A Special Run

After a lovely couple of days in Adelaide with Peter's family for Christmas it's nice to be home again and making the most of such a sunny afternoon. And what an afternoon it turned out to be.

My sister was keen to take Harry out in the pram and go for a run with him for the first time.. I of course was just keen to get out there and run off the extra food / drink I'd consumed over the last couple of days. Today wasn't about distance or time. We just got out there and enjoyed each others company. But for those interested, we did manage to run the 4.3 km lap without stopping in 30 mins and Ams managed to push the pram the whole way, with flat tires and all!!

I've always been jealous of my sister and her amazing athletic ability and achievements. As most of you may know she's represented Australia with Ultimate Frisbee and is quite the athlete.  This time last year I couldn't even run around the corner to the park and back, so it means so much that we can now enjoy running together and I don't hold her up. 

So thank you Amy, was great to share this moment with you and Harry. Hopefully there will be plenty more runs ahead of us and even maybe a fun run in the new year!!

Love my gorgeous sister and little man xx

Merry Christmas!

It's a short and sweet blog tonight but being Christmas Eve, I just wanted to take some time out and thank all of you for the support and words of encouragement you've all shown me during the last 12 months. I've come so far and in a much better place than I was this time last year,
and for that I thank you. 

I hope you and your families have a safe and Merry Christmas and I'll look forward to more and bigger adventures in 2014....

And in true Sarah style this Christmas edition wouldn't be complete without a couple of special 12wbt Christmas Recipes! 

Night all, and Merry Christmas! 

Lime & Vanilla Cheesecake with honeyed Cherries

Gin, Ginger and Lime Spritzer

My Run Calendar for 2014

Over the last few weeks I've been looking into race events over the next year to assist in my quest to conquer a half marathon. Sooooo, for the moment my run calendar for 2014 is looking a little something like this.. I'm excited by these challenges and have also created a new page on my blog where I intend on recording all my Race Results.  

If any of you would like to contribute to my Fun Run Fund, donations would be greatly appreciated!! Annoyingly most of these event cost anywhere between $50 and $80 which quickly adds up, however it keeps me motivated and I have a great support crew who encourage and run along side me! Thank you transformers - you girls rock! The wish list ones are ones I'm keen to do but if I can afford them as they're about $60 to register!

So here it is:

January 
Sun 19th - New Year's Resolution Fun - 6km

February
Wed 5th  - Summer Series (1 of 3): The Zoo - 8km
Wed 19th - Summer Series (2 of 3): The Tan - 8km

March
Sun 2nd - Grand Prix Colour Run - 5km (wish list)
Wed 5th - Summer Series: (3 of 3) - Princess Park - 8km

April
Sun 13th - Run for the Kids - 15km's

May
Sun 11th - Mothers Day Classic - 8km's

July
Sat 26th - Great Australian Outback - My first Half Mara
Sun 27th - Run Melbourne - My first Half Mara  
(Can't decide between these two) 

August
Sun 24th - Perth City to Surf - Half Mara?

September
Yarra Valley Grape Run - 13 km's

October
Melbourne Marathon - Half Mara
Warragul Half Mara

November
Melbourne City to Sea - 14 km's

December
Sussans Women's Classic - Half Mara ?

Still trying to decide on where to do my first half mara so any thoughts / suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'd love to do in Paris / the outback or Melbourne. Guess it will come down to finances in the end. Am hoping July isn't too ambitious - only time will tell.

Tis the Silly Season

And after 5 days in a row of Christmas parties and 30ths I'm happy to report that I have managed to maintain my weight throughout and not gain any extra kilo's. 
  So yay me, I'm one very happy girl at the moment.

It's been one crazy week and I must admit I wasn't always the "good girl'. I made some good choices and some bad choices, but really how many chicken skewers with satay sauce on the side can one girl have? And how can you knock back a $13 parma when a salad and soft drink cost $30. And when you have friends over from interstate and it's a sunny afternoon it means a rooftop and beer!

