Being Able To Touch My Toes

It's definitely something I have always taken for granted. I don't know whether I grew up naturally flexible (looking at my genetics you wouldn't think so) or the years of dancing and gymnastics are still paying off. But I have always been able to touch my toes with ease, reaching past them if necessary.

I didn't realise how much of an asset this has been for me until I started firstly participating in, and now leading the mobility classes for Imperium Personal Training in South Perth. There are a core group of regular attendees, and we all train together many times through out the week (Shirts of Saturday for example) and there is no holding back when it comes to making fun of each other, in the nicest way possible of course.

But the lack of flexibility is definitely one of those things that generate a lot of laughs coming from our corner in the gym. And when I say lack of flexibility, I was probably the only one who could actually get anywhere near my toes.

So my goal for my first session that I ran, was to have 100% toe touching success by the end of the class. Goal achieved. What more can I say.

But personally, the benefits of easily touching my toes came in handy this morning when I tried a 'Toes to Bar' exercise for the first time this morning. Blessed with pretty amazing hamstring length, the challenge of having the available muscle length to even contemplate reaching the bar was not going to be an issue for me, which just left me with working out what muscles to use and when to make the movement happen. It took me a few goes to get it right, but happy to say I did get there in the end...before the fatigue set in.

Now being a Physio, I'm going to make a quick preach to you saying that everyone has the ability to achieve 'normal' or good hamstring length. It takes a lot of work and persistence, but is of a huge benefit to everyday activities such as sitting, bending and lifting; and is even more important for those who are highly active and are looking to better their performance. So stretch those hami's!!

The World Wide Web

The internet seems to know everything these days, like literally everything! As per my post yesterday, it was my birthday. I clicked onto the internet in the morning and the google home page looked like this. 

Google knew it was my birthday. How scary is that!?! Kind of very cool that I logged on to have google wish me a happy birthday, but creepy at the same time. 

Have you noticed that adds that come up in the side panels of internet sites these days are often of things you have recently searched? The other day for example I was on a work out wear website and had selected a few items into the cart and left it there, as in not gone through with the purchase in the end. 

A couple of hours later I was checking my Facebook or something and up in the advert panel came the items I had been looking at onky a few hours earlier.. Again, a little creepy. 

More and more of our lives are online these days which can be a little confronting. But on a day like this, that breech of confidentially was a nice surprise.

Birthdays

Today I turn the ripe old age of 23. I have lived for 23 years. Lots of people like to make a big deal out of their birthday, which often turns into birthday week, and good on them, I understand that it's something special to be celebrated. I on the other hand, tend not to tell people it my birthday and keep it pretty quiet. 

For me, making it to another birthday I see as a bit of an achievement. A couple of times there turning that year older was a bit of an mission. So now I kind of give myself a bit of a high five for turning that one year older. 

I got asked this morning by my best friend if I feel old. I remember when I turned 20 I was like wow, third decade, so old. This morning I actually said no, I feel no older and no different. But after I hung up the phone to her I sat for a minute and though about what has happened between birthdays this year. And it has been an absolutely huge year that I am surprised I am not feeling older or more experienced. 

In the year that has been I have worked in my first job as a full time Physio, I have got qualifications and started work in the fitness industry, I have become vegetarian and started cooking independently to my family and I have bought an apartment (amongst other things). I have done a lot this year, and yet feel the same, if not younger then I did when I turned 22. How does that work.

I think it may have something to do with working out what I want in life, and finally getting myself on track to being the best version of me that I can be. In this past year I have learnt the importance of looking after myself before I can look after others, and although I am probably not practicing this as much as I should be, I now understand the steps I need to take and the consequences if I don't. 

So although I don't shout my birthdays from the roof tops, I do take the day to be thankful that I made it another year and to look back on what being that one year older means to me.

Running

Don't you always find that when people tell you not to or that you can't do something, it makes you want to do it soooo much more?! Could just be me, but if someone tells me I can't do something, I just say WATCH ME! I'm stubborn like that

Recently though I have has a lot of trouble with my back...again (long story for another day). I am normally one to push through the pain, but this time was different. I haven't been able to put weight through my left leg, I've been walking with a limp due to the sharp stabbing pain on each step and at some points couldn't stand for more then 15 minutes at a time. And I kept trying to run...see what I mean? Stubborn.

