Stay The Path {the bike path}

(image via pinterest)

If I've learnt anything over the last couple of years on my running journey it's this: your head will always give up long before your legs do.

Some things that help me to stay the path, literally.

*Get your clothes out the night before, if you plan to run in the morning. I am not a morning person. At all. Morning runs are my least favourite to start but my most favourite to end. It puts me in a fantastic mood and I am way more efficient on the mornings I run...if I get out of bed. To combat this I have been known to sleep in my run clothes, put my alarm on the other side of the room so I have to get out of bed to turn it off and to put super motivating songs as my alarm ring tone.

*Sometimes if I'm toying with the idea of not wanting to run, I tell myself that I only have to run for 5mins and if I'm still not feeling it I can come home. I am yet to come home. 

*Once you're out there your brain will bombard you with all the reasons that you should stop. You have to find a way to switch these off. Try not to get ahead of yourself and your planned run distance. Don't be thinking about how far you still have to go but instead break it into manageable chunks. Sometimes I tell myself I just need to get to the next light pole/driveway/big tree etc. I often find that once I get there I'll try to get to the next one. You can usually go further than what your mind will tell you that you can.  Another option is to find a couple of good running quotes that help to motivate you. I love "I Am Healthy, I Am Strong. I Can Do This All Day Long". Dorky & rhyming; what's not to love! Repeating them over and over when you're wanting to chuck in the towel might be all it takes to get you through. Other suggestions include counting your steps or listening to a podcast. Anything that takes your focus off how your body feels.

*New run clothes, shoes or even a few new songs on your playlist can do wonders in keeping you running or getting you back out there. Music is pretty key for me. Some runners, like Josh, prefer not to use music so they can listen to their breathing etc. Frankly, I'd prefer to to listen to anything other than my haggard, laboured respiration, but each to their own.

*Be accountable. The main reason for this challenge. Recruit a friend. Log your workouts on an app such a runkeeper, mapmyrun or strava. Having said that, a watch or timer on your phone will definitely help and should be one of your first purchases (along with a well fitting sports bra). If you know that someone is going to ask you how your runs have gone this week then you are more likely to do them. Sometimes this also helps me when I am on the path. If I'm out there and really struggling and considering stopping, I think about when Josh asks me how my run went. It helps me round up my time. If I'm at 17mins then I'd much prefer to tell Josh I did a full 20min run than say 17 so I struggle through to make it a whole number. Just sounds better.

*Surround yourself with people who are encouraging and supportive of your run journey. 

*Take it slow and progress incrementally. The danger when starting a challenge is to go all out and get frustrated when things aren't happening as quickly as you wanted. I literally started running for 30sec and then walking until I felt I could do another 30sec and built from there. If I ran continuously for 3mins last run then I'm going to aim for 3mins30sec next run.

It doesn't matter if you are a seasoned runner or a newbie, at one time or another you will definitely 'hit the wall'. Don't let a bad run side track you. Just get back out there and keep going. Let's #getourrunon today.

Get Your Run On

(image via pinterest)

Alright, so recently I wrote about my running journey; where I have come from & where I currently am. The things I have battled with as a complete non-runner. You can read about it here. As I mentioned, I have a new found freedom in running when I want, for as long as I want without laying any guilt trips on myself. However, I’ve been feeling that it’s time to shake things up a bit.

I have entered a race. The Brisbane 10km run on the 3^rd of August. This actually means I need to run more regularly, with (dare I say it)…a training plan.

I was encouraged recently by a friend to ‘put it out there’. Maybe blog about it even. She was actually interested in joining me. Could I create a little community of people who are all on a similar journey?

I am no expert. Not at all. But I do totally know what it’s like to be a non-runner & wish you were. I do know what it’s like when you first start out. Most of all I know how it feels to achieve something you didn’t think was possible.

How about you? Are you a complete non-runner? Do you want to give running a crack? Have you run 5km once, a long time ago & want to step things up a bit? See, I don’t think we have to have exactly the same goals or be at the same fitness level to encourage and hold each other accountable. Its especially vital at this time of year when it’s cold, and lets be honest, there are way too many reasons to ditch the exercise! Research shows that you are 90% more likely to work out if you are doing it with a friend*. We may not be running side by side or even in the same town but I reckon we can get the same benefits of a supportive environment. 

Interested yet?

Here are a few thoughts…

* Set a goal.

You will need an achievable, but still challenging goal. I have picked a 10km race but maybe yours is a 5km race. You can definitely choose to just allocate a distance, measure it out & run it on a set day but I personally don’t find it motivating enough. There is nothing like paying money to enter a race to help me to stick to a plan! This run calendar has a pretty comprehensive list of many different races & distances. 

* Find a plan.

