Mothers Day Classic

28 Jan 2009 - This week was brought to you by the letter “H” – history, heat and hospital – and they’ve all impacted my routine. Thankfully the hospital story wasn’t mine but my husband who had two hernias removed – see how the “H” theme works? His name is Hugh too! He was in hospital for a few days – two longer than we thought he’d be – and I’ve spent the week feeling like a shuttle service as I’m moved from home, to the hospital and to work. Not having a car – or a licence – makes life a bit interesting, but Frankston Cabs have welcomed one of their favourite customers and looked after me okay. Thankfully he’s home now so normality should resume.

I did manage to get my walks in everyday despite a lack of sleep due to creaky house and the heat early in the week. As summer arrived in Melbourne with a vengeance, I needed to remind myself each morning that walking was going to be impossible later in the day – as it was, Thursday morning saw be pounding in 26 degrees – at 6 o’clock in the morning!
Add to the above the fact that I got up at 3 o’clock in the morning on Wednesday to watch history unfold in the US with the inauguration of Barack Obama, and you can assume that it’s been a challenging week. Having said all that, I’ve averaged 2.5km per day and been glad of it. I’m going to stretch my distance next week and add another 0.5km – all incremental!

16 Jan 2009

This week has been all about shoes. Not the Manolos or even the Diana Ferrari’s. No, it’s been about “proper” walking shoes. I’ve been pounding around in the same pair of Reeboks for years. I’m fairly sure that I was properly fitted for them and didn’t just grab them in a discount shop somewhere, but it was about 10 years ago and my feet have changed since then.

I’ve been murmuring about investing in new shoes for a while now that I’m in “training” for the Classic so when we were out shopping at the weekend, my husband steered me into the local Athlete’s Foot store but a consultation. Despite my concerns about teenagers running the place, my salesperson was delightful. He measured my feet and had me stand on the machine that maps the pressure points and tells you how you stand and what it means for your feet. Apparently my balance is quite even between my left and right, but, as I suspected, I’m heavy on my heels and the balls of my feet. Add to that the fact that I have a high bridge, slightly high arch and a heel spur which has been causing me grief for months and I learnt as much as I want to know about a part of my anatomy. It was reassuring to find out that my feet were considered quite normal despite my conviction that they were terrible and I actually had a choice of shoes available to me.

After trying on several pairs I settled on a pair of black leather upper Brooks cross trainers with gel cushioned heels and soles. My thinking with the black is that they will blend it more when I wear them with none training clothes and will be the perfect shoe for our trip to the UK later in the year. All in all it was a good experience and the bonus was that Brooks are Gold sponsors of the NBCF so I’m helping them help us!

I’ve been wearing the shoes for a week now and the heel pain has all but gone, my distance walked is up to 2km and I’m feeling good! Imagine how I’ll be by May!

It’s around 4 months to go until Mother’s Day and the calendar is telling me that now is the time to get serious about training. When we finished the 4km walk in last year’s event, the adrenaline and self-congratulation of the moment made in easy to say – “oh, let’s do 8km next year!” What sounded simple then seems so much harder now as the body struggles through its post-Christmas lethargy. Add to everything the fact that I’ve told the world that I’m aiming to make 2009 the year that I lose lots of weight and get fit and I really understands how Magda Szubanski feels with her public weight loss battle – like I’m on a hiding to nothing!

Never mind, it’s all going to be good. Positive reinforcement that’s what we need. It’s not as though I haven’t had plenty of messages about how important a healthy weight and body are in the fight for cancer. I think the message got home to me when by breast surgeon (aka Belinda) told me that losing weight was shown to be as effective as chemotherapy in stoping a recurrence. Hm, another dose of chemo or some sensible eating and exercise? Which one would you choose? Next!

