Just keep running, running, running

I've been doing quite a bit of running lately. It started around the time that I had to stop going to my fitness classes because I could no longer afford the fees.

I had been thinking that I needed to find the motivation to do something by myself and kept telling myself that I would go out for a run of an evening. Then the evening would roll around and I didn't want to do anything other than get comfy, watch TV and go to bed.

One evening after dinner I was about to go and get a glass of red when I realised that I'd been telling myself all day that I would go for a run that evening. I realised that if I had a glass of wine that there is no way I'd be able to run afterward, so I dragged my arse off the lounge, got changed, grabbed my iPhone, stuck it in my arm band holder and got running. I wasn't starting completely from scratch fitness-wise, but it's been a while since I've run any sort of distance and I was feeling a bit apprehensive.

I had no real plan in mind, I just decided to run and see where it took me. I know my general area well enough to know what direction I need to get back home, so I just cruised along and followed my nose. When I felt like I'd been out for long enough, I started to head back home. I decided to have that glass of red when I got back home.

Going for a run felt so good that I've been doing it most nights since except for the week I spent on night shift at work. I enjoy the feeling of being out of an evening getting very little some speed up, getting my heart rate up, and most importantly, it's the only 30-45 minutes of my entire day that I get all to myself. It's the having a small amount of time all to myself that I enjoy the most.

On the nights I don't run, either because I've done PT at work that day, or I'm having a rest day, I really miss it. I know I do need to have rest days, but I still feel guilty that I'm not out doing something.

I've been finding that I'm able to run faster and further even just in the few weeks that I've been running regularly. It's a wonderful feeling. I find that listening to music while I run is a great way to keep myself going as I tend to listen to music that is reasonably fast and has a good beat to it.

On Friday night when I got back from my run, I decided to jump on Facebook. One of my friends had posted up a link about early bird entry for the City 2 Surf and it ended at midnight. On a whim, I decided to enter. I figure it gives me something to aim toward and gives me another reason to keep pushing myself to run faster and further. I'm crapping myself slightly at the thought of Heartbreak Hill though.

The unwelcome visitor

Normally I like visitors. Not this one though. This particular visitor stopped coming just over four years ago and to say I was glad is an understatement.

However, I started noticing signs a couple of weeks ago that this particular visitor was probably going to be paying me a visit again soon - the mucus, the constant foul mood, a buttload of bloating and constipation.

This afternoon, I discovered that my feeling had been correct. Aunty Flow has returned. Three shifts in a seven week period was probably enough to throw Wombat's breastfeeding pattern out of whack enough that Mama Progesterone was able to get a foothold and get Sister Ovulation started again. Or, you know, maybe it was just my time. Whatever.

Right now I am trying to get the hang of using a menstrual cup and trying to figure out what the hell I can take for period pain that is compatible with breastfeeding. I've always had heavy, painful periods and being on the pill largely stopped that. However, I'm not overly keen on going on any form of the pill while breastfeeding as I don't want the hormones passing through my milk to Wombat.

After four years without a period, it all feels a bit new to me. I suppose I'll figure it out as I go along though. This menstrual cup had better bloody work properly.

What do you take for period pain? Did you find your periods changed after having children?

25 things you may or may not know about me

So, seeing as I have been all sharing and unveiling myself-like lately, I figured that it was only fair that I share some more. Below is a list of things that you may or may not know about me. Probably not, though.

1. My favourite fruit is watermelon. There's something about sitting on the back lawn on a Summer's afternoon with a massive wedge of watermelon and a knife to cut chunks off and flick the seeds out with that I have always loved.

2. I've always believed that you have to love yourself and be comfortable in your own sking before anyone else is able to love you.

3. My favourite colour is green. It tends to be hard to find green clothing, but I always have my eye out for it.

4. I'm very much into wearing jeans. It is rare to see me wearing anything other than jeans on the lower half of my body in the cooler months. Even in Summer, I often wear denim shorts.

5. I hate the colour pink. Blech!

6. I find red hair attractive.

7. The only electronic game I have ever finished in it's entirity is Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 on my iPad. Oh, and Cosmo Part 1. I was never able to find parts 2 and 3.

8. I used to wear my hair in a French roll to school nearly every day in year 10. Then I cut it short for the first time at the end of the year after the formal.

