Asterix and Obelix take it to Bondi

My first ever City to Surf in Sydney with the Bean, yesterday, with 75,000 of my closest friends. Completed the course, enjoyed ourselves: not bad for a small one who's 8, and another who's not very race-fit. We had prepared well, with practice runs around Newcastle, discussions and costume preparations, and the other half of the family briefed on the meeting point for a picnic at the beach afterwards.

Well, we had an absolute blast! Running down into the red start group, as we made our way to our blue start group, we nearly got cleaned up by the FAST runners - and got a great rev from seeing them go. At the Kings Cross tunnel, I could see it dawning on him that this whole thing was going to be an 'event' all the way to the beach. We shouted ourselves hoarse at the footbridge, where the other half of the family was watching, heard the rustling of the drinks stations well ahead of seeing it at Rose Bay, ran up Heartbreak Hill at a steady pace, walked whenever he said walk, then he took off and ran again. I just stayed with him, and had plenty of energy left at the end - I am just that much fitter after the gym in Cork. (thanks Jamaican in Cork for the motivation!). We people-watched the whole way, had drinks, chatted, jogged, patched his heel close to Bondi and kept going the whole way! We were snapped at the finish line, didn't know this at the time, but V proud we were. A flood of tears, overwhelm, at the finish made me realise that I'd worried a lot about what I was putting on this small boy, but he's made of stern stuff.

Then in the bright winter sunshine at Bondi, with the sea brilliant green-blue and the skate-park in full flight, we picnicked among all the other smiling groups with red ribbons and medals around their necks. Me: elated, really enjoying this whole thing, and a definite starter for next year. Savouring what I'd looked forward to for 14 years - doing the C2S with my own child. Yes, a fine, long time coming - and we'll get under 100 minutes no bother.

That evening, back in Newcastle, a very tired, proud boy put his arms around my waist and said he'd like to do that with me another 24 times, then he'd get the cloth badge for 25 years' C2S completion too, just like the one we'd seen on a tattered old white shirt on the course today. Of all the things I thought of to say to that, I just squeezed him back, my eyes filled with tears - and said none. Treasure.

It's worth it!

This going to the gym, battling with constant demotivation, tiredness, setbacks. It's worth it.

Skiing this week, (and how that even sounds) for the FIRST time ever, I was able to keep my legs and feet going in the same direction. Keep my breath, keep working on the cross-country piste in the clear sunshine, just long enough to see if I could get the hang of it. And get up again the next day, do something with the boys, sled a while, run across the field to get the cars and move them again, and still be ok at the end of the day. This sounds small, but is an achievement - I could NOT have done this for a week, 6 months ago.

So that's great motivation to go back, and go even harder, just keep going. Just when I'd thought it was all going nowhere. And I'll need a harder programme again too. My Painterwoman friend is blunt: if you're not seeing results, you're not working hard enough. Go back and crank it up to 8! Do more reps. Think of being in labour - it's not called labour for nothing, she says!. So this is not called a workout for nothing...

I'm not thinner, sad, but I DO have more endurance, more power. And a calmer mind, more able to deal with all the rest of the pieces which are now my life.

And now for some Motivation

Have decided to join the gym, around the corner, for the discount rate of E300 for a year. I tried for a 6 month commitment, but the deal isn't offered for that. So we'll just see.

It's been a process of elimination: can't attend a course with regular hours, as Leathermanman's shifts change, and then every month or so, we'll want to go away for a week. Needs to be vigourous, to give me a place to vent frustration, sweat, go hard, move fast. Oh and if I could lose the weight I gained in my stressful job earlier this year, that'd be great too. Can't attend classes, should be cheap because of all our other expenses. So. Here tis.

Very exciting to start, feels like I'll be able to take this seriously here, while I'm not working or studying or what. My own little thing to commit to. Better than just being there for everyone all the time. Much.