Running and breathing. Doing it wrong and getting it right

With race day just under two months away I have decided that I need to take this whole running thing a little more seriously. As much as it is all just about getting out there and putting one foot in front of the other there are also a few handy things to know about to get the most out of putting those feet in front of each other.

For me at the moment the most difficult thing about running is breathing. I just can't seem to do them both at the same time. No matter how much I breath in it just doesn't feel that I am actually getting any air in. Obviously I must be getting some in, but just not nearly enough for my body's liking.

Thanks to a quick Google search though I have been able to find the error of my ways and am now enlightened as to how a runner should be breathing. And since I am a sharing caring kind of running blogger I am happy to impart my new found knowledge on to you.

With any luck now that I know how to run a breathe
I too will soon make running look as effortlessly as she does

The first thing I was doing wrong was trying to breath through my nose. For some reason I thought that I would have more control of my air intake if I only breathed through my nose. Which was actually pretty tricky to do. Which is why I thought it must have been the right thing to do because so often in life the right thing is often the hardest thing to do.

Not when it comes to running and breathing though.

When running you should breath through your mouth rather than your nose. Or both, but definitely not your nose alone.

Clearly your air intake through your mouth is of a much larger capacity than your nose. Since you need extra oxygen to run properly it only stands to reason that you breath in a manner which maximises your air intake. I can't believe I couldn't work that all out for myself but there you go.

The other hot breathing while running tip, is to breath deep and from your belly rather than your chest.

Apparently most runners have a tendency to breath using their chest rather than their diaphragm. To combat this it is advised to practise belly breathing when you are not running so that it will eventually become a natural habit.

Regular Pilates, which strengthens the core, increases flexibility and improves breathing is a great way to encourage belly breathing. Some great Pilates exercises for runners can be found on this Runners World post.

To test where you are a belly breather or not, place your hand on your stomach and breath in. Your hand should rise as your stomach expands. As you exhale your stomach (and hand) should go down.

Once you have sorted breathing in through your mouth and using your diaphragm rather than your chest the last part of breathing while running is establishing a rhythm.

A running breathing rhythm is essentially just taking the same amount of steps for each inhale and then exhale. For example when you breath in, take two steps, then breath out over another two steps and so on. Of course it doesn't have to go for two steps though, it might suit your pace better to breath in over three and out over two or vice versa or perhaps a 2:1 or 1:2 ratio works better. It all just depends on on your stride, pace and where abouts in your run you actually are. For more details on establishing breathing rhythm while you run head to this post by Runners Connect.

So there you have all you have to do to breathe properly while running is, open your mouth, create a rhythm and use your belly rather than your chest! Easy as huh?

Getting my run back on

Just over two years ago, on the 18th February 2012 to be exact, I began to change my life forever.

Inspired primarily by Trish and Kate I laced up my sneakers and decided to see if could suddenly become a runner.

I say suddenly because for my entire life before that point running was not something I thought I could do. Sure I played team sports as a teen that involved a lot of running but that was different. Short dashes from one end of a field to another chasing a ball hoping to get there before someone else did was not exactly real running. Especially when it left you completely and utterly out of breath and gasping for air.

Somehow though, with time, patience and perseverance I could slowly feel a change occurring within in my inner being. As I worked my way through my beloved interval training program I noticed that I was actually able to run for extended periods of time. In fact after about eight weeks I was actually able to maintain a steady much faster than walking pace for a solid thirty minutes.

Since then my running has fluctuated. There has been times when I would be out pounding the pavement every other day and other times where a month and sometimes more, would pass between runs. Though the longer I went without running the more I would long to do so and eventually I would find a way to get myself back out there.

Me getting myself back out there

Over this period I have managed to propel myself nearly 500 kilometres. In June last year I entered my first fun run. A twelve kilometre city to surf event. Being able to say I completed it feels me with all kinds of pride. As does being able to call myself a runner. Words I honestly never thought would leave my mouth.

On the television the other day I heard an advertisement advising that registrations for this year's City to Surf event were now open. Needless to say I am registered. Last year I had less than a month to prepare myself for the big day. This year I have about double that and I am making the most of it.

Sadly recent months have seen less running than I would have liked. Between working, studying, the weather, being a mum and all kinds of stupid excuses have made squeezing in time for a run easier said than done.

At least that was the case before I registered for the race.

