Long time between posts!

Where do I start! Things seem to be hectic lately although when anyone asks it doesn't really sound like I've been doing much!

This morning I got back from Japan and the sun was up so I sat up for a while and crawled in to bed around 7:30am and here I am back up at 11am just waiting for the gym to cool down so I can get my workout done for the day. Strangely enough I actually sort of look forward to my workout this morning as it seems to keep that yucky hungover feeling from lack of sleep out of my system. Although in saying that my workout will be as motivated as I get all day and plan on chilling out and maybe even sitting in the sun for the rest of the day (I don't function too well after night flights and the day is usually a right off!).

I've had a bit of a downer of a week last week, seemed to have lost my MOJO! Just couldn't seem to get into anything, training was even an effort. It was TTOM and I was a real grumpy bum (just ask Cam he'll tell you!) although at the time of course I wouldn't admit to any of my moods being hormone related. I managed to still get in all my training done last week although every session took a hell of a lot of motivation to get me there. Nutrition was hard as I can usually eat a house when its TTOM and anything sweet is such a temptation. Normally I can resist temptation ok, but for some reason last week I was really struggling I haven't had PMS that bad for ages! So anyway pretty good all week until a bit of a massive blowout on the weekend, I haven't had one of those for a while either, but I can honestly say I kinda needed it! It actually helped get me back on track on Sunday and haven't had a problem since. I think its kinda good to have some indulgences every now and then as I've been trying to be super good for too long now and I was getting over it!

On a positive Cam took me out for dinner on Saturday night. I had requested a date as I wanted to wear a dress. I bought a new dress for my sisters wedding party and wanted to break the shoes in (any excuse to go out!). I can relate to Hilary about not wearing dresses very often, I felt very weird and actually felt like a girl for a change, I'm a real comfort dresser and love anything where I feel comfortable and a dress is hard work. Although in saying that I did feel very nice and got lots of compliments, so I might have to wear one more often. We went to this awesome place at the Casino for dinner, I had my favourite Salmon steak and it was to die for. The atmosphere, food and staff were all awesome so I'll definitely be going back.

I finally got my roster for April which I have been hanging out for as there is so much going on. As I've mentioned my little sister is getting married. She is having a small ceremony at a B&B in the Adelaide hills one weekend and then a bit party then next weekend for extended family and friends. She has organised it so that Cam and I can stay at a B&B near by for the weekend so it is going to be lovely. So I've anxiously been awaiting the roster to see what time I had off.

I've also been waiting to find out when I have been booked in for surgery. I recently found out I had to have more cells removed from my cervix (this is the second time) as I have CIN2 again. It's something that has been playing on my mind as it is so frustrating when you make such an effort to live a healthy lifestyle and then things like this come up and there is nothing you can really do to change it. It was 3 years ago I had the last lot removed and since then they have progressively been getting worse again. So ladies make sure you are having regular pap smears as I have been having them every six months for years now and it doesn't take long for changes to happen. I suppose the good thing is I'm on top of it but still very frustrating that I cannot do anything myself to fix the situation and am just relying on surgery to remove the cells. So it turns out the surgery is booked for the Monday after my sisters wedding. So in April I have heaps on, I finish my 12 weeks with IBO in the 14th, then have a Brisbane and Japan trip, back to Cairns then fly to Adelaide on the 19th for the wedding, back to Cairns on the 22nd. Surgery is booked for the 23rd, two days of then back to Japan if I'm ok then down to Adelaide again on the 28th for my sisters party (jeez I'm tired just thinking about it). The good news is I will have finished my 12 weeks before surgery as I really need to take a week of training as last time I didn't rest as much as I should have and it took ages for things to get back to normal.

And on top of all that I have been trying to organise our wedding, I have been having great difficulty finding someone to organise the ceremony where we want it without all the dancing monkeys and elephants parading around. The Thais idea of a wedding ceremony and ours are very different! But it looks as though I have found a company that can do what we want which is a great relief as I just want someone else to organise it so we can enjoy sitting on the beach, eating and drinking with friends in Thailand. So I'm very excited now!!!!!

