OMG it's October

wow how slack of me it's october and this is my first blog in ages...
things have been happening all over the place so this is just a quick update...
September saw me grade to 2nd kyu one of my goals for this year has been met.  My eldest son Liam also graded and is now a 3rd kyu he had to break a board with his right elbow for that one....Yeahhhhh Liam.
I have been in my new job since 1 july and it all seems to be coming together... my running has been pretty slack all over the place actually but tonight I did week 4 day 1 and it was pretty easy by comparison to the first time through so I don't think i have lost too much I just need to be more consistent....I have been roped into a Zumba class tomorrow night so that should if nothing else be funny.....anyway I will update things in a better manner just as soon as I get some time...
Lisa

back at it again

Damn I have been really slack...well at least with the blogging...
I have however kept running although not as regularly as I would have planned.
I am redoing the c25k program but I am throwing in a week 1 d 1 run periodically as I think the intervals may help me to drop some weight.
I really need to do that... :(
for the first time in my life I think I have to admit that carrying this extra weight is preventing me from moving forward the way that I want to...it's been at the very least a 20 year battle probably closer to 30 with the extra kg and I probably "know" more about how to loose weight and good nutritian than most people because I have had a go at most things to get the weight off. it really is a matter of being able to take control and do it though...I seem to have heaps of discapline when it comes to training or running or push ups or sit ups but eating the right foods seems to be a big issue for me...I need to drop at least 25kg probably 35 would put me in a "normal" weight range for my height...the whole damn thing leaves me cold.... :( The frustration is huge and despite doing so much right I still don't seem to move...
sorry to have been boring but hey I blog so you can choose not to read or to read...
If anyone has a magic cure for fat I would love to know about it :) lol I have a horrible feeling that it comes down to a simple formula....in and out....damn I hate that.

Proud Mum's

Well I am sure I have driven everyone nuts on face book so now I have to post it here....Congratulations to my son Rhys.  He graded from the Thunderbolts program to the Young Samorai program today and he did really well I am so proud of him...he has worked pretty hard over the last 3 months and the results showed...
My turn next time round...

ok so I might not have graded but Rhys did....

Rhys my youngest son graded to 8th Kyu + 2 stripes today

its come time to get back into making myself accountable. mmmmm where to start

Ok there have been some changes in my life.....the c25k forums have been down for ages and that makes it really hard.  I found so many people there with similar goals and the motivation that happened in that place was amazing to say the very least.  After some really interesting times at work I have finally taken the punge and resigned I have found another job and I start there on 29/06/10 so that is going to be a huge challenge but I really belive it will be the best thing that could have happened to me.

I have been really slack on the blogging side of things.  I need to fix that and work towards keeping myself accountable so I think it is time to re align my goals.  I listed several fitness goals way back on the early posts here on the blog and I have met some of those goals...
I graduated from the c25k program.
I finished the 200 sit ups program
which are both reasonable goals to hit.  however both of those goals were achieved at about the same time.
I did get a little slack after that...I have been using my nike + and I have sort of restarted the c25k program with the aim of increasing speed...it is crazy but I have been struggling with the early weeks again and I keep thinking I have done this I know I can do this...I have my running partner now.  The dog comes with me and thats great. He has been really good with excellent manners he isn't tryng to pull me around and he is happy to run any time I want to....
I have had a little dissapointment because I was hoping I would be given the opportunity to grade tomorrow but that wasn't to be...My partner in crime Mandy will grade and thats wonderful but I am a little dissapointed in myself because I obviously havn't worked hard enough or improved enough to warrant grading (YET) There is another grading in 3 months and I will aim for that...this will keep me on track for obtaining my black belt in 2012 I really don't want to push things back any further than that but it is not always up to me....all I can do is put my best foot forward...and as always I will continue to do that.
Having achieved the 200 sit ups..I need to reset some other goals... my sempai (teacher) wants me to also set some Karate goals as well as some fitness goals.  I did speak to her about that last night to try and understand exactly what she meant and I will have to dig some more to work out the best approach to this.
in the mean time...
Goal 1 = complete c25k again faster
Goal 2 = run at least 3 times a week and at least 50km in june  ( I made it to just over 40km in May)
Goal 3 = redo the 200 sit ups with my legs up on the couch
Goal 4 =  restart and complete the 100 push ups program  off my toes
Goal 5 =  work out the rest of my Karate goals with Sempai....
I also plan to be the guninee pig for a couple of Karate mates who are doing coaching courses so hopefully that will help me to hit the rest of my goals...

I have all of these goals and I need to make them work the way that they should so to do that I also need to have at least 3 days a week where I don't do any programs or karate so one of my goals is also to co-ordinate things so I get Tuesday, Friday and Sunday off each week to just be with my family, work and play
so wish me luck guys...without the c25k forums I may need some inspiration and motivational help....

