Hide like a rhino

That article that I put in last year for publication, the same study as the one that won the prize at the conference, remember, that one?

It got rejected. 😦

I was expecting this. Some of the comments were actually helpful, and we may try another medical journal.

Of course, it probably did not help that my findings were contradictory to one of the reviewers (well published in the subject). A bit annoying how one side gets all the airtime and the other side doesn’t see the light of day.

I think the rejection might hurt a bit more when I care a lot about what I am researching. I am looking to do a research degree in obesity in the elderly next year. An increasing problem. I need to schmooze. Have been emailing overseas madly. Will keep tight lipped about it until something comes to fruition

The thing with numbers, see, is you can make them show anything you want, depending on how you crunch them. Lies, damned lies and statistics.

The easter bunny (nurse Deb) came with a shirtload of easter eggs. I ate a handful of the little solid choc eggs (about 5) then I stopped. Didn’t feel like any more. So I didn’t. A good show of strength.

am hanging out for the weekend. Hang Ing. Stayed back at work till 7pm to finish all the paperwork in order to get away early tomorrow.

Will be good to spend some quality time with the hubby and doggy. The doggy who is hogging the couch.

The weekend will be carbalicious, so I had better get into the exercise hard. Very hard.

And wasn’t sytycd frickin AWESOME tonight???

I.W.E.C.

Have to be honest here: my weight has plateaued. The centimetres have come down a bit but not much. I think I talked about the snacks and so forth – this is the thing, as most of my meals are really good.

So – IWEC (I won’t eat crap.)

And IWEWNH (I won’t eat when not hungry).

Perhaps I need to get these tattooed on a prominent place – the inner wrist seems fashionable.

Maybe I need the rubber band reminder – snap the band when about to eat.

Actually I probably need to take extra special care with my diet, as I am a bit run down at the moment. I have a crack on the side of my mouth (in medico terms, angular stomatitis).

Enough about that – I sound like a broken record.

Went to see Fiona O’Loughlin at the Playhouse today. A good show, very candid about problems with alcoholism. Quite poignant, actually. But funny. There was a little “surprise” at the end of the show. I won’t tell – I might get her minders knocking on my door. Actually come to think of it she probably doesn’t have minders. Oh well.

Gave the puppy a bath this arvo – the bathwater was very dark – layers of FILTH had accumulated. She now smells like wet dog. She is staying away from us now. Smart animal. She had lots of walkies today and got lots of pats.

I am looking forward to only having a short week (and 4 day weekend).

Can you believe we have another Fed election this year? It does not seem to be a long time ago, the last one!

Oh, I forgoot – had hurty massage on Thursday. It huuuuurrrrrt. I was whimpering like a little girl.

Hump day.

Settle down, folks. I mean wednesday.

I think I have recovered quite well from walkstravaganza, from a muscular point of view. I think the tiredness has caught up with me though; I have been a little weary the last couple of days and had a snooze for a couple of hours this arvo. Hopefully I will right myself.

Some exciting news – I have been scoping out research collaborators and have had an email back from a professor of Geriatrics in Verona, Italy. He said he is happy to have me but I will need to find my own funding (ie a scholarship). I will keep the feelers out – hubby cannot speak Italian and I can currently only speak a little.

I woke up in time for SYTYCD. Loved it. My favourites: Jessie, Ivy, Robbie and Kieran. Like the eye candy too (phillippe).

Off for a hurty massage tomorrow – then to work, then to see my friend Fay, who is preggers and already has a little girl. She is blazing the trail.

My eating has been quite good over the last couple of days – I have cut out my snacks. I find I eat them out of habit rather than hunger. Maybe 1 snack day per week? We shall see.

What do you folks think of the Hey Dad! controversy? I used to enjoy the show. Loved the little fat kid, think his character was called Arthur McArthur.

Had better go to bed.

Walkstravaganza.

Yesterday we went for megawalkies, with the intention of going for 12 hours.

We all met at Jells at 0700 ish (or 715 hours for me – hey, I run on doctor time) :P. We set off out on the trail to Churchill and then on to Lysterfield. I tried to engage the girls in some singing – “This is the song that doesn’t end”, “here we go, here we go, here we go (etc etc)”. Then I finally got a bite off shells with “The Grand Old Duke of York”* – this was sung/shouted as we were going up the hill in Churchill NP. We got some amused looks from other trailwalkers. Hey, we need a bit of craziness as it is a crazy task we are attempting. We had a few nice chats with some other groups and there were plenty of peeps out on the trail.

