Currently Loving...

*Being a Personal Trainer!!!
*Smith machines, single leg dead lifts, swiss ball pikes and L sits
*Going to the gym on Tuesdays (props to Shane & Dave)
*Vanilla Creme Protein Supreme, flax seed oil, Donna's vanilla cherry power shakes, Emma's 'legal' muesli, raw nuts & winter-warming soups
*My new boots and my new pyjama pants (but not worn together!) and my new lip gloss (finally found the perfect colour!)
*Big Girls Don't Cry by Fergie (hear it on my MySpace profile) and Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely) by Pink
*The electric blanket on my bed

Always aim for the moon...

...you may not make it, but you just might grab a star on the way by!

I love this quote. I love that recently, despite my own fears and self-doubts, I aimed for the moon. That I had friends and a husband who encouraged me to go for it, reminding me I had nothing to lose.

I am into week 3 of my job. I think it's my dream job, I really do. I wanted to work as a personal trainer, and I am being given the opportunity to. I wanted to be in a place where I could learn, learn, learn... this is the place for me.

I have learnt a lot in the short two and a half weeks that I've been at the studio, and what excites me is that I know there is so much more to learn!

New stuff that I am intrigued by:
- Single leg dead lifts using a Smith machine
- L sits
- Swiss ball pikes
- Swiss ball ab braces with the added challenge of touching my knees to the ball

Favourite Gym Equipment

Currently, my favourite piece of equipment is the Smith Machine. It's so versatile! So much so that James and I have plans to purchase one. Admittedly, it's a cheap version from Kmart but we tested it out tonight and it does the job okay, i.e. it won't kill us by unexpectedly dropping a heavy weight on our necks.

Looks like the "Poker Room" might be transformed into a mini home gym before the month is out.

Now all I want to do is get my hands on a Gymstick!

Trapeze Workshop

I'm a trapeze artist! Okay, not quite ~ I don't think professional trapeze artists actually squeal whilst they're swinging on the trapeze.

At my new job (which I love... lots!), every Friday afternoon we are invited to participate in something educational as part of an informal staff learning & development program. Today's activity ~ trapeze lessons! I asked if I could bring James along because there were extra spaces available in the class, which my boss kindly agreed to.

James pretty much nailed his challenges first time through everything, which makes for impressive but not necessarily funny videos. Mine are a bit funnier. Unfortunately we didn't catch some of our funniest moments on video, but here are a selection of some of our antics.

Video #1 - my first ever swing on a trapeze:


Video #2 - my first attempt at somersaulting off a trapeze:


Video #3 - a catch! Got it on my second attempt:
(James nailed it on his first attempt, of course)

For more videos, click here to go to my Trapeze playlist on YouTube. The above 3 videos are showcased there, as are 4 more, including several of James in action, and they are listed in chronological order.

P.S. James did so well that my workmates were asking me if by any chance I found him in a circus. I thought that was pretty funny.

P.P.S. Apologies to those of you with terrible bandwidth and can't watch the videos, we tried to take photos but they are all way too blurry to be worth posting!

Wrandom Writings

My love and gratitude to you family and friends who have offered your congratulations and support to me regarding my recent career update announcement. I love you and wouldn't be where I am today without you!

***

James has been laughing at me for the last two weeks because it suddenly occurred to him that pursuing my new career path will require me to be out of bed every morning earlier than he! James has always been a morning person. When we first got married, I definitely was not a morning person! Now, by default, I am.

***

I have only been to work for one day (yesterday) and I love it already. I love the atmosphere, the work environment, the clients and most of all, the team that works there! Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming. Can I see myself in this place for years to come? Yes!

***

It is easier to get out of bed at 5am then at 8am. It was decidedly warmer at 5am yesterday morning than any other morning that I've woken up in winter! I know that sounds weird, but Matt, one of the trainers at the studio, confirmed it - he told me that it's usually warmer at 5am in the morning and then it cools down by 8am. That's a very comforting fact for me to hold on to.

***

Getting this new job has given me a new motivation to complete my studies and do them well. There came a point during the course when I had just had enough of assignments. The first few study topics were fantastic, but when I discovered that one of my most recent assignments was to write up a business plan, I felt this was a bit of a waste of my time, simply because at this point in my career I am not thinking about business, and whatever business plan I come up with now will probably have changed once I've gained some experience. Now, I have a new drive to complete the task at hand, even though, secretly, I would rather be reading more books on exercise and nutrition instead.

