Content

This morning it was a quick trip to the beach for a swim and a coffee to kick the day off. I had planned on heading to the gym, but I was still feeling the effects of a session three days ago, so I called it and went for a dip instead. I remember reading years ago when Arnie (Schwarzenegger) was training back in the day with another famous bodybuilder (possibly Lou Ferrigno), that if they didn't feel up to that morning's session then they would sack it off and go for a huge breakfast instead. I doubt it happened that often and they were probably training twice a day, but it always reminds me to listen to my body and take a break. That way I stay motivated to train and don't overdo it. We should all probably use this in every aspect of our lives, not just training. (Sadly no huge breakfast was consumed post swim)

The beach was pretty sweet this morning, I could've stayed all day if I didn't have to earn some money ;) I've aways loved sitting by the sea and listening to the surf, it has a cathartic effect and makes me forget everything, it is my kind of meditation. Perhaps I should be worried though because this sort of love of the sea could mean I was a seagull in a former life. Seagull or not, the simple things in life give us the most contentment. 

When I was chatting to one of my mates at a leaving drinks the other night he told me that he'd read my blog. He preceded his opinion of it by saying that what he was about to say wasn't criticism. I told him that I welcome criticism, even though I really only write the blog to appease my crazy mind, not to win plaudits. His view was that sometimes he feels I'm writing about my view of the world outside, in a philosophical way. At other times its very much within my world, perhaps within myself. This was excellent news to me as it is exactly how it is. Some days I have something to say, some opinion of the world, which may sound vaguely philosophical. Other days like today I am writing about what I've been doing, how I'm feeling. Those days are the most boring, I feel I don't have much to talk about other than my feelings (how sad). But these days when I write without anything to mention are the good days, the light days, the stable moments. These boring days help me to keep tapping away at the keys and possibly to improve my writing, even if only by a very small amount. The mere fact that I'm sharing is because I'm all good, I keep the dark stuff for my notebook, so as not to scare peeps.

Nobody really wants to read about how shit people are feeling do they? Nor on the other hand do they want to read how positive and amazing people are either. Yes we want people to be happy or content, but we don't want to be reminded about it on Facebook or in someone's blog every other day (I will try to be moderately miserable and happy in equal portions). There are times when I read Facebook, my own writing or listen to people talk and think "oh fuck off!" 

Like many things in life I believe there is a balance to everything. The body keeps homeostasis without us knowing. We should do the same with our minds, with our pursuits, with our work, ultimately with every thing we do, say or think. In doing this we will be content with whatever comes our way in life. My goal in life is not to be happy, that will come and go, rather it is to be content with whatever situation, good or bad, that I face. Being present is a big part of this contentment, we can only effect what is in our control and ultimately that comes down to our minds, our attitude and our reaction to everything outside of ourselves at this very moment.

Here I was thinking this wasn't a philosophical piece of writing. Ah well.

Tom :)

Presently occupied, with staying present

Even before this week and the tragic events that have occurred here in Sydney and in Pakistan, I have been working on staying present. A lot of the time I will think too much and worry too much about the future. I generally don't live in the past (thank god), so at least that is not a problem area.

As always I have been reading a great deal but until now haven't read "The Power of Now". I don't generally think it is rocket science, but it helps to motivate me further to focus on the present moment, enjoy the time I have now and not worry about things out of my control. The key thing is to focus completely on what I am doing in that moment, whether that experience be good or bad. I certainly am feeling better for it and am positive about what I am doing right now.

Using my focus on being present has helped with my training of late, as I've been having some great strength training sessions in the gym. Even more surprising is that I've been consistent with training and enjoyed it. One of the things helping with that is the Gym Here Pro app, which helps me track my progress and see how I am improving. It is worth a look if you train regularly with weights.

Christmas is fast approaching now and I have been as organised as most years, I've done nothing. Tomorrow I have the day off, so I hope to get some Christmas decorations up and do all my Chrimbo shopping in the space of a couple of hours. This will all be achieved after I have done my strength session of course. What a way to start the day off! After I've done that I will be meeting Catherine (post ocean swim training) at our local cafe Sorelle in order to enjoy one more brekkie drink before they close the cafe for holidays. Then we will be off to my mate Jamie's for Christmas carols (and beers). I think I said this was my day off? Then it'll be four days of work before I have Christmas day off. It's certainly not what I'd be doing back in England!

I don't think there is much else to report right now, but I will update you all soon. If you don't check in before Christmas I wish you a very merry Christmas wherever you are in the world. I'll be raising a cold beer and a sausage sarnie to you on Christmas day!

Tom :)

Living life

It is a sad day when anybody dies. Even more so when it is unexpected and by another's hand. This is the place we find ourselves in today after yesterday's tragic event at the Lindt store in Sydney's CBD. My thoughts go out to all those involved as it did with the victims of the London bombings and 9/11. It is no different to the feeling I have when I think about the thousands of innocent lives lost in Afghanistan and Iraq, people just living their lives one minute, then dead the next. Or any other tragedy, natural or man made that I have seen through the eyes of the media. I may have my own opinions, but really they don't matter, life is the important thing to remember here.

Through all my recent musings and feelings that I have written down, none of these are important when faced with the reality of life, which is death. Death is inevitable, no matter how much we try to avoid it. Life is inevitable too, it will go on, it will change, it will be good and it will be bad. We cannot change what happens ahead of us, it doesn't exist. We can only focus on the now and be present to what we say and do, because this is what will affect the future, both our own and others. Right now rather than voice our opinions and rattle our sabers we should do a couple of things. Be calm, collected and respectful of those that had their lives taken from them. Secondly we should reflect on the first and be thankful for our life right now, everything we have in this moment and everything we can experience, good and bad. That is all, no ranting and raving. Just a respectful attitude.

I was talking with a friend about what had happened and said to her that it reminded me of watching 9/11 unfold on my TV 13 years ago. I felt strangely detached watching those scenes, knowing that my sister was working in Manhattan and not knowing where she was. It was a surreal experience that I will never forget and one that surfaced watching yesterday's coverage. The World has always been a vicious place and always will be. Terrorism, wars and atrocities happen all over the globe, everyday. Yesterday should remind us how sheltered we are from all the terrible things that go on and how lucky we really are. We don't deal with bombs landing around us, IEDs lying on the streets and gunmen at every other window. All life is sacred wherever it may be in World.

Having a moment

There could definitely be a them to my blog posts at the moment. It's not "woe is me" stuff, but I am not exactly firing on all cylinders. After a recent blip or two I thought I would test out a couple of changes and see if it helped to keep me on track.

Today was my first day without a coffee. Not even one. Not even a sniff. Well maybe a sniff as I walked by a cafe this morning, but that was all. Cue headache. I'm not entirely sure if it was because of that alone or not drinking enough water, but I haven't had a headache in ages. Damn you coffee! Instead of coffee I'm just having a cuppa (tea) in the morning and if I'm at home, one in the afternoon. This experiment has two good outcomes. The first is that it saves me money. The second is that it may help my mood levels and stop me being insanely hyperactive and then miserable as fuck. Tomorrow (Saturday) is the day that Catherine and I visit our local cafe tomorrow. The hardest part will be sitting there and not having a coffee. Plus I can't have a cup of tea, because no cafe here can make tea like an Englishman (or woman, I'm not sexist). So I'll probably have to drink some of that herbal stuff (not the "green", although that could be an idea), possibly Camomile or Peppermint. Oh dear, what has become of me...

I am also cutting back on my sugar intake after eating a lot of cake for my birthday. I'm trying to support my body as I hit the weights in the gym and because you know, I gotta look good on the wedding day ;) This is also particularly difficult as I have a sweet tooth which is like a heroin addict, always searching for the next hit. Don't worry I am not about to do heroin, I have enough money problems without that too! I have been trying to eat more, to ensure I avoid craving sugar. This means nuts, protein and a bit more fat in my diet as I ensure I get enough calories in during the day.

