Round 1 (2012) Bloggers Challenge - Week 1

And with the kick off of round 1, comes the kick off of the blogging challenge. This challenge is organised by the lovely Whirlsie at http://nutritionally-yours.blogspot.com.au/

So, here goes ....

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What makes you, you?

Well, My name is Sally, this is my third round, and I am my own worst enemy. I remember when I was at my largest, just wishing that someone would tell me what to do - what to eat, what exercise was needed to lose weight. Well that person, is here, Michelle Bridges, rolled up into the 12WBT. I'm now far from my largest, but still with a desire to lose just a few more kilos, not much, I'm not greedy, just 3 kgs is my goal!!!

I'm 34, with no children, a lovely partner, and 2 border collies. We live in the suburbs in Adelaide.

Why did you decide to do the 12WBT?

I decided to do this round purely because I don't like missing out! I'm here to lose the last few kilos. Get the direction I really do need, plus the support of others along the way.

What are you hoping to achieve through the program?

I want to come out being happy, content with the new slim me, and nicer/kinder to myself. I want to know that I can run a half marathon!

Why have you decided to blog about the 12WBT? What will be the main focus (eg, food, exercise, a bit of everything?)

I like words, I like to write. It keeps me on track. My main focus is on exercise, no food, no exercise, ... all of the above!

How will you be exercising this round? Gym, home, outdoors or a mixture?

Hmm a mixture, definitely a mixture. I do Bootcamp 3 times a week (6 am), a couple of gym classes (Body Combat, Attack, the occasional Pump, and I'd really like to find the time for the odd RPM). As running is a focus this round, I'm aiming for my SSS to be a long run, with at least one interval session during the week.

Now for that other exercise during the program. I'll be outdoors for 4 weeks trekking to Everest Base Camp. Yeah! that's outdoors :-)

What is your greatest strength that will help you?

My stubbornness is my strength. But also my weakness. I won't fail, I won't give up ... I'll just procrastinate a little and work myself up ... trying not to beat myself up!

What are you afraid of?

Ohhh, I'm no scaredy cat. Failure I guess. Not making the most of the opportunity.

What are you looking forward to the most over the next 12 weeks?

Learning to run, enjoying to run. Running. Smashing the Everest trek knowing my fitness didn't let me down!

What is your downfall? Food? Exercise? How will you overcome this?

Hmm well, that'll be food. But more so my headspace around food. As a former (emphasis on former, it's been nearly 2 months) bulimic, mindless eating is the devil inside me.

If you had to pick one word to motivate you over the next 12 weeks, what would you choose?

EVEREST!

Week 1 - half marathon training long run

Well this weeks half marathon program for the Saturday super session had us 12wbters running 9 km (or 60 minutes).

For reasons out of my control (so not going there), I couldn't exercise/get sweaty on Saturday, so Sunday for me it was.

I headed down to the River Torrens (edge of the Adelaide CBD) for a morning run.

My 'typical' run plan of attack, would be to set a distance, i.e. 9 km, and get the fucker over and done with. This often leaves me wondering how much more is in the tank. So my challenge for next few weeks to myself is to really figure out where I'm at, how realistic this half marathon is, and heaven forbid can I aim a bit higher.

So, instead of merely heading off for 9 km, my goal was to stick to a consistent slow pace, and run for over an hour. I did 10.16 km in 1 hour 6 minutes ... and as fricken usual, still left wondering how much further I could have done. I felt fine during the run, and afterwards, and all day. Next time, no matter what, I'm lathering on the sunscreen, because this morning I used fear of getting sunburnt as an excuse to stop!

Anyway, 10.16 km on a Sunday morning was a fair effort. All up, including stretch, was 761 cals ... hmm a bit short of the 1000 cals for a SSS, but oh well :-(

Week 1 Wrap-up

In one word, to wrap up the week, shithouse comes to mind!

It's definitely been a week of ups and downs, and it's really only dawned on me in the last few days where my mind has been at.

If you asked me on Wednesday how things were going, I definitely would have come across quite negative. My weight hadn't budged, steady on 69.8 kgs, a massive 2 kg's up since the end of round 3. Un-impressed by the numbers, I frankly couldn't give a shit. I've realised that I've been pretty happy with my weight, or more so, the way I look. I've been a comfortable size 10 for months now, and not stressing over it all. Can't say there's been 'fat days' where I've been sad about it all. So I finally figured that my lack of commitment to the cause (burning 500 cals Monday - Friday, and 1000 on Saturday, as well as eating 1200 cals), come down to just being happy. Seriously why do I need to worry and stress over a few numbers anyway! Well clearly that's an excuse I missed in the pre-season task.

On Friday morning I did my fitness test, and I was pleased to see an improvement in the 1 km run, push-ups (albeit slight improvement), and the sit and reach. Again, further highlighting that I'm pretty fit, and why the hell am I worried about being the heaviest I've been for a while now.

On Saturday night, I followed up the measurements with the photos. Holy bat shit, I can see exactly where those few kg's are sitting. My belly, hips, thighs and butt are all bulging out, even more than my beginning of round 3 photos, let alone where I was at, at the end of round 3!

