I did it.

It's been over 2 and a half months since this photo was taken and (uncannily) 9-months since my last post. I have been wanting to say so much, and yet have said so little.

Embarking on my journey towards the New York marathon was the best thing I have ever done for myself. It was like a giant mirror reflecting on patterns of my life. Obstacles that get in the way. Stories I tell myself to feel better and justify failure. And I was about to re-write a very well versed script...

I retreated into my shell and with each day absent from my beloved blog - the harder it was to write. So many demons reared their ugly heads and in September last year - I had hit an all time low. I was injured. Unable to train. STILL overweight. Full of self loathing and quite simply, felt like the biggest loser of all time - and not the "win $250,000 for losing weight" kind of loser.

Long story short - I altered my script and overcame a number of emotional and financial obstacles to get myself to New York, not knowing whether I was physically capable of even walking the marathon. My biggest breakthrough was to start something that I did not know whether I could finish. I've always had safe bets on myself so this in itself was BIG.

My first goal was to start. When I heard about the coveted finisher medals, I quickly established my second goal - to finish. In the plethora of information I remember reading that the marathon 'ended' at 7pm. So I had just over 8 hours to complete the course. This became my third goal.

When the gun went off, I started walking over the famous Staton Island bridge that appears on all the NYC marathon promo photos. I thought to myself "I am here. I am doing it. This is it. This is the New York City marathon... I have to AT LEAST run one mile." So I did. I continued to alternate walk one, run one (mile) till the 16-mile marker (25km), then ended up running the last 10+ miles (16.4km) to the finish line.

At the end of the day, I ended up running over 18 and a half miles (30km) over the course of the marathon. A total distance of 26.2 miles (42.16km) in my official time of 6 hours, 48 minutes and 59 seconds. Despite my knee hurting the entire distance, I learned to run like a fairy and just keep going. I was completely beside myself with what I had done - I more than exceeded my expectations.

Since returning home, I have spent time organising my life, clearing clutter and defining my direction in life. I still have my ups and downs but there is a quiet confidence in me. I have a lot to process and I am just allowing myself to move through it and look forward to emerging on the other side with a new challenge in sight.

So in case you were wondering... yes, I did it.

Until we meet again (don't know where, don't know when) ... keep your dreams alive by kicking goals and in between - give yourself permission to tie up loose ends, go through old boxes and put yourself back on course.

Grace xx

New York City Marathoner

All wired up

Right now I'm feeling like Jaime Sommers, aka the Bionic Woman. Not for my ability to outrun a train or jump over a moving truck - but rather because I'm all wired up to a monitoring device.

Since embarking on my journey to New York, I've been required to monitor a number of things regularly to track my progress - or regress. One thing I am to check every 3-weeks is my resting pulse.

The last reading I did was 36bpm (beats per minute) as I lay in bed before rising. I was delighted at this figure, thinking that I was a sports legend in the making. With a resting heart rate similar to Lance Armstrong and Bjorn Borg, I was feeling pretty special. My health care practitioner on the other hand, was not so enthused.

In response to this reading, I was instructed to take my basal temperature daily to see if there was something causing this low heart rate. This revealed further low numbers - a sequence of sub 36C (96.5F) body temperature readings.

Hmm... Thyroid? That could explain my painfully slow rate of fat loss.

Blood tests revealed normal thyroid function without actually testing T3 or T4.

Back to the drawing board? Or do I ask for further testing? I digress.

In the meantime, I decided to redeem a Pilates prize pack I'd won pre-Christmas. The gorgeous Erica of South Melbourne's Genki Pilates welcomed me into her studio and ran a number of routine tests for a first timer. As a former paramedic, she picked up that I had an unusually abnormal heart rhythm and gently encouraged me to get myself checked out to ensure my road to New York is a safe journey.

Long story short, I am now in the process of being tested. Today I am wearing this contraption that is monitoring my heart rate over the next 24 hours. I have no idea how I'm going to manage sleeping without strangling myself. Then next week I'm having an ultrasound of my heart, as well as an ECG while I exercise on a treadmill (then I'll REALLY feel like Jaime Sommers).

I urge you not to worry. There's no point allowing negative thoughts to enter our heads prematurely. All this testing could reveal that I have a perfectly harmless abnormality that is normal for me. A bit like my sense of humour. Should the tests reveal something otherwise, we'll cross that bridge if and when we get there.

Until next time, don't let fear of the unknown put you off investigating things that may appear to be 'abnormal'. Knowledge, no matter whether it is positive or negative, will empower you to make informed decisions and take corrective action.