I recently had this interesting chat with a friend at work. We talked about the difference between how we feel inside and what we actually show in our day to day lives. I found it an interesting idea, because we are often different people when we are at work compared with our off the clock selves. I have always been happy, enthusiastic and friendly at work. Outside of work I can be grumpy, tired and mean. I like to think that my actual character is in between; laid back and calm. When you do a customer service job everyday you can often feel inside like wanting to punch people in the face and tell them to stop being so fucking lazy. Naturally I just keep that in my mind as I am talking with them. I will obviously smile and be polite. But by doing that I actually tire myself out helping these lazy, privileged, needy people and as a result I have less energy to give to the people that matter in my life. That is quite sad isn't it?

I don't want to give the best of me to random strangers and then be a prick to the people I love. Hmm. My worst and best characteristic is my desire to help people. For my current job it is a gift and a curse. As much as I want to develop and change, I am not sure if this is something I can sufficiently change to equal a desirable outcome for myself. It's a trait I've developed over years and will probably take as long to unlearn. Well these are the musings I have to deal with in my head on a daily basis, so welcome to my crazy little world.

On a positive note I have the day off tomorrow to train and read before meeting Catherine to celebrate her birthday. Now that I've had a rant and got rid of some negativity I hope I will be much happier for those people I love tomorrow.

Enjoy the weekend wherever you are.

Tom :)

Wondering, wandering, pondering.

As you may know I love to write. Earlier this week I arrived to work early and decided to use the time to sit and scribble some thoughts down about writing. My thinking wasn't a revelation, nor would it save the world, but it reminded me the simplest activities can hold the greatest enjoyment.

Now I have always enjoyed writing, but reading takes first prize when I choose between the two. Being a daydreamer extraordinaire it is easy for me to be transported to another world when I read a good book. For this reason it is a form of escape that is both easy and cheap. I don't need to speak to anyone, I don't need to do anything but use my eyes and let my mind do the rest. I love reading so much that I often have two or three books on the go at the same time. Depending on my state of mind and fatigue will determine what I read. If I'm travelling somewhere during the day I will read a non-fiction book, as my brain has the energy to absorb it. When my working day is over, I like nothing better than to turn the pages of a good fiction book and let my minder wander.

When it comes to my writing I am frequently eclipsed by the material that I peruse. I love Hemingway not just because he was an alcoholic and a master writer, but because he produced classics that were so descriptive I could picture myself there in the moment. Now I am reading one of Alexandre Dumas's books, The Count of Monte Cristo. I will read a classic or a new hit and marvel in the ease with which they flow. Naturally a great deal of time and effort has been expended by a great many people before the book reaches the reader. But when you read and enjoy these amazing books you can't help but wish you could emulate them. It most certainly would be a pipe dream with my current writing, but it doesn't stop me trying. My only problem is overcoming my daydreaming mind long enough to make use of my free time and write something coherent yet creative.

As my major goal requires efforts of concentration and consistency that only an author can commit I am starting off small. As I wrote the other day I am trying to write everyday. My hope was to do an hour a day, but perhaps half an hour is more realistic. Either way I can only start towards improving my writing (and concentration) through regular practice. These posts are all part of that and go hand in hand with my short story writing in an effort to write in a structured way. Good god! Structure? Consistency? Commitment? What is becoming of me? I must be getting old ;)

My ultimate aspiration would be to write one piece, which one person in the world smiled at and enjoyed. One piece which enabled that reader to see all the characters and settings as if they knew those people and places first hand. A book that made one person want to read more and write a little. Right now that seems like the hardest task in the world, but an enjoyable journey none the less.

T :)

Training an old man

December 4th

Day off time! I was expecting to be working with Steve today, but the jobs he had lined up fell through. So I have time to type a few words, get a haircut and get a few things sorted.

This morning was not an early start. I was sleeping quite soundly when Catherine woke up, saw the time and launched into action. She had managed to set her alarm for 550pm rather than 550am and as a result had awoken with a start at 720am. I was happy that she had mistakenly forced a rest on herself, but was less pleased at being given a minor heart attack. I chose to get up a short time later in order to make the most of the day and the adrenaline surging through my veins.

This morning’s gym session was legs and back. At the moment I am doing a split training program, which means I train different areas on different days. This was my third session of the week, having started on Tuesday and trained each day since. My split routine consists of back and legs on days 1&3 and chest and arms on days 2&4. I don’t always do all the sessions concurrently, but I find it easier to keep consistency by doing it that way. The structure of the program means I have 48 hours rest for the muscles worked in each session. In the future I may add an additional body weight session at the weekend just to stop my muscles going stale with two days off over the weekend.

From next week I am starting a new program called escalating density training or EDT. You can read a little more about it here. I started Catherine on the program this week and she was feeling it by the end. No matter how many years you have trained for, there is always something new you can try to push yourself harder. Essentially you perform back to back sets of two exercises for 20 minutes using your ten rep max weight, but only performing 5-6 reps for each set, therefore not reaching failure until much later in the session.

For example:

I could do Deadlifts with 90kg for 6 reps, 

followed straight after with 6 reps of dumbbell chest press using 27.5kg dumbbells.

I repeat these two exercises back and forth for 20 minutes, no rest between. Towards the end of this 20 minutes I should only be getting 1-3 reps out per set if I have the weight right. 

I end up lifting a huge amount of weight, but without overloading early on, or without sacrificing form. Naturally I wouldn’t suggest this to beginners as they may not keep good form or have the appropriate core strength for the whole 20 minutes. I myself haven’t been back to the weights for that long, but I spent the last four weeks working on building a base. Realistically I should really be doing this for another four weeks, but I feel pretty good in my endurance and my form is holding up really well. I basically haven’t gone nuts like the 20 year old version of myself! I will look at using the EDT for the next month to 8 weeks, before returning to the endurance split.

Tomorrow I will probably do my ten rep max tests as my training session, so that I can start next week on the right weight. I’ll let you know how they turn out, so we can all see my progress (provided I make some ;))

Right enough chatter for now, I have some more chores to do and mullet to get chopped. Oh and I have a new book to download - The Power of Now. I do like my philosophising and have wanted to read this for awhile now. I’ll let you know how quickly I scoot through it.

Until tomorrow,

Tom :)

Stumbling

So my first update is here since I made a promise to myself to do more with my time. Like a donkey running the Melbourne Cup/Grand National I have fallen at the first fence. 

This hiccup occurred by me snoozing my first 5am alarm. I did still get to the gym for 630am and got my training in before work, so not all was lost. Day two saw a strange thing happen, I snoozed my 5am alarm. Clearly this challenge may take a little time to come to fruition. Regardless of my reluctance to get up with the birds (they are bloody noisy) I still got my gym training in and cooked before heading off to work.

So day three is tomorrow and I am now free all day. I was expecting to work with Steve doing some labouring or carpenteering, but his plans have fallen through. This means my plans for creating time early in the day are not so desperate this week as I will have a full 8 hours for writing and planning. Hopefully I can finish off my first short story and get my other projects on track.

Training for Catherine and myself is going well. Whilst Catherine trains for her 1km open water swim in January (amongst other things), I am training for strength. This is mainly because it is too bloody hot to run in the summer, nobody wants to see an Englishman melt! Having said that we will both resume regular running options in January to train for the next marathon because I want to run a sub 3hr 30 time. No rest for the wicked!

I had better get off because I need to plan Catherine's birthday present. I'll probably not be up at 5am tomorrow, but will aim for an early start in order to do the gym before I get cracking on the writing.

Until then ladies and gentlemen,

Tom :)

Forgive me for my ramblings

Bog post Dec 1st

I am trying to type regular blog posts, which aren’t just me writing doom and gloom. But at the moment when I get the chance to sit and type out a post the things that come to mind aren’t positive. Recently there have been a couple of posts that weren’t even worth posting, they just sat on my computer as drafts, never to see the light of day and be released on the interweb. This is probably for the better as it may not serve a great purpose. I think I’m fairly honest on these posts, which potentially helps others to see that those positive, “happy” people aren’t perfect (nor do they want to be) and don’t have everything straight.

We are again at that time of year when I officially grow older and lament the time I feel I have wasted in the past. It is by chance that I am reading The Count of Monte Cristo and at the same time struggling with what I am doing in life. I won’t bore you with the details, as the book is a classic and well worth a read, but the main character finds his calling whilst in prison. Admittedly this calling is revenge on the people who wrongfully imprisoned him, nevertheless it motivates him to extraordinary feats. With the help of his adjacent cell mate he learns several languages and educates himself to a level of high society. He is amazed at how much he has missed over the years, but puts himself to learning everyday in order to improve, without knowing whether he will escape or not.

