Bridget's Team Harold Challenge

I've never really been a runner but at the start of 2011 I set myself a goal of completing four running events. So far I've done three. This is my final one! I am running a quarter marathon on December 3rd and I'm doing it for Life Education Trust!




So I've started a Boot Camp to help train for the Quarter Marathon - I'm now into week four of the six weeks... Up at 6am to be punished on a Monday morning, I'm almost getting into it!




Today we ran in File Formation with the leader carrying a 5kg weight, the back person had to sprint to the front and then it was their turn to carry the weight. Copy and Paste. Copy and Paste.



Ugh. We ran like this for 40 minutes with a side dish of Push Ups, Press Ups and Squat Jumps served up in for good measure. But it will pay off on the day... I can now do 20 full body press-ups where I couldn't even complete one!!!



Next session tomorrow.

The One Where We Run

The fine looking team in our hats!
It ended up being so hot and gruelling that we decided to ditch the hats... but the beer and hot chips at the end were fantastic!!!

I ran the third leg of the Queen Charlotte Relay, 8.1k and I did it in 50 or so minutes. Not bad for four training runs beforehand! The other legs were coastal but mine turned inland and went across flat dairy country. I hit the wall about 6 k and I didn't know where I was or how far I'd run and how far I had to go and imagined myself stuck in kind of a NZ Purgatory... flat endless roads surrounded by green pastures filled with cows. Ugh. Fortunately I came to the end and I was able to hand my baton on.

The one where the Stepford Wife wears Hammer Pants

A repeat of a hat for Friday... but I don't think anyone noticed as they were too busy staring at my "HAMMER" pants...

They're quite comfortable actually... I think Stanley Kirk Burrell (that's MC Hammer's real name) was onto something!

On a lady - MC Hammer pants, or Harem Pants as they are know this season, falls under the catergory "Man Repeller" clothing. That's the title of a blog website I've discovered which goes along the theory that while High Fashion clothing and trends may be very much in vogue and expensive, men don't generally find it attractive at all. The woman who writes it is very funny... http://www.manrepeller.com/

Anyhoo... wish me luck for my run today!

better late than never...

I was in a rush last night so got home, got changed went for a run, came back home, had a shower and realised mid-lather I hadn't taken my hat photo... so this morning I got dressed TWICE... and did both photographs this morning...

I had an interview on More FM this morning too, to promote my hat wearing cause too... roll on the donations!

Hats don't do so well in the wind (neither do skirts)

First of all apologies to all in the centre on Blenheim today, near the forum at 1:36pm this afternoon... I'm sorry for showing you my underwear. It wasn't on purpose. A gust of wind blew up my skirt and almost took my hat off as well, and... I only have two hands and one of them was holding a file of papers!

Thanks to workmates for kind sponsorship and donations - much appreciated!!!! Anyone else out there in cyberland want to sponsor me? PM me on facebook to set it up!

Trousers tomorrow... and a turban perhaps?

A good Stepford Wife --- has Community Spirit

It's Hat Week - a week to put on your hats and raise money and awareness for Alzheimers Marlborough. Having had a family member experience dementia in their later years, and a hat collection gathering dust, I thought this the perfect opportunity for me to get behind this cause!

Basically I wear a hat everyday this week and ask friends and family to support me with a cash donation or sponsorship

So will you?

Please sponsor me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .. a little or a lot... and in return I will post my hat of the day here just to prove I'm doing it!

Thanks in advance!

A good Stepford Wife --- cooks healthy dinners

This Stepford Wife to the Wagon has, like any newly wed wife, leapt into her new lifestyle with gusto.

Exercise, Little Alcohol, Lots of Water and Wonderful Healthy Food have been major features of this weekend.

And to prove it, here's a glimpse of tonight's tea... Bread-crumbed Eggplant, Pumpkin and Tofu with a Spicy Chilli Sauce, Broccoli Timbale, Trio of Cabbages and a Chinese Broth (and rice of course).

And here's Saturday night's dinner - Rare Beef Vermicelli Salad with a light Thai Curry Coconut Cream dressing... served with rice (of course!) alongside a Hot and Sour Chinese Broth! An ideal meal to watch the All Blacks win with... well as we all know that didn't happen but at least dinner was good!

 

 Fingers crossed I can make the "honeymoon period" last!