Once I had registered, which involved me parting with forty dollars, I made a promise to myself not to make any excuses not to get out there. The running inspired birthday gifts I received the other day have helped no end in this as well.

The past few weeks have seen me go for a run more than what the last three months have. In so many ways it feels rather awesome to be back out there. However there is one slight problem.

Breathing.

I just can't seem to do it while I run anymore. I am back to gasping for air like a fish out of water. It feels awful and makes running rather difficult to say the least.

Thankfully though the internet is a wealth of information and I have been able to read a few articles on how runners should be breathing. This post was supposed to share some of my new found breathing while running tips but I think we can all agree it has gone of for long enough for now. Make sure you pop back tomorrow because I will share it all then.

For now go and check out some of the other bloggers who have joined in #IBOT

Everything happens for a reason

It is no secret that I am a bit of a fairy believer and comfortably put faith in higher powers taking care of everything. I am constantly looking for messages from the universe, signs from above and all kinds of crazy things to confirm that things are as they are meant to be. Sometimes the faith is easy to find and others I wonder how I could possibly believe such ridiculous notions.

As a regular reader you have probably heard me harp on a bit lately about having some health issues recently. Namely a rather large blood clot in the basilic vein of my left arm. I have been waiting nearly a month to see a specialist so that I can find a way forward and get my body to sort itself out.

Last week saw me melting down and demanding that my doctor give me another referral this time to see a private specialist in the hope that I would be seen sooner. It worked a treat because not only did the private specialist give me an appointment for a week's time but when I got home I found a letter from the hospital saying I finally had an appointment the day before my appointment with the private guy.

I did contemplate only taking the private appointment but then decided that the smart thing to do was to see them both. It was not like I had anything to lose and the thought of waiting an extra didn't set well with me at all.

Yesterday was appointment day at the hospital.

As it turned out the Doctor was the same guy that I had the private appointment with the following day. Which I found rather reassuring. It also turns out that he has a Registrar who doubles up as a GP at a clinic in the city.

Right from the onset of discovering the whole blood clot thing I knew that I would be needing to have regular doctor appointments. While my GP is ok, he is not actually someone I was keen on regularly seeing, despite the attractiveness of his bulk billing clinic. This new Registrar/GP dude though, well, I could quite happily see him daily, despite him not being in a bulk billing clinic.

Yes that's right I now have my very own McDreamy doctor
Image found here

I left the hospital feeling as if everything were as it were supposed to and I was right where I needed to be.

I needed to get that appointment with the private specialist so that when I saw him at the public hospital I had that little bit of extra confidence in him. And I needed to have the appointment at the public hospital so I could find this wonderful new GP who has a lot more knowledge on the whole blood clot thing than what my last GP did.

Crazy as it is I have even rationalised a reason behind the whole clot as well. As a result of the clot I am now in the process of looking after myself in a whole new way and ensuring I am taking the best care of my body possible. Without being too dramatic it has all been a bit of a wake up call to make sure I am making the most of my life.

And the reason behind this post? Well, that is easy, so I can join in the joys of IBOT

What about you? 

Do you believe that everything happens for a reason? 

(Even if sometimes the reasons aren't so clear at first)

Monday Mention. Jimmy's Walk

Long term regular readers will probably recall the flurry of excitement back in April when all round legend Samuel Johnson came to town. 

For those of you who may of missed it Sam is currently unicycling his way around this great brown land to raise both funds and awareness for breast cancer. To date Sam has covered just over 10,000km and raised some $800,000.

From following Sam's journey I happened to come across another rather awesome and inspiring young man. 

Jimmy. 

Photo from Jimmy's Walk for Cancer Facebook page
He is celebrating just passing the 6000km mark

Jimmy is a twenty year old South Australian, currently on a 18,000km trek around Australia to raise funds for the Brainchild Foundation. He is a third of his way round the nation and will soon be heading my way.

Now while Jimmy may not be a famous actor that I may or may not have been crushing on for a number of years I still find the thought of being able to have a chat with him a bit exciting. 

You see it is not everyone that can take a whole year out of their life to go for a walk to raise awareness for a cause. In fact I am pretty certain that it takes a rather special kind of person to not just think of such a quest but to actually go out and make it happen makes them extra special. 

Looking through the Jimmy's Facebook Page for photos for this post and it is confirmed that Jimmy is all kinds of special. A photo that says 

"You don't need a reason to help people".

Please take the time to drop by Jimmy's Facebook page and say hi.