I must admit thought I'm so relieved to be back in routine and cooking healthy clean food once more. We've also just moved buildings with work and my gym is now in the same building which is awesome cause it means I can now squeeze workouts in over lunch time.

In other news, yesterday I went for a run but instead of jumping in the car and driving to the river to do a lap, I ran all the way there, did the lap (the shorter one) and ran all the way back. Annoyingly my app decided to stop working half way through, so not exactly sure on the distance. but i think it was close to the 10km. I was a bit slower than usual as I was soo tired from a late night out before, but still I did it even it did take me an hour and a half, plus it was up hill on the way back.. I even backed it up with some hill interval training today.

 

Looking forward to an early night tonight as it's the first night I've been home in a week.
So night all, I'm off to bed! But not without a few foodie pics from the last couple of weeks. Sorry it's been so long!! 

After my 10km Sussans Fun Run effort - this was Peter's amazing Double Minted Warm Lamb Salad

Indian Fish - simple and so quick and yummy!

Another winner - Chicken Fajitas - the best thing was left overs for lunch!

The Simple things are often the best - Spinach and Baked Beans on toast

Sussans Classic ~ My First 10km

This morning I woke to realise the count down was finally over and it was time for me to finally tackle my first ever 10km fun run, in the woman's only Sussan's Classic. 

It was an early start - alarm went off at 5:15am and a friend came over to share a taxi with me to the event which was pre-booked at 6. It was the perfect morning weather wise, no jacket required so yay! We arrived at the event at 6.30 am. A little early you might say considering the warm up didn't start til 7.15 but I'm one of those annoying ones who prefer to get there early rather than stressing and not making it on time. It also gives you time to take in the atmosphere and go for any last minute piddles. 

I did it! :)

I was feeling pretty good and only just a little bit nervous so it was nice to have the company over there. We eventually met up with all the girls and surprisingly the time went pretty quick so before we knew it were on the starting line ready to take off. It's such a lovely event as only women can enter. There were plenty of women dressed up in tutu's and fancy dress but also plenty wearing bibs in honor of friends and loved ones they had lost.

The first kilometer was a bit slow as we had to dodge through all the walkers and were running up and down the curbs just trying to get past everyone. It was also lovely as we got start with the half marathon runners which meant the 4 of girls could all start together. We got through the first couple k's together then took off at our own pace.

I felt really strong for my first 5 kilometers. Just outside my pb (35 mins) but given the slow start I was ok with that. The sun was out, slight breeze it was all good... I then got to the 7 km and realised I was 3 mins quicker than my time with mum and dad last week so Yay. For some strange reason I started to get emotional. I don't know if was the people lining up along side of the road cheering us on or whether I realised I'd gone further than I ever had on my own. I had to pull myself together as I was nearlly at the end and I knew there would be plenty of photographers. 

I got to the 8km ok but the last 2 k's was by far the toughest. Head wind and into the sun.
I got to the last half kilometer and saw the finishing line and thought woo hoo - time to push. Somehow I found something left in the tank and did my fastest kilometer on the last k. Crazy..  

The Course

For my first ever 10km run I was very happy. Official time 1 hr 11 mins. I was aiming for around the hour and 15 but really had no idea. It's the first 10km's of many I'm sure.

I should also give a big shout out to all my other girlfriends who smashed their pb's, ran with injuries and JFDI (Just F'n did it). You girls are awesome and the reason I'm here - thank you. 

My next big challenge will be the Run for the Kids 15 km in April... My favourite fun run ever as it raises money for the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal... Can't wait...

My Official Results

And finally, the best thing about today, is that I'm now sitting on the couch while Peter is cooking me a 3 course dinner... Aren't I spoilt? Oh, and I even made it on the 10 news, I'm famous!

Night all xo

Bikram Yoga ~ we survived

For anyone who hasn't heard of Bikram Yoga before it's basically a yoga class done in a 39 degrees room over 90 mins.