The One Where Bridget Becomes A Stepford Wife



Oh there's my wagon... I thought I'd lost it!

It all starts again today! The wagon got seriously left behind after a party weekend in Sanctuary Cove near Brisbane http://sanctuarycove.regency.hyatt.com/

Santuary Cove is a development full of newly retired with a shitload of money. I felt very "Stepford Wives" and was constantly on edge waiting for a tap on the shoulder to be taken in for 'processing'. Perhaps it was the nerves that caused me to party on so much???

So I've come back to Blenheim a wreck - exhausted with no voice and to cap it all off I pulled my neck and shoulder on Wednesday morning. The photographer thinks it's because I'm getting too old for this kind-of carry on. I'm starting to agree...

All in all it's been 2 weeks of almost "pre wagon" living and I don't feel zingy at all. (You'll all be pleased to know I didn't stop eating breakfast!)

It's kinda got me thinking... what happened if I lived the way I "should", y'know, became a "Stepford Wife" of sorts for a while and see if its as good as its cracked up to be. I mean, I don't anyone who does live like that completely so none of us know if the "ideal" is... well ideal??

So to research the role of "Stepford Wife" to the Wagon I thought of some key public health messages, we've been drilled with since childbirth. Things like;

1. Wear Sunscreen
2. Drinking eight glasses of water a day
3. Moderate exercising for 5 hours a week / Intense exercise for 2.5 hours
4. Eating 5 serves of Fruit or Veges a day
5. No smoking
6. Follow the food pyramid and moderate serving size
7. Moderate drinking - no more than one glass of wine, beer or hard liquor a day

Can you think of any other often-quoted public health messages I can add to my list???

"Stepford Wife"
1.) Used to describe a servile, compliant, submissive, spineless wife who happily does her husband's the wagon's bidding and serves his every whim dutifully.

"On The Wagon"
1.) Abstaining from drinking any alcoholic drink, usually in the sense of having given it up (as opposed to never having partaken). By extension, maintaining a programme of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit.

So now we know what I'm talking about - I'll become a Stepford Wife to the Wagon - for 7 weeks - which takes me to my 32nd birthday. I'll blog about what I eat and what I exercise and how I feel and we'll see whether "Stepford Wife" to the Wagon is really so ideal!

Day Something - Feeling Virtuous

I am feeling very zingy today - full of health. Did a killer Spin class last night and almost spewed! Today I am having a rest as I feel bloody tired. Yet zingy. If that makes any sense!

Oh so MUCH to say to you...

This article http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/wellbeing/5376793/Stopping-the-merry-go-round  and also a discussion with friends about this Hello Sunday Morning http://hellosundaymorning.com.au/  made me realise there is no such thing as a new idea! Have a read - they're interesting.

I went to dinner on Saturday night and didn't drink. It was great and much easier than I thought... and I still had a laugh! Especially at myself... I took along a bottle of Tonic water. And drank it all, all 1.5L of it and felt oh so virtuous! But right at the end of the bottle we all took a look at its contents.

WHO KNEW HOW MUCH SUGAR WAS IN TONIC WATER!!!!!! 22g per 250 mls! I drank 24 teaspoons of sugar! My virtuous feeling was very swiftly deflated on finding that out!

I have been doing pretty well keeping my resolutions, and haven't added any new ones in this week as I want to consolidate my progress.

I had a run in today with some high school boys who called something out to me across the street. As I walked away I got a feeling that I needed to tell them that yelling out to a woman was not appropriate behaviour so I tracked them to The Warehouse, where I walked up to them, demanded an apology and told them to "never ever yell out like that at a woman again" after which I spun round on my purple suede heels and strode off.

I was quite timely then as I sped away in my car that I heard this saying, mentioned in reference to the rioting happening in London at the moment... "evil can only step in, when good people step aside".

I challenge you this week to not step aside.

Week Two Resolutions

So I've added three new tasks to the list to help me on my way to achieve my New Years Resolutions, I have quit smoking, reducing how much booze I put in my system with my 5 nights no drinking rule, and I am slowly getting into the eating breakfast thing... I'll update at end of week.