The thing that frustrates me is that I could be doing so much more, but I don’t know where to begin. In taking the advice I would give others in personal training, I have to start at the beginning, do something everyday and be consistent. At least I know what I have to do!

My thoughts about where I go from here are simple. I have to increase the time I have each day. If I am going to be working 6 days a week for the next year, I have to create a day somewhere. The simple solution is to get up early, perhaps 5am, spend an hour writing and learning before heading to the gym for an hour. Then if I am lucky enough to start late I can learn some more, before I have to go and earn a crust. I think I am most productive (not most talkative) at those crazy early times in the morning. This is probably for two reasons. Firstly because I am unable to process many thoughts, so my mind can’t wander. Secondly because I don’t like to talk first thing in the morning, so I can set my energies to absorbing and writing instead.

So I suppose this is me letting you know that I will be tapping out a few words each morning (post learning of course) to update you. Perhaps my French and Italian language skills will develop, along with my short stories. At least I will feel accountable to whoever may read this, even if you aren’t asking me how it is going. So in that I thank you and hope that you find some enjoyment in reading these crazy scribblings. 

Bon soir!

Tom

Calm down dear...

26th November

How time flies. Just over two years ago we arrived in Sydney and have since enjoyed a couple of different jobs and making numerous new friends along the way. I still struggle when summer comes round; Christmas isn’t far away, yet it’s 25 degrees outside. It’s also not long until my birthday and it feels like only yesterday that I was celebrating it with Mike, Laura and Catherine in York. Crazy how time flies.

It is my nephew’s second birthday soon and it is painful to think that we haven’t been there for his first two years. With his sisters Ava and Vivi I was there to help out when they were little and see them grow into little people. The cost of enjoying our life down under is missing out on those moments with my nephew and nieces, family and friends. That is our choice by being here, but don’t think it is an easy one to swallow. 

I’ve been enjoying my journey of self destruction lately, but am now focussing on a return to a normal life. It seems that I am unable to doing things like normal people. I am fine with that as I don’t wish to be completely normal, that would be boring! However I have discovered that I am a bit “all or nothing”. When I was doing PT back home I would either be working whenever I could or not much at all, consistency was not in my arsenal of skills. I was disorganised and had terrible time management/chatting issues. I am still working on the latter, but the others have improved. This is thanks to the efforts/nagging/love of Catherine and putting up with my highs and lows, the last being the worst for anyone to have to live through. There are days when I wish I was just normal; able to work consistently, have a normal mind, be able to control my extremes.

It is writing like this that helps in the above regard. By typing (the hand written stuff is too dark to share) I can tell everyone and nobody in particular how I feel. I don’t do well at talking about how I feel, unless someone else is in dire straits and it helps them by sharing. But give me a keyboard or a random note book and that page will feel the worst of my mind. Nobody gives you an instruction manual on your mind and body, you just have to figure out what works best for you. Some just bottle it up and finish off badly for it. Some turn to drink and drugs, even exercise to vent. There are also those that write, draw, paint or play music to relax. I seem to have done a little bit of everything lately, oops!

Sometimes you don’t need yoga, meditation or a life changing experience to see that you are going about things incorrectly. It helps to have someone close that knows you to be a mirror for your actions. Without that I’d probably succeed in self destructing.

So I am working on a return to the old version of me being relaxed, but with the new version of me being more organised. Out with stressing about work and money and in with spending time with friends. Good bye to excessive drinking, hello to saving for an amazing trip home next year. Let’s see if I can make this a habit I stick to. Consistency and normality here I come!

Easy come, easy go.

As I have a day off today I thought I would tap out a few words to note down what has been happening.

The day finally arrived when I had to say goodbye to the $3000 that I had worked hard to save over the last two months. I paid my tax bill for last year and silently wept at being back to square one with my savings. Well not quite square one as I actually still have $500 left, so I am actually ahead of last time - YAY! As though saving for our wedding and honeymoon wasn't motivation enough to work 6 or 7 day weeks I now have an extra kick by not having any money. Just as well it is summer and birthdays and Christmas aren't just around the corner. Oh, hang on....

Work has been terrifically busy. Not necessarily with the amount of customers in the doors, but more in regards to the things I have to do. I think I am still getting used to working on multiple things and keeping on top of things with organisation skills. When I worked for myself I would do this whenever I had free time (which was considerably more than now), but I have no desire to work outside of my hours at work. Removing myself from technology is hard enough without thinking about work outside of work. I now have quite a few tasks to complete as part of my Wellness role as well as keeping up to date with my cash team duties. Thankfully the holiday season doesn't start until tomorrow! Roll on next January and my week off for our wedding.

At the weekend Catherine and I ran our first Tough Mudder event with four friends down in the Southern Highlands. I had an amazing time, it was such good fun, mainly because I got wet and muddy and it reminded me of being a kid. I can certainly see why so many people enjoy it, being a kid again is a necessity to balance out the seriousness of adult life. Plus the camaraderie between complete strangers was awesome. Everyone was there for a challenge and it was certainly challenging running cross country, but the obstacles were great fun and a welcome interlude from the running. The organisation for the whole thing was excellent and the commentators/motivators at the start and obstacles were hilarious. For the cost of a marathon I had so much more fun and will definitely do another one next year. It reminded me how much I enjoy trail running, so I will be focusing on that over the summer.

Catherine's wedding dress has arrived in Sydney thanks to one of her kind colleagues at work bringing it back with her. Now that we have just 9 weeks left it is certainly hitting home how much we still have to do. But we will get it done. Tonight is date night and a trip to watch a band that we might hire. Fingers crossed they are good, so that we don't have to do too much searching!

Right I am off to try on ties and shoes with my wedding suit before a quick dip in the sea.

Until next time friends!

T :)

Warm springs

Ok Let's start with a fact. October this year was 2.5 degrees warmer than normal. I'm not sure what to do with that fact but as an Englishman it is my duty to share meteorological information whenever it crosses my path.

I have been busy at work lately. The other day I was nominated as the store Wellbeing Champion. Ironically I had set up a drinking society the week prior to this in order to get people from different areas to mix outside of work. The way my role was explained to me meant that I should be encouraging good work/life balance. So in my mind moderate consumption of alcohol falls into this description. Don't worry though, I am always encouraging people to eat and not go binge drinking. I naturally like to lead by example.

I've also signed myself up to work in a couple of other areas of the store that are important for our feedback and back room operations. This is mainly to learn a great deal more about the business and challenge myself in new ways. One thing the store doesn't lack is variety, which for those that know me is an excellent thing.

Outside of Apple I am still working my days off for Steve. I am trying to stick to just one day a week for him, so that I don't exceed the 48 hours a week limit that I set recently. This is tricky when I have days off in the week as I feel I'm being lazy. Considering how few hours I used to work this is actually quite hilarious to me. It seems that I have become addicted to working as much as possible. Who would have thought.

Wedding planning is progressing well under Catherine's command. We have sorted almost all the major items and just have a list of many smaller details to sort over the coming weeks. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone here and I am looking forward to a holiday! 

This weekend we are off to Bowral in the Southern Highlands again. It's a beautiful place to visit and is only two hours outside of Sydney. Unfortunately this weekend we will be dragging ourselves around the Tough Mudder circuit, so it won't be relaxing until that's over! Then I have to get back to the store for our quarterly meeting in the evening, so no rest for the wicked.

Catherine has started training for her first ocean swimming event and is overcoming her fear of swimming extremely well. I am slightly jealous that she is improving so well with her swimming and will probably be a better swimmer than me though. I may have to start my own training (because I have so much free time) and see if I can accompany her on her ocean swim. I hope it's not a ladies only event, otherwise I'll have to get a new swimming costume.

I am trying to organise more Skype and FaceTime calls with all you Brit friends. So send me a message on whatsapp or Facebook as to when might be good. I have to plan things a couple of weeks ahead to be able to fit it in around work.