Some thoughts on confidence

Now handing over the reins is not something that I do easily. Well not normally anyway. I can be a control freak just like anyone. Today however I have handed over blogging on a Tuesday, and I have done so with great pleasure.

Last week as I was trying to avoid actually doing something constructive with my time, I turned to my Facebook page with a whine of how exhausted I was feeling after a hard day of community building at the school. The reality of my day was that I had actually held someone else's baby (with glee mind you) while she (the mother, not the baby) actually did all the work serving the kids at the Father's Day stall.

Anyways, a loyal liker, who also just happens to an old high school bestie, shared that she had sat an exam that day. Knowing her like I do, I assured her that she probably had little to fear from the exam and passed with flying colours (or words to that effect). Which being the super modest chick she is, Angela politely deflected which then resulted in a brief epiphany on the topic of confidence.

Now I am not sure who said what, but before we both knew it, Angela had agreed to sharing a few of her thoughts on confidence in the shape of a blog post.

So without further adieu I give to you the wonderful words of Ms Angela.

Image from here

Having just finished a semester exam I decided to check out what was happening in the land of Facebook. Scrolling through my feed I saw an update from A Parenting Life, asking what I had been up to. When Rhianna heard of my exam she complimented me on my skills as a student. Which I instictively went to deflect.

I’d carried out the weekly work all semester and felt confident going into the exam, but instead of simply thanking Rhianna for her compliment I deflected it with the modesty that most women are trained to display from a young age. 

After I had written my response though I realised that I might be onto something: maybe confidence does stem from putting the groundwork in?

Academics has always been my forte; I do not have to ‘make’ myself put the work in, I just do it. That said, I can still fail the course if I don’t put the work in each week. I was confident about doing well in the exam because I did the necessary work.

Confidence comes from knowing your strengths, but it also comes from knowing your weaknesses and how to work around them. 

A person might prefer to plan ahead for a particular situation and might not like surprises or sudden changes of plan. In this case she can consider various scenarios that might derail her plans and plan for or visualise how she is going to deal with them. 

Someone else may be going somewhere new but is uncertain in new places. She can improve her confidence in various ways, such as asking someone who has been there, researching it online, or asking staff for assistance on arrival. 

Your preferred style of preparation may vary from mine; I prefer to do basic research and then plan what I am going to do. I like to limit the amount of input because I get ‘paralysis by analysis’, ending up with so much information that I can’t make a decision. You might like to talk to people whose opinion you trust. I prefer to keep positive thoughts running through my head, while you may prefer to get a pep talk from a friend or family member.

Obviously there are some people who are easy-going enough to walk into most situations with confidence, and I say that their confidence still stems from having put groundwork in, just in a less intensive way. These people are able to quickly draw on previous experiences, and it’s this that gives them confidence.

The takeaway:

Embrace your strengths and understand your weaknesses. Know how to work around your weaknesses.

Research and plan ahead in the way that you find most useful, but beware of ‘paralysis by analysis’.

Draw on previous experiences – preferably positive. If an experience is negative, focus on what you’ve learned, rather than on what went wrong.

And finally:

Confidence doesn’t always just happen, so don’t beat yourself up if you have to work at it!

#30DaySquatChallenge - Day 14

I bet you all thought I had forgotten about the #30SquatChallenge I signed myself up for last month. 

Well guess what I haven't!

In fact halfway through I am still going strong. In fact I am blown away at how much stronger my legs feel already, but more on that in a bit.

Before you start thinking I must be some super star totally addicted to exercise fitness junkie and hence why I am doing a squat challenge I assure you I am not. What I am is a stay at home mum who is trying to increase her strength and fitness.

Hopefully by role modelling this healthy lifestyle focus the girls will grow up with it naturally inbuilt into their everyday lives. I don't want them to be obsessive compulsive about it or anything like that but I do want them to value the importance of a healthy body and mind, and actively take steps to ensure they are looking after themselves.

So with that in mind I must admit that the last few days of the challenge have been exactly that. A challenge. More so than what the first couple proved to be as well. Which I find a little strange. Usually getting started is the trickiest part but in this case maintaining it past day 12 has proven the hardest part.

Even though it is a 30 day challenge, with gradual increases every couple of days, there are also a few rest days thrown in there for good measure as well. As anyone who regularly trains for anything will tell you resting is a very important part of any training session. Your body needs a chance to recuperate and heal as the muscles stretch and expand while getting stronger.

