Wow...I'm a Dad :)

It's been another five weeks since I posted anything here - really need to be a bit more regular at posting here, but so much has happened.  I seemed to have crammed more big life events in the last two months than I've done in the last five years.  

In addition to the car accident I had in early January, I changed jobs and just over a week later, became a Dad.  My wife was hospitalised the Monday before bub was born, so priorities became supporting her and getting started at my new job.  Very little else mattered since then, including diet and exercise.

My wife sent me a link (language warning) suggesting to dad's "if you're a fitness fanatic, kiss that [stuff] goodbye for at least two months.  You have neither the time, nor the energy to work out, or eat well."  


These don't seem that important compared to looking after my wife and son.  As an aside, it's so good to have my son asleep in my arms (though I imagine every parent says that!).

Family and friends have given us cooked meals to freeze, for which we are deeply grateful.  Because of this, we've eaten a lot better than we otherwise could have.

Working out is a different story.  I'd like to get back to bushwalking, even if the walk is very short.  The walks I've looked at doing since bub was born I've pulled out of because, to be blunt, I'm stuffed, and it's been more important to be home.  I'm looking forward to sharing bushwalking with my son, and have an infant carrier on order to take him bushwalking when he's old enough.

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What does this mean for 40 by 40?  On the one hand, it's gone off the rails in a big way.  On the other, it's more important than ever.  I'm not just looking after myself, but also need to set an example for my son.   

I need to focus on other things to deal with stress, tiredness or a generally hectic life - being a Dad, walking, photography (particularly of storms), footy...I might even have to learn to cook (healthy stuff, of course!).

A second chance

Bimberi Peak from our camp

Oh...oops.  It's been more than three months since I put 'pen to paper' here.  And so much has happened (again).  In early January, I was given a second chance with a monumental piece of luck.  


I walked away from an accident where I rolled my car.

Snowy Mountains near Cabramurra

I won't go into the circumstances of the accident, except to say that a number of people have seen pictures of the car and said something to the effect that people generally don't walk away from such accidents.  I was lucky not only to survive the accident, but to have relatively minor injuries necessitating a couple of days in hospital.  I can't say enough how much I appreciated the support of my gorgeous wife, family, friends and colleagues.

All this was after being checked out in hospital for a possible heart attack in mid-December.

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Panorama from Bimberi Peak over Namadgi National Park

Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra

I was getting back into bushwalking and looking forward to getting back to the gym.  I did an overnight walk to the top of the ACT's highest mountain, which was great fun.  Over New Year, we'd been down to Kosciuszko National Park and I was reminded how fabulous it is there - will need to do some more walking down there.  When the march flies have gone.

I had enjoyed a 23km walk in Canberra (surprised myself by being able to walk that!) and was looking forward to heading back to the Snowies to do a walk around Kiandra before the accident.

I'm in a neck brace for a couple more weeks.  I'm really looking forward to getting the brace off and taking this second chance with both hands.  And holding our baby when he's born.

R U Ok?

I've just realised it's over two months since I posted here and so much has happened.  It was R U Ok day recently I have to admit, I haven't been okay.  So much has gone on since I last posted - between both my wife & I hitting kangaroos, having our sheep escape three times, and some other things that I can't put here, it's been tough.

But it's about perspective, one which came up on R U Ok day; the other is my wallpaper.  The stories from R U Ok day were deeply moving.  Thinking about it now, it has got me to focus on addressing the things that have been concerning me. 

Thinking about my wallpaper and what it represents makes me happy beyond belief.  It's a ultrasound picture - seeing that picture and bub's heart beating during my wife's ultrasound is amazing.

Where does that leave the mission?  My wife and I had an agreement that if we got pregnant, I would lose my belly as she got a belly.  The stress has meant I've reverted back to old habits - food is where I go when I'm stressed.  

But I also have amazing support from my wife - love you darling :)

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The upshot from the last couple of months is that I need to get back to things I enjoy - including bushwalking and RPM classes.  I've been on a few walks recently, but my good habits have been replaced by old ones.  It's well past time to get back on that bandwagon...starting with standing on the scales at the gym tomorrow.


 

Juggling...tough it is

The hardest part of this mission has been the diet.  So. Very.  Hard.  But the next toughest thing has definitely been the time management.

It has been challenging juggling a full-time job (which I thoroughly enjoy), two hours of commuting a day, home responsibilities and, most importantly, spending time with my wonderful wife.  Not to mention posting here!