Chat to you all soon,

T :)

Inception

Today I had a day off. I decided that I needed to get some rest after dreaming about work and descending into Inception style daydreams while working at the store. I'm pretty sure they don't want me going nuts whilst explaining iCloud for the 57th time in a day.

Whilst I find it easier to recognise when I'm doing too much it can often be illness that slows you down or makes you stop and take stock. Generally speaking we have a knack of pushing at work, in training and in our social life. It is not often that we sit back and chill in order to balance our lives.

So following a couple of chores this morning I spent an hour down at the beach. It isn't summer yet, but the water is a "refreshing" temperature and clears the head for the day. I have to admit I still think I am going to get bitten by a shark every time I swim in the sea. This is not because surfers and swimmers are bitten every year, because they are still a tiny percentage when compared to all the people that go into the ocean. But it is more to do with watching Jaws as child. It is ludicrous, but the best way to overcome these thoughts is to jump in. I just don't go in at sunrise, sunset or when any fish are jumping about ;)

Catherine has been suffering with headaches recently as a result of overdoing it. She has suffered through them for the last 15 years or more, often silently and just gets on with life. I don't know how she produces such great work with headaches that last a week though, I am a wet fish when I get a headache. Naturally I am the person that tells her to relax, sit and take it easy. After years of experience doing this myself I know that it is the best thing to balance out all the running about and worrying. Obviously I appreciate it isn't as easy for her as she is a super organised worrier, but that's why we work so well as a team. I am the sloth; relaxed, patient and slow to move. She is the squirrel; rushing about, smart and organising everything for the future (I was going to say collecting nuts, but that may have been misconstrued). At the end of the day we bring out the best in each other and balance out the worst. 

With Catherine not been feeling great recently it has made me think about what I am doing. I don't want her suffering and I know that if I am around more I can get her to chill out. Mainly this is achieved by doing the washing up and cleaning so there is very little at home she can do but sit and relax. Unfortunately whilst I have been working lots of hours I haven't been on top of these chores and so C has added them to her already manic schedule. "No more!" I cry. I am now limiting myself to 48 hour weeks, so that I have time off to support the little one (Catherine, not a secret baby FYI), whilst still earning enough to live and save in this incredibly expensive place we call home.

I have stopped writing on my "run sloth run" blog for the time being as I am not running. The marathon season is over as it is too hot to run a good road race and the road events are over until next year now. This means that I have returned to the gym to do some weights and get strong for the wedding in January. As I mentioned before I am supposed to carry C across the threshold after we are married. I fear that this could be dangerous in my current state of "runner fitness" and even more so after a few Jaeger bombs, which I believe may be consumed after speeches have been made. I'm happy to say I've thrown myself back into the weights (all be it gradually) and am currently unable to fully extend my right arm after yesterday's session. I consider this an example of how I have neglected strength training over the last few- ahem - months. No matter though as I will be visiting the gym 4-5 times a week to gradually ease back into Olympic lifting and some more serious training. I'll let you know how I go when I am able to type more than a sentence.

Until then, 

Tom :)

Keeping my marbles

Today is the middle of my week. Having started on Sunday I finish next Friday, with a day off before I get stuck in again. The great thing about working a lot is that you don't really know what day it is and lose control of fairly simple brain functions. For example today I didn't know what day it was, I just knew I had work to get on with. Having finished earlier than expect I had a productive but enjoyable afternoon off. I am now typing this post from the comfort of my local cafe, with a lovely flat white in hand. However on ordering a coffee and sandwich I had a brain blip. When my sarnie arrived it looked to be different to what I had looked at and ordered, but my brain struggled to remember if I had actually ordered what I had looked at or just imagined that I had. Food at Sorelle is always delicious, so I was more than happy with what lay before me, even if my brain was thinking of something else as I ate it.

I've had a few people ask me why I am working two jobs. For those that work in retail you will know the answer to that question immediately. For those that don't let me enlighten you. The pay is average. To be fair it is better where I am than other companies, but it's not a lot when you live in the Eastern Suburbs. After I've paid rent and bills I probably have approximately $150 left per week. From that I will have to take $20-30 for transport, so I'm left with around $120. From this I can easily take $30 a week for my coffee habit (hey nobody is perfect), so I have $90 left to choose what to do with. As I am trying to pay off debts and save for a wedding I can effectively write off at least $50. So all said and done I have $40 to spend on social activities. So after this long arse summary you can appreciate why I need to work an extra two days a week. It's all about the money baby!

I got back to strength training in the gym this week and boy am I feeling it! Well actually today I am fine, but after the first session I knew I was back. I'm keeping things stupidly simple and working on the foundations of core, mobility and flexibility without going nuts on the weights. I want to look after my body a little better now that I am in my 30s and have run 8 marathons. Gradually you realise that you aren't superhuman and that your body needs proper rest and rehab after these big events. Sadly my strength is abysmal, so I am starting back at square one. However I have 3 months in which to get strong for the wedding, apparently I am supposed to carry Catherine across the threshold. At this moment in time she would be better equipped to carry me over the threshold!

Talking about work reminded me that I have just started doing workshops in store. After shadowing two I took my first one on Monday. The funny thing was that I was told it would be an iPhone workshop, perfect for starting off easily. However when it came to setting up for the hour I discovered it was actually a Mac session. Not a problem I thought, they are only beginners. The final hurdle though in this experience was that the new operating system had arrived the day before and was not installed on my lesson MacBook. Aghhhh! Having only got it the night before my knowledge was limited. Never fear though, the Tom talk machine kicked in and I proceeded to teach the session on what I knew, coupled with some learning on the fly in order to teach my attendees. I knew all my bullshit practice would come in handy one day! Thankfully everyone found the lesson informative and enjoyable and my workshop boss was impressed, high fives for me! I will now be part of the regular workshop schedule going  forward, so I hope to only get better from here.

Alright. Enough jabbering, I am off to get ready for a picnic with C at the Domain in the city. It's been awhile since we've done anything social, so here's hoping the weather remains sunny.

Until next time,

T :)

Back to normality

The marathon is over and the season has finished for another year. Not that I've let that interfere with work over the last month (I was a lazy sloth), so the title of this post could be misleading.

Normality over the last four weeks has meant working 6 or 7 days a week, but I am not yet convinced that this is the version of "normal" that I want to repeat. Having failed at getting my sub 3:30 marathon at the weekend it did make me think whether working constantly is worth it. The downsides  of working a lot are fairly obvious; I am tired and grumpy most days (yes more than usual), I have less energy to train and I can't do my house husband duties to the usual standard. The upsides are that I have more money to put towards debt payment/saving, I am making a positive use of my days off in the week and I am less melancholic as I have less time to think.

Fortunately I have had some time to think over the weekend and reflect on the last few weeks. My diagnosis of my current work life balance was this, I work a lot and have no life. So as a direct result I am now going to reduce the extra hours I work outside of Apple and take some time off. In doing this I can still earn extra money towards the "debt problem" (or dp for short), without the downsides of grumpiness, fatigue and possible illness. Also with the extra time afforded by removing a day of work I can focus on the wp (writing problem), which has not had as much time afforded it of late. Character development for the book has come on well, but it needs daily treatment to progress and any thing more than a snails pace.

All in all I am feeling quite chipper post marathon. Apple work is going very well and I have a couple of quarterly goals to achieve. Catherine is enjoying work and hopefully with the new plan I will still be "chipper" when my days off come round, so that we enjoy some time together. More importantly there is not long until the wedding, so I have started writing my speech. I hope it to be a tear jerker (with the help of some onion spray) and a solid reminder as to why I should not be allowed a microphone or free reign to speak.

T :)

Relatively speaking

This morning I checked Facebook to see what was going on around the World. I know that Catherine dislikes the amount of time I spend on my phone (yes I am working on this), but I like to know what my friends are up to and how they are doing.

One of my friends from Salisbury posted this link about the size of the Universe and it pretty much blew my mind.  True perspective

This got me thinking, but in a really simple way, on a really basic level. The thought was "shit, we are small and insignificant!" If we are small and insignificant, so are our worries and stresses. When we think and worry about things in life they consume us, they take over our creativity and attack our passion. When I looked through the pictures in the link above I was amazed and at the same time felt relieved. I have always worried about what I am making of my life and how significant it can be. But it doesn't really matter, what matters is that I try to do as much as I can with life, experience as much as possible and make many mistakes. From these mistakes I will learn and develop, I will enrich my life and those around me and have fun doing so. After all, this worrying has made me a grumpy old man, not the happy, funny youngster I used to be.