***

I unexpectedly ran into my new friends at the gym today. I met them about 3 weeks ago, and usually see them on Thursdays but discovered today that they also train on Tuesdays. This turned out to be a good thing because one of them spotted my bench presses for me. I haven't done bench presses for 2 weeks so I really needed that extra assurance. Thanks, Dave!

***

If you're sick and tired of the same old push ups, try something new - put your feet on a Swiss ball and it won't be long before you notice the increase in difficulty. The closer you put your feet together, the more challenging the exercise. This is my new favourite exercise.

***

It just started raining like cats and dogs outside. Definitely heavier than I've seen in a while. This could be a fantastic opportunity to test out how well my spunky new Nike+ running jacket protects my iPod, but I just don't feel like getting wet right now. Plus, I have to go write up that business plan.

Reflections on a Sudden Career Move

If you read my post on May 16, followed by the email I sent tonight, you may be wondering - what happened to the job at the gym? All this time, that's the job I've been talking about, so where did this seemingly out-of-the-blue change spring out from?

The studio where I start next week is indeed different to the gym. The opportunity had presented itself quite suddenly. It was announced in one of my lectures last week ~ my immediate reaction was that there was no way I would be considered for, let alone offered, the job that was being advertised. It just sounded too good for me. And yet there were butterflies in my stomach when I read the job description and requirements. It sounded like it was describing me!

My thoughts turned to the gym ~ wouldn't it be unfaithful to send in an application for a different job? Didn't Glen tell me several months ago that faithful staff were difficult to find?

I expressed my fears and doubts to James and Daniela ~ they both encouraged me to go for it. After all, what did I have to lose? So I decided to give it a go. But then, on May 16, I was given my gym uniform! Doubts re-presented themselves. But James and Dan's encouragements echoed in my head, along with that gut-wrenching feeling that this was just something I was supposed to do!

So, the same night that I received my gym uniform, I submitted my resume to the studio.

I felt a bit guilty, but then appeased myself with thoughts that nothing would probably come of my submission. How wrong was I!

The very next morning, I received a call from the studio - they wanted an interview with me. I accepted, still thinking that the competition for the job was probably quite high, and glad for at least the opportunity to meet and talk to an industry leader and expert in person.

Five days later, I went to the interview. I was invited back the following morning to observe what the work environment was like during one of their busiest operation times. At the end of that observation time, I was asked if I wanted the job. Was she serious? Was she REALLY offering me this job? Was I awake or dreaming? Of course I wanted it!

I was excited about this opportunity. But you know what blessed me so much? She and her team were excited to have me... wow!

In the five days between the phone call and the interview, I visited several libraries to try and borrow as many books as possible that had been written by the woman who owns the studio. I thought that I could gain some insight into how she thinks and what her values and philosophies are by reading some of her books.

The more I read, the more I liked. Every impression of her that her books were giving me was positive. She was someone I wanted to emulate, a role model I wanted to learn from.

At the gym, I knew that with time, I would settle into the job, even though my first impressions were a little uneasy (for no particular reason and at no personal reflection upon anyone who works there - maybe it was simply how my personality meshed with the work environment). However, in the studio, I just felt that the working environment would be one in which I would not just grow, but flourish. For me, the job at the gym was a good offer. But the studio offer was a great one.

At a personal level, the choice was easy. The logistics were not - yesterday I went to the gym and told the manager of the job I had been offered. He wasn't very happy. Who would be? I felt terrible. I felt that I had given him the impression I would be working there, and then didn't follow through. The truth was that my full intention had been to work there. I hadn't been looking elsewhere, I had never considered looking elsewhere and giving myself a list of options. But "elsewhere" literally placed itself in my lap.

So whilst there is a small ache in my heart because I feel that I have set up someone's expectations at the gym only to let him down, I know that the job at the studio is the path that I am meant to take. I just know it in my heart.

And if I am to follow my dreams and make them into reality, there is nothing more I can do at this point in time other than to follow my heart. Even though, sometimes, that can hurt in some places.

Instant Gratification

I love the internet!

Where else can you instantly send an email to all your friends and family telling them about the great new job you just got? Where else can you do it faster, more efficiently, to as large an audience?

Where else can you receive multiple responses within minutes offering their love and congratulations?

And where else can you have your online guestbook signed by a friend a mere 12 minutes after sending your announcement email, because your email had your Multiply website listed in the signature, which, unbeknownst to you, your friend was also a member of, so now you are both connected through such a great site?