Another goal hit yehaaaaa

I just sat down on the floor in our back room and while my husband sat on the couch watching TV I did 200 consecutive sit ups!!! no breaks no stopping lots and lots of heavy breathing but I did it...Yipppppppeeeeee
so just to point it out here I think I am pretty damn close to being superwoman .....lol not really but I am very proud of myself...now to fix the damn push ups....

At this point I would have to say 2 out of 3 aint bad...

Lisa

OMG look what I got....(thanks Dave)

Well how cool is this....

I have to admitt I really did work for this it has been a hard slog getting through the c25k program but I have made friends both on and offline and the benefits health wise are amazing... I can't believe I get a certificated from across the world in the USA for doing something I should ahve done 20 years ago...

Graduationa... Yipeee

Ok so this morning I staggered out of bed at 5.45 and I was out and runnning by 6.am the weather was ok to start with but with 2 laps to go it really started raining...I have to say I short cut my cool down by the time I got home I was so wet I just needed a hot shower to get me through....I recieved my diploma from dave which is Awsome...thanks Mate you gave my already excellent day a great lift...

Ok so whats in the future for me? I need to keep running at least 2-3 times a week. I need to finish the 200 sit ups program and keep on doing them at least twice a week. I am still working on the push ups program and I pretty much reverted to girly push ups and week 3 so I have a fair way to go with that....I will continue to train 4 times a week at Karate and I am really loving the increased intensity...although the strength training with brace and leg work at the start of most of my classes at the moment is pushing me to my limits. I am starting to see minor changes but I have to work on changing my food intake I am obviously overdoing something in that area because the weight should be falling off me with all the work I am doing and it is being decidedly stubbourn.... I think stress has a lot to do with that....so I will keep on working on relaxing so that I can get this all to come together....

Thanks for reading guys...your support has made a huge difference.
Lisa

C25K Graduation is pending

Ok so tomorrow is it If I make it out of bed at 5.45 am I will have time to run before I have to get the kids up and going and I won't be late for work...I can't believe that I have reached this point...I don't think I ever really believed that I could do this but I basically ignored the end and just kept putting one foot in front of the other...and it worked.....FIGJAM....

I tried something different tonight I got home from Work at 5.45pm and did my push ups (97 girly push ups) and then I did and get this!!! 400 sit ups now keep in mind thats in sets with 45 second breaks between each set but hey it is still 400 sit ups...I think thats pretty cool....

then after doing that I threw on my gi and went to the brown belt Karate class and guess what surprise surprise in the karate class we did push ups, situps and crunches...yeahhhhhhhh thank god for the 20 minute break between what I did at home and what I did at the dojo...

I bought myself the nike+ sensor and I used that on my last 2 runs under the c25k program on my ipod I am getting excited about running with just that going and no overlay it means that I wll be able to get some stats while running other than just how much longer I have to go... I am not sure If I will be able to post them here or not but I will make an effort to work out how to do that and we will see how we go...anyway thats it for tonight...wish me luck for the morning.
Lisa

decisions decisions

ok I am back I have been doing some serious thinking with regards to the 100 push ups program. Over a 4 week period of time I went from 10 push ups to 30 off my toes good form push ups but It is definitely pushing me to my limits. I have therefore decided to take a step back and work on doing the girly push ups off my knees and getting to 100 that way with a view to moving back onto my toes after hitting this modified goal first. I am planning on maintaing the 200 sit ups program as is and moving on to week 5 tonight... I have 2 runs left in the c25k program and I will do one run tomorrow (if I can get out of bed) and the next run on either Thursday, Friday or Saturday depending on how things go. I saw the doctor today about my left shin just below the knee I actually thought I may have done something serious to it when I fell the other day however he asures me that if I had chipped or fractured the bone in any way I wouldn't be walking around on it. so basically I will give it a day or two and if it hasn't improved I will have an X-ray to make sure it has not got any major issues...it actually doesn't give me any grief at all unless I touch it so I think I will just avoid touching it...lol this approach works if I don't fall asleep and roll over...

I have a Karate competition coming up in June and I have to decide if I will compete in both discaplines i.e Kata and Sparring...I have lots of encouragement to do the Sparring but I am not so sure it would be wise some of those 18 year old girls have skills that are off the charts....The Kata will still be stiff competition but I am not worried about winning or loosing just making a good effort and not stuffing up too badly.

i have some time to make up my mind on this in the mean time back to do my sit ups...
night for now.
Lisa

How slack have I been?