With all the work I have been doing of late I have started to bring this mentality to work at Apple. I have been having fun and diving into new experiences as though I was a youngster. I love going to work and I love the carpentry work I do with Steve on my off days. At the same time it makes me appreciate the time I have with Catherine and make it fun and enjoyable for both of us.

With work taking over most of my time I haven't been writing much, so the blog posts have been a little more infrequent and the book writing has slowed a little. A great book I have been reading, which has inspired my own writing is Graeme Simsion's "The Rosie Project". It combines a dry sense of humour (mainly due to the main character's condition), with a romance and a great undercurrent life lesson. As I started reading the book again for the second time I discovered that he has just release the follow up, "The Rosie Effect", which I will be moving onto shortly. I just need to get the Melbourne marathon out of the way this weekend, so I can get back to reading and writing more.

I'll let you know how I get on,

Tom :)

Friday at last!

Where did that week go? It only seems like yesterday that I wasn't tapping out my last blog post. I am happy that the week has ended and specifically that I am at the end of another 11 days straight working. I don't know how many hours I am doing at the moment, nor do I care to know, but knowing I have a day off tomorrow is golden!

As you will probably remember I started a new budget recently and have been saving every week. I have reached my meagre $1000 emergency fund and gone past that. Unfortunately I have a tax bill to pay, so that money will be going towards that. This will put me back to zero and I'll have to start again saving for that $1000, before I can start paying off the real debts.

I was following my $50 a week budget quite well, but over the last week I have to admit I've slipped. It takes a good amount of self control not to "reward" yourself with a coffee or two when you are working everyday of the week. It is also hard not to spend money on an evening with friends when you work hard to earn your money. However despite this I am still doing a lot better at managing my funds (if only they were wealthy) and I know that I will make good progress towards paying off my debts over the next few months.

I learnt many things this year, but the most important has been over the last month or so. Nothing in life is free. (Actually I learnt this lesson years ago from my Dad. When I tried to say that something was actually free, he would reply that it wasn't, we just weren't aware of how we were paying for it.) If I want to get out of debt, save for a holiday or buy something I have to earn it. Yes I could get a credit card, but I've been there and done that and that's why I'm in this situation. Working 6/7 days a week may not be ideal, but I am paying for the free ride I took on credit in my twenties. I had a great time with it, but now I have to do the hard work that I have never really done to pay it back.

Being gifted anything is no way to learn value and I have learnt value in the hardest way, by making the worst mistakes. Fortunately I am realising that I can change and I am enforcing that upon myself. I have been lucky to have a supportive family, but there are many that don't have that gift and that is my constant motivation. I have been young and foolish and that is all fun. But it doesn't help when you grow up and realise that although life is short, it's not that short that you can get away from your debts.

So once again I sound like a grumpy old man. Well that is ok, I accept that part of my character and I'm cool with that. It does have benefits as it helps me see reason, be practical and balance my laid back, don't give a shit attitude. Also all this work has been great for my mood as I haven't had time to be melancholy. So whilst I dig myself slowly out of a big debt hole I am powering my positive side in the knowledge that one day I will be debt free. Then I'll truly be able to relax.

Lolloping sloth

It may come as a surprise to those of you that don’t know me all that well, but I am a sloth. Perhaps not in the literal sense and not on the extreme end of the scale as some are, but I am still a sloth. I love to lollop, laze and feed.

I always enjoyed playing sport as a youngster because I got to hang around with my friends and try many different skills. As we grew up sport became less of a priority because some crazy adults thought that school work and qualifications were a better idea (nutters!) I started training at the gym around the age of 15 and was playing rugby at my local club outside of school. All of this was good fun because it involved other people, so I had a commitment to turn up and loved it when I did.

Several years later after school had finished and I had entered the “real world” I took to running to replace the rugby that I had left behind. I was crap at first, but after running with others on my personal trainer’s course I saw a rapid improvement and felt the satisfaction of a good run. Naturally I over trained at that point and ran so much that I developed compartment syndrome in my lower legs, forcing me to lay off for a few weeks. I have since broken most of the running rules, because that’s kind of a fun way to learn! Probably the worst thing I did at this early point in my running “career” (I am yet to actually earn money from it), is not joining a running club and running with others. I think at the time I enjoyed my own company and that time alone to daydream. Now as a 30 year old I still enjoy that time daydreaming on runs, but I am less motivated to get my arse moving in the morning for a run. More recently I have found the benefit of running with friends is to get me out of bed at 530am on a Sunday, run 30km and then enjoy the rest of the day.

However running is not quite the same as “playing”. I never consider a good run to be more fun than a good ride on a bike. Nor do I consider it more fun than throwing a frisbee about with friends at the beach. So why do I do it you may ask? Well the bit I “enjoy” is putting myself through the ringer, surviving the session and the satisfaction afterwards. Of course the release of endorphins is a legal form of drug taking, so that helps too! When it comes to marathons it is nice to know how far I can push myself and then extend those boundaries. I don’t think we always have that opportunity at work each day to see our development. But in training we can set a goal and progress gradually towards it, seeing the benefits and results we create along the way. That in itself is a good enough reason to do it. Nobody wants to feel like an underachiever and you can only improve with regular, organised training.

So tonight I am going for a run, partly because I posted in my other blog that I was going to have down two runs by tonight - guilt trip! The other part is because by writing about why I run I remind myself what good it does my body, my brain and my soul. Just not as much as riding mountain bikes with Carrot, playing frisbee at the beach with Dane or playing rugby with my old mates. Ah well!

T :)

Making money

I am almost at the end of a 13 day week and to cap it off I have my part to play in the iPhone 6 launch tomorrow, before what will most likely be an incredibly busy Saturday. Not to do things by half I am also doing another long run on Saturday of about 35km before I go into work. Yes I am mad and yes I love it!

The reason behind the recent long weeks has been down to increased hours at Apple and a busy time for Steve with the handyman work. Last week I officially became full time at Apple. As I revelled in the thought of having a normal work life I got a call from Steve asking me what my schedule was like over the next three weeks. Not wanting to miss out on some potential carpentry/extra moolah I told him that I was only free on certain days (my days off from Apple) and so I booked myself in for a lot of work.

This is all positive stuff though. I really enjoy working with Steve and I have learnt a huge amount from him across a variety of areas of construction. I find it interesting that when you have enjoyment in what you do you can do a ridiculous amount of hours. If I wasn’t enjoying work for Steve I just wouldn’t bother doing it, even if it would help me get out of debt quicker. The motivation of money is far lower down the scale than the motivation of enjoying what you do and getting satisfaction from it. Thus I can train for Melbourne marathon, work full time at Apple and do two extra days a week for Steve doing manual labour without dying of exhaustion. Coffee does help too mind ;)

On the money side I have been smashing along with my ridiculously small budget of $50 a week for a few weeks now. If you have read any of my previous posts about this you may remember that I am following a very simple system from The Money Makeover book. I am about to complete the first stage of this process, which is to save $1000 for an emergency fund. Unfortunately that emergency is about to come along in the shape of a tax bill, so after paying that I will have to start back at square one. But that doesn’t matter. The empowering thing of this process has been how I have taken control of my money and not let my money control me. Being strict with myself and practical by taking out my week budget in cash I have been able to save for the first time in years. Naturally it helps having a stable income at the same time because I know the minimum I can save each week and plan for the future. My aim after paying my tax bill is to have saved money to pay off a small amount of my debt in January when all four of my familial creditors will be here in Sydney. So I will keep you posted on how that is progressing.

As we progress towards October I am reminded that it won’t be long until the most amazing event of 2015. That’s right the Rugby World Cup is not far away! Ha ha only kidding. It is actually still a long way away. Just messing! The main event is our wedding in January and it is fast approaching. We still have a bit to do (I underestimate this slightly) and it has been a little trying at times because we both want it to be well organised and fun for everyone as they have come such a long way to celebrate. Naturally we will enjoy it the most on the day as we will have nothing left to organise at that point! I am excited and can’t wait to see my better half in her dress, I’ve no doubt she is going to look amaze-balls. We are both really looking forward to welcoming all our family and friends to our home here and showing them why we love it so much. I just hope that you all bring plenty of sunscreen because it is going to be scorchio!

