Queen of Shorts gets smaller, busier

By Virginia Winder
My daughter in Wellington and her friend in Auckland have been missing my blogs.
"Why don't you just write something short, Mum, like 'I went for a run and ate a carrot'. They don't all have to be masterpieces," Clementine said on the phone tonight.
"I suppose you're right," I said wondering, who would want to read about carrots, but it did get me thinking about briefs.
Not the type you wear, but snippets.
I could be the mistress of them - the Queen of Shorts.
"I'm under 90kg now," I said.
"Really?"
"Yes, I'm in the 80s, I've made it! I'm actually 88kg."
It happened so fast.
I can thank those egg-shaped green fruit - feijoas - cutting out alcohol and added sugar. I no longer have it in flat whites!
Alas, I haven't been balanced in the world of work, so aim to do better in regards to efficiency, focus and self-discipline.
Same goes for training.
It's high-endurance, no-excuses, this-is-it time. It's about long bike rides, pounding roads, length after length in the pool.
Races have been entered and paid for by Bryce Barnett and his wonderful team at KCL Properties - I am entered in the Tinman on December 2 this year and the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman on January 5, 2013.
Coach Clint sat me down and said I should stick to my original aim, so I am. But also plan to do the Wells half-ironman six weeks later in Taranaki.
Before that is the Taranaki Daily News half marathon on October 7 - just five months away! The Tinman is seven months away, the half-ironman eight months.
Training is everything.
Life? This is my life!
See why blogs need to be short?!
Thanks wise child.

On course for Taranaki

By Virginia Winder
There's been a change of venue for my half-ironman dream next year.
It's home and hills I want - so I will be tackling the Wells New Plymouth half-ironman in February. Can't yet find the date online, but will be writing it down in ink and telling you all when it's announced.
The other day I had lunch with Irena Brooks, who's done the Mt Maunganui race (my original aim), and she said riding 90km on a straight flat course meant no respite for the leg muscles.
My favourite parts of any biking course are the hills and, believe it or not, the ups. I just love the hard work, the gutsy power of it, the digging deep and the achievement when you get to the top. It's beyond these mantras I tell you about; it just taps into the core of my being.
Now I'll be able to constantly train in reality - not a distant place and a distant dream.This is solid ground stuff. I have to bike 90km, so now I can map out the course and aim to do 30km of it, then 40km, then 50km, then 60km - you get the idea.
Also love the idea of training at Ngamotu Beach from spring through to tri-time in the place I'll be racing.
In between all that, I'll be training for the Taranaki Daily News half-marathon.
Idelle Hiestand is one of my main inspirations for doing the home-grown race because she talked to me about supporting local. She also did the race and did it well, so I know it's possible for me.
Had lunch with my sponsor and co-conspirator Bryce Barnett yesterday and he's all for the switch in venue, so am feeling buoyed about it now and can put plans into action.
Yahoo!
However, I am heading away for an event soon - the last Tri-Woman race of the season. That will be at Pt Chevalier on April 22 and I'll be heading there with my niece Rebecca and daughter Clementine, who will be a team. I'll be doing the whole thing again, but this time I'll be running, not walking!
Back to Irena - she put me on the spot about my weight, asking why I haven't updated my blog for months. That's because I've been hovering between 90kg and 91kg and I wanted to write that I'd made it to 80-something and make a big splash.
She reminded me that back when I was teering on the edge of 100kg, she said I just had to relax and let go and the weight dropped and it did.
So this is it, I'm saying out loud, well in writing, "I'm letting go!"
Let's see if that works.
Other changes - I won't be having cafe lunch dates with friends during the week.
Don't be annoyed or sad. You can still see me - at the weekends or come for a "walking meeting" with me. I'll still have time for a coffee on a Monday too, but other times I need to have shortened lunch breaks to finish work early to get to training, or meet on the move with you, which will produce energetic, creative thoughts and great conversations. Naturally, I'll make exceptions for injuries or if it's snowing.
Yes, I'm starting to sound rather militaristic. These new moves are for me because I need discipline to achieve what I aim to do, because these are big goals.
Because, as you know, I've just got 2 do it!