Ok so I have been really slack about blogging my progress. Hoever I am about to rectify that...lol

this morning i completed week 9 day 1 I have been thinking about what I will do when I finish the c25k program just 2 runs away...I got a nike + sensor and I am really happy with the results of todays run you can set it to run with your music and then put the c25k app over the top of it so I can use it to finish the c25k program and then continue to have a structured runing partner as I move forward. I really only need to run 3 times a week for about 30 mnutes to be able to meet my current goals..they may change in fact they often do...lol

ok the 200/100 programs for sit ups and push ups... I have fallen off the wagon a bit with these. I have made it to week 5 with both programs but last week I didn't do anything with them...I think I can pick up where I left off with the sit ups but the push ups are another matter. I think I am going to drop back to the start of week 3 and move forward with them from there. I am really struggling with these and not working on them for a while has not helped.

I have also had some changes in my Karate and I will be training with another teacher from now on...I expect the classes to be quite difficult so the sit ups and push ups may have to move over to the side for a bit...I plan to try and at least maintain my current levels so that I don't loose any ground but I really need to concentrate on the Karate that has always been my number one fitness and exercise priority.

I am relieved to have made the decision not to run the mothers day classic although I would have liked to do that I really feel that I currently have enough on my plate...good news though i do plan to do it next year with a friend who is going to use the c25k program to get to a point where she can do it with me.

I Have posted each of my runs on the c25k forums so I haven't been totally slack just a bit slow posting here...

between work, Karate and my other fitness programs I don't seem to have too much time for blogging...lol
ok so I hope to keep this up to date a bit more as I move into the relms of post c25k
thanks for reading
Lisa

mothers day classic...2010

OMG on the 09/05/2010 there is the mothers day classic 4 or 8 km run / walk I should graduate c25k early in that week. I have sooooo many people encouraging me to do this and it is a huge day with thousands running and walking. It is for a good cause as well. My hubby will think I am crazy if I do this and my kids don't want me to be away because they want to give me breakfast in bed....maybe they could give me afternoon tea in bed after the run...lol
I don't know what to do it has me scared silly....
I have week 7 day 3 tomorrow and I am not really worried about that.

I know I am only doing like 4mph which is like 6.43 kmph so I should be able to do 4km in about 37 minutes. if i can run that long and if thats my speed at the end of c25k so that would not be the end of the world I shouldn't disgrace myself...
Oh well I don't have to decide until close of business on Friday if I register online...I will sleep on it...
run tomorrow and try and guage my speed to see if it is getting better or worse...lol
then make the decision maybe...

finishing week 6 and starting week 7 + stuff

Ok so I have been really slack on the blogging side of my life lately. Things have been realy stressful and busy and I have been feeling a bit out of control and as most control freaks will tell you this can be detrimental to your mental health... So on week 6 day 2 I went out at lunch time and made the effort it was great to get out of the office and temperature wise it was a great day for running. I made it through the day and only the last run gave me problems because of a shoe lace so I stopped and fixed it and then just kept going. I figure this means I made it through the run. so I am pretty happy with that. so that was last Tuesday and on Thursday due to changes with my childcare arrangements I am now running in the mornings before work. I have been a bit worried about this because I am now running on concrete footpaths insted of my nice gravel tracks. I went out on Thursday morning and did my week 6 day 3 before 7.30 in the morning because of the concrete I took it really slow and I made it so I was extremely relieved to complete weeks 6.
in the mean time I have also been continuing with the sit ups and push ups programs the sit ups are progressing really well and I am over the moon with my progress there. Tonight I completed week 5 day 1 of the sit ups program and the total over 4 sets with 1 minute breaks between each set was 295 sit ups. The maximum I have ever done in a single set still sits at 120 sit ups but I think after seeing how this program works that i just might make it to 200 sit ups in a set by the end of week 6. The Push ups program for me is much harder and although I finished the week 5 day 1 workout today with a total of 86 push ups over 4 sets I still have only ever made it to 30 push ups in a single set. tonights efforts were really hard because extended the break between workouts by a couple of days. I did my last exhastion test for both sit ups and push ups last wednesday night at Karate which was great because I had an indipendant count and I couldn't trick myself into thinking I had done more than I actually had. after that test I had planned to do week 5 day 1 on Friday but time just got away from me and I then planned to do Saturday Well let me give you a run down on my Sat...I got up and did my run in the morning 25 minutes straight week 7 day 1 bites the dust Yipee I was so happy to have done that before my Karate class because I knew I had a big day lined up. Saturday is a "no gi" fitness class it has been this way on a Saturday for quite a while now. I have not been the biggest fan of this fitness class but I have persisted and done them every week so I was pretty sure I knew what I was up for OMG shock horror the warm up was taken by an over zealous teen who thought that 550 punches followed by a suggested 40 push ups was a good way to warm up. I agreed to do 10 push ups but I was not impressed. this fitness class has been stuctured so that we know whats coming and can aim to improve on our best times and qty of techniques so dumping a full on challenge on us like that was pretty out there. Our regular Sensie comes back and continued the class the same way it normally runs so we finished it up and that was really good. they have started to run a new lady's fitness class after the original class and I decided to hang around and see what that was like. OMG it started with like 5 minutes of skipping...my cardio is no where near that as I only have one speed for skipping (fast) unlike running where I can slow myself down I have as yet been unable to do that with skipping. I made it about 1/2 way through that class before I signed out and went home...I was exhausted.... I spent the rest of the afternoon out with my horse Ned Kelly and that helped me to relax a little. We had guests for dinner so the push ups and situps program fell by the wayside until this evening. so here we are approaching a new week. for me this week will bring new challenges... Week 7 d2 on the c25k program I know lots of people have had issues with this run I plan to do it first thing tomorrow morning so hopefully I won't have an issue with that one. I have week 5 for the push ups and sit ups program and I have to say the push ups are going to be a huge challenge. I am really stiff from yesterday so i really hope I can get through it all. I have to say that this weekend is the first time that I have seriously felt over commited. I honestly thought about dropping something but I have come so far in all 3 programs that I can't condone quiting...funn that quiters never win.... so I guess I just have to keep on plugging along. I am not sure what I will do once I complete the programs and graduate the c25k and hit 100 push ups and 200 sit ups. I think that for a time I just want to incorporate them all 3 times a week with my 4 times a week Karate but I need to co-ordinate a way that gives me at least 3 days completely off with no exercise programs so that I have some time to relax and enjoy life instead of being the driven maniac that just won't stop...lol

