Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Big Walk Results

This will be short and sweet -
sorry, but I just have to boast -
because I am so proud of us all:

Andy and myself came in no. 82 and 83
Chantal came in 215th
Andrew came in 229th
out of 1116 walkers for the 20 km walk .........
and this was our first walk ......
Next walk - some time in July (info from Tracy) .... 21 km : 1/2 Marathon
Looking forward to Tracy doing her 9th Comrades run on Sunday
we are all fit and ready this year to support her
- going to be a breeze .....
Spread your wings and fly, my cousin - you are going to cream it this year!
Just need to add - the views at the start of our walk was simply awesome ....
The whole Durban beachfront has changed - no more a road in front of the hotels (Elangeni/Holiday Inn etc) just one huge big promenade ..... stunning I must say.
Starts at the harbour mouth, past Addington hospital, past the hotels, past the casino, the ocean on our right for all that way ..... awesome I tell you - the sea was so calm ......

Sunday, May 23, 2010

East Coast Radio Big Walk

Today, we participated in the 20 km section of the East Coast Radio Big Walk ......
All fresh and perky at 06h15 in the morning before the start ...... little did we know!!!!!

Chantal and I broke away from the men early in the race, but not by far, Chantal decided that she would save herself and rather fall back and walk with her Pa, Andy joined me, and believe me, he was my rock when times were tough, close to the end. I got him motivated through all the flats and the beginnings of the uphills and then it was his turn ...... he was brilliant - THANKS MY BOY - WHAT A "STAATMAKER"!!!!!!!
Never thought I would want to see that sign so desperately ...................

Andy and I coming in .... the Radio presenter even calling our names and people cheering us on ... Nelson was right there with him (the presenter) - hence this prime photo


Nelson dashing to get this one ...... damn but my legs were just carrying me at that point, Andy taking a stroll down the final stretch .......


Waiting for the rest of the family - I knew Andrew was not far behind us .... had seen him at one section of the walk as you double back - no sign of Chantal at that point ......



Chantal comes in ahead of her Pa .... what a surprise, she had overtaken her Pa about 2 km before the end - those short little legs moving like that ..... Well done Chantal !!!!!!


Andrew arriving just a short while after Chantal ...... I love you MY BABES !!!!!






After the finish at 10h00 ........ everyone of us feeling pain from the hips down .......
At this point I am blamed - simply amazing that, but my shoulders are broad .....
But all said and done ...... to you all
Thank you - without you guys, I would most probably not have done the walk, if I had, I would never have done it in such a wonderful time - I wanted to do it in 3 hours, Thanks to Andy (my little hero) we did it in 2 hours and 38 minutes ..... Chantal (my little angel) did it in about 2 hours 50 minutes and Andrew (my big hero) in about 2 hours 53 minutes - all under the 3 hours.
Not too shabby for a first time, I think seeing as the winner came in at 08h55.

Hopefully this is the first of penty that we do, Andy - you should walk my son...... that skinny little bod of yours with those great big strides - boy you would win it if you trained
look what you did with very little training ...
Last but not least, I have to say a huge THANK YOU, to the unsung hero of the day, Nelson - you were up very early this morning, we left you at UShaka - you kept yourself busy till we arrived at George Campbell Technical High (Andy's high school), took photo's, looked after us, drove us home, pampered Chantal all day ....... Thank you ...............






Sunday, May 2, 2010

Juice receipes and my passion

Breakfast Juice:

2 x Apples, 3 x Carrots, 3 x sticks Celery, 1/3 x Beetroot, 1/3 lemon with peel and 1/2 Cucumber/zucchini.
Rinse vegetables well and wash off waxy residue on apples. Try and source organic produce where possible. Juice together but really only tastes good when juiced with a Oscar Juicer (really expensive).

1. Fruits - Purify - contain mainly vitamins and renders the body alkaline.
2. Vegetables - Balance - contain mainly vitamins - alkaline when raw and acid when cooked/steamed.
3. Nuts/Seeds - Sustain - contain minerals and oils - Acidic.
4. Animal meat and dairy are strong Acid.
The body thrives on 75 % Alkaline and 25 % Acid.
Cooked food: contains no enzymes. Raw food contains many enzymes and you save 20 % of your total body energy to process foods.