Not long before I received my invitation to the challenge I had heard that squats were a recommended way for runners to increase their leg strength which in turn makes them run faster. Which certainly appeals to me. Who wouldn't want to run faster? However I know these things don't happen over night.

When it comes to injury I like to err on the side of caution, which is pretty much my excuse for not pushing my body too hard.  Now before you turn away thinking that is a cop out, hear what I have to say.

I am old. Not overly so but old enough. (Thirty five if you must know) Prior to eighteen months ago when I decided to try this running lark, it was a very very long time since I last did anything remotely active. And by very very long time I mean about twenty years give or take. As such I am cautious about doing too much too soon, hurting myself and losing interest.

This has meant that I have decided to hold off running for the first few days of the #30DaySquatChallenge. A notion that was confirmed for me when I awoke to discover 100 squats done in the space of five to ten minutes left my legs in a much more tender state than what running 12km did.

However, when the second rest day came along and my legs felt somewhat less tender, I saw it as a great time to take my new found muscles out for fun in the form of a quick lap around the block. Actually I ran to my mother's house and around a park for the while. After about 20 minutes I decided that I could go run no further and walked the rest of the 10 minute trip.

Turns out I covered a whole 5km which meant I did a couple of nearly PB times in there. I still can't believe. I mean it felt like a great run, I really could feel the extra spring in my step thanks to the new muscles in my legs. Needless to say I powered through the next few days of the challenge knowing how much difference I was achieving.

Sadly though the day before the next rest day which was about day 11 I think. I just didn't squat. I tired a couple of times, maybe managed 30, I am not sure now. I am trying to not to think about it too much else I will start an internal beating session that I just don't need.

So what if I missed one day? The world will not end. My body needed a two day rest. Plus I have did some pretty awesome bike riding on the rest day. A total of about 5km with a 7 year old and 3 year old being towed in a trailer. Not to mention the extra hard gear I had the bike in. Pedal power to the max I tell you!

I had been hoping to just add my missed 120 into the rest day but I was too buggered. I then thought that I could add it into the next day but 240 in one day was a bit much, even if done is lots of super short sets.

The current daily total is around the 150 mark as we are at the halfway mark of the 300 total. Yesterday they were spread out all through the day in the hope I could have made up for missed day. I didn't. I am thinking I will either just let go of it completely or save it for the next rest day. I have spent more time on the bike, this time longer distances but without towing the 7 year old. She managed to use her own pedal power.

I decided not to take my measurements again until the end. I was going to add them in this post but then decided the risk of demotivating myself was too high if there was no change. I do however have this photo to share

Thanks to Essentially Jess for kindly capturing and sharing this beauty
It is one of the first photos in a long time I haven't cringed when looking at it

The every lovely Jess grabbed this photo of me trying to feed a kite hawk (don't laugh it has worked before) and when I looked at it I found myself thinking how much smaller I looked than last time I saw myself in a photo. A very lovely feeling I must say.

So for now I will be squatting on. How about you?

Things I Know About Red Nose Day and SIDS and Kids

Happy Friday fellow Knowers!!

As always I know plenty and I am sure you do to so make sure you head on over to the ever so lovely The Miss Cinders and join on in the fun that is Things I Know.

The first thing I know this week is that it is the last Friday in June. Which means only one thing.

SIDS & KIDS RED NOSE DAY

Red Nose Day started way back in 1988. Organisers were so thrilled with the awareness and money raised that they decided to make it a national annual event. Since then it has grown from strength to strength raising vital funds to support families in their time of heartbreaking loss.

The good news is if you are not into being silly for the day and donning a red nose I know a few ways that you can be a part of this great cause.

You could donate to someone like Kristie, who sadly knows only to well what a wonderful service SIDS and Kids offers, and is returning the help she received in her time of need and fundraising for this great cause.

You could purchase some of these little beauties

They are available online here. You can get 9 packs of 100 wipes for just under $36 at the moment. Australian made, scented or unscented and the only environmentally sustainable wipes on the Australian market these wipes tick all the boxes and they help raise funds for a vital part of our community.

If you don't want to order online you can also call 1300 4 WIPES 

I know that if you have no need for wipes there are heaps of other cool products available at the SIDS and Kids online store. Include cards, bags, drink bottles as well as heaps of baby products.

I know that if you did buy a red nose you should totally go here and enter to win a super cool prize. And even if you didn't buy a red nose you should still go there and check out all the great photos that have been shared there.

