Work/Sickness/Good Food Pics - Getting A Job!!!!

Evolution of the pointy lipped dinosaur.

I've been quite busy lately with a new job that has involved night shifts in a warehouse.  Getting a job quickly became my priority when I moved to England as all the things I wanted to do relied on having money - classes, rent, self development, eating etc :)  I applied for over 50 jobs in 2 months and this is the one that came through, working with a temp agency.

I've only been at it a week and i'm sure there's many things I still have to learn from the job, but at the moment I work at night (usually 10pm - 6:30am) and sleep during the day and there is no time to do anything else.

My body is sore when I wake up and my hands are all cut and dry.

[Edit:  Added this a few days after writing this post]

I've also been sick for about two weeks (gettin better though) and got dry lips with a pimple underneath from the cream i've been putting on them - so felt a bit cracky when I woke up today (see above) hehe!!

I love the work in that it's really physical and I can just throw myself in there with music blasting etc but i'm aware that I don't have time for dancing etc.  Anyway, i'll give it a bit more time and see what happens - it's good to have some work and to be getting some cash!

The warehouse where i'm working.  

I started looking into food a bit more seriously recently as my body was craving some of the good stuff.  I was very happy therefore when I came across 'A Very Busy Mind' - an awesome blog by Cassie about food, fitness and life in general, very funny and with pretty pictures!!  She's also been sick lately too and so it has been funny to read some of her musings on this haha.

In homage to her blog, I took my current limited food supply this evening to create this meal!

Eggs A La Green Avocado Sunrays with salt, pepper and paprika drizzled in olive oil!

Close Up!!!

And for historical purposes, this is what I could afford at the local store tonight!

Milk for coffee, an orange for medicine!!!

Cassie was also talking about finding work and, as I have recently/am going through this, I thought I would share the following:

I bought it the other day and started reading it - he seems like a nice man and there are plenty of persuasive videos on his book here!

Alrighty, until next time, be strong and power on!!! Peace and love, Robin :) xxx

Creating A Food Schedule

I Love Blueberries!!!

Longevity, energy, health and enjoyment - that'sa the fooda I wanna eatta!!!

In developing my eating/food schedule, I started by writing a list of the foods I liked eating, then curiosity lead me to explore foods which contribute to longevity, energy, health and taste good too!  I merged the two lists and then creativity took over as I began to realise the benefits of eating food with color, nutrients and texture!

My schedule follows the exercise and intensity levels of my week - by mid week, i'm ready for a big steak as i'm in the middle of a heavy training schedule and need my energy and force, Friday night however I might go out and don't want a big curry in my stomach etc.

Making a food schedule:

• Assists me in making sure I eat good food necessary for my training schedule and longevity.
• Saves me money as I am planning meals and not 'impulse buying' more expensive products.
• Eliminates some stress by having such an important element of my lifestyle planned - ie it's already thought out and I can ensure I have all the energy I need to think and act to my full potential.

I'm also going to get a nutritionist so that they can advise me on what things I should be eating to support my training and give me maximum health and energy!  (These oily things sounds good!)

Monday (Light n Healthy)

Haven't worked out as much over the weekend so not really that hungry or needing big protein hit, lighter meal which sets up good, healthy vibe for the week.  

Tuesday (Getting Stuck Into It)

Body's ready to get going and starts to know what it's in for - I need something with a bit more punch that's gonna give me the lift into the week that I need.

Wednesday (Getttin Funky)

Yep, we in it, ready for a big steak and some hard work, ready to get goin!

Thursday (Celebration)

Thursday is a bit of a celebration night as the middle of the week is over, i've probably done some of my harder workouts, and i'm ready to both absorb lots of good nutrients and protein but also have some relaxation and comfort and congratulate myself by enjoying a richer meal.

Friday (Partay!)

Similar to Monday's vibe, I want something light and healthy as later on in the night there may be other unexpected meals had!

Saturday (Tradition)

The Sunday Roast of meals, something a bit more dignified and detailed and heavier.  More time goes into this meal and I like to think of it as a meal that can be shared and that has had thought put into it.  It's the sacred, traditional dinner, with wine, table settings and serviettes a plenty!

Sunday (Safe)

The week is done and we are ready for another one.   Reasonable heaviness but not too heavy that I will be sluggish on Monday morning.  Healthy, light and fruity!

I'll be putting recipes and other cool food stuff on my food page, so stay tuned!

Happy, Healthy Eating To You!!! :) xxx

Longevity

I had a magnetic moment with a book in the local public library, my eyes locked on it and had instance focus - it was called 'The Parkour & Free Running Handbook'.  The first few pages got me in and focussed on the physical body, anatomy and discipline.  I borrowed the book and later was introduced to the concept of longevity in a physically active life.

"The physical aim of parkour is to be as functionally fit, strong and capable for as long as possible in life - to become the best version of yourself that you can - not to explode out of the blocks, have a few years energetic practise and then stop because of injury or overstraining of the body.  Parkour is an art of living, a way of approaching not only your environment, but also your life".

One of the earliest practitioners of parkour, David Belle, can be seen in the video below.



I found this information very valuable - it gave me a sense of calm and an approach to training that will remain strong but incorporate a longer term vision and more defined purpose.  It also influenced my search into foods that assist in longevity and reminded me of an article I read on the New York times website about a 'death defying house' where uneven floors and unconventional design and architecture promote dexterity, strength and attentiveness.

And then there is Bette Calman, the 83 year old lady still teaching and practising yoga!  Go Bette!!!

Am I On Track?

This was a topic I brought up with my coach in our last session. I wanted to get her feedback on whether I was on track for achieving my primary goal of winning 'So You Think You Can Dance Australia - 2011'.

Firstly, I was asked to identify the criteria that I would be judged on by the judges.  As I was in the competition last year, I was able to have a pretty clear idea of what they were looking for.  I also remembered some of the feedback from the judges which I would act upon such as 'dancing to your strengths' (~Matt Lee) .

Once these criteria were identified, I had to rate my competency from 0-10 in each area.  It's a simple concept but very helpful in gauging where you are at, where you want to be, and then formulating a MAP on how to get there.

For the time being, i'm keeping my battle plan to myself, but I wanted to share with you a way to check whether you are on track - Identify Your Success Criteria, Gauge Yourself on Where You Are and Where You Want To Be, and then make a MAP of how to get there.

Happy Travelling!!!

"Never Tell Me What You Can't Do!"

"Never tell me what you can't do!"
 - My coach's coach to her during training.

After her 40th, my coach decided to shed the 40lbs she gained after having children, and took up triathlon.  She completed ten marathons, six half and two full Ironman competitions, participated in the World Championships Duathlon and finished third in the National Championships Half Ironman all in the course of six years.

My coach and I were discussing how to act when experiencing an injury which reduces the amount of weight you can lift or exercises you can do.  Her coach's statement encapsulates the attitude one must take:

"Never tell me what you can't do!"

So the practical application of this is that you focus on the exercises you can do, if you can't use your arms, use your legs, if you can't do strength training, do cardio training.  It all needs to be done, and the gains you make in other areas will be a blessing in disguise once you return to your full capabilities and have that extra body awareness, extra technique and skills which you worked on when you had to.  

Take on the champions mentality - what do you do when things try to get you down, you find a way to keep going.  

Shout out to my G.P.A. Warriors 'We Don't Stop!'.  

Patience

Alrighty, well this is turning out to be an interesting week, I hurt my arm/shoulder/back towards the end of last week and have some sleepless nights because of it.  On Saturday morning I nearly spewed it was so sore, I couldn't even take of my singlet and my hands were trembling. Ouch! So this week, classes are back on again and I have to develop an approach that will allow me to stay active and provide the best conditions for healing.  So i'm thinking i'm just gonna run in the evening and not do gym too much.  I talked to someone who said salt may help in recovery.  But rest mainly.  Got some mild pain killers (aspirin) for this evening so I can have a little uninterrupted sleep which will be good.  The person I spoke to also did a little test to see if there was any nerve damage and there didn't seem to be, just a muscle sprain/tear thing which he said was good because it will repair.  So i'm gonna have a hot shower and stay positive and look at what this is teaching me - in boxing tonight I had to stay calm, even though I wanted to whack the shizz out of the pads, and just focus on technique and timing - it was good and I knew that when I could box again, I would be able to do it with so much more specificity and knowledge.  So that's all good.  And tonight in breakdance, I just focussed on top rocking and worked on a lil routine which was cool.  Time for a shower!!!

Standards

When I was living in New York, I had a gym teacher who pushed me further than I had gone before - she just expected me to do a martial arts/boxing class, followed by a spin class, followed by a substantial run. Since then the concept of doing 3 back to back classes at a gym has seemed normal to me. And so I would do this at my beloved gym in Australia, and now in England I am also doing 3 classes back to back 3 nights a week. So this has become my standard. I also remember when I was training in dance at University and we trained from 8:30am - 6:00pm every day. This was also the norm. The idea of being physically active all day does not seem odd to me, in fact it is something I have been trying to make happen for a while!

So I think it is important to remember, whilst you can congratulate yourself for achieving things, still remember the level you truly wish you were at, then look at the people who have achieved that sort of level, and see what they have had to do to get there - or even if you want to keep it more personal, where, specifically, do you want to be at, and how, specifically, are you going to get there and what standards are you going to have to have to ensure you do?

I love to surround myself with people at a higher standard, if possible the highest, as I think this rubs off and influences how you carry yourself and the standards you will set for yourself.

I've been influenced in this way by teachers and now I also exercise this influence on others, that of getting the best out of them and making sure they commit to a higher standard on a regular basis in order to achieve their goals.

It also operates on the micro-scale, within a process, for example a dance class - what is the standard of your concentration?  At what point are you going to give up, or are you going to keep going until you get what you have aimed for?  People often have more resources than they thought, I experience it myself, and I see others, when given a specific task and a bit of encouragement, exceed what they thought they could do. Their technique gets better, their strength improves, and they develop a better habit of attacking a problem - the attitude of don't give up.

Current abilities, or perceived abilities, are not fixed, they move according to your standards and expectations and what you believe in.  I encourage you to find something you want to achieve and move towards it - hold your standards high and follow through.  It's great fun.