Mount Lofty Summit - The 1st Test

For all the lovely people who have been my biggest fans and supporting me through the trials and tribulations that comes with this great wall walk, I just want you all to know that I am working hard for you all - I am not super fit, but I am trying so hard!

Today I walked up to the Mount Lofty summit from Waterfall Gully. It was a 7.5km round trip, and that trek to the top was hard, it was definitely a challenge. I did stop a few times and rested, my heart rate got up to ...160 BPM, and the good old fit bit told me that I walked an equivalent of 99 flights of stairs!!!!

I have had a number of people offer to do this walk with me, but to be quite honest I was unsure if I could manage the trek up and I didn't want to be embarrassed in front of the people who have supported me.  So in typical stubborn me fashion, I arranged a flexi day from work, and I did the trek with my husband - he was amazing, and could have made it to the top much faster but was so super supportive by offering words of encouragement as I made the difficult climb.

I am going to keep going and pushing myself hard over the next 10 weeks before I leave, I need my fitness levels to increase and I have the determination and wonderful support from amazing people to make that happen.

P.s Remember I am doing this not only for myself but to raise money and create awareness for the National Breast Cancer Foundation

PLEASE CHECK YOUR BOOBIES!

Early detection is the biggest chance of survival of this terrible disease!

I am working so hard to get fit for the Trek

Apart from the main reason of my trip to China which is to raise much needed funds for Breast Cancer Research, one of my other reasons to take on this adventure is to inspire myself to become healthier and fitter, for not only myself but also for my young family.

I have increased my exercise levels dramatically.  As mentioned previously on this blog, I am continuing to walk the stairs most days at work, 16 flights up and 16 flights straight back down - honestly the muscles on my calves are really something beginning to look athletic - I have my stair buddies Noel and Anh to thank for keeping me motivated every day!

I have also been meeting up with my personal trainer once a week. Shani from The Fuel Focus is whipping my butt into shape, and helping me to gain fitness and upper body strength.  We are on week 7 now, and while every session is still hard, I am now seeing the benefits.  I am feeling fitter, and I can see muscle definition on my arms that has not been there for a long time. 

I have not missed a session yet, I need to stay motivated and keep working at all of this.  A big thanks to Shani for putting up with my whimpering when things start to get hard and keeping me motivated with strong words of encouragement!

So what next in the way of training for Laura?

1. Stairs will continue - that's a given as long as my stair buddies are there to keep me motivated.
2. Dragon Boat Racing - What is that you say? well I have signed up to do a trial period of yes, dragon boat racing!  That big boat with the dragon head, someone banging drums while everyone else rows - yes that is the one!!!! If I need to improve upper body strength I can't see a better way or more fun than that!  Stay tuned for some pictures and a blog once that adventure starts.
3. 10000 steps challenge.  My work is supporting us to set up teams of 10 people to do 100000 team steps per day or 10000 per person.  We are supplied with pedometers and encouraged to walk more around the office.  I have my little posse of 10 team members and being team captain I hope to inspire my crew to get active.
4. Gym classes and PT sessions I really hope to continue these for as long as I can afford to.  I am still not entirely comfortable to join a large gym class but smaller groups and 1 on 1 with Shani do make me feel less self conscious.

If anyone can come up with more ideas to keep me active, feel free to comment.  For all my friends who have supported my fundraising efforts, been to events, eaten my chocolates, donated to my everyday hero's page and just offered kind words of support, getting fit is my way of showing you all that I am not taking this trek light heartedly!

This trip to China is my Carpediem moment - I will sieze the day and come out the other side, stronger and fitter both physically and mentally than I have ever been!

First target almost reached.....

I am so so so very close the first target!

 

After I reach this ill be aiming for the 5K mark!!!!!

 

A very big thankyou to everyone who has supported me

 

https://nbcfchina2016.everydayhero.com/au/laura-McDonald

Lobethal Lights Tours

Wow I am so behind on posting a blog about my Lobethal Lights Tours.  So so very sorry but with the little people off for the school holidays I just have very little time at the moment.

Any way for this fundraiser, it was a chance to take a group of people up to Lobethal on a bus, show them around and hope that everyone has a great time!!!!!  I ended up running two bus trips up, one on the 13th December and the next on the 20th December.

