Sunday, March 28, 2010
Perth 2010
Heading for Perth on Wednesday with from team mates & friends from Gold Coast. First competition day is Friday & last day is Monday. Although not too excited about my performances of late I am excited about having a break away for a week. Back the following Wednesday so will have a couple of free days to check out Perth again.
It has been a very long past 2 months. Going from feeling very much on top of it to very ordinary and naturally with that feeling comes some pretty ordinary performances. Definitely not the best way to be heading into National Championships, but that is just the way it is. I am still training but not with the same intensity. So I figure I will just go along for the ride with this one and enjoy the fact that I am there, do what I can, and look out next time around.
Recent photos with my Gold Coast team mates.
4 x 400M QLD relay championship team: Sue, Donna, Karen & Julie
and Donna and Ruth- Ruth is a sprightly 100 years old - this is after our Discus medal presentation at States last week. I sometimes think that I "Only" have almost another 50 years to go to get to her position.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Congratulations to all my friends born in the 1930's, 1940's, 50's, 60's & early 70's.
Follows is an email I received recently and I was born in the 50's and can basically relate to all except maybe the first one as my mother didn't smoke or drink & being from a timber cutting family in the country I'm pretty sure we didn't have asbestos in our small house.
Mind you the first home I bought in Sydney definitely was fibro through & through.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE1930's 1940's, 50's, 60's and early 70's !
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.
Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds , KFC, Subway or Nandos.Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on the weekends, somehow we didn't starve to death!
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gobstoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii , X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY, no video/dvd films, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were noLawsuits from these accidents.Only girls had pierced ears!
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time...
We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays,
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet!
RUGBY and CRICKET had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on MERIT Our teachers used to hit us with canes, blackboard dusters and gym shoes and bully's always ruled the playground at school.
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL !
And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!
Mind you the first home I bought in Sydney definitely was fibro through & through.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE1930's 1940's, 50's, 60's and early 70's !
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.
Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds , KFC, Subway or Nandos.Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on the weekends, somehow we didn't starve to death!
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gobstoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii , X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY, no video/dvd films, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were noLawsuits from these accidents.Only girls had pierced ears!
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time...
We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays,
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet!
RUGBY and CRICKET had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on MERIT Our teachers used to hit us with canes, blackboard dusters and gym shoes and bully's always ruled the playground at school.
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL !
And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Always better with a purpose
Walked out the door this morning to what I thought was going to be a rainy session. No such luck, after about 15min of attempted rain & wind they both stopped & humidity kicked back in. At least it was overcast which kept the sun under for a while.
I changed my route today around Burleigh Headland. Took the low road instead of the high road/steps first and did the stairs again to finish. Will do the same again tomorrow. Took me almost 1 & 1/2 hrs. Motivation has returned!!
I changed my route today around Burleigh Headland. Took the low road instead of the high road/steps first and did the stairs again to finish. Will do the same again tomorrow. Took me almost 1 & 1/2 hrs. Motivation has returned!!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
What to eat?
Being an early to bed & up early type of person I worked quite late last night & just didn't wake up this morning. When I say wake up I'm talking about 5am as regular.
Anyway being 6.30 and way to hot & humid to start I decided to give my run a miss. Had breakfast & feeling a bit more energised so hit my bike & elleptical for 40mins. Followed that up with a swim and so glad I did. I think the best thing for me at the moment is to mix it up a little.Tomorrow we are back at the track for sprint training. Looking forward to catching up with everyone. So much better training with others. I could go down by myself but I know that the quality & quantity would just not be the same. Can't seem to push myself hard enough.
Every day I sort of think I should get to the shops but I am just totally over the crowds and basically can't be bothered. I usually only duck down just before closing & pick up any essential food supplies. That is another major problem at the moment as i just don't feel enthusiastic about food anymore & could get by on next to nothing which is not good. Mind you I still love spag bolognese which I had a large amount of last night. That and maybe steak are about the only things I really eat. Can't remember the last time I had a piece of chicken breast.
I have also got a thing for yoghurt, a bit of fruit & some crunchola mixed together. And I almost forgot my new coffee machine which I love and I have almost perfected making the perfect coffee.
Anyway being 6.30 and way to hot & humid to start I decided to give my run a miss. Had breakfast & feeling a bit more energised so hit my bike & elleptical for 40mins. Followed that up with a swim and so glad I did. I think the best thing for me at the moment is to mix it up a little.Tomorrow we are back at the track for sprint training. Looking forward to catching up with everyone. So much better training with others. I could go down by myself but I know that the quality & quantity would just not be the same. Can't seem to push myself hard enough.
Every day I sort of think I should get to the shops but I am just totally over the crowds and basically can't be bothered. I usually only duck down just before closing & pick up any essential food supplies. That is another major problem at the moment as i just don't feel enthusiastic about food anymore & could get by on next to nothing which is not good. Mind you I still love spag bolognese which I had a large amount of last night. That and maybe steak are about the only things I really eat. Can't remember the last time I had a piece of chicken breast.
