success you need to be willing to make the sacrifice.

S – Setting goals

You need to decide where you want to be? Where are you going? Are you getting there? This matters to all aspects of our lives, both work and family.

Neil related many examples to soccer but as I listened, I realised that with all of the above, you can use for anything in life: family, career, sport, even friendships.

The important thing is that if one fails, most of the others do too.

So? How’s things going?

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The last time I stopped to assess where, what and how my life was going was in March. It feels like ages ago and as Spring has arrived, I thought there is no better time to do it again.

My body: With the hope of losing 7 kgs before December, it came down to me going back to Melanie (read: saviour dietitian) in July to get me back on track with my eating. After two consultations, I have managed to lose over 1kg. It turns out that eating salads every day is not that bad, especially when I’m able to load it with my new favourite item – tomaraisins!

Plan of action: keep up the good eating routine. I have also stuck up a picture of myself on my desk. It’s a picture from 2010 when I was happy with my body and where I want to get back to.

My work: Can it get any busier? Busy is good but I do find there are some things which I am never getting to. Research, new trends, networking…  All these types of activities have pretty much taken a back seat while I struggle with what feels like mostly admin on some days.

Plan of action: Realise that the admin needs to be done but to find time for other stuff.

My home: It feels as if everything in my house needs work. The curtains need cleaning, bedroom carpets need washing, the pool needs to be fixed, the garden needs pruning, the water feature needs to be replaced. The big problem is that there is never enough time on weekends to get to most of these chores.

Plan of action: Write up a to-do list and prioritise what needs to be done. Decide on what’s really important in life.

My time: KK and I have bought bikes. For anyone in to sport, just that statement will explain everything. Riding takes up so much extra time (and money) compared to running. The problem is that even though we do most of our hobbies together, it has taken a lot of time away from some of the other things we used to do together. There is also less time for chores around the house.

Plan of action: Make time! Even if it means sitting together with a calendar and booking time out.

My running: I took a break during Winter mainly due to foot injuries, flu and … well, to be honest, I hate running in the cold. But as Spring has set in, I’ve started to run a regular 5km route on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’ve also run two 10km races. I feels great to be back!

Plan of action: Stick with it and enjoy!

If I look at my list and review all these areas, the one major theme stands out: TIME. It’s become a real commodity lately and can truly make such a difference to my life in terms of the goals I set for myself. Thank-goodness I am still finding time to run. That’s a good thing, right!

The next time I look, it will be Christmas. *gasps*  – 119 days to go!