Announcement (Career Update)

An email that I sent out to everyone in my address book tonight:

Dear Friends and Family,

Apologies for the impersonal nature of this mass email but I knew of no other way to spread my great news as quickly as effectively as this. Some of you may be receiving this "out of the blue" because we haven't been in touch for months or maybe years... if so, I miss you and hope you are doing well! You're on my email list because you're still important to me even though I've done a terrible job of keeping in touch.

Most of you will already know that early this year I commenced part-time study to become a qualified Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer. Most of you will also be aware that I would be finishing the course around this time of year. In actual fact, I attended my final class just this past Monday! I still have a few assignments and exams to complete in order to receive my official qualification, but I'm almost there!

The purpose of this email is to let you know about my next career move. Early this week I was given the opportunity of attending an interview for a position as a Personal Trainer in a private studio based in Toorak. When I first heard that they were seeking a Trainer, my initial reaction was, "there's no way I would get a job like that!". I had in my heart settled for a "normal gym job" in one or maybe two different local gyms. However, I decided to give it a go - Thank you to the friends and family members who encouraged me to take a shot at it.

I am sure you can guess the outcome seeing as I am sending this email: I got the job! I will be working part-time to begin with for several months during which I will be a "trainee trainer" - i.e. I won't yet train clients but I will be trained in how the studio operates and their style of training people. If all goes well, after this training period I will be unleashed as a full-time trainer.

I am extremely excited about this opportunity that I have been given. My passion for promoting health and wellness in individual lifestyles has only grown with time. The woman who owns and operates the studio has at least 20 years' experience in the fitness industry and is widely known to many as a leader and expert in the field. What I am most excited about is the opportunity to learn anything and everything that I can from the wealth of knowledge that she and the rest of her training team are offering me as a new employee - I want to be great at what I do, so who better to learn from than other great people who have gone way before me.

Thank you for your love, encouragement and support. Without you backing me, I wouldn't have had this opportunity to step into doing something I am passionate about and will thoroughly enjoy.

much love,
Fiona

My First Half-Marathon (+2km) !

After months of anticipation, the Great Ocean Road Marathon weekend came and went... just like that!

In the 4 weeks leading up to the big event, James and I faithfully trained every Saturday morning with a long run (with of course shorter runs in the days between each session). By the event day the furthest we'd run was 18km.

5:45am ~ pre-race preparations:

6:15am on Sunday 20 May found Daniela, Rehana, James and I standing at a petrol station in Apollo Bay, near the race finish line, with over 100 other competitors, waiting to catch a bus to the start line, a mere 23km away. Brett had already gone on ahead ~ he had further to travel to get to his start line 45km away.

When asked if I was nervous, I said I wasn't. Perhaps I was feeling too cold to be nervous. But as we boarded the bus and it drove us further and further away from the finish line, the butterflies in my stomach were awakened. 15 minutes later, we were still driving, and I began to wonder if we would ever stop ~ given that the bus was driving along the exact route we were about to run, I knew that the further the bus drove, the further we had to run.

"James... why on earth did you agree to do this with me, and why didn't you talk me out of it?"
He just laughed.

The starting area was filled with hundreds of people, all waiting to do the same thing as us. The pre-race lines to the toilets were devastatingly long... I was about to give up and head to the start line, but decided to give it one last try, and made it in with a mere 2-3 minutes to spare! Mind you, I did end up going in the mens' toilet, as the ladies' line was still at least double the mens'... you gotta do what you gotta do!

Despite fears of possible showers during the race, the weather was lovely - except for the odd strong, bitey "breeze" threatening to freeze my fingers off and blow me back up the hill that I'd just run down.

In the end, I completed the 23km in 2:21:36.2, placing me 672 overall. James placed in at 600 with a race time of 2:13:38.6 - good on you, James!

I am not sure how many people competed overall, but on the results page I am about halfway down page 4 out of 5, so I shall make it my goal to advance a page by next year, or something like that. :)

Immediately after the race, my legs were aching all over. You name it, it was hurting! My feet were complaining about being pounded against the road for so long. I have never felt that sort of pain in my quads before. My glutes were rejoicing because I had finally stopped working them into the ground.

James lovingly offered to stretch the hammies for me ~ what a wonderful guy!

One thing is for sure - if you have a certain base level of endurance fitness, the main thing you need to build is your mental strength, because for most of us average Aussie citizens, a race of this proportion is truly a case of mind over matter.

The victorious runners brandishing their "completion" medals:

"Graduation" - !!!

