Being a part of someone's Big Dream

Being a part of something special is always an amazing feeling.  This weekend I get to do just that and watch Mr Fitness achieve a goal he's had since I've known him.  He'll be completing in The North Face 100, one of Australia's toughest Ultramarathon's.

One of the most important things I've learned is to dream big.  Without those big dreams we'll never achieve the small things along the way.  Watching Mr Fitness achieve his small goals along the way to achieving this very large goal has been a very rewarding experience.

When we first met, almost 6 years ago, he had only just begun running.  And after seeing that I had done a few fun runs, he signed up to do his first 10km run.  I'll never forget watching him at the start line, full of nerves and anticipation. He was a very different body shape back then, and as he crossed the finish line, to say he was exhausted is an understatement! The look of disbelief on his face that he'd just run 10km was quite amazing to see. But he had a sense of pride about him, that he was truely happy for achieving this goal.

Of course, by now he had the running bug, and he continued to sign up for more fun runs, each one further than the last.  And each time, I saw the same nervous man at the start line, and the same look of happiness and pride at the end.  With every new goal reached he'd instantly be looking for a bigger one, a better one, all the time talking about The North Face 100, and how amazing it would be to run it one day.  The awe he had watching the documentaries, the inspiration he received from reading the blogs of the elites and watching their stories unfold.
Before long, he had completed his first marathon, The Portland 3 Bays.  It was a tough course for a first marathon, or so we were told, but Mr Fitness took it all in his stride and finished in a time of 3 hours and 53 minutes.  There were no injuries, no stumbling over the line, and his recovery was pretty short.  I was expecting to see him hobbling about the next day, but no, he was just about ready to start running again.  I think this was when I started to realise the potential he had with his running, and how well he could really do.  So of course it was only natural that the next event be longer and tougher.  He signed up for the 2Bays Ultra.  A 56km trail run over Arthurs Seat and back again.  He did well in the run, and crossed the line with the ever familiar smile of proud achievement.  But his immediate recovery wasn't great, his nutrition needed some work, it was obvious his body needed more nutrients than it was getting.

So that year for his birthday I sent him away on an Apline Trail Running camp, run by Matt Cooper, one of Australia's best trail runners.  He was in awe of Coops and the information he had to share.  When he returned from his weekend he had a new lease of life with his running an was prepared to get his nutrition and in order to match his fitness.

Next thing I know, he's signed up for The North Face 100.  I was surprised at the time, unsure if he was really ready for that distance yet, but he seemed so determined there was no way i was going to doubt his decision.
His preparation has been great, his nutrition has been fairly spot on.  He's got his race gear sorted and the pre-race nerves have well and truely set in.  To say he's excited is an understatement.  To say I'm excited is an even bigger one! Being a part of this entire process has taught me a lot about the person he is and what can be achieved when you really want something.
I cannot wait to see him cross that finish line and achieve his "Big Dream", I am already so completely proud of everything he has done for himself and the person he has become through his running.  It's been exactly the push I need to motivate me to continue pursuing my own goals.

Stay tuned for a full race report after this weekend.
Until then, I send you all my postivity and love!

I'm Baaaack!!

It's been about 4 months since my last blog post. To say I've been slack on the updates is an understatement.

So much has been happening in my world that I feel like I haven't had the time to devote to my writing like I would want to.  So here I am, on the train, 7:30pm on a Monday night trying to get my blog back up and running.

Firstly, the elephant in the room, my weight... I'm weighing in at 91.7kg. So not much of a loss, but I'm looking at the positives; I haven't gained any weight and I'm feeling so much better about myself in so many ways! So what is it that has contributed to me feeling so great? Several things actually!

1. I'm back at work!  Full time. I realised a few months ago that I was VERY ready to return to work. After discussions with my employer, I returned to full time work at the start of April. And although the hours are long with my commute in to the city every day, I feel that I'm getting back to the person I know & love. I have a purpose, other than raising a beautiful daughter, and I feel that I'm doing the right thing for me.  I take my hat off to the Mum's & Dad's of the world who can be a full-time stay-at-home parents, it's an extremely demanding and tough job, but it's not one I feel that I fit in to.  Being in a office with adults is where I belong & I'm so glad I've decided to return to work!

2. I'm moving more! You may recall from an earlier post that I bought a fitbit to track my daily movements.  My aim was to walk 10,000 steps a day. In the beginning I would reach my target maybe 4 out of 7 days... but now I'm going over my target everyday! I think I may increase my target to 15,000 steps a day!

3. I discovered trail running!  To the people close to me, this may seem like an odd thing considering I'm surrounded by trail runners quite often. But watching others do it, and participating in it are 2 completely different things!  In March, Mr Fitness competed in the Mt Baw Baw Marathon for the second year in a row. We stayed up on the mountain this year to enjoy the atmosphere of the whole festival as there were several other running events on over the weekend, including a 13km run, a 3.5km kids run, a 13km twilight run & a 1.5km technical uphill & downhill time trial.  After much deliberation I signed up for the 3.5km kids run (you have to start somewhere!). As I ran off into the beautiful surrounds of Mt Baw Baw in all it's glory, it didn't take long for me to finally "get it".  With kids running past me & adults jogging along with them, I was very soon lost to my surroundings and in the moment.  My breathing wasn't great, especially up some of the inclines, but I felt very present and loved every one of the 34 minutes it took for me to complete the run.  Inspired by this, I've signed myself up for all 4 short-course events in the Salomon Trail Running Series. Mr Fitness will be taking a back-seat for these events while I get out there & enjoy a jog in the beautiful outdoors along some of Victoria's loveliest trails.