After trying to push through for two weeks, I finally caved and decided that I should really stop running. That was around 1 month ago. I have done a couple of short laps of the oval in this time...some better or worse then others and it was pretty obvious when I was in pain.

But this morning I got to put the running shoes back on and managed around 6km...not bad for my first run back. It started out feeling ok in my back and around the 3km mark was when I started to feel some tightness, but no sharp stabbing pain just yet. It wasn't until I was about 500m from home that I started to get a couple of sharp pains, so I knew I was at my limit and jumped straight on my roller and ball as soon as I got home to hopefully undo all the tension that has built up throughout my first run back.

Although it wasn't an amazing run, I am so thankful that I was able to get back to it and be relatively pain free on a whole.

Men and Laundry

Have a good look at the photo above. Can you see what is hanging in the tree? It's a blue work shirt, hung on a coat hanger on a branch in the tree. And what's even stranger is that it was purposely hung there by one of the guys in my boxing class, to finish drying before he had to put it on when we finished the class this morning.

This guy rides to the gym each morning, and on this particular day we could see him riding up the drive way with this shirt blowing in the wind behind him. Very cape like. He had forgot to put it in the dryer to be able to pack in his bag the night before so was letting it dry now. Completely normal!

We have also had another men and laundry experience in our house this week. Mum has been away on a girls trip, and I have been pretty flat out. So I managed to quickly get a load of washing done and hung out, but wasn't able to bring it in and fold it. So Dad decided to man up and take on the responsibility. He had a good try, and props to him for attempting to fold washing,  but I did have a little giggle at his methods of folding and decided areas of which to fold. But good on him.

I am always impressed when men try to take on the laundry, especially when they are trying to help out others!

Bouncing

We decided to get in touch with out inner child last night and went to the indoor trampolining. It was literally a room filled with huge trampolines. How cool is that? We spent 1 hour just plain jumping up and down, playing trampoline dodge ball, slam dunking (well trying to) flipping, jumping off things, onto things....just a whole lot of jumping!

It's been a pretty long time since I've been on a trampoline like this, probably back when I was diving. We had to practice a lot of our skills on the tramps at the stadium which would be a good 10 years ago. So as excited as I was, also a tiny bit nervous!

Getting back on the tramp definitely took a bit of warming up before I was comfortable to do anything but jump up and down. But slowly I did and was back to a couple of flips by the time our hour had come to an end.

If you haven't been to jump on a trampoline in a while, go do it! After 5 minutes we were all breaking a sweat and one of the chicks with us exclaimed how exhausted she was...55 minutes to go! But it really reminded me of the way kids view physical activity or sport. To kids, sport is so much fun. In primary school going out for sport was the best part of the day! Lunch time use to be spent playing tag, dodge ball or capture the flag which was awesome.

Jumping on those trampolines took us all back to that time, even the non-exercise lovers!

A Hour Off

It has been another crazy busy week. I have had bank meetings, house walk throughs, working 5 jobs, planning and organising everything to continue at the fast pace I have been running at for the week. I got to Friday (today) and am absolutely exhausted.

I am so excited to have a whole hour where there is nothing that is absolutely essential for me to do between two of my jobs this morning. I was thinking about what to right about today, and then released how relieved I was to have some time to sit here and actually think about thinking about writing. Sounds weird. But I am normally thinking about my post while doing a million other things, or while I'm driving.

So as un-exciting as it sounds, today I'm thankful of nothing to do.

A Nice Reminder

So I may not have had a valentine, totally fine with that! But what I do have is some really good friends. I got sent this message on valentines morning from a friend, so cute!

There are not really many words I have behind this one today, but I am thankful for having friends who go out of their way to make others smile. Who do small things like send a text message that can actually make someone else's day.

I didn't have a valentine and that's ok because I didn't need one.

My Dad

Yesterday I had a conference call with the bank to discuss my home loans and all that stuff....notice how I use 'all that stuff' becuase I have no idea about the property market and home loans and repayments and everything else that goes I to them!? Well really the call was made to me 3 days a go, but I knew immediately that this was going to be a whole world I didn't understand with words I have heard thrown around in huge past but no clue what was actually meant for them. 

So I asked the bank man (don't even know what his job title is!) if I could organise a time when I had dad around to help decifer the language that was being thrown at me and confirm and deny all that I needed to. 

