Bloke Free Triathlon a Success! Kind of :)

Well, not quite the margin of success I had hoped for, but I encountered a new experience on the run....I got the Stitch right at the beginning of the run....and it was not great...had to walk it out a little at the beginning (about 500mtrs walking), then decided to just run anyway...which was pretty painful...but I survived and hopefully the time did not suffer too much...but my pace was quite short as a result, as I was trying to avoid increasing the heart rate as that just hurt more, and made it harder to breathe. Bummer I had not thought of something like the stitch getting in the way, not sure if there is a special way to avoid that happening, and it was a little strange as the Swim and Bike went fabulous! Really awesome relaxed breathing in both of those sections, and good times too. So my overall time was 56min 39seconds, and I know it's kind of mean to want to beat my sister in a "fun" triathlon...but.... I did manage to squeak in ahead of her by 4 seconds. Close one!!! I guess I will always have a competitive streak in me, even when my sister is the best sister a girl could ever wish to have, and is so supportive of what I have accomplished. I get the feeling she also has that competitive streak...and that although we will always both support each other, we also like a bit of healthy sibling competitive spirit! So I had better watch out for the next time we do one. What was also cool about this triathlon, was we both managed to score a spot prize (a nice towel, and a book on triathlon training for me, and a nice monogrammed "bloke free tri" for Lynn) So maybe having the book will give me a competitive edge next time.... Anyway....I will take that 4 seconds! and run with it! as 4 seconds is like a really long time in "sports time"

71.4 kgs, so close to the 60s I can taste it!

Triathlon tomorrow morning, despite the not so flash course, it will still be a good mornings exercise. And help me towards the 60s. Will post again after.

72 KGS WOOP WOOP!!!

And it just keeps falling.....think I really have cracked that plateau! Fabulous....So that makes a massive 21.1 kgs down now. Yahoooooo! That's quite a few pounds of butter! Oh, and I have a confession to make.....I think I am becoming a fashion slut! It's taking me ages each morning to choose what to wear. And I am really starting to enjoy clothes. Who would have ever imagined that would happen to ME! Most unlikely candidate for that change. Triathlon this weekend....better get out and pound that pavement tonight!

20.4 down today!!

Woop Woop, Finally got over the 20kg loss mark. Yahoooo, must have been all that energy expended trying on clothes all day!! Cardio via shopping and wardrobe culling.

Wardrobe Clean Out today!! fun fun fun

This is from one of the posts I made on the April Loses It site...copied here so I keep track of my journey. So - here is something for everyone to do (if you have not done it already that is - I might be a bit behind the 8 ball) ...anyway...to make room in my closet for the new clothes...I pulled everything out, and tried on absolutely every thing I owned....WOW....now I really can see the difference....my brain has been a bit slow comprehending where I am at, but when you try on clothes that 6 months ago were snug....and now there is room for an extra (be it small) person in them! Now I am really starting to comprehend. What a great way to finish of the day! I had to be really strong with throwing stuff! Some of them have been my trusty and reliable faithfuls for a very long time! One technique I used for the cull of clothes was to look at the size....I have been consistently fitting into 14s and 12s on my recent shopping trips, so if the item was above 14 (which was pretty much my whole wardrobe) then it was destined for the discard pile. Of which some will go to charity, and hopefully some might be possible sales on trademe....as I have a massive clothing bill since replacing my wardrobe. And I am going to have to do it all again in another 6 months. But this wardrobe change has been fun! I think the next one will be even more exciting. So girls.....get into those closets! Suggestion for replacing a whole wardrobe... Choose 5 or 6 good quality items (I went NZ & Aussie Designers) as now its nice to be able to fit stuff that is 1 off original. Then (due to designer being really expensive!) go to all the op shops for the staples like coloured v-neck tops etc...accessories and general day to day clothing. Before you know it you will have a new (well recycled - but new to you!) wardrobe. For a lot less than buying everything new. Once you find what designers you really like....put a watch on trademe for the designer....and wait for those awesome bargains to be delivered to your inbox. Make sure once your closet is stocked that YOU STOP SHOPPING! Set yourself a regular savings for clothing (deposit into separate account, and now and then....do an op shop run) Favourite places... Melody 28 - recycled designer boutique Recycle Boutique Paper Bag Princess Red Cross Shops (these are amazing!especially the one in Kilbirnie) Salvation Army (the ones in Mirimar and Kilbirne are the best, Newtown is worth a look as well, and if you are near Johnsonville it is also good) Mary Potter Hospice (Kilbirnie and Mirimar) St Vincent de Paul (Mirimar and Island Bay) Save Mart (I have purchased before at the Gissy one, and I think there was one in Nelson as well) Nelson has some amazing op shops. But apparently the one in Welly (closer to upper hutt I think) is supposed to be amazing, I have not ventured that far yet, but I might stop in on my way out of welly for the triathlon in Napier next weekend. Anyway, the wardrobe looks fabulous now, just have to do the drawers...have already done the socks, undies and bras drawers....just the other ones to do now. It was a really great experience, so I can 100% recommend having a clean out of clothes, bit of a cleanse of the soul at the same time :)

The Montage Picture

Shopping Marathon this weekend

So....it was a little bit of a change of pace this weekend. Last weekend was the Hutt City Triathlon and this weekend was a two-day shopping marathon. And quite frankly, I found the shopping marathon more exhausting! It's quite a workout trying on that many outfits. Anyway, it was nice having some really lovely devoted sales ladies treating me like a princess. I expected it to be quite a mission trying to find the perfect outfit for the April Loses It photo I needed to put up by Monday. While it is only half-way point for my own personal journey of weightloss, my journey with April Loses It finishes on the 1st of December (just after the Hawkes Bay Bloke Free triathlon I am doing on the 27th of November). So the Woman's Weekly were wanting us to post total weightloss and some end photos by Monday the 14th. So I have been very busy this weekend doing my best to put my best foot forward and make a bit of effort with the photos. So anyway....the effort was quite immense in terms of time taken looking and trying things on and preparing by having a haircut, dying it again, and doing a little bit of girlie grooming :) What was really nice, was the sales assistants all asking if I was a 14 or a 12.....my response was usually "I have no idea what size I am now, and I am fashion challenged, so please help!" So they went about giving me mostly 14s and even some 12s, and the amazing thing was that most of it fitted. So it really just came down to fashion preference and choice. Where as previously it came down to "can I squeeze what ever body part I was clothing...in" I even purchased off the rack a pair of size 14 jeans, and size 14 black pants. The black pants were the same design as the size 20 ones I have been wearing for ages now....so putting on a size 14 in the same style pant is quite an achievement in 6 months I think. Anyway, I thought I would post some photos on here (the same ones I put on the April Loses It Facebook Page) as this is my permanent record of my journey. I am also going to copy over my April Loses It - most recent posts. Comment made on April Loses It about the Heels I bought for the "Visual Symphony Dress Ensemble" By the way....I don't do heels!! So I hope you guys appreciate the sacrifice here....The lady at the shop that sold me the dress, insisted I must wear heels. And she said she would check up on me.....so here they are. Might take a photo of just the shoes and post it as they are quite nice up close. Still not converted from my flat black Rock Chick boots though! The reply I made to one of the other April Loses It ladies: Thanks Tui, that means a lot, I get really good positive feedback regularly from everyone at the gym and at work, and my good friends and family. But today I really struggled to see the difference. The clothes at the shops which I am squeez...ing into are size 14, which usually I have been a size 20. Yet after doing the photos today....I really noticed all of the wobbly bits that still need a lot of attention....I guess that is what the next 20kgs weight loss I need to do will take care of. Its a bit of a bummer being 5ft tall (or 4ft 11 really) as nowhere to hide the weight. And every gram loss is getting harder and harder to get now. But after seeing these photos - I am 100% committed to making it happen. I will just have to work a little harder from here on in. The comment I made on April Loses It about the photos: Ok - here they are, the photos so far, if you want the start photos then go back to the beginning of the ALI photo's - I decided not to re-post them, as they are already on here. I found the whole photo thing today a bit of a challenge to be honest, so a big thanks goes out to my friend Kit (photographer) for being so encouraging and helping me stay smiling. I have now come around to accepting the wobbly bits discovered in the viewing of the photos and during the shoot today, as I do have 20kgs more to go, and I am proud of the first 19.2kg loss. It's time to step things up to the next level now...lots of work to do. Nothing like a camera lens to keep you honest. Looking forward to the real final photos at the end of the next 20kgs. Thanks to the shops I visited this weekend, for helping me feel glamorous. Melody 28 (Courtney Place), Postie Plus (Porirua), Footloose (North City), Just Cuts (Johnsonville).