Glen sat me down tonight and asked if I would be willing to do a permanent roster shift - every second Saturday morning, commencing two weekends from tonight. Of course I said yes! Minutes later, he declared that he was putting me through my graduation ceremony. He opened a cupboard which was filled with boxes...

I thought to myself, "Oh, right, he's inducting me in as a newbie by getting me to clean out and organize this cupboard."

But actually it was much nicer than that - I got to rummage through the boxes and pick out my uniform!

Wanna see pics? Here they are!

1. With my jacket on:


2. Without my jacket on:


3. James and I were so impressed with the apparent growth in size of my bicep since the last time I took bicep-flexing pics, that we had to take another, more revealing photo:

4. And finally, my favourite ~ the don't-I-look-cool-with-my-jacket-over-my-shoulder pose:

Bee Stings? Forget it!

Did my First Aid course today which is a requirement to be registered as a Fitness Instructor. I guess they must automatically expect us to pass because I received my certificate, hand-delivered to me by my instructor, before I'd even packed my bag ready to leave at the end of the day.

The exam consisted of 50 multiple choice questions. I got 49 correct. So if you choke, or need CPR, or have an embedded object in your arm and lots of blood pouring out of the wound, according to my test results I should be competent enough to give you First Aid.

...but if you get stung by a bee, watch out! That was the question I got wrong.

My New Favourite Shopping Street

Smith Street, Fitzroy.

Home of the sports outlet stores. James, Ash & I spent a couple of hours there yesterday. The Nike outlet store... I love it! I love Nike's running attire. I wanted a Nike running jacket. Not only did I find myself a spunky jacket but it is rain-proof and from the Nike+ range, which means it's got a cool hidden sleeve for my iPod and protects it from a downpour! It also has little elastic hooks that travel up one arm towards my ears, especially made for the headphones.

The jacket was outlet-priced AND had an additional 30% off because of a store-wide sale. I just love a bargain.

Work Experience

I just got back from my first shift at the gym. You've been wondering when I was finally going to start, so there's your answer. I haven't finished my classes yet though - these next three weeks I will work a total of 6 shifts as a part of my training to complete my course.

The Group Fitness Instructor course didn't end up going ahead. Instead, I'll probably be signing up for a course that commences in September. Maybe it was a God-send, because I had a chat tonight with a fitness instructor ~ his opinion was that the September course is the best one around and he had very high recommendations for it.

Think... then Act

Ever had one of those moments where you did something, and in a split second right after acting, you realized how stupid it was, but by then it was too late to do anything about it, so all you could do was stare in horror as the consequences of your actions unfolded before your very eyes?

On Monday night, we had to take turns leading our classmates in a short group fitness class. Somehow I ended up being the last one to have my turn. And for reasons beyond my control, my turn started at 10:15pm, 15 minutes past the end of class time.

Needless to say, I felt the urgency of the matter.

In trying to pass Swiss balls to people at the other end of the room, for some reason I decided to throw one in that general direction. Of course I didn't think to take note of the height of the ceiling. And of course it was too low. So of course it bounced straight back off the ceiling and hit the girl next to me in the head.

What was I thinking? Clearly, I wasn't. Thank God it wasn't a medicine ball!

Footy Tipping

The last time I joined a footy tipping competition was at Whitley College, when I lived there. I was given two options:

1. Put in all my tips for the entire season
2. Tip each week, round-by-round

Knowing that I would probably forget to submit my tips each week, I chose option #1.

Having no knowledge whatsoever of which teams were good and which weren't, I asked a friend to tell me the top four teams and bottom four teams from the previous year's season ladder. I then created a "fool-proof" system for my tips choices - for each game, if one team was top four the previous year, I chose that team and if one team was bottom four, I chose the other team. If neither team was top or bottom, I guessed. Simple.

And it took me less than 10 minutes to complete.

My system proved to be more fool-proof than I would every have imagine, because at the end of the season, they announced the winner... me!

So this year, when I was approached to join the footy tipping competition at my gym, I thought, why not? I have a little more of an idea of the teams' performance, and this time around I am actually committed to a team - Go Sainters!! Besides, James could always help me. So I entered.

My results so far (i.e. number of tips I got correct):

• Round 1 - 4/8 - tipped with James' help
• Round 2 - 2/8 - tipped without James' help so you can see how hopeless I am at it
• Round 3 - 7/8 - tipped with James' help
• Round 4 - 4/8 - forgot to submit tips, allocated "away" teams as my tips
  

Based on the above results and my past, I have made the following observations:

1. Ignorance isn't just bliss. It also helps me to tip better.
2. People who don't support a particular team will probably tip better - if James and I can't decide between our beloved Saints and the team they are playing, we tend to tip our team.
3. If James wasn't available to help me with this, I would probably get better results from not submitting any tips at all.