For me I am writing one based on a few I have looked at online. Mine will be 8 weeks but you could easily do 12weeks. I like to print off a calendar, a month to a page and then look at when I could fit my runs in. Then I stick it on my fridge so I constantly see it. I can then cross it off as I go. I am going to roughly base mine on three runs a week. If you google ‘run training programs’ you can pretty much find one for every distance & every ability. You might find that some programs include some speed sessions or fartlek training (say what?) & those things are all helpful, but in the end, lets just keep it simple, just run, three times in a week. Find a plan that works for you & put it somewhere you can see it.

* Just do it

Um yeah, totally the hardest part. I could faff about with training programs & using different colours for different workouts until the cows come home. I tend to have an ‘all or nothing’ attitude which is totally not helpful. I have been known to miss a training session purely because I couldn’t make three sessions that week?!? Choose a time that works for you & schedule it in as an appointment.

So…who’s in?

Tell me your story, your goal & your timeframe.  I would love to know where you’re at & whether you’re interested in joining me. Comment here or find me on instagram. (old_new_and_blue), hashtag your km's and your journey and lets #getourrunon 

*I totally just made that up. But I truly think it's legit anyway.

Ignorance is NOT bliss

This little saying rubs me up the wrong way. I'm trying to actually think of a time or situation where ignorance - the condition of being uneducated, unaware or uninformed, is bliss -a state of extreme happiness.

A few months ago I had a revelation. I have been put here on this earth at this time for a purpose. I need to keep my body fit & strong in order to see this purpose fulfilled. That means, that I have started to think more about what we put into and onto our bodies. You may have heard me talk about it here. This goes for my family also, my kids have a significant purpose in this life and they need to be fit & strong to carry it through to completion.

It started a significant journey for us. A journey towards simple eating & simple living; getting back to wholefoods & real eating and ridding our house of chemicals which we have come to accept as ‘the norm’.

Our food journey started by watching a few simple documentaries & being around people who are on a similar journey*

These docos are a great starting point. I encourage you to find out for yourself.

Food Matters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4DOQ6Xhqss

Food inc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0

I’m not going to pretend that I’m an expert of any kind. I’ve literally watched a few documentaries, researched some things and made a few changes wherever I could. I’m just a mum, trying her best to set her family up for success by making small changes. Over the next few weeks, I’ll highlight a few changes that we’ve made.

Once you know, you can’t un-know. Awareness demands a response.

Have you watched these docos? I’d love to hear if you’ve made any changes to the way you live after watching them?

*Thank you Jess for answering all my annoying questions. Check out this girl’s 

blog for someone who is a little further down the track than me. 

For the love of Running

My little love affair with running actually came about on account of a dare. A challenge actually, put out by my mum. She made a throw away comment along the lines of:

“Face it Taleah, this family doesn’t do running”. 

That, to me, was a challenge. I was going to prove her wrong. I mean, how hard could it be right? It’s just like walking but a bit faster. And I had married a P.E Teacher for goodness sake so I could surely get a tip or two about how to do it right.

The year was 2006. We lived literally 500m from the gym I frequented* and I usually drove there, did a step class then drove home. Exercise done & dusted.

I started to run/walk around the block, slowly increasing the time I ran for. What a thrill when I could complete the whole block without stopping. I used to make josh drive around the block with the odometer to see my record breaking track (pre mapmyrun days!).

We moved to London & my love of running increased ten fold. Every run included gloves & beanie but that didn’t stop me. I did a 5km run non stop and then one day just decided to run it in reverse; my first 10k run. I ran home from work a few times a week increasing my distance to 15-20km runs depending on where I was working.

We moved back to Australia in 2009 and I moved into triathlons as well as running. 

Fast forward five years, two babies and a few injuries which brings me to today.

In the past month I have just returned to a few regular short runs a week and I am loving it. 

But It hasn’t always been that way though.

I have battled a few exercise demons in my past. Exercise used to be a punishment for what I had eaten.  My only goal was to see a certain weight on the scales. My motivations for running were not always pure. I wanted to prove that it could be done. That I could lose the baby weight; that I still had it.

It was all born out of my own insecurities.

I’ve had a long time away from running, which has meant a long time thinking about running & my love/hate relationship with exercise & my body.

Here’s where I’m at today. This is what I know. I have been put here on this earth at this time for a purpose. I need to keep my body fit & strong in order to see this purpose fulfilled. 

When I stopped worshipping** my body & instead worshipped the one who made it, the old mindsets disappeared. It’s funny, but I can actually say that I love my body. I'm way happier than I was when I weighed my 'goal weight'. I love how it looks since having kids. I love that it housed & nourished two children to term (& beyond). Our bodies & what they are capable of are simply magnificent. I see things in a different light now. I'm free. I run when I like for as long as I like***. No hidden agenda anymore. I want my children to have healthy body images not an all or nothing approach and that only starts when I model it.

*not that frequently. 

** to revere, honour, praise, exult, adore, love, admire & idolise.
***A bit like I blog.

2009 Sydney Half Marathon with my love

Husky Enticer Tri 2012 (7weeks preggers)

Sydney Marathon 2009

This is mostly how my runs occur these days

What's your motto?