I had remembered to bring everything I needed, except for the voltaren. I nabbed a couple of nurofen from shells which seemed to keep away the pain for the most part. If only I had manage to bodyglide in chafe-prone areas – my fellow supersheilas were regaled with detailed stories about my chafing.

I had taped both feet to kingdom come, unfortunately this did not stave off the blisters completely, I copped a couple on my left heel and medial arch.

Toward the end of the walk, I started getting a vague pain in my left leg. I could not work out where it was coming from – ITB / TFL?. I got home, jumped in the shower and then worked out what it was – I had strained my tibialis anterior (muscle at the front of the shin) by holding my blistered foot in a slightly odd position to minimise pain from the blisters.

Despite this, Shells and I ran a couple of the final kilometres, just to take the strain off the overworked muscles. Why? ‘Cause we COULD.

See jay’s blog for photos, they are ripper.

That night, Ian and I went to the sporting club hotel, I had the fish and chips (hey, I just did a marathon) and then we went to bed at about 9pm.

Today we woke up at 9am (12 hours – some kind of record) and went to brekky. I was surprisingly intact after the long walk, insofar I was able to walk without looking funny. I went to the city and spent some cashola on Thorlo socks and ultra-comfy undies, sports tape, a vego cookbook and I managed to find the perfect pair of shooties (that’s shoes crossed with booties). The ausrunners (Andrew and Kathryn) may remember the discussion between hubby and I… – luckily he wasn’t cross with me when I got home.

Weigh in this morning – no weight lost, but I have lost a further centimetre off my waist and a further inch off my hips. I am happy with this.

*Lyrics can be provided on request.

The getting of Zen

I was still in a bit of a funk this morning. I gave my sister a thumb-lashing (i.e. a stern message on facebook) to stop with the expensive flat, cigarettes, internet and gym and then hitting me and mum for money when broke. Got a thumb lashing right on back. sigh.

I went for a home visit today – lovely family, very dedicated to their beloved elderly family member. The best thing was that they breed british bulldogs – ugliest dogs on earth, but sooooo cute. One even did a little wave with its front paws while perched on his bum. This dog had a bit of an issue with slobbering and grunting, though. Nice families who care about their relatives make me happy. Nice dogs make me happy. So I was happy after that.

I went to edumacation this arvo but promptly got a headache and an irresistible urge to sleep, so went home early.

Today, I started Bosu pilates classes (Bosu stands for both sides up – basically like a fitball sliced in half). It is basically intense balance training, which is important for trailwalker. The fact that I have an old ankle injury and have worn orthotics since my mid teens have made my ankles and feet weak and my balance shocking. So I am hoping to rectify this.

Sometimes I daydream a bit during pilates, but no opportunity for that. It took really intense focus to keep myself balanced in various poses. Quite meditative.

So I am feeling quite a bit better today. Despite a scone and a lindt ball, I have kept within my weight watchers points range, and then got bonus points for exercise that I didn’t use. Go me.

Friday – hopefully a run before work. Then work (bleerrrrr). Then off to meet the brother in law’s new girlfriend. Very exciting.

Then off for (cue scary music) MEGAWALKIES on saturday.

Happiness….is kiddies patting a dog.

Yesterday – went to the melb food and wine festival for the hawker night. Very hard to find vegies and seafood, but did it – did not submit to the temptations of the grilled chinese sausage. But did give in to the banana fritter and icecream! Also saw the guy off the 7pm project – not Hughesy, the other guy (was told later – Charlie Pickering). I was going to go up to him and say “Hey, you’re that GUY…”. That would have been far too lame for words though.

Today – had a run in with my longest love-hate relationship. That is: The afternoon tea spread of yummy food. As usual, I did not stop at one biscuit or chocolate. (I did not gorge myself till I was stuffed either, but that takes A LOT of food).

I felt terrible afterwards. I absolutely kicked myself, and the kicking spread onto other areas. I am in a position where I have to get a lot of feedback and it makes me anxious and down on myself.

I was going to go to the gym after work but felt sapped with energy, so I went and laid down for a while. Then I snapped out of it and took the dog for a walk. She loved it. It was a good arms workout because the dog was pulling on the lead a lot.