On a happier note my youngest son competed in a Karate tournament today and I am sooooo proud of him...he went out there and gave it his best shot in 2 events he didn't place but still shook hands and thanked his opponant I am so proud that he is learning excellent sportsmanship and then he got up and did his Kata class and placed 3rd out of 7 it is his first ever trophy and his smile was enough to melt my heart. Well done Rhys biggest hugs from your proud mum.
Anyway wish me luck for next week

week 6 day 1 done and dusted

ok so Today was a sticky one...I still have my head cold I can't seem to shake it but I should have run on friday and here it is sunday and I haven't run yet. I woke up and it was cold wet and windy. I had a complete lack of motivation to do anything but stay in bed. Hubby wonderful man that he is brought me toast in bed for breakfast (I am such a lucky girl....)anyway I took the kids out to get thier winter school uniforms sorted and some other new clothes. I got home from there and sat down with a book and then realised that the whole day was just slipping away. At that point I got really annoyed with myself and I went and got changed and headed off for the track to run. the wind was appalling it made it even harder to breathe. The Grass track makes it harder for my legs I know I know its supposed to be better than the harder surfaces and it probably is but i normally run on a gravel track and I find that works really well for me...the grass is just a bit on the spongy side for my liking... anyway I was back to intervals today and 3 runs made up of 5 min then 8 min and then 5 minutes again. The first 5 minute run was extremely difficult due to the wind and the head cold I think I was trying to run a bit fast as well so by the time I got to the end of the first interval I really thought I would have to quit. I did need to walk until I could breathe normally again and so when the next run now cue came in I figures well lets just see how we go...I made it withoug too much discomfort all 8 minutes and I was so elated that I went on to finish the whole workout. don't get me wrong i am doing this even slower than i normally would and that was pretty slow to start with. At this point in my "running career" I have to say I just want to get the timing right if I can run/jog/suffle for 30 minutes at the end of this I can work on speeding things up later. Once I get rid of this horrible code I will have a better idea of how I am going and what I need to do to get things up to speed.
I still have push ups and sit ups to go tonight so at least when I get back to Karate tomorrow that will be the only thing I have to get through... tuesday will be a no Karate day but a run and push ups/sit ups day and Wednesday is just Karate again.
Thursday will be the next big day with all 4 workouts falling on the same day... I then get Friday off and have a huge day on Sat....

I have a Karate competition coming up at the end of June and I am hoping to Grade at Karate at the begining of June.

If I can work hard enough and be given the opportunity to try and grade I will have a 2 hour + Karate class where I will be tested on various techniques, self defence, sparring and Kata. As much as I want to grade in June I will not be overly surprised if I have to wait until September and that won't upset me too much as the September opportunity is an international grading. No matter what happens with 3 gradings to go to get to shodan Ho (black belt) I won't get there until at the earliest September 2012 so I guess thats the long term goal... In the mean time I just want to get everything else moving forward and maintained so I am in the right place when I get offered the opportunity go grade.

