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!!