PN coaching...a 'free' trial offer from Sleekgeek.

A whole new concept in better health

for the long term.

Keen?

Why not join me as I undertake this new habits based regime.

Each week, I will publish a posting about my week.

Good, bad or indifferent...

You will be able to find these on my exercise Blog:

https://dbexercises.blogspot.co.za

Free Trial with Sleekgeek Coaching

If you are interested in creating healthy habits, change and a lifetime of health then here is an offer you cannot ignore. 

SG set up a "trial" for a limited amount of people where they get to try the first month of Group Coaching with us for only R10 rather than the full price of R299. The R10 is simply an admin fee in order to enroll you in the system and SG will be donating the trial fee to a charity as a way of paying things forward.

Read more about the Sleekgeek Healthy Habit Coaching Program and how to take up the special offer here: http://www.sleekgeek.co.za/coach-trial

Would Batman lie?

Don't take my word for it,

this is what members who have already signed up have to say:

Natalie Lazarus PN coaching debunks the whole 'diet' idea 
and helps you build healthy habits that are sustainable 
and gets you to reach your goals in a healthy way.
 No more yoyo dieting for me.
Do it people. You won't regret it

Jenny de Pontes Yes do it! It's life changing!

Adriana Webb Best thing I ever did was sign up for this.

Leftknee Clarke I'm loving the program! 

Will post progress when I feel comfortable with my progress.

Tracey-Leigh Prigge I first started PN because, mostly, I wanted to lose weight. 

I was in a very unhappy place and was struggling to balance time for my kids, 

time for my hubby, time for myself and being active and healthy. 

I was hoping it would fix all of this. I'm actually on my 2nd round of PN... 

I did around 8 months the first time around and 

it really did help me find time for myself (as well as my kids and husband) 

and I really did find happiness. 

I didn't lose much weight but had so many other victories so I'm ok with that. 

I decided to start over in May as I fell far behind and

 felt like my head hadn't been in the right place for most of it.

 I just felt like I was in a much better place to start off from. 

Best thing I ever did!! 

I've been able to fully focus this time around and 

just feel like I'm getting so much more out of it. 

My reasons for doing it have also changed... 

sure, I'd still like to lose weight but mostly I just want to be fit and healthy as I get older. 

I want to be around for my kids and to be able to be active with them 

and I want them to grow up in a healthy environment.

Yes I can!

And YOU can too.

The age old question

"How do you eat an elephant"..."one piece at a time"...

applies to the tasks set in this coaching as well.

This is my commitment to myself,

and by extension to my family as well.

There will be days that I don't feel like training

or eating clean...

but I will persevere!
HOW ABOUT YOU?

My talk at the Sleekgeek dinner, Johannesburg.

photo by Jenni Murray

Last night I was given the opportunity to address the diners

 at the Johannesburg SG dinner.

It was great to see old friends and meet some new people.

We are all on the same journey and we were there with a common purpose...

Good food, great company and inspiring words from Elan, Meg and Eric.

Not forgetting Natalie Lazarus who ROCKED!

You certainly are NOT broken Nat, and your talk last night proved that.

photo by Meg Otto

For those of you who were unable to make the event last night.

This was my contribution to the evening.

Please excuse the capital letters, but that was how I wrote the speech.

GOOD EVENING.
 IT IS GREAT TO SEE SO LITTLE OF YOU HERE THIS EVENING!

PLEASE SAVE ALL YOU LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE FOR THE END
 AS I ONLY HAVE 10 MINUTES TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS WITH YOU…

THIS IS A CONSTANT REMINDER ABOUT WHAT I (AND BY EXTENSION YOU) CAN ACHIEVE…

“COME TO THE EDGE HE SAID”

“WE CAN’T MASTER, WE’RE SCARED”

”COME TO THE EDGE” HE SAID

“WE CAN’T MASTER. WE’RE SCARED”.

“COME TO THE EDGE”, HE SAID.

THEY CAME.

HE PUSHED THEM…

THEY FLEW.

FREEDOM IS OUR DESTINY.

YET WE FEAR TAKING THE VERY STEP THAT WILL CARRY US
 INTO THE GREATNESS WHICH IS OUR OWN TRUE NATURE.

IN THE WORDS OF THE JONI MITCHELL SONG:
 “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT TILL IT’S GONE"

WE ALL LOOK AT OUR BEFORE AND AFTER IMAGES 
WITH A SENSE OF AMAZEMENT AND WONDER...
 “DID I REALLY LOOK LIKE THAT”…

logo created by Jayne Batzofin

 I HAVE TO THANK MY DAUGHTER, JAYNE, 
WITHOUT WHOM NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.
 IT WAS AT HER INSISTENCE THAT WE TEAMED UP 
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND
 ACCEPTED THE SLEEKGEEK CHALLENGE TOGETHER.