Lisa

updates and on to week 6

ok so I have been pretty slack on the blogging side of things this week. We spent a week at a bushland resort and I love doing that during the school holidays at this time of year. we swim, play mini golf, table tennis, pool, canoe, and paddle boat on the lake and if your a nutter like me you run and do your push ups and situps program. after my best run ever on week 5 day 2 I came down with a rotten head cold and breathing was a real pain. my first attempt at week 5 d 3 that was supposed to be a 20 min run was shocking I ended up inserting 3 intervals of walking because I just couldn't cut it. However there is a more positive note to this because on Wednesday I went out and did that run and made it all the way no stops. It was not pretty it was very slow but I made it so today I need to move onto week 6. I should have done it yesterday but with packing up to come home and driving back here i was not in any state to run. I have managed to hit some good figures for the push ups and sit ups program although the most push ups in a set still remains at 20 for the moment although it was a total of 73 push ups over 4 sets for the day so I was pretty happy with that. The situps are cool though because I have made it to 120 in a single set and that was after doing 4 previous sets so it brought the total up to 255 in short period of time. I didn't bother with the squats program because I know I can already do the 200 I guess that comes from years of riding horses and 3 years of Karate. lots of leg use in both sports...lol
oh well its off to fold washing for a while before our guests arrive. then I need to get out and run...
Lisa

wwek 5 day 2

ok Came up to the bush land resort on Friday and got settled I was up at 7.30 on saturday and did day 2 running around the lake at the resort it was the best run I have had so far one lap of the lake at a run takes about 5 minutes so the Day 3 run will take me about 4 laps of the lake to complete I was really looking forward to that until I came down with a killer head cold today.
only time will tell how things go with day 3. On a brighter note the push ups and sit ups are doing really well and I am now 1/2 way through all 3 programs Yipeee.

Week 5 day 1

Ok well today was a really good run. I took daves advice and looked at the actual times we run on day 1 and we are actually running for 1 minute less than we were on the week 4 days. I went out at lunch time and nailed it. I am really happy with how that went. Today was also one of those days where I have Karate, and both the 100 push ups and 200 sit ups programs all falling on the one day. I managed to knock out the push ups as part of my warm up at Karate so that was excellent. I was the only student there tonight so I got lots of attention and worked mostly on my Kata. When I got home I worked through my sitpups and knocked out 120 sit ups in my last set a total of 243 situps in 5 sets over about 15 minutes. I have one more set in all of these programs and I will be 1/2 way to completion of all of them. This is a huge thing for me and I aim for this to be one of my most excellent achievments. for my health and fitness this is honestly the best thing I could have done for myself.

Week 4 day 3

Wow well today has been a great day of personal bests for me. I went out at lunch time and ran at Braeside Park and it all just came together for me. I did my normall shuffly jog for the first 3 runs and most of the last run but when I got to the last minute (the ipod program tells me 1 minute left) I counted to 30 and then just stretched it out and Ran. It actually felt really good. the Heart rate got right up there and I was on such a natural high mainly because I could fell the difference and I know that I am moving forward... Thanks C25k I never ever would have got this far without all the folks on the forum. Then I had Karate and I also did week 3 day 1 of both the push ups and sit ups programs. I have not had a day this good in ages.
lets hope that we can carry this through week 5-9.

week 4 d2

ok so it has taken me a little while to get things together for this post. I really wanted to have something positive to report. So here goes I went out this afternoon with a couple of friends of mine from Karate, Sharna and Spiri. we went out and took Spiri's dog with us to the track. Spiri is an accomplished runner in her own right so I was a bit worried about that but she is so great Sharna looked after the dog and Spiri ran with me well she lapped me several times as she kept on running when I walked but hey the bottom line is that on the grass athletics track I made it through the week 4 day 2 run again. so on Monday all things being = I will have a go at week 4 day 3. I have been a little distressed at week 4 because it has been so hard. I have had to repeat days 1 and 2 of this week so far and although I am really pleased with myself for continuing to run and getting this far it sometimes gets hard to see that week 9 off at the end of the tunel. However the sit ups and push ups are progressing really well. I did my 2 exhastion tests today and under supervision from Sensei and a couple of Karate students I made it to 20 push ups and 105 sit ups. I am really pleased with that. anyway I am hoping to be back here in a couple of days with results from my next run and the other programs Until then keep on smiling, running, and working on the push ups and sit ups.
Lisa

