Friday 25 February 2011

Good calories bad calories

Finally got my oen copy of Good calories, bad clories by Gary Taubes.

I couldn't get it locally or the library so I got from Amazon and because I don't like spending money and don't want birthday presents (1st March, 44 thanks for asking - the only difference between 44 and 24 is the amount of responsibilities) so Teresa is going to wrap it up just before my birthday and the children are going to give it to me as a present. They don't know I'm already reading it, I just couldn't wait.

Actually reading it does really re-inforce the feeling I have that we have all been lied to about food and I feel the same way about shoes. Governments, doctors, scientists, podiatrists are supposed to be people we trust the big shoe companies on the other hand we should have known...and I think deep down I did (always the question why change the shoe model every year?)

On a more positive note - I feel very much in control of pretty much everything what would make it even better when Teresa leaves teaching and has more time to do the stuff she wants. ...I may be restarting learning to surf, I am making friends with one of Cameron's friends dad who surfed and he has offered to take me with him when we can. I mad sure that he understands I am a beginner and probably only ever stood up on a board 3 times and that was 9 years ago.

I'm looking forward to it.

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Wednesday 23 February 2011

Eased up on the cycling

I have decided to ease up a bit on the sprints on the bike on the turbo for a few sessions. After I finished Sunday's road ride , I did 30miles , my left thigh and hip were sore again and I decided to do some lighter stuff until it gets better. I have been avoiding this for the last few months but as I have no races comong up and want to race next summer missing a bit of ycling noew to get it better makes sense.

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Ankle improvement

My weak ankles are showing signs of improvement. When walking down the hill(down steps) from taking the children to school in my huaraches, that have previously caused tenderness, I found myself bounding down them today and no discomfort - I enjoyed it.

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Sparkle loses his manhood

We took Sparkle to be de-sexed in order to help stop the spread of unwanted kittens. The vet was so so polite CASTRATION. I felt bad for the cat and it made my eyes water but despite seeming a bit tired from the op he looks like he will be back to normal soon.

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Friday 18 February 2011

Exercising naturally


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Wednesday 16 February 2011

Emily's first cricket match and her first running race.

Last Friday saw Emily play her first game of Kiwi cricket - an eight side junior version of cricket. And this coming Friday her second game and I've agreed as a parent to umpire/score (it seems quite complicated) but the teacher in charge Ruth is going to help me this first time.





I forgot to take my camera but on Tuesday, Emily ran in a 2km race the Bluewater Inn races that Teresa and a colleague have been doing the longer 5km. Emily had a blast. I was very proud and when she told me she wants to do her first triathlon I almost burst. She is aiming for the Ironkids race at Oceanspa put on by the local club.


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Barefoot run update and other training.

It's on hold since the children and have returned to school, I've had some ankle tenderness from walking down the hill. And I'm doing extra walking.

The thigh strain I picked up from doing sprints on the bike - it actually came from experimenting with shoe cleat position and then sprinting - is getting better

I'm winding down the length of my Sunday ride I did 40miles Sunday just gone. and I'm only swimming open water in the pond over the next 4 weeks with and without wetsuit.

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Wednesday 9 February 2011

Chris McDougall - Talk on Ted.com

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Monday 7 February 2011

Cameron's party

We had Cameron's birthday party on Saturday, 9 boys aged nearly 6 and 6 , easiest party ever. Cake didn't go according to my overcomplicated plan. More on this soon...

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Suday training

It has been really hot this last week. Hawkes Bay usually has great weather but it has been hotter than usual especially at night which has meant less sleep.

Yesterday it was in the low 30 degree celsius pretty much all day. Usually when I set off at about 7.20 on my bike it is cool and gets hot during the ride yesterday it was hot from the start and when I got back I really felt it.

I headed out to Waipatiki beach up the Pacific Coast Highway(I love saying that, it just sounds cool). I remembered to take Teresa's new camera, much smaller than our old one, and took a few pictures. There were a couple of big climbs and I took a photo at the top but unfortunately it doesn't really show the height.

In the afternoon we headed for the Pond and it was pretty busy I wasn't sure if I was going to swim but after Teresa did some without a wetsuit, I decided to give it a go. I did my normal 4lengths of the pool without the wetsuit which is the first ever open water swim without one. I can't really compare my times to swimmimng with a wetsuit because I swam much more conservatively but it would appear that wetsuit is still faster. But now I've got some times and got more confidence I'm going to swim sans wetsuit next Sunday if it is as hot.

This had been a challenge I set for myself for next summer but now the challenge will be to swim in a less protected part of the ocean to one of the farthest bouy and back. But I may even get that done this summer... who knows. These are big for me because I still sort of regard myself as poor swimmer but hopefully that is really changing.



Heading towards Waipatiki Beach (over the headland in picture)

Looking back towards Napier

Looking back towards Napier on top of the headland (I know it looks flat believe me it isn't)

Waipatiki Beach - stopped for toilet and water refill.


Really hot and sweaty and Emily immediately wanted me to play a game








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Wednesday 2 February 2011

The party invitations...

I made these during the holidays to give out on the first at school, yesterday, his party is on Saturday.



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And before I forget....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAMERON

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I said I would do a bakugan cake...

The plan is not to make a shaped cake this year for Cameron's birthday cake but to decorate it with a Bakugan theme. More information on the Bakugan website for those who don't know what they are. So I decided to buy a simple cake and decorate this year, that will be a huge challenge. I'm making a pattern which I am going to lay on top of the iced cake, carefully with a toothpick trace the shape of the pattern and then go over it with icing pens (designed for the job) any way that's the plan..watch this space.


The research


I think best by doing



So far so good


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Photos of raised veggie bed

I had help from my assistants.










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The Big Bush read

Was the holiday reading programme at the local library. The children to 4 report backs about books they've read and get a prize and an invitation to the finale. For the finale they were encouraged to go as something from the bush. Cameron went as a tree and Emily as an exotic flower.





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