So I suppose I've just had a lot on my mind but I think once April is over things will be a bit easier and I can enjoy just plodding along again.

Well enough rambling for one day, time to hammer my legs in the gym!!!!!

Love Hilds

Amazing what a bit of sleep can do!

I'm feeling heaps better after a good 10 hours sleep on Sunday night and then another great nights sleep last night. Its so much easier when I am home and can have a proper routine! On Sunday I felt sooooo average all day I was barely coping due to a serious lack of sleep and the more I tried to sleep the less I could. I'm sure all this flying and lack of sleep is no good for my body, its actually quite frustrating as everything else in my life is aimed towards feeling good, eating well and exercising regularly and then I have this job that contradicts all the good work I put in. Oh well I suppose we can't have it all, my job is great in many aspects as it gives me much more freedom and time off than most jobs, its a no stress job (and I've had the stressful jobs and this is way better), my job also allows me to have a pretty awesome lifestyle and a lot more travel than I would ever be able to do in a 9-5 job. So I suppose its all not that bad and it also allows me to study, not that I have done much lately. I seem to go through stages where I study hard get an exam done and then don't want to look at a book for a few weeks afterwards. Anyway I'm in no rush to finish quickly, I'm trying to enjoy the process this time and it seems to be working. Lately I've had so many ideas on areas I would like to get into in the Health and Fitness industry which is very exciting and makes everything that I'm doing now worthwhile.

So this week is of to a pretty good start, have already crossed of a few training sessions which is always a good feeling. I always try and get the hard ones out the way early. Have planned to do the Blue Arrow at lunch time today, its a 1 1/2 bush walk in Cairns. So Cam is meeting me there after he finishes work, I imagine he will be a tired tiger as he has to get up to start work at 2:45am (not a nice time!). He has already warned me that if I want to speed ahead I'm on my own (he he). So I'm looking forward to the walk, should be drenched with sweat by the end of it, considering its stinking hot today, really not that much different though from any other day in Cairns, its always hot and humid! Tomorrow I have to work and have a Brisbane return, so its a nice and early start for me, I think I need to get up at 3:30am, yuk. I should get back to Cairns about 12 and have booked in for a RPM class at 12:30. I gather its easier to do it straight away as if I go home it will be sooooo hard to motivate myself to do any training later as I'm usually pretty shattered after the early starts, they're nearly worse than the night flights. And then on Thursday I'm on to Japan again, just for something different! Might actually motivate myself to do some study this time. Anyway time to sit in the sun for a while while the weather is so good!

Hilary thanks for the lovely comment and to everyone else who has commented on my article in Women's Health and Fitness! I'm looking forward to seeing some other IBO before and after pics, I'm sure there are lots of people finishing around now!

Have a great day! Hilds

Feeling a bit flat....

(just wanted to add a pic of me and cam. It was taken at my Chrissy party)

That pretty much sums up how I have been feeling this week. I think it may be due to all the training I'm doing at the moment, my program for these last few weeks is pretty intense and hard to keep up with my work. But its only 5 short weeks to go so I'm just going to keep slogging away at it, although I'm really looking forward to cutting my cardio back a bit at the end of it all.

I flew over to Japan yesterday and felt quite average all day, all my fault mind you. I had a bit of an indulgence on Thursday night. I kept telling myself I deserved it as I have been so good so far and only had two free meals in six weeks, so I had a bit too much apple crumple cake! Oh my god it was good but did I pay for it yesterday, I had stomach cramps and heart burn all day, don't really know what thats about but all I could think of was it must have been the cake! Its amazing how your body reacts when you have been eating quite clean for a while. So anyway moving on and have made sure I have done all my cardio for the week. Had a great session this morning and did my 55minute Steady state on the tready followed by and hour incline on the treaty. It was a bit of an effort but I knew it would be easier to do today than tomorrow, as I only get home about 6am and will be lucky to get 3 hours sleep and still have one weight session to get done for the week! So anyway nearly all over for another week, still need to get my nutrition spot on, don't really know why I struggle with it so much but its always an effort.