I Will keep you all posted on the next 20kgs....so feel free to keep checking up on me.

Hutt City Triathlon - Sorry no pics yet.

This is also on my Facebook, but I have copied it here as well so that I can keep a record of it on my blog. Just finished the Hutt City Tri....I was aiming for a healthy 1 Hour 50, but managed to come in with a healthy 1 Hour 30!! Very approximate at this stage as the timing chip results come out tomorrow lunchtime I think. I surprised myself with how well the training has been going as it all really paid off today. I started the run feeling a bit deflated ...when pretty much 90% of the people past me.......but I set a personal goal of making sure I ran the whole 4kms and did not stop and walk at all, it was funny seeing people ahead of me walking and going faster than my jogging! But I stuck at it, and when I finished the 4kms (all running - or loosely jogging I guess) I was on the bike and off, and I found my power! Its great to actually pass people, especially passing back some of the ones that passed me on the run. Anyway I passed about 20-30 people on the 18km bike and then passed some more in the 300mtr swim to finish with a healthy time of 1 hour 30minutes approx...Yahoooo!!!! The Results are in already! So here they are....I am quite pleased with them. Run 32:57 (4km) Bike 49:04 (18km) Swim 10:12 (300mtr) (the swim had both of the transitions in the timing) Total Time was 01:32:14 Overall placing was 179 of 213. I am pretty sure my actual time was closer to the 1 hour 30 as well, as by my watch I came in a few minutes earlier, and of course there are the usual annoying interferences of people walking in the pool and getting in the way, and going ar...ound someone and then have them start moving again and getting in your way all the time. Also the swim timing chip mat was in a confusing place, and no-one was directing where to go when you came in from the bike. But hey....what's a couple of minutes at the end of the day, its not like I was aiming for first :) I am just glad not to be first at the wrong end! It was great to have a few people still behind me. My Analysis of the Full Results: bearing in mind that some people buggered up their timing chips so there are some of the 213 participants that are not included in certain timings as they didn't trigger the mat for some reason. So they would have either been faster or slower than me in the particular discipline (but we will never know). So in the Run (which I knew was my weakest by a long way) - ...There were at least 4 other people come in behind me...my heartfelt thanks goes out to those 4 awesome people, as I hate to be last (something I spent too much of my childhood being when it came to sport) The Bike - which is clearly my strongest discipline this time round (and the reason I managed to pass people after my sad run time) - There were at least 70 people slower than me on the Bike. Yahoooo! I think that was a valiant effort as it was "F****N" WINDY for over half of it. And the Swim - usually my best discipline (but being at the end instead of the beginning had a bit of an impact due to being tired) - There were at least 62 people slower than me in the swim. Now looking forward to the Clive, Napier Bloke Free triathlon on the 27th of November (Now that I know I can run that far!) Will be interesting to see how well I go on that one with the normal order or Swim, Bike, Run. Always a bit more of a challenge doing things soggy and the transitions are a lot longer with having to dry off and add shoes etc. http://tiktok.biz/list/huttcitytri/2011/ind/

Fundraising for Cancer Plea

Hi everyone.....this is a tricky post. I am very aware that the "give a little" idea is more than likely not succeeding as my friends, family and colleagues are already very generous people and have most likely already done a substantial amount of donating to different causes throughout the year. And that we can all feel a little overwhelmed by yet another fundraising campaign. My journey to health and well being was kick started by some life-changing/evaluating circumstances and experiences that were a result of having friends & family pass away from cancer that were inspirational to me and had all planted a seed of belief in what my potential was many years ago. These special people all had the most amazing faith in me, and always encouraged me to work hard and make a difference, this combined with a few other key experiences gave me the push I needed to get off the couch. It would really mean a lot to me to be able to raise some money for the Child Cancer Foundation and for the Cancer Society. So if you are looking to donate some money to a charity, then I hope you will consider my "give a little" site that will contribute equally to two great charities. The Give a Little details are on my earlier blog posts. If you want to wait until I have completed the first triathlon to see that I am a woman of my word and that I am truly committed to this journey and completing these triathlons....then look out for next weeks post, where I will be putting up some completion photos, and maybe even some action photos! If my support team manage to click a few photos of me in action.....might be really blurry though due to my AMAZING FLASH GORDON LIKE SPEED! Those of you that want to experience me crossing the line, then the Upper Hutt Tri is based from the NaeNae Pool (all transitions are there) and it starts at 8:30 and I expect to be back at the finish line before 10:30....hopefully a bit earlier than that! Anyway, please have a think about helping me add value to the lives of others while I am on this journey healing my own life.

Weekend Exercise & Triathlon Reconnaissance (Recon)

Saturday I was up at 5:45am (hardly slept during the night knowing I was getting up early) and by 6:30am I was on my bike. I did a 32km ride as well as a 40 minute swim at the pool. Much better ride with my friend from work this time - it's amazing what some air in the tyres will do to a person's speed! I think it was my bike that could have done with a bit more air this time. They were quite ok though. I also took the mountain bike for a quick spin to the supermarket in the afternoon (to make sure it was ok). Sunday morning had me up early again to go for a 50 minute swim, and then I racked the bikes (road bike and mountain bike) onto my van. A little bit scary being on the motorway with my bike rack contraption as the bottom straps that hold it on kept popping off (modification needed). So the purpose of this trip out to the Hutt was to do a reconnaissance of the triathlon for next Sunday. So we (went with my friend Wendy) cycled the run course twice to get a really good look at it, and also the first time we went off course and couldn't find a couple of the streets, which is why we did it twice!. The whole course looks great, and I have to say I feel so much more confident having gone out and biked along the run area.... now I know where I will be going, I think this will go a long way to keeping me focused and keep me running instead of giving up and walking. Just got to keep putting one foot in front of the other and ignore the negative dickhead in my brain that tells me to stop and walk! And who are you kidding, you can't run for the whole 4kms....So I will have to work hard to find that inner ninja and keep going, and turn off that inner saboteur. But I am pretty determined to run the whole way. I have mapped out a 4km run around Island Bay, so I am going to try that tomorrow morning before work...and try and do it before work for the next 4 days, and do the gym or cycle in the afternoons. I had a great day today which has also gone a long way to keeping me motivated....I had a variety of people comment about how great I am doing. Way to go guys!! Those comments from you really help, and you all made me feel fabulous! Thanks. It's really nice to have those positive comments, as sometimes its hard to see how well I am doing. Sometimes the brain struggles to catch up with the changes, and the brain is so used to seeing chubby Kris that it is struggling to catch up with the new image. The size 14 Jeans and changes in my clothes are probably my best indication as to how I am doing and how great I feel. Well, that's about it for this post, I have a 4km run to do tomorrow morning - so I need my beauty sleep! Thanks again to all you fabulous people that have been so great at encouraging me!

Dunedin Bargains and Feeling Fit and Fabulous

Well, I managed to get a lift into town before Thursday Nights Concert and had a chance to do some shopping in Dunedin, what a fabulous city and great shopping. I have to say....I really like Dunedin. Its a great place, will definitely make it a holiday destination again some time. Found an Arthur Barnett Sale Outlet store in the mall and managed to get some great Columbia Brand Vests for $15 each, and I also bought two pairs of Great Jeans from Millers for $15 each. And the most surprising thing about the shopping was the size I was purchasing. The Jeans were a 16 (not been in that size for a long time) and the tops were medium and small. That was definitely a great shopping day! Very good for keeping me motivated. I really enjoyed my running in Dunedin as well, I felt quite invigorated to be able to keep going and not give up after 5 minutes. It's been a very long time since I have run 3kms without stopping. That Police Fitness test is looking better every day! As I still have a good 10 months to get there yet! Very much on track to being Police Fit by 40!