9. The first cassette I ever owned was ABBA Gold.

10. The first and only record I ever owned was a Chipmunks record. I'm pretty sure my Dad still has it somewhere.

11. I loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a child. Donatello was my favourite turtle. It took me years to figure out that Krang was meant to be a brain. I always thought he was just some pink blobby thing. Oh, and the new version of it sucks. April is meant to be a reporter, not a scientist, damnit!

12. I have not had a period in over 4 years. Pregnancy and lactation inducced amenorhea FTW!

13. My Dad picked my first name after his favourite character off some poxy 80's cop show. He wanted to name one of my sisters Britney after Britney Spears. Thankfully, I talked him out of that one.

14. I wear glasses because I am long-sighted. I'm currently going through my 'nerd glasses' phase.

15. I used to play netball. My position was WD, although I played GK for one season when my team lost all but 3 of our players to another team and all of our new players played attack positions. We always smashed the team with all of the deserters in it whenever we played them.

16. I don't wear silver. Except for my Pandora bracelet, but that's only because I really wanted one and can't afford the $$$ for a gold one. Otherwise, I'm strictly a yellow/rose gold girl.

17. My all-time favourite song is 'Kryptonite' by 3 Doors Down.

18. I like to make my own clothes. Unfortunately, I don't get the time to sew much these days.

19. I'm currently studying Medical Science with a Nutrition major. I eventually want to specialise in paediatric nutrition and become a lactation consultant. I have no interest in working with middle aged people with chronic lifestyle diseases.

20. I had my ears pierced when I was 3. Mum was friends with the jeweller and he was always asking if he could do it. Instead of saying 'no' like she always did, Mum told him one day to ask me. The rest, as they say, is history.

21. I can't stand having my navel touched. Ever since I had a laparoscopy when I was 19, even touching it myself makes my skin crawl.

22. I have (more or less) perfectly straight teeth and have never worn braces. I have also never had a filling. The only dental work I've ever had done was having my wisdom teeth out.

23. I have really small hands and feet.

24. I'd love a tattoo symbolising my boys, but I'm worried that if I got one, I'd end up hating it.

25. I tend to swear in conversation. For some reason though, I can't bring myself to do it when writing. I feel like it will come across as being forced. I suppose I take myself a lot more seriously in written form than I otherwise would.

So there you have it. A list of stuff that you probably didn't know about me. Or really need to know for that matter, but meh, this is my blog and I'll write what I damn well want to write on it.

Is there anything interesting about yourself that you feel like sharing while you're here?

My weight loss project - the start

I’ve been reading Tina’s blog for a while and have been eagerly following her weight loss journey. I am so inspired that she is making an active effort to change her lifestyle, sticking with it and seeing some impressive results. Tina still has a way to go to reach her end goal, but she is not giving up and that’s what I find particularly inspiring.

I want to lose weight to reduce my risk of developing chronic diseases. My maternal grandmother is overweight and has cardiovascular problems and has developed type 2 diabetes that no longer responds to diet, so she is on insulin. My mother is also overweight and has been diagnosed as being pre-diabetic. Mum has also had problems with high blood pressure. If I don’t lose some weight, that will be me in another 20 – 40 years.

I also want to set a good example for Seagull and Wombat. I want them to know that exercise and eating healthy nutrient-rich, low energy foods are important to living a healthy life.

In addition to the above, I’m studying Nutrition at uni. I would like to work as a Nutritionist once I finish uni. How much credibility do you think a fat Nutritionist has?

I have decided to blog weekly to document my weight loss and to keep myself accountable. In addition to weighing myself, I will be taking waist and hip measurements. I’ve decided not to measure my bust because I am breastfeeding and my bust measurement can vary a lot depending on when Wombat last breastfed.

My goals are to get down to 60kg and to get my waist measurement down to 75cm.

My starting measurements are:

Starting weight

Weight: 69.3kg

Waist: 85cm

Hips: 101cm

Between not feeling very well lately and working 17 days out of the last 21, 14 of them being either a late or early shift, I've been making up plenty of excuses not to exercise. I've been going to Step Into Life outdoor group personal training sessions since April last year.

With this week off work, I decided that I would go to a few extra Step Into Life sessions, starting with the 6:15am Monday boxercise class. When I woke up just after 5am this morning, I started coming up with every excuse in the book not to go. I was exhausted after coming off shift, I needed the sleep, the glands in my neck were coming up, Wombat wanted a feed and I probably wouldn’t make it out the door in time.

