Recovery

My first event for 2013! We swam the Roode1000 on Sunday 27 January. I almost panicked the first 250m because suddenly I realised, I have not trained properly for 8 weeks and now suddenly I am attempting an open water swim! A year ago, I did not even regard myself as a swimmer. So I breastroke-ed the race and made it in 27min50s. Not being the swimmer in the family is a bit of a challenge but at least I did it and I was not last :-).

Our next event is still to be determined, but is seems we may forego climbing Killy this year and rather go on a 4x4 trip to Botswana this year. A new and exciting dream to plan for. 

And as of this week, I am back at work. After 6 weeks of being away, I can't say I was enthusiastic to return. I do enjoy my area of work, but like most people once you get involved in the management of a group of people and a business unit, a lot of the joy is lost. I am starting the year off by trying to write a few papers and thinking about stuff. Strategise.

We are planning our training programme for the marathon and will start next week actively managing the running. In addition, swimming will steadily continue and we started a weekly Pilates class. For balance and core strength. So far we love it and I sleep very well Monday nights. And although the dieting is a slow and painful process, we are chipping away at the fat. After 3 weeks of diligence I have lost 1200 grams. Just need to keep up the good work. Focus. Strategise. In the meantime, I hope our next adventure is just around the corner.
  

Inspiration, resolutions and peace

I am inspired.

Newly inspired to continue with my journey and blog about it too. Last year with all it's wonderful highlights was sometimes brute force tough. The year 2012 was a bit of "good cop-bad cop". I have however been re-inspired, by a moment in the park, by my family (these include friends, actual family, furry loved ones and my partner) and by my resolutions. Somehow we stuck together, even though the strangeness of 2012 hit us all quite hard. We started off last year with a serious bang, so I wonder if the universe was balancing us.  I for one feel more at peace and more appreciative of simple things. The Midmar mile and then the Great Wall Marathon were two of my year's highlights, but somehow things went a bit off the beaten track after that. Another highlight, although this one should come with a HEALTH warning, we got a second puppy. Also a long coat German Shepard...but oh boy did we not see her coming at ALL. We practically should have taken out insurance, she is a one puppy tornado. And we love her to death. Jonty is still the most wonderfully gently, kindhearted sole you will ever meet in fur, but he was lonely. Now, poor thing, it never ever stops ;-) So comment around Jonty often goes like this: "We didn't appreciate you enough when you were a puppy. Good Boy".

And with 2013 starting a bit slower than usual for me (recovery from an op in Dec), I am happy to just be here, typing away at the keyboard, hoping this year will bring lots of inspiration; and believing it actually for the first time in a while. We also have, as a family, allocated a theme for 2013 "The year of the body". I am still pondering the theme song, but the general idea is that "Sweat will be fat crying" and the scale will be our friend - at least an accomplice... to be friends after being enemies for soooo long, not every relationship can be fixed all in one year ;-), maybe next year. It is however more than just being fit and healthy. Somehow, we lost faith in our bodies during the second half of 2012. We felt let down, this year we will work together again at being "together" again. 

I have on the provisional agenda the following (some people might refer to these as "resolutions"):
1) Run a marathon (thus far we are aiming for Wally Hayward 2013) - and this would be my first local marathon)
2) Swim the Ebenezer mile 16 March 2013
3) Get fit (obviously)
4) Lose the weight
5) Appreciate
6) Climb Killy
7) Learn something new
8) Blog more :-)

Dedicated to my new blogging buddy, Max Mom. Thanks for simple gifts.
Max Mom's blog about our meeting in the park. 

PS: On Saturday morning we took the pups for a walk at a local park. Inside family joke: A pack of huskies also frequent our park and the owner gathers them by calling "Huskies"; which seems super cool when 10-15 huskies come running. Well we are trying out "Shepards" with less spectacular effect, but having a lot of fun with it. Anyway, on Saturday we met Max Mom in the park and had a lovely and inspirational visit. Nothing like the freedom and absolute happiness of puppies running around the park to cheer one up. It has become one of my favourite things on a weekend. Park Time.