10 Things I Want My Daughter to Know About Working Out

So simply put – many of the reasons I swim, cycle run and other stuff!!) I hope you enjoy and are as inspired a I was by this blog!

Have a Super Sunday!!

Jacqueline

wellfesto

Mid-way through a recent group exercise class, the teacher lost me.  She didn’t lose me because of some complicated step sequence or insanely long set of burpees; I mentally checked out because of a few words she kept saying over and over.  “Come on!  Get that body ready for your winter beach vacation!  Think about how you want to look at those holiday parties!  PICTURE HOW YOU’LL LOOK IN THAT DRESS!”

View original post 649 more words

Its The Simple Things

This weekend just gone was one of the best we have had this year. We drove to York on the Friday afternoon – about an 100km from Perth. The local priest, Fr. Stephen invited Simon and I to stay in the presbytery with him while the children pitched a tent in the backyard. The next morning Simon and the kids waved me off and went to explore quaint, historic York as I rode back to Perth with the 98.5 Sonshine FM Morning Cafe _ Ride for Hope on their last day of an epic 500km ride from Albany.

It was a beautifully scenic ride. I have truly missed my bicycle and that feeling of freedom while I am riding.

Simon and I then ended the day at a Marriage Encounter Love Circle meeting.

The next morning we were up bright and early again for the children’s first Little Nippers session on the beach. Over 2 hours of surf and beach skills later it was home for a quick shower and change then off again to a late Oktoberfest party with a young German family we met through mutual friends.

Full on but immensely satisfying.

This last weekend has really driven home to me how its the simple thing that make for some of the most amazing memories and rewarding experiences. We spent hardly any money but the children haven’t stopped talking about the great time they had. The smiles on the children’s faces over the weekend were priceless. The company of good friends sharing cultures, conversations, food and drink is immeasurable.

Marriage Isn’t For You

Seth Adam Smith

Having been married only a year and a half, I’ve recently come to the conclusion that marriage isn’t for me.

Now before you start making assumptions, keep reading.

I met my wife in high school when we were 15 years old. We were friends for ten years until…until we decided no longer wanted to be just friends. 🙂 I strongly recommend that best friends fall in love. Good times will be had by all.

Nevertheless, falling in love with my best friend did not prevent me from having certain fears and anxieties about getting married. The nearer Kim and I approached the decision to marry, the more I was filled with a paralyzing fear. Was I ready? Was I making the right choice? Was Kim the right person to marry? Would she make me happy?

Then, one fateful night, I shared these thoughts and concerns with my dad.

Perhaps each…

View original post 594 more words

Food is my Medicine?

I’ve been battling hypertension (persistent high blood pressure) since I conceived and gave birth to my sixth child. There is no real reason that the doctors can give me as to why. They look at me… under 40, fit, active, trim, healthy, good diet – And just tell, “Sorry, its chronic – here are some tablets. Good bye. Good luck” … I have been on medication for almost 5 years now and I don’t like it. I just can not accept or believe that there isn’t some kind of underlying problem that I can somehow target and fix.

In the last few years I’ve been experimenting with different foods and I have discovered that beetroot, celery and carrot have a very positive impact on my blood pressure. Yesterday I accidentally discovered something else – Shitake mushrooms. I had a whole bowlful yesterday and today everything has been reading normal. (And yes, I have accidentally, on purpose, forgotten to take my daily tablet. Over 24 hours since my last dose.)

To me the solution is simple – food CAN help control and fix so many health issues – why don’t the medical and science professions take a closer look at this link instead of continuing to band aid situations with ever increasing doses of drugs?

I am not in any way advocating that everyone with blood pressure issues throw out their medication and start eating bowlfuls of mushrooms, beetroot, celery and carrot but why not try adding these to your diet on a more regular basis? It certainly can’t hurt!

Yours in Health

Jacqueline xx

 

Lets Get REAL!

The trigger for this post was a question asked over a coffee one day after a cycle – “Who would you rather have as a role model? The fresh faced 19 year old pro athlete, (who works damn bloody hard to be the best) or a lady, maybe in her 30s, has children, a husband, job and a mortgage and who may not be a pro athlete but still competes in her chosen sport and does reasonably well?” Overwhelmingly, the people I ask that same question to, tell me, the latter… So am I missing something here or are the advertising companies completely missing a huge marketing opportunity?

For example, I LOVE Revlon, especially their ColorStay range. I have tried other colour fast make up but Revlon is the only make up that does does what it says and goes the distance. I put it on and it stays on until I take it off. I also LOVE to swim, cycle and run and as vain as it makes me look, I do, on occasion, wear make up while I train and race and yes, I might be hot and sweaty but the ColorStay still looks fantastic even after a hard session…

I’m not saying I want to be the next Revlon poster girl, but surely it would not be that hard to find a REAL lady with a REAL life to help sell their product? Seriously, as much as we all want to look like that  hot, young thing on that ad after we buy whatever she is being paid to tout, we all know deep down we aren’t going to become a super model or famous actress when if we do buy it and use it. Sorry to kill your hope there.