I've been trying to fit in walking early in the morning and quick visits to the gym after work.  Not sure how well I'm doing at the juggling...I'm not that coordinated :) 

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One of the things I've been missing is bushwalking with my friends from the bushwalking club.  I've done a lot of walking by myself - headphones in, head down - but doing the same walk over and over can get a little tiresome.  

I got to do a 'local' bushwalk yesterday - walking around the Bango Nature Reserve, near Yass.  It's not somewhere I've walked before and it was great to explore it with the bushwalking club. 

A quarter of the way there!

I'm finding sometimes with this mission that sometimes it's taking the message (or reality slap)
you're sent and the opportunity you're given.  

The message:  in this case, it was standing on the scales two Mondays ago and discovering I'd put on 1.5kg since returning from New Zealand, including 1.2 kg in one week.  I figured there'd be some bad weeks along the way - food tends to be a coping mechanism, but that was appalling.  Thankfully, there was no interrogation or extra work at class that night.

The opportunity:  my wonderful wife was away for a week.  Rather than living the life of a bachelor on the couch, I pretty much wrecked myself walking or at the gym.  One hundred km in six days, just over 50 walking and just under 50 in RPM classes.  It meant walking around my town every day for at least an hour, usually in the dark.  Damn it was cold too...beanie, gloves, torch, iPod and fast walking. Other than the exercise, largely stuck to diet too (shock, horror!).

I'm really happy that it paid off - lost 1.7kg in a week, meaning I've lost 10kg since May.  Nice to be in double figures and aiming for a 11, rather than a 12, in my weight next week.

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Of course, there's still a way to go...need to find a way to resist the sneaky snacks - to paraphrase Homer Simpson "That Kit Kat was so good.  I wish I was eating it right now."  It probably isn't a good idea that I'm typing this while cooking chocolate brownies.  For a work afternoon tea...really!

Hitting the Wall

Well it just ain't right

That it's something I can't fight

I can't stop going out and having fun

Well I tried to be good

But I knew I never could

Billy Fields "Bad Habits"

There's not other way to put it...I hit the wall this week.  I was surprised at weigh in on Monday that I'd lost half a kilo during the previous fortnight, but by Thursday night, I was gone.  I skipped my usual Thursday night spin class - I was heading towards a migraine - and despite waking up for a 6am walk on Friday, I couldn't face it.  

Not just the exercise...some old habits have come back - the diet's gone out the window, including my love of hash browns.  

I'm not entirely sure what to do other than to knuckle down and get back on track.  I expect to have put on some weight when I weigh in on Monday, and get flogged at training as a result - it will be deserved!

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It's been a bit of a rollercoaster month or so - makes it harder to stay on track when food is a response mechanism for me. But it has shown the importance of getting out in the bush - either with the bushwalking club or by myself (with iPod).  

Last weekend I went walking down in the mountains south of Canberra - several hours of off-track walkng with some great views. 

Mount Karioi

We've just come back from a few days in sunny and warm (compared to Canberra) New Zealand.  I was looking forward to the chance to get a day's worth of bushwalking while my gorgeous wife was enjoying some horseriding with a friend of ours, Sig.  

I was keen to do some walking, not only because I love bushwalking in New Zealand, but also to keep up the exercise regime as part of the mission, and was joined on the walk by Sig's partner, Phil.

The walk we picked was the track to the summit of Mount Karioi, near Raglan.  The 756m high mountain is an extinct volcano that has two tracks to the summit - the Mount Karioi Track from the northside, and the Wairake Track from the southside.  According to the description on the NZ Department of Conservation website, the Wairake Track is the shorter and easier track - Wairake it was.

The first 40 minutes or so was walking through private farmland (with permission) to the forest edge, before going uphill through the forest to the summit.  There was no view on the way up - the path was very muddy, lots of tree roots, but easy to follow.  On the way up I only slipped once, discovering what's it's like to get a shock from an electric fence :(

Despite the cloudy day, the view from the summit was impressive.  It was blowing a gale at the top so didn't stay up there long.  Only managed to fall over once more, though it took several handwashes to clean the mud off my trousers and boots. 

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A note of thanks:  I posted a link to this blog on my Facebook page and got wonderful responses and encouragement from my friends there, especially Tim.  Thanks everyone - really appreciate it.