Today was all aboout UPPER body with weights at Zap this morning followed by a swim at Clarence Pool this evening. Clarence Pool re-opened today after one month of refurbishment and it is better than ever. What's not to like?
I shared the entire pool with 2 other people. The giant changerooms were mine alone. The showers and toilets are no longer sub-standard. Parking was right outside the door.
If I'd have been at the Aquatic Centre (otherwise known as THAC) things would have been a lot different. Parking? Could be 300m+ away. Bogans? Always. Share a lap lane with 3 other people? Most likely. That lane is only 25m cos the pool has been split again? Of course. Pay more to get in? Always. Less availablitity of the "50" metre pool? It closed to the public at 7pm, as opposed to 7.30pm at Clarence. Smaller changerooms, even more disgusting after school holidays? Yes, that's a tick for THAC.
My only concern with Clarence is it is a teensy bit colder than the Aquatic Centre. But even that just makes me go faster. It's all good.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Today I went for my monthly "run" up Truganini Track. I only do it once a month because it is so hard, but I do it once a month so that I can always do it. I use the term "run" very loosely. It's about 22 minutes of shuffling and big stepping up a steep hill. Interestingly the times I have run it all the way it has taken longer than my run/big step strategy. THe track goes from the big bend in Taroona (Suicide Bend) to the Signal Station at Mt Nelson. The views are the top are spectacular. Too bad I'm usually lying on the ground, or doubled over near the car park. I don't run down again. Walking down takes about half an hour, and is a lot more pleasant.
Friday, June 29, 2012
I FUCKING HATE McDONALDS and I'm getting really tired of the people that go there.
Feeling RANTY.
I am sick to death of trying to squeeze past the lines of people at McDonalds in Cat & Fiddle just to get from A to B. It's a public walkway. Who ever approved it there?
My bus was delayed by a few minutes tonight by the traffic jam outside the drive-throughs in Kingston tonight.
IT FILLS ME WITH RATIONAL RAGE.
I eat Maccas about twice a year. Maybe fries at Tullamarine when the Sushi shop isn't open, maybe a 30c cone one hot day in summer with the kids.
I WOULD NEVER CONSIDER EATING THAT SHIT THE REST OF THE TIME.
And I am really starting to resent the people that do - eat it regularly.
Trying to eat healthily is made all that much harder by people that don't. There's so many of them and they create so much demand for the crap food that healthy alternatives don't get offered. It makes me really angry.
When I worked on a pharmacy project for DHHS I was seriously disturbed by the number of people on blood pressure reduction medication, cholesterol reduction medication, everything reduction medication. It's costing the country a fortune, and increasing my health insurance costs. It ISN'T fair. Sometimes I feel I'm all for discriminatory health insurance pricing that is associated with how well people look after themselves. Be a nightmare to implement though.
The pharmacists explained that the medication did such a great job of relieving symptoms that people felt no pressure to change anything themselves.
At work recently, I couldn't believe we got a vending machine when we are one lift ride away from a cafe that sells that that crap. How hard is it people, how hard??
I campaigned against it and it's going now. But I'm public enemy number one for those people that were too lazy to fall into the lift to go get something. The range of pathetic excuses to keep the vending machine was ridiculous.
I spend ages preparing healthy food to take to work. Or go out and buy it from the local city stores.
I know looking after your own health isn't always easy, but it's also not hard and I wish more people would try it. For God's Sake. Little by little things can trun around by changing one behaviour at a time.
I am sick to death of trying to squeeze past the lines of people at McDonalds in Cat & Fiddle just to get from A to B. It's a public walkway. Who ever approved it there?
My bus was delayed by a few minutes tonight by the traffic jam outside the drive-throughs in Kingston tonight.
IT FILLS ME WITH RATIONAL RAGE.
I eat Maccas about twice a year. Maybe fries at Tullamarine when the Sushi shop isn't open, maybe a 30c cone one hot day in summer with the kids.
I WOULD NEVER CONSIDER EATING THAT SHIT THE REST OF THE TIME.
And I am really starting to resent the people that do - eat it regularly.
Trying to eat healthily is made all that much harder by people that don't. There's so many of them and they create so much demand for the crap food that healthy alternatives don't get offered. It makes me really angry.
When I worked on a pharmacy project for DHHS I was seriously disturbed by the number of people on blood pressure reduction medication, cholesterol reduction medication, everything reduction medication. It's costing the country a fortune, and increasing my health insurance costs. It ISN'T fair. Sometimes I feel I'm all for discriminatory health insurance pricing that is associated with how well people look after themselves. Be a nightmare to implement though.
The pharmacists explained that the medication did such a great job of relieving symptoms that people felt no pressure to change anything themselves.
At work recently, I couldn't believe we got a vending machine when we are one lift ride away from a cafe that sells that that crap. How hard is it people, how hard??
I campaigned against it and it's going now. But I'm public enemy number one for those people that were too lazy to fall into the lift to go get something. The range of pathetic excuses to keep the vending machine was ridiculous.
I spend ages preparing healthy food to take to work. Or go out and buy it from the local city stores.