Then I thought to myself “I’d bet that Tina wouldn’t give up so easily”. That did it, I kicked Wombat off the breast (who promptly went back to sleep) when my alarm went off at 5:20am, weighed myself, got dressed, grabbed my gear and got out the door.

In the end, I was really glad I went. There's something deeply satisfying about exercising whilst the sun is coming up. The glands in my neck still feel sore, but at least I'm getting back on the wagon.

This is me

I've been thinking a lot about my blog over the last few weeks and wondering if blogging anonomously is really what I want to be doing.

I have had my reasons for wanting to keep my identity a secret, but suddenly they don't seem so important anymore.

I love reading and commenting on other people's blogs, but I feel that it is hard for me to make a connection with other people while I am holding something of myself back. Sure, I blog and comment on other blogs honestly and from the heart, but people like to know who they are conversing with.

To that end, I have decided to reveal myself. Hi everyone, my name is Mel and this is me.

ANZAC Day 2009

This photo is a few years old now, but it's one of my favourites. I was on maternity leave at the time, hence I wasn't marching, but Thunder Maker was still in the RAAF back then and was the catafaulque party commander for the service in one of the towns we were living near at the time. Seagull is "wearing" his hat.

Jan 2012

This is a more recent photo and was taken just after we moved into the house we are living in now.

There you have it. This is me. Feel free to delurk and say hi. :)

Funny stuff Seagull says and does

Seagull says and does some really funny things. That's probably a good thing because there are times where he really pushes my buttons.

Over the last few weeks, Seagull's comments and actions have included:

"No, Daddy, 3 minutes!"
Said when Thunder Maker put Seagull on the 'time out' chair and told him to stay there for 2 minutes. He knows that 'time out' lasts for 3 minutes.

"I'm a boy and Wombat's a chub chub!"

Instigating a raspberry blowing competition with Wombat on my stomach. Wombat performed admirably, but Seagull won because his sounded the most like farts.

"Hello! I'm eating marshmallows".
To some random stranger at a cafe.

Thunder Maker had to have a conversation with me because Seagull had been exploring his body. By giving himself an anal probe with the stylus from his magnetic drawing board.

The teachers at Seagull's pre school pulled out some hot pink nail polish to do some nail painting. Seagull rushed to be the first in line.

Me: "Boys have a penis and girls have a vagina".
Seagull: "Pyjanamals!"

"Mummy, can you read 'Stinky Malinki' to me?"

Picking up Seagull from pre school one day:
Me: "What did you do today?"
Seagull: "I go see girls".
He gave me a cute smile and batted his insanely long eyelashes as he said it too.

"Oh, shit!"
Seagull's reaction to Thunder Maker nearly cleaning up a P plater who tried to cut us off.

"I'm a pirate!"
He was wearing a pair of Thunder Maker's boxers as a neckwarmer at the time and jumping up and down on my bed.

"Wombat, we do not bite! Keep your mouth to yourself!"

"Look Mummy! Spider-ants!"
Despite me telling Seagull that they are ants, not spider-ants on countless occasions, he still insists on calling them spider-ants.

Like I said before, it's a good thing he's funny...

Drowning

As usual, when I take a break from blogging, it's not because it's planned or because I wanted to. I've just been drowning in a sea of overload.

I've been stupidly busy over the last couple of months. I've finally realised that taking on three subjects at uni while settling into a new unit, a new location, a new house and having two small children to look after is too much. Unfortunately, it is way too late in the term to do anything about it now except get my assignments done, cram for the one subject that has an exam and take the hint to slow down more seriously next term.

In the meantime, I've found I've been dropping the ball in all areas of my life. Working a 7 day late shift at work in the same week as I had two assignments due, one of which I'd actually stuffed up on the submission date and was fortunately given an extra week to do it, doesn't help. To be fair, late shift consists of clicking a few buttons if/when things fail and is otherwise a buttload of boring, so I used the time to get my assignments done.

Now that I've got the assignments done and handed in, and I have recovered from last week's late shift, I'm finally feeling like I'm getting on top of it all. I still have some online multiple choice quizzes to do for one of my subjects, weekly e-Journal submissions to do for the second subject and I also have a group assignment and some more multiple choice quizzes to do for the third subject. Wow, you realise your life is messed up when what I have left to do for the term doesn't sound like much at all.

Next week I scored someone else's 7 day early shift at work. On the plus side, I get a whole week off work afterward. Actually I get two weeks because I have to go to residential school for uni. However, my first week off is what I'm really hanging out for.