Crime Scene *New*

It would appear that Roamey is getting on board with helping to train me for a career in the Police where you have to view some pretty gross stuff. I have had some serious words with the young offender and have laid down the law that he is not to provide any more training opportunities. Especially when they involve cute bunnies. He was so proud.....but man he had the worst bunny farts ever all night....I can't believe he has managed to process half a bunny (front feet, torso, ears, head including skull!) How the hell did he do that! Or am I yet to find the rest of the crime scene......

April Loses It Blogging Copied over.

So what has the Twigster been up to! Well....it's been an interesting two weeks of school holidays. I set myself a wee challenge to spend pretty much all of it away. To see how I would go with a disrupted routine and out of my normal comfortable environment and away from my gym and pool etc. Week one saw me in Auckland, starting off with a Specforce Session (was great to meet Scotty and Danger Dan) and all of the fab girls that regularly attend the sessions. You guys are inspirational and it was nice to feel like part of the team. I found the Specforce "cartwheel" shuttle hillarious....who would have known that what you think you can do and what you can actually do ...would be so different in practice. In my head I felt I could still do a cartwheel like a 16 year old, I even tried some forward rolls when the cartwheel went pear shaped. I guess the point of balance in the body alters somewhat when the arse is a little more shapely... Anyway I left their feeling triumphant and a little battered and bruised (body not ego) and then I set off for Waiheke Island where I discovered running! I did a week of walking and running the hills of Waiheke....then second week I went to CHCH and Dunedin were I did more walking and even more running. And I managed to push past my stopping barrier.....and run 3kms up and down hills without quitting. So I feel I am certainly on track for the 4km run, 18km Bike 300mtre swim that is coming up in two weeks time with my first Triathlon of the four I signed up for! Yahoooo...looks like I will be running the 4km instead of walking it!....Well.....it was back to work for me today, so the gym/swim/run routine will also be starting up again tomorrow. Too exhausted today after two weeks of limited sleep....(I have been at a Celtic Workshop for 7 days) who would have known that Celtic Session Musicians NEVER SLEEP! Oh my god....they were jamming till 1 and 2am most mornings....and then up again at 7....must be all of the fast didli di tunes that keeps them stimulated. Those scottisch are quite a peppy lot!

Waiheke - Walking & Roosters

Well, it would appear that the Rooster mentioned in my last blog was actually a true Waihekian and on Waiheke Time. He woke me up early the first day and then pretty much was inconsistent for the rest of the visit, sometimes at 10:20am and sometimes first crow was after 2 in the afternoon. So clearly this is a rooster that crows when he feels like it and when it suits. That is one laid back rooster, needless to say that his longevity was secured and no intervention was necessary :) I had a fabulous week on Waiheke and really didn't want to leave. I did loads of walking and running, and caught up with heaps of people. A Magical Time in a Magical Place. I really would like to get some land on Waiheke some time.

Waiheke prep - a crazy week of deadlines to meet before departure.

Well..... it was a crazy sleep deprived full on effort to get all of my work done before leaving for Waiheke on Thursday afternoon. Here is a bit of a rundown. Monday - marked until 1am tuesday morn. Tuesday - marked untill 4:30am and had 3 hours sleep and went to work. Wed - worked all day on 3 hours sleep, then came home and worked through until 1am (then hit the wall with exhaustion) so had a power nap from 1-4 then up and did even more marking before going to work. Worked right through meeting other urgent deadlines before leaving at 12 to go and pack - packed right up until having to leave for airport! Bloody tight timing ! It was such a relief to be finally on the plane! But oh my god I was exhausted. 6 hours sleep in two days in really not enough. I was surprised at how well I was functioning though! Def Police shiftwork potential there!!!

A huge thanks goes to Kit - if she had not taken me to the airport - I would have never made all of my deadlines and had time to pack :)

Man teaching is insane! That was a lot of work! And also a magazine article, student reference, and first in class to calculate. Madness! The portfolio marking has to be the worst and most time consuming!

Anyway - Im writing this blog post while lying in bed on beautiful sunny Waiheke - with the tuis churping and the rooster crowing (not sure the rooster and I will be very good friends!!) But Waiheke is fab and the place Sue is housesitting is stunning - 1st class accommodation - and it was great catching up with everyone at Waiheke High Yesterday. Awesome Day!

Parent Teacher Inteviews tonight - so time to update my blog, and do some marking as well

Well.....so what have I been up to... Saturday I went for an early morning bike ride, I got up at 6:15am on a Saturday Morning!, how impressive was that. I was thinking the bike ride was a decent distance as it took an hour and a half.....but that was mostly because I was back pedaling most of the way and coasting as Angel (friend from work) that went with me had not pumped her tyres up and was really struggling with speed. While I did abandon her a couple of times (I felt the need for some speed) I did wait for her along the way. So it turns out that I should have followed my initial gut instinct of checking her tyres before we left, I even put the pump in the car so that I could do so, but then I decided to assume that she would have checked it herself and I didn't want to interfere with her preparation. They looked to have shape on the ride around the bays, but did appear a bit stodgy. Also she is really slim and fit looking and was peddling really fast, but getting nowhere. So when we got back to the van, I checked her tyres, and she had 10PSI in them, they should have 40-65 PSI....so yeah they were really flat, she must have really been struggling to get up the hill, and its no wonder why she did not manage to get any speed and ability to coast down the other side either. So...I HAVE A NEW RULE. If you want to come cycling with me (as I like a good workout) then don't be offended if I ask to check your tyre pressure first, and please maintain the gears and chain before you leave home. So when I get back from Auckland, Chirstchurch & Dunedin, we will have another go, and I am sure she will keep up next time. I also went for a 40 minute swim and finished the rebuild of my van. And made an amazing eggplant vege dish that will keep me going for the whole week. So Saturday was quite productive. Sunday I went for another early morning swim, and then had a nice breakfast at Sue and Jims and then home for coffee with Kit and Becs. So a nice social morning/early afternoon. Not very productive for the rest of the day, other than a little bit of housework, a bit or organising for my upcoming trip. And alas the marking was not attacked yet again. Now it really is crunch time, as I don't want any marking looming over me for the holidays....so it looks like the next few nights will be all-nighters with marking (I can always sleep on the plane) and the next update to this blog will be on Waiheke. I can't wait!!

Van rebuild is going well

I am almost finished my rebuild of the front section of my van, and I am actually pleasantly surprised at my DIY skills... It is looking really good.... Not sure using my living room as a workshop is the best idea.....but it does mean that it is now getting a regular vacuum! Will post photos when it is all finished.

What were they thinking!

So....anyway....one of my experiences last week was certainly an interesting one, and I am so glad they don't have security cameras in changing rooms...WELL LET'S BLOODY HOPE NOT ANYWAY! So as one is shrinking in the "Ass" region, I am also shrinking in the "Boob" region....and while most women would be really bummed about that....I am quite excited about that prospect. As I have always been more an admirer of the "pert and perfect", than the "hang low, more than a handful" kind. So anyway this led me to a visit to farmers and I decided to have a try of their "triathlon" range. As I gathered this would be the most obvious choice. Well.....oh my god! It was frustrating, hilarious, slightly frightening (was I ever going to get back out again!) and also praying I would not need to ask for assistance! What were they thinking when they designed these, and why are they making these "straightjackets for boobs" for larger sizes....when the only way you would have a hope of managing them would be if you were bendy like a yoga instructor or have a past job as a contortionist, and thin like "Twiggy" the model not the "Twigster".

The Twigster is BACK IN FORM!