Thank heavens he was there. I was clueless and just ended up sitting quietly while the two if them spoke bank language to each other for around 45minutes and added my occasional yes or no to confirm things. By the end of the call though, the loan has been arrived and set up, which probably would not have been the case if I was left to sort it out on my own! 

Core

I have recently taken over the Mobility Classes for Imperium Personal Training in South Perth. Two weeks in, and time for handstands! But not just so I can watch everyone fall on their face.

Being able to move properly, do the exercises these people want to be able to do and lower their risk of injury when doing it, a strong core with good postural control in challenging positions is essential. So what position is more challenging then a handstand?!

To be able to maintain a handstand position you need to be able to organise your body segments in an alignment they are not use to holding and hold a submax contraction in muscles working in the reverse way they normally do when you are standing up right. You are literally turning your postural control up on it's head.

To hold this position for a longer period of time, you also nee to breathe! Like while training, holding your breathe is not ideal. So while I am challenging these people physically, I am also teaching them to breathe whilst being challenged, otherwise you will pass out!

So give us a month or two and we will all be walking up and down the hallway on our hands!

Outdoor Artwork

I was running along the foreshore as I normally do on a Tuesday morning, along a path that I run regularly, but was surprised by something I don't normally see. A huge net looking thing strung over the sand to make something resembling a tunnel. Not what I'm use to seeing on this river beach.

Turns out this sculpture was part of the Perth International Arts Festival and will be in place from the 7th of Feb until the 1st of March. When looking at the piece (called Net-Work) up very close, the net is actually made out of thousands of tiny metal people that are connected by their limbs.

Interested, I looked into the reason behind the sculpture a little more and it turns out it was created by a Korean artist and is about how everyone is connected these days by the many networks (hence the name) that are available, particularly in an online platform these days. So there you go!

I am thankful today for a shake up to the run I already know, giving me something new to look at and think about while I'm running, as well as the creativity of others and the willingness to share it.

Skype

The Internet is an incredible thing. Scary, but incredible. We can video chat to people all around the world pretty much by a click of a button. I bet if we went back in time 50 years from now and told people that we would be talking to each other from down the street, cross-continent and even international literally face to face, they would have given us funny looks and said we were dreaming.

One half of my twin friends has recently moved to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra where she is completing a one year internship in movement analysis and biomechanics. Prior to now, she had never been separated from her other half for more then a couple of days, and is now separated by a couple of deserts and few thousand kilometres...big move!

So Sunday morning at 7.30am (because of the 3 hour time difference) a group of us ex-Penrhosians who were still in very close contact gathered at the Perth dwelling twins place (some were still waking up/recovering from the quiz night the night before) to make the interstate call via this incredible thing we now call Skype.

For two hours she was able to fill us all in about life at the AIS, give us a virtual tour of her room and we were able to fill her in on all the happenings back her in Perth since she'd left, well the details that she hadn't picked up on Facebook anyway. And all of this could be done while some people were eating breakfast and I was doing some injury management on the twin left behind...the perfect tool for multitasking.

So today I am thankful for the incredible advances we see in technology constantly, making it possible to contact, talk to and even see our friend who is now on the opposite side of the country. And making it feel like she is still in the room with us.

Winning At A Quiz Night, Without Actually Winning

I went to a quiz night organised by the Rotary Foundation last night raising money for children in East Timor.  I'm not the best asset to a quiz night team table, although I do think I make a pretty good scribe!

Our table last night was made up of all sorts. Three of us went to school together and one more we got to know during uni. We all knew that we were going together and would be on a table, but the rest were going to be a surprise on arrival.There was a guy who I've known for a while and was actually my high school ball date. Another guy, also around our age I had met once or twice before through my friend who was running the quiz night so it was good to see him again as well. The final two I had never met before. They were relatives of the chick who was organising the night that I knew and consequently ended up on our table. Considering our diversity as a team, we thought we had this in the bad....not quite.

We started our first two rounds off with a bang...3 correct answers, followed by 2. Wooden spoon here we come. But as the rounds progressed and we armed up, our performance did improve. And although we didn't come out on top, we did manage to get some pretty good spot prizes.