The best bit was stopping outside a pizza restaurant where some kids were waiting outside for their parents. They looked at the dog hopefully…..And I stopped and let them pat the dog. They smiled and I smiled.

Spreading the canine good cheer.

I balanced the dietary indiscretions with vegemite and toast for dinner……not really hungry after.

Better get back to SYTYCD. Go Ivy and Robbie!!

R4TK – dunno what time I did it in.

The weather bode well for the day – brilliant sun and a bit of a breeze, but anything over about 16 degrees is too hot 🙂

Met up with some of the folk at the Gazebo – Andrew, Shells, John but missed Em, Kathryn and Jay.

Not as much ducking and weaving at the start although there were plenty of reds in the yellow zone.

The first 6km went really well – I was thinking- “I am gunning for a PB here”. The bridge was tough – a stiff headwind- and I walked the last 100 or so metres to the apex but ran down. After this point, I was passing a lot of people. A lot of people stopped suddenly on the track in front of me and they got a soft palm in the back from me as a “gentle” reminder not to be a dickhead.

At around 10 – 11 km I started to “die in the arse”- I think I headed out too hard, plus I was getting some blisterage on my feet. I ended up walking up the collins st hill and all the other inclines. I was still  passing more people than were passing me.

I think I ended up crossing the line in about 1:45 – per km, about the same time as last year, with less training, maybe an extra kilo and an injury or two. Certainly not as ugly as GAR last year.

So well done me. 🙂

After – a lovely bevwah at the pub with Andrew, Jay, Shells and Kathryn, caught a glimpse of Dave and Berny but no Tony or Em.

Then a wander about the city – not bad to walk around after a long run.

Next week – 12 hour walkies. Errrrrrrr.

a big tight ball of sore.

I went to the sports masseuse at OPSMC and got a flogging. Soooo sore! I had more tight spots in my butt, hips and thighs than I thought possible. And I paid 90 bux for the privilege! A spinal block would have been good, I think.

Then I caught up (over the phone) with a friend, Helen. She had a bubby 3 months ago and sounds awash with female nursing happy hormones and general bliss. This makes me calmer about future motherhood. A couple of my senior colleagues at work, who are mums of little children, keep telling me about how they have no life. This, and reading a little Germaine Greer, has frightened me ever so slightly. Yet I see mums like Helen, and a few of my other friends who still manage to have great lives, and I feel better about it all.

NO I am not pregnant. Planning for a year or two away.

Yesterday I went up to Shepparton with the boss. Did pretty much sweet fanny adams all day. We visited Numurkah hospital and they gave us each a bottle of wine. It is funny – in the city you work your buttocks off and very rarely get thanked, then you just go and visit the country and they are just so very grateful to see any doctor.

I plan on having a fairly bludgy day today, involving NSAIDs, tiger balm and herbal tea, in preparation for the running extravaganza tomorrow.

I hope to see as many of youse as possible there – 0830 at the Gazebo?

Diet Neurosis Episode 242

Ok so I have made some major overhauls to my diet lately.

Those being

– no meat

– loads of vegies and pulses

– more wholesome snacks (nuts, fruit) rather than processed stuff.

A more healthy, filling and more importantly moral and sustainable diet.

I have ramped back up on my exercise – in fact I went to the gym and did cross trainer and difficult intervals (up to 11.5 km/hr), next time I will do 12 km/hr.

I have lost 4 cm off my waist (was 84, now 80 and officially within recommended guidelines.

So what do I get all neurotic about? The fact that the scales have stagnated somewhat.

iknowiknowiknow it is about health, slow changes, be patient bla bla bla…

Be patient. That is what it is all about. Patience and being kinder to myself.

See you all on Sunday.

addit 2000 hrs. am now feeling much more at peace. I have had healthy nachos (made with taco shells, corn, kidney beans and salsa) and am happily full. Being hungry sucks. Being satiated is good.

90 Minute Run!!!

I did it! I popped my voltaren and did it! I even put together a long run playlist with lots of upbeat songs and it made a difference. They were so good, the songs, that I even did little dance moves in my run (fist pumping, shimmying and even a little air guitar).

I smiled and said hello to everyone.

I can go to R4TK with confidence!

GOOOOOO SASSY!!!!!