I wanted to complete four sporting events this year, so far I have done two. I did the King and Queen of the Withers in January... http://www.runningcalendar.co.nz/king-and-queen-of-the-withers/ and the Saint Clair Half Marathon in May... http://vineyardhalf.com/default.asp?PageID=11922

So my next one is this. To complete a leg of The Queen Charlotte Relay. Should be goodie - looking at a team from work doing it... http://www.harriers.net.nz/Queen%20Charlote%20Relay.htm I haven't run for yonks so I will need to get out there. Nicer now the evenings are lighter.

I have also joined the gym today with a free months membership so that should tide me over until September and warmer, lighter days. My aim is to exercise 5 days a week.

Last one for the week is to make a commitment to visit my Nana once a week.

I have so many more I want to so I will update my progress and reveal Week Three's resolutions on Sunday...

Day Six

Week One almost done... so far the things at the start of the week that I thought would be the hardest actually weren't, and the easiest ie eating breakfast has been a challenge...

I'm pleased - although I had not a drop last night and still woke up this morning with cotton wool mouth.... wassup wit dat schizzle?

Day Five - Naturally I finished my set!

Friday...

A beautiful word isn't it...

Today I was a much better girl than yesterday. I'm even on the water tonight!

I've also been giggling today at Mr "naturally, I finished my set" guy. He needs to chillout... There are ways to things and then there are ways to do things...

http://www.mrvintage.co.nz/shop/http://www.3news.co.nz/Cameron-Leslie-slams-Mr-Vintage-Tui---naturally/tabid/423/articleID/220475/Default.aspx

Tomorrow I'm heading out to the SPCA to look at dogs... and have vowed to do the housework.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Day Four - Oops a little fall from grace

Haven't done so well today... a cigarette and several beers plus a glass of bubbles or two... constitutes a fall from grace. But I did have breakfast... and thirsty thursday got the better of me... so that means I have one more alcohol day before Monday. With a party on Saturday night I think I already know which day is going to be that!

Then on Sunday I add another NY resolution onto the chart. I have so many I want to add on. Most of them revolve around healthier living. Yoko, an adult student of mine in Japan, once said to me, you have nothing unless you have your health. As a foolproof 23 year old I laughed it off. Now I can kinda catch her drift... 

Day Three

Three stars today. Boo-ya!

I've done it all today... managing a Protein Shake and a Banana for Breakfast.

I ALMOST caved tonight and had a wine but found a skerrick of self will and I am drinking Lemon Barley cordial instead. I have had a gutsful of Tea and Water and wanted a drink to look forward to... so Lemon Barley it is... god I do sound sad don't I!!!! If anyone has any wonderful alternatives to booze ideas for me... I'd be much obliged!

I have also found I am starving in the evenings after dinner, I guess I used to fill up on beer... so homemade hummus, carrot and celery sticks for a snack tonight! The photographer thinks I have more energy, that's the change he's noticed, but between you and me I personally think that is his "go to" answer when he hasn't actually noticed anything but feels he needs to say something in reply to shut me up!

Thursday tomorrow - thirsty Thursday... gulp!

Day Two - Breakfast at Tiffanys

Second day of No Breakfast before work - I grabbed a scone about 10am which was much better than the sausage roll I had yesterday for breakfast!

I did have a moment of shame as I watched the early morning news this morning, hearing about the starving Somalians, their drought ravaged land and the warlords that won't let food get through to them and I thought to myself "here I am, making myself a reward chart cos I won't eat breakfast yet look at all the starving Somalians out there who can't!"

What are luxury ay - to skip a meal voluntarily...

Day One - So this is mid-year...

So this is Mid Year

And what have you done?

July almost over

Resolutions not begun

If you were thinking that reminds you of a song by some guy called Lennon - you'd be right! It's my version and I have been singing this song to myself for awhile because, well the fact is, it is almost August, and I'm still not really anywhere to achieving my New Year's resolutions.

So what better way to motivate oneself than the threat of public shame???!

A quick word with "Uncle Google" tells me it takes around 21 days to form a new habit. So if I start today that means what I start today should be a new habit by August 15th. If I keep it up...

It is universally accepted that Monday is the best day to start new habits, mostly because the day people vow to start new habits is a Sunday, and Monday is still a day way. However I find myself saying this on a Monday so I guess I have to start!

So, I am creating this Gold Star chart - just like when we were kids. Everyday I am going to add either a Gold Star or Big Cross to my chart depending on whether I have done it or not. At the end of each week I will add another resolution on to the Resolution Chart and start working on knocking off that puppy!

So here we go...