Both nights were big busy nights up in Lobethal, with the first tour being the opening night of Lobethal and the second tour being the Lobethal pageant night.

I wish I could say both tours went off without a hitch, but well the first night we had promised our group that we would be going to Melbas Chocolate Factory, but alas for the first time in many years, they were closing within normal business hours, it was all good though, because we got to Lobethal in time to walk the main street, buy some cherries, some kids went to Scaletrics car races etc.  I was a great night.

 My second tour was a little more eventful with our bus breaking down just outside of Woodside, it was one of those occasions were as an organiser you think 'holy crap what are we going to do now?' Well luck had it that we stopped outside a lovely little pizza shop and one of the owners came out and offered to take our bus load of people in to Lobethal in an old war Ambulance.  This might not have been the way the guests were expecting to get in, but it did add to the excitement and adventure of the night.  Most of my guests made it into the main street and in time for the pageant, pheww thank goodness for wonderful community spirit.




With a new bus dropped off we then ventured around the streets of Lobethal enjoying the Christmas lights!!!!!

In total for these tours we raised $334.74 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Many thanks to those who attended and helped me towards my goal.

Time for a personal Trainer

Well I have been stair climbing and working my butt off to get fit and shift some weight before China, and while my legs are resembling something like Arnold Schwarzenegger on a skinny day, the rest of me does not seem to be keeping up with the attempt to get fit.

After much encouragement from some lovely friends and of course my family, today I had my first session with a personal trainer to help me get my fitness levels up.  I am not going to lye, it was tough - I don't think I have done a push up in 10 years! 

The trainer did comment about my leg strength, which pleased me, but there is no point walking up those stairs on the wall if I am huffing and puffing by the time I get to the top.

So after session 1, I am not yet in too much pain, I am feeling some tightness in my arms, but I guess the next few days will be the test on how much pain I will be in - NO PAIN NO GAIN is some clique that seems to be said.

Nobody can ever say I am not determined to make this work! It is 5 months now to China and by golly I am going to walk that wall and embrace what ever it throws at me!

Laura's Little Shop

So it seems, my work collegues are starting to slow down with the chocolates, and well thank goodness for that, I am so over chocolates - I NEED them out of my house!  I am a little over competing with Willy Wonka for the most amount of chocolate in a single premises.  I am sick of getting a chocolate craving and actually having them there to have, when you don't have them, you don't eat them!!!!!

So in a desire to continue to raise money, I have rebranded and I now sell at work packets of chips and soft drink cans.  Well yes the junk food is a continual theme, I am not sure I could put a fruit bowl out and have the same effect that a packet of Twisties does, but Laura's Little Shop in the office place is in business and raising money for the NBCF.

Pink Ribbon Walk

I have no idea if I can make this one work! ill try of course but with so many things on at Christmas time, this one was always going to be a challenge, let alone attempting to do something a few days before Christmas!!!!!

Stay tuned - success of failure, time will tell.

Fundraising half way mark

Well you could say that I am now pretty much officially at the half way mark in my fundraising. I started this adventure at the end of July 2015 so in around 3 & 1/2 months I have hit a pretty good milestone. I am happy with that!!!! with more bits and pieces to come I think I am well on target to meet my qualifying total for the walk!!!!

If you want to donate, please check my fundraising page at https://nbcfchina2016.everydayhero.com/au/laura-mcdonald

Lobethal Lights Tour December 2015

Ok so my next event has been planned, I am really hoping that this will be a fun event for everyone attending.  I am hoping for a happy family friendly Christmas overload on my Lobethal Lights Bus Tour.

If you would like to attend this event, please log a will attend on the following Facebook event page or comment on this post and I will get back to you.

Training on Holidays.....

So I have had a little break from my training and fundraising due to spending 10 days in New Zealand for an event, then a driving holiday.

But never fear, while I wasn't able to climb the stairs from my work building I did manage to do things like climb the steepest street in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Baldwin Street is recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the steepest street in the world. The street runs up the northern side of Signal Hill, a prominent hill overlooking Otago Harbour, at slopes of up to 1:2.86 (for 2.86m horizontal distance, a rise of 1m).