I know that I am sending out lots of fairy wishes and butterfly kisses to all those families affected by the sudden loss of an infant and so thankful that there are wonderful organisations such as SIDS and Kids to support them in their time of need.

I know that in the interest of getting this out as far as possible
I am also going to flog it withsomegrace.com

#30DaySquatChallenge - Day 1

Possibly not the best before photo
but for now it will have to do

Since completing the City2Surf at the start of the month, my running has really taken a back seat in life. Which is more than sucky. 

Somehow I have managed to find the motivation to get out for the odd run but something just didn't seem right. It felt like hard work. And not the hard work that leaves you feeling awesome at the end of it because you have enjoyed your strenuous activity and comforted by the fact you are looking your body and health in some way. But more like the have you cursing and swearing because your body is literally unable to find the strength to go on any further kind of hard work.

Far from fun times.

Of course there are all the old excuses, it is too hot, I'm too busy, blah, blah, blah, blah. Not to mention Mr Awesome working late  due to stocktake, and the mere thought, let alone action, of pushing the three year old in the pram just too much to bare.

Which is a shame because I have been inundated lately with compliments of how much weight I have lost. Not that my scales attest to such things but what do they know? My clothes all seem to have a little extra room so whatever is going on I am fine with.

As the school holidays kick off on Monday, I was hoping to find it easier to integrate some regular exercise into everyone's day. An old high school buddy's event invite through trusty old Facebook for a #30DaySquatChallenge that started yesterday seemed like the perfect way to kick things off.

For those not familiar with a squat challenge it basically means each day you commit to a certain amount of squats. The amount of squats gradually increases with each day and by the end of the thirty days I should be doing some 300 squats I think it is. Thankfully you are able to break it up into smaller blocks, which I am pretty sure will be my preferred option a lot of the time.

In order to track any changes I asked Mr Awesome to measure me up and will do so regularly through the 30 days of the challenge. Probably weekly, unless I can be super patient and wait till the midway point. Hmmmm.

Now not only am I measured but there is the added accountability of sharing it all with you here.

Today saw me needing to do 60 squats. Which I can proudly say I did. Not all in the one go but you can't win them all. I did 10 first thing this morning while I waited for Mr Awesome to get out the shower. I then spent the whole day thinking about when I would do my next lot and why had I only done 10 so far.

By the time I was getting dinner ready I decided to just drop everything and do another 15 squats. Why 15 I have no idea. But it brought my total up to 25. Which was only five short of the half way mark. I was clearly all over the whole squatting thing.

With the kids all safely tucked up in bed, the dishes patiently waiting to be washed and me snuggled up on the couch with my crochet, I suddenly realised there were 35 squats with my name on them. Jumping up I pumped them out there and then without a further thought. In fact I even did 5 extra just for funsies and suddenly I felt just a teeny tiny bit awesome. And when I say awesome I may possible mean puffed.

Tomorrow sees me needing to do 80 squats. I am thinking that I will aim for two lots of 40 but perhaps a little bit closer together than today's efforts. Hopefully tomorrow may also see me go for a little jog but only time will tell.

Have you done a challenge like this before?

AntiOx Fruit Bars and Chocolate. {Giveaway}

Product Talk by Nuffnang

There is no denying that I am a chocolate fan. In fact I can't understand why anyone wouldn't love chocolate. So you can imagine my excitement when a little box AntiOx chocolates and snack bars arrived on my doorstep. Not only was I receiving some free stuff but the free stuff just happened to be chocolate and to top it of chocolate that was deemed good for me.

Total win win situation in my book.

AntiOx snack bars and chocolate are high in antioxidants which makes them the perfect boost to your immunity levels as winter coughs and colds try to take hold.

Oh and did I mention that on top of that they are actually quite yummy?

The snack bars are chock full of wholegrains and come in three delicious flavours, Acai, Goji berry and Chia & Quinoa. All are coated with dark chocolate which, by the way just happens to be sugar free and 70% cocoa.

Yep that's right sugar free.

The chocolate is sweetened with Stevia which is a natural plant based sweetener. This part made me pretty excited because the whole I Quit Sugar thing is pretty popular at the moment so I thought it awesome that the AntiOx snack bars and chocolate were free from sugar as well as artificial colours and flavours.