One might say it's crazy, but I've been wanting to try it for ages as apparently it has a whole range of benefits, including;

Detoxing the body happens instantly, pores are opened to let toxins out and you will notice from the first breathing exercise the detox process has begun.
The heat contributes to increased heart rate for a better cardiovascular workout and thinning of the blood to help clear the circulatory system.
Strength is improved by putting muscle tissue in an optimal state for reorganization. Muscle tissues are more relaxed when warmed up which promotes a safer and deeper stretch.
The heat helps reorganise the lipids (fat) in the muscular structure.
- See more at: http://www.bikramyogaav.com.au/classes/faq-a-first-time-information#sthash.iMYSGIpx.dpuf

• improves your health
• reduces stress
• assists with weight loss
• strengthens and tones your body
• increases your heart rate for better cardiovascular 
• detoxes your body

Soooo, Raels and I decided we'd give it go as the Ascot Vale Studio are currently offering a 10 day pass for $19. Perfect opportunity right??

Nervous and excited - we were ready. In the lead up to any bikram yoga class they recommend you drink double your normal intake of water. That means 3-4 litres a day..  How can any one possibly manage that, we thought. We arrived at the studio and had a bit of a giggle about much of the day we spent on the toilet. The staff were pretty welcoming and suggested we took our spot at the back of the room so we could see the regulars and had someone to follow. It was literally like walking into a sauna. How are we going to survive this?

Apart from getting the giggles at the start we soon managed to control ourselves. The hardest thing about yoga in the heat was controlling our poses. As the sweat just poured off it was so hard to keep your grip and often kept slipping. We couldn't help but laugh everytime she said hold it, don't lose it!! For our first attempt we did pretty well, and would been keen to give it another go. Although it was a little intimidating seeing just how well others can do the poses. Some of them just seemed impossible. But like with most other things, I'm sure if we stick to it we'll just keep getting better. They also say you don't have to be great at it, you just need to stretch and try and improve with each pose and class in order to gain any benefits.

I managed to get through most of it apart from the odd cramp here and there and at one stage I got a tiny bit dizzy because we had to do a few quick movements. The instructors were pretty good though, they just tell you take a minute sit down and have a drink off water. I didn't felt judged at all.

Was an interesting experience and one I'd be prepared to give it another go. I'm still not really sure how many calories it's suppose to burn but nevertheless hopefully it will make some change on the scales in the morning. Oh yeah and hopefully I won't break out in pimples either. The only downer of the night was walking out to my car to find a parking fine. NOT HAPPY JAN! Beware to anyone parking opposite the studio. After 4.30 - Don't!

Thanks Raels for making my first bikram class such an enjoyable one. For Raelene's awesome version of tonight's events check out her blog Bikram Yoga! The Bridget Jones Version.


Night all,

Woo hoo ~ We survived!!  Thanks for the pic Raels :)

Detoxing the body happens instantly, pores are opened to let toxins out and you will notice from the first breathing exercise the detox process has begun.
The heat contributes to increased heart rate for a better cardiovascular workout and thinning of the blood to help clear the circulatory system.
Strength is improved by putting muscle tissue in an optimal state for reorganization. Muscle tissues are more relaxed when warmed up which promotes a safer and deeper stretch.
The heat helps reorganise the lipids (fat) in the muscular structure.
- See more at: http://www.bikramyogaav.com.au/classes/faq-a-first-time-information#sthash.iMYSGIpx.dpuf

Detoxing the body happens instantly, pores are opened to let toxins out and you will notice from the first breathing exercise the detox process has begun.
The heat contributes to increased heart rate for a better cardiovascular workout and thinning of the blood to help clear the circulatory system.
Strength is improved by putting muscle tissue in an optimal state for reorganization. Muscle tissues are more relaxed when warmed up which promotes a safer and deeper stretch.
The heat helps reorganise the lipids (fat) in the muscular structure.
- See more at: http://www.bikramyogaav.com.au/classes/faq-a-first-time-information#sthash.iMYSGIpx.dpuf

I love my family

What a day! Am home in the burbs after spending a lovely weekend at mum and dad's in Warragul! Today was a bit of a random day. We decided to go for a drive to Cowes as Dad had lost his gps playing golf there last weekend and some kind person had found it, handed it in and we needed to go pick it up. 