4. Surrounding myself with positive people!  Recently, some wonderful people have entered mine & Mr Fitness' world.  They're all like minded positive people that love a good laugh.  Awesome people can make other things in your life seem more awesome, and for this I'm very grateful.  Spending less time with the negative & more time on the positive has made me feel like I'm getting back to my old self and like I can achieve what I've set out to do.

So to all of you reading, I send positivity and love in return for sharing yourself with me.

Until next time... Love love love to all!

Reflections of Honesty

I've been remiss from posting any updates on my blog of late, and I need to be completely honest with you and tell you all why....

This morning I stepped on the scales and my weight was 93kg.  Which means in 93 days I've lost a total of 2kg.  Yep, you read that correctly, just 2kg.  To say I'm disappointed in myself is a bit of an understatement, however, I am not scratching my head in disbelief, I know exactly why this has happened.  I have made poor food choices and have not exercised as much as I should.  I could reel off every excuse under the sun as to why I have made the food choices I have, and why I haven't exercised as much as I've intended.  But that is all they would be, excuses.  

However, I am not letting this defeat me.  I am not giving up.  I have a goal and I will reach it.  

Being at the low point I feel I'm at right now has made me reflect on 2013 and what I've learned along the way.  Here are my Top 5 lessons of 2013:

1. Never underestimate the kindness of people.

When I became pregnant, Mr Fitness and I became completely overwhelmed with the kindness and generosity of everyone around us.  Baby news brings out something in people that isn't always shown on the surface, it can make the crankiest of people smile so big that they have the urge to hug you and squeal like a school girl.  It really is a delightful thing.  And the kindness of people doesn't stop there.  When I began my blog 93 days ago, the response of my friends and family and their support was so inspiring, it really opened my eyes and made me realise how much all of you actually care.  You all gave me that warm fuzzy feeling - thank you :)

2. Motherhood is awesome!

I have to admit, this is not something I ever expected to say out aloud or write down for the world to see.  Although we planned on having our little Princess and we were definitely excited about becoming parents, I really never imagined that this whole experience would be as awesome as it is.  And I can't think of any other word to describe it.  The high's, the low's, the unconditional love and the smile's every morning really are the best thing in my life.  They're a huge part of the reason I get up each day and want to be a better person.  I don't think anyone can quite grasp just how awesome it all is until they become a parent. 

3. Just because I wouldn't do it that way, doesn't make it wrong.

This was reiterated to me when I went on the Summit Sisters retreat.  I met so many women who were all so different in so many ways, yet not one of them was an unkind or horrible person.  Being the stubborn person that I am, I'm usually very much of the opinion that it's my way or the highway (Mr Fitness can vouch for that one - poor love), but 2013 and all of it's crazy experiences it bought my way, has shown me that just because I wouldn't do it that way, doesn't make it wrong.  And, more importantly, if someone's actions have no negative impact on me, then it's really none of my business and who am I do be so judgemental?! 

This point is something I'm still working on, but I feel that I'm a little more open minded than I was 12 months ago - and that can only be a good thing.

4. Falling over is OK.

Boy have I fallen. A LOT!  But you know what, without the falls and crashes in life, how will I ever appreciate the triumphs and successes?  Falling over, or off the bandwagon is, to me, an essential part of life.  It teaches us we're all vulnerable, and no-one is perfect.  It makes us humble.  The most important part of the fall is getting back up.  As long as I get back up and learn from my fall then it was all worth it.  I once had an amazing trainer who used to say to me often "train hard, fight easy". He was so right.  

5. There's always room for cake!

For those of you that know me, you'll know how much I love cake. It's my favourite food.... EVER!  I consider cake a food group. I love cake so much I started making them for a bit of fun. And not just a sponge here or there, I started making the big fancy one's for people's birthdays and engagements & now I even take orders and make a little bit of cash out of it.

My one saviour in my love for cake is that one slice is enough for me.  It doesn't even need to be a huge slice, just a small tasting and I've had my fix.  I'm OK with not having cake everyday or even every week.  But when there's a cake in my immediate vicinity I generally always have a small piece. The greatest lesson my love for cake has taught me is that without the small indulgences like a sliver of cake, the hard work isn't worth it.  So I will continue to indulge in cake occasionally, but I will also continue to work hard to earn it. 

These are just some of the lessons I've learned in 2013.  I'm hoping 2014 brings me plenty more life lessons to broaden my view on the world and appreciate all it has to offer.  

I'm 274 days and 18kg away from my goal, and I will get there.  The road has been bumpy, but 2014 is shaping up to be awesome, so let's see if I can smooth it out and get myself back on track.