Week 1: done!

Hi!

So I think that I need to write smaller posts, more often, rather than having everything build up so that when I post, I have a million things to tell you and I don't know where to start!
 

Princess Kate today

Like now.

I'm not even going to pretend to myself that this post is going to be refined and in some kind of order.  When is it ever? :) (Also, I will be decorating with out of order photos...meaning that the photos will make sense once you've read through the whole post!)

So today is the end of Week 1 of my 9th round!  It's been interesting...

I might quickly start though with a quick update from where I left off on my last main post.  That whole week (leading up to Week 1), to be honest, was pretty crappy.  If I had left hospital with some sort of answer of whether I have new clots - even if it was a semi kindly "we truly don't know", I would have felt better.  Good news would have made me feel relieved, on top of the world,

Team Brisbane at the Mother's Day Classic

like I could tackle anything.  Bad news, well, I was ready for it and knew what I would have had to do.  Even an honest chat with me, that they just can't tell me either way, would have been something.  But instead I left after being belittled, physically talked over, as I lay in bed.  And I was totally confused.

I got into my GP on the Tuesday night.  I had my discharge letter, and was a little more relaxed, ready for him to set the record straight so I could work out my next steps.  I sat down, down to business and asked him the same question I asked the doctor and nurse in the hospital: "could I have clots elsewhere, and should I be concerned."

His verbatim answer?

"Could we (Earth) get hit be a meteor tonight?"

I was in shock.  Seriously, not now.  I don't need this now.  Just will someone please explain this to me??  I stared at him and after pausing out of shock, answered slowly and quietly: "No...."

He said: "well, we could!  And you could have clots!  Probably not, but you could!"

The rest of the conversation wasn't much better.  It got to the point I couldn't talk and ask him my other main question because I knew I was going to burst into tears.  I held it in until I was in the dog food aisle at Coles next door.  I don't even own a dog.  But I stared at those dog tins for ages, trying to calm down and shield my face from other shoppers.  I didn't understand

Cold nights calls for training gear UNDER my onesie to go to sleep

what was happening and I didn't understand why now 3 medical professionals couldn't just speak to me normally!

I booked into another doctor the following night.  By the time I sat down with her, I was a mess and apart from the dog food aisle tears, cried my heart out for the first time since this scare had began.  But fortunately, she was the best of the lot.  She explained things as well as she could, which was all I was after.  She didn't know if I had a clot; I knew that she couldn't tell me that.  That's cool.  I just wanted more information so I could understand my situation.  The issue of concern, was my history, my symptoms, and the positive blood test.  And my sky rocket anxiety.  

Long story but as a result, I had to pull out of traveling interstate that weekend (for a

I just adore this girl...Leah

weekend away that I had planned) and was pretty much ordered to rest.  There was an elevated risk if I flew, especially while I still had the symptoms.  Also it was to the point where I realised that my anxiety may have been causing the same symptoms that I was anxious about in the first place!  A bit of an awkward cycle!  So as per doctors orders, I needed to try and relax my body.  It's pretty upsetting when you have to cancel something as big as travel plans.  But potential serious health risks are even more upsetting...so I knew what had to come first.

It wasn't the best time.  But I did what I had to do.  I took a 3 day weekend and rested.  I played and explored with my 1 year old niece, I was a hand and foot model for a beauty school and got a free manicure and pedicure, (which was one of my recent weight rewards!) and I didn't exercise at all for the first two days.  I went out and about a fair bit but made sure they were quiet activities, and spent the rest of the time at home.  I even did most of pre-season for the May round.

By the time Tuesday rolled around, my symptoms had lessened.  This is going to be my life

12WBT water...run like you stole something :)

probably forevermore...having scares like this.  It's upsetting but I know that I'm lucky to be here to have scares.

I started this round off strong on Monday, everything was pretty perfectly marked off the list!  Spot on nutrition, I burnt 1500 calories (!), and I drank all my water and had all my sleep.

Then Tuesday.................I started getting sick.  AUGH.  (Just a cold).

I may be a regular at the Royal Brisbane Hospital but I'm blessed with a pretty kick ass immune system, and I can usually shake colds off as soon as they start.  I didn't

disappoint myself this week either :)  I stopped it in it's tracks by Thursday before it really hit me (one of my talents!) but my breathing was not good.  I went to boot camp on Wednesday night - it was weights but each time I did the limited cardio from the session, I struggled with my breathing.  The cold air wasn't helping, so I didn't exercise at all on Thursday or Friday.