Monday was an awesome workout :) I worked a full day and had a meeting and didn't make it to the gym until 5:15.....but then I managed to get it together and do the entire distances for the Upper Hutt Triathlon (I did the 300mtrs for the swim as an extra Treadmill Run.....but the swim is my best discipline anyway...so I am not worried about practicing that at the same time) and I go for at least two swims a week. So I managed to do 4.3kms on the treadmill with an incline to simulate uneven terrain, and I ran intervals of this and then walked at 6km p.h for the rest of it. Then I did the entire 18kms on the Stationary cycle (ouchy on the ass!) The whole lot took me bloody ages - I hope they still have Marshalls out and have not pulled down the finish line by the time I finish on the actual event day! So 1 Hour 47 this time....but from experience I can shave at least 20mins off the cycle when on a real road bike, as 10km on the exercycle takes me 28 mins, but out in the real world that usually takes me under 20 minutes. So watch this space... If you would like to really make this journey beneficial for others as well.....please visit my Fundraising Page and sponsor my series of triathlons. Thanks for checking in! http://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/TheTwigster

Wow - what did I used to do with my time!

I am finding with this new found "LIFE" and "ENERGY" that I get so much done....no more couch potato habits for me! So - check this out.....this is what I got through last weekend - I can't believe it myself! Saturday - 45 minutes swimming, 1.5 hour walk around hills of Island Bay/Houghton Bay, Lunch at the Library, Browse through Library, Went to a great bookshop in the city, Home & More coffee, Repaired a First Aid Kit Bag, and Put away and Organised all of my clothes etc. Sunday - 40 minutes swimming, met one of the April Loses It Challenge Ladies (Caroline) for coffee and a quick walk to the market, Shopped for lovely fresh fruit and veges at the market, Went out with neighbour to garden centre (had lunch), started the remodel of my Van (Kermit), did washing, cleaned house, made a huge crockpot of soup, and did lots of little chores that had not been done for ages! Now this probably all sounds like an average weekend for most of you I am sure....but my weekends used to consist of sitting in front of TV and marking and very little else. So yahooo me!

These guys ROCK! Awesome sales, service & communication.

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Advert Plug! Car Tech in Island Bay AWESOME

These guys were fabulous in saving my Van, and rescuing me from the side of the road on Sunday, they have gone the extra mile on more than one occassion for me and my van. For that they deserve a special recommendation.

BORN AGAIN VAN!

Yahooo!. A speedy recovery, and she is back on the road. And only $350... much better than the $1,000 or $5,000 I was expecting for bigger repairs or replacement. The guys at Car Tech Island Bay are awesome! So nice to know that she will live to ride a few more road trips! I have great plans for my little "Kermit" So now I can continue with my new plans for the remodel, now that she still seems to have some life left in her. And seem as the seat has now been removed.....not much more to do than build and paint a box frame for the tent storage.

Just about created my own Motorway Nightmare

Good things today: Breaking down with steam billowing out of my Van. (good because yesterday I was out on a call out in Johnsonville, so that would have sucked to smoke it out on the Motorway. Luckily I was about 6 blocks from home (Outside Hanson Court Flats) when it started overheating, just as I was turning off a major arterial route. So that was lucky. Was steaming so much I thought it was on fire, so got the fire extinguisher ready just in case. Luckily it didn't go that far, although a fire may have been a better end to its misery. A really nice Car Tech Island Bay mechanic came out on his day off to rescue me, and we managed to drive it back to the garage, still boils its ass off though. So I guess on a positive note, now my van has an inbuilt kettle for making a cup of coffee! So back to the shop it goes. Might have actually cooked it this time though, so it might be terminal. Praying the Van Doctor can fix her up. As I def can't afford another vehicle. Only just finished paying that $800 bill from the last repair last week. Due to major repairs looming, I decided to take the one remaining rear seat out, so that the engine is easier to get to on Monday. So that was a job I had been intending to do anyway, and while doing so I came up with a new design for tent storage... so if she survives, I hope to modify the camper interior before xmas. Very easy remodel. I also managed to go for a swim at Kilbirnie and drop off my due library books in the city before the Van smoked its ass, so there were def worse places it could have died.

Bad things today: Breaking down after having just finishing paying the last $800 bill on my van. Just paid for another 6 months registration, so if she dies, that is a waste of money. I also just gassed her up. Did my budget yesterday to work out my xmas holidays and to make sure I had enough savings for my October holidays, guess that's all poo now. I also finally decided to replace my car stereo a week ago, as the speakers were shot. So that could also be a pain, as if I need to change the car, then I will have to pay for a de-install re-install of the stereo and speakers, also the loud music playing in the car may have contributed to me not hearing the water boiling over, and only knowing things were turning to custard when the smoke started pouring out the front, and the temp gage maxed out. I felt that as I had paid for a major repair just recently that it was a good time to replace the stereo, as I had hoped I would have some good running out of her for a while. Seems that was bad timing. Looks like its back to Mr Bank on Monday, see if they can spot me a few bucks.....or a few more! If it really is terminal. I was actually finally making headway through my debt and even have $50 savings (which is a miracle for me) - looks like that will go on the rescue call out. When I took the other rear seat out I snapped the plastic surrounding (impatient and frustrated while trying to get it out!). But chances are if she is a goner....the seats are really not going to make any difference, and there is always glue!! Anyway...... It's just a Van......I live in Wellington where transport is good. (At least I don't live in Auckland) I have two bikes that I can use for transport. And at the very worst, I will get fitter by not having the Van if it dies completely. Shame about the hard work on the camper building though. As I have spend hours building her. And she was just looking good for xmas. So the glass is still half full :) I also managed to get in two good swims and a 2 hour walk this weekend (quite a few good hills). "Always look on the bright side of life, do do, do do do do do do......"

Back at the Gym today - yahoooo!

It was fabulous to be back at the gym today, I missed it! Who would have ever thought that would happen. Anyway, I decided not to be too crazy with my effort today, as I do want to progressively improve this time, and avoid any further injury. Things feel a little strange still, but I think I just need to get on with it, keep building muscle strength and things will sort itself out in time. I never really thought about the changing feelings to joints as I reduced the load on them, and I am sure that is what it is. The check by the GP reassured that I was in fine health and I should not be concerned. So I just 10kms on the bike and 1 on the treadmill tonight...but I got home and was feeling great. So will pick it up a little more tomorrow. The really kind Napier Police Recruitment officer called today, and we had a good chat about the police and different districts. It is preferred that people recruit into an area where they have an invested interest and family and some connection to the area. So I have decided I am going to go for Gisborne. It seems like the most obvious choice, I loved my time there when I was teaching at Campion, I have loads of friends there and family, it meets my needs for sports, recreation, music and hobbies. And lets face it....Gissy town ROCKS. It would certainly be good to be closer to Ma & Pa and be able to help out a little more if they ever need it. They seem to be quite independent at the moment with all of their campervan adventures, but it would be nice to have a family member nearby if they ever do need a hand. Also its so much closer to Lynn, Harry & Adrian. Also as far as policing goes, if I make the grade it makes sense to police in an area that you have a good knowledge of. Also it will probably be quite a diverse working experience due to its isolation, and lets face it......I always choose to holiday there anyway! And so many of my high school buddies are starting to come home to Gissy and are raising their families there. Well that's all for now....thanks for checking in.

Crime scene update...

Well, the deceased was a well-hung Male Rat, rigor mortis was already set in, which would indicate that Smooch had spent some time playing with Mr Rat, before bringing him home to place in his "pantry" (under the spare bed). Apologies to the rest of Mr Rats Family from the park across the road. I hope you are enjoying the better weather today which should see you all safe in your holes.