Instead of running the two towns trail as originally planned, we carefully mapped out a 7km course that followed a bike trail along side the freeway all the way in town. Mum was going to ride her bike along side me and dad running. The challenge had been set and we were on our way. 

Plodding along

Dad ran with me for the first 3 km's where we battled with flies, dogs and cows but he urged me to go on ahead and promised that he would catch up. It wasn't long before mum caught up with us on the bike and thankfully had some cold water for us. 

Pit Stop - Was a rather warm morning, so thanks Mum for the water! Was much needed by now

  I was so happy to be out with mum & dad. Two years ago I couldn't keep up with dad and now the tables had turned and I was smashing out 7km. I do love Dad for trying, after all he is retired. And a big shout out to mum as well for riding between us backwards and forwards with cold water. 

The course

As for the time I was pretty happy with it. Did the 7kms in 53 mins. We did take 9 mins to do the first km as we walked most of it to warm up and had a quick pit stop for some water about half way. The best bit about my run was the hills. I just kept going and pushed myself. I didn't stop. A year ago, I would have just given up and walked up them. 

Getting ready to attack the hills

The most rewarding thing about today was sharing it with mum and dad. So thank you heaps for being such an awesome support crew. Oh and I forgot to mention, for the first time in a long time I didn't get stitch. Maybe all I needed was mum's cooking, or maybe it was the fresh air. I'm still yet to figure it out.

 Mum and Dad - Best Support Crew!

We then finished off the morning with a coffee and a quick dip in the water before heading back to Gul and eventually back to the big smoke!

After such a big day, I finally made it home just before dinner to a message from Peter saying he was on his way home from work with some Pizza and Wine. How thoughtful - he knew that I'd be exhausted and probably couldn't be bothered cooking. Just as well I burnt off the calories this morning hey!

And with that, night all, I'm exhausted.

The Color Run

As a kid I always loved rainbows so as soon as I heard about the Color Run, I just had to sign up for it! It sold out months ago and yesterday the wait was finally over. It was finally Melbourne's turn.

Decked out in our official white color run gear, over 20,000 of us made our way through the gates of Flemington Racecourse where we huddled under any umbrellas / shelters or anything we could find to hide ourselves from the rain and cold. It was so dark and gloomy but it wasn't gonna stop us. After what seemed like forever, we finally were called to the starting area.

 

We ended up being in the third wave of competitors to start the race, but it took a good 1/2 km before we actually got to start running. To put things in perspective for you, it was such a big event, that even as were leaving there still competitors starting the race. Crazy hey!

The 5km course took us up hills, through a blue paint zone, a yellow zone, then a bubble zone and an orange zone, eventually making it onto the track where we got run round the course through a pink and another blue zone. The best bit was making our way up the famous straight finishing on the finish line where Caviar and so many other great horses had crossed before us. It was awesome.



People danced / walked / galloped and ran their way around. There were costumes / tutus and even a guy on crutches. It was definitely the happiest and funniest fun run I have ever done.

Once we crossed the finish line, we were moved through to another area and given packs of brighter coloured chalk which meant it was chalk fight time. As if we weren't dirty enough already, I ended up with everywhere. Down the pants and all - thanks Peter.

At the start of the race us girls decided it wasn't gonna be an event to try and break my 30 min record and we were just gonna have fun. And that we did. We stopped at each zone and danced our way through the chalk and took loads of pics. Peter on the other hand a point to prove and bolted ahead beating his own PB and finishing it in 20 mins. Very annoying considering he's only been training for 3 weeks.. I will get there eventually, even if it takes me a year. It was also a special day, as it was the first fun run Peter had ever signed up for and one we got to share together. I've now got him on the band wagon and looking at other 5km events early in the new year.

Here are some more highlights of the day! If you haven't done one before then jump on the band wagon and look out for the event next year.

Bring on the Color Run 2014.