For those interested all the nutritional information about AntiOx snack bars and chocolates can be found here

Perhaps proof that food photography is not exactly my calling?
The idea was to show you all the goji and forest berries that are packed into these bars of goodness

The AntiOx snack bars were a massive winner here. Especially the goji berry and acai ones. The amount of berries packed into each bar is super generous and made for gooey mouthful goodness with every bite. I found the chia & quinoa a little drier and not as yummy to my taste buds but certainly still edible and worth trying if you are a chia or quinoa fan.

For me the chocolate block was not quite sweet enough and tasted more like dark chocolate than acai or goji berries. As much as I love chocolate I generally have that milky sweet stuff that is anything but good for you. Dark chocolate like this is a bit of an acquired taste I think, one that I am still in the process of acquiring. The upside to this of course meant that I could only have two or three squares at a time making the bar last longer and me not so much of a piggy eating it all in one sitting as I would with an ordinary chocolate block.

But wait, the best bit is still to come.

I have not one, but two prize packs to giveaway. 

Each pack (valued at over $30) contains

6 x AntiOx Snack Bars
4 x AntiOx Chocolates

All you need to do is leave a comment telling me

Why do you want to try the new AntiOx snack bars and chocolate?

The winners will be chosen based on creativity and chance plays no part in the judges decision. Full terms and conditions can be found here. Entries open till Friday 28 June 5.00pm AEST

AntixOx Snack Bars (RRP $2.49 for 40 gram bar) and AntiOx Chocolates (RRP $4.65 for 80 gram) are available in the health section of Woolworths, health food stores, pharmacies and convenience stores. You can also by online via the Vitality website.

Oh and just so we are clear, this post is part of a Nuffnang Product Talk promotion, I received 3 x AntiOx Snack bars and 2 x AntiOx Chocolate blocks. I received no cash and all thoughts and opinions are my own as per my disclosure page

Oh and if you are super keen to try the AntiOx Snack bars there is another giveaway over at the

AntiOx Facebook page

Joining in all the fun that is IBOT

Becoming A Runner

image source

Running has always been something I liked the idea of but never thought it was something I could really do. Which is a bit crazy really because all you do is get out there and, well, run. Which really is just an extension of walking just a bit faster.

Turns out though, I wasn't alone in my doubting my ability to run.

Some eighteen months or so ago now, a few of my most favourite bloggers at the time began to learn how to run if you will. They uploaded some fang dangled app onto their iPhones and away they went. 

Before long my Twitter feed seemed filled with excited newbie runners sharing how far they had run and at what pace. They went on about endorphins and feeling fabulous and all kinds of wonderful things. The buzz they created was electrifying and inspiring.

I would read each tweet with envy, wishing that I too could find it in me to become a runner. I wanted to feel the awesome these ladies were speaking (tweeting) of.

Then it dawned on me the only thing stopping me from being a runner, or anything else my heart desired for that matter, was me. Without a second more I downloaded an app called Ease into 5km, and before I knew it I was out the door huffing and puffing my way to become a runner.

The app was an interval training program. One that I could not recommend highly enough. Over the course of six short weeks I went from barely being able to keep going for more than a minute to lasting thirty whole minutes and travelling nearly 5kms. 

I felt beyond awesome. The tweets had did not even begin to explain just how amazing getting out there and being active could make you feel.

From there I got the next app, Bridge to 10km. I wasn't satisfied at stopping at 5km, I wanted to see just how far I could push my body. The running bug had bitten me and I didn't want to let it go. 

Sadly though life got in the way and I never quite got around to completing the 10km program. All was not lost though. Running had changed my life in ways that I could not even imagine and I didn't ever want to go back to my pre running self.

While I may not have been running every other day, like I was when I first started I still made an effort to get out at least once a week as much as possible. Running regularly had somehow made me feel like a better person. Somehow when I would regularly run I noticed that life would feel better, problems smaller and patience much greater. 

I also felt a surge in my confidence. 

It began to feel like there wasn't anything I couldn't do. If I could get out there and run for longer than I ever expected possible, then perhaps there was a whole new world of possibilities opening up for me?

On Sunday our local City to Surf Fun Run was held. 

It is with more than great pride I share with you this photo

Yep, that is me crossing the finish line after running some 12.2km

Given that it was only a little over two short weeks since I decided to enter I am absolutely over the moon with the fact that I did this. Only not only did I do this, but it turns out I ran a lot faster than I have ever run before.