Grace xx

PS. A special heartfelt thank you to the beautiful Honni for giving me clear instructions on what steps to take. You demystified a potentially scary subject and gave me courage to take action. You are an angel and I adore you xxoo

Weird things are afoot

Today I'm to tell you where I am going - but before I divulge that information, I must tell you that I'll be making my way there in my brand new Vibrams.

These 5-toed shoes (though branded as 5 Fingers) are without a doubt the weirdest looking footwear ever to adorn my feet. They are strangely comfortable and I somehow feel connected to mother earth, which is something that has taken me by pleasant surprise. They are the closest things to simulate being barefoot, only there's the bonus protection from broken glass, baking hot asphalt and slippery surfaces.

Over the last few months I've been hearing and reading so much about the benefits of getting about barefoot - our most natural state. My program instructs me to remove my running shoes at the end of my session and lightly run barefoot during my cool down, which I did until the mornings got too cold. My Vibrams will offer me the same benefits of barefoot running, only with a little more comfort and protection.

Perfect.

Should the relationship between my feet and my Vibrams flourish, I plan to run in them full time. At this stage I am uncertain whether or not I'll do the marathon in them - let's just take one step at a time. Literally.

So where do I plan to wear these new oddballs? Well in less than 4 weeks time, I'll be wearing them in Dubai. Then a few days after that I'll be wearing them in Italy, soon followed by France then Switzerland and back to France again. Who knows after that.

You might be thinking that I'm going on a whirlwind holiday - but alas you would be incorrect. I am actually going over to Europe for four months to WORK!

Yes, work.

Patrick and I have a tough job ahead. We're hosting several cycling tours that will be taking in the Giro d'Italia, les PassPortes du Soleil and le Tour de France. While that sounds all exciting, I won't lie - it is. However it does mean an incredible amount of work between now and then.

So the next few weeks will be a vision of me and my Vibrams running around literally and metaphorically as I prepare for our departure. Oh how very exciting.

Until next we virtually meet, do something happy for your feet.

Grace xx

Operation Pat

You might be wondering what's happened to me.

Well, last week I was playing chauffeur to my husband Patrick taking him from one appointment to another - and this week, I've been playing nurse!

Rather than re-inventing the wheel that's already been re-invented, I'll just direct you to my hubby's blog post - which is actually a mutation of an email I wrote to some friends of ours.

So here it is... MicroDiscEctamy

Please pay extra special attention to the book Pat's reading - it's the basis of my training program and one that I highly recommend. I'll divulge more about the teachings of the book as my program develops.

Since my last MAF test on Saturday 26th February, I've gone backwards in my aerobic fitness despite being faithful to my training (have I already told you this?). Anyway, long story short - since that day, I've been a bit stagnant (in life) as a result of my over training, under resting and over stressing (not to mention my husband having emergency surgery last Sunday). I have managed a few training sessions over this last week, but each time I head out I'm completely exhausted and feel like I'm running in jelly (this really is starting to feel like déjà vu - I'm sure I've told you this before, no?)

ANYWAY...

We're looking at taking time out at our friend's beach shack along the coast for some much needed R&R. I'm looking forward to resuming my training with full gusto alongside the beach, while Pat does his rehab walking exercises. Assuming Patrick is discharged tomorrow, we'll be sleeping there tomorrow night - can't wait!

Once again, it's nearing midnight so I must bid you adieu.

Until next time... if you've derailed, do whatever it takes to get back on track.

Grace xx

Look what I got today...

I was sitting down to lunch when the doorbell rang. I wondered whether it could have been my UPS parcel from New York. "Surely not, it's too soon", I thought to myself as I made my way down to the front door.

I opened up to find this...

Mr. Tellier from UPS with my parcel!

I was so excited, I asked Tellier if I could take a photo of this momentous occasion. Tellier obliged (I'm pretty certain that was his name - I didn't write it down and hope I did a good job of committing it to memory).

Tellier was a good sport and didn't appear frightened by my slightly eccentric enthusiasm and questionable appearance - I still had lunch on my teeth.

I quickly darted upstairs to open my parcel all the way from the USA, but not without taking this photo...

And this is what it contained...

My New York City Marathon Training Tshirt.

Feeling like a pro now.

Until tomorrow, be free to express your excitement - no matter whether it's big, small, or even if you have food in your teeth.

Grace xx

Start spreading the news... if you a) love this post, b) love my blog, c) love me or d) all of the above - why not share?

To all my friends in Christchurch...

I am speechless.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by today's earthquake.

Heartbreaking.

-Grace xx

PS. We love NZ so much. Spent our honeymoon there in 2003. We took this photo below of the Christchurch Cathedral. Below our image is a photo that was taken after the earthquake. To me, it represents an even greater loss - the loss of lives, hopes and dreams. So sad.