The first for our creative answer to What Was Adolph Hitler's Favourite Movie? Our answer: How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. We were then the fastest to be able to produce a photo (not digital) of a pet. Yep one of our table members had a tattoo of his pet. And finally, there was a Logo Quiz where we had a page of 16 logo's we had to name the company of. We got every single one! Those hours I spent playing Logo Quiz where definitely worth it!!

So although we didn't win the night, or the wooden spoon (woooooo!) we pulled it together and walked away pretty well off. But the real winners here were the kids of East Timor. After talking to my friend this morning, she said that have raised over $2500 in profit. Always remember that you don't have to come first to win!

Good Life Expectancy

I had a house warming sneak up on me this week. A friend has recently moved out of home with her boyfriend and tonight we have her housewarming. It only really crossed my mind yesterday, due to the craziness that my week has be made up of, housewarming present!!! At this point I was already at work and completely booked out until 6pm.

While training this morning (I think I was looking for any kind of distraction) it crossed my mind again. What was I going to get her? I made the decision to go to the farmers markets to pick up my fruit and veg today and when I got there the decision was made for me.

How cute are these little cactus's (cacti?). AND they are pretty much unkillable! While this friend is very reliable in maintaining life, such as her dog and birds in the past, having sturdy plants that require very little maintenance always gives me peace of mind.

And thinking about it, I would love to have a little cactus like this on my balcony when I move out.

Efforts Into Packaging

I recently purchased a couple of crop tops from Style Runner who are a online work out wear site that supply some brands that aren't seen in many other places. There were a couple of things I loved about buying through this site.

First, they had my items at my front door within almost 48 hours, and I bought them on a public holiday, so I was expecting at least a 1 week wait before they arrived. Very thankful for the prompt shipping.

Second, the quality of the products. Prior to now I had never bought through these guys before, and I'm one that once I find something I like, I stick to it. So I rarely true different brands, but in this situation I'm glad I did.

Finally, and what I was most impressed with, was the effort they have gone to in packaging my items. It was like playing pass the parcel, or opening a birthday present. After getting rid of all the post bags, you have a silver box with Style Runner printed on the outside. Opening the box you find each item individually wrapped in purple tissue paper and sealed with their brand sticker. And finally is the hand written post card.

Although it is a big marketing ploy, it is no doubt that women love to feel like someone else has put in the time and effort to make them feel special, so today I am thankful for these people.

Thoughts Become Things

I am still in absolute shock how I can go from feeling that truly nothing is working in my favour and really just coasting along day by day, to suddenly, literally everything falling into place in the same 5 days. The universe really does work in strange ways and it has recently be taught to me that what you ask for, you will receive. That your thoughts really do get changed into actions.

The idea behind this is that the thought waves that you put out into the world are received and materialised. What you think about most is what comes into your reality. So if you were to think 'I want to get a promotion at work' a promotion at work will be presented to you. However if you were to think over and over 'I don't want my car to break down' , the I don't want part doesn't matter. You are putting out car break down. So that what will happen, in other words specify what you want. 

So I took it on board. I started trying to actively change the way I was thinking. Stop worrying about what I don't want to happen and instead ask for what I want. And you know what, a lot if what I asked for I have now received. Biggest and most outrageous by far was definitely the apartment. I mean how does that just wind up in your lap. 

So think about the thoughts you are sending out into the world. Are you asking for something you don't want or are you focused on what you do want in you life?

Strictly Serious?!

Strictly Ballroom, the well known movie is being turned into a Musical, filmed here in Australia and is being directed by Baz Luhrmann...kind of a big deal. I was notified at the end of last year that as part of the film/musical they were planning to film a flash mob on the steps of the Sydney Opera House and that I should apply to be a part of it. At the end of last year this was a great idea! I had worked 12 months and not taken any time off, a very quick trip to Sydney would be perfect. So I applied.

Yesterday I got this email. I have a spot in the flash mob that is going to be in a movie known world over by an even more famous director. What is happening in the universe at the moment? It's like the stars have aligned and EVERYTHING is working out (besides the car that is). I'd forgotten I'd even applied until I got this email.

The catch...I have to be in Sydney next Sunday. And I now have a mortgage. Is this really in my best interests at the moment. Yes, it would be a flipping amazing experience to be able to dance under a director of this calibre...but that could also be a fridge or a washing machine.