Didn't end up getting my free PT session as the trainer cancelled on me!!!!! I thought it was supposed to be the other way around, I was really pissed off as I had gotten up really early to get my interval training out the way and make sure I had enough time for breakie and a relax before my session. Anyway won't be going there for any PT sessions. So as I was a bit disappointed I got Cam to take me through my new Chest & Bicep routine. Well, I don't know if that was a good thing, I'm still soooo sore. I managed heaps of PB as its great having someone spot you, but the bad thing is I now have to maintain, and better the weights I've started out on, bugger! I also did my interval training on the oval, it was quite different but a nice change. I felt a bit odd at first as there was some guys there flying model planes and must of thought I was a bit strange stopping and starting. Although I soon forgot they were there as I was too busy watching the stopwatch the whole time, I really noticed the difference when I jogged home along the road, it felt so hard and my legs were very heavy! I'm glad I wore my old sneakers as they got trashed from the wet oval and lawn clippings.

Oh yeah think I figured out who I saw at the gym the other day, I'm sure it was Jules from the blue team, biggest loser! I'd love to know if it is really her and when she got out and how she is going. She looked better, not super small or anything but I'm sure she's shrunk. Also what is it with some of the contestants on that show, they are given this amazing opportunity and they still can't seem to stop with the excuses, Munalita (don't know if that's how you spell it!) and the girl on the blue team who never stops crying do my head in!!!! I love the commando and how he just says it like it is anyway its great to watch as it gives us something to gossip about! Even Cam sits there and yells at the telly when it's on, quite funny to watch.

Anyway enough rambling for one post, should try and get some rest before my lovely night flight home. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Love Hilds

Where are the weeks going?

Time is flying lately, I can't believe that it is March already! All is going well with me, have been busy working and training, don't really know what else I've been doing but the days seem to be flying by. Feeling a bit shattered today. I got back late last night from Sydney as I had to go down for a couple of days training for work. I'm glad that its all over and we only have to do our emergency training every six months. As I always get really stressed out about it but its never as bad as you imagine its going to be.

Anyway couldn't seem to sleep in this morning I must have been excited about my new training program. So I got up early and got my high intensity leg session out the way, I love doing it early in the week so I know it is done for another week. After finishing that I decided I might as well get all the hard stuff out the way so I booked myself in for a lunch time RPM class, glutton for punishment today! I think I must have sweated about 2L during the RPM class and my legs felt heavy for the first track which isn't a good thing. And just to top it of I have just finished an hour incline power walk on the tready. So burnt a big 900 calories today, god I love my heart rate monitor. So I'm sure I'll be sleeping well tonight. Tomorrow I have my interval training, so now that the weather has cleared up I'm going to go down the oval and do it rather than on the treadmill, so I should be able to push myself a bit harder. It will be interesting to see the difference. I also scored a free PT session at the gym, so I'm really looking forward to that as I haven't had anyone train me for quite some time, will let you know if I can move after tomorrow.

So as you can tell I'm hitting in hard for my final six weeks aiming for some awesome after photos! I'm looking forward to the after photos as my partner is also doing a 12 week challenge with me so we took couple photos before. Its actually really motivating having your partner to do it with you as it puts the pressure on as you don't want to let the team down.

Oh yeah nearly forgot, I'm sure I saw one of the biggest loser contestants at the RPM class. I can't think of her name but she was in the blue team. I'll have to find out tomorrow if it is her coz my curiosity is killing me!!!! Anyway the biggest loser is on now and I'm hooked. Hope everyone is having a great week. Cheers Hilds