I know looking after your own health isn't always easy, but it's also not hard and I wish more people would try it. For God's Sake. Little by little things can trun around by changing one behaviour at a time.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
yeah but that's what you do...
feeling a litte bitter today. i ran the furthest i ever have (22km) and posted it on facebook and did not get one comment. i know putting it on facebook is a bit braggy, but i was proud. and it was hard.
if i'd got a new job or baked an amazing cheesecake and put it on facebook i would have had a million comments by now.
my legs won't be stiff tomorrow either. because i'm good at this. because i do it lots. but each run i do is still an effort. an effort to find the time. to run and not walk once (dennys don't walk). to choose longer and longer runs. to go out in the rain, or the failing light, or the early morning. none is an easy choice.
someone at work was telling me his family did the mark webber challenge. 6.5km. i said well done. then mentioned i had just run 7km in my lunch break. "yeah but that's what you do" he said. damn right i do. more than he does the ad hoc and incredibly slowly paced fun run (54 mins was his time). but no accolades because i make myself do it all the time. and people think it's easy for me. well maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. i might be fitter than them but that's because i keep doing it and doing it. and it's not because i'm denny and it's what i do. it's because i work hard. harder than they do. hmmmph.
if i'd got a new job or baked an amazing cheesecake and put it on facebook i would have had a million comments by now.
my legs won't be stiff tomorrow either. because i'm good at this. because i do it lots. but each run i do is still an effort. an effort to find the time. to run and not walk once (dennys don't walk). to choose longer and longer runs. to go out in the rain, or the failing light, or the early morning. none is an easy choice.
someone at work was telling me his family did the mark webber challenge. 6.5km. i said well done. then mentioned i had just run 7km in my lunch break. "yeah but that's what you do" he said. damn right i do. more than he does the ad hoc and incredibly slowly paced fun run (54 mins was his time). but no accolades because i make myself do it all the time. and people think it's easy for me. well maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. i might be fitter than them but that's because i keep doing it and doing it. and it's not because i'm denny and it's what i do. it's because i work hard. harder than they do. hmmmph.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
I've just finished a leisurely 10km run on the mountain with a friend. I say leisurely because we did it in 65 minutes; my usual time would be about 55mins. But she doesn't run as fast as me. I have to say however, that running with slower friends has a few great advantages:
- they think you're really fit (and tell other people) even when you know you aren't
- you can easily chat and pass the time whilst running in a nice, steady rhythm
- you feel great afterwards
Feeling great afterwards would have to be the biggest benefit. Usually, when I run by myself or play a hard game of sport I feel kind of rotten afterwards. If the activity has been in temperatures over 20 degrees and/or has involved much sun exposure I feel worse, and often get a headache. I also end up with a red, flushed face that stays that way for hours - not a good look at work.
I don't understand this as it's usually exercise that I feel comfortable with at the time and have done a million times before, so it's kind of annoying. I don't particularly push myself either - ie I'm not panting noisily or vomitting at the end, it's just a little too much somehow. And yes I do drink enough water - not that I should need to for a simple 5 or 6km.
I run with the slow people at work at lunchtimes because the fast ones are all men and do 20kms on the weekends - not suitable training partners. There seems no middle ground. The ones I go out with are happy to run the 5km-6km all the way without stopping and like me to go along to push them a bit. It works for me to because I get exercise without really feeling it.
However I wouldn't say that it was improving my fitness at all...
Maybe I should stick with the simple stuff during the week and push myself a bit on weekends?
Other options are to run early in the mornings (but I feel dead tired halfway through the afternoon) or early in the evenings - but that's a tricky time family wise.
- they think you're really fit (and tell other people) even when you know you aren't
- you can easily chat and pass the time whilst running in a nice, steady rhythm
- you feel great afterwards
Feeling great afterwards would have to be the biggest benefit. Usually, when I run by myself or play a hard game of sport I feel kind of rotten afterwards. If the activity has been in temperatures over 20 degrees and/or has involved much sun exposure I feel worse, and often get a headache. I also end up with a red, flushed face that stays that way for hours - not a good look at work.
I don't understand this as it's usually exercise that I feel comfortable with at the time and have done a million times before, so it's kind of annoying. I don't particularly push myself either - ie I'm not panting noisily or vomitting at the end, it's just a little too much somehow. And yes I do drink enough water - not that I should need to for a simple 5 or 6km.
I run with the slow people at work at lunchtimes because the fast ones are all men and do 20kms on the weekends - not suitable training partners. There seems no middle ground. The ones I go out with are happy to run the 5km-6km all the way without stopping and like me to go along to push them a bit. It works for me to because I get exercise without really feeling it.
However I wouldn't say that it was improving my fitness at all...
Maybe I should stick with the simple stuff during the week and push myself a bit on weekends?
Other options are to run early in the mornings (but I feel dead tired halfway through the afternoon) or early in the evenings - but that's a tricky time family wise.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Cathy has recently blogged about how there aren't many women participating in the individual sports she is currently pursuing. I understand how she feels. At my Tuesday lunch-time Touch Footy there is only one girl that plays - me - and usually about 13 guys. On Thursday I filled in on a lunch-time Futsal team (that's indoor soccer) - and the same scenario. Me and 7 guys. Why is it that only guys are organising and playing these kinds of things? Is it because all the women are too busy getting eyelash additions/extensions - (at last count there were at least 5 people at work sporting the Bambi look). YAWN. Admittedly, you do need an experienced background in sport to be able to join in these activities (and men that are nice enough to let you play and not smash the ball into your face when you are goalie), but all that is showing is that not many girls are getting that either. And you have to put yourself out there - I only get to play by piping up when the guys in the office are asking other guys to play. They've been a bit surprised and say Oh, do you play Touch/Soccer/whatever, and then I have to say - well no, not really, but I know how to handle a ball and I can play sport. Usually my defensive skills are enough to get me through. But it would fun to have some other girls come along too. Where are you?
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About Me
- vacuumdreamer
- Hi. I'm Denny, a 47 year old mother of 3 from Tassie. I run, swim, play basketball and bushwalk. I love woodfired pizza, icecream and chocolate, and I've been a vegetarian for more than 5 years and can't imagine ever "going back".