Every has said without a second thought, GO. But I feel I have already used my years worth of spontaneity. So I have decided to wait for my confirmation email to come later in the week and make a decision from there. What would you do?

SOLD!!

Well, I am now a first time home buyer. The past couple of days have truly been a rollercoaster!! Apartment was found on Thursday night. We then viewed in at the home open on Saturday. Saturday night we called the agent and said that I would like to make an offer. Sunday night at 6pm we met with the agent and put down my offer. At 8pm Sunday night while I was out with some friends, I got the call saying the owner had accepted my offer, congratulations you are the new home owner (come settlement in 30 days time).

I own an apartment. My head is still spinning and I'm still not entirely sure what I've got myself into. I'm excited and I'm terrified. There is currently a tenant in there who had a lease until the end of May. So I have a couple of months to get my head around everything, and someone else paying of my mortgage to start off with.

By Monday 8am the internet listing and listing at the property agents both had sold plastered across them, and that night we had the sticker up on the sign out the front of the property. It has really been all go! Like I said, I am still reeling and constantly feel like I'm going to be sick, partially nerves, partially apprehension, but mostly excitement.

It's a big move!

Learning The Finer Points

I have been doing boxing for around eight years on and off now. I'm lucky in the fact that leading up to now I have had really great instructors and teachers who have drilled technique into me and I have had a lot of time to work on it.

Over this weekend I completed my Level 1 and Advanced Level Boxing Instructors Course through Thump Boxing. If anyone is looking to do any sort of course in Boxing, I highly recommend these guys.

So I, along with a fellow exercise fanatic and Shirts Off Saturday member I had roped in to come along with me spent a combined total of 14 hours in boxing gloves and pads over the weekend. She had also been trained by the same instructors so was at a very similar level of experience to me. Going into the course, we were probably two of the more experienced boxers in the group.

This meant that while some people were learning the normal boxing stance and the difference between the jab and the cross, we spent more time looking at the finer details such as holding our elbows in to catch, how to flick the wrist to 'pop' off the boxers glove and spent a hell of a lot of time trying to get the crisp sound that come with perfect glove to pad contact, rather then thud that comes when you miss the angle by something as littler as two degrees off your wrist angle.

So while we probably spent a good hour on jabs alone, followed by an hour on crosses, the time flew by because we were so fixated on getting it right! This continued for the whole weekend. We both already understood the concept of the upper cuts, hooks, elbows, knees and kicks thanks to the great coaching we have had in the past few years. But it was the finer details we were picking up now that would mean we got a strong and powerful punch, with a really great sound on every single hit.

It was a long and tiring weekend but 100% worth it and I can't wait to take what I have learnt and teach it to my own boxing class now. There is always more that can be learnt.

Deciding to Live

Over the past 48 hours my life has taken a sharp right hand turn, in pretty much every possible aspect! My day started out after a relatively normal training session in the morning, I met a friend who had just broken up with his partner and was unsure what to do about upcoming travel plans which were suppose to be setting him up with an overseas job.

I then had the drama with my car (see A Really Good Friend for full details). I went to a busy day at work, I got picked up from work in my fixed and driving car and dropped at the gym for that arvo's training session. The day had wound me up completely and I had 20 minutes to just sit and breathe for a second. I was so happy the day was over, or so I thought.

I struggled through the session physically and emotionally exhausted and had been home for no more then 20 minutes when my dad comes powering in through the door from his walk, music still blaring through his head phones which were hanging around his waist and says to me "I have found you an apartment and I want to show it to you right now." Bombshell number 1.

I try and wrap my head around the words that have just come out of his mouth and say I have just spent a ridiculous amount of money on fixing my car, there is no way I can buy an apartment. Was told not even to think about that right now, just get in the car. So I did, still not sure what to think and he drove me to an apartment that had just been put on the market yesterday by a guy he use to work at the footy club with and had been walking with 15 minutes earlier.

The place is 2 minutes away from where I am currently living with my family and apparently that would make Mum happy because she is worried about me and wants to keep me close by...a completely different story. Not able to go in, Dad wanted to call the agent an organise a viewing the next day and, if I liked it, put an offer down before the end of the weekend. WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?!

