We Run This Town!

When the year started off, I never could have imagined myself becoming an avid runner, but I shocked myself with my very first run and I’ve been running since then. There’s something about running that is just so addictive, it’s always a challenge to prove to myself I can go further each time and with each record I break I feel great and liberated.

When I found out about the Nike We Run Jozi 10km race the entry into this competition had closed. I was excited when I saw an email in my inbox from Vitality letting me know that I could win possible entry into the race if I ran 5km and uploaded the run via Nike plus. That weekend I set out on a 5km run that ended as a 8.70km run with the local running club. The following Monday afternoon I squealed with excitement as I got an email confirming that I had qualified to get a special entry via Vitality to get into the race and I managed to get my sister in as well which made it even more exciting.

The week would now be filled with preparations for the race! Unfortunately, I never managed to get all the training time I would have wanted but nonetheless I was determined to do this. This would be my first official 10km night run in the City and I was in it to finish it!

 

Race day came Saturday 12 October 2013. I was super excited so was my sister, we geared up early so that we could get to the race on time. Just getting into the running shirt which was personalised with our names was just amazing, the reality that we would actually do that run sunk in and a certain level of nervousness set in, but that was not to be a deterrent!

When we arrived at the venue, the atmosphere was amazing, the vibe, the levels of excitement among the runners was just electric! Everyone there was super excited to be taking part in the biggest night race in the country and there was a sense of pride knowing that we would be the one in ten thousand people moving the inner city of Johannesburg CBD.

We all got into the line to start the race, there were thousands of people but we managed to worm our way through the crowds and get closer to the front. The race began and it was amazing! There was a huge, beautiful fireworks display which made it all even more exciting. We decided to pace ourselves so that we wouldn’t run out of energy.

 

After the first two kilometres I felt side pains, that was the first hurdle and I decided that I would continue going no matter what came my way, I walked and jogged a bit and it seemed to get better, at this point my dear sister was cruising way ahead and I let her go ahead as she would be my personal marker.

The race took us from the M1 south past Mooi street and into Joe Slovo into the notorious Hillbrow area of Johannesburg CBD. Hillbrow is known for its high levels of crime, and for being home to many immigrants that start off in the country when they first arrive, it’s by no means the ‘burbs’ that a lot of us are used to. The buildings are once glorious but now run down, there’s a lot of street art in the form of graffiti, and it is home to one many drug lords and gangs, I could go on about Hillbrow but one thing that struck me about the place was the people. I never would have imagined setting foot in Hillbrow but I did because of the run. Hillbrow was alive with its entire people screaming and cheering the runners on. There was loud music blurring from all corners and there was even a water point within the inner city location. The people of Hillbrow had welcomed us and when many of the participants felt like giving up, they cheered us on.

On the last leg of the race, I felt like giving up but I was determined to do this. As I approached the Nelson Mandela Bridge which was beautifully coloured I knew we would be getting to the finish line and I had to press on. I like many people around me was super exhausted but it was the last final stretch and although I was not in it to win it I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. As I saw the finish line and the timer on the side, I began to run with all the little ounce of energy I had left within me! I had done it and was super proud of myself! I got through the finish line at exactly 1 hour 30 minutes……not bad for a novice runner and first time night race!

Everyone was relieved that they had done it and completed the race without a hitch! I for one was glad it was done, I could relax and my then my nerves had calmed down. I managed to locate my sister who had managed to clock in 15 minutes before me doing a total run of 1hour and 15 minutes. Impressive. As the night came to an end, I could happily say that we came, we ran and we conquered! We had moved the city of Jozi and we had run this town! Next 10km race….I see you J

 

 

Turning Flab to Fab

Turning flab to fab is not the easiest thing to do, it takes a lot of effort and a massive lifestyle change. I have seen two friends transform over a period of years versus the quick weight loss we see on celebrities which usually takes a couple of weeks to shed off using unconventional methods amoung other things the maple syrup diet.

 

Just the other day I was driving home and Juicy J's Bounce track came up and I was thinking just how funny it is that flab can be viewed differently, on one end having flabby bits can be interpreted as a sign of good health in certain cultures showing that the people eat well and are well taken care of while in certain hip hop and rap culture having flabby bits comes in handy for those that entertain via twerking.