in between bits

ok so today was not a running day and thats good I love having a day off in between. I must be a bit wierd because I do have my Karate class that I do 4 times a week sometimes it falls on the same day as a run sometimes not. However just to add insult to injury (damn I hope not) I am doing the 100 push ups and 200 sit ups as well. so with all this going on I am finding that on the nights I do Karate I have to come home and finish up the situps and push ups. on tuesday I had a drop in the number of push ups I could do in the last set and I thought that might have related to the fact that the programs clashed with Karte that night but I am pleased to say that tonight proved that this is not so...I managed to get through the push ups program ending with a final set of 17 and then I did all the sets in the sit ups program finishing with a set of 101 and it is not just my count I made hubby count for me... :) so now I know I can work my way through all of this stuff and come out on the other side...maybe not any saner but I should be a damn site fitter. I may not finish right on time but that doesn't matter if I need to repeat a day in any program or even a week who cares it's not like I have to finalise it all by a certain date. its the end result that matters to me in the long run...
I am really looking forward to w4 d2 of the c25k tomorrow. here's hoping it all goes well.
wish me luck.
Lisa

w4 d1 take 2

Ok Thanks for the kind comments Mandy I really do appreciate all your support.
now lets get down to it. left work feeling fairly rubishy there are lots of changes happening and it's a little hard to stay on top of them all.
drove up to the local park my normall running ground. Well back on my dirt track with the trees and the birds I even saw a couple of bunny's running across the track. Armed with my ipod and some good running music. (well its good for me to run with ACDC and Pink) and off I went. the 5 minute walk was as usual good and relaxing then we hit the first 3 minute run....finished that not bad I says to myself. I walked for a bit and instead of saying I can't do this I said to myself I can do this just go as far as you can and if you get to the 5 minutes thats good if you don't thats ok just try and get your best time..3.52 well I was just getting to the point of omg is it ever going to end better check that I didn't flick the volume on the ipod as I put it in my bum bag, so I pulled out the ipod and only had 7 seconds to go...yes I made the 5 minute run. Well what can be done once can most certainly be done again in the right environment and guess what I was in the right environment...I pulled it off Yeahhhhh I am so happy....on sunday I was pretty annoyed with myself I know I set myself up to have a hard time changing so many variables all at once but the thing that annoyed me was that I let it beat me. so now I don't have to be annoyed anymore because I beat it... week 4 day 1 is dust..
Thanks so much to those of you who inspire me to push through these mental blocks and just do it....you know who you are and you deserve medals.
Lisa

week 4 day 1

Wow I think I let this one beat me before I even put on my runners...we had such a big weekend with Rhys doing his black belt grading and everything else going on as normal and I had been reading the forums like crazy. There were lots of posts from people who had trouble with this run and I think I let it all get under my skin.

I went out to the farm and on the way home I was thinking should I give my mate a ring and get her to come with me? I decided no because she is an accomplished runner and I was a bit intimidated by that.

I jumped on Face book where I bumped into Mandy who is the lady that told me about c25k running in the first place and she is also a Karate student that works with me regularly. we chatted for a moment and I told her I was off to try my week 4 d 1 at Casey fields where they have all sorts of sporting stuff. I could tell she was thinking about it and I invited her along. Mandy doing week 1 d 1 and me doing w4 d1.

Well the track we were running on was designed for push bikes and so black top all the way. I normally run on a gravel track so this was a major change for me. As much as I hate to admit it I think I was trying to impress Mandy a bit and I walked out faster and started my first jog faster than I normally do by the time I realised what I had done I was really struggling with the first 3 minute run. I ended up dropping back to a walk about 20 seconds early on that interval. It was then that I realised that lots of the track we had decided to run on had several inclines. Now I won't go so far as to call them hills but talk about put me off. when I got to the first 5 minute interval I knew I was in big trouble... I did the best I could to push through and I made it to about 3min 50 seconds before I dropped back to a walk. I did the 5 minute walk and got my breath back faster than I thought I would I finished the next 3 minute run fine. The last 5 minute run I made just under 4 minutes before I dropped back to a walk. I have to say the inclines and the black top didn't help at all. I was pretty down on it all as I walked back to where Mandy was but I realised that even though I did not make the 5 minute runs I did make personal bests for the amount of time i jogged. Prior to today I have never jogged more than 3 minutes in my life so to add almost a minute to that is a good thing. I am playing with the idea of repeating the last run in week 3 or at the very least repeating today's run in the more familiar environment by myself so I don't get distracted by anyone else and their pace. I know I don't need to be competitive with Mandy and she is so wonderful she encourages me to keep going no matter what Thanks Mandy your a real Gem. I will make up my mind on Tuesday depending on how I feel about which run I will do. I am not stressed about this anymore I understand that everyone has a bad run sometimes. I will wait and see what happens in the next run before I make any more changes.
So yeah Week 4 day 1 damn thats hard

w3 d3 +

OK So yesterday was a great day for me. I was having one of those days where work is giving you so much grief that your back starts to ache and you just feel revolting. I hit midday and decided I just had to get out of there and I put on my gear and walked out the door.

