Running in slow motion

By Virginia Winder
Exercising begins with the mind.
I'm not talking about sudoku or crosswords, but deciding to get into action.
This morning I sat in the car outside the aquatic centre feeling tired and a little blue.
Wheedle Voice wanted to head home to bed and Inner Athlete was keen to to go swimming.
"Go home, you've got a great book, imagine snuggling down and letting go," WV coaxed.
"You're here now, you've got your togs on, the outdoor pool's open, come on!" IA ordered.
I listened to the latter and went swimming.
A friend says good things happen when you head out exercising - yes, Irena Brooks, you are right!
Before I got in, I noticed a tanned, incredibly fit older woman get out of the water and start jogging around the pool, pulling her wetsuit down as she went (she had togs underneath).
"Ah, a triathlete in training, I thought," and I was right.
She was practising her swimming-to-biking transition and explained how important it is to train the body to switch from one set of muscles to another.
"It's like learning your ABC," she said.
I told her my half-ironman goal and she boosted me with a hearty: "Good on ya sister, that's the way."
She did an ironman this year, so that was even more inspiring.
I started swimming and found the woman in the lane next to me was a dear friend, so that was another bonus.
Also watched what the women's squad was doing and had a go at keeping up.
I could when we were all doing flipper work, because my legs are powerful.
But fin-free was a different story.
This new style has slowed me down big time, but I know it's the best thing to do and, as I get stronger, I will get faster. I will, I will!
Swimming star Ayla Dunlop-Barrett was there training the women and she asked if I'd tried running in the pool, so I had a go.
I felt like the Bionic Woman in one of those slow-motion running sequences when you know the heroine is actually going super-fast.
In my head I was sprinting, powering through the water like a superhero. In reality, I was just slow.
Tonight I went to the gym for a session with my personal trainer, Courtney, aged 22.
The gym scales show I've lost another 2kg and she measured me and I've lost 10cm all over.
What I discovered tonight is that I enjoy the weights, love the aerobic parts of the workout, but hate the stomach exercises.
As life would have it, that's what I need to work on most.
But I knew that - it was a gut feeling.

Yesterday, I:
Worked for 13 hours
Ate two good meals and had nibbles for the third, but chose well
Drank heaps of water
Had 1 cup of coffee
Did no exercise - didn't have a spare moment because of work and family
Slept for 5 hours

Today, I:
Worked for 30 minutes!
Ate three nutritious meals
Drank heaps of water
Drank 3 cups of coffee
Swam 32 lengths of a 50m pool and ran for another 8 lengths
Did a gym workout
Slept for 8 hours
Had coffee and lunch with friends