I am still waiting to see my official race time but according to my app I didn't do too badly. In fact apparently my first three kilometres were all well under 6 min/km. One was even closer to 5 min/km than what it was 6 minutes. 

To give you some perspective I generally average at least 7 min/km. A pace I didn't reach on Sunday till about the 8km mark. Have I mentioned how pleased with myself I am?

Mind you my app also tells me that I ran slightly longer than what the course stated it was. And when I say slightly longer I mean about 2km so I am taking it all with a grain of salt. Kinda. 

I still think I am pretty darn awesome.

A medal, hat and bib to prove just how awesome I am

Speaking of awesome, it is Tuesday and I have blogged and joined in all the fun that is IBOT

Things I Know About Getting Race Ready, Bike Riding and Sick People

Hard to believe that once again Friday is upon us, which means time to share all the things I know this fine week.

With the big race only two sleeps away excitement levels are high though there are plenty of worries and doubts that keep trying to rain on the parade. Nothing like good internal conflict to battle through the days with.

Anyway enough idle chit chat, here are the things I know this week, if you know stuff, and I am sure you do because we all know stuff, head on over to Miss Cinders and join on in

image source

I know that not having a car for a few days last week made me question how much I really need a car. Realistically most places we go are well within riding distance. Even for Miss 6.

I know that riding a bike rather than driving somewhere takes more thought and planning. And obviously more time.

I know that whoever said half the fun is in getting there, must have been a regular bike rider.

I know that while theoretically incorporating bike riding as my main form of training appeared to be a good idea, the practise may have actually proved other wise.

I know (now) that the extra resistance of the hardest gear on my bike going up a slight incline was not the best idea but made me feel like super woman at the time.

I know that the tight feeling I keep getting in my right calf is hard not to worry about. In fact there are far too many muscles that are feeling tight at times for my liking.

I know that throughout each day there are many times when I stop and take a few breaths and tell myself not to worry...about my tight muscles, injuring myself, or not finishing the race...plus a whole bunch of other things.

I know that watching the rest of the house fall like flies with flus and stomach bugs has also caused me some concern and many a deep breaths.

I know that I am done waiting on sick people. In fact I am just done with sick people. Or at least sick people in this house looking for my sympathy. Stop looking there isn't any I ran out days ago.

I know that must make me sound like a terrible mother. I am not I assure you. I just get sick of sick people real quick.

image source
Where sick people belong

I know that I think sick people should just go to bed and stay there till they are no longer sick. They should not crowd my couch and lounge room and expect me to wait on them hand and foot.

What do you know this week?

City to Surf 2013 Here I Come!

Fast forward to two weeks from today and I can guarantee that I will not be sitting in front of the computer as soon as I get up. Well as long as all goes to plan (touching wood and all that) Last night I entered in the local city to surf fun run. I am beyond excited!

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A few days ago a friend asked me if I was interested in doing the 4km section of the run. Which brought my attention to the fact race day was only two short weeks away. Which leaves little room for preparation. Mind you last minute always seems to be my style.

Last year I fleetingly thought about entering a few of the fun runs around town but decided I lacked enough running experience and knowledge (aka confidence) to run amongst others. To ease the guilt I felt at not entering I assured myself that I would make amends this year. 

With over twelve months of running under my belt by that time I was certain I would have the skills and fitness needed.

Hmmmm..... 

Now those twelve months have been and gone I am suddenly faced with the same dilemmas. The cooler weather is on the way and running season is about to start. Actually I think it probably has.

The other week as I trawled through my Instagram feed I was greeted with endless photos of proud runners completing the Mother's Day Classic. As happy as I was for my friends who completed the run, I was disappointed I had no photo to join in with. In fact for a little bit I got quite cross at myself.

There are a whole bunch of excuses as to why I wasn't there. The biggest of which was I couldn't be bothered. Yes I know a terrible thing to admit to, but at the end of the day that is what it all boils down to. It was easier to say oh the logistics are too hard, I won't bother. I haven't been running enough lately, it will all be too hard, I won't bother.

I am currently hanging my head in shame.

Sure my running hasn't been as consistent as what I thought it would have been. Especially in the last few months. It nearly petered out altogether, but it hasn't. And I won't let it. I refuse to. I want to be a runner. I want to say I ran in a race. I don't want to wait another year for that.

As I went to fill out the entry form for the city to surf I discovered that this year marks the 40th year the race has been run. If you entered the main race there was a hat, water bottle and even a medal up for grabs. I then found myself clicking on the 12km rather than 4km. Who wouldn't want a medal?