It was not nearly so hot today only 24 degrees c but it was humid and I hate that it makes me feel like I need gills...


Anyway I drove up to the park and got myself all set to go. The first jog interval of only 90 seconds was so uncomfortable I thought I would have to quit. My back was aching and I just felt so out of control...Then I started thinking about chi running and setting yourself up for the best possible consequences and I started to relax well it seemed like no time and I got the 1/2 way mark. Damn I thought that was quick then I started to think about how I felt...back had stopped aching legs were doing OK breathing not to bad...mmmm I think my system actually likes this.

Now please don't get me wrong I did not sprint or "Run" I have no idea how fast or far I travel I just know that I jog (you could read shuffle at a snails pace here) and walk at the prompts from my ipod and I am making it through.

I actually completed the w3d3 run and I am now exactly 1/3 of the way through c25K.

Every week I look at the run program and I start panicking at the end of week 1 it was "90 seconds you gotta be kidding I am struggling with one minute". At the end of week 2 it was "a 3 minute run no way" at the end of week 3 I guess I am looking at it and saying well the program hasn't let me down yet....omg could it be happening am I actually turning into someone who is enjoying running? "nah not yet anyway"
I love the feeling I get completing each run I guess because that is a measurable success. I still am yet to find that stride where I go "Yeahhh baby that's the one."

I have never really understood why people love running but so many claim that they do... I know I love my Karate, and riding my horse and being with my kids but I still need to cultivate or find that love of running.

Now on a quick note I just have to brag my youngest son Rhys graded to his Thunderbolt black belt today. For Rhys this is a huge achievement. For my hubby Peter it now means we can take the boys to Karate together a bit more often as Rhys will now only train in Young Samurai classes. For me it just makes me proud to know that he persisted until he achived the goal and that is one of lifes biggest lessons quitters never win.

Goals and Aspirations

well my mate Mandy had done it to me again. she is the master of writing up her goals. I watched her last year as she worked towards her goals with a single mindedness that was truely amazing. so here I am attempting to write down for all the world to see exactly what I hope to achieve this year.

one of my ultimate goals is to obtain my black belt however this is not something that I can finalise in this 2010 year. I can however move towards some slightly lesser goals.

lets start at the begining I do need to note that these are flexible goals nothing is set it stone.
1. I want to work through the c25k program successfully and and make running a regular part of my fitness routine. so far I have not developed a love of running but I can see that the general feelings of accomplishment that go with this sport can be good for pretty much everything.

2. I want to complete the 100 push ups and 200 sit ups programs and maintain the fitness level required to do this on a regular basis.

3. I want to work with my horse on a more regular basis and ride more often.

All of these goals are short term like 3 month goals at least in the initial phase of getting to the end of a set program.

as I move to mid term goals I have less control over whether or not they will be achievable.

before the end of the year I want to gain my 2nd kyu I believe this is possible and it is in keeping with obtaining my black belt before I get to 47 years of age. (note I have dropped this from 50 as that age is just to scary to contemplate)

ok so basically that is my goals for me for the year. Of course as a mother I need to add items like spending more time reading with my kids and helping with the house and homework with them I have this wondeful husband who has managed to stay relatively sane married to me and he puts up with me working through all this stuff by watching and making the odd comment. One of my goals is to keep him happy and home brewing to his hearts content.

anyway apart from boring work commitments and other stuff the only other goal I have is to be a good friend to those I have come to love and to maintain a positive outlook.

I don't know if writing all this down will help me to achieve what I want to achieve but if nothing else it will help me to remember what I wanted to do this year.

have fun party hard and keep on moving.
Lisa

thursdays...bad planning

well hi there again this is me. It looks to me like I have planned things a little badly or perhaps they just could have been planned a lttle better. Thursdays are not a running day but they are a Karate day. so after doing at least an hour of Karate I have come home and done my 200 sit ups program. I am just taking a minute or two to update things and catch my breath before working through the 100 push ups program. normally I would come home from Karate and just bludge but now at least on a Thursday for at least the next 5 weeks I will come home and do some more work. it is a bit of a daunting process. At this point I just need to be bloody minded enough to persist. I need to emulate the little engine that could and just keep on steaming along...
wish me luck I think I'm gonna need it.

week3 d2

Ok so things are moving forward It was 31 degrees today so pretty warm for running. It got to lunch time and I headed off to the park to run. I left my water bottle at home by mistake and had to rely on the water fountain at the end of the run that was a real pain. If it is warm I will make sure that I have my bottle. The 3 minute runs seemed harder today not sure why the legs were good but breathing was harder. not to worry so long as I am moving forward I am happy with that.