I started the program in late October when I finally got out of denial about my relatively recent diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes and decided to take action. I’ve modified our diet – because my beloved husband can afford to get healthier as well – and simply stopped buying the “wrong” foods – except over Christmas of course and even then we had much less – and started exercising every day. Am measuring my efforts with a pedometer and currently doing around 10,000 steps per day. I do need to build that up now that the holidays are over and will continue pounding the streets around home each morning. I’ve got a walking buddy at work so we’re going to do a long walk a couple of times a week at lunchtime – so long as it’s not too hot – and discovered a gym at work so can hit the treadmills. This should be easy!!

No, I’m convinced – 2009 is going to be a great year. I will get to my goal weight (I’ll tell you what it is when I get there), I will have my reconstruction and I will walk 8km in the Classic (if it kills me!).

Getting up for Mother’s Day Classic last Sunday - I was very excited but it was dark, it was cold, and I was very nervous as I hadn’t gotten any faster and I hadn’t lost a single kilo!  I just hoped I wouldn’t embarrass myself. 

But then I got there and the atmosphere was fantastic - it wasn’t just a fun run I really felt like I was part of something important.  I started talking to others in the crowd and heard the statistics - 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 85 !  And I heard so many stories that reminded me that I am so lucky that it is the weather and kilos that are my biggest upsets for the day. 

Sarah lost her aunt to breast cancer and discovered that she too carried the breast cancer gene giving her a 95% chance of having breast cancer herself; so at the young age of 27, Sarah had a full mastetomy to avoid that diagnosis later on.  27!!!! 

Dawn was in her early 40s when diagnosed and found telling her diagnosis to those she loved harder than finding out herself.  Di, diagnosed at 62, now worries about her 3 daughters and her new grandaughter. 

Cheryl, diagnosed at 31, before going through full chemo and radiotherapy had to make life-changing decisions regarding fertility and her future as a mother. 

And 7 year old Matthew lost his mum 9 months ago to the disease…  

So I hit the pavement with renewed vigour and was so proud to be supporting such a wonderful event and important cause.  I went back to the assembly area afterwards and just took in the atmosphere - it was amazing - emotional but so inspiring!  Next year I will definately be there again and will be encouraging more of my friends and family to join in the Mother’s Day Classic - let’s help raise the funds so that the researchers can find the answers to this terrible disease. 

Congratulations to the organisers for a fantastic event and for giving such a true and important meaning to Mother’s Day!

Thank you to everyone that supported the Mother’s Day Classic - from the organisers, the runners & walkers, the sponsors, the fundraisers & those amazing volunteers - well done on making this year’s Classic the best one ever.
 
When my father was dying a few years I promised him on his death bed that in anything I tried in the future I would aim to make a difference.  It is with great interest that I noticed that the first line on the front page of the MDC website it says “a chance to make a real difference”.
 
Well I can say that to all that participated on Sunday, we all made a difference.  Well done!
 
All funds to the National Breast Cancer Foundation have a positive impact in shaping our future in their quest to finding a cure for breast cancer.  Along the way they will save many lives of Australian women.  Nearly all of us will know someone that has been affected by breast cancer and it must be gratifying to know that chances of survival have improved dramatically in recent years following the increase in research and awareness.
 
You may not know which life was saved, but have a smile on your face knowing that you helped in whatever way in “making a difference”.
 
As always Mother’s Day produced magnificent weather.  Chookie & my gorgeous wifey Kylie went to Parramatta Park for the first time after years at the Domain in Sydney.  To see a crowd well over 3,000 was amazing given that the MDC only started here last year.  Chookie had the wonderful honour in starting the 4km race.  As she was running the race herself, she was tempted to do the old schoolyard trick in taking off herself before saying “go”.  I must say that Chookie is improving with age as she seems to be moving better now as a 62yo.  If she keeps improving with age then I might have to come up with a new nickname for her as she won’t be the old chook for much longer!
 
I have often said before that Mother’s Day is my favourite day of the year & once again it didn’t let me down.  The happiness I felt when I saw Chookie’s face cross the finish line (as a symbolic gesture that she beat Breast Cancer for another year) was something special & something that is hard to describe in words. 
 