So, it would seem there is room for improvement. I can't do this on my own, and I need to get my shit together to get me to my goal weight, and size!

Back to eating 1200 clean calories a day, smashing the exercise, with 5 x 500 cal burn days, 1 x 1000 burn day, and what ever else I can get in!

Right, time to over-share to keep me honest about where I'm at!

Mmm I'm reluctant to share, but here goes, week 1 front on photo, clothed you'll be pleased!

Catch-up time!

Well clearly I've been a bit busy to blog, either that or just slack!

So here's a little wrap-up of the rest of my round 1 pre-season.

Bootcamp Benchmarks
Well I did do the January benchmark for Bootcamp, my time for benchmark 1 was an improvement, with another 20 seconds shaved off, however benchmark 2 was a couple of seconds slower. Although a bit disappointing, just goes to show that I'm hanging in there doing my best.

Unfortunately I went away for work the week the February benchmark was held, so I didn't get to do it, oh well. There's always March :-)

Pre-season Tasks
Well, I set my round 1 tasks, all about improving the fitness, skimming off some benchmark times, fitness test improvements, and toning up. And then Mish goes ahead and announces theres a half marathon running program for the first time ever. Oohhh I like a challenge, so now my goals are all running based (well, tidy up the eating and shed a few kgs still).

I'm now aiming to finish the half marathon at the Barossa Marathon, Saturday 26th May. That gives me a couple of weeks after we get back from Nepal. For now, I'm focussing on increasing distance and total time running, and will soon shift to increasing speed.

Fridge, pantry, and stashes cleaned up.

Geared-up, new shoes, new socks for all that running, oh and a new hat - purely to keep my hair out of face.

Second fun run for 2012

The SA Road Runners Club first official run for the year was held on Sunday 5th February, with a 10 km lap course Semaphore to Largs and back. We awoke to dark grey clouds and drizzle, but picked Kaye up at some un-godly hour and headed to the beach. It rained, it showered, it rained some more. BUT I actually really had a good run despite the rain.

To run the entire 10 km was the goal, and I just about achieved this, with just 3 little walks from the drinks stations. My un-official time was 54 minutes, 55 seconds. My official time was a bit longer - but that's what happens when your still the line for the ladies when the race begins.

I felt good afterwards, cold and wet, but still good :-)

Benchmark: It's a love/hate relationship

Okay, it’s time to start psyching myself up. Tomorrow is Bootcamp’s first session of the month, and that means it’s Benchmark Day. I’m heading in for the 6 am session, which means the alarm will go off at 4:40 am, I’ll spritely jump out of bed, shower, put on my comfy pants and my oh so grey Bootcamp shirt, scoff a slice of toast, and head in to North Adelaide, nervously shitting myself the entire drive.

Everyone will do two tests, the first one involving running two laps (200 m each), meeting their partner for them to witness and scruitinise the form of a set of push-ups, grunts and sit-ups, and repeating the whole thing again two more times. Benchmark 1 kills me – I suck just at doing the grunts and sit-ups quickly! Benchmark 2 is less stressful, but still hard work, 8 laps of the 200 m circuit.

The goal is to make an improvement on the last Benchmark results, even if it’s just a few seconds! I’ve just got to remind myself to breath and don’t hold back, there’s no point saving yourself for the last lap, when you probably could have sprinted the last three!!!

2011 was a pretty awesome year

Well 2011 ended yesterday, and I have to admit to being a bit sad to see it go. It was certainly a great year, and I feel that I accomplished a lot and learnt a tonne about myself along the way.

Here's some highlights:

• got rid of 12 kg's
• built some great friendships with an amazing bunch of girls from 12wbt
• committed to 6 am Bootcamp 3 times a week (getting up at 4:40 am was the hard part)
• got fitter
• learnt to run, and was blown away with myself for actually finishing some fun runs (City to Bay, Glenelg Classic)
• regained my self confidence - I can actually do shit if I set my mind to it
• quit my job - and lined up a new one ready to start in January
• relaxed in Fiji with Nath for a week
• partied in Sydney with those above mentioned girls for the 12wbt finale.

Proud achievements:

• ran my first ever fun runs - starting with a run leg of a group triathlon, City to Bay, Glenelg Classic
• not only completed, but smashed the Westpac stair climb - great sense of achievement because my friends could relate to what it involved ('holy shit that's a lot of stairs in that time' kinda talk)
• progressed through Bootcamp ranks: Ranger, Seal, Delta ... one more to go in 2012!
• didn't let work get in the way of a good work out (well most of the time, but a darn lot better than 2010)
• stopped drinking soft drink
• significantly cut back on the crap food (sweet biscuits deserve a special mention!)

And some downfalls:

• yet again let eating issues over rule my common sense.

Original Bootcamp North Adelaide 6 am Platoon (with our 'showbag' from BSc)

My Westpac Stairclimb results - ready to beat it in 2012!

Celebrating with a workout.



Me ... running, coming into the finish line of the 10 km Glenelg Classic (SA Road Runners event).