I am pumped. I am nervous. I am excited. I don't really want to wait the two weeks.

It just so happens I have some lovely new sneakers
and new lenses for my sunnies.

Last night I went for a run to see if I could at least last that distance. It is with great pride I say I did. Sure there was some walking involved but that's ok. It was certainly a lot more running than walking. In fact the ratio was quite surprising.

Overall I don't think my time was too bad, 1:41:32 if you were wondering.

 Not fast by any means and probably considered
slow by many, but I don't care

At least I know I can move for that distance. Even though it is only two weeks away I am sure that there is still time to improve somewhat.

My plan is to stick to 3-5km runs and just solidly build on that. I don't think I will run every day but I will do something every day. Be it riding, water running or swimming. I will just make sure I am extra active. Trying to ensure my body is a strong as possible without sending it into shock or shut down.

Next weekend I will think about 9km run but will wait and see how my body is feeling. I don't want to over do it or anything crazy like that. The most important thing is that I run the whole race, time is irrelevant.

The super best part about all of this is that the race goes right past my back yard so Mr Awesome and the girls will be able to stand on the balcony and cheer me on. We are at about the halfway mark so I imagine by then I will need a bit of an extra boost. They will then be able to hightail it to the finishing line to cheer for me when I get there.

Have I mentioned my excitement?

Are you a runner?

Do you have any hot tips for me?

Nothing beats homemade chicken and vegetable soup

My rather awesome and totally pinworthy (hint hint)
Chicken and Vegetable Soup

In this house when we start to get sick the first thing we do is eat. Nothing particularly special, just standard good whole foods. Generally lots of fruit like strawberries, oranges, and kiwi fruit are consumed during the day. When it comes to dinner, there is one fail safe that I always turn to and that is my homemade chicken and vegetable soup.

Some days when I make it I go all out and even make my own stock before I make the soup. Other days I cheat and just use a lovely box of pre-made stock. Today I am going to share with you the whole process, including the stock making. (Excited much?)

Chicken & Vegetable Soup
with homemade stock

Ingredients - stock

2kg chicken necks

leaves and tips from 1 bunch of celery

2 carrots

vegetable peelings from soup vegetables

2 onions or 1 leek

4 garlic cloves

1 bay leaf (optional I often don't use them but I know others that love them)

Ingredients - soup

2 turnips

2 swedes

4 carrots (my kids are a bit carrot crazy)

3 garlic cloves

1 celery stick

stock (either homemade or pre bought about 4-6 cups)

2 chicken breasts

optional extras - parsnip, pumpkin, potato, brocoli or any other veg that takes your fancy, pasta/noodles

Method - stock

Place all ingredients in a large pot (preferably with a strainer inside it see photo below, there is probably some technical name for this kind of pot but I don't know it). Veggies only need to be roughly chopped. No need to peel. This includes the onions, though if using leeks still give them a good wash as they are generally full of dirt. 

Just a side note on the vegetable peels. I actually peel all my other vegetables for the soup in advance, cover them with some water and throw the peels in the pot. 

Cover with water and bring to the boil. Gently simmer for a few hours. I like to give mine a bit of a stir and mash every now and then, just to make sure all the goodness of the juices get squished out.

My awesome pot with insert
Perfect for making stock and soup 

If you are like me and have one of these super cool pot inserts, separating the liquid from the other stuff is as easy as eating ice-cream. 

If however you don't, you need to find yourself a super large sieve. 

If you are after a particularly clear stock then you need to find the sieve and a new chux cloth and pour the liquid through the chux lined strainer. 

Not that I have ever actually done this, but I have heard that it is what all the top chefs do when they want to make a liquid clearer. In our house thankfully no one is particularly fussed on how clear their soup is.

Stock with celery and garlic

Method - Soup

Dice all vegetables to about 1-1.5cm square. If you are adding broccoli leave out till 5 minutes before cooking other wise it will just become mush.

Place in pot and cover with stock.

Gently simmer for an hour.

Add finely diced chicken. Simmer for another 15 minutes or so.

If adding noodles or pasta they can either be cooked in the pot with the soup (saves on washing) or cooked separately and added when serving. Just check the cooking times on packet and add to pot that long before you want to serve.

Full of nature's goodness

 It's Tuesday and I have blogged which means I am joining Jess and the gang for IBOT.

You should too!