Free 2 Be... : Feeling Alive

I feel more alive and i feel more like 'me,' i feel like i have gotten back a part of me that has been missing for over a year and i'm excited :)

I made it to the Boxing session at the Fremantle Warehouse gym, i almost thought i wouldn't make it in the busy traffic! The gym itself is the biggest i have been to and was soooo busy but it had an awesome atmosphere to work out to! I found Bernie and the others in the circuit room which was also packed and we got into it. It was an hour of boxing, burpees, situps, lunges, bikes, squats, runs, skipping.... you name it and we basically did it and it was so much fun!! I was a little sore the next day but not as sore as i thought i would be, i think the next session i can put more into it by knowing what to do, it was funny not being able to coordinate the little boxing bag i think i spent a lot of time laughing at one point :P The group that train with Jason (the coach) are really nice and friendly but dedicated at the same time which makes a great combination. Being in the atmosphere of the gym i stayed back a little after and went on the bike for 15min too :)

A picture i just found on the WA athletics website -
spot me running in this 1500m :)

Then Friday i was even more excited to FINALLY get back and reunited with the athletics running track!!! I car pooled with Bernie and we got there at 5, did a warm up and drills and we were set. The others did hurdles training but we had a session of 8x200's keeping up a constant pace throughout with 2min break between them. So we aimed for 40-45seconds each but got into the running mode and managed some good times for our first session back! We started off with joggers but couldn't resist and got our trusty spikes out (we have both had the same since we were 15!) and felt the extra speed of the spikes!

8x200m - 35, 33, 35, 33.5, 35, 33.5, 34, 33, 32.5, 32 seconds
I couldn't resist and did an extra 200m - 33 seconds
Then we did a 300m flat out run and although i haven't really done a pull pace 300m for years i was so surprised with my time - 46 seconds!!! Maybe breaking the 60 second 400m mark in the not too distant future is more of a possibility than i thought?? I think i was just so surprised because i have been concentrating on longer runs up to 10-14km, but i guess my hills and stairs have silently developed me some speed too!

What i also loved was the small but great atmosphere at the track. People we have never seen before encourage each other as we and others run by, they talk to us and are generally so nice and friendly - how has the atmosphere been so different last time i was training with another group? THIS is the track atmosphere i love :) And having Bernie as a training partner is more awesome than i can describe, i really hope she stays with the training.

I have more goals now, i have the University games in Adelaide in my sights in September, i am meeting with the dean of medicine next Tuesday to see if it is possible to get some time off medicine and my surgery rotation to go... fingers crossed!!

So after a high of my first session back at the track i then made the drive back home to spend mothers day with mum and the family. We had a nice trip to Busselton today and visited Nan and Pop with a lovely afternoon tea. Mum and i made some muffins and lemon cakes to take, it was almost like a mini feast! It was so nice to see them again though :)

I have also enjoyed mums green smoothies since being home and finally got to try a purple carrot! It looks and tastes like a carrot but i look at the color and expect it to be a beetroot... but i really like them i need to try some purple carrot recipes mum collected :)