18 days in a Coconut Sized Nutshell...

In the last 18 days since I last blogged I have....
Attended the Australian Institute of Fitness 6 times and passed my Certificate III in Fitness, so I am now a qualified Gym Instructor and can write a program and take a new Gyminee through it. I am now also allowed to take Group Fitness classes.

Had Clark arrive from NZ... get a job.. get back into the gym.. slice open his finger..go to hospital and need 5 stitches.. be really frustrated that it happened after only 2.5 days of work... buy a car.. get settled and go back to work...today is his first Anzac day out of the NZ Army and he was up at 3.30am to cook the Anzac breakfast at the RSL....

Celebrated Amanda's 29th Birthday! eeekk my baby girl is 29!! had a ball dancing with her... had my heart sing watching my kids that night.. back together laughing and having a ball... its a fabulous feeling..

Had a wonderful day at the beach with my kids and grandkids... made sandcastles with Miss Lily... played in the water with Mr Jofus.. learnt not to throw buckets of water at 6'4" tall 100kg son unless you really want to go swimming fully clothed.... laughed a lot!

Went to the movies and saw Fast and Furious 5.... walked behind my kids and thought to myself how grown up and amazing they both were... how lucky I was... then Manda side-swiped Clark and pushed him at a pole... and they were 8 and 9 year olds again playing up at the movies lol.. which was just as great to see...

During the 6 classes at the AIF I learnt about taking circuit classes and totally loved that..... I also did a 300 workout as part of the course and I am now head over heels in love with that particular workout.... If it wasn't so damned hard I would do it daily as my training... but I still love my heavy weights and honestly the 300 wipes me out so it is a treat I save for once.... okay maybe twice... a week...

For those who don't know and want to.... the 300 is supposedly the workout that the actors from the movie "300" did to look like Spartan soldiers, whether it is or not I really don't care, I just love the way it turns me into a soggy sweaty puffing mess... you are supposed to do the whole workout within 20 mins... you do each exercise in as many sets as it takes but you can't move on to the next exercise until you have finished the complete set.... 
This is the workout if you are a 6' tall 90kg man... (I have adjusted it for a 5'8" 67kg 50 year old woman...)

25 Chin Ups... (I do assisted chins)
50 Deadlifts with 60kg (40kg for me)
50 Push ups (I finish up on my knees)
50 Box Jumps 2foot high box (I use a Reebok Step extended up to about 1'3" - haven't really measured it)
50 Floor wipes 60kg above head (20kg above head)
50 Clean and Press 15kg DB 25 each arm. (6kg DB - although about to go to 7kg)
25 Chin ups (assisted)

My first time was 45 mins... although there was the must have Toilet-Stop-Before-Box-Jumps in there which would account for a couple of minutes... my second attempt I managed to get through it in 40 mins.. still with the TSBBJ but I took the 2 minutes used for that out of the time.. Its a fabulous workout as you are just competing against your own time and once.... yes I do plan to be able to do it in 20 minutes... I reach the 20 minute point  I will increase my weights...

I celebrated Easter with Chocolate Hot Cross buns... I begged for them then honesty after having 2 I was happy to hand them out to the Grandkids and Amanda and Clark... nice for a treat but just not me any more.. I avoided the basket of chocolate eggs on the desk in front of me at work all day on Saturday... there was a time when having them there would have driven me crazy but now they have no appeal at all...

Its Anzac day today and it always makes me tearful... but after seeing this... well there are no words to express how grateful I am to have such a wonderful family.... here is Joseph getting ready to march in the Anzac Parade wearing his Uncle Clarks medals.....

We will not forget the ANZAC forces and what they gave for us...