Deal or No Deal?

James and I made a Deal today. It was actually a pretty important one, which will have a huge impact on our future together. What were we thinking?

Before I go on, let me give you the background on this one.

In our two and a half years of marriage so far, there are two major topics which have been points of disagreement between James and I. We haven't argued about these topics, we have simply had different life experiences which have contributed and influenced our differing opinions.

What are these topics and what are our views?

TOPIC #1: PETS
James has always grown up with dogs and cats as a part of his family. It therefore follows that James would love at the very minimum for us to get a dog one day. At least. Maybe two, and a cat too whilst we're at it.

I, on the other hand, never grew up with pets (except for the kind you keep contained such as goldfish, hamsters and birds). So I don't want a dog... or a cat. Dogs leave hair everywhere. Sometimes they chew or scratch important things or furniture. Dogs don't smell nice, especially when they're wet. You can't have a two-way conversation with a dog. Dogs are great to pet and to play with, as long as they belong to someone else, because then you reap the benefits without having to bear the burden. And when you go on vacation, you can't always bring your dog, so you have to find a pet-sitter or pay $$$ to put him in some form of doggy accommodation.

TOPIC #2: CHILDREN
I am happy with THREE. THREE children plus TWO parents equals FIVE people, which is the number of seats in a standard car. I have one sister and one brother, so three worked just fine in my family.

James wants FOUR - at least. More if possible. I think his absolute ideal would be FIVE, but he toned it down to four for my sake.

James believes that the more we are able to have, the better. I feel that less is more - with less children, I can devote more of myself to each one.

THE DEAL (you're gonna love this one)
James and I went for a run this week and the topic of pets came up... again. After our run, as I was getting ready for work I started thinking about having pets, or more precisely how much I didn't want to have them - ever. Just before leaving for work, I said to James - more jokingly than seriously - "James, I'll cut you a deal. If I agree to willingly and cheerfully have four kids, would you agree to willingly and cheerfully not have a dog or cat or any sort of pet that I am not okay with... ever?"

The response I got was more intense than I could have anticipated. James' eyes immediately lit up, he jumped out of his seat, came running over to me, hand outstretched, ready to shake on it. Just like that.

I was taken aback by how quickly and excitedly James responded. I told him I'd have to put some serious thought into this Deal before shaking on it, because I had meant it more as a joke than seriously.

Well, we went for another run today. We discussed the Deal, and we shook on it.

So, blogosphere, you are now witnesses to The Deal - ten years from now you will find James and Fiona with FOUR KIDS in tow, and NO DOGS.

Group Fitness Instruction

Today, I faxed my enrollment for the Group Fitness Instructor part of my course, which is the final stage of my learning.

However I was disappointed to learn that there is a possibility the course will not go ahead because there are not enough people enrolled for the course at this point in time. There are still 3 weeks to go before the course is schedule to begin, so maybe there will be a bunch of last minute enrollments.

I really hope so!!!

I am just so disappointed. The reason for the growing lack of interest in this course is due to recent changes in the industry, in particular the growth in popularity of Les Mills classes. Les Mills is a company that pre-choreographs group fitness classes to pre-determined music tracks and sells the music with accompanying choreography to group fitness instructors. This means that in this day and age, the average group fitness instructor no longer needs to employ his/her personal skills and creativity to choreograph a unique class. Instead, ANYONE can teach the class if they buy the instruction manual and matching music tracks.

If you have been to any class labeled BODY-something (e.g. BODYpump or BODYstep) you have been to a Les Mills class. I have been to BODYpump classes and I do think they are great. But in the end, it is mass-produced fitness that does not involve individual and unique creativity.

Pros: an average or even not-very-good group fitness instructor can take one of these programs, teach a class and be great at it. I guess the level of choreography in every class becomes more standardized because someone else out there is doing all the choreography for everyone. You're much less likely to go to a "bad" class.

Cons: less individuality (e.g. I have favourite instructors who have their own style of choreography and teaching - if these instructors had limited themselves to Les Mills I would never have experienced their wonderful creativity in one of their classes).

I guess it's like the difference between James and I at a restaurant. James will try new things, but he is more likely to find his favourites on the menu and stick to them most visits. I, on the other hand, will always want to try new menu items. Sometimes I will get a complete dud of a meal, but when I stumble across that never-to-be-forgotten dish, it makes all the duds well worth finding that delectable gem.