The case of the disappearing Ass

I am pleased to announce that I have finally taken on board the feedback from my friends about my "Fat Jeans". I will endeavor to wear some more fitting clothes as I slowly shrink. However....now and then when needing inspiration....I might be inclined to put those jeans on, as they are kind of my BADGE OF HONOR, and they remind me of how well I have done so far. I have gone so far as to buy a belt that I can wear with them though, so I can at least stop wearing them like the boys do.....low riding. As even I have to admit they did look pretty silly without the belt (looked like they were missing something) oh yeah....that's right....they were missing something ... MY ASS. Well from the case of the disappearing Ass, I now must rush off and sort out the crime scene in my house. Smooch just bought his latest kill in and placed it under the spare bed. I think he has decided that as a CAT he should have certain house entitlements and have his very own pantry in which he can store some food for later. I am glad I filled up most of under the bed with the old mattress from my Van, as at least his pantry is not as big as it once was. Big bonus this time is that he has actually bothered to kill it first (well it looked quite limp, hopefully not playing dead). I usually have to wait a few days for him to catch them again before we get to the crime scene stage. Praying for some more sunny weather so the RATS stay in their holes.....as every time it rains, I end up with RAT takeaways being left abandoned in the house by smooch. He is sitting staring at me OH SO PROUD right now. No "Who Done It" in this case. Night for now. And I am so praying it really was dead.....Wish me luck for the removal of the evidence. UGGGGHHHH! I am just having a horrible thought......I wonder how many more are under there, that I haven't seen him bring in.....YUCK! Night everyone, have a fabulous week.

Oh what a difference 14kgs makes!

Wow - great shopping expedition today! I actually had to take a few second looks in the mirror! I did the op-shop circuit today (9 of them in my area) and bought some great bargains, and some of them were even size 14 & 16. Also a friend rescued some nice jeans from a friend of hers (apparently they were about to go in the clothing recycling bin) and I thought I would never get a size 16 on, let alone done up. Especially as I started this journey as a 20-22. I am so close to being comfy in the 16s...I did actually get them done up! I think once I get to 75kgs...I'll be there for sure. And then it won't be much longer before I can try the 14s she gave me as well. Its great to have such generous friends. As changing shape could be expensive if it wasn't for good friends and op shops! Just the underwear that I have to pay full dollar for! Even I have my limits!
So weigh in today was 79.1kgs - so I feel that is a pretty comfy escape from the 80s now that I hope not to see that 8 in front of the scale reading ever again. Go the 70s....
I also bought some nicer underwear, go "thunderpants" man they are just awesome! And so funky! I can highly recommend them (thanks Lynn and Sue for your recommendation of them)....and I also supplemented with some nice colourful Bonds (thunderwear is a bit expensive to do my whole wardrobe). So I have now lost 14kgs in 15 weeks - so almost at my goal of 1kg a week. Yahooo! So if you need a little inspiration along the way.....clean out that underwear drawer and also hit those op shops for some bargains (outer wear only!)

http://www.thunderwear.co.nz/go/home/index.cfm

Give a little

Click the title above for the link to the fundraising page for the Cancer Society and Child Cancer Foundation.

Fundraising Mission for the Cancer Society and Child Cancer Foundation

As part of my journey from Fat to Fit in 18 months (started on 29th May 2011) I have signed up for four triathlons, enrolled in the April Loses it Challenge and I am also working towards passing the NZ Police Fitness Appraisal Tests before I am 40 (By 22nd Sept 2012).

I'll do all the hard work; train for and complete in these four triathlon events as part of my journey from Fat to Fit but I really need your help to make a difference to my charities.

I have chosen the Cancer Society & Child Cancer Foundation as my charities of choice, as I have over the years:

Worked in the Child Cancer Ward in Wellington.

Unfortunately had to attend the funeral of a colleagues young child in 2005.

I am currently supporting and following a friends journey as she fights for her precious boy. He is one of the poster boys and Stars on the latest video advertisement for Child Cancer.

Cancer has affected many of my friends and family over the last few years and seems to really have exploded just lately and it has been quite an intense few years with multiple diagnosis of friends and family as well as the very sad passing of 5 very Special People.
My Goal is $6,000 which is $1,000 for each triathlon, and $1,000 for each of my other goals, April Loses It and Police Fit by 40.
however.....as you know these are both great charities, so the more the merrier.....If you find another challenge you want to add to my list.....then drop me a line on my blog, and lets see if we can all work together to go past my first fundraising target.

Event Details -
6th November: Hutt City Triathlon 4km run 18km bike 300mtr swim 8:00AM

27th November: Bloke Free Triathlon (Napier) 300mtr swim, 10km Bike, 3km Run.

1st December 2011 - Final Weigh in for the April Loses it Challenge that I am also taking part in as part of my journey.

10th of March 2012: Contact Tri Series 3:9:3 - 9:00AM Wellington City 300mtr ocean swim, 9km Bike, 3km run.

17th of March 2012: Contact Tri Woman Series Triathlon - 8:00AM Eastbourne, Wellington. 300mtr Ocean Swim, 10km Bike, 3km Run.

To all my fab friends and family that have been affected by Cancer, and are still fighting the battle. Every Step I Take - I do it for you! Yes....I had to add a little bit of Sting in there to finish. Go the shrinking waistline!

THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO THESE TWO WONDERFUL CHARITIES. http://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/TheTwigster

Better post something before my two followers lose interest :)

Hi ya, well I guess I have not been very active on here as I have not been very active out of here either. The alignment is still causing a few hassles, I am starting to think that it might actually be shrinking pains - its a new clinical diagnosis I am coming up with and I am going with it until I am told otherwise. I am seeking real medical support on Friday, where I am going to catch up with my fab GP just for a general check in. As there are bound to be a few glitches along the way as I transition from FAT to FAB! So I am thinking my knees are just kind of all a bit "weightless" and complaining about not carrying the extra 13kgs I have been inflicting on them for the last 20 years. I went for quite a few spas last week as my form of rehab, and they definitely helped, and on Sunday I went for a real 45 minute swim and it felt really good. I went back to the gym on Monday and did a really light workout, but made sure I added 10mins of bike and 10mins of treadmill to try and get those muscles working again. Was ok, and I think overall I have seen an improvement today.
Had a strange day at work today - its like the universe was trying to tell me that even teaching can have "better work stories" just like the cops do.

I started my day with helping a student that has been showing some distress and was starting to demonstrate some unhealthy coping strategies to anxiety. And by being really mindful of where she was at, she had a great lesson and seemed a lot more at ease.

Then at lunchtime as I was putting up some notices I was notified of a fight by some students, so I ran down the stairs right in to the middle of it and shouted at them in a very loud and powerful voice, and they separated immediately. Then I ordered one to go to L5 and the other to follow me.....And to my surprise they obeyed!

Then I finally made it to lunch and as I was heating my soup (nice and healthy) I noticed one of our staff having a bit of trouble, looking a bit shaky and clammy, barely able to hold his cup and plate, so then I organised him to head to his office where his GP was called and an appointment was made and then I made sure he rested and re-hydrated with some water before he left for his appointment.

Oh and to finish my interesting day, I picked up a Trade Me Purchase I had made which was an old First Aid Cabinet, and wow, what a bargain, it was full of medical supplies, all unopened and in great condition. So that was awesome as on the weekend I picked up a St John Emergency First Aid Bag from a second hand shop, so now I have the most awesome Emergency Kit ever! and all for $25.

Well that will have to do for now as I have not grabbed my charger and my battery is about to die.

Will post more later this week when I have done some more workouts and know more about my progress. Very close now to getting into the 70kgs ZONE, just about 200 gms to go before I leave the 80s behind!!

I can't wait.

Oh and by the way...the Cop "work stories" still trump the school "work stories" but it was nice to feel a bit more useful today. And it was certainly a diverse day, with being a pseudo cop, nurse and mental health worker all in an hour!

Good Things & Bad Things - a rollercoaster ride today

Bad things.