 

On a real note body flab is actually telling you something about your lifestyle or maybe an indicator of potential health conditions that may affect one later on in life. While I am not a medical doctor or qualified registered phyisician I came accross an interesting article in the Women's Health magazine that helped me realise some potential dangers of having certain types of flab on one's body. I have quickly listed these below and potential causes in the hope that it brings a certain level of awareness regarding body bits and things.

 

1. Chubby Cheeks, also known as the moon face are usually caused by by drinking too much alcohol and experiancing a high amount of stress. I love my chubby cheeks, infact i think they have always been like this so I hope you like me do not have to worry too much about this one. But if you work in a stressful environment, you might need to look at ways of reducing your stress levels to prevent them chubby cheeks or if you drink, you would certainly need to cut down or cut out the booze!

 

2. Flabby arms, sometimes referred to as bingo wings, these are most likely caused by toxins and not lifting up things enough.

 

3. The stubborn boep (tummy). This is most likely caused by high stress levels, hormonal issues or simply eating badly. Its important to note that tummy fat is probably the most dangerous type of flab to have as these fat cells are more active and secrete hormones which cause insulin resistance and can in time cause diabetes.

 

4. Love handles which are commonly called muffin tops. The most likely causes are too much sugar and excess oestrogen.

 

So what can most people do to turn the flab into fab???? Exercise and keep active as this reduces stress levels and kicks in the happy hormones. Cut out the alcohol or reduce the intake of alcohol to ensure your proper health (hic hic, a bit of a tough one i know). Cut out the sugary treats......well i guess you can have some sugary treats once in a while but generally cutting out sugar makes a huge difference when it comes to cutting out the flab. and most importantly eat clean. I believe eating clean has been a running theme in my blog posts in the last month and I cannot stress how important this is. There are certain foods that act as catalysts to help to fight the flab shown below.

 

 

 So next time you hear Juicy J's Bounce or anyother song telling you to shake what your momma gave you, think long and hard if those bits you are shaking maybe a hazard to your health or not and if so make a plan to turn that flab into fab!!

 

 

 

Week 2 - Dream Body Fitness

I used to think I knew my stuff when it came to gyming properly but boy was I wrong. I started week 2 of my training for the Dream Body Fitness program with a 30 minute training session every alternate day, I eagerly received the training program which I thought was way too simple as it was something I was used to doing. It turns out I wasn't quite doing those push-ups, squats and crunches quite right. After the first session with the fitness Marshall I was aching all over! I remembered my similar experience a couple of months back with Gerald one of the personal trainers at Virgin, this was just as bad!

I however managed to gel into the program in that week and it has become easier thanks to the help from the fitness coaches that are always assisting from the moment you walk in to the time you complete your work out. With week 2 came a new eating plan...whoop whoop, I am now able to eat fruit but certain fruits so long as these are not high in sugar and finally I can at least have some carbs in the morning and have nutritional holidays on 2 days of the week.

Its amazing how I have become so aware of what certain foods can do to my weight just by going through phase 1 of the eating plan, in week 1 alone I lost 3.5kg just by cutting out sugar and carbs. In week 2 I have also managed to lose some fat but at the same time I have gained muscle which I am told is a good thing........I on the other hand could only picture myself with massive muscle and freaked out when the fitness coach assured me I would not look like a body builder!

Week two also had some challenges as there was a public holiday, more specifically braai day in between.....you all know a braai ain't a braai without some meat, potato salad, rolls and some good old traditional sadza! I couldn't help but help myself to a little. With the guilt of munching down I eventually managed to stick to my program and maintained the clean eating for the rest of that week.

I am happy to report that I am still going strong with my salad or veggie eating even now as I am in week 3. I am starting to see the result of 'clean eating'!

Its not easy cutting out the food we love such as the sweet treats but clean eating will definitely give you the result that you want. as hard as it is it always pays of but most importantly it requires a lot of discipline! I walked into a bakery this afternoon for my lunch break full of treats.

I am happy to say that I didn't go buck wild and order a storm and munch the treats down. I am soldiering on on this very tough journey but I can't wait to see the result weeks from now:)