Wow - people are amazing

By Virginia Winder
When you're a kid, you have no idea about the road rules.
So the poor boy racing around the corner towards me on his scooter had no idea why a crazy lady on a red bike was screaming: "Go left, go left."
I was committed, you see and knew I'd hit him if he didn't move.
He didn't, so I slammed on my brakes and fell. Again.
I didn't hit him - the mother in me just couldn't do that.
Luckily, this part of the walkway has just been resealed so I fell on smooth concrete. No grazes, just bruises this time.
Why didn't I go right? Because it was a tight turn by the Fitzroy camp ground and while I could see Scooterboy in the mirror that has been so artfully placed to show oncoming traffic, the truth is I panicked. These clip-in bike shoes have got me a bit spooked. OK, I'm terrified.
"You can't keep saying that," my husband Warren says.
So, about three minutes before, I'd been biking along yell-singing out: "I'm brave, I'm fearless."
Don't worry, nobody else was around.
It was bravado of course and then bang, Scooterboy loomed.
He endured a gentle lecture about keeping left, but just stood there looking a bit baffled, probably wondering why the silly lady had fallen anyway. 
After he scooted off, my tough, mean husband made me get back on my bike and keep going.
I was all for going home.
But I got back on my undamaged (yes, pouting again) and oh what a glorious ride it was too!
There were so many people out on the coastal walkway on Tuesday morning - parents and kids on bikes, on tandem bikes, people of all ages wandering, power-walking, running, some with dogs and others pushing mountain buggies. My favourite was a guy on a skateboard with surfboard under his arm.
Last night I went for a fast walk home from The Most (100.4FM) after doing my radio show, Waxing Lyrical, and felt great. Even did a circuitous route via the walkway, energised by my latest favourite exercising song - Lonely Boy by The Black Keys.
The good news is my foot problem has improved greatly and I can walk without pain.
The bad news is that when I went to physio this morning, I immediately switched to shoulder treatment. My first fall before New Year appears to have strained my left rotator cuff because that's the side I fell on.
Annoyingly, that means swimming is out for a wee while, but I'm certain I'll recover incredibly quickly.
I love my swimming, especially with my niece Rebekah!
So that means I just have to focus on my biking and my walking.
That's the beauty of triathlon training; there are options.
Tonight, I walk/ran to Fitzroy Beach along the walkway. I didn't plan to run, but went with Camille, my French daughter, and she has such a fast stride I had to keep running to catch up and then of course I kept running to pass her. Then she'd run to pass me, so then I'd have to catch her up.
"Restraint," I could hear Coach Clint yelling in my head, even louder than The Black Keys, so I let her go in the end. Oh, OK, she cleaned me up!
Now, many of you will know there have been a couple of stories about KCL Property owner Bryce Barnett and myself in the Taranaki Daily News this week. The front page story is about our joint quest to fight obesity in Taranaki by leading from the front.
Since publishing on Tuesday, the response from people has been overwhelmingly supportive.
I have had phonecalls, emails, texts, Facebook messages and posts, comments on this blog and been stopped on the beach and in street.
People are amazing.
Wow.
As this journey progresses, I will do my best to research the answers to all your questions, go to the experts and find out even more information.
So feel free to contact me, ask more questions, tell me about your own journeys and share ideas about people who are doing amazing things.
Then I'll write about as many as I can.
Because, while my personal mission is to become a fit, healthy, athlete, I am firstly a writer, so that will be my gift to you all - my words.

Yesterday, I:
Biked about 15km
Walked about 6.5km
Drank 2 cups of coffee
Drank heaps of water
Worked for 1 hour
Ate 3 nutritious meals
Went for 2 swims in the sea (but didn't put any pressure on shoulder!)
Spent time with good friends
Slept, badly, for about 7 hours

Today, I:

Walked for about 30 minutes
Drank 1 cup of coffee
Drank some water (not enough!)
Worked for 3 hours
Ate 3 healthy meals
Went for 1 swim in the sea
Slept well for 8 hours

A Father Christmas called Bryce

First outing: KCL Properties bought Virginia this new bike,
which she rides home along New Plymouth's coastal walkway.