Right I best be off I have some chores to do before the busiest day of the year at the Apple store tomorrow!

Ciao!

Tom :)

Money, money, money!

Don't worry I haven't won the lottery and gone nuts. Nothing quite as exciting as that. No this post is about tax and budgets, yawn...

Last week I knuckled down to finish off my taxes for the year, which had two outcomes. The first was the realisation that I did jack last year and cannot have done too many five day weeks. The second epiphany was that I have to do more this year if I'm ever going to pay off the debt mountain that I created in my twenties. Fortunately I have taken some steps to ensure success there.

In the last year I have worked for four different tradies and two retailers. Despite this I have had a fairly erratic income and not saved any money or paid any debts off. This year I decided to change myself and take positive action to correct my roller coaster income. I got life coaching, applied for new jobs and for the past month I have been on a strict budget. I think I had become sick of myself procrastinating over work and money, thinking too much and not "doing" enough. Sadly at the age of 30 years I had little to show for ten plus years of working and I was ashamed of that. I've never been good with money, but I turned a corner by challenging that mindset and proving to myself that I can be.

So the deal breaker with my new budgeting has been to withdraw cash for the week every Sunday. I now leave my card at home and just carry that cash for spending on anything outside of my regular bills. This means that I have cut back on my coffee intake, I no longer buy snacks or food out and I think about how I am going to spend my money. The budget I have set has been brutal, I won't lie. It is a mere $50 a week and is this low for a few reasons:

• Firstly I am trying to live within my means. This is something I never did in my twenties because I had credit cards and spent as though I was entitled to experience as much in life as possible. 
• Secondly it allows me to save. If I ever want to get rid of my debt and have savings I have to be brutal for a few years. So I won't do as many things now, but by restricting myself it means I can create an emergency fund, pay debts off and then save some money. In the future I will be able to live a better life.
•  Thirdly I am changing habits. My previous attempts at budgeting failed because I told myself that it was OK to have that coffee, to buy that lunch or to purchase that album. I kidded myself. When you do all those small things regularly it makes for a big hole in your wallet at the week's end!

I think the big thing that has had me thinking (oh no, not thinking!) is that my parents, brother and Catherine have helped me exist financially for the last 7-10 years. Well actually my parents have helped me all my life (bless em), but I mean more in terms of bailing me out of financial woes than raising me. As I was thinking this over I went back in my mind to the day that I wrote my folks a letter. In that letter I spilt my guts and told them how bad my credit card debt had become. I explained how it had made me worry so much that aside from anxiety I had become depressed and had contemplated doing myself in on a number of occasions, purely from the shame I had created! By thinking about those dark days I reminded myself what I owe my Mum, Dad, Catherine and Rich. It's not money, it's more than that. It's my sanity, my happiness and ultimately my life. Between them they have lifted the biggest weight in the World from my shoulders and for too long I have rested on my laurels and not pulled my finger out to repay them the love they gave me in doing that.

So to finish on a positive (because I know my writing can get a bit deep and depressive) I have found an enjoyment in my budget. I have already saved a few hundred dollars towards my Emergency fund of a $1000. Once I have that in place I will move onto paying off my debts. I know I sound like a sad old man, but there is immense satisfaction from taking baby steps, getting some wins and realising that money is there to work for us, not for us to be it's slave.

Tom :)

Smashing out words

I made a promise to myself  a couple of weeks ago that I would start writing everyday. I haven't done too badly on that promise, missing only a couple of days. The interesting thing for me has been how much more creative it has made me and how it has helped my moods.

Writing my book "Crotchless pants are all the rage"* I have discovered a new found respect for structure in writing and have seen an improvement in my story from writing everyday. Even if I only scribble out a page or tap out a short blog post I notice more of a flow. This is important when creating a book because there are always times when you have no decent content, no great ideas, no funny remarks. By continuing to write during these moments it helps to clear the scum from the top of the lake of ideas (or in my mind the puddle) and free up creativity. *This is just a working title.

From the side of mood changing it helps me whether I am happy or sad to write everyday, so that I maintain more of a consistent mood. A bit like a Buddhist monk not holding onto happiness or sadness I can just be and be content. It is sad that whilst I have been writing more and avoiding the turmoil that my mind loves to create that Robin Williams has moved on. Like many others I always loved watching him, from seeing him in Mork and Mindy as a youngster to Good Will Hunting when I was older. For all the sadness that I have experienced with similar experiences, the passing of RW made the most sense and hurt as much as if he was my family. It is hard to explain to people that when you are in a depressive state you don't see the world with rosy glasses. You can't see the wealth you have in whatever form you may possess it. You can only feel and that feeling is the lowest you can be, set in the darkest place in your mind. It is indescribable, because for each person it differs. But it's not something that others can easily help with. It is in the hands of the beholder and is up to them what happens. It is also not as simple as just being able to choose to be happy or choose to be helped, it is much deeper and more complex.

On a happier note I have this weekend off, aside from a few hours at Apple tomorrow morning. So Catherine and I are booked into our favourite little Italian restaurant to celebrate seven years together. We will be cracking some champagne early as the table is booked for 6pm, though I think drinking is allowed from 5pm, isn't it Mum?

I hope that you all have a good weekend. You can expect a training round up for the week on Sunday after I have completed my 20 mile run.

Until then,

Happy running/walking/skipping/jumping,

T :)

New starts

This week Catherine started her new job at Freehills in the CBD after a two week break. She was both excited and nervous on Monday morning when she headed off, but I think she has settled a bit now after a couple of days there. From what she says the work place is well catered for and probably a little bit better than Lovells (I'm sorry it may be true). I am just glad that she is starting on a new challenge and able to move forwards in an environment that is healthier (relatively speaking) when compared with her last job. I know that C will miss her friends from Double Bay, but hopefully she will be able to still meet up with them when she isn't working long days!

I know that C has her priorities right though, because she immediately found out what the gym situation is like, naturally it won't be as good as Lovells when I was there ;) She is quite happy that there is a free gym membership she can use nearby and excellent showers at work for when she runs in. There are also nice touches like solicitor lunch Wednesdays where she gets free lunch and the usual free teas etc. It's just as well I don't work there though, I'd probably bankrupt them after two Wednesday lunches!

I have been working slightly less over the last week, but am thoroughly chuffed with how things are progressing at Apple. I am working towards a full time position there by taking as many opportunities to learn as possible. Everyday is a school day there and I can see plenty of varied routes to take a career with Apple, with the support of the leadership team there are endless possibilities. Before you think about asking me I don't know when the iPhone 6 is coming out, just look at the bloody website!

Catherine and I have been fairly productive on the wedding front too. Well, when I say the wedding front I actually mean the honeymoon, but it's all part of the planning! We have actually only got a few important things left to organise, which is comforting. Of course that isn't considerig the hundreds of smaller details left to sort out, but I am sure they will come together over the next few months. Oh I nearly forgot, one of the big things sorted out this week was the purchase of my wedding suit. I don't want to ruin the surprise (because it's all about my big day), but it looks cool. As long as I don't work too much on the "guns" before January I should fit into it.

I am working away on my book at the moment and trying to write a little everyday. At this stage I am still planning and structuring the story, however it is developing well. I am starting on my sub-characters this week to add depth to the storyline and prevent a monotony with the main characters. Give me a year and I may have finished it!

Not much else to report this week, but check out www.runslothrun.blogspot.com for an update on training in the next few days.

Tom :)

Getting back in the game

A week is a long time off of training for Catherine and me. It's even longer when you have a marathon to train for in 8 weeks. But today I returned to the good old days with a less than inspiring gym session and an hour of hot yoga.

As much as it has been hard to do nothing, skip training and miss the City  to Surf it has been a necessity. Sometimes when you get ill it's not just from the sniffling bastards that you work with. It's also because you've run your system down from stress of one kind or another.