A few weeks ago we announced Chookie’s goal of making the top three in her age category … to be honest I thought it was going to be a tough challenge for her especially with all those super fit grannies & it would mean a few weeks of training - something which is foreign to her … but she did it & guess what?  Not only did she reach her goal of making the top three … she won her age category!!  Woohoo Chookie!!   Now we had one very stiff & sorry Chookie at lunch but boy was she so happy - her grin was wider than Sydney Harbour.  Apart from winning dad’s heart over 37 years ago, I am not sure if she ever won anything else in her life.  Now she is an “elite athlete” and is talking about “defending her title” next year! 
 
Now it doesn’t matter where you finish, so long as you participated & I was so happy to see so many people show up in supporting a great cause.  It was great to see so many men in support of this great cause as well.  Well done guys in supporting your loved ones.  It was also superb seeing so many young children out & having fun.  Not only are they enjoying a healthy lifestyle, they are also made aware about Breast Cancer issues at a young age. 
 
After the race it was great to see everyone cool down together & enjoy the entertainment.  I reckon the boys from Mix were the busiest as they must have given out hundreds of spot prizes.  Well done to NBCF and the sponsors for providing so many prizes.
 
To all the mothers out there, I hope you had a great Mother’s Day.  You are all very, very special and precious to us. 
 
I regularly joke about some funny things that mothers say to their kids … and how they are often threats.  I reckon a heard a hundred of them on Sunday.  My favourite one was by my very own mother Chookie … “I brought you into this world … and I can take you out as well.”  Aaah yes, dear old, sweet, innocent mothers!
 
Finally I would like to thank the National Breast Cancer Foundation for giving me the opportunity to express my thoughts over the past few weeks.  Hopefully you enjoyed it.  After almost losing mum in 2000, I am forever grateful in having her with me today and for many more years to come.  I also look forward to spending many more decades with my beautiful wife Kylie.  I wish all of ye out there the same good fortune.
 
Sincerely yours & I look forward to seeing ye again next year!
 
Adrian Raftery, aka Mr Taxman.
 
 
PS I love you loads mum and I am so so proud of you!

Two years ago I celebrated my 70th birthday, I asked my friends not to present me with gifts but, instead, to give the more thoughtful gift of breast cancer research. By encouraging friends and family to sponsor my participation in the 4km walk at the Mothers Day Classic, I felt that together we could make a bigger contribution to something very worthwhile.

It turned out to be one of the best birthdays ever – at my age I certainly don’t need any material gifts and think that the Mothers Day Classic is a wonderful way to help fight breast cancer. When I was diagnosed, I felt overwhelmed but determined to participate in some capacity for cancer research. I now know that there is a big community of survivors and the Mothers Day Classic is the best way to celebrate life, friends and family.

If you can’t walk or run yourself on Sunday 11 May, why not sponsor someone who can?

As I am still new to the whole regular exercise thing I am still getting on top of all the sports equipment you need.  I have the new runners - apparently these Brooks runners will make me as fast as a leopard!  And I have ordered the Mother’s Day Classic Brooks sports top which is made of some special fabirc that will  by all accounts draw the sweat away for my body (none of that sounds very ladylike but makes me feel sporty) and I have invested in 5 pairs of sports socks (even sports socks lose their pair in the wash…).  I also have the new running  pants which the saleswoman promises are very flattering (lycra pants flattering - yeah, right!). 