Pic via www.runnersworld.com

I work out a couple of times a week with a group called ‘Savvy Fitness’. Amongst many other things they are known as a crew who work out no matter what. No excuses. “We train when it rains” is the phrase that is associated with Savvy. It’s all over their website, their Facebook page & it’s something that the trainers often refer to.

I can tell you, they actually follow through. It’s not just a cute phrase.

I trained in the rain this week and it got me thinking.

We train when it rains. When adverse conditions come our way, we push on. When it is uncomfortable & others might choose to withdraw; we push through.

That’s essentially what this motto means & I have been mulling over it all week.

I would hope that this little phrase could apply to more than just my exercise regime. Could this, in fact, be a motto for my life?

Do I choose to look the other way when I see a need, because it might mean that I have to get my hands dirty? Do I let something that someone said or did, cause me to retreat or hold a grudge? When things don’t go quite how I thought they were going to go, does it side track me for longer than it should?

We train when it rains.  When conditions are not favourable I want to still go out.  I am pretty much assured that I will have trouble & trials in this life but I want to be one who perseveres*. One who keeps their eyes on the prize & pushes through**.

I won’t look the other way; I’ll get my hands dirty even if it means giving up time or resource. I will forgive quickly & move on. I will make peace with the fact that He is in control, not me & that means that when my plans don’t work out that He has something even better in store. I will get comfortable with being uncomfortable & rely on Him for my future & all that it holds.

I want to go there, no matter what….I want to train when it rains.***

How would you sum up your life’s motto? How would other people describe your motto on life?

*James 1

**Philippians 3:12-14

***and you know what…it actually turned out to be a lot of fun, sloshing about in the mud & puddles!

Big School

Harper's first day at school

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree does it?

Wednesdays in our house mean preschool for Harper.

‘Big school’ as he calls it. It is a tough morning.

See my little man is battling a fear. The first of many I dare say. I see the signs so clearly. This week was worse than others. A denial that today was even Wednesday, tears as we packed his bag. He walked stoically beside me the two blocks to preschool but I knew there was turmoil inside his little mind. I knew, because I have been there too.

He screamed when I left and I cried my way home.

I feel like I have battled with fear my whole life. I remember as a child seeing a book on my parent’s shelf that was titled ‘Feel the fear & do it anyway’. I never read the book but it became like a mantra to me. Repeating it whenever I felt scared.

The problem is that mantra’s are empty. They have no power to change anything. It might make you feel better for a minute or so but there is no longevity in it’s cure

We are trying to teach Harper to ‘get his brave on’. A short, cute & easy to remember mantra for a three year old. We are, however, teaching Harper that only Jesus can make us brave; we can’t do it on our own.

As I stand on the promise of the peace that passes understanding* so I try to teach Harper that he has access to that peace also.

So darling boy, I do get it. I get you. I spend the morning praying for you. Praying that His peace will invade your body & mind & make you brave. Braver than you ever thought you could be. There will be countless things in this life that you will come up against that will attempt to take you out by paralysing you with fear. Just remember honey that He has not given us a spirit of fear & timidity but of power, love & self-discipline**

For now, I count the minutes til I can pick you up & tell you how proud I am of you. I think I might try to make some healthy chocolate ice cream for dessert. Just for you darling boy. Xx

*Philippians 4:6-7

** 2 Timothy 1:7

Blogging 2.0 {Restart}

Somewhere along the way of this little blogging journey; I got lost. I lost my rhythm & my motivation. I toyed with throwing in the towel. The longer I went without a post, the harder it got to actually write one. Months went by along with zillions of posts that never made it to paper. So to speak. 

True to form, I tried to find peace in setting goals for this little blog. I will create a new blog header; that is sure to fuel the motivation, right? Much like getting new running clothes is supposed to ignite the love of running. I settled on a goal of one post per week but I didn't even get started.

Still, the thought of shutting it down completely did not sit right with me.

So here's what I have decided. I am re-launching this little space today. No fanfare, nothing crazy. Just going to start with one little post and see how I go. What I am going to do though, or not do, as it may be; is promote my posts. See, I think I got a bit daunted when I highlighted a new post on facey or insty or twitter. I became too aware of who might or might not be reading. I got caught up with censoring what I wrote or adjusting it for a certain audience. It lost me in the process.

You see, I read blogs about writing blogs. It seems the most successful blogs are those that have a clear focus & stick to it. There are lifestyle, food, fitness, parenting, craft, business & fashion blogs. I'm not sure what my blog niche is*. I let that get in the way before. This time I'm simply going to write about whatever I feel like, whenever I like. 

So apologies to those that subscribed to my blog previously**, who have been patiently waiting for a blog post. It's finally here.



*although we can clearly rule out that it is not a fashion blog.
**pretty sure it was just my husband and mother in law.