Every journey begins with a single step (or pedal stroke)

I rode my bike!!

Yay for me. It wasn't a long ride, long enough for me to test my legs, enjoy the fresh air and get out of the house!

Saturday morning I managed to catch up with SPR to pick up my new kit. I couldn't wait to try it on when I got home - and you can see that once I got it on I was back to bed - major headaches and fatigue. Luckily, it fits - I have a new body thanks to glandular fever - I wasn't sure how *big* to get the new kit. Would love to be smaller and well the only way that is going to happen is with exercise.


Which reminds me of Shaun McManus' advice to a young NOVA listener one day. A girl had rung up asking advice on diet- would a low carb atkin's style diet be a good diet to follow? Shaun replied with something like - every time my wife brings up dieting and changing our food I say "E, X, E, R, C, I, S, E, EXERCISE." So very true in my mind, you can change your diet but if you don't exercise you won't get the results. But saying that, I used to exercise 15 hours a week and couldn't lose weight. Maybe if I could have lost my addiction to chocolate!!

Saying that I need to lose weight but I can't overdo the exercise. I'm way too tired to function properly as it is. I'm getting there slowly, I've altered my diet in a million ways and aim one was to reduce the kJs that were mainly comfort kJs. I've started going back to the chiropractor which is helping immensely.

PS- I still eat chocolate.

Speaking of diet - I have made additional changes to my diet in hope that cutting out certain foods will alleviate some of the pain and fatigue that is holding me back.

Increased:
A million supplements, extra vegies, gluten free products (crumbly pasta), sleep

Lost:
gluten products e.g. 'normal' bread/pasta,

Reduced:
Chocolate, Caffeine (from 6 cups/day to 2), refined sugars

Next to go:
Milk!

Take care of yourself

Two days worth of supplements equals quite a hefty handful.

Armed with confusion and frustration, I have taken to trying every remedy besides witchery. I took this photo when making a pack of supplements to take to work with me. Bianca is sure there are more and I think she's right. I'm confident in the fish oil and multivitamins, and everything else is there just in case. Can't forget my mood supplements - choc + icecream. The other vitamins include; Thompson's Immunofort, Rose-Hip Vital, CoQ10, vitamin C and magnesium.


I can't say this week has been the most progressive recovery week. Energy wise - the mornings are always the hardest and the toughest. Quite a few mornings weren't very pretty but I made it to work every day and I'm a few baby steps closer to finishing my thesis.

Coffee is my next best friend right now and I truly do not function without it in the morning. I have to be careful though - I'm banned from having more than 2 cups a day - if I have too much caffeine I tend to overdo it with 'fake' energy and eventually become more unstuck.

Flying the McClellan flag

My dad took up Bike Riding and then time-trialling last year. We managed to do one TT together before I got too sick to sit on a bike.

Despite living 200km away he's managed to compete in 8 time trials and is doing a great job of meeting his aim of collecting PBs. Last weekend he took almost 3 mins off his previous best time for Champion Lakes and is now in the 30km/hr club.

Go DAD!!

Stuck in the cave

Several hundred dollars later I am full to the brim with tonics, teas, powders, capsules, tablets, fresh fruit, fresh vegies, red meat, gluten-free goodies....

Into the bin have gone the chocolates, wheat-filled lovelies, double shot coffees, and late nights.

Not that I had a lot of late nights.

I'm a bit worried about the sanity of those around me as I deal with the sugar and caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

When will I be allowed out?

When will I start a week feeling good rather than shattered? soon, please be soon.

To pass or fail

Or to accept small graces and improvements.

Still tired, still grumpy. I have trouble holding my head up or walking stairs.

Boo - I just want to ride my bike.


The improvements are slow but sure. I wake up before the alarm. I am back at work. I am about to send off the next paper to be published.

New challenges

It's no secret that I'm not exercising at the moment. It's also no secret that I'm not enoying being sick - who would?

At the moment I feel like I'm on the start line of a race that is constantly being postponed because the roads are clogged and unsafe to race on.

So - the challenge. I'm not entirely sure how smart it is to embark on a challenge that I can't fully immerse myself in like I usually would but it's a challenge that needs to be undertaken.

Waffle waffle.

I need to lose quite a few kgs to be a healthy size and weight. To make my task slightly easier I'm going to break it down in stages. Stage 1 is 10kg, my first goal is to stop the increase! Argh, my love for food and lack of exercise has got me in a bit of trouble! Here goes...

I'm publicising my challenge to stay accountable and focused. Feel free to post your favourite weight loss recipes, tips, tricks and hints!! They will be much appreciated.

Appreciating the small things

I am so frustrated with being sick, again, still. Boo.

My body aches. I'm tired and I'm grumpy. I have 2 months to finish my thesis and end the marathon that I have been running for the last 4 years. So, here I go, wish me luck. I'm starting another day feeling like I should be finishing a tough week.

But, I thought I would share something that I enjoyed on a night I would usually be training.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a fancy dress party where the theme was marriage and I got to wear a wedding dress. I never dreamed of my 'perfect wedding dress' as a child and I guess I was surprised at how much fun I had doing it and how much I loved my $10 dress.

Can you believe Bianca made the bustle in one afternoon? Of course, Jeb our dog, was there every step of the way!!

Back on the bike

Well, some of you may be ready to say "Where the bloody hell are you?" Whilst others may have said it so long ago they've stopped thinking it.

Enough already.


I have re-entered the world, one step at a time (literally), since getting sick over 4 months ago!

Recovery is a bitch. But without your health, you really don't have much I have found. So, whilst I have been watching my biking colleagues travel around the world, I am rejoicing leaving the house!

Priorities have changed as 4 months of my life were literally smooshed. Right now, I'm focusing on finishing my PhD, starting my career in the lab and getting my little house together. In my free time I'm planning a wedding (late next year), riding my bike, and recovering some more. My body still aches and aches after any sort of effort which is a little disheartening. Slowly, slowly. Looking forward to my SPR kit coming soon as I am out of bike gear after a few debacles, *food* being one of them!!!

Good luck to my dad who is competing in his first 40km TT this Sunday. Go DAD!@!