But, maybe, just MAYBE,  if the girl next door told you that it works? It REALLY works! Wouldn’t you be more tempted to buy it?

And maybe to make it more REAL I should aim to be the next Revlon poster girl! So here goes, I’m swimming in the river tomorrow…an hour of drills… I’ll let you know how my lipstick holds up!! Photos and all!! Stay tuned!

Good Bye Jess!

I went to the funeral of a friend the other day. She was only in her 20s. Young and vibrant  with two young children. I cannot say she was a close friend. More an acquaintance, but her death affected me profoundly. She was one of those people who seem to have the ability to transcend social conventions and was happy in her own skin. She was quirky and creative and a free spirit. In many ways I envied her incredible lightness of being.

I’ve found myself wondering over the last couple of weeks since I found out about her passing, was I a good enough friend to her? I knew she was separated from her partner and I wondered if could have helped her more? I know I cannot be everything to everyone and I am not responsible for the choices she made but I can learn from this experience.

Thanks Jess for showing me that it is OK to be who I am. Thanks for teaching my girls to knit all those wonderful amazing scarves. Thanks for making me stop and look at the people around me and consider, am I being a good enough friend or can I be a better friend?

I truly hope that on the times we met, we were a source of light and happiness in your life. Rest in Peace my friend

 

And you do this because…?

Yeah maybe I have some masochistic tendencies… How else would you explain putting my hand up to run the 10km leg in an Olympic Distance Triathlon AND THEN knowing the event is round the corner, not actually doing any run training till the week before the event?

It was a stinking HOT day and I was one of the last runners off. I was confident I could do the distance but I was nervous because I had never run in that sort of mid day heat before. I even entertained just chucking a dummy spit and not running!! BUT I did run AND I did survive AND I ran a reasonable time too. But of course I am paying for it now. 2 days post event and I am walking like a zombie!! It is quite funny actually.

I would have been ok if not for the fact that I really didn’t want to be the last runner in so on the last 5 km I decided to sprint and do some mini intervals just so I could overtake some people… Like I said, I might have some masochistic tendencies!! But hey, I wasn’t the last runner over the line.

And if I am really honest with myself, I really did enjoy it!!

So maybe half marathon here I come?

Who Has Been Cheated By The Dopers?

Drugs in elite sport have been dominating the news in the last few months/ weeks/ days. When someone like Lance does what he does. The ripples are ever widening and so many more people than just the public are ripped off. Is this a sad indictment of what the public really want or a win at all costs attitude from the sports person themselves? Or a combination of both and the fact that mega bucks are at stake for the ‘best’ in the business?

This article – Nicole Cooke‘s retirement speech

http://gu.com/p/3d492

and

This following blog highlight a lot of my own views on the issue.

http://theologicalvacillation.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/1261/

Theological Vacillation

I am in the process of writing a dissertation on the power of sports.  A timely topic considering that each season seems to bring a new story from sports that easily transcends the fun and playfulness that sports is intended to be.  When I first started researching for this project, the NCAA was finalizing their investigation into Penn State University and inflicting harsh penalties on a state sponsored institution that was involved in an unfathomable scandal that involved child rape and molestation.  All along this time, there have been countless stories from Major League Baseball regarding players who used steroids and other performance enhancing drugs.  There has been a major labor dispute in the National Hockey League which finally has been resolved, following a major work stoppage and costing millions of dollars in lost revenues for local businesses.  And these are just a few of the major national headlines …

View original post 633 more words

I am not panicking yet

It has been a Good week… Busy but good. Yes, every week in our house is busy but this week felt especially busy.

Mostly this week has revolved around getting the kiddos curriculum right. Who knew there was so much amazing stuff out there to cater for all levels of education and all types of learners. This is the year that we are striking out on our own and I am excited.

Learning and the DESIRE to learn is a precious gift. It is also something that I want to foster as a lifelong love and I could see the ACE program slowly extinguishing that love in my children. I’m not saying that the ACE program that we were using was bad. It is a fantastic program but it just did not suit. I found it too prescribed and lacking the flexibility that we needed to allow us to supplement, adapt or explore different learning styles, areas and possibilities.

Sport has also featured a little this week. I am a much happier person after I go for a run or cycle. Unfortunately my right knee is not in a happy place lately and while I know some of my problems are due to lack of conditioning and improper bike set up I have to remind myself that I am not as young as I used to be. Impatience will cause more long term injury if I don’t take it slow enough for this poor body to adapt to this new torture I expect it to endure!! 😀

We also have a new student from China living with us for a few weeks. Our home stay kids don’t normally take up much of my time but this young man has obviously been very sheltered and molly coddled his whole life and is lacking the basic confidence and independence that we expect from a 20 year old. I understand that a large part of his immaturity is cultural. The one ‘precious’ child policy doesn’t help and this is his first time he has ever left home. It is just very unfortunate and a little unfair that it is now the “real worlds” responsibility to grow this young man into an adult.

All in all, at the end of week 3, things are on an even keel. We have one last week of Vacswim left and hopefully all the books and bits I have ordered arrive in time for us to start “school” at the same time the official school year starts.

Oh and did I mention I am rather excited??!!  🙂