Coming home, my head is spinning. All I could do was sit in my chair and I don't even know what I thought about for half an hour, but I could only sit there and not move. For 30 minutes. I managed to get into the shower (still in sweaty gym clothes) before getting on to check emails and do all the stuff I've needed to do all day, but other things have gotten in the way. My current job situation is also a little less then ideal, and now with the possibility of a mortgage in the near future, I realised I needed to do something about this. So an ad for a position opening had been emailed to me and I decided to reply to it. I didn't quite meet the selection criteria but what's the worst that could happen.

So I sent my CV and cover letter at 11pm that night. At 3.30am (needless to say I didn't sleep that night) I had a reply, saying that although I didn't meet the criteria, they were very impressed with my CV and wanted me to come for an interview. By 4.30 am I have an interview confirmed for 10am this coming Tuesday. Bombshell number 2.

By 8am I have decided that I might actually be able to do this. I have wanted to be able to move out of home for a while now, and ideally buy not rent. I have known I needed to change jobs, or move on from where I am currently working and I now have an interview to do just that. I have a practically new car (on the inside anyway).

I have decided to live the life I have wanted. Are you?

A Really Good Friend

 

 

The other day I wrote about my gratitude towards the RAC and my car related troubles. Well these troubles continued as my car was taken to the mechanics after completely dying on me. It was kept over night as the needed to replace three radiator pipes and clips, fix a coolant leak and replace all my break pads. They were expecting it to be ready by 10 am this morning. At 9.30 I got a call saying they were running a pressure test and had now found that my whole radiator needed replacing also, which they could have done by 12pm. I was suppose to be at work which was 25-30 mins from the mechanics, so I called to confirm this at 11.30 and had everything planned and packed to get to work on time.

 

I had roped in this lovely chick to drop me at the mechanics to pick up my car at 12. I went in, and they told me it would take no more then 10 minutes, they were jus running some final checks. Thank God this friend hung around with me to make sure everything work out. 30 minutes later, still no car and they were still trying to test. 10 minutes after that it was going to be another hour. At this point, I'm freaking out, calling work and asking them to move my first two patients and planned to wait another 30 minutes to see if they could get it done otherwise, alternate plans would have to be made.

 

That 30 minutes comes to an end and they say at least another hour. Oh My God!!! But this amazing friend stuck by my side and volunteered to drive me all the way to work in Cockburn with my three bags and highly strung emotional state. She was an absolute life saver and would not have survived the day without her help.

 

I am unbelievably thankful to have such great friends like this amazing girl in my life and can honestly not thank her enough.

The RAC

Every year my RAC renewal bill comes in the mail and I look at it and think is this something I really need? Then I remind myself that I don't know how to change a tire and that my little car is getting up there in age now and I'm sure one day soon it may just conk out when I need to be somewhere very important...(touch wood not any time soon though!)

Yesterday I was very happy I had made the decision to renew this membership again this year. I was driving to work, and noticed that my air conditioner wasn't working. I noticed this because it was 37 degrees outside and probably over 40 degrees in my car, feeling the heat in my uniform.

Driving a little further I saw a light on my dash board, and while sitting in traffic (due to the fires happening down almost next to my work place - another story completely) and pulled out my car manual and looked up the light...engine cooling system malfunction. On a 37 degree day. No wonder I was stinking hot.

I knew that my car would be sitting out in the sun while I was working, don't know how much cooling would be happening, so after a quick liaison with my dad I called the RAC to see if they could come and do anything to get me home/to a mechanic...what ever needed to happen. I called and all was very easy and straight forward. I was running in and out of the practice, extremely lucky that my first patient had actually forgotten her appointment as I was wondering how I was going to be present at my car while the RAC were there (a legal requirement apparently) and treat patients at the same time.

But, amazingly the time lapse between making the call, and the van pulling in the driveway...7 minutes?!?! SOOOO thankful! Anyway it was explained to me in mechanic speak what was wrong and I wrote it all down, but pretty much all equated to 'you need a new radiator'. He filled up my water which held it together until this morning. Poor little car just couldn't hold on and is currently at the Dealership/Mechanics to have all these parts replaced.

Radio

 

The other day I sat myself into my car to start my 25 minute drive to work. I have found recently that the music I listen too on my way to work can often make or break my day. If I listen to fast pace, pop kind of music...it's going to be a good day. I will be pumped and ready to smash through my patients. If it's slower, more ballad kind of music  it makes me tired and the day seems to go on forever. If I barely get any music and more ad's on the radio, I just get frustrated!