I have also got a thing for yoghurt, a bit of fruit & some crunchola mixed together. And I almost forgot my new coffee machine which I love and I have almost perfected making the perfect coffee.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Before & after
Training wise I was on a roll but eating wasn't the best.
I am now focusing on training for athletics with all my comps coming up over Feb, March & April. I had a bit over a weeks break over Christmas & glad I didn't leave it any longer to restart.
Started my outdoor morning cardio sessions yesterday. So much easier outdoors than using equipment. I now have all the cardio equipment I could ever need. My good old treadmill now stands along side my new bike & elliptical. No excuses allowed now for some extra night cardio.
Suffering from Christmas debt hangover
My last post before Christmas gave some tips on on how to minimise your Christmas debt.
Being the first day of 2010 today I thought I would follow up with some further tips after the event for anyone looking for help dissolving their headache.
One of your New Year resolutions may have been to get your body fitter by working out more, but have you thought about your financial fitness?
According to latest statistics you could be one of the many Australians that have been already working out during the festive season in partnership with their credit card.
With figures showing that shoppers were spending $200,000 per minute & overall were expected to spend $21 million on gifts & food the last thing you want to be doing is paying for your 2009 Christmas in December 2010 or beyond.
Your credit card statement may not have hit your mailbox yet but when it does the memory of your New Year’s celebrations could bring on a ‘hangover’ of a different kind.
Unfortunately it’s all too easy to get caught up in the festive season spending with the majority of retailers promoting the buy now pay later attitude, not to mention the pre and post Christmas sales that seem “too good an opportunity” to miss.
If this sounds familiar and you really want to make a difference to your finances in 2010 here are some credit card tips to help you start to take control over your money.
· Change your mindset- Have a credit card for your convenience. Learn to use it to your advantage not as an easy way to obtain credit or to spend on items that you don’t really need.
· Transfer your debt to a lower interest credit card.
Credit card rates can vary considerably from anywhere between 10% and 20%. There are also many special offers available to transfer the balance to another Bank at 0% interest. Conditions usually apply so make sure you fully understand the conditions of the transfer.
· If you have multiple credit cards – focus on paying off the card with the highest interest rate first.
· Pay more than the minimum repayment each month. If you can’t pay the full balance try and pay as much extra as you can each month.
· Make use of your savings to pay the credit card. Your savings may be earning you a lesser amount of interest than you would be paying on the credit card balance. It makes no sense to be earning just 5% or less on your savings and paying around 19% on your credit card.
· Look at the type of card you are using. Is it the best type for your spending situation? Many REWARDS cards actually charge a higher rate of interest and usually attract a higher annual fee. Get to know your credit card terms & conditions better. “Interest Free days” can be very misleading.
· Consolidate your debt. –Depending on your situation you may be able to consolidate your debts at a lower rate of interest. This method requires a carefully structured repayment plan.
· Communicate -If you cannot see a way out of your financial hardship talk to your bank as soon as possible. They need to know your situation to enable them to structure a suitable repayment plan.
According to latest statistics you could be one of the many Australians that have been already working out during the festive season in partnership with their credit card.
With figures showing that shoppers were spending $200,000 per minute & overall were expected to spend $21 million on gifts & food the last thing you want to be doing is paying for your 2009 Christmas in December 2010 or beyond.
Your credit card statement may not have hit your mailbox yet but when it does the memory of your New Year’s celebrations could bring on a ‘hangover’ of a different kind.
Unfortunately it’s all too easy to get caught up in the festive season spending with the majority of retailers promoting the buy now pay later attitude, not to mention the pre and post Christmas sales that seem “too good an opportunity” to miss.
If this sounds familiar and you really want to make a difference to your finances in 2010 here are some credit card tips to help you start to take control over your money.
· Change your mindset- Have a credit card for your convenience. Learn to use it to your advantage not as an easy way to obtain credit or to spend on items that you don’t really need.
· Transfer your debt to a lower interest credit card.
Credit card rates can vary considerably from anywhere between 10% and 20%. There are also many special offers available to transfer the balance to another Bank at 0% interest. Conditions usually apply so make sure you fully understand the conditions of the transfer.
· If you have multiple credit cards – focus on paying off the card with the highest interest rate first.
· Pay more than the minimum repayment each month. If you can’t pay the full balance try and pay as much extra as you can each month.
· Make use of your savings to pay the credit card. Your savings may be earning you a lesser amount of interest than you would be paying on the credit card balance. It makes no sense to be earning just 5% or less on your savings and paying around 19% on your credit card.
· Look at the type of card you are using. Is it the best type for your spending situation? Many REWARDS cards actually charge a higher rate of interest and usually attract a higher annual fee. Get to know your credit card terms & conditions better. “Interest Free days” can be very misleading.
· Consolidate your debt. –Depending on your situation you may be able to consolidate your debts at a lower rate of interest. This method requires a carefully structured repayment plan.
· Communicate -If you cannot see a way out of your financial hardship talk to your bank as soon as possible. They need to know your situation to enable them to structure a suitable repayment plan.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