Now that I'm back to 78% health I am ready to get back to some serious training in order to prepare for Melbourne marathon. However I'm also in a stronger mental state after stressing about work and money too much. I've told myself to let it go and stop worrying, because everything is actually ok. With that in mind I can balance training to ensure I run a sub 3:30 marathon in October.

Naturally there are more important things in life than running a semi-fast marathon. Namely enjoying time with your loved ones, making yourself happy and possibly creating world peace. Whilst I enjoy the challenge of running, I never forget that the aforementioned things are more important and my reason for living.

It has probably taken me this many years to realise that being good at something doesn't really matter. The people that care about you don't give a damn if you can run fast or get paid really well for selling stocks. They are only concerned by how you treat yourself and them and that is the source of happiness and contentment in life.

So as well as training hard for this run I will also be focussed on loving my better half,  laughing with friends and giving Kofi Annan advice. God knows he needs it right now.

Tom :)

Outliers

I read in the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell that masters of skills have accumulated around 10,000 hours of practice. People like Bill Gates and professional sportsmen amongst many others have had practice, opportunity, luck and determination to get them to the pinnacle of their chosen fields.

I have thought about this dedication and with it the fact that most humans only use 10% of their brains potential. It would be amazing if we improved this figure considering how much we have done with such a small utilisation of our faculties.

Most of us are too lazy to commit so much of our time to one pursuit. But we will often bemoan the fact that we are not as successful as someone else. Our own inertia is the main prevention of our success and happiness. Let's be honest,  if it was easy to motivate ourselves and try hard everyday then we would all be Nobel laureates, millionaires and amazing athletes.

When I ponder what it takes to be great at a skill I think back to my first days as a gym instructor. We would practice the movements in front of a mirror to ensure we had proper alignment and repeat many times. Once we had this down pat we could add resistance and progress. But if we added weights to an incorrect movement pattern then we enforced misalignment and risked injury down the line.

In essence whatever the skill may be we must research the right way to do it. Then we must break it down to its most basic elements and practice these everyday. We can't run before we can walk and if we walk funny then we are screwed when we begin running.

I am by no means perfect at this process. I frequently skip steps to progress quickly. Despite my patience with others I have little for myself.  I do have friends that are sticklers for the specifics however. They follow and practice the basics because they know that these are the foundations on which all the advanced skills are based. They are admirable in their consistency, they work on the little things as much as the big things and they practice, practice, practice.

Am I jealous? Of course! But only because my own inertia and impatience want to skip the everyday routine. All I need to do is focus on the basics and give myself time. As I write this in my notebook I realise that I have to make a commitment to myself to practice little and often. To write each day in order to finish a book I started a long time ago and to practice each day for a certain dance next January.

I'll update you on my progress.

Tom :)

Loving (and hating) a challenge

Life is full of challenges, from personal problems to marathon running events. The only perceived difference is that there are those we choose and those that choose us. But what if all the challenges we face in life are of our own choice?

How we react to life's challenges is certainly our choice. I'll admit that it is hard to react positively to a perceived negative situation, but sometimes the best reaction is none at all. All we can do is control ourselves and be responsible for our actions. We can't control others (even if we think we can) or their actions, but we can choose how to react to them. By choosing to react defensively or aggressively and let people or situations bring us down we drain ourselves. We upset the homeostasis of our bodies by increasing stress hormones or by disrupting our sleep patterns. At best we are unhappy and sad and worst we are helping in destroying our own health.

The reason I write about this is because I have been experiencing first hand these challenges. I have been working on not being so nice at work and being stronger in my resolve. I have accepted these challenges gladly as an opportunity to learn and grow. However I have also let them get me down and so I have chosen to be sad and tired.

At the end of the day it is only a job, this whole thing is only life. It is not not life and death, so I should be able to stand happy at the day's end. I have been dreaming about work, which only happens when I worry about it a great deal. When I used to worry about my fitness business I would wake up doing pad work in my sleep. I'd rather not be in that place again. That feeling is like a mist that pervades my every pore, it makes me doubt myself and worry unnecessarily. But it is only my mind that creates that feeling, only my choice to react that way.

As humans we love to have something or someone to blame, we love a good moan. Often we are incapable of accepting responsibility when we do something wrong or we choose to act a certain way. "He made me so mad!" "Work has stressed me out and now I feel depressed." Our reactions to these situations or people are merely a choice and our responsibility. I am not perfect (and I'm ok with that), but I recognise my faults and I choose to accept and learn from them. I also choose to be happy, calm and energised for the challenges ahead. After all no one can do these things for me.

Tom

Woodwork work

Yesterday I had the opportunity to work with two flooring specialists on a floating floor in Campbelltown at a new home build. It was a great learning experience and fun working with the guys.

The two chaps are father and son and need someone to come on board that they can train up to help them free up time for other jobs. The tricky part for me has been deciding what to do. I think fear and worry about not being good enough and letting Apple down has been in my mind. But after reading through my "No more Mr Nice Guy" (NMMNG) book I have seen that this is the old me thinking. What I need to do is think about myself and what I want to do. The old me would always worry about letting others down at the expense of doing what I wanted and as a result being unhappy and resentful (even though I created the situation!)

With that firmly in my mind it is in my power to choose what I want, all that I need to figure out is which days to make myself free. Then I can prepare for some long working weeks ahead and hopefully a more stable income!

I forgot to take photos yesterday of the floor, but the guys are Brazilian hardwood specialists. So the skills and knowledge they have will be priceless for me and it helps a lot that they are nice guys and easy to get on with. Aside from the solid and floating floors they also do decking, 2nd fix carpentry and joinery. Their plan in the future is to expand, so it has great potential to be a varied and rewarding job.

Today Catherine and I are catching up with a number of friends and watching the Super rugby semi final between the Waratahs and the Brumbies at the Allianz stadium in Sydney. It should be a big match as the "Tahs" are on fire at the moment. Come on Izzy!!

Tomorrow I have a lovely 29km run to do as part of marathon training and then I'm off to the flooring workshop for 4 hours to help make show demo frames. I'll post photos to show what they are next week.

Have a good weekend guys.

Tom: )

Roll on Friday!

Do you ever get those weeks where you forget what day it was, think that it's much closer to the weekend and then realise that it is still only Tuesday? That's the week that I am having so far. I think the half marathon has killed what little brain cells I had left.

Today was a good day at work, but also trying at the same time. Trying to change youself for the better is a tiring and long process, much like trying to clean a floor with a toothbrush. The good thing about working at my new place is that I get regular feedback. The bad side to this is that it is often to do with areas that I already know need work. It gets repeated to me often enough each week that it actually becomes infuriating. Mainly because I am trying not to do things that I have done for two decades and that doesn't change overnight, no matter who you are.

I have recently begun using Pocketbook, a great budgeting app that once given access to your bank account (much like Mint in the UK) can help you to budget successfully. I have set a spending limit for things like food (outside of groceries), coffee and any social stuff. I am only into the second week of using this handy app and have discovered a few interesting things:

1. I don't have enough money
2. I spend too much money
3. I have to cut out a lot of expenditure.

As a result of this enlightenment I have had to make some painful cuts. Feeling much like George Osborne after his first budget I have had to make some drastic cuts, which are going to make me unpopular. Although in this case I will only be unpopular with myself (read cold turkey on caffeine). This budget cuts look like this:

1. Cancel yoga membership. I have fallen off the wagon of two regular sessions a week since my new job began and even then it was a push to justify it.
2. Reduce my weekly coffee spend by 50%. Insanely I reckon I spend between $30 & $50 a week. I bloody love coffee, but I need to get that under control!
3. Reduce bus usage by 50%. This is an approximate figure, but basically it means "stop being lazy and just walk!" 
4.  Cut out snack purchases. Ultimately I need to be organised and pack lunch and dinner for work everyday. I just have to be prepared, so that I never need to buy lunch or snacks.

So I am now preparing for the severity of these cuts with a cold beer (I had bought them pre-budget) and some nuts. I feel like the next month is going to be tough, but then I should be ok. I'll keep you posted with how it goes.

I'll update you on Friday as I have a late shift tomorrow.

Tom

An update

I have been absent from writing for some time now. A couple of months ago I wanted to focus on work, training and volunteering and didn't think I would have any free time to write my blog. I wasn't wrong about the time factor, but I was wrong not to write.