By Virginia Winder
This year my Father Christmas didn't have a white beard or a red suit.
He didn't have a belly either.
But he was definitely jolly and incredibly generous.
His name is Bryce Barnett and he gave me a new bike for Christmas. A beautiful red Specialised road bike from Mitchell's Cycles and I love it.
Bryce is the owner of KCL Property and his company is my sponsor. Our full story will be told in the Taranaki Daily News next Tuesday (January 3), but I'll tell you a little bit about it here, right now.
A while back, I went to interview Bryce about an unrelated story and took one look at the trim man before me and declared: "Bryce, you look amazing, what have you done?"
He'd not long had a stomach stapling operation and told me about it.
My reply was: "Well that's amazing, because my doctor just recommended I do that but have chosen not to. I'd rather go to Paris."
I was talking about the money I'd spend on the operation, but Bryce was adamant it was the best money anybody would ever spend and I should add to the mortgage on my house to do so.
But then I explained I had thought about it, seriously, but had decided to try to lose weight through good nutrition (not dieting), education and best of all, to become an athlete again. I told him about my goal to do the half-ironman at Tauranga in 2013 and how I was even writing a blog about my journey to wellness.
For a couple of seconds Bryce paused, looked at his wife Delwyn and then said: "I'll sponsor you. Yes, KCL Properties will sponsor you. We'll buy you a bike and pay your entry into the race."
I was gobsmacked.
For a second I paused, which is not like me, and then I replied with profound words: "Wow. That's amazing. Really?"
Since then everything has gone full speed ahead and I have been embraced by the KCL Property juggernaut and Barnett family.
Every day since, I have woken up and grinned at the wonder at it all.
You see, with the sponsorships has come Coach Clint (Sullivan), the KCL general manager, Swim Coach (Chris Rudd), the KCL finance and investment manager, and Bryce's son-in-law Mick McBeth, an osteopath, who is working with the Olympic triathlon team and... me.
For those who might have missed an earlier blog, Clint is an age group triathlete, who has captained the New Zealand team for a couple of age group World Triathlon Champs.
Chris is a Fitzroy clubbie and has a long pedigree as a top surf lifesaver and competitive swimmer.
Mick has a Bachelor degree in Science and Human Biology and a Masters in Osteopathy. His thesis was on managing cycling discomfort.
As you can see, I am truly blessed.
Now I just have to do the work, which for me is the greatest joy of all.
But yesterday, I almost passed out in the swimming pool.
Don't worry or feel sorry for me. Shake your head and roll your eyes (I know Clint and Chris will).
I had a coffee meeting with them last week and they set me a swimming programme that dumped the paddles and the pull boys (too much pressure on the shoulders at this stage) and introduced ladders and something exciting call hypoxic breathing.
The latter is to increase my lung capacity and is akin to altitude training.
The idea is that you do 10 lengths without stopping but alternate the number of times you breathe. You do:
1) 1 length breathing every third stroke
2) 1 length breathing every fifth stroke
3) 1 length breathing every seventh stroke
4) 1 length breathing every third stroke
5) 1 length breathing every fifth stroke
6) 1 length breathing every seventh stroke
7) 1 length breathing every third stroke
8) 1 length breathing every fifth stroke
9) 1 length breathing every seventh stroke
10) 1 length breathing every third stroke

The first two were easy. But the breathe-every-seventh-stroke option... well you try it in a 50-metre pool.
Clint said I might not be able to do it first up.
"Well that was like a red rag to a bull," said my husband when I later explained why I started getting spots in front of my eyes while training.
OK, so when someone says I might not be able to do something I do become a wee bit determined. Alright, teeth-gritting, lung-burning, red-mist determined, which is how I started this quest in the beginning.
But I do admit that when I was half-way through my second go (I succeeded at the first but got the spots, remember), self-preservation did take over and a wee voice piped up: "Virginia, don't be so bloody stupid, breathe! You can build up to this."
So I did.
See, once a lifeguard, always a lifeguard. I saved myself.
Now, the bike.
Oh it's beautiful to ride. I glide along, but I do need to get the claw thingies put into my shoes so they fit into pedals so I don't slip off. Not good when you're hitting a hill.
There will be daily biking reports from now on.
Walking... well that's going a bit slower.
My foot injury is still niggling a bit, but am still able to get out there, but now powering it the same as before (yet!).
As for food, I have learnt a lot about myself in the past few days.
The main thing is I can't bear over-eating.
On Christmas Eve and Day, I allowed myself to eat anything, no holding back. So I ate blue cheese, croissants, turkey, foie gras, home-made pizza, pastries, pate, potatoes, chocolate, ham, lamb, bruschetta, salmon, prawns... you get the picture. Even so, I had small helpings of most things.
Well, I felt hideous.
I had reflux, was bloated, lethargic and felt blah.
On Boxing Day my stomach felt so terrible I couldn't eat at all until dinner time, although I did have a protein shake half an hour before swimming.
Even now, my stomach is protesting.
Wow, what a revelation!
I've got a gut feeling I'm on the right track.
And with the generosity of Bryce and the KCL crew behind me, a flash red bike to speed along on and a troupe of loving supporters (that's you guys!), I reckon the future is looking as bright as my shocking-pink swimming cap.
Happy Days to you all! xxxx

Yesterday, I:
Swam 50 lengths of a 50m pool
Ate little, but well
Drank lots of water
Worked for six hours
Drank 1 cup of coffee