I won another prize - Euco Fresh Laundry goods.

I got home yesterday to find a box on the front entry. Yep I'd won another competition.
I won 2 x really soft & fluffy purple bath towels & some Euco Fresh laundry powder & stain remover.
Better than a poke in the eye with a blunt stick - as my mother used to say.

Running Wild

On the insistance of Marc my PT I entered into the Jetty 2 Jetty fun run. The 5km leg.

Naturally, I also entered Mick to do it with me.

So Sunday morning we dropped our car at Mick's folks & walked the 15 minutes to the start line. We had attached the little microchippy things to our laces & put on our best running gear. (Black Greazefest & Gogolo Bordello T-shirts). Besides a few people who dressed up in tutus & bizarre full body skin that included over the head tuxedo skins most people looked that they had done this before. Nike, Addias & Reebok everywhere!

Finally at 8.35am it began. We rounded that first corner with the other 894 other runners to be confronted with a massive hill. I told Mick to go on without me and off he jogged into the distance. The first 2.5km I did a combo of the Cliffy Young shuffle/jog & fast walking. After the halfway mark my feet started to really really hurt (damn fallen arches) but I felt my stamina increasing. I noticed that my recovery time had dropped from about 2 minutes of hyperventilating to about 30 seconds of loud puffing. On the way back was one even bigger hill which I strode up with 2 other gals who were going the same pace as me. We made it up the monster hill by marching & singing " A Left A Left A Left Right Left!". Once at the top there was a big sign saying 1 KM TO GO. Just behind me I heard a voice saying "Come on you can make it Only 1 km to go" . I turned around and a middle aged lady (much bigger than me) was there with who I assumed was her PT.

"I'm... just... *puff* going.. to pretend you're... talking ..*puff* to me ok" I said to him.

"No worries" he laughed. So the last km I had a PT by proxy. "It's all down hill ladies" He yelled " We are going to jog the last km. It's not far to go. You can do it!". And so we did.

Mick met me about 50 metres from the end. I did a big sprint at the end to try & pass this 10 year ranga kid & passed the blue mats that beeped your microchip.

THANK GOD! I exclaimed.

"Don't stop!!" Mick yells at me " The actual finish line is around the corner. Still another 20 metres away!!!"

I jogged the last 20 metres and finished.

Official time 44:32 minutes. 

We quickly hit the water & watermelon tents. I got my J2J official hat to say that I had completed the run.

I was very proud of myself. I've never been in a fun run before let alone done 5km.

We had a big stretch on the beautiful bay & then slowly walked the 15 minutes back to the in-laws.

It seriously took until about 4pm for my face to stop being the colour of a tomato!

You never know maybe next year I'll be fit enough to do the 10km!!

xoxoxoxo

I'm all Ears....

Last night I finally got myself to the hairdressers for a bit of long overdue bleach action. While I was sitting there flicking through the latest issues of Marie Claire & Cleo a young girl around 9 years old came in with her mother. They toddled off into the back room & emerged about 1 minute later all smiles.
"Did she just get her ears pierced?" I queried Brenton my hairdresser.
"Yep".
I was shocked that it all happened so quickly & without tears.
You see I have been mortally terrified of having my ears pierced. It's all to do with my phobia of needles. That and when I was about 14 I had my ears pierced & they got all infected & swelled up like two big rotting tomatos on my head. I was emotionaly scarred for life.
HOWEVER, this year is all about change. I have gone through a round of IVF which involved numerous numerous needles & I lived to tell the tale so...
"Let's do it Brenton!" I burst. "I want to wear nice earrings like the pretty girls do & I want to get over my fears".
So after my hair was done I was taken into the little back room. We decided that Brenton & Raelene would pierce both my ears at once to get it over & done with as quickly as possible.

To their amusement I was shaking like the total wuss that I am.

They got themselves all lined up & ready and...

3.......2 ..............BANG!!!!

It was done! And it was true. I didn't feel a thing.

Afterwards I got a bit emotional & nearly started crying. Not because of any sort of pain but because I had overcome another fear. I was very proud of myself.

I can't wait for 6 weeks time when I get to take these suckers out & get to spend even more money on lovely pretty things to adorn myself with.

JOY!!

Leisurely Sunday Bike Ride.... NOT!

On Sunday though I thought I would pull my Electra Red Betty Bike out of the shed. 

"I know" I thought "I'll ride to the video store & take back this DVD. What a great idea. It's not that far."
What a fool. Funny how inclines which seem ever so gradual when you are driving in your car become almost like 85 degree angles when you have to ride up them.
I got half way to the store & had to pull over because I was dry retching. I finally made it to the store shaking & hyperventilating. "OK" I wheezed "Do I go back the way I came or try a different route home?" I decided to ride along the (thank god) flat bikeway along the water. It was so lovely.

Until.... I had to decide what street to go down to get back home. I chose wrong. Yep I forgot about the mega mountainous hill. I had to push my bike up it. All in all with breaks to cough up a lung & curse the heavens it took me about an hour. I almost couldn't breathe OR walk when I got home!

I collapsed on the couch wheezing like a cat with a furball.

Nice Shootin' Tex

Last Saturday Mick & I headed off to the Belmont Rifle Range for a wee bit of target practice. Despite what some people might think shooting is actually a really really serious but fun thing to do.  Personally, I love it.
It's almost like a meditation as you have to focus on your breathing & posture.
Arrr the smell of cordite!  Mick & I took turns with his 22 and I must say that I am quite the crack shot!

I was very very happy with my results & hit the bulls-eye more that a few times. There were some BIG boom boom guns there. Crikey people must spend a fortune on their guns.
Next time I wouldn't mind pushing the targets back to the 100 yard mark.
It was a good way to spend the morning but it was mega mega FREEZING cold!
Next time I will remember to take a big coat to wear & maybe a beanie.

You never know maybe one day I'll get myself a gun of my own. I like this Hello Kitty gun.

Buster Bloodvessel

In our MASSIVE clean out of the shed the other weekend I found loads of photos from Ye Olde Days.
I was mega excited to have found this pic though. I searched high & low for this photo hoping to take it to the Bad Manners gig & have Buster sign it.  Murphys Law that I would find it after the fact.
This photo was taken after the Bad Manners show on the Gold Coast about 10 years ago.
My god look how thin I was. I have no boobs!
Anyways, after the show a few of us went to this little bar next door & who should come in but THE BAND! We sat around drinking with them for a bit. It was great. I reckon Buster has lost about 50 kilos since this pic was taken.
I thought I would share.

Weight Watchers Dinner

Sunday night saw The Big Fella & I hitting the city & Cafe Mondial to meet a few of my fellow Weight Watchers bloggers. Petra (aka Miss Muffet aka Moleteaser), Kathy & Paula. These three ladies are a HUGE inspiration to me & my weightloss journey. Miss Petra is also a roller derby queen. I also have a blog on the Weight Watchers site but I also LOVE reading stories of other people's adventures with WW.

Naturally the conversation over our (naturally) mega healthy meal of sizzling seafood with naan bread & dip with token glass of Merlot revolved around eating tips, exercise tips, motivational tips, roller derby, clothes & shoes & our own weight loss battles & stories.

I came away from the dinner ramped up with motivation and enthusiasm that I CAN DO IT.

I particularly loved Petra's "Evolution" book which is like a diary of her journey with pictures from when she started to now. Kind of like a diary/visualisation board.

It was great to finally put a face & voice to the writings on the WW wall.

Brilliant night with some lovely positive thinking ladies who have accomplished amazing things.

SO INSPIRATIONAL.