Over the last couple of months Catherine and I have seen a few different changes come about; mainly around work and training. I have worked with several new people, which has been both interesting and rewarding and have settled into my new role at the Apple store in Bondi. Catherine is working on work and that is a work in progress to be discussed at a later date (no more comments to be made). Both of us have been training for a marathon or half marathon, which has consumed a good deal of time and energy. On top of that we have continued to guide when we are able at Achilles run club on a Sunday morning. When possible I have run or cycled with a couple of the guys in the week as well.

I can't speak for Catherine when I say this, but I have found it a tiring time. I have willingly filled my time with working 5-7 days a week, training and volunteering, nobody has made me do it. So it is often less apparent to see that it is wearing you out. When you choose to do something you can commit your energy to it wholeheartedly and carry on pushing yourself because it was you alone that set out to do it. If you are made to do something, or it feels forced upon you it becomes tiring much sooner, because you don't want to commit energy to it and you fight against it.

The reason I am writing about this is because I have recently finished a book called "No more Mr Nice Guy" by Robert Glover. It has opened my eyes to why I am the way I am. On the face of it for most people I would appear to have most of my marbles and be in working order. However for years I have at times struggled with my mind and who I am. No I am not gay. Just to put that thought out of your heads! I am merely talking about what my purpose is and what I am doing with my life.
I have done a number of things in my life because I felt I should, or because I wanted to please people and make them happy, proud and/or like me. I didn't necessarily do them because I wanted to. However at the time I would've felt that I was making the decision in a positive way and that I was choosing to do these things. This has meant that I've not looked after myself and done things that made me happy. It led to depressions and contemplation of suicide. You see what I have come to realise is that we are not perfect, we should never be perfect and that is OK. Accepting that has taken all these years and a lot of tears.

Since reading the book in a matter of days I am now working through the exercises inside it in order to get what I want from life and make myself happy. This doesn't mean that Catherine doesn't make me happy, because she does. But the mind is a beautifully cursed thing. It will always ask questions or make you feel sad, even on the sunniest of Australian days. What I have to work on is not trying to be good, to be perfect in the eyes of others and to help other people. Yes these things are noble. But ultimately I am not doing the things that make me happy, like mountain biking, seeing friends, reading and writing. I still want to be great at what I do, but I am coming to accept the mistakes I make along the way and that it is not the end of the world if I'm not perfect at something.

Frankly is has been an enlightening and scary experience coming to live in Australia. Through the amazing friends we have made here I have developed as a person and am on the road back to being the chilled out person I used to be. I am writing to be honest with myself and be honest and open with all, so you can expect more from me soon.

Tom

A good day to run hard

After a month without chocolate and sweets I may have over indulged on Wednesday. I consumed an XL cookie, two XL Twixes, approximately five homemade cookies (at work), a Turkish delight cookie and two small pieces of chocolate. I know now that the two small pieces of chocolate tipped the balance on an otherwise healthy sugar consumption ;)

Despite gorging myself on sugary delightfulness I ran my tempo run yesterday morning and well and truly smashed it! I have been struggling with my tempo runs all month. I put this down to not eating enough carbs in the day and running late in the afternoon when blood sugar tends to drop off. I've felt like I had no fuel to push faster.

Normally I don't run in the morning as I am a lazy sloth that prefers the afternoon. The upsides to training first thing are numerous:

1) I get to run on fresh legs and with a fully rested body. If I'm doing construction work then the last thing I want to do is push my body to its limit at 4/5 in the afternoon.

2) I set my whole day up for accomplishment. Whether the run is amazing or it's a struggle I leave that session knowing that I've ticked off a big part of the day straightaway. It gives me motivation and momentum to get stuff done.

3) Post training I get to move about. Whether I'm at Apple or doing construction work I am moving around. I'm keeping my muscles working, pumping fresh blood into the areas that need it to recover from training. It keeps muscles loose and prevents cramps. If I train in the evening I'm going to be sitting, eating and watching TV after, leading to less blood circulating through the areas that need it.

4) It gives me energy and makes me happy. All that you hear about the runner's high is true. When you reach that point in a run you feel invincible and when you finish you are buzzing. I've woken up lately feeling crap for no reason, the grumpy old man arrives. I don't like being that person, so why not change it with a run in the morning?

The big realisation for me this week has been how much I need carbs. I'm not going to apologise to all those friends that don't have sugar or do paleo. For marathon running and for me personally I need carbs. It's true that we don't need it in the form of cookies and we could all make some changes to our diets. But I perform better when I eat carbs. That probably just means I need to eat more brown rice in the day (I already eat enough vegetables) and not rely on simple sugars. But there's something in our body that makes us feel good when we have carbs, they balance out our moods, our biochemistry. Like anything in life it is about moderation and having some self control. Once we find the balance that enables us to train, work and live a happy and fulfilled life then we should stick to that.

I'll update you on my progress next week. Tomorrow is a ten mile (16km) run and I'm carbing up today in a sensible way, so I'm looking forward to a good challenging run.

Happy training!

Tom :)


- Posted from the modern day type writer

I had a post....

I had written a post in the last week and I've lost it! I think it's in one of my writing books but I'm too lazy to find it now.

It was also a little bit sad and depressing, so rather than bring you down with that I'll cheer you with this news post instead.

I have finished my first week of training at Apple and it has been awesome! I have genuinely not been this pumped about a job since I was starting off as a fitness instructor back in '03.

I think the excitement of a new job is often greater than the reality you encounter when you start it. Possibly because you believe that you can have a big impact in life and then realise that you are constricted by the constraints of the business hierarchy or office politics.

It may sound like I'm still in that honeymoon phase of belief when I talk about Apple. But it's a fun place to be where I am genuinely helping people improve their lives everyday. Yes Andrew this may be at a price that most people can't afford, but there's added value above what other retailers offer. (Come see me in Bondi and we can talk it through ;))

My week has been busy and looking forward will continue in that vein for the foreseeable. Monday to Wednesday I will be demolishing bathrooms and kitchens and doing building rubbish pickups with Peter. Then I hope to get hours with Apple Thursday to Sunday to make a 7 day work week. This should help to save up some money for debt repayment, honeymoon and Apple gadgets (in that order of priority).

The weekend before last I helped my blind mate Cav to get to an organised day of track driving.

The day was organised by a family who's blind son had passed away. Through his life he had gone on track days organised for blind and visually impaired guys and girls. He had always loved the experience of driving and doing something normal that all of us take for granted. When he passed his sister wanted to bring a similar experience to Sydney as her brother had always had to go to Melbourne to take part. So by fundraising through family and friends and a little business sponsorship they raised the budget of $6,500 for the day.

The day was fantastic fun. Cav got to drive about 4 times on the track, 3 laps each time. With him was a qualified driving instructor with dual controls in case anything should happen. I chose to sit in the back and film so that I could share the experience with others and I have to say it wasn't scary at all! Ultimately it's just like guiding a runner, but everything happens quicker! After the driving experience there were passenger rides in hot rod cars and on the back of Harley Davidsons.

Whilst we were at the track one of the girls helping went and spoke to the company operating the skid pan. There they had drift cars pulling high speed slides around a course. When the boss heard what we were doing he told her to bring us over. So Cav and I went for it and had a great time being flung about the course. For Cav it brought back memories of his youth and the misbehaving he did whilst driving cars. In fact he was so relaxed he almost fell asleep! I on the other hand was like a small child on his first roller coaster, both thrilled and terrified at the same time!

The day was such a success that the family want to make it a permanent annual event. So I've chosen them as my next marathon fundraising recipient. When I go for sub 3:30 at Melbourne in October I'll be raising money for next year's track day. I'll keep you posted when the fundraising page goes live!

Catherine and I helped our friend Bill lat weekend to a new half marathon PB. Despite having issues with his hammies and knees from the halfway point, Bill stuck with it and finished 2 minutes quicker than earlier in the year. That was great going as he had to walk a great deal more than last time. We are always proud of the guys we guide and Bill in particular never fails to impress us. Great job mate!

Not much else to tell right now. But I'll be updating the runslothrun blog shortly as I've been a little slack on blogging.

Until next time,

Tom :)


- Posted from the modern day type writer