TO PARAPHRASE THE WORDS OF COMEDIAN/ACTRESS …CHELSEA HANDLER
" SLEEKGEEKS NEVER BLOWS OUT SOMEONE ELSE’S CANDLE TO MAKE THEIRS SHINE BRIGHTER”

IN A WORLD OF FILLED WITH ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIA, 
THE SG FACEBOOK PAGES ARE THE PORT IN A STORM
 WHEN WE NEED INSPIRATION OR AFFIRMATION…
OR WE JUST WANT TO SHARE A PICTURE OF A MEAL!

THIS ON-LINE COMMUNITY HAS ENABLED ME TO DO SOMETHING THAT I NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE…

TO RUN THROUGH THE STREETS OF JOHANNESBURG,
 WEARING ONLY A SPEEDO.!
YES THERE WERE 3499 OTHER RUNNERS, BUT IT IS SINGULARLY THE MOST LIBERATING ACCOMPLISHMENT I HAVE ACHIEVED TO DATE!

 

TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE SITTING HERE TONIGHT
 WHO MIGHT HAVE NOT QUITE ACHIEVED WHAT YOU SET OUT TO DO, 
THIS IS A MARATHON NOT A SPRINT.

 IT IS A WAY OF LIFE NOT A QUICK FIX.

PERSEVERE, PERSEVERE, PERSEVERE AND
 ALLOW THIS NURTURING GROUP TO HELP YOU THROUGH YOUR TOUGH TIMES.

Images by Nicolette Dicks

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS TIME TO SHARE MY STORY…
NOW YOU CAN LAUGH AND APPLAUD!

Inspiration v Aspiration. How do you find balance?

I have always aspired to be 2m tall and have the body of a Mens Health cover model.
It did not happen when I was in my 20/30's and at 63,
I am certainly not the "face" of that magazine.
Does it stop me from dreaming about that?
Not really...but I do know that in order to even get close,
work has to be done.

So who do I turn to for inspiration?
The SG group for a start, but more than that,
there are individuals within the group that have achieved more than I ever will.
But, that being said, those are their goals.
Mine, I have learned are different and I have achieved several of them already.
My problem, and I am certain that I am NOT alone,
is that I keep moving my own goal posts!
Let me just drop another kg, lose a couple more cm's
and perhaps shave a few minutes off my 5km time.

Why can I not set goals...and then stick to them?
Perhaps it is the society that we live in.
Many of us aspire to be "that celebrity"
that billionaire or perhaps only your next door neighbour who has a better car than you do.

Each of us struggle with our own demons
I am still doing 22 push-ups per day for those who suffer from PTSD.
I am still in awe of those who have "achieved",
but they too often have a dark side...or an illness that no amount of money can cure.

When I first joined this community, I was seen by some as inspirational.
Not necessarily by me, but by the community.
Why?
Perhaps it was my age or perhaps it was the fact that I was returning
 to road running after a lay off of more than 20 years.
I did not set out to inspire. I set out to get myself healthy again.
Inspiration was perhaps a by product of my quest.

Due to illness, I have not been very active on any of the group
 Facebook pages for the past few months.
This is about to change...and perhaps for somewhat selfish reasons.
I need to be inspired by the group in order to get back
to where I was, fitness wise, in April 2017.


What do I aspire to currently?
Running the Old Eds half marathon in August...
I have realized that it will take me that length of time to get fit once again.
However, I will not allow that to deter me.
I have done it before
and I can do it again!

I started doing the Monday challenge again.
But instead of trying and "failing",
I have reset Eric's goalposts.
Makes the numbers easier to achieve currently
and at the same time I allow myself to "hurt"...just a little.
For instance, I forgot just how long one minute was when planking!

I did take my clothes off in a public space,

when I participated in the Hollard DARE Devil Run.

A first for me in many ways, not least of which was running through

the streets of Johannesburg in a Speedo.

But, running with 3500 other men (of all shapes and sizes)

was truly inspirational and liberating.

Why liberating"? I hear you ask...

Because it is at events like this where you realize that NO-ONE really cares

what you look like!

You body image is your own...and that is what you need to change.

Your own perception of how you believe people see you.

My thoughts post race

Watch the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2FHYlGOHX0&spfreload=10

Yes I can!

My continuing commitment to myself for 2017.

Illness and the long road back.

It is never easy coming back from a lengthy illness.

Especially when I have not been able to identify what put me in bed for almost 3 weeks.

The last time I was this ill was back in 2014, 

when similar symptoms laid me low for a month!

Coming back from illness or injury is difficult.

It has been made more difficult by the fact that my trying to return to training

coincided with the first cold snap of winter here in Johannesburg.

Not only was I feeling sorry for myself, I really did NOT want to be cold as well.

Neither did I want to waste all the good work that I had done thanks to SG.

So a dilemma of sorts...
An upside of me being sick was the fact that food was not a priority.
This as a result of my throat feeling like it was covered in broken glass,
making every mouthful an effort.
But eventually it had to get to a point where I needed to get back to training.
I missed two half marathons, but I knew that there was no way
I would have been capable of running either of those.
(As an aside, with age comes wisdom...back in the day
I would probably gone back to running/training despite my symptoms)
Finally, I have been able to shake off whatever infection had attacked me
and I am gently getting myself back into shape.
The reason for this posting is that I know I am not alone.
This time of year there are many who get colds and flu
and who are too keen to get back to their training routine.
This can have severe repercussions later.
If, like me, you have been out of commission for any length of time,
then please take the long road back.

