I'm going on a Date!

I love this picture of us on the beach. It sums up us and our lifestyle! The beach was deserted due to the weather, just a couple of surfers and Noosa National Park in the background. The professional pics on the beach are sensational.

Well today is my last day as a "Single Parent". That's why it is all so different Michelle! At home Gerard and I take turn looking after the kids so we still get in our gym sessions and it is easy to pop down the shops. Only afew hours to go and I will be freeeeee.

My lovely Husband is picking me up and we are going on a Date! Yay, I havent seen him since Sunday. That is the longest time we've had apart since we got married. Oh yes, we are still sickening newlyweds. So I'm going to get beautified before he arrives. I think I'll wear my new dress as we are going into the city.

Now even though my "adventure" with the kids is coming to an end I have certainly learnt a lot. The first couple of days were a pain and I realised I needed to embrace the experience. So once I did that I actually began to enjoy it. The circuit down the park went very well yesterday. There were other kids there playing cricket so the boys joined in with that whilst I worked out. I am a even slightly saw in my legs and glutes from the walking lunges and step ups.

This morning we have been for a bike ride. The kids rode and I jogged along with them. I actually managed a reasonably moderate cardio session which was good. A few sprints chasing the kids as they enjoyed the momentum of the hills!

I can't wait to see my boy Arnie. He will be very very excited to see his Mummy!

KIDS

This pic is of my friend Cheryl and I at my hens night. By this stage I am getting seriously sloshed.....as you can see!

I have a new appreciation for Cheryl (and other women like her!) who has 2 kids, a husband, 2 jobs and competes! How she juggles all that I do not know.


Well I am experiencing a lifestyle which is VERY VERY different to my own at the moment…………..and I haven’t really warmed to it!

My bridesmaid was married on the weekend and I am looking after the children whilst they are away. I never realised how “inconvenient” kids make your life. I can no longer just up and go to the gym or down to the shops to do my Christmas shopping.

I have done a very good job of wearing them out so they hit the sack at a reasonable time. This morning was the first morning I didn’t have to wake them up! I know they’ll be sleeping in tomorrow though. We went for a big bush walk this morning and I’ll take them down the park this afternoon.

I feel like I’ve been slack so I am going to set up a circuit in the park this avo and do a workout while they play. I bought a couple of sets of dumbbells down and a medicine ball. There is a fit ball here, so I am not going to allow me to make any more excuses! I’m getting excited just thinking about it. The kids will no doubt join in for a few exercises so that will help wear them out completely : )

The wedding on the weekend was great. It felt nice looking on to see my best friend of more than ½ of our lifetime marry a wonderful guy. Aaaah, just love weddings!

I am on leave until January 2, cant wait to get home and be on leave. I’m planning a big New Years Eve out. G has New Years Eve off this year so I am feeling like going out partying. I will be starting my comp prep in the first week of January. Straight into it. I have set my sights high on my goals this year.

Some Pics

Feed me!! The date is wrong on the picture.


















The wedding cake.


























Patting a bear at the tiger park!

Will Have Muscles......

If entering a muscle competition!! I always thought my arms were butch as a teenager and never ever trained upper body only legs and abs. Now I realise they are a blessing!

My planning process has started for my 2007 comp preparation. Trying to decide on comp suit style. I'd like to try a triangle top but this style of top is very complementary to my bust : )
Have picked my hair style already. The things female competitors have to consider!

It was sooo hot this morning. I had a late night and didn't get up until 6.15am this morning. So as time was limited I did a stair interval session after taking Arnie out for a blockie. I'll have to take a picture of my recovery view at the stairs. The view is just magic. So I was soaking wet with sweat after this mornings session.

Tomorrow morning I have client training and have decided to head down the park for an outdoor session. We live in paradise so why not enjoy our beautiful environment.

Reminiscing..........

Reminiscing about competing that is. Can't wait to step on stage again in my best condition yet! It will be a great opportunity to market my ability as a personal training/comp prep and posing coach as well. What better marketing tool is there than seeing somebody demonstrate that they can practice what they preach!!

G and I spent a few hours with one of our comp clients on Saturday. We covered nutrition, posing and routine practice. Then G went off to the gym and trained her. She is very dedicated, drives 3 hours each way to see us and didnt want a rest from her nutrition plan over christmas! I was very impressed indeed.

Saturday night we had Chelseas dance concert....which was incredibly boring. Of course apart from the dances our little princess was in! I couldn't believe the concert went for 5 hours. I was sitting there thinking how much more interesting i find sitting and watching a bodybuilding comp! Too many drama queens in this concert for my liking.