Feeling like I need a wheel alignment!
Having a headache.
Having too many people demand my attention all day long! Oh my god.....The Music Department was total madness today. Nothing like last minute practices by students. Students skipping classes and ending up in the Music Dept with no note from their teacher!!!
Too much noise.
A student banging on the door while I am trying to talk to someone on the phone in the office. When will they cut us a break in that shoe box office and put a damn window in it!
Photocopier technician arriving right in the middle of a class - although he was mostly independent, just needed me to log in....and he did give us a new finisher that staples.
Staff not putting the phone back on charge, and it dying right at the crucial point of my call and then having to call back at my expense on my cellphone.
Not just having Music Students in the practice rooms on a really busy day but also having other students rehearsing in the rooms for other classes as well. That is usually all good.....but just a bit too much on the day before Music Evening.
Students missing deadlines again and trying to negotiate a reprieve, when the due date and time was mentioned in countless emails and on countless documents. Getting really tired of this one!
Staff not supplying me with enough information in a timely manner and me having to run around looking at records to find the information and wasting texts on my cell getting the information from students. Massive frustration and hours and money wasted.
Countless changes to the programme for tomorrow's music evening!! Oh my god! no wonder why the photocopying budget is dire and also no wonder why I have a headache.
Late for my 1 hour remedial spa to try and help reduce tension from wonky body - I was late due to students making more last minute changes. I also missed out on my swim before the spa.
All in all - a day I wish I had not had to endure. If only each person that added to my stress today had a video they could play on fast forward beforehand, seeing what had already gone on before them! Then they might have found some inner strength to be more helpful and more independent....oh but wait.....there is more...

Person on the wrong side of the road as I was driving down to the pool (and on a blind corner!)
Slamming on the brakes and everything in the van going for a slide. Luckily the driver was foreign so they probably didn't understand my expletives.

The rest of the Bad today is all a blur....but there were a couple of other things.


Good things.

The captain from the Army Base at Trentham rang and said that due to me being ex Military personnel that I was welcome to use their 6ft wall to train on and they would give me clearance to use it whenever I wanted to. Great! That was definitely worth asking about! Glad I thought outside the square on that one.

Getting the spa for free! even if it was for only 45 minutes. I got too hot anyway.

Having one student that was nice enough when they asked for a change to actually take the time to write a letter of apology and would I mind. (Even if this was the last request that made me late for the spa) But at least they had the decency to approach the issue in a mature way with lovely manners. And not demanding :)

Having almost 100% attendance for my Roopu (form class) not yet achieved this year I think. And the one that was away, is almost always present. So we were really close to full attendance. It was nice to see the students that hardly ever come were looking refreshed, happy and really taking pride in themselves. Well done 12TYK.

Getting the new finisher on the photocopier so we can staple - sounds silly...but this saves so much time!

Having the scanning function on the photocopier set up.

Having a nice coffee and healthy dinner with my neighbour. Well I had a healthy one anyway, she brought up some takeaways. The company was nice and she also always lights my fire for me. And cuts the kindling. Most awesome neighbour ever!

Getting the draft programme finished. Just have to make it pretty now for the punters.

Having a good Tech Crew set up for the Music Evening with minimal assistance from me. So much better than the last music evening where most of the sweat was mine!

Getting an email back from the physio, with a fairly doable fee for treatment if I decide I need some. Will wait till next week and see if things settle down. I definitely need to look at these $350 shoes I bought, I think even though I paid the money to have them fitted at a shoe clinic, that they are just not supportive enough and allow me to roll too much.

Cuddles with the cats.....even though Roamy approached Kit for his first cuddle and not the person that feeds him!

My friends son that has cancer having some good blood counts today....yahooo Pete!

Avoiding the silly bugger on the wrong side of the road and somehow miraculously missing them!

Going to bed before 11pm! Yes I am now signing off and going to bed.

The Twigster is Frustrated

I never imagined a day where I would be frustrated because I couldn't exercise.
Ever since my Ninja Run last Tuesday, I have had some issues with strange feeling knees. It's like I need a wheel alignment (shame Dad has retired from Beaurepaires) he might have been able to sort me out. So I feel out of alignment in the hips and the knees, and all I can put it down to was that Ninja Run on the treadmill as well as some new exercises I started last week. So I think I have stretched some ligaments or something, I am finding that I am walking out on the sides of my feet, over pronation I think it is called. So its like the feet are going one way and the knees are going the other way, and this is causing some tension and discomfort. But absolutely no pain. So maybe its the curse of the Hip Dysplasia from childhood coming back to bite me in the ass. So... out of frustration I had to quit my gym session and go to the pool instead where I went for a 40 minute swim (mostly just using upperbody and dragging legs, so it was a good upper body workout) and then a 30 minute hot spa, and that seemed to help a lot. So I am going to do that for the rest of the week and lay off the gym for a week, and use the time to work on my swimming instead. As the week progresses if things start coming right then I will add some quad strengthening exercises. Also I might investigate if I should go back to some sort of orthotic to straighten my gait and reduce uneven wear on joints.

I have booked into the spa for a whole hour tomorrow.

Anyway - I never thought I would be so hooked on exercise that I would be really miserable not to be able to do what I want, and to have to take a step back. It is a bit sucky considering how well I was doing. I was pretty close to full on running. But I have a sneaky feeling that it was the running that has actually done me in. I will have to stick to my original plan to leave the running right until the last minute and only start it when I am less than 70kgs. Otherwise it is just cruel to my poor joints.

Oh well, at least the swimming will get better and get more attention than the usual 1 or 2 swims a week. And today I got the spa for free (so there is my silver lining for the day) just to finish on.

Oh what a beautiful day

Up for a great 45min swim at 8am, then home and off for a quick 10km bike ride (on a real bike on real roads! Was great to finally pump up the tyres and get the bike out. Its a fabulous bike and was awesome to ride. Its quite a fast bugger. In fact it really should have better brakes with the speed it can do. Might have to look into that, as neither the front or rear brakes are very good. So long as I don't have to stop in a hurry I'm sweet! I also have a new respect for cyclists and less respect for cars... drivers in Welly really are quite clueless, I had to slow right down on many occasions as cars cut in front of me to turn left when I was carrying on straight ahead.

There are really quite a few elements you don't get to experience on the gym bike. It is also so much faster to complete the 10kms for real, even with the welly wind.

Also for some good news, I got a message back from Scotty of SpecForce, and he says his new gym is going to run training sessions for police and military at 7am 3 days a week as part of their regular programming. That's awesome. So I will make the most of this when I am up in Aucks for the next hols and in the 1st hols in 2012.

Well.....time for a healthy lunch and then off to the library to do a bit more research.

Have a fab Sunday!

Time to take control and grow up :)

This evening I replied to a post on a friends facebook. And I realised that what I wrote is a huge change in my thinking that has really made a massive positive impact on this lifestyle change journey. As what is it that finally made me snap and take action over my life. How have I managed to turn around years of negative thinking, and taking on board too much of what others think. The desire for acceptance has always been such a driving factor in the decisions I made.

I guess you get to a point in your life (better now than never) where you finally manage to sift through what is important and make it a priority.

I could sit here and go "gosh I wish I had not spent the last 20 years EATING and getting FAT, what a waste of 20 years" but in actual fact, I am really loving the personal journey that my entire life has provided. We all have lessons to learn, and its good to work hard to learn lessons. They tend to be the better lessons, and ones that last. It's never too late to make a change.

And as for what I wrote on my friend's facebook to help her with her own demons.

I have spent a lifetime of comparing myself to my siblings, until recently I realised I didn't actually have to, and that as a grown up, I could make my own choices and also decide what was good for me in my life. So now, if it's not good for me, I don't engage in whatever is going on that causes me more harm than good. It's the best decision I have ever made. I have spent my whole life taking on board negativity (even though I am sure it was never intended that way, or that the comments often came out of minimal thought as to the impact or how a person might interpret the comments) it was the negative that I always took from things, the part of the message I would hang on to, I had a "Masters" in finding the negative in a situation. Now I don't have to. CHOICE is an amazing place of empowerment.

When you get to that point, you really find your heart grows. Your understanding enables healing, growth, tolerance and acceptance. You finally find your OWN IDENTITY. I have no need to compare myself to others. WOW IS THAT WHAT SELF ACTUALISATION IS!!! hahaha

What I have learnt is that you can spend a lifetime trying to seek approval from others, when in actual fact the only person that needs to approve of you IS YOU!