So with all my training, while I still huffed and puffed up to the top, my legs did not hurt!  I made it to the top, I enjoyed the views then enjoyed the much easier walk back down.

My calves are starting to become rock hard, which is awesome, I just need however the rest of my body to catch up with the training.

Billy G's Cookie Dough Fundraiser

When my sister said to me "Make sure you do the cookie dough fundraiser, the people at my work love it", I did wonder if I could make it work.

Well low and behold, after giving her some order sheets, the people at my sisters work bought over sixty tubs of Billy G's Cookie Dough, I sold a few, but Amandas work is the clear winners.

So today I took delivery of boxes and boxes of frozen cookie dough, and fingers crossed we can now get it out to everyone who ordered easily.  Actually I should say hopefully my sister can organise her work team for everyone to take collection.

 

Money raised from this fundraiser was $195.20 which has been paid directly into my Everyday Hero page which goes direct to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Some inspiration, my theme song, thankyou Bon Jovi

What more can I say, when this song comes on - I strut, I dance, I sing, I live!

Family Photos Fundraiser

Ok, so in my quest to raise money for the NBCF, I find that the people in my life just keep on stepping up and helping me.  My dear friend Lisa has volunteered her time and talents to help me with a fundraiser in taking photos for my friends for Christmas presents. 

So this is my next fundraiser, just in time for Christmas!

Officially Amazing - there is a list!!!!

Here is a quick post, since starting my fundraising, I have found that there are a number of people that I can really add to an 'Officially Amazing' register.

Honestly the generosity of people that want to help my cause and raise much needed funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation is beyond words.

To everyone that has helped me thus far, all I can say is a very big THANKYOU! from the bottom of my heart.

12km in the City to Bay

In my attempt to get fitness ready for China, I thought that it would be a good idea to attempt the City to Bay, which is 12kms from Adelaide to Glenelg.

 

My lovely friend Rachel was my support through the walk, I thought I was walking fast, but she was faster, when I slowed down she encouraged me to speed up, you kind of need friends like that to crack the whip every now and then. 



 

We ended up walking the 12km's in just under 2 hours, well 1:59:29 to be exact, given that we didn't run it, I am really proud of our effort.  I am not going to lie, it wasn't easy for me, the last 3kms I found quite hard, more in that I was trying to keep the pace of my team to not let them down but I really was starting to slow down.

 

 



The next day after the race was hard, I had some pain in my hips, but I guess the saying no pain no gain is cliché, because I had pain, and hobbled round a little at work, but now I am good.  I gave it a go and had fun at the same day!

Carpe diem guys or seize the day and life be in it!

First $$$ milestone achieved

Well my Everyday Hero's page has received some visits from some wonderful friends who have donated directly to the NBCF.  I have also been selling chocolates, cakes and had an awesome first event.

So this is a quick blog post to point out that I have reached my first $1000 raised for the NBCF!  I am very happy, having done this is just over 2 months.  I feel at the moment I am on target to continue the journey within the expected time frames.  I just now need $2500 more to qualify, but $4000 more if I want to make my own personal goal of $5000 raised.

If you want to support me, my everyday hero's page is still open and needing your support of any amount big or small. (fully tax deductable)

https://nbcfchina2016.everydayhero.com/au/laura-mcdonald

The Color Run 2015

I sit here tonight feeling a little weary, It was 29 degrees here in Adelaide, and my family and I got up bright and early on a Sunday morning to head into the city to do the Color Run (yes I know it should be spelt 'Colour' here in Australia).

We got to Victoria Park just after 8am, we covered our self's in body paints and geared up for our first Color Run.  The queue to get past the start line was slow, I did wonder if they could release the groups of people a little quicker, but once you were walking it all seemed to flow really well.  The organisers have obviously researched this one.

My husband and eldest son started with a jog and I walked with my little guy. It was 5kms of fun, normally a big walk would have my little one dragging his feet, but the anticipation of colours, glitter and snow being put on us was much to much fun.

This walk was obviously designed for just fun, serious runners might be disappointed that times were not recorded, but that was not needed today.  As we crossed the finish line and was awarded our medals we discussed what we would do next year.

This was a nice little lead up to my big walk next week for the 'City to Bay'.