Sunday was quite relaxing. I slept for 10 hours straight Saturday night. I couldn't believe it when I saw the time Sunday morning. We ate brekky and by the time it settled I headed out for a run and it was midday. It was quite hot running at that time of the day. There was lots of action in town with the golf comp on at the Hyatt. We wandered down town for a coffee and a read of the paper in the afternoon. Well I had coffee and G had a big creamy iced chocolate, which he downed before I'd even eaten the froth off my cappacino! What a pigsy. I took Arnie out for a walk in the afternoon, he was less than impressed he didn't get to go on my run with me, but it was just too hot for him at that time of the day.

Snake season is definitely here, I saw 2 snakes over the weekend. A big python across the road on Saturday night and a yellow belly black snake along the running path this morning. That was scary - if I hadn't been paying attention to the running path I would have stepped on it as it was laying right across the path. Lucky I didn't take Arnie that way as he would have gone ballistic.

Well I have lots of work to get done before I go on leave at the end of this week, so I'd better get into it!

The Final Indulgence

We couldn't resist indulging at this place! We were on our last few hours of our honeymoon before we left Bangkok. This place was awesome. I have never gotten around to it but intended to do a net search when I got home on this place which is obviously a franchise from somewhere. It was called "Swenson's Ice Cream". It was a great big cafe style icecream shop and the menu was unreal. It took us a long time to choose our indulgences. Yummy!!

I had a lot of trouble waking up this morning. I'm not sure why I feel like I need to sleep more these days. I dragged my butt out of bed 30mins after the alarm went off and took 2 thermos to give me a kick start. Took Arnie out for a quick blockie (run around the block!) then much to his disgust I dumped him off and ran like I haven't ran in ages. I did my hill route and ran up all the hills. Mind you I forced myself to run along the main road route so that I wouldn't look like a slacker if I was walking : ) One of my crazy motivational strategies. I got to the area where I normally turn off and i was feeling so great about the run that I took the long way home.

Off to the gym tonight to train legs. Then I will be playing with the computer trying to install some updated software. Fingers crossed it will be easy!

Princess and I

This is a pic of my little princess Chelsea and I on the wedding day. It is wonderful to be a step mum : )

I had a sensational weekend. It was very busy. I rose at 6am and took Arnie for a walk then went for my own run. We had an open house on Saturday so the morning was spent tidying the house whilst Gerard pumped up his muscles at the gym. He then took the children to a 1st year old birthday party. I wasn't able to party on as I had to take Arnie for another walk whilst the open house was on. After that we headed down to Brisbane for bridesmaids duties. We only had 3 hours left of open time so we raced around the city. Got most things completed, just one task left.

We picked up some steaks on the way home and sparked up the BBQ to feed the clans! The men had been left with all the kids. I indulged in a couple of drinks as well. I don't drink much and as a result of drinking 3 cruisers I fell asleep on the lounge at 8pm! I have been finding I am needing at least 8 hours sleep a night lately.

So Sunday morning the kids were supposed to go to nippers. I couldn't be bothered going so we bribed them with a McDonalds breakfast. How disgusting is that! They were all excited because we have only allowed them to eat McDonalds twice since we saw the supersize me movie. Gerard and I ate our brekky before we went and I walked over to the coffee club and got us a coffee whilst the kids ate their muffins. Then we set off to the park so they could burn the McDonalds off!

Gerard took them home around midday as Chelsea had a dance rehearsal in the afternoon. I spent that time catching up on some IBO work, which I am really excited about.

Gerard is off to a training course for 3 weeks. We will only see each other on the weekends. So I spent the afternoon pampering him : ) I gave him a facial which included, exfoliation, masque, hand scrub and massage * wink wink*!! Afterwards we went on a date to the movies. We saw The Guardian with Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher. It was an awesome movie, thoroughly recommended.

No Excuses Allowed

This is LIVING! Me sucking on one of many pina coladas consumed on the honeymoon : )

I have now taken an all or nothing approach to training. There are no exceptions to missing my sessions. I usually sacrafice training commitments to make sure I am home to cook and pamper hubby and puppy. Well this will have to fit around my own goals now. Gerard is happy for me to have this attitude to my training.

Last night I had a work meeting until 6.30pm. I would usually decide it was too late to go to the gym at this time and go straight home. But not last night. I headed to the gym and did a smashing shoulder workout. I didn't get home until 8pm. It felt great not to make an excuse!