Its also up to YOU - to decide how you react to things, how much of an impact (positive and negative) events in your life can have.

It's great to be a grown up!

SPECFORCE

I wanted to post a link to SPECFORCE, as it opens this week in Auckland.

This is owned and operated by an ex-Army PT.

Specforce is the latest fitness craze to hit the market.
This training system has been used with the NZ Military Special Forces for the last five years, and it is now available for the general public to experience what it takes to be part of an elite group of people.
This is not a bootcamp or a general civilian gymnasium fitness workout. This is the real deal available to motivated people keen to experience something new in their training that will make you never want to return to the conventional ways.

Contact details for SpecForce
Email scott@specforce.co.nz
Phone 021 062 5925
Website http://specforce.co.nz

A Beautiful Day In Welly Sunshine

Today was my day off from exercise, but I decided it was such a stunning day that I had to get out amongst it, so ended up doing a 6km walk anyway. And after my crap effort in the gym yesterday (unstable knee at the moment) I felt like I really needed to keep going today.

Still working towards my goal, and it is really just going to have to be 1 day at a time for now until I lose the next 20kgs. I will be in a much better position to work out what I need to do for the Police Fitness once I have lost the weight and built up some muscle strength.

I did some reading about knees and how to make them stronger, because....lets face it, while they are an awesome joint in terms of mobility they are also one of the more fragile joints and seems to be the joint that even super fit and trim people have some trouble with. So I have certainly not done them any favours over the last 20 years. The research and info I read was quite reassuring, and the great thing is that I don't actually have any pain at all, and no actual injury, they just don't feel very strong and are sometimes a bit clicky. Apparently this is quite common. So with building up the leg muscles you can aid and strengthen the knee.

I have been doing lots of reading about all aspects of the Police Testing, and Training, as well as watching lots of video's. Nothing has freaked me out too much yet, some things have elevated the heart rate a little bit, but as a past adrenalin junkie - that is pretty much what I am looking for anyway. Nothing like a BIG CHALLENGE.

And like I said....I'm not ready to curl up and knit my life away just yet.

I have also purchased some Psychometric testing books to increase my intelligence....working in the same job for so long has made my brain a bit lazy. I have also started doing sudoko to keep the brain cells firing as well.

I have completely cleaned out the city library of books on psychometric testing, swimming, running, triathlons, and cycling. SORRY WELLINGTON!

Well - that's all for now, going to read some books on swimming tonight and then try out the techniques in the pool tomorrow morning.

Oh some other great news today - SPECFORCE the gym that is run by the fitness trainer for the April Loses It challenge is opening next week, and as an ex Army PT Trainer I asked if he was intending to put a 6ft wall in his gym for people to train on, and apparently he already has it built and organised...so that is fabulous news.
I am going up to Auckland in the 1st week of the next school hols, so I will check it out then. And I might book another week up there in the 1st term hols next year so I can do a hard out week of training with him.

I have a funny feeling there used to be a 6ft wall on a confidence course in Gissy as well. So will try and find out if it is still there when I am home on the xmas holidays. Might see if I can do a ride along with the Gissy police as well over xmas, and see what policing is like in Gissy compared to Welly.

Oh....I also drew a 6ft line on my living room wall the other day.....not sure if I had written that before.....but its good to stare at it every day!!!!

Off to mark some work, read some swimming books, cook a healthy dinner, and update my visual dreams board.

Have a fab weekend everyone.

More like Miss Blobby than Ninja today

Might have pushed that inner Ninja a little too far yesterday, as today I had to take a step back, knees feel somewhat jelly like today and just not feeling very secure today while on the bike and treadmill.

I still did a good 12.5kms on the bike at 10 tension, and power walked 2.5kms on the treadmill at 6kms an hour.

So a good 70mins Cardio. It just didn't feel strong like my other workouts this week.

I really hope once I drop a further 20kgs that the knee strength will come back. I think I have just punished them a little too much by having to carry an extra 30kgs for the last 20 years.

I am taking a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement daily, as well as a multivitamin. And I am also doing some good strength training exercises at the gym.

I guess the area I am really WINNING in is the food. I am completely NINJA in my dedication to healthy eating. Not one small glitch in 13 weeks.

Pulled into get gas tonight and was faced with that annoying confectionery display at the counter, and was not even remotely tempted. I now realise that anything I put in....means I have to work harder at the gym....and that is a pretty good motivator to behave!

More pics & one of my NAVY Style walks

Not sure I will get Wendy to say yes to another walk with me unless its sunny outside.

This day was colder than a well-diggers arse, and so windy we were wind assisted up the hill.

All good fun!

I have also added a silly photo from our April Loses it collection.

If laughter could shed kilos - I would have lost heaps on this day

I managed to talk my good friend Wendy into joining the challenge with me. So one afternoon, I put on some bike pants (would never wear these in public!) although I guess now its blogged I kind of have! ....and we bribed the downstairs neighbour to take some action shots of our preparation to join the April Loses It challenge. So here they are in all their glory - they are a bit fuzzy as they were taken on the iphone.

April Loses It - MY PLAN & Capsule Wardrobe Dream

I've always been interested in the power of visual dream boards, and visual planning. So to help with the motivation I planned a "new wardrobe" Gok Style (Capsule).

April Loses It Fat Photos

I have been kind of blogging on the facebook page for April Loses It since May. So a lot of my information and progress is on there. I might transfer some of it onto here for archiving. But to start things off I thought I would post the Fat Photos I started with.

Finding my inner ninja

Well, I had a great time at the gym tonight, I have to give the guys at BPM a plug....if your in Wellington and want a great gym with really supportive and motivated trainers with a vast diversity of experience, physio, nutrition, personal training, health science this is the place to come. BPM is located on Taranaki Street, and mostly serves the Massey University Population and lots of teachers from Wellington High School, but it is also a public gym anyone can attend. I have never felt so supported in any other gym I have attended. And these guys are really active, they are always walking around checking people's progress, offering help. Also when mentioning some of my crazy training ideas and Massive Goals, they are in it with me 100% telling me know worries you will get there.

I am definitely getting stronger, and fitter, in fact a few gym members have started to ask what it is that I am doing, what motivates me, and have been watching my progress from afar, its nice that they are interested in what I am attempting. I am pretty determined during my workouts and a large woman running on a treadmill or cycling for an hour is bound to get a bit of attention and a few questions.

I was stoked today when in the changing room the girl that was on the treadmill next to me came up to me and said I looked really fit and that she had been looking at my treadmill settings during my workout and was surprised by the speed. That made me feel so great, and I have to confess, the running is really starting to feel better each time, I am definitely starting to find my "inner ninja".

I just have to run for the entire time....and eliminate the power walking sections of my treadmill workout. And that is just a matter of time, the lighter I get the easier it gets, and if I keep strengthening my knees with the biking and cross trainer then it won't be long before I can push through the pain barrier and run the whole 20-30 mins on the treadmill.
My long-term running goal is the Police Fitness Test of 2.4kms in 13 minutes 10 seconds.
And the ability to run a 10km distance without stopping.

I have so far signed up for 4 triathlons for 2011-2012. Two in November and Two in March. And just to make things even more challenging, the first one is the longest one. 4km Run 18km Bike Ride and 300 mtr swim.

The other three are all 300mtr swim, 10km bike, 3km run.

Feel free to join me on one of them if you want to come along for the ride.
1st one is in the Hutt.
2nd one is in Clive, Napier.
3rd and 4th ones are in Wellington.

So anyway....if you have not guessed it by now....

I have decided to have a crack at qualifying for entry into the NZ Police before my 40th birthday....I know...your all wondering if I have reached my mid-life crisis!

Nope - I just really miss working in a close-knit environment, never thought I would say it, but I actually miss that Military lifestyle. I don't want to be back in the Navy however, and I have always been interested in working for one of the emergency services and during my volunteer work with Victim Support I have come to find the Police to be a very interesting and exciting prospect for my next 1/2 of my working life.