But let’s talk about the sports bra …. I decided that after 4 years it really was time to reinvest.  So the other weekend I went off to review the latest range and try some on ….  Oh my goodness… I am still recovering!  The first one (and only one for that day) I tried on was like a full suit of armour and took me a good 10mins to get on only to discover it really didn’t sit well and was a bit uncomfortable (and I am uncomfortable enough while running without having to add to it!).  But this is where the problem started - 10mins to get in to the bra, near impossible to get out!  I thought they were going to call for the jaws of life to remove me from it grips.  Eventually I had to call in the salewoman to help and when finally free, red in the face from the the embarrassment and more so the effort, I redressed and went home empty handed. If a bra is hard to get out of in the change room, I imagine it would be impossible to get out of after a run when you are tired, hot and sweaty (not that I will be sweaty in my new Brooks top!). 

It took me a week to rebuild my confidence and set off this time with my sister for back-up.  I eventually found a comfortable sports bra (though I did have to try plenty on) that was easy to get in and out of.  So my advice to you all is, sports bra shopping is a team sport, allow plenty of time and always take a female companion with you as it is not as easy as you think and many of them are designed so that you have to buy them because you can’t actually get them off!  Hope you are all looking forward to the big day - not long to go now.  And don’t forget to get people to sponsor you - if they can’t come on the day the least they can do is sponsor you for putting in the effort.

So its only two weeks to go til the big day.  Chookie is getting nervous … but it is a good nervous … nervous excitement.  This is the first year that she has prepared for the Mother’s Day Classic & she is hoping that the preparation is worth it.  Her goal is to equal or better last year’s time in the 4km run.  That way she knows that she is still a chance of winning gold in Beijing!!
 
Whilst the training regime up to now has been relatively easy on Chookie … after all at 62, she is no longer a spring chicken … she has enjoyed the benefits of it.  On Saturday morning she voluntarily elected to walk 6km each way to the nearest shopping centre rather than drive … she felt better for the walk on a lovely morning & also felt great knowing that she didn’t spend too much knowing that she would have to lug all the shopping on the return walk back.
 
Chookie has found that she is losing quite a few kilos as well & was able to fit into an outfit yesterday that she bought a decade ago !!  Whilst I remain tight-lipped about the fashion sense (and I am the last to talk about fashion anyway!), it was still a great achievement to be at the same fitness level as 10 years earlier. So Chookie felt great seeing her friends yesterday knowing that she was getting fitter & firmer.
 
The other benefit in training & losing weight is that invariably you don’t spend as much as you would when you don’t train because you are now buying fruit & vegies & eat at home rather than going out & eating unhealthy with hamburgers, chips, wine, etc (Note to all men: chocolate is part of a stable diet for all women!!)
 
So Chookie is not only feeling lighter & fitter but she is also saving a bit of cash at the same time.    She is losing kilos around the hips but not making the hip pocket any lighter.
 
Til next week, have a great week of training.

Well the clock is definitely chugging along at a great pace towards this year’s MDC, numbers are up up up so get ready for a huge morning, whether you are down at Southbank in Brisbane with me, or at the many other MDC venues around Australia.  This week should see your training starting to increase from the past couple of weeks as you approach the top of your pyramid of training intensity. 

I wrote last week about naturally increasing your distance and heart-rate, well for the next two weeks you should be jogging/walking your longest time and distances with the most consistent heart-rate under 155 beats per minute.

In another aspect of your preparations, how is your sponsorship going? You can help a good cause raise those extra funds – and be in the running for some great prizes – by getting your friends, neighbours and work colleagues to sponsor you in the MDC.

Finally, have you thought about printing t-shirts or dressing your ‘crew’ in all the same outfits to make a statement of support for breast cancer patients, survivors and their families?  Every year the MDC sees spectacular outfits worn by teams of people supporting someone they know or breast cancer in general.  So what are you going to wear?  Don’t get left out by not preparing how you’re going to look on Mothers Day.  Get your family and friends together and make a group statement with colourful outfits and matching clothing.  Inspiration is everywhere, as people wear printed photos of their loved ones on their clothing in remembrance.  You won’t be alone believe me, you will see some very strange sights at the start the line as many participants go all out to win the ‘over-the-top’ outfit award!

The outfit can sometimes be more important than the training!

Good luck with both this week.