Sometimes the Tui ads are wrong

By Virginia Winder
This is my text to my sports massage therapist.
I'm meant to send Lauren Hann a message every time I do a training session, but reckon 11.20pm is too late to bleep in her ear.
Coach Clint is also going to get an email or text every time I head out - and so will my friend Susan in Tauranga, who is going to do the Tinman with me.
This is it - accountability to my close support team, to Bryce Barnett, who believed in me 11 months ago, and to all those who have watched my journey from afar and given me loving encouragement. Wow, there are so many of you.
Tonight I spent one hour fast-pedalling on the wind trainer. I sweated my way through Private Practice and the start of Army Wives - don't you hate it when the recording stops on something you hadn't planned to watch, but get riveted by?
Yesterday I went for a check up at Contours gym, with Courtney, the young owner and a great personal trainer. She measured me and since March (yes, it's been some time) I have lost 6cm off each thigh, 2cm off each upper arm and more than 6cm around my stomach. All up, I've lost another 24cm, which is great, especially because I had such a bad June and a slow(ish) July.
But I have spent a lot of time on the wind trainer (thanks Mick McBeth) and been making a real effort with my running.
"You've been an athlete and your body will have the muscle memory," Lauren told me yesterday.
That made me grin, because there's a wonderful Tui sign up here in New Plymouth at the moment - as you can see.
But I really was a sprint champion! Honest.
Have been to Pilates four out of the past five weeks and am learning amazing things about balance, breathing and strengthening my stomach muscles. The stretching is good for my body too. But the highlight is the instructor, Brooke, a vivacious young woman with a great sense of humour. 
I even do the stomach pull-ins on the bike and tighten my glutimous maximus muscles when walking and running.
Food has been good this week too, although did have a chocolate croissant today and a piece of orange cake yesterday. I'm not craving carbohydrates, which I did for a few weeks, but have backed off again.
It may sound like an excuse, but one of the medications I'm on to help stabilise my moods is notorious for triggering carbo cravings and causing weight gain.
I did have a bit of a bread pig out last week, but luckily haven't put on a gram of weight. Exercise has kept that at bay and the fact the bread I did eat was packed with grain.
The best news of all is I feel normal.
When I announced this to my workmates yesterday, they looked at me with disbelief and quickly told me that I'm far from normal. Neither are they though, but in a good, quirky way.
But I feel clear-minded, focused and healthy in mind and body. It's a lovely peaceful feeling and I don't feel stressed by tight deadlines for work; I relish them.
Now I face four months of hard training to get ready for the Tinman and the Port of Tauranga Half.
Lauren says the big thing is to be fit enough to enjoy them.
And that's what Usain Bolt said too when interviewed by a Kiwi journalist after winning gold in the 100-metre sprint.
"It's got to be fun," he said.
Yes, I know what he means, although I'm no Olympic star. But I was a sprint champion at school!