Frequently Asked Questions

OK so, no one has actually asked me a question via this page, but these are questions I have been asked in last year or so...

How much exercise do you do? What sort?
Currently I do (a minimum of, per week):
upper body weights sessions x 2
40 min runs x 2
30 min swims (freestyle) x 2
basketball game x 1
squash session x 1
and generally a couple of 30-40 min walks.
Ideally some physio for my knees, and some stretching, but I am slack about this. In fact, stupid about this.

Isn't that too much?
No. If you don't believe me, check out the physical activity guidelines for adults.

Especially Step 3 and Step 4:
Step 3 – Put together at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days.

Step 4 – If you can, also enjoy some regular, vigorous activity for extra health and fitness

This step does not replace Steps 1-3. Rather it adds an extra level for those who are able, and wish, to achieve greater health and fitness benefits.

How do you find the time? You work full-time and have 3 children.
It's bloody difficult.
Fortunately Rob and I support each other in our exercise endeavours. Often, during the week I exercise really early in the morning or in the evening. There are sacrifices. I rarely get to watch TV, for example. Sometimes I miss out on time with the kids in the evening.


Where do you get your motivation?
I don't. So I just do it anyway. I could wait my whole life for motivation. To be honest, sometimes, a lot of times, it's difficult to make myself get out there and do something. Like my 5.30am run this morning. As if anyone wants to get out of bed for that. But I always feel good afterwards.

Why are you vegetarian?
So I can sleep at night. I don't like meat anyway, which makes it easy.

in other news i actually prefer listening to stories and discussion than music while i'm running. i get bored with music easily, and don't spend enough time managing my ipod playlists. podcasts would be the answer, but discovering the ones i like and managing them seems to be a pain in the arse too. so i joined audible.com for a free trial - it's a monthly subscription thing. the first book i downloaded goes for 8 hours. which was fine until i discovered the functionality of my phone didn't allow me to scroll through the chapters, and unless i ran for 8 hours continuously i wouldn't be able to hear the story (just the first one and a half chapters). it's a lame book but it still holds my interest, and distracts me from my huffing and puffing.

i chose to run with my phone so i can call someone in an emergency ("there's a bear chasing me/my shoe fell apart/i'm huuungry") and so i can listen to the fm radio, which my ipod does not have. and i don't want an iphone (they are wanky, and the htc is better). or any other i-anything. well, maybe an ipad, so i can get a newspaper subscription for $4.95 a month...

so anyway i put the story on my ipod, and run with both my ipod and my phone.

of course, my free trail subscription to audible.com finished, and my credit card has been charged since at US$15 a month. and because i hadn't used the book credits i didn't cancel the subscription in case they took the credits away. yesterday i finally used my credits to buy some biographies which i will enjoy listening to. one is by michael j fox. in fact, i've decided to keep my audible membership, cos $18/month is ok if it pays for my motivation to run twice a week - or more.

we can chalk it up to the costs of staying fit, which are a necessary expense in this household.

we have swimming memberships and a squash/gym membership. we buy expensive running shoes every 6 months. we pay game fees such as basketball and soccer. sometimes, we pay for physio. the $600 exercise bike was a good investment as we still use it when it rains or we haven't had a chance to do anything else. hopefully the dumbbells will work out the same way. there's also the apparel - right up to and including expensive sports bras.

but it it keeps us active and fit, it's worth it! better than a stupid sky subscription.

i missed vacuum me. the updates won't be so regular (probably a good thing) but hopefully i'll manage a meal and an exercise session a day.
i have changed my status from "i don't do weights" to "i maybe do weights" and have bought some more dumb-bells. in fact "i think i will do weights, soon."

yesterday and today i ran the nature trail at the peter murrell reserve, at huntingfield. it's a great run for winter. just the right amount of hills and flat bits, just the right length (about 40 minutes of my leisurely jogging). in summer, i find it a bit too hot to run there, but right now it's great. doesn't seem to get very muddy, either, and haven't got a leech (yet!). would be a perfect run to do every day - but of course i work full-time now, so it would be too dark.

looking forward to spring - more light, and more exotic fruit. YAY.

in food news i cooked an amazing chickpea curry dish last night from my vegetarian indian cookbook. cathy has the same book and complained that half the spices etc were not cupboard staples (eg amchoor, which is mango powder), but once you take a few trips to spiceworld, that problem is solved. and it's because they aren't your run of the mill ingredients that the dishes taste so good!

in other news i just drank a smoothie made from plain yoghurt, soy milk, chocolate protein powder, chia, and lsa (linseed soy almond) mix. with frozen raspberries. it was actually nice. and INCREDIBLY NUTRITIOUS.