By Friday/Saturday, I felt sluggish and I felt disappointed in myself.  I felt like it had been longer since I excercised because Tuesday is my usual rest day and Wednesday's boot camp was a short session for me thanks to me being late thanks to traffic and having to leave early to get to Marathon School.  So I felt like I hadn't done much since Monday and it started

I ran today for Julie

getting to me.  Thursday and Friday were genuine rest days from being sick, but Saturday (yesterday), well that was me starting to fall into a bit of a trap and I didn't exercise despite me being able to :(  And in turn, my food wasn't great.

I think I've been a bit disappointed in my not so perfect week, together with stressing a bit about my cruise, which is next week.  I'm looking forward to it SO

much!  Oh so much - don't get me wrong. 

But I'm worried about the food aspect.  A cruise = food on tap 24/7.  It's all you can eat, at least 8 meals a day....it's fantastic!  But not so great when you're trying to lose weight.  I'll speak about the food another day, but exercise wise, I've scoped out the ship's amenities and it has a running track, a gym and a sports court!  So I will be making myself be well acquainted with these areas.

Today though, Sunday, was pretty good.  I had the Mothers Day Classic on - I did the

8km run and also volunteered in the 12WBT marquee with a group of lovely girls.  I think it was just what I needed.

The run was my first event since the Twilight Half and I really needed a confidence boost after that.  And I got that today.  It was a good run and I did it alongside my beautiful friend Mel, who, before today had run 3km.  Today she ran the whole 8km!  She more than doubled her best distance and I'm so incredibly proud.  

It was just nice and laid back and went really quickly.  I didn't prepare too well though, and

At least I was colour coded!

ran in my long sleeved 12WBT shirt (silly girl!) and was so hot...I also found myself at the start line with this lovely blue head piece!  I forgot it was on my head from the 12WBT photo booth area!  Fortunately I was able to give it to Julie just in time, to take back for me!  But no, the run was actually really good.

But the marquee experience itself was the other thing that I needed.  The lovely girls I shared the morning with, Mel, Julie, Leah, Lannie and Rina who completely warm my heart; the most kind 12WBT staff, Julie and Fleur who just make me feel so positive about myself, and the members and friends and strangers who came and visited, all of them, working and laughing and taking selfies, and speaking about the program that has changed my life, was just so inspiring and motivating for me.  I did a lot of thinking today and I know that today was a stepping stone in a more positive direction for me next week and beyond.  

I didn't have a bad first week, it was actually pretty bloody good...my symptoms have pretty much gone away and I think I'm ok in that field...I got myself set up well for the round, I dropped a good amount of weight on weigh in day, I started my first round of Lean & Strong

This week was an eye opener...!

(and love it by the way!), I got heaps of star stickers on my sticker chart, I made mostly good choices, I listened to my body, I learnt about Secret Womens Business at Marathon School (eeek...now that was a scary lesson!), I did one of my planned events, I got reminded that I have some amazing people around me, and I got a medal!  A week where you get a medal can't be a bad week, now, can it? lol

This weeks star tally was:
-Nutrition: 4/7
-Training: 5/7 (if I'm sick and I take a rest day I can still get a sticker, it has to be genuine though.  Yes, two days weren't genuine) ;)
-Sleep: 2/7
-Water: 1/7
Hmm have to try better!

Oh also!  I started (well, for those who follow me on Instagram, restarted, my new

Operation Size 10 Red Dress

#operationyellowdress, called "Operation Size 10 Red Dress"!  I'm working to get into this dress...this is Week 1's photo.  See here for all of the details...or the link is at the top of the page. :)

I'll do my best in Week 2 and will try and check in here before I sail out to sea...I think I have a bit of goal reassessing / tightening to do.  Thanks to everyone who was part of my week, in any small way.

Love Coco.............the girl who's always figuring things out and always has so much to say xoxooo

#runselfie

Mel just did her first 8km!  Being hugged my Julie :)

PINK!

All my bits and pieces!

Check out that cal burn!

Last week I did my "Just for me" challenge!  I went for a walk...it may not sound like much but I don't do that anymore...I run everywhere...it was nice to take some time out on a Friday after work...I really loved it :)

This is the most beautiful present from my friend Mel today to say thanks when she didn't need to.  Butterfly card, wrapping paper and muffin wrappers, 12WBT recipe muffins along with calories, a butterfly balloon and butterfly's on the muffins...the most thoughtful gift ever <3