Yesterday I went for a real bike ride along the coast line from the Busselton Jetty toward Dunsborough and it was fantastic. There was a storm coming in, so by the time we loaded the bikes, packed the car for every possible event and headed off, the wind had started and the sky was changing colour.
We got there about 1230 and the wind was quite wild, but within a few minutes on the bikes, we were warmed up. There is a bike/walking path from the Jetty approximately 14 km to the end, so we did the round trip. The storm was on its way slowly, with the sky changing colour and the wind picking up, but we didn't let it stop us, we just watched its energy change. It was invigorating watching the water change to several shades of grey/green and churn wildly smashing in on itself.
Busselton Coast line.
We went with the wind first, which was amazing. We got to the end then headed out onto caves along "the church and youth camps" part of the road, then ran out of path. It was just as well, we may have kept going it was such a good ride.
Equinox Cafe
On the way back we were riding into the wind and I had to keep changing the gears just to keep up a good steady pace. The muscles were really working and the sweat started, but the blood was warm and fueling all the important bits, so we forged on. My eyes were watering so much in the wind even with my glasses on, but the energy of it and the ocean just motivated us more until we got back to the car. We loaded up the bikes and were sitting in Equinox Cafe in the sunny window when the rain reached us, having coffee and a light lunch. It took a while before the sun was overpowered by the clouds, so we just watched people wrap them selves up trying to keep the wind out while they ran to their cars or for cover.
What a great day. I didn't wear my heart rate monitor and I didn't really care how much energy the ride burnt, I just loved feeling free and alive and felt so lucky to be living in a place that allows me to enjoy all the elements no matter what the weather is doing.
Well this week is all about the changing mind set. Tomorrow is weigh day, but I am more excited about the joy I have experienced from some changes than what I weigh right now.
I have never been a person who exercises regularly and I have never liked exercising even though I do expect my body to keep up with my mind. So this 12wbt is really challenging how I deal with exercise. This is the beginning of week 5 and so far, this week is the first week I have exercised 5 out of the 7 days. Up to now I have only managed 3 times per week with one of those days being a 2 hour session.. My mini mile-stone is to run in the 5km fun run on the 1st of August with a whole lot of other people including a few of my work mates.
I looked back at the short term goals I planned before this started and laughed when I read that I had expected to run 5 km by the end of the first month. A little presumptuous on my part. I had no idea learning to run would be so hard.
So, I have been really trying hard to get that training in to master my goal of running 5km without stopping. Today I felt the mind set shift. My 5km run in August is going to be held around the inlet in our local area, so I have been walking/jogging that as part of my training once a week. On that track there is a 600mt board walk which I hadn't been able to run the full length of without stopping until yesterday. It was my goal not to stop and I didn't. My lungs were burning and I was breathing very hard when I got to the end, but my legs felt alright and it didn't take long for my heart rate to get back to normal and for my lungs to settle. Yesterday I went with a friend who took a slightly different route to me and ended up a distance in front of me. I found after the success of making it across the board walk I would attempt to make up the distance between the two of us, which I did. Having someone as a moving target to get to was just as motivating as having the goal to keep going until I got to the end of the board walk.
So today, I did it again, but this time I was on my own so I had to motivate myself. I walked first for a while to warm up the leg muscles, because they just hurt so much if they're cold. I got to the board walk and I was off and just kept telling myself if I could do it once, I could do it again and I did. Today I wore my heart rate monitor and realised when it started beeping telling me my heart rate was over the high limit, I had to keep going because I hadn't made it to the end. I realised my heart rate was high for some time and I survived. I found I took deeper breaths to get as much oxygen in as possible and my legs didn't suffer, just my lungs burning. So, by the time I had recovered I set off again running and when I heard that monitor go off I didn't stop again. I was amazed at how far I went before I did stop. Then by the time I had my next recovery and set off again, I had set my goal to run until I got back to my car. This time while the monitor was beeping its head off and I was breathing heavy, I was also looking around at the scenery enjoying the beauty of the sun on the water and the families out walking, riding and pushing prams. I wasn't concentrating on my "poor legs" as I used to, I was just allowing my body to do what it is now capable of doing.
My goal is to be able to run 5 km without stopping and I don't know how long that will take, but I am not going to stop until I can. Then I'll set another goal......
The mind set is changing, at last. This is only week 5, I have 7 to go...... Lucky me..... Jenny
There is a great deal of psychological stuff to deal with when the weight stays the same, which mine did this week, but that's why most of us who diet have probably been doing this in cycles for years.As soon as there appears to be no "gain" with the pain, its so easy to tell ourselves what the heck I may as well have a treat.So the cycles go on.I did really well last week but have remained the same this week and am dealing with the disappointment.The 12WBT forum really does help to keep the thinking side of things in perspective and has made me look realistically at my behavior.I know I did emotional eating this week, with one piece of banana bread "thawed" in the microwave late at night x1, 2 pieces of hospital grade date cake, lamington size on night duty x1 and a fruit slice yesterday with coffee with a good friend over a talk about how life is at the moment.
I also only exercised 3 times this week, so no matter how much I want to tell myself that surely that wouldn't make such a difference, it has.I have learnt something valuable about that commitment thing.I was aware of what I was doing and why, so I will be forgiving to me and find other ways to deal with emotional stuff.Going back and reading my goals and solutions has already helped, I had forgotten there are other ways to deal with the negative stuff.My measurements have surprised me,
chest104cm to 100.................4cm loss
waist94.5cm to 82.................12cm loss
hips102.5 cm to 97.5...............5cm loss
R leg61.5to 57.5..................4cm loss
L leg61to 57.....................4cm loss
This is great for me, it shows me what can be done and keeps it positive and makes me realise its all relative as long as I don't give up.I bought the biggest loser's cook book yesterday for some new ideas on faster lunch ideas for work, because cooking 2 meals a day for me is too time consuming."Little Steps make a journey"....
Well after all that feeling down, the weigh in was good for me, now 64.4kg a loss of 1.2kg in the past week. Having the scales play up and needing a new battery did my head in. It will be good when I feel like my body is changing, so I can enjoy the reward. At least I know the work has been worth it, even though I didn't get the exercise in every day.
For my time table, I find it works better if I do 2 sessions on days I have the time, which is usually twice a week, so that's 4 sessions, then the other 2 sessions aren't so hard to achieve. RPM fits in there twice, which I am really liking because there is something to achieve and I can feel the difference. I will continue to work on the exercise program and make improvements as time goes on. Our swimming pool is undergoing repairs at present, best time I suppose in the winter, but I do miss doing my few laps. I will just have to be satisfied with the big kids pool, at least its warm and I can swim in it even though I'm almost touching the bottom..
It's raining today and I was going to do my walk/jog around the 5km fun run track, but now have to change the plan. My Grand daughter is here today, she stayed over last night and she is board right now because her Nana is on the computer. But I did make her some apple tarts, the first lot she ate all of them, but the second batch she will take home to share with her mum. But of course she is still hungry!!! I plan to go to the shops soon to get some cooking utensils that I have found I need to make life easier. I am very happy with the weight loss it is good.
Today is my gym day, or morning, the one I have set aside just for me. The first hour with the PT and the second at the RPM class. Last week I couldn't stand up for even one rotation on that bike, but today I stood up in every standing cycle in the entire session. Whoo hooo for me. I felt soooooo good doing that. I can't believe its only been 2 weeks, so having this success gives me hop. I just have to keep doing it..... On a journey.........