Fish & Chips with a twist

Bit of a random blog tonight and I hope you get a laugh out of this.
Last night after I published my blog abut Fist Pump Moments, I got in trouble by my beautiful man. I'd forgotten to put a pic up of his Classy Fish and Chips that he cooked as my "Treat Meal" on Saturday night. It was a drilling in a joking kinda way but I didn't hear the end of it all night! 

Even though at the time I posted it all of Facebook and told him how all girls had been commenting on how awesome it looked, it still wasn't enough. I figured the only way I could make up for it would be to write a whole blog in dedication of Peter and his amazing Fish n Chips.

Not only was it the first time he baked a whole fish on the BBQ, which in this case was a Snapper and cooked to perfection, he also created a fresh watercress, pear and potato chip salad with his very own famous lemon aioli. And of course a meal like this wouldn't be complete without a German Riesling Kabinett to match! Thanks Peter, Amazing!

So I hope I'm now forgiven and I promise to never forget to post a pic of your amazing meals again.

Fist pump moments

I know I'm not alone when I sit here and think about all the times I have compared myself to others. 

Whether its been about how many more kilos someone has lost / how much taller, skinnier or prettier one is, or how much fitter or a better athlete one is, it's hard not to. It's in light of this that my fellow 12 wbt'ers have decided to celebrate the mini achievements we're reaching along the way, instead of trying to beat each other with the kilo's we've loosing each week. It's all about the Fist Pump Moments when we've smashed a pb or got up at 6 am for a morning work out or gone to bed early.  And with that in mind I thought I'd share my top 3 fist pump moments for the week. 

FPM #1 ~ Getting a PB on my 12 min time trial 

Today was just one of those days, where all I wanted to do was come home and veg out on the couch. I'm soooo tired (Probably because I'm lacking the sugars and caffeine from the soft drinks I've stopped having); My nose hasn't stopped running all day and it's raining outside. All the voices in my head kept saying I can't be bothered but somehow I managed to fight it, jump in the car, head down to the river and just go for it.. And I'm so glad I did. I smashed my 12 min time trial and managed to reach 2 km - so YAY I think that's what you call a double fist pump !!!

FPM #2~ Kicking My Soft drink addiction in the butt

A little while ago, you may recall me saying I gave up soft drink. Well I did for a little while but then I went to Peru and discovered their Inca Cola... Bad Sarah, I know, but it was traditional and just sooo good! Ever since I got back from South America I've been trying really hard to give up soft drink once again. I'm happy to say that's now been 6 days since my last coke. (I used to have one every day).. The best thing is I've now found a substitute and enjoying a cold fruity Tea 2 herbal tea instead. You should try it!  

FPM #3 ~ Not having a vodka with the girls

18 of us 12wbt'ers went to the local pub for dinner on Sunday night to celebrate a birthday. The old me would have ordered a vodka and soda, but instead I ordered just a soda water with fresh lime. 

Things I could do better next week are to go to bed earlier so I can get up at 6 and get my work out of the way and cut back on carbs.

And of course on a final note, here my fav foodie pics from the last few days!

Turkey Swiss Cheese and Cranberry Wrap

Brazillian Feijao

T2 Citrus Punch Icy Tea

Night all xo

Ouch!

Not quite sure where to start with this post. It's been such a crazy week and I'm definitely feeling it. I'm so sore and can hardly move but it's definitely paying off cause guess what - I brought a new dress this morning and it was size 8. I'm So happy and can't wait to show it off! 

Torrential rain played havoc in Melbourne this week so we unfortunately we had to cancel our run group. I still managed to fit in my 12min time trial with a short 3 km run instead. No bit of rain was gonna stop me! 1800 meters is now the distance to beat next week! 

JFDI - It's just a little bit of rain!

Yesterday, with a little encouragement from a friend at work, I decided to mix it up a little and start going to body pump again! I loved it and had forgotten how good it is. The Instructor really knows how to push you and got so much more out of it that I would have, had I of done my normal workout on my own. I followed this up with a 5km run this morning as well as our Saturday Super Sess with the transformer girls. Let me just say, I'm really feeling it now, and it's gonna be struggle to get off the couch. Was totally worth it though as I love sat mornings with the gals.