 

So now I come prepared. I have the radio set with my two most preferred stations, I have my Katy Perry album in the CD slot and I have my phone plugged into my iTrip with my playlist loaded and ready to go. I tend to start with the radio, and if I flick through and don't get a decent song by the time I get to the end of my street, Phone goes on (little patience). If I flick through 4 songs on shuffle and am not happy with the song selection, CD takes over.

 

On this particular day however I got into my car, started the ignition and already playing on the radio was Roar. Goooood start! So the radio made it past the end of the street. Next came Sammie's Firestarter with no ad's between the two, radio's going well. I am happy to report that the whole 25 minute drive was filled with good fast paced music, each song I loved and not a single ad the whole way....needless to say it was a good day at work.

 

Music is a powerful tool. How can you use it to change your outlook on the day?

Fire Works

I really like fireworks. Some people say you've seen them once you've seen it all. That doesn't matter to me. Sure a lot of them are the same year to year, but if you look back 10 years ago, it was really only the big circle explosions we saw in red blue green silver and gold, just rotating through colour order and projection height and angle.

But now they are launching flowers, love hearts, four leaf clovers and even those ones that explode, then get a second burst of energy and sparkle again. They are timing the explosion of these bright bursts of colour with music, and varying the heights and targeted explosion points so that it literally creates a sparkly picture in the sky. It's amazing!  

I'm not afraid to admit that I love glitter. Anything that sparkles gets a big tick in my book. So big sparkly explosions that light up a nights sky...I could sit and watch for hours. People get sick of them, not me. They remind me that sometimes I don't need to know how it works, or the reason behind everything, I just need to take in the beauty that is around me.

Shirts Off Saturday

Not as weird or vein as it sounds...well ok in some ways it is. Before you ask, no I'm not thankful for taking my shirt off. This guy probably is, but that's a whole different story. No, I'm thankful for the concept behind Shirts Off Saturday as it is now officially known.

The story behind the name is that the founding member in the middle there dislikes exercising with a shirt on. Something to do with heat and chaffing and just plain old getting in the way. Sometimes the shirt will last the warm up, sometimes it will make it out of the car, but in recent weeks he has resorted to not even bringing one with him....why add to his laundry pile when he doesn't need to? But, like I said, really not important in my point here today.

My point is, that I am thankful for the three of us getting together on Saturdays and doing silly things that often cause strange looks to be cast in our direction. Whether we are throwing ourselves at the ground only to jump up and do it again (also known as chest to ground burpees), crawling backwards on our hands and feet up ridiculously steep hills (backwards bear crawl), or getting into some sort of inverted position and lowering our heads to the ground hoping we don't come crashing down (handstand push ups).

As a group we thrive on the punishment that comes with a challenging workout. We have complete sessions that have lasted anywhere between 21 minutes to over 2 hours, and loved every second of it. I am thankful for having found a group of people that shares this passion of pain with me and what Shirts Off Saturday really stands for, regardless of whether the shirt is on or off...but it always has to come off for the photo!

Learning And Sharing

Starting this week, I am taking over the Mobility Classes for Imperium Personal Training. It is going to be the first week back after almost two months, so its like a fresh start for the year. I'm sure I'm going to be getting some very stiff, sore and inflexible bodies.

I have spent a fair bit of time this week reading up on the ideas and principles thought up by Trigger Point Performance Therapy, as well as reading this book Becoming a Supple Leopard and watching a hell of a lot of video's made by this same guy Kelly Starrett, who is the man behind Mobility WOD.

What he does is teach people how to look after their own bodies through soft tissue mobilisation  techniques, which help to restore and maintain normal movement characteristics and allow people to continue to train and perform at their desired level.

While going through all this stuff, it has refreshed some concepts that I have already known about, as well as teach me a whole lot more that I can introduce to these classes. But what I have loved even more then learning this stuff, is the passion this man has to normal movement. In each of the videos that I've watched, his motivation and excitement about the human body, its capabilities and his method of treatment is contagious. I am constantly wanting to learn and watch more because his enthusiasm has got me going!

So I am thankful today for passionate educators, for being able to learn and wanting to learn more about the body and its capabilities, and for having the platform to then go on a share it with other...there's a lot to be thankful for!