Yesterday I did day 2 of both the 100 push ups and the 200 sit ups programs at the moment the sit ups are much easier than the push ups and my progress reflects that. However I am moving forwrd in both programs and completing each day as it goes.

Maintaining motivation is going to be the big thing over the next 6-7 weeks while I get through all of these programs. What I do after that will all depend on how things are going at Karate and how I feel when I get there. sometimes its not hitting the big goal that is the important thing its enjoying the feeling or working through the various challenges and hitting all the little goals that make up the big one at the end.

week3 day 1

well in sunny old melbourne it was 30 degrees at lunch time and I was desperate to get my run in because it had been 2 days since i finished week 2 and tomorrow I will be in the city all day so running will be out of the quesiton. Not only did I have nerves abut jogging for 3 minutes but doing it twice was a real mental hurdle for me.
As Monday morning progressed the office was driving me nuts so another excuse flew out the window. I headed off to the park/ track where I run from work and set up my Ipod and off I went. for some reason the audio cues didn't work for the first 1/2 of my run so I had to rely on the change in the colour of the screen. Then I worked out how to fix it by hitting the external volume up control and everything just fell into place. I worked my way through the whole run. Didn't cheat and finished the run dripping wet and hot as hell but feeling great. I can't wait until Wednesday to do it all again.
today was the first day I have felt the need to carry a water bottle but gee I'm glad I did. legs were good breathing was good all in all it was just good. slow but good. Yeaaaaaaaaaaa

A little bit of background

Ok so I finally got back to this. its about time...lol. :) I am a 44 year old mother of 2. The picture up on my blog is me and my eldest son Liam. About 3 years ago in March 2007 my 2 boys took up Karate at a local dojo. As a parent I sat and watched for about 6 weeks. I have for as long as I can remember had issues with my weight. Although I have never let it stop me from doing anything I wanted to do I have often been self concious. After watching the kids for about 6 weeks I decided to give Karate a try myself. with the encouragement from various sensei(teachers) and Sempai (senior students) I have spent the last almost 3 years training 4 times a week. I have gone from being able to do 0 full good form push ups and about 3 situps to being able to do 10 full good form push ups and 40- 50 situps. I have obtained the level of 3rd kyu (brown belt) and I look forward to continuing to train and ultimately achieving the level of black belt where my Karate journey will actually begin. Part of obtaining my black belt requires that I learn the required moves and kata and that gets taken care of in the dojo however there is a certain level of fitness required and I need to lift my game on several levels over the next year or so to even be able to attempt this. For several months possibly even a year when possible I have been walking for 1/2 an hour at lunch time. after a couple of weeks I started to add the occasional jog. Initially I didn't have any specific goals for the jogging but as time progressed I split my 15 minute walk into 3 sections and I hoped to walk the first section jog the 2nd walk the third and then do the same thing on the way back. I discussed this a couple of times with Karate instructors and fellow students and we all agreed that this could only help my fitness. One of my buddies from Karate told me about the c25k program. Well I have embraced this program and I am so happy with the results so far. I have managed to make it through the first 2 weeks and despite the effort required and some discomfort I have completed the 1st 6 runs. After reading the c25k forums and being totally inspired by everyone posting there I have decided to set up this blog and record my efforts. As well as doing the c25k program I plan to do the 100 pushups and the 200 sit ups program on the days that I am not running. I think I need to ignore the Karate classes that I will continue to do and only worry about recording my efforts on these 3 programs over the next 9-12 weeks. I hope I havn't been too boring but hey how enthusiastic can you guys be about my training program. I started the 100 push ups and the 200 sit ups today and successfully got through day 1 so I am pretty happy with that. so at this point I have 6 weeks on the sit ups and push ups programs and about 7 weeks on the running program to go. all of these programs are flexible so if I need to repeat any week then thats just fine. Anyway If I can get to a point where I can run for 1/2 and hour do 200 sit ups and 100 push ups then I will consider myself ready to hopefully go for my next grading for 2nd kyu at the formal grading in June. Keep your fingers crossed for me I think I am going to need all the help and support I can get.

following in the masters footsteps

Hi there everyone and anyone who wants to know.
I have been inspired to do this by reading this blog:
http://sufficientlymelodramatic.blogspot.com/
Dave's consistant posting and encouragement have meant that I have finally become delusional and think that I am going to make it through the c25K program.
not only that I have obtained the 100 pushups and the 200 sit ups programs and I am flirting with working through those.
I have to organise tea for the kids now but I am hoping to get back here later tonight to work on adding to this.

Now it's started your welcome to join me on this journey.

oh just so you know this is all aimed at increasing my chances of obtaining my black belt in Karate before I reach the magic age of 50.
thanks for checking it out.
Lisa