So Great to have our SSS back again. Have really missed our Sat Sessions!

 Was really happy with this morning's run. With a week to go until the Colour Run, I'm almost at my goal time. Hoping to break the 30 mins and this morning I did it in 33. Looking at my splits, it looks like I really need to work on the middle part of my run. 

It's been a tough week, and the weather certainly hasn't helped but It's so good to be back in the full swing that is 12wbt. Hopefully things will get easier. Given the silly season is fast approaching, I think I'm just gonna have to suck it up and get up for 6am workouts cause otherwise it just aint gonna happen. I have so many parties already and I'm actually a little worried that I'm not going to fit it all in. Guess I'm just gonna have to be super organised and not let that alarm beat me!

On a final note, as always, here are my favourite foodie pics of the week.. 

If you wanna see more, then follow me on Instagram under "skeats19"..

Broccoli Past with Chili Ricotta

Sweet Potato, Roast Capsicum and Ricotta Pizza

Balsamic Strawberries with Ricotta and Mint

And that's a wrap - thanks folks! x

And we're off and running!

So another week has passed and today marks the start of Round 4 for us 12wbt'ers. 

Is it crazy to think that I'm actually excited by the challenges that lay ahead and to just get out there and keep running. With that in mind it's time to re-visit my goals. Not just because it was one of our pre season tasks but to keep myself focused on what I want to achieve. 

So my goals for the next 3 months are:  

• Improve my 1 km time trial to under 5 mins which is currently 5 mins 39 secs.  
• Break 30 mins with my 5 km
• Run 10 km without stopping on own and try to break 1 hour
• Compete in the 5 km Colour Run / 10km  Susan's Classic and 10 km Summer Tri Series and get PB's each time
• Lose another 3-5 kilos to reach my goal weight
• Not over indulge this Christmas!

 CONTINUE TO BE FIT, HEALTHY AND HAPPY!!

So there you have it my friends. You've heard it here first. Theres's gonna be blood sweat and tears but I really want to get to the half marathon next year, and would love to do it in my home town Warragul or the Great Australian Outback, or Paris, I really can't decide. But I will get there, and Rain, Hail or Shine ~ there will no be NO excuses.

Unfortunately I don't have any foodie pics for you this time however, I highly recommend that you all go out buy Michelle Bridges Herb Mill. It's become my new best friend in the kitchen and for $10 - it's a bargain and so awesome!

I've started drinking Green Tea again! The great debate continues on wheather or not it actually does assist with weight loss. Either way, it's good for you and I'm enjoying it! 

And on that note, it's cup of tea time and bed. Night all, xo.

Hill Intervals and time trials

Okay ladies and gents, its confession time.

I didn't go for my long run on the weekend as originally planned. My bad?

Me & My Gorgeous Girls at Derby Day

Saturday there just wasn't enough time, I was up early to get ready for the races and had an awesome day thanks to my 12wbt girls. Who would have thought six months ago I would have made such a lovely bunch of new friends. You girls rock. Once I got home, it was time for a quick bite to eat, then shower, refresh and head out to a friends farewell drinks in the city. It was midnight by the time we got home and I honestly don't know how I lasted the day.

I had every intention of going for my run on Sunday instead, but I was that exhausted, I pretty much crashed out on the couch all day.

Soooo, today was all about making up for it, and that I did... Hill intervals and my first 12 min time trial before Round 4 kicks off next week. I've decided that now the weather is getting better and since I work literally across the road from Treasury Gardens, I really should use them more often! Would be nice to mix it up rather than using Maribyrnong River all the time. 

In other another news, I'm bit disappointed with Running Fit as it's now been over a week since I first contacted them in regards to coaching. If I haven't heard by the end of the week I'm giving up and going else where. Most annoying... Oh yeah, and I finally brought this foam roller to help get rid of those niggles

My new Foam Roller - it's Pretty and Purple :)

And finally to finish off here's some more foodie pics for you. Night all xo

Sweet and Sour Pork

Thai Pumpkin Soup