After 5 weeks of no training at all,

I was able to go out and run this...

Was it easy?

No it was not, but I persevered and completed!

My second run this week.

Perhaps I bit of more than I could chew,

but I have to admit that I did walk for a short distance.

Considering that I had been running 21.1km's just a few months ago,

this might be seen as a "set back".

I would like to see it as a step forward in getting back to full fitness.

I was told that I should only increase my running distance by more than10% a week

 in order to get back to optimal fitness. 

Not easy when all I REALLY want to do is run...fast. 

But a small increase of about 20m this morning saw me running 

a couple of sub 6 minute kms!

I have mapped out my road races for the rest of 2017,

and hopefully I will be back to 100% fitness by the end of July.

I have "forced" myself to return to gym.

It all was so easy 6 weeks ago...now even the rowing machine mocked me.

But I was there...and I did about 30 minutes which is a start.

I thought that I could pick up where I left off 6 weeks ago.

I was sadly mistaken! 

I know from past experience that it takes 21 consecutive days

 to set a habit (either good or bad), so only 20 to go...

Once more the open road beckons,

but it might be a month or two before I am back to "full strength".

That being said, I know that long term victories are better short term gains.

I want to make certain that my come back to full fitness is done correctly.

To this end I will be monitoring my progress carefully.

Getting upset about missing races is not conducive to positive gains 

If necessary, I will re-asses my running goals for the year.

Slowly, slowly...no matter how frustrating is the best option.

Routine...or getting back to it is what is important

and to that end, I am making a concerted effort to reclaim that focus.

There has been an upside to being ill.

I lost 6kg's which has taken me to my goal weight...

after almost two years of "fighting" to rid myself of those final kgs!

I am not certain if I am 100% ready to begin the Monday Challenge yet.

But I am willing to give it a try...

Yes I can!

My continuing commitment to myself for 2017.

The 2107 Hollard DARE Devil Run.

I have read about this event for several years now.

But until this year I did not have the "balls" to tackle it.

The thought of being in a Speedo, in a public space actually made me want to vomit.

For most of my adult life I have had body image issues,

most all of them imagined rather than actual.

But THIS year I figured it was time to venture forth...

Some of the participants got into the swing of things,

with accessories and body paint.

I, on the other hand, only had my tattoos for "protection"...

This image was my watershed moment, 

when I figured "what-the-heck"...

there are 3000 other guys who are in a similar situation.

Just in case the participants did not know the way to the start...

But all that was required,

was to follow the rest of the guys in purple Speedos

Or, as in this case, purple hard hats as well.

I had thought that it might rain,

as it had done so the afternoon before the race.

But, as it turned out, the weather played along

and sunscreen was being applied liberally.

Even the wind that had been present in the morning, 

died down literally as the gun went off.

Father and son...

What a great way to bond!

This event was not billed as a race, rather a run...

but even then it could be walked if one wished to do so.

Neither was it was not about fitness levels,

it was a "vehicle" to make men more aware of the cancers that are specific us.

3000+ men and boys took to the streets of Parktown.

At the start,

watch the video clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LOTn_IVO88

Good advice!

If you have not had a prostate exam, please do so sooner than later.

If caught in the early stages it is curable...so get checked on a regular basis.

From the course:

Watch the video clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eauiizQeNjw&spfreload=10

Literally any Tom, Dick and Harry can run...

Even Batman was there!

Without his Batsuit and cape, but he was wearing a mask.

This is a sobering reminder.

It is more common than you think.

A "rainbow nation" of men that were out on a balmy Johannesburg afternoon.

Was there traffic interference?

There certainly was seeing that the run was taking place on a Friday afternoon.

But most of the "stuck" motorists seemed to take it in good spirits.

I did notice a lot of then were taking pictures etc.

No doubt to send home or to the office

to show why they were going to be late.

Oxford road at a standstill...

A big "Thank You" to the JMPD officers as well as all the other marshals.

A thankless task when faced with upset drivers.

One our way back down Jan Smuts Ave on our way to the finish

A bit of "trail running" to get us across the finish line,

which was in a different place to the start.

Bringing it home...

Well done!

My thoughts post race

Watch the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2FHYlGOHX0&spfreload=10

It was thanks to this on-line community

that I have been able to return to road running.

www.sleekgeek.co.za

To find out more about the club,

visit their website:

http://www.randburgharriers.co.za

Yes I can!

And YOU can too.

The age old question

"How do you eat an elephant"..."one piece at a time"...

applies to the tasks set in this challenge as well.

I used to run the races by breaking them into 5km segments,

then one of the guys I was running with suggested that 3x7m,

sounds shorter than 4x5+1...

This is my commitment to myself,

and by extension to my family as well.

There will  be days that I don't feel like training

but I will persevere!