So, it's March already...

I've been meaning to do a 2012 round up but time got away from me, then the new year came around so it was time for one of those "New Year" posts with all my goals and new promises for the year.  Before I knew it February was here, and not March is approaching at an alarming speed and I just feel like there is a reason those posts never happened.

To be honest, I've been having a really tough time lately, personally and also physically and mentally.  I feel like over these past two weeks I broke through a barrier and turned a new corner.  I am getting back to basics and tackling some real problems that have been detrimental to my success in any goals I have set for myself - whether I'd achieved them in the past or whether they were goals I just kept putting off.

One of the real issues I've had trouble with is sleeping.  I don't think I've slept for more than an hour or two a night for years unless I'd been drinking (which isn't really helpful of restful sleep anyway), and frankly it was doing my head in.  I've started taking some magnesium, drinking a few cups of either E-Sleep tea (which is THE best), or Sleepy-time tea before bed.  Switching off social networking, not drinking any alcohol and limiting caffeinated drinks to before 11am and then it's only coffee.  About a year ago I started drinking heaps of coke zero in the afternoons and evening (goodness knows why I don't even like it that much!) but I've cut that back out of my diet and instead have been drinking American style lemonade, or iced tea.  And of course water!

The other day I felt what I think was happy for the first time I can remember in ages.  I felt positive and I felt like life had a bit of promise again.  (Sleep!  Who knew how much good could come from it?).

Now it's Autumn, and this is my favourite season of the year - a new month has started and I'm looking forward to the new possibilities and the fresh start.

I have some March fitness goals:

*Run for the Kids 15km - it's going to be a push but I'd like to beat my time from last year.  I don't think I'm as fit as I was back then, but I still have the distances in my legs so at least I'll finish without too much trouble.

*I'm going to be eating as clean as possible and avoid alcohol between now and then as I really want to have not just the training, but the health and energy behind me for the race.  When I did my half marathon last year, I'd had the flu for three weeks prior, and I still did it - I am amazed at what I can do when I'm sick or (more often than not) sleep deprived.

*Get back to Bikram yoga.  I'm really enthusiastic about Bikram and I really love the benefits, however, over the summer and in the heat I kind of let it slide and haven't been back for two months now.

*Lose 2kg.  I put on 5kg over the last few months due to being depressed, not moving enough and generally just treating my body like crap.  In the past two weeks I've lost 3kg, so I'd like to follow up with another 2kg before Run for the Kids on the 24th March.

*Finish my Cert III by the end of March.  I really fell behind with my course but now I'm back on track and I can definitely get these modules done in this time if I work hard.

*Blog more about my fitness stuff.  Sharing does keep me focused, and putting down my thoughts and goals does make them more real.


So anyway, thanks for reading this epic!  Hope everyone out there is well and happy and thriving.  I'm off to make another coffee, make broccoli soup (it's not as awful as it sounds, I swear!) and iced tea.  This afternoon I'm planning some interval cardio work followed by a big weights session in the gym.  Tomorrow, I have a 12km training run and it's going to be 27 degrees - Melbourne, where is Autumn?