In my opinion, pre-choreographed classes are mass-produced fitness. They are the convenience of this day and age - convenience for instructors who want great results (an excellently choreographed class) without putting in the study and preparation required to create their own classes.

It disappoints me, because I feel it makes it more difficult to distinguish truly excellent instructors from the "good" or the "average". Yes, at the end of the day, group fitness instruction is a job for many - a way to put food on the table. But it can also be so much more than that!

A Tribute to Damien

Tonight on The Biggest Loser, Damien was eliminated.

Damien is easily everyone's favourite contestant on The Biggest Loser. Not just viewers and fans, but also the other contestants on the show.

Why? Because he is a natural leader amongst the contestants, leading not by force or manipulation, but rather through encouragement and by setting an example that inspired others to follow. Where other people would irritate one another due clashing personality types and character traits, Damien was loved by all. He always had an encouraging word - a genuine one too - for the black sheep in the house. He was always able to see things from other peoples' perspective.

And my favourite quote of his: "I am not saying I deserve to be in this house more than the others, but I do feel that I need to be here more" - in other words, Damien never once had an inflated view of himself. He recognized what an honour and privilege it was to have the opportunity to learn how to lose the weight he needed to lose.

Damien was not just the greatest guy on the show. He was also the biggest. He started the show weighing 216kg, which is the most anyone in the history of the entire show (all countries, not just Australia) has weighed. Up to this point he has lost over 68kg, which still puts him at 148kg. But his weight loss journey has been amazing. He was especially inspiring because typically in past seasons, the biggest contestant has often been the first one to be voted out of the show because he is the weakest player on the team, but Damien's determination allowed him to continue in the show well past any other over 200kg contestant.

Damien has been an inspiration to thousands of Australians - contestants, non-contestants, other people struggling with their weight, and even those who don't. James, Asher I absolutely love the guy and we were devastated to witness his elimination tonight.

I really hope Damien achieves his goal of a healthy weight, and that he goes on to live a long life so that he can continue to be an inspiration and hope to others who struggle to control their weight.

Half Marathon? Or 14km?

All this week I was torn between whether to run the half marathon (actually 23km) or 14km event at the Great Ocean Road Marathon weekend.

I have finally made my decision - the half marathon it is.

Why?

1. This week I have been suffering from a mild case of post-race apathy, i.e. the attitude that says, "Fi, you just ran 15.2km! You can take it easy for a week... or two". I have learnt in my recent studies that for every week of training you miss, you need 2 weeks to get back to the same level as before. So in order to avoid this happening, I need that extra challenged to keep me training.

2. On Thursday I found a running partner for the event in Niro.

Running 15.2km for the Kids - report back

9:00 - 10:30am, Sunday 1 April 2007
We had a blast! "We" being Daniela, Pete & Katie, Brett & Rehana and me! Devi ran it too, but unfortunately we did not see her all morning. I am hoping to get some piccys from Pete & Katie to post here... soon!

Run for the Kids is probably one of - if not THE - biggest running events in Victoria. This year, the event boasted an attendance of about 26000 people. Furthermore, $21 out of our $34 race entry free went to The Royal Childrens Hospital Good Friday Appeal. That is an impressive proportion - my commendations to all the race coordinators for managing funds so well to enable such a massive proportion to be given to charity!

For me, the race was yet another stepping-stone in an effort to continue to challenge myself onward and upward in my fitness levels. To achieve this was a milestone! Three years ago I couldn't even run 5 minutes without stopping, and on Sunday 1 April 2007 I ran for 90 minutes! 15.2km is now officially the furthest I have ever run without stopping.

Running with Katie was such a pleasure - Dan & Pete ran with us too, but they could easily have run faster and at different points in the race they were ahead but then would pull back to stay with us. Katie and I run at about the same pace - although I suspect she is faster than I - and we took it at a pretty easy pace, chatting about all sorts of things along the way. Our main goal was to complete the full course without walking; speed was not of concern that day.

This race was quite an amazing experience. The route was one which you would not normally be able to run because it included major roadways such as the Domain Tunnel, a portion of the Westgate Freeway and the Bolte Bridge. All these roads were closed down for several hours to allow us to run them. It was also an amazing sight at particular points along the way to look ahead of myself and see just thousands upon thousands of other people running in the same direction as me.

I will try to post some pictures soon, but they probably will not do justice to the atmosphere and feeling that accompanies those photos.

P.S. HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE