Climbing into Adventure

On October 10th this year, I will be running in the Melbourne Marathon as part of the Lonely Planet team, helping raise awareness and much needed funds for Motivation Australia.

Motivation Australia is a not for profit charity that works to enhance the quality of life of people with mobility disabilities in the Asia Pacific Region. People without a wheelchair are virtually prisoners in their own homes. They are denied their right to mobility, independence, access to employment, the ability to participate in family, community and social events.

As a team, we are hoping to raise $20,000. If you can help with a donation, please click here to go to our fundraising page.

Thanks for your support.

(extracted from Runners World - Dec 08)

They're in our cars and gym bags. They sit on our desks at work and at home. So with all the warnings out there about how plastic water bottles are bad for us, Runners World did some research and came up with the following results:


BOTTLED WATER
The polyethylene terephthalate
ethylene (PETE) in these bottles
doesn't contain BPA, but when
scratched or heated, other chemicals
could be released into your water
Experts take: use just once





SOFT PLASTIC BOTTLES
Low-density and high-density
polyethylene bottles are BPA-free,
but they plastic degrades with heat
and harsh soaps
Experts take: a good choice but hand
wash and rise regularly.







OLD NALGENE BOTTLES
These were made of polycarbonate,
which contains BPA. BPA can get
into water, especially when the
plastic is heated
Expert's take: Recommend the
new BPA-free versions








STAINLESS-STEEL BOTTLES
Stainless-steel bottles are dishwasher
safe, scrubable, and free of plastic
Expert's take: this is your
best choice

Day One

Loch Sport, a gateway to Victoria's Riviera, in between Lake Victoria in the Gippsland Lakes and Ninety Mile Beach, a water wonderland surrounded by National Parks - this was to be our home away from home for the Queen's Birthday long weekend.

The 4.5hr drive from Melbourne took us through the towns of Gippsland and by lunch we were at our destination. With choices of beach front camping between Honeysuckles and Golden Beaches, or bush camping on the western shores of Lake Victoria, we opted for the beach which seemed a bit quieter at this time of year.

Arriving in the drizzling rain, we set up our tent and overhead tarp as the forecast was for a wet weekend. C7 was an entire camping spot to ourselves with its amazing locality of only a 30 second walk to the beach.

Car camping is still a bit foreign to us seeing as much of our past camping has been with hiking packs, but we are beginning to fall in love. Real pillows, bottles of wine, mountains of food and extra dooners to keep us warm - we were ready for a weekend of warmth and comfort.

Forgetting to pick up some firewood on the way down from Melbourne, it was lucky that the local store just 5 mins up the road at Golden Beach was heavily stocked. Although it was $25 for about 15 bits of wood, it was definately worth it (and seeing as there were no camping fees we couldn't be too stingy). As the sun went down, the cold settled in and it was time to get that fire started. The oversized mozzies seemed to disappear at the perfect timing as as our meal was ready to eat. The compulsory marshmallows weren't far away and as our stomachs thanked us for the delicious sweet, we soon found ourselves asleep under the stars.

Day Two

Surprised to not have had a drop of rain overnight, we woke up to a lovely crisp air and dewy surroundings. The spider webs on the tea trees were beautiful in the morning sun and the crashing of the waves could be heard in the still air. With no plans for the day, we took a 2 hour return walk along the southern stretch of 90 Mile Beach. An amazing array of shells littered the beach and we soon found ourselves at a ship wreck on the sand. As the incoming tide swallowed up the base, we used this as our turning point to head back to camp.

A lazy lunch and a few hours of reading our magazines / books, we certainly were taking it easy. So much so that we were feeling guilty for not doing anything at all before our entree of cheese and biscuits, main of vegetable curry, desert of custard and pears, marshmallows, red wine, chocolate and milo........needless to say, we went to bed stuffed!


Day Three

After a sleep in and packing up camp, we drove 30mins to the town of Loch Sport. Taking the signposted Scenic Drive, we stopped at the Lookout Tower and went for the adjoining 10 minute loop walk which was lovely. We continued to drive up towards the campground at Emu Bight which has a fantastic camp ground with about 20 sites. Situated right on the shores of Lake Victoria, it has communal fire pits where you can do your cooking, but due to its location it comes with a camping fee.


Time restrictions did not allow us to do the full 20km drive up to Point Wilson as we planned to return to the car park at Dolomite Picnic area to go on a 4km walk. Walking on fire tracks and passing the swamp, we soon arrived at Oil Bore Landing and the amazing view of the lake. With no wind, the lake was like a small pond, with the only ripples coming from the passing boats. From here the track thinned as we followed the shoreline past Pelican Point and we soon found the track covered in grass, which went to show that not many people have been walking on this track in recent times. A rarity in many parks.










As the afternoon crept up on us, we decided to head back to the car and begin our journey back to Melbourne. Spending majority of the weekend wrapped in doonas, beanies and scarfs, it was actually really nice to appreciate our surroundings and the ocean's crisp fresh air, without having to share it with too many people.

Definitely a place I would recommend to spend a long weekend in the winter (or summer)!

Next time you’re on your last legs at the end of a long race, try a new motivational trick – swearing. Yes, that’s right, researchers have found that subjects could tolerate pain for longer when they were allowed to say the cuss word of their choice compared to when they used a non-profanity

(extracted from Women’s Health Magazine, Jan 10)

As winter begins, there’s a totally legit reason you always seem to fall off the workout wagon: the conventional approach to exercise almost forces you to bail out. That’s because the most common reasons given for exercising have very little to do with you.

It boils down to this – the more you do stuff you like to do, not what you think you should do, the more you’ll keep doing it. It’s called Intrinsic Motivation and experts say there are three subtle shifts in your outlook which can keep you on track.

STEP 1 TAKE CHARGE

Appoint yourself CEO of your fitness decisions. Ask yourself why you want to exercise at all. If the answer is that your mate casually dropped the phrase "muffin top" when you were jeans shopping, your efforts are probably doomed. But if you decide to get fit because you want to feel stronger or healthier, you're more likely to succeed, because the end result means something to you.

Find a form of exercise you enjoy so much you'd do it even if it weren't good for you. If the mellow vibe of yoga brings you bliss, light up some incense and roll out a mat. If slamming a tennis ball is more your thing, join a club or sign up for lessons. Perhaps most important: if you truly despise running on the treadmill (or doing crunches or taking spin class), don't! If you're invested in what you're doing, your performance will improve - that will feed your desire to go back for more.

If you honestly can't equate exercise with fun, set specific goals. Working your way up to three no-cheating-allowed push-ups? Finishing your first 5km run? Whatever your goal, it can help you stay motivated for the short term (and the long).


STEP 2 GIVE YOURSELF PROPS FOR PROGRESS

The problem: When it comes to working out, women are notorious for seeking a comfort zone. Once we master a new skill (like holding plank position for 60 seconds or running at a 10-minute 2km pace), we stick with it because, hey, we know we can do it. But it also impedes progress and breeds big-time boredom.

The solution: mix things up and push yourself. "Changing the intensity and type of exercise trains the muscles differently, and you'll start to see improvements more quickly," says Wilson. For example, increase the weight you're lifting and the number of reps and sets by 10 per cent every week. The same goes for your cardio - increase the amount in 10 per cent increments each week. Do this for three weeks, and then drop back down to where you started on week four to let your body rest.

Next, write everything down. A workout log functions not only as an exercise checklist but as a concrete record of how far you've come - a way to motivate yourself if you become frustrated. And don't compare yourself to anyone else. Once you start focusing on you, your confidence will grow and ignite a cycle of positive reinforcement that will keep you hooked.


STEP 3 MAKE IT SOCIAL

Besides the dirty martinis, there's a reason you go to happy hour every week. You get to socialise, laugh, and hang out with friends. It makes you feel connected. Making your workouts more like happy hour (without the alcohol) will put you well on your way to stoking your inner motivator.

Start by finding like-minded workout buddies. If you go to a gym, get to know a few of the trainers - even if your relationship is limited to their giving you pointers on form. If you don't love gyms, hook up with a friend who has a similar fitness level or searching the message boards of local clubs to find people who share your definition of fun. If you're a lone ranger at heart, don't sweat it. Just focus more on taking charge of your fitness and feeling good about your progress.

The ability to stick to a workout and get the body that makes you happy isn't the sole domain of professional athletes and Type A exercisers. You already have what you need within you: it's just a matter of tweaking your perspective so you can tap into what really gets you going.

Driving east from Melbourne, it doesn’t take too long to reach the ‘country’ and this is where I found myself last weekend. A birthday surprise from my husband, we had a weekend out near Warragul and a day of adventure.

We woke Sunday morning to the rain, winds and clouds and my thoughts were that whatever my surprise activity was would surely be canceled. Little did I know that in an just over an hours time, I would be underground where whatever was happening with the outside whether really didn’t matter! Labertouche caves were my playground for the day.


One of Victoria's longest caving systems and nestled in some of Gippsland's most beautiful forest, I felt like child who had just got what she always wanted for Christmas. A 15 minute downhill walk to the entrance of the cave, we stopped for a quick bite to eat. The ten other 'cavers' and I were eager to get discovering so with a quick check of our head torches and button up of our snazzy overalls, we were soon ready to go.

Taking it in turns to lead the group through the cave, we each were responsible for finding the reflective markers on the sides of the rocks to determine the way through. Our 20 year old guide was right behind us of course, and my initial concerns of ‘isn’t this guy too young to lead us’ were quickly diminished as I was informed that his dad is the writer of the caving guides for this area!

Due to the rain the day before, we spent some time crawling through mud and water (but that just made it all the more fun). Every few meters one of our group stopped to ensure we all went the correct way and it became like a leap frog system. Some tight squeezes got the heart racing about half way through, but the group's teamwork helped everyone come out safely.

Three hours later we saw the sky again and as the sun started shining, the mud on our faces, arms and legs started drying to create quite a comical scene. We were dropped off at the carpark where I met Chris and proceeded to tell him all about my amazing day for the 1.5 hour drive back to Melbourne.

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Tips on climbing into this adventure:-

• It can be wet and muddy inside the cave, so it’s a good idea to pack a towel, change of clothes and garbage bag

• if you get the option to wear knee pads - take it

• it can get quite squeezy in the cave at times which can bring fear for some. However just know that the guide would not take you in any place that wasn’t safe (if you go on your own without a guide, then that’s a different matter!)
  

You Yangs


There are not too many times in your life when you receive an invitation to a free event, run by one of Austalia's mountain biking champions, but this is the situation I found myself in when I went to the Giant MTB skills course for women in the You Yangs. Run by Jessica Douglas, Australia's 24 hour solo MTB champion, riders of all skill levels had an opportunity to learn from the best.

Putting myself in the beginner group (of course), we were taken by Jess and a few of her all-star friends to first learn how to jump over a log. Gaining the confidence to do this whether you were traveling at a fast or slow pace was extremely beneficial. Here are the main pointers:
- about 3 meters from the log stand out of your seat
- keep your legs bent and feet in an even horizontal position
- bend your arms by sticking your elbows outward
- just before you reach the log, straighten your arms by pushing them away from your chest

The most common mistake with jumping over logs is to try to pull the bike upwards (i.e. bringing your hands towards your chest). This decreases your momentum and stops you from going forward.


Next we went onto learning how to ride over the bumps & dips, ensuring the force was taken in our legs and not our backsides:
- stand up out of your seat, legs bent and feet horizontal
- bend and straighten your arms accordingly as you go down and up the dips
- ensure your legs stay bent to absorb the force
- if need be, pedal out of your seat to keep up the speed (do not sit down)


After about an hour we left Jess and went for some more tutorials with a few of her other friends. Along with learning the general aspects of mountainbiking like looking a few meters ahead of where you are actually riding, we also learnt about brakes and when to use your front or back (I had always used both).

Back brake
- used most often
- beware of skidding if on loose ground
- if you do start to skid, release the brake and then squeeze again to slow yourself down

Front brake
- only really used if you need to stop quickly to turn a corner / dodge an obstruction
- beware of squeezing too hard and flying over handlebars. To stop this, push your backside over the back wheel to shift your weight to the back of the bike
- using the front brake stops all bike motion whereas the back brake can still move you forward


We went on to practice our corners and the best way to help maintain your speed an accuracy:
- when you are turning, keep pressure on your inside hand and your outside foot
(e.g. if you are turning left, put pressure on your left hand and your right foot)


Riding back to the car park where our delicious BBQ lunch awaited us, we were asked to count how many times we used our brakes in a certain section of the slight downhill ride (this is where I had a "light bulb moment"). Normally, I would have touched both brakes at least eight times in this section, but only ended up touching the front brake twice. This showed me that I use the brakes way too often when there is no need to. Maybe now I can start winning some races!

Overall, it was an amazing day, learning simple but extremely useful information that leaves me less apprehensive and more excited about mountain biking. Now I'm off to join one of Jess' weekend courses to learn even more!


How to Climb into this Adventure:
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• Visit Jessica Douglas' website for info on upcoming courses
• Be open to learning new techniques, or trying them for the first time
• Take advantage of the opportunity to learn from some of the best women in this sport
  

EVENT TIPS
(extracted from Ultra Fit magazine - Issue 117)

Australia has the most organised ocean swimming season in the world. It lasts from October to March and major events attract up to 3,000 competitors. It's low cost to train and compete, easily accessible and is very social.

Ocean swimmers are exposed to swell, chop, wind, rips, marine life and other competitive swimmers (it's the other swimmers that pose the greatest challenge).

So let's assume you are a competent swimmer and can swim up to 2km in a pool environment, and now its time to swim in your first ocean event. Here are some handy tips to get you on your way.

Pre Race
- it is recommend you have a buddy to swim with you for your first race
- get the feel of the water before the race with a small swim in the ocean (up to 50m from shore)
- gauge if there is a current or drift that will affect your swim

The Start
- most races start with a dash from the sand. Try to run as far as you can in the water, lifting your legs high
- if the surf is big, go under the waves every time, it's the most efficient and safest way
- if you are a bit hesitant, you might want to try walking or slow running into the water to ensure you aren't short of breath due to the adrenaline rush

Rounding the Buoys
- this is where you are most likely to come unstuck
- if there is a pack around you at the buoy, be very careful and try to avoid being on the inside part of the turn (it's better to lose a meter or two than to get 'run' over)
- make up any lost ground after the turn

Drafting
- is allowed and a smart move in most cases
- tag behind another swimmer and save some precious energy as they cut through the chop and clear a smoother path for you
- be aware that someone else may be drafting behind you

The Finish
- practice your body surfing as this can make or break your finish
- when swimming into shore, look back for a potential wave to catch
- when running up the beach, be sure to actually run over the finish line and then move off. It is amazing how many simmers stumble up the beach and forget to cross the line


HOW TO TRAIN FOR YOUR NEXT OCEAN SWIM

- swim 1500m in the pool with occasional spurts for a lap or full minute
- work on kick strengh using a kickboard. Do 6 x 5 minute intervals
- practise your beach entry and exit, concentrating on body surfing

Camping & Walking Trip

As the new year rolls in, what better time to get away, back to nature for some peace and quiet. As part of my new year plan, I have decided to pre-book one weekend a month and dedicate it to camping. I'm still not sure where to go yet, but there are so many places to choose from!

For this weekend we chose Lerderderg Gorge. Only 1.5hrs drive from Melbourne and we found ourselves at the Upper Chadwick Campsite. We chose this over the O'Briens Crossing campsite as it was more remote (down a '4WD' track) which meant less people.

Setting up camp, we had a lazy afternoon walking up the dry river bed, reading under one of the many trees & enjoying a glass of warm red wine (as it was 35 degrees). Sleeping without tent fly on it was a suprisingly cool night. We had originally thought to leave the sleeping bag at home, but our decision to bring it for safety reasons proved very worthwhile.


Waking at the crack of dawn with the squarking cockatoos, we drove to the O'Brien's Rd / Cowan Track junction to begin our walk. Walking along the main road for a few hundred meters, we soon met the Short Cut Track which took us into the trees and then down down down. Such a steep decline - we were already thinking of the end of the walk and how hard it was going to be getting back up.

We soon reached O'Brien's Crossing and met the Lerderderg River. The next 3 hours took us to on an amazing walk with some beautiful views from within the Gorge. Walking quietly we managed to spot some goat (strangely enough) and a koala who was happy to pose for a few photos.

Just as we were thinking we had had enough of the river, we met the Cowan track which took us to a different type of scenery. Sparse trees on even wide ground compared to contouring on a reasonably thin track. Upsall Hill loomed ahead of us and up we went. The short 4 minute bursts of steep hills were actually not too bad as there was flat ground in between.


Meeting up with another walker as we were on the home stretch, he showed us a photo of an angry red belly blacksnake that he passed earlier. Making our way up our last hill together, we saw the familiar blue corolla waiting for us. As we had just reached the 5 hour mark, we were both very happy to sit down for the 1.5 hour drive home (with a quick stop in Bacchus Marsh for some well earned food).

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Tips on How to Climb into this Adventure:

• it is recommended you always carry a map with scale and contour lines to assist with any navigation (especially if you are not experienced)
• ensure that you take enough water for yourself (recommended minimum 1 litre for every 2 hours hiking)
• if you want to see wildlife try to be quiet whilst walking
• when walking in remote areas (especially in summer), be sure to brush up on your first aid skills (especially what to do in the event of a snake bite)
  

Take Responsibility of You

As we start a new year, many people find January to be a good time to make changes in their life. Sometimes change can be scary as it takes us out of our comfort zone and moves us in to the unknown. However, change is so important in all aspects of life.

If you are someone who is ready for change, here are some useful tips to MAKE IT HAPPEN:

• decide what it is you would like to change or achieve and write it down
  
• tap into some extra energy - write down 2 things that you can think about in challenging times that will keep you going
• take personal responsibility for the things that happen in your life - you are where you are at right now because of what YOU have done
• open your mind to new ideas
• believe that we can all change in an instant. The past does not equal the future
• believe something MUST change, not it should or could, it must
• get excited about life and how you are in control of it
• do it for 21 days and make it a habit