Freedom Marathon

On the weekend we set off to NSW to go to the Freedom marathon. Its a beautiful spot in the rainforest near Nimbin. Its good to find shady spots to ride this time of year.

Here is our little set up :)

Camping is such a lovely thing to do.

Jules rode around the campsite standing on his bike and Gerodie got basic biking lessons from Jase. Chalk and cheese, but they have an amazing brotherly bond :)

<--I see this, and I think "he didn't get that from me!"
Then I think, we better get some knee and elbow pads stat!





There was a patch of burnt grass were someone There was a patch of black where someone had a fire before. It was a bit of a challenge to use the exact spot so as not to damage more grass. It was also harder with no rock ring as a wind break. So I am pretty happy with the little fire I got going.

We roasted marshmellows :)

The third room in our family tent was useful for storing our bikes safely and away from the elements.  

 Riding 5km is one thing. Riding 5km trying to keep up with Jules is completely another. He had to wait for me on occasion, but I did manage to cycle up all the hills. One of them I managed up in middle gear because my bike wouldn't change into low gear so I am happy with my effort. Here are our post event flushed faces, mine notably more pink than Jules'.


I wanted to look better in this event than I did in the Epic Family Fun ride. And I did, but pretty much only because I am lighter. I still have a very long way to go to learn to wear make up and do my hair and all that jazz. It was only a small event so there were no sports photographers, and I really didn't care. I was happy just to live in the moment. I didn't get many photos of myself because its not fun when you are obese.

 This is Geordie's first 5km family fun ride. He was so proud of himself when he finished. They gave him a sticker and he beamed with joy.

This is the start of the 45 km ride for Jason. Its a much more intimate and casual event than the epic but much more comfortable.








Here we are luxuriating while Jason wrangles with the hills. I can see the finish line from my campsite! Ahh this is the way to wait for Jase!









He's back!

Cold drink, feet up and some hot food!

(This gets you big brownie points with exhausted athletes)

After that we headed off to Ballina to see Jason's family. We were so happy with the dinner. They had two salads, watermelon, strawberries, chicken and pizza. Mostly I hoed into the salads and loved it. Jason is becoming much more nutrition conscious too which is fantastic.


Driving home again. Have to say I am so happy that all that fit into our weekend and our itty, bitty car!

Coco-Cherry-Crunch

Coco-Cherry-Crunch. One hell of a nutrient punch 

Delighted with finding frozen cherries in the supermarket I made a yummy brekkie today.

I blended chia seeds, cherries, cacao nibs, dark chocolate and light coconut milk. Add in a couple of whole cherries afterwards for a pleasant munch. Mum recommends adding in agar agar or gelatin to help it set. I started out with 1/4 cup of chia seeds and it was too filling to finish.

From the cherries you get: Melatonin, potassium, beta carotene, vitamin C, anthocyanins, quercetin. This helps with gout (lowers uric acid), fights cancer, relieves sore muscles, better sleep, reduces C-reactive protein(inflammation).

From the Chia you get: fiber, protein, calcium, antioxidants, omega-3s, magnesium, iron, phosphorous. Two tablespoons of chia seeds contain 18 percent of the DRI for calcium, 35 percent for phosphorus, 24 percent for magnesium and about 50 percent for manganese.

From the chocolate you get: Magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese, A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and pantothenic acid. Polyphenols (flavonoids), catechins, epicatechins, procyandins. Caffeine and phenylethylamine. The flavinoids reduce the blood's ability to clot and thus reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks. Phenylethylamine is a slight antidepressant and stimulant similar to the body's own dopamine and adrenaline. Cocoa and chocolate can increase the level of serotonine in the brain. Serotonine levels are often decreased in people with depression and in those experiencing PMS symptoms. Cocoa would be fine instead of cacao, just use what you have ;)

From the coconut you get: Manganese and copper and many would argue more as well. 

And it is pretty, which is important with food :)

I get to play too!

For Halloween I took the kids to a playcenter called Game On. It wasn't as Halloweeny as I was expecting but they had a really good time together.

One thing I liked was that the adults could go on the playstructure too! I actually did that for a few minutes untill Michelle turned up and I decided to be a good host and sit down with her.


I didn't have to sit down with her the entire time though. There are all these opportunities that I haven't seen as I have been viewing the world with fat thinking.

The kids loved the mini golf, electric animal and car rides, there was a disco as well. They wanted laser tag too, but I had to save money somewhere.


I tried really hard to choose a healthy meal. I got a salad. It was okaaay. In hindsight what I should have done was got the dressing on the side. I also ended up picking on the kids left overs... After that we snacked on some lollies. It is Halloween after all... It was a nice lazy way to mark the season without going to a lot of effort. Their friends slept over and got picked up Saturday morning.

On Saturday Jason got up early and went on a 65km bike ride!  It is with a group of great role models so I am so happy for him. It was a good time to do it as I was at circus most of the day. I know circus takes forever but it is great to see them be mentored by a group of lovely skilled athletes so its worth it to me.

We had an hour or two to chill together when I got home when we were off to... another party! Karen was hosting this one and there were heaps of yummy salads. I skipped the desserts and I don't think this one did much damage :) The kids had a really good time, riding scooters, bikes and pogo sticks. They were so well behaved. Jason and I spent most of the time chatting with the adults :)

Sunday we rested for a bit, did some chores and then took the kids to a skate park.

Geordie needed lots of encouragement, but got the hang of it. He was going down some impressive ramps by the end.

The traffic is chaotic. There are frequent near misses. But the kids just pull up quickly, and brush it off.



Ironically I think its very good for training road safety. Because you have to look out for 5 directions at a skate park, but only 3 or so on a road.









So yes, it makes me cringe, but as a whole its a smooth surface to fall on which means they don't get the nasty gashes you get from gravel.
















Jason thought buying them new scooters for Christmas was a bit over the top until he watched them for a couple of hours. Now he wants one of his own!

Monday morning I went for a bike ride, I took my dog Penny with me. She loved the run, but slowed me down unfortunately. It would be most convenient if she could be off leash and have a basket on my bike to jump into when she needs a rest. Thats not going to work though, as its not fair to owners if she runs up to their dog and they have a more aggressive dog. Still its ok to go slow sometimes for our lovely, loyal dog.

I was saying to Jason we shouldn't go to Velocity Park last night as we have his bike event on this Saturday and with Christmas coming I am starting to really feel the financial strain.

We decided to go anyway.

t was the very first time I was game enough to have a jump at Velocity Park.

I was concerned about jiggling. I was concerned that I couldn't do it. I thought it would be embarrassing.

I got a sports bra on, I put it on the tightest setting. Then I got a stretchy Sports top that had a breast support shelf in it. I didn't move a millimeter :)

I was able to jump quite a bit and I also spent time talking to the staff, watching the kids and shooting hoops.  It was so much fun and I bounced about half the time which was a lot more than I thought I could do.


I tried to do the climbing wall, but I am scared to fall in the foam pit at the moment. Babysteps.

We go on the last session of the day on a school day. Jason has time to come home from work and it is really quiet.  One staff member played lots of games with the kids. He seriously was incredible and another one gave Jules tips on his double spins. He needs to put his knees apart during his double spins so that he doesn't break his nose if he over crunches.



This morning my arms, foot, butt and back are tender. But my legs are fine due to bike riding lol.

The weight loss has been very sad with all these parties, and there is a birthday dinner coming up tomorrow night. Weight wise I am not getting anywhere. However my lifestyle is changing, and I am realising that that is a victory in itself







!