Breakfast Juice (Stomach Settler)

1 x Carrot, 1 x Pear, 2 thick slices of pineapple, 1/2 Lemon, 1/4 tsp fresh root ginger.

All the ingredients in this juice can soothe and heal a troubled digestive tract. Pineapple contains the digestive enzyme bromelain, which helps to break down your food, and also has strong anti-inflammatory properties. The lemon and ginger add a refreshingly zingy flavour. Just be careful with the lemon - too much can spoil the juice - but once again tates lovely when juiced with an osca juicer.

.......

When I talk about walking as exercise, it is simply what works for me, and when I say that it works for me, I mean LONG term, I have on countless occasions joined the gym, got various fitness DVD's etc, then joined various fitness classes, doing all the power training, and various things on various days, but I don't have the staying power, so rather do whatever takes your fancy - do that, whether it be dancing, running, circuit, weight training, walking, cycling, playing tennis, hockey, football, whatever sport. It is all good, it is what is going to hold your interest long term. Walking does it for me, I have been doing it for 6 months, firstly I needed to get fit, I have so many DVD's here, ranging from Yoga all the way to kick boxing, but I do them a few times and find a reason why I can't do it the next day, the other reason being is that if I want to do the DVD's I have to get up before 5 in the morning to do it, or else I am doing it with an audience, which I don't enjoy doing, so all in all the walking does it for me. Remember one thing, for me, I drive down to the beach promenade, walk with the most amazing view and refreshing air filling my lungs, out in the open ... it totally de-stresses me and that really appeals to me rather than jumping up and down in my lounge with none of the above to motivate me. I look forward to my daily walk, today I even took 2 walks, one with Andrew in the morning, and another with Chantal this afternoon. Yesterday, Andrew and I did a 10 km training walk to prepare for the 20 km walk in 3 weeks time. I love it, so guys, it is about finding out what exercise form you love doing and do that, that is what is important .... you need to look forward to it, not find it binding and a right real pain in the B-hind. So Sharon, I personally don't think power training is better than for instance Yoga, I most certaining believe Yoga will win hands down every time, because it is a 'complete' body workout - mind, body, soul stuff, but then again it is all opinions, and each will point out why theirs is the best. Best of all to me, anybody (mostly anybody) can walk, and even better, it is for free - you only need to spend a bit on some reasonably good walking shoes, and really everyone has 'tekkies'.

I also just want to add, you must also always be pushing yourself, I am sitting here, my butt is sore, my leg muscles are sore, muscles I didn't know existed are sore, although I walk 6 out of 7 days a week, when I walk over the weekends, I push myself because that is what you need do, you need to always be improving and pushing yourself. Always remember one thing, 'muscles burn fat' .... so I do recon that by losing a kilogram a week, goes to show that walking is not that a bad form of training, but just to recall, every time I joined the gym, they ALWAYS had us training on cardio ONLY for a minimum of a month before they wanted us to do circuit training (which is muscle building and strength training), the trainer always had us do cardo before we did circuit as well.

I shop often and so I view that as my upper body strength training - I promise you, that is all I am giving my upper body - not good for the wallet I must say ........ but look at it - from the shelf into my trolley, from the trolley, onto the till counter, from the trolley into my boot, from my boot carry it all the way to the kitchen, in my house that is far I will add, then from the packets into the fridge, freezer or cupboards, then again from the cupboards into the pots or bowls, I think that is more than enough upper body strength training I need ............

So no matter what form of training you are doing - enjoy it, do it, and then want to do it some more ...... that is what is important ..............


When we are done walking on the 23rd of May, will post some pics and our times, and just to add, we start the walk at UShaka - and walk along the Durban beach front - what more could I ask for, I don't enjoy swimming in the sea, but I do love the views - so just imagine, even though it is a 20 km walk, I am still going to be walking some of the time right next to the beach, just simply awesome in my books, and so guys, that is simply why I walk, I really have a passion for walking .........................

25th Anniversary Celebrations!