Also I really think it is a better choice to find something active, instead of sedentary. I'm ready for a challenge, and the more weight I loose the more exciting I want my life to be. I'm just not ready to curl up and rock in my lazy boy for the rest of my life.

I think the most encouraging thing so far since announcing my interest in the NZ Police has been the overwhelming support of everyone, including friends and family and people that know me well. I was fully expecting some negative comments (based on my current weight) and lets face it I'm a little height deprived as well. But it appears that my passing Navy Training has instilled some faith in my friends in family, and based on my past achievements, and my current efforts, everyone is encouraging me to go for it, and that I would make a great Police Officer. The sheer will and support of everyone just might be enough energy to propel me over that 6ft wall when the moment arises.

I am so glad I went for that ride-along with Kurt and Lewis and spent some time chatting with Melanie.....Melanie really planted a seed that night (standing in the middle of the street, freezing cold on the night before the snow started) I said maybe I could find a civilian position, and she said "that won't be anywhere near as much fun" .....Thanks Mel...you got me thinking...and your right. I would also feel like a bit of a sell out if I didn't challenge myself and really give this a shot.

Finally to end today's blog....I rarely thank my parents for things, so on this occasion I want to say thanks for leading me into the direction of the Navy when I left school, for signing me up for an interview with the recruiter when I was in Wellington applying to be a student in Jazz School in 1990. I was so lucky I didn't get accepted into Jazz School, exceptionally lucky to start my working life in the Military.....this start helped me believe in myself and learn that I can push myself, the PTI's pushed me further than I ever managed I could go. I learnt that I can achieve challenging things, and this groundwork has been the basis of all of my success in life since. The Navy provided me with a strong mindset, and a great go hard or go home attitude. For that I will always be grateful. That mindset is really helping me push out that inner ninja at the gym.

Actual start date of the challenge - 29th May 2011

Weighing in at a whopper 93.1 on Start Day.
20 years since joining the 1991 Royal New Zealand Navy May Intake. One of the people I trained with "facebooked" me this year and asked if I was going to the reunion, I said had it been 10 years already, and she said NO its the TWENTIETH reunion!! Wholly Crap!

Today is the 23rd of August 2011 - I have been at this challenge now for 12 weeks and have already lost 11kgs.

It is an interesting journey, so I have now decided to document it, and anyone that is interested in following "Krissie's New Life Development" is welcome to come along for the ride.

A couple of good friends from my Navy and Skydiving Days (John Squire & Phil Baldey) both told me once that if your life is worth living it is worth recording. I have also read that in one of my many "self help" books that live on my bookshelf and rarely get opened or any of the knowledge consumed and acted upon.

A lot has gone on in the last 12 weeks - so posts on this blog are going to be really adhoc, as I think I will choose to blog things as I remember them, as opposed to writing sequentially. I will try to contextualize the posts though and place them in a time and place of my life that most people that know me will be able to figure out.

So - WHY NOW, what is the motivation for finally getting my ass off the couch!

Well it has been an accumulation of some pretty big life changing events over the last couple of years, as well as some chance conversations with people, and general reflection of my life.

In no particular order - here are some of my motivating factors to getting my large 93.1kg BOD off the couch.

The loss of one body organ (Gallbladder) in 2008, this is usually attributed to being fair fat and 40 (of which I was Fair Fat and 36) So once again - ahead of my time!

A candid conversation (someone bold enough and honest enough to ask the question) with Chris Norman while panting up the street in Wellington - he asked me "Why am I overweight" what is it in my life that I gave up on. I have only just started actually to think about that conversation this year.

The candid honesty of my sweet little Nephew Adrian when he was about two - on one occasion he would not get into his car seat, so I was trying to cajole him into sitting in his seat, so I said that if he didn't hurry up then Aunty Krissie was going to sit in it. He got quite shocked at this and even looked a little panicked, and then he said "you can't, your too fat!" Got to love the honesty of an innocent child.

Staying in my Sisters house one xmas and awaking to the sound of the relatives discussing my weight issue. I had stopped being "Kris" and I had become a "health concern" to family and friends.

The loss of way too many friends, family and colleagues to Cancer since 2005. While I ultimately do this Life Style Change for myself, I am also honoring these special people that have not had the opportunity to do all they really wanted to do and all that they should have been blessed to do. I will not waste my life and waste what I have been given any further. My heart goes out to the following special people.
Simon Castles (high school friend) - you always believed in me and made me feel special and pretty like no fella has ever managed to do since. Thanks Bud.
Kristin Osborne (only 6 years old - but what an amazing maturity for one so young)
Cathy Gilmour (Your honesty and special chat on Waiheke about "Life" drives me every day)
Aunty Bet - your free spirit and great love of family and your amazing support and regular chats have been so influential. Thank You

To my friends that are currently battling this horrible disease, my get fit efforts will be also used to raise funds for the Cancer Society. I hope to make a difference. My love and support goes out to you all through this difficult time.

So what else has pushed my motivation over the edge to actually get me moving!
A sneak preview at what was going to lie ahead - increased risk of developing Diabetes, and then potentially needing Knee and Hip replacements if I kept heading in the same unhealthy direction, the potential to loose the upstairs faculty early in life as well through being too inactive. I realised it was not too late to avoid these major problems by taking action NOW!

The chance to loose weight and actually have some shot of my skin bouncing back! and not ending up all saggy. Skin starts drastically loosing elasticity after 40.

I also had started reflecting on how was it that I had turned into a lazyboy sitting (knitting), TV watching, grumpy, junk food inhaler, inactive, ancient looking 38 year old from an adrenalin junkie, skydiving, military trained, squash playing, fun loving, skiing 25 year old....what the hell had happened. When did I wake up and decide its time to start dying and I had given up on making the most of my life. How the hell did that happen! that bloody negativity monster had snuck up on me and totally consumed my vitality.

Christchurch Earthquake - I was privileged to be called upon to help one of the CTV Building survivors as part of my role with Victim Support. While I can't go into any details, meeting this person really changed my perspective on life. And with the combination of loosing Cathy during this time and being so wrapped up in CHCH that I had not realised she had passed away. I thought it really was time to be more aware, and stop coasting through life. It was Cathy that said I should pretty much grab life by the balls and make the most of every day, as you never know what cards you may be dealt. And she mentioned that knowing she had limited time had been really empowering for her, as she knew how much she could achieve and set about to do things she really wanted to do and loved, where as for the rest of us...you never know what the next day may bring....and it might be a "Bloody Bus"...if you get my drift...so spending that day doing something without passion is really a bit of a waste.

When you miss a friends passing because you are so wrapped up in your daily existence and "being too busy" to know what is happening around you...that is inexcusable and time to take note and make some changes.

So anyway.....HOW IS THAT FOR MOTIVATION!

The final straw (fuel to the motivation fire) was the April Ieremia Challenge that I saw in the NZ Woman's Weekly. April Loses It - a 30 week 30kg Weight Loss Challenge to the whole country. And the lure of an overseas exotic holiday for two winners. I like a good challenge. Also it was a chance to get additional support (face book group) for free as well as online fitness and eating plans shared by a professional personal trainer. And after my terrible failure at the Ocean Swim across Auckland Harbour in 2008 I really needed a new challenge to get me kick started.

So add to that - my joining the gym right next to work (no excuses not to go)
Signing up for the Green Prescription so I could get what I call my "Fat Card, get out of jail free card" which gives me discount to fitness activities in Wellington. And also my 2 free swims a week as part of a weight loss initiative run by the PHO. I have set myself up for success, and already into week 12 - the lifestyle change is working, and I am feeling great, full of energy, and passionate about my life again. Anyway....more about that in the next blog I think as it is almost 1:00am and I also had a 3:00am morning yesterday (so much to do these days!) so for now.....I'm signing off. See you all soon with some more interesting stories.

By the way - did I mention what the secret to all of lifes problems is....

Well ... IT IS PORRIDGE - the super food of weight loss champions!

I also